🔥 Episode Summary:
This one’s been a long time coming. Ronnell sits down with Kameron Olsen, founder of The Channel Advisors and creator of the Channel 2.0 framework, for a brutally honest conversation about what’s really happening in the channel.
From MDF frustration to inflated event budgets to the channel manager talent shortage that’s driving salaries into the stratosphere, nothing is off-limits. This episode is a masterclass in modern channel leadership — real experience, real data, real solutions… plus a little whiskey and pickleball talk to keep it fun.
💥 In This Episode:
Why MDF spending is broken — and how suppliers can finally measure ROI
The missing funnel every supplier needs (partner funnel is not deal funnel)
The truth about Channel 2.0 and why hope is not a strategy
Why events cost more than ever but deliver less
How to properly build your Ideal Partner Profile before you waste another dollar
Why channel manager compensation is skyrocketing and what suppliers should do about it
The enablement gap no one wants to talk about
How the industry has shifted from “2AM trust” to strategic partnership
🔍 What You’ll Learn:
How to take control of your channel spend
How to track partner relationships like you track deals
How to stop reactive channel building and start operating with intention
Why enablement beats incentives every time
What it takes to win in Channel 2.0
👤 Guest:
Kameron Olsen
Founder of The Channel Advisors | Channel Strategist | Builder of Channel 2.0
thechanneladvisors.com
LinkedIn: Kameron Olsen
📣 Resources and Recommendations:
SayLess Academy: https://www.sayless.academy
Shut The Hell Up and Sell book
Channel 2.0 Podcast (Spotify)
Channel Advisor University resources
📌 Timestamps:
00:00 – Ronnell sets the tone: truth, positivity, and keeping it 100
03:00 – Whiskey, barbecue, pickleball, and the warm-up
14:00 – Why the channel is more expensive than ever
18:40 – MDF is broken and how suppliers can actually fix it
23:00 – Building a partner funnel that reflects reality
28:15 – Ideal Partner Profiles and driving real behavior change
35:00 – Enablement vs incentives: why the industry still doesn’t get it
39:30 – The loyalty myth and the rise of value-based partnerships
44:00 – Working on your business vs working in your business
46:00 – From 2AM trust to Channel 2.0
49:00 – Why channel manager salaries are exploding
52:00 – Why the channel desperately needs new blood and real training
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