The journey from sales rep to the C-suite isn’t always linear—but for Brennan Petar, president and CEO at Hapara, it’s been a story of strategic growth, intelligent risk-taking, and a deep belief in the power of operational excellence.
What makes Brennan’s path so compelling is how he used every phase of his career to build something bigger. His early years in sales gave him empathy for the frontline, his transition into RevOps taught him how to scale systems, and his shift into the president’s role allowed him to shape strategy across the entire organization. Along the way, he’s driven by one thing: creating clarity, fairness, and momentum through the process.
In this episode of Go To Market with Dr. Amy Cook, Amy and Brennan discuss how each step in his career—from carrying a quota to running Revenue Operations—laid the groundwork for executive leadership. It’s a conversation filled with real-world insight and practical wisdom for anyone seeking to expand their impact.
Here are some interview highlights:
Amy Cook: Brennan, you’ve had such an interesting journey—from carrying a quota to running RevOps, and now you’re president. Take me back to the beginning. How did it all start?
Brennan Petar: It was definitely a winding road. I started my career in sales, which gave me a firsthand understanding of how the sales engine really works—and, more importantly, how hard it is to scale it.
I carried a quota, I felt the pressure, and I lived the life of a seller. That experience helped me develop core skills like negotiation, discovery, and the value of repeatable processes.
Eventually, I stepped into a sales leadership role where I had to scale my success across a team. That’s when I realized I loved building those processes and systems. That passion led me to RevOps, even though I hadn’t done it before. Someone I’d worked with, now a CRO, asked me to run RevOps. I jumped at the chance—it felt like the right challenge at the right time.
Read more: Relationships Are the Engine Behind RevOps Success
Amy Cook: That’s a bold move—jumping into a function you hadn’t led before. What was the transition like from sales to RevOps?
Brennan Petar: In sales, you’re often given a task: hit this number, make these calls. But in RevOps, you create the structure. You’re inventing the processes others will use. That was a shift. I had to consider tech integrations, enablement plans, and how to get people aligned with the new systems.
It was overwhelming at first, but I found success by focusing on the most pressing problem of the day, solving it, and then building from there. One brick at a time. Over time, those baby steps added up to a world-class RevOps organization—something I never could have envisioned at the start.
Read more: Deal Health, ICP, and the Real Work Behind Quotas
Amy Cook: That metaphor of scaffolding really resonates with me. I come from marketing, and I’ve experienced that same feeling—looking up at a skyscraper you need to build and having no idea where to start.
Brennan Petar: Exactly. As you gain traction, you start layering in tools and systems that add efficiency. One area that made a huge impact on us was conversational intelligence, which means understanding what happens on sales calls. If you’re not maximizing those interactions, you’re just putting more pressure on marketing to generate leads.
That focus on efficiency led me to Fullcast, actually. At GoGuardian, we needed better alignment across territories, compensation plans, and go-to-market strategies. Fullcast helped us operationalize all of that. It brought integrity to our sales planning—and when sellers believe things are fair, they sell harder.
Amy Cook: Love that! So you mastered RevOps—but then you made another leap into the president role. What inspired that move?
Brennan Petar: I’ve always had a growth mindset. As RevOps evolved under my leadership, I started owning more of the company’s strategy—where we go to market, how we expand, and what opportunities we’re missing. For example, in education, funding is a huge obstacle. So I thought, why not tackle it head-on? I hired lobbyists and helped pass legislation to secure funding. That gave our teams more runway to grow.
All of that positioned me to take on broader leadership. The President role is a natural extension—now I can impact the whole organization, from product to GTM. It’s a big job, and yes, it can feel overwhelming. But it’s also exciting to solve problems at scale.
Amy Cook: That growth mindset is a common thread. Is it a requirement for someone in your position?
Brennan Petar: 100%. I wouldn’t be here without it. Growth comes from stepping into discomfort. When you’re too comfortable, you’re not growing. I’ve found that when I’m stretched, I learn more, especially in areas where I’m not an expert, like engineering. But even without technical expertise, I can still ask smart questions, use data, and drive outcomes.
Read more: The Hidden GTM Risks Nobody Talks About
Amy Cook: That self-awareness is key. No one’s good at everything. How do you evaluate your gaps and build around them?
Brennan Petar: I know where I’m strong—sales, RevOps, GTM. But in other areas, I lean on mentors, consultants, and, most importantly, trusted hires. I look for people who’ve done it before and who bring credibility. Even in RevOps, I’d bring in outside help when things got too complex—like untangling an over-automated Salesforce org. You don’t have to do it all yourself.
