Great Leaders UK - Libby Derbyshire

Hunters and Unicorns

They Told Her Not to Work in Sales — She Proved Them ALL WRONG

Description

In this episode of The Playbook Universe, we sit down with Libby Derbyshire, Sales Director at ComplyAdvantage, whose transformation journey is nothing short of extraordinary.

From selling boat party tickets in Ibiza to leading with data and empathy at some of the UK’s fastest-growing startups, Libby shares the pivotal moment that changed everything — and the power of combining gut instinct with hard analytics.

We explore her early experiences in sales, how Jeremy Duggan and Steve McCluskey shaped her development, what it means to build inclusive teams, and how she balances motherhood with high-performance leadership.

Raw, inspiring, and deeply insightful, this is a masterclass in becoming more than the sum of your parts.

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🏹 Key Topics Covered

• 00:00 – Intro
• 00:39 – From Hard Work to Data-Driven Execution
• 03:01 – Learning to See the Patterns
• 06:03 – Becoming a Convert to the Playbook
• 08:17 – How Libby Leads Today
• 11:40 – Data vs. People: Earning Buy-In
• 14:38 – The ‘Cookie Cutter’ Myth
• 16:20 – Libby’s Unconventional Start in Sales
• 21:40 – Navigating Pregnancy, Leadership & Career Decisions
• 24:00 – Female Leadership & Real-World Challenges
• 27:00 – Imposter Syndrome and Identity at Work
• 30:00 – Balancing Motherhood and Ambition
• 34:00 – The Mission Behind ComplyAdvantage
• 38:00 – Values, Priorities & Why This Role Was the Right Move 💥 3 Biggest Lessons1. Data doesn’t replace instinct — it amplifies it: Libby learned that great leadership isn't about abandoning your gut; it’s about backing it up with data that tells the real story.
  2. Authenticity scales, imitation doesn’t: Early on, Libby tried to imitate powerful leaders, but real growth came when she embraced her own leadership voice.
  3. Support isn’t just nice — it’s strategic: From Jeremy Duggan’s belief in young talent to Luke Rogers’ immediate support during Libby’s second pregnancy, backing people fully brings out their best.
  🙌 Thanks for listening!This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!
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💬 Borrow These Quotes From Libby! "That was the day the lights went on for me." "If I’m not getting value from data, why would I expect my reps to?" "You can’t separate yourself from your values — they show up in every meeting." "More was more. I learned that early, selling in Ibiza." "I won’t put my family on hold anymore — I know my priorities." Tags (SEO)

• Libby Derbyshire, sales leadership, ComplyAdvantage, Jeremy Duggan, female sales leaders, data-driven sales, sales playbook, Hunters and Unicorns, The Playbook Universe, sales transformation, motherhood and career, female empowerment, B2B sales podcast, sales manager advice, sales coaching, tech sales UK, revenue leadership, leadership podcast UK
• #softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverse