Building Marked Closed Won in Public
I was watching one of Alex Hormozi’s videos on YouTube the other day and, whether he meant to or not, I felt personally attacked. In the best way.
The message was basically: stop hiding, start documenting, and let people see the process. So that’s what I’m going to do here. I’m going to document this business as it’s built, the good, the bad, the ugly, and everything in between. If nothing else, it’ll be honest. And for any fellow business owners out there: you know “honest” usually means “a little chaotic.”
Quick Intro: Who is This Dude?
My name is Jon Reynolds. I’m originally from Michigan, but I live in Arizona now (yes, it’s hot, and yes, people still move here anyway). I married my wonderful wife, LeeAnn, in 2011, and we have three kids, which means I run a business and a small, loud startup at home.
I have a BBA in Entrepreneurship and an MBA in Organizational Leadership. But honestly, business had my attention long before the degrees did. I was that kid selling lemonade on the side of the road… and later ran a small candy-selling empire in junior high. (I peaked early, clearly.)
Sales: Where I Found my Edge
After college, I realized I had a real skill for negotiation and sales. I ended up as the top sales rep at multiple companies, attended four President’s Club events, and in 2022, I had the opportunity to move from enterprise sales into sales management.
It was exciting… and genuinely an honor to be promoted.
But I’ll never forget a conversation I had with the CEO before I officially took the role. He told me, very candidly, that he was afraid he was about to do the classic mistake: promote the best salesperson into a non-sales role. (Every sales org has seen that movie. The ending is rarely good.)
Building the Machine: What Worked
As the team grew, we saw a ton of success. We did the unsexy but highly effective stuff:
- Established logical KPIs
- Built clear sales objectives
- Improved product training
- Took a deeper use-case discovery approach
- Implemented a bunch of other process improvements that helped the business hit all-time performance highs
Things were rolling.
Until they weren’t.
When it all Screeched to a Halt
In mid-2024, one of my account executives, who was battling cancer, sold to a scammer.
This scammer had hacked into a legitimate company and was posing as a real buyer. The AE had a rough health week but kept pushing forward like a champ. The deal happened. Then the “buyer’s” behavior turned suspicious. Once it was confirmed, the account executive and the SDR who booked the meeting were fired.
It was heartbreaking.
And the worst part? Three months earlier, I had raised this exact concern to my boss.
Because of what the company handled, we were a prime target. I specifically pushed for using automation and safeguards to identify bad actors, rather than just crossing our fingers and hoping a human caught it. I laid out the exact scenario that ended up happening and recommended multiple ways to detect it.
The warning was ignored.
And when the situation blew up, I lost my job, because I tried to protect my employees.
Before all of this, I reviewed the call. Even knowing the person was a scammer, there was very little that would’ve tipped off a rep in the moment. That’s what makes these situations so frustrating: we expect “common sense” to beat professional fraudsters. It usually doesn’t.
Needless to say, it was a shock.
But I also believe this: God had a plan, and better things were coming.
The Pivot: Consulting (and getting a little momentum back)
A few weeks later, out of nowhere, I started getting calls from investment banks looking to invest in the market I’d worked in for several years. They needed a consultant who understood the space, someone who knew the players, the positioning, the threats, and the opportunities.
So I started consulting, providing:
- Market segments and verticals
- Competitor breakdowns
- Product/service positioning differences
- Opportunities and threats
- Sales methods that actually work
- Marketing tactics that don’t waste money
And honestly? It was an absolute blast.
The Outcome: Marked Closed Won is Born
Between that consulting experience and my brother-in-law (a business partner of mine for a project yet to be introduced) encouraging me to build something of my own, Marked Closed Won was born.
We focus on the full sales funnel:
Lead generation → Sales conversion → Revenue growth
In plain English: we help you stop guessing, build a system, and turn “interested” prospects into paying customers, without you needing to become a full-time marketing nerd.
So This is Where We Begin. You Ready?
This blog is going to be part story, part strategy, and part behind-the-scenes. I’ll share what we’re building, what’s working, what’s not, and what I’d do differently if I had to start over (because spoiler: you probably do too).
If you’re a business owner trying to grow without lighting money on fire in the process, welcome. You’re in the right place.
Welcome to Marked Closed Won.
(Read about the next chapter of the journey here).
