From First BDR to BDR Manager: Nate Simon’s Rising Journey at OneThirtyFive
Nate Simon’s path at OneThirtyFive illustrates how grit, curiosity, and the right mentorship can turn an entry-level role into an accelerating sales career. He started as a Business Development Representative (BDR), calling prospects and soaking up every lesson. After a stint as an Account Executive for one of our fintech clients, he stepped into the role of BDR Manager after graduating college only 14 months prior.
During his senior year at Ohio University, Nate was looking for a place to begin his career where he could stand out, learn quickly, and one day use those skills to build a business of his own. A smaller, fast-growing firm like OneThirtyFive felt perfect. On day one, the office was sparse, with just owner, Kevin DeFranco, two interns, and a lot of opportunity for growth as the first full-time employee. Training meant diving into ChatGPT training videos, cold-calling at least 100 prospects a day for the company’s first client, Lumos Scientific, and figuring out the fine line between helping and bothering prospects he was dialing. That environment, plus having Kevin as a mentor, convinced him he’d chosen the right launchpad.
His confidence spiked after notching the “Triple Crown” of putt-putt, arcade baseball, and a horse-race themed raffle based on scheduled meetings, an internal contest that rewarded creativity and perseverance. More importantly, he sharpened core skills: handling objections, managing conversations with every personality type, and time management when you’re aiming to dial triple-digit call volumes.
A few months in, Nate shares one of his biggest mental shifts, “You can be yourself in sales more than you think.” That insight released the pressure to sound scripted and allowed him to connect more naturally with prospects, an inflection point that lifted his booking rate and set the stage for larger responsibilities.
Opportunity knocked when OneThirtyFive quickly grew to 10 full-time BDRs within the first 13 months of operating. Kevin mentioned the desire to create a managerial position to help out with overseeing client meetings, managing BDRs, as well as other administrative tasks that would require a helping hand. Naturally, Nate was a top candidate for this promotion as he has been at the company since day one and understood first-hand what it takes to manage successful campaigns for OneThirtyFive clients. After months of dedication to his client, PaperChase, where he not only started the conversation with prospects but also was focused on demoing and closing business, Nate found himself handing over the reins to another BDR so that he could start this new chapter of his career. "We’ve surpassed a million dollar run rate in our 14th month of operation,” Kevin shared, “And as the first full-time hire, Nate played a significant role in helping us get there. I can't wait to see our company continue to prosper with him managing our BDRs and client accounts day-to-day."
Nate’s trajectory encapsulates our culture at OneThirtyFive: start with hustle, layer in coaching, and reward results. From nervous first calls, to closing full-cycle deals, to taking on managerial responsibilities, Nate’s growth reflects the possibilities here for anyone willing to put in the reps and keep iterating for success. If you’re ready to chart your own rapid ascent in sales, OneThirtyFive is always hiring, and your story could be the next one we tell.
