Podcasts about Pipedrive

This Week In Startups is made possible by: Superhuman https://Superhuman.com Sentry https://sentry.io/twist Lightfield https://lightfield.app Today's show: Jason's been saying it for years now (and we've got an All In clip from 2023 to prove it). Open source will win the AI race. This week gives us a major evidence point, as $11B legal AI company Harvey released its own in-house model, trained on an open-weight Kimi K3 base. Harvey made a proprietary specialized solution without having to risk sharing its precious expert-compiled data with the major frontier labs. PLUS we're checking out the FREE AI dictation app Willow with co-founder Allan Guo, and finding out how he plans to compete with giants like Wispr Flow and Apple. AND we've got the Stanford student who built an automated golf cart and gave luminaries like Jensen Huang and Sam Altman rides around campus. Guests Allan Guo on X: https://x.com/_allanguo Willow: https://willowvoice.com/ Ethan Goodhart: https://x.com/EthanGoodhart Sign up for the Wind TestFlight: https://testflight.apple.com/join/zZqmhhwf Relevant Links CNBC: OpenAI "will be a public company in 2027": https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/19/open-ai-ipo-timing-2027-friar.html OpenAI Zero Data Retention Pledge: https://openai.com/index/our-commitment-to-zero-data-retention TWIST (June 2026): Jason comments on OpenAI and training data: https://youtu.be/o3eow1nTrcI?si=orungk7OmplOuyio&t=742 All In podcast (Feb 2023): Jason comments on open source vs. frontier models: https://youtu.be/PVgBWV2bvLs?si=j6y7sHS0wx9q09oa&t=5173 Harvey: https://www.harvey.ai/ Harvey Tenet Research Preview: https://www.harvey.ai/blog/post-training-update-harvey-tenet Fireworks AI: https://fireworks.ai/ Wispr Flow: https://wisprflow.ai/ Pipedrive: https://www.pipedrive.com/ Nvidia Jetson Thor: https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/autonomous-machines/embedded-systems/jetson-thor/ OpenAI shares Wind golf cart clip: https://www.tiktok.com/@openai/video/7645336713472134431 Starlink Mini: https://starlink.com/mini-product-us?srsltid=AfmBOorzM7arxhdzYAdDpH6RGD4LLg9WV_BFnEoLuYieuHuGSCjQTE1Y Toro mowers: https://www.toro.com/ 404 Media: https://www.404media.co/ Punchbowl News: https://punchbowl.news/ Semafor: https://www.semafor.com/ Skift: https://skift.com/ Newcomer: https://www.newcomer.co/ Deirdre Bosa on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@deebosa Electrek: Genesis GV90 review: https://electrek.co/2026/08/20/genesis-gv90-luxury-coach-doors-images/ Toyota Alphard gallery: https://global.toyota/en/mobility/toyota-brand/gallery/alphard.html The Clash "London Calling" video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfK-WX2pa8c Timestamps: 0:00 What is Jason's Grok Bot up to? 5:17 Systems over goals 9:43 Superhuman - Superhuman Go is an AI chat that's always there when you need it, already aware of what you're doing, and doesn't ask you to start from zero. Sign up to get the best in AI at https://Superhuman.com 13:08 OpenAI will go public soon 14:19 Top line ARR matters way less than churn 20:43 Sentry - Your team should be focused on shipping features — not chasing down bugs. New users can get $240 in free credits when they go to https://sentry.io/twist and use the code TWIST 29:55 Lightfield - Name one person who's ever enjoyed updating a CRM. Exactly. Lightfield's AI agent does it for you — it even prospects and books your meetings. Used by thousands of startups. Free at https://lightfield.app 30:52 Harvey launches Tenet 34:32 "Open source is going to win it all" 35:58 Allan Guo of Willow joins 39:18 Managing a single source of truth across a team 47:00 Lon and Jason love the Toyota Alphard 51:00 Stanford student and AV expert Ethan Goodhart joins 1:00:09 How Ethan got Jensen Huang to go for a ride 1:00:37 Punk Rock 101 1:06:24 Phoebe Gates' secret Harvard class Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp   Follow Lon: X: https://x.com/lons   Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis   Check out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/   Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland   Check out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis   Follow TWiST: Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Die Zahlen im Werbekonto sehen gut aus: Klicks, Reichweite, alles grün. Aber das Telefon bleibt still und Anfragen kommen keine. Dann fragst du dich, ob du mehr Budget brauchst oder ob Online-Werbung bei euch einfach nicht funktioniert. Meist ist das Problem ein ganz anderes – und es liegt fast nie am Creative. ---- Ein echter Fall: 8 im Marketing, keine Anfragen Ein Hersteller mit gutem Produkt, eigenem Team und laufenden Meta-Anzeigen – und trotzdem kamen keine Anfragen. Die Fehler sieht man in fast jedem Konto. • Zu kurz getestet: ein paar Hundert Euro, zwei Wochen hier, zwei Wochen da – der Algorithmus kam nie aus der Lernphase. • Drei Ziele in einer Kampagne: Mitarbeitersuche, Fachhändler und Endkunden – der Algorithmus wusste am Ende für niemanden mehr, wen er ansprechen soll. • Kein Ort für Leads: Anfragen landeten im Postfach, keine Liste, keine Übersicht – niemand wusste, ob daraus ein Auftrag wurde. ---- Warum es nicht am Creative liegt Zwischen Klick und Kauf stand kein System. Genau da entscheidet sich, ob aus Klicks Kunden werden. • Es fehlt nicht mehr Budget, sondern Klarheit und Struktur. • Kein sauberes Messen, kein fester Ort für jeden Lead, keine Struktur, die aus Interesse einen Termin macht. • Mehr Budget auf ein System ohne Struktur verstärkt nur das Problem. ---- Vier Schritte, die das drehen Unspektakulär – und genau deshalb wirksam. • Ein Ort für alle Leads: eine Tabelle, besser ein sauberes CRM (etwa HubSpot, ActiveCampaign oder Pipedrive). Jede Anfrage sichtbar an einer Stelle. • Messbar machen: Tracking so aufbauen, dass du siehst, welche Anzeige welchen Termin und welchen Umsatz gebracht hat – nicht Klicks, sondern Umsatz. • Kampagnen sauber trennen: je Ziel eine eigene Struktur, damit der Algorithmus wieder die richtigen Menschen findet. • Follow-ups automatisieren: kein Lead bleibt liegen, jeder Interessent wird verlässlich nachgefasst. ---- Wenn du für Klicks bezahlst, aber keine Kunden bekommst, liegt es selten an Plattform oder Creative – meist fehlt das System zwischen Klick und Kauf. Der erste Schritt ist ein ehrlicher Blick auf Messung, Lead-Ablage und Kampagnenstruktur. Wenn du dabei einen Blick von außen möchtest, findest du mehr auf master-of-search.de.

Tänases Algorütmi episoodis räägime, kuidas nutiseadme kogutud tervise- ja aktiivsusandmetest aru saada ning mida teha selleks, et järgmisel päeval paremini taastuda.Külas on Eerik Sven Puudist, Pipedrive'i andmeteadlane, kes analüüsis enda andmeid ja jagab nüüd kogemusi, mis aitavad ehk teistelgi enda andmetest sotti saada. Arutame, miks AI leiab andmetest kiiresti huvitavaid mustreid, kuid võib esitada kindla järeldusena ka seoseid, mida statistiline testimine ei kinnita. Lisaks jagame nõuandeid, kuidas enda andmete analüüsimist alustada ja millal tasub appi võtta andmeteadlane.-----Jaga meile enda jaoks olulisimat mõtet episoodist meie Discord kanalis: https://discord.gg/8X5JTkDxccEpisoodi veavad Priit Liivak ja Eerik JõgiAlgorütmi toetavadLHV https://www.lhv.ee/Nortal https://nortal.com/Codeborne https://codeborne.com/

Bruce Bignell talks to Michael Maximoff, Chief Growth Officer at BelkinsCold outreach used to build the pipeline on its own. Michael Maximoff, co-founder of Belkins, explains why it doesn't any more - and why he's moved his BDR function out of sales and into marketing.Belkins is an omnichannel appointment-setting agency Michael started in 2016, now around 200 people and 200 clients, ranked 4th out of roughly 10,000 firms globally on Clutch. He's run the Predictable Revenue playbook for a decade and watched cost per meeting climb from about $200 to $750.In this conversation: why the SDR-to-AE handoff isn't customer-centric, what changes when BDRs can send case studies and webinar invites instead of "let's book a call", how to pay marketing and sales on the same outcome, the $200,000 targeting mistake that churned 20% of new clients, and why the first system any business should buy is a CRM with a properly maintained pipeline.--⚡️Try Pipedrive for FREE - extended 30day trial ⚡️

What if your SaaS product built itself to fit every user the moment they signed up? In this episode of the CPO Rising series hosted by Products That Count Resident CPO Renee Niemi, Pipedrive CPTO Joe Futty will be speaking on why customer expectations are about to shift more dramatically than at any point since mobile went mainstream and what that means for how product teams build, hire, and think about personalization. He also shares his three-bucket framework for navigating any new CPO role, and why the lines between product, engineering, and design are dissolving into something new.

Helena Klaus and Will Aitken audited nine sales tool categories live and named what to keep at each team size.Helena Klaus, founder of Sales in DACH, surveys her members on stack adoption. They worked through CRM, sales engagement, contact data, intent, dialers, scheduling, conversation intelligence, deal execution and AI, and recommended no single stack.When is Salesforce the wrong answer?Will: teams buy on brand recognition. With no RevOps person or admin, Salesforce slows you down at roughly three times the price of a right-sized tool. His ladder runs spreadsheet, Pipedrive, HubSpot, Salesforce. Helena's real constraint is adoption, because a young team finds excuses when the UX is bad. Will's warning on all-in-one: HubSpot's built-in sequences will usually cost you deliverability.What separates intent from timing?Helena: people confuse intent and signals with relevance and timing. She is getting a dog and searching for a leash she does not need for three months. Intent sorts a list. It does not mean someone is ready to buy.How do you pick a data provider?Will keeps ZoomInfo, Prospeo and FullEnrich open at once. Sometimes one has the mobile number, sometimes all three, sometimes none. Test across a large sample, because accuracy swings by geography and job title. Helena reads the logos on a vendor's site and calls those customers. For DACH prospecting, check GDPR compliance first.Where does AI stop?Helena will not hand forecasting to a tool, because she sat in the room and read the body language. Will will not run autonomous prospecting, since anything sent in his name can be screenshotted. He uses AI for research, list building, call prep, drafts and recaps. On build versus buy, he prices a seller's hour against quota at $200 to $300, making nine hours of building a false saving against a $50 tool.Resources mentionedTario's AI cold calling reportThe Speakers:Will Aitken, Host, Sell BetterHelena Klaus, Founder, Sales in DACHCatch The Daily Sales Show liveFollow Sell BetterExplore our YouTube ChannelWatch the replayThank you to our sponsors: Tario, Aligned, Prospeo

Podcast de ventas B2B y prospección moderna En este episodio hablamos con João dos Santos, Partner Sales Manager en Pipedrive, sobre cómo construir, activar y escalar un canal de partners que de verdad genere pipeline y revenue. https://www.linkedin.com/in/joão-paiva-dos-santos-a05697152/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/pipedrive/ Revisamos las claves de un buen programa de partners, desde el diseño del modelo (tipos de partners, compensación, foco) hasta el onboarding, la formación, las herramientas y la relación continua con cada partner. También hablamos de: Cuándo tiene sentido apostar por una estrategia de canal en una empresa B2B. Cómo combinar canal de partners con ventas directas sin canibalizarse. Errores habituales: obsesionarse con el “gran partner”, firmar demasiados partners, no segmentar bien el mercado. KPIs útiles para medir el éxito del canal más allá del revenue. Similitudes y diferencias entre construir canal en software y en producto físico. Si estás pensando en lanzar o profesionalizar tu canal de partners, este episodio te dará un mapa claro de por dónde empezar y qué errores evitar. ........................................................................................................................................................................... Y si quieres mejorar tu Maquinaría de Ventas Outbound o formar a tus equipos en #modernprospecting Pues lo tienes fácil: 699 45 85 82 Más en https://outbounders.es/

He spent decades inside the world's most classified intelligence circles…now quantum physicist Dr. Hal Puthoff and filmmaker Dan Farah reveal why the greatest cover-up in human history may finally be unravelling. Dr. Hal Puthoff is a quantum physicist who has worked with the NSA and CIA, advised the US government on UAP science, and served as chief science advisor to Robert Bigelow of Bigelow Aerospace. Dan Farah is the Director and Producer of The Age of Disclosure, a landmark documentary produced in secret over three and a half years, featuring testimony from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Navy fighter pilots, admirals, generals, and senior intelligence community leaders. They explain:  ◼️How the US government has been covering up non-human intelligent life since the 1940s ◼️ Why crashed UAP craft have allegedly been recovered — with non-human bodies inside  ◼️How a secret "Legacy Program" operated for decades outside of Congressional and White House oversight  ◼️Why UAPs have been repeatedly spotted hovering over US nuclear weapons sites... and switching off missiles  ◼️How the US is entered a covert technology race with China and Russia to reverse-engineer non-human craft  ◼️What Trump's historic declassification directive actually revealed (and what's still being hidden)  ◼️Why Elon Musk may know more than he's legally allowed to say  ◼️Why UAP is the most bipartisan issue in Washington right now 00:00 Intro 02:09 Answering the Biggest UAP Questions 05:49 Why A Former Insider Took UAP Claims Seriously 10:02 What Officials Still Refuse To Say Publicly 12:35 The Real Question: Are Aliens Already Here? 13:45 How Claims Of “Non-Human Bodies” Started Spreading 14:13 The Insider Testimony That Changed Everything 19:22 Are There Multiple Types Of Non-Human Beings? 22:14 What US Presidents Are Actually Told About UAPs 23:58 Is The Government Hiding This Because The Public Isn't Ready? 27:32 What Was Really Inside Trump's UAP Report 29:00 Why Clear UFO Footage Still Hasn't Emerged 30:47 How Advanced Civilizations Might View Humanity 39:53 Why Do Advanced UAPs Keep Crashing? 41:06 Does Elon Musk Secretly Know More Than He Says? 45:24 What If All Of This Turns Out To Be Wrong? 50:50 Why NASA Rejects The “Alien” Explanation 55:48 Is “The Public Isn't Ready” A Legitimate Excuse? 56:22 The One Story That Made A Skeptic Believe 01:08:19 The Pentagon's Secret Remote Viewing Program Explained 01:18:01 Why Advanced Aliens Might Still Use Pilots 01:21:44 Would Proof Of Aliens Change The Meaning Of Life? Follow Dan: X - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/901y9Jv Instagram - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/CKVZc2a "The Age of Disclosure" Documentary Website - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/CsuWZzQ The Diary Of A CEO: ◼️Join DOAC circle here - https://doaccircle.com/ ◼️Buy The Diary Of A CEO book here - https://smarturl.it/DOACbook ◼️The 1% Diary is back - limited time only: https://bit.ly/3YFbJbt ◼️The Diary Of A CEO Conversation Cards (Second Edition): https://g2ul0.app.link/f31dsUttKKb ◼️Get email updates - https://bit.ly/diary-of-a-ceo-yt ◼️Follow Steven - https://g2ul0.app.link/gnGqL4IsKKb Sponsors: Wispr - Get 14 days of Wispr Flow for free at https://wisprflow.ai/steven Pipedrive - https://pipedrive.com/CEO Bon Charge: https://boncharge.com/DOAC for 20% off

On today's episode, we welcome Stacey Fraser, Founder and CEO of Pink Chicken — a brand that proves you don't need to overcomplicate things to build something meaningful. Sometimes, it starts with a needle, some fabric, and a point of view. What began during nap-time sewing sessions for her daughters has turned into a multi-channel lifestyle brand with 400+ wholesale partners and a growing retail footprint. Not bad for something that wasn't supposed to be a “business” at first. In this episode, Stacey breaks down what it really takes to scale a brand rooted in creativity without sanding off the edges that made people love it in the first place. We get into building with instinct vs. data, why retail still matters (yes, even now), and how to stay disciplined while keeping things joyful. She also shares the reality of going from corporate fashion to founder life—and why sometimes stepping away is exactly what leads you to something bigger. If you care about building brands that actually connect—or you're sitting on an idea you haven't acted on yet—this one's worth your time.   Are you interested in sponsoring and advertising on The Kara Goldin Show, which is now in the Top 1% of Entrepreneur podcasts in the world? Let me know by contacting me at karagoldin@gmail.com. You can also find me @‌KaraGoldin on all networks.   To learn more about Stacey Fraser and Pink Chicken:https://www.pinkchicken.comhttps://www.instagram.com/pinkchickenny/https://www.instagram.com/staceyfraser/https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacey-fraser/   Sponsored By: AT&T Business - Switch to AT&T Business at business.att.com Pipedrive CRM - Get more leads and grow your business. Go to Pipedrive.com/kara and get started with a 30-day free trial. Monarch Money - Use code KARAGOLDIN at Monarch.com to get your first year half off at just $50. LinkedIn Jobs - Head to LinkedIn.com/KaraGoldin to post your job for free. Rythm Health - Rythm is offering our listeners 15% off your first month and free shipping at RythmHealth.com/KARAGOLDIN   Check out our website to view this episode's show notes: https://karagoldin.com/podcast/838

Google Review Policy Changes: What Coworking Operators Must Do Right Now Google issued major updates to its Maps user-generated content policy in April 2026, and if you've been relying on any of the review strategies that have been standard practice in coworking for years, you need to stop and read this now. These changes directly affect how you can ask for, manage, and even display Google reviews. And it's not just about new reviews Google has deployed Gemini AI enforcement tools that are actively scanning your existing review history for violations. Phase three enforcement, which includes ranking penalties, is expected in May and June 2026. There is no time to sit on this. In this episode, Jamie walks through all eight policy changes and exactly what you need to do about each one. Why Your Google Business Profile Is Non-Negotiable Before diving into the changes: your Google Business Profile is the top of the funnel for your coworking business. When someone searches "coworking near me" or "meeting rooms near me," the map pack is what they see first and your profile is what lives there. It gets 10 to 20 times the traffic your website gets. Reviews are a core part of what keeps that profile current, credible, and ranking well. Losing review functionality or getting your profile suspended is not a minor setback. For most coworking operators, it is effectively a lead generation crisis. That's why this update matters so much. The 8 Policy Changes 1. No More Onsite Review Solicitation: You can no longer ask customers to leave a review while they are physically in your space. Google considers this pressured solicitation. That means: No verbal asks to members or meeting room users while they're on site No tablet at the front desk with a review prompt pulled up No QR codes in the space linking to your Google review page No asking event attendees on their way out the door Google can detect when reviews are submitted from your business location and will flag patterns of onsite reviews as inauthentic. What to do: Remove any review-related signage and QR codes. Replace with neutral language "We'd love your feedback" without mentioning Google specifically. Shift all review requests to automated follow-up emails or texts that go out after someone has left the building. 2. No More Incentivized Reviews: You cannot offer anything of value in exchange for a Google review. That includes: Free day passes or meeting room credits Membership discounts Referral program perks tied to leaving a review Staff bonuses or KPI tracking tied to Google reviews Contests or challenges (including internal programs like the Google Review Challenge we've run in Community Manager University, which need to be restructured) Offering to refund a visit or provide a credit in exchange for removing or revising a negative review What to do: Decouple your review strategy from any rewards or referral programs entirely. If you run a review challenge or staff incentive program, restructure it around general feedback, not Google reviews specifically. Focus team energy on delivering experiences worth writing about organically. 3. No More Review Gating Review gating means filtering customers based on their likely sentiment before directing them to Google. The common setup looks like this: ask for a thumbs up or thumbs down, send the happy people to the Google review page (defaulted to five stars), and send the unhappy people to a private feedback email. That is no longer allowed. Every customer must receive the same call to action, sent to the same destination, regardless of how they might feel about their experience. This increases your exposure to negative reviews, which means two things matter more than ever: delivering a genuinely great experience, and getting in front of problems immediately before someone leaves the space unhappy and heads straight to Google. What to do: Audit any gating logic in your CRM automations whether you're using CoLevel, ActiveCampaign, HubSpot, or another platform. Update those sequences so everyone receives the same follow-up with neutral feedback language. Remove direct links to Google reviews with language specifically asking for a Google review. You can still link to your Google Business Profile; you just cannot use the word Google or make it a conditional destination. 4. No Asking for Specific Content or Staff Name Mentions You cannot coach reviewers to mention specific products, services, or team members by name. That means: No asking members to mention private offices or meeting rooms in their reviews No asking guests to thank a specific community manager by name No staff incentive programs built around getting mentioned in reviews Google's AI will scan for these text patterns and flag or remove reviews that appear to have been coached. This is particularly tricky because keyword mentions in reviews do help with SEO but the path forward is to create experiences so compelling that people mention what matters naturally, without being asked. What to do: Let reviewers write whatever they write. If you want meeting room reviews, set up automated follow-ups specifically triggered by meeting room bookings people will naturally describe what they did. SEO-optimize your Google Business Profile through other means, including your posts, which you can and should still be doing intentionally. 5. No Fake Reviews Every Google review must reflect a genuine customer experience. Reviews from friends, family members, or team members who haven't actually used the space as a customer will be removed. This is especially common during new space launches, when operators ask their personal networks for support. What to do: Don't ask for reviews from non-customers. It wastes everyone's time and it won't hold up. Put that energy into getting reviews from real members, meeting room users, and event guests through compliant automated systems. 6. No Cross-Platform Review Campaigns You cannot use other platforms (social media, email lists, community groups) to coordinate Google review campaigns. That includes: Posting in your Facebook group asking members to leave a Google review Sending an email blast to your full membership asking for reviews Promoting a "Review Friday" push in your member Slack channel Instagram Stories with a link to your Google review page Google can detect when a batch of reviews comes in all at once and will flag that pattern as coordinated and inauthentic. What to do: Replace campaigns with individual, automated, trigger-based follow-ups. The goal is a steady drip of reviews tied to specific interactions (a tour, a day pass, an event, a membership milestone), not a wave that arrives all at once. This also distributes the timing naturally so no pattern gets flagged. 7. No AI-Generated Reviews Google's AI can detect text generated by ChatGPT, Claude, and similar tools and will remove those reviews. Even if you're sending compliant automated emails, if you suggest that members use AI to write their review or provide a template they can feed into AI, those reviews could still get flagged. What to do: Do not suggest that members use AI to write reviews. Do not provide pre-written review templates. Consider adding language to your automated review requests asking people to share their experience in their own words. 8. Reviews Must Come from a Personal Device Reviews must be submitted from the reviewer's personal device. No front desk tablets, no shared computers, no staff member handing someone a phone with the review page already pulled up. What to do: Most operators aren't doing this anyway, but if you have any setup that makes it easy for someone to leave a review from a shared device on-site, remove it. The Enforcement Timeline March 2026: Google activated new Gemini AI detection systems and began scanning, including existing review histories. April 2026: Active enforcement began. Non-compliant reviews are being removed. Google has already removed reviews from over 60,000 businesses and placed posting restrictions on over 782,000 accounts. May/June 2026 (Phase 3): Ranking adjustments will be applied to businesses with significant policy violations. Your search visibility could drop. This is not a "deal with it later" situation. Your Action Plan 1. Audit your automations. Check your CRM (CoLevel, ActiveCampaign, HubSpot, Pipedrive, etc.) and your coworking management platform (OfficeRnD, Nexudus, Optix, Coworks, Archy, Yardi) for any automated emails or SMS sequences that request Google reviews. Update any gating logic, remove direct Google review links, and adjust the language to be neutral. Also consider scheduling automated follow-ups to go out after hours or on weekends if members receive and respond to them while still on-site, it could still trigger a flag. 2. Update signage and physical touchpoints. Walk through your space and remove any QR codes, signs, or collateral that ask for a Google review or link directly to your review page. Replace with neutral feedback language or remove entirely. Check welcome packets, onboarding materials, and anything printed. 3. Retrain your team. Your community managers, front desk staff, and any outsourced marketing contractors need to know exactly what changed. Brief them on what they cannot say, cannot ask, and cannot offer. Give them this episode. CMU members will receive a cheat sheet and support playbook shortly. 4. Remove all incentive programs tied to reviews. Any staff bonus structures, contests, or member incentives connected to Google reviews need to come down immediately. 5. Build review generation into your systems, not your scripts. Set up automated, trigger-based one-to-one follow-ups for key moments: post-tour, 30 days into membership, after a meeting room booking, after an event. No campaigns, no broadcasts. Individual, triggered, automated. 6. Revisit the member and guest experience. The best long-term review strategy is an experience people cannot help but talk about. Use this as a forcing function to audit the full member and guest journey: what's frustrating, what's forgettable, and what's genuinely great. Get a peer or outside set of eyes on it if you can. Resources Mentioned in this Podcast: Google's official review policy Google's Maps UGC policy overview Everything Coworking Featured Resources: Masterclass: 3 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets to Opening a Coworking Space Coworking Startup School Community Manager University Follow Us on YouTube

Implement AI deploys teams of digital workers that work together to boost growth, increase capacity, optimise costs, and improve customer and prospect engagement.Through our AI Operating System (AIOS), a fully managed AI Agent Platform built around Agent Teams, an Agentic CRM, and an Agentic Task Engine, businesses can start with a single digital worker and scale to 50 or more across departments such as sales, support, analysts, and computer use. All setup and configuration is fully handled, so no technical expertise is needed.With more than 600 integrations, organisations save time, increase productivity, and scale faster. Grow your workforce, not your payroll.Learn more at www.implementai.ioIn this episode of Implement AI Podcast, hosts Piers Linney MBE and Dr Aalok Shukla dive deep into AOS Command - a revolutionary layer above their workforce platform that connects all your business systems into one conversational interface. Think HubSpot, Pipedrive, Outlook, monday.com, and 900+ integrations. Tune in to discover how to gain complete visibility into your operations with instant insights, eliminate time-wasting meetings through real-time data access, automate complex knowledge work across your entire organisation and potentially 2-3x your productivity without introducing new tools. This is the full story on why Command represents the frontier of intelligent business operations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's episode, we welcome Allyson Mandelbaum, Founder & CEO of Shady Lady — a women's hat brand redefining fit, function, and confidence by designing hats specifically made for women. After spending over 20 years as a reality TV producer, Allyson made a bold career pivot at 40 to solve a problem she personally experienced: hats simply didn't fit women properly. What started as a frustration turned into a mission-driven brand focused on better design, comfort, and helping women feel confident in what they wear. In this episode, Allyson shares what it's like to start over later in your career, how she validated a product idea with no prior experience in fashion or business, and the lessons she learned from expanding too quickly early on. We also talk about why “unisex” design often misses the mark, how to build a brand around a specific unmet need, and the importance of staying focused on your core product. Plus, Allyson opens up about balancing entrepreneurship with family life, trusting your instincts, and why it's never too late to build something meaningful. A must-listen for founders, career pivoters, and anyone looking to turn a simple idea into a powerful brand.   Are you interested in sponsoring and advertising on The Kara Goldin Show, which is now in the Top 1% of Entrepreneur podcasts in the world? Let me know by contacting me at karagoldin@gmail.com. You can also find me @‌KaraGoldin on all networks.   To learn more about Allyson Mandelbaum and Shady Lady:https://www.shopshadylady.comhttps://www.instagram.com/shop_shadylady/https://www.linkedin.com/in/allyson-mandelbaum-13322977/https://www.facebook.com/p/Shady-Lady-100047634133154/   Sponsored By: LinkedIn Jobs - Head to LinkedIn.com/KaraGoldin to post your job for free. AT&T Business - Switch to AT&T Business at business.att.com Pipedrive CRM - Get more leads and grow your business. Go to Pipedrive.com/kara and get started with a 30-day free trial. Square - Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at square.com/go/karagoldin   Check out our website to view this episode's show notes: https://karagoldin.com/podcast/835

Investing has been solved, but your brain is keeping you poor. Money Expert Ben Felix explains why most people make terrible financial decisions! Ben Felix is a Portfolio Manager and Chief Investment Officer for PWL Capital, and evidence-based investing expert who translates academic finance research into practical decisions for everyday people. He is known for using data, behavioral science, and simple frameworks to help people build wealth without falling for the traps of the financial industry. He explains: ◼️Why investing has already been “solved” ◼️How your brain quietly ruins your long-term financial decisions ◼️Why checking your portfolio too often can make you poorer ◼️Why buying a home is not always the smart investment people think it is ◼️Why young people may not need to save as aggressively as they're told ◼️How to use money to build a better life, not just a bigger bank account ◼️The biggest financial mistakes that destroys your financial future 00:00 Intro 02:34 Why Most People Overcomplicate Finance 03:37 How Your Psychology Secretly Controls Your Investments 05:06 The Real Frameworks Behind Financial Freedom 06:54 Why You Don't Need Much Money To Start Investing 09:20 The 10 Money Mistakes That Quietly Keep You Broke 12:57 How Monetizing Your Skills Can 10x Your Income 19:46 Why Most People Never Set Financial Goals 20:50 Are You Spending Money In Ways That Actually Improve Your Life? 21:26 Why Taking Investment Risks Matters More Than You Think 25:28 Is Buying A House Actually A Smart Investment Today? 40:48 Why Common Advice About Home Ownership Falls Apart 42:17 Will House Prices Keep Rising? 44:17 How The Wealthy Legally Pay Less Tax 45:09 The Real Tax Strategies The Rich Don't Talk About 45:45 What Happens Next To Housing Prices? 47:15 Ads 49:18 The Hidden Problems With Financial Advisors 50:21 Why Ignoring Estate Planning Can Cost Your Family Everything 51:17 Do You Really Need A Will? 51:42 How Your Partner Choice Impacts Your Financial Future 52:58 Why Some Financial Advice May Be Working Against You 54:07 Should Everyone Get A Prenup? 56:21 What Your Spending Habits Reveal About Your Future Wealth 58:04 The Real Reason Prenups Matter More Than You Think 01:00:09 Why People Underestimate Catastrophic Financial Risks 01:00:59 Stocks Vs Bonds: Which Is Actually Safer Right Now? 01:07:20 The Financial Products You Should Avoid At All Costs 01:09:23 Why Cash Loses Value Faster Than You Realize 01:10:38 Ads 01:13:33 Do You Really Need A Retirement Plan? 01:15:05 Investments You Should Avoid 01:16:44 Should You Invest In AI? 01:19:36 Crypto: Opportunity Or Risk? 01:21:25 How War Changes Investing 01:24:16 Remortgage Or Invest: Which Move Builds More Wealth? 01:25:32 Will AI Replace Your Job? Follow Ben Felix: Instagram - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/3Mc4mML X - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/5XwRueU YouTube - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/5xRgQd4 Ben's Company - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/Dd3AJr  Enjoyed the episode? Share this link and earn points for every referral - redeem them for exclusive prizes: https://doac-perks.com The Diary Of A CEO: ◼️Join DOAC circle here - https://doaccircle.com/ ◼️Buy The Diary Of A CEO book here - https://smarturl.it/DOACbook ◼️The 1% Diary is back - limited time only: https://bit.ly/3YFbJbt ◼️The Diary Of A CEO Conversation Cards (Second Edition): https://g2ul0.app.link/f31dsUttKKb ◼️Get email updates - https://bit.ly/diary-of-a-ceo-yt ◼️Follow Steven - https://g2ul0.app.link/gnGqL4IsKKb Sponsors: Stan - Visit https://coach.stan.store/?ref=stevenbartlett&utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=episode4  Pipedrive - https://pipedrive.com/CEO    Fiverr - https://fiverr.com/diary and get 10% off your first order when you use code DIARY   Wispr - Get 14 days of Wispr Flow for free at https://wisprflow.ai/steven

What if the grocery store wasn't just a place to shop — but an experience designed around quality, hospitality, and trust? On today's episode, we welcome Marc Jonna, Co-Founder and President of Plum Market — the specialty grocery chain redefining what a premium food experience can be. A third-generation grocer, Marc grew up in the business, stepping into leadership of his family's seven-store operation at just 19 before it was acquired by Whole Foods in 1998. After serving on Whole Foods' national leadership team, Marc and his brother Matt set out to build something different — launching Plum Market in 2007 as a deliberate response to what they believed the industry was missing. Today, Plum Market has grown into a 35+ location business spanning grocery, airports, and foodservice, with a focus on high-quality, locally sourced products, chef-driven prepared foods made entirely from scratch, and a hospitality-first approach to retail. With a clear point of view — from defining “local” as within 350 miles to curating a mix of artisanal and everyday essentials — the brand has carved out a unique position in an increasingly competitive landscape. In this episode, Marc shares what he learned growing up in a family-run grocery business, his experience inside Whole Foods during a pivotal moment in its growth, and how those lessons shaped the vision for Plum Market. We discuss the realities of grocery economics, why most retailers struggle to balance quality and scale, and how Marc has built a business that prioritizes both experience and discipline. He also opens up about scaling a family-owned company in a world of publicly traded competitors, evaluating new opportunities like airports and new markets, and staying true to a clear mission while expanding nationwide. If you're interested in the future of grocery, building experience-driven retail brands, or what it really takes to compete — and win — in a complex, low-margin industry, this episode is for you. Tune in now on The Kara Goldin Show.   Are you interested in sponsoring and advertising on The Kara Goldin Show, which is now in the Top 1% of Entrepreneur podcasts in the world? Let me know by contacting me at karagoldin@gmail.com. You can also find me @‌KaraGoldin on all networks.   To learn more about Marc Jonna and Plum Market:https://www.plummarket.comhttps://www.instagram.com/plummarket/https://www.instagram.com/marc.jonnahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-jonna-3a9b4649   Sponsored By: LinkedIn Jobs - Head to LinkedIn.com/KaraGoldin to post your job for free. AT&T Business - Switch to AT&T Business at business.att.com Pipedrive CRM - Get more leads and grow your business. Go to Pipedrive.com/kara and get started with a 30-day free trial. Bombas - Go to Bombas.com/KARA and use code KARA for 20% off your first purchase   Check out our website to view this episode's show notes: https://karagoldin.com/podcast/829

On today's episode, we welcome Jash Mehta, Co-Founder & CEO of Pop & Bottle — a plant-based latte brand redefining what ready-to-drink coffee, matcha, and tea can look like when clean ingredients and real flavor come first. Inspired by California's farm-to-table culture and a desire to eliminate mystery ingredients and refined sugars from her daily latte ritual, Jash began experimenting in her apartment with the goal of creating something better. What started as a personal solution has grown into a national brand carried by major retailers across the U.S. In this episode, Jash shares what it takes to build a clean-label beverage brand in an incredibly crowded category, why matcha is having such a moment, and how ingredient transparency builds lasting trust with consumers. We also talk about scaling without compromising values, innovating with functional ingredients, and how motherhood has shaped Jash's leadership style and decision-making as a founder and CEO. A must-listen for founders, operators, and anyone interested in building better-for-you brands with intention and integrity.   Are you interested in sponsoring and advertising on The Kara Goldin Show, which is now in the Top 1% of Entrepreneur podcasts in the world? Let me know by contacting me at karagoldin@gmail.com. You can also find me @‌KaraGoldin on all networks.   To learn more about Jash Mehta and Pop & Bottle:https://www.popandbottle.comhttps://www.instagram.com/popandbottle/https://www.linkedin.com/company/pop-and-bottle/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jashmehta/   Sponsored By: LinkedIn Jobs - Head to LinkedIn.com/KaraGoldin to post your job for free. AT&T Business - Switch to AT&T Business at business.att.com Merit Beauty - Meritbeauty.com to get your free signature makeup bag with your first order. Zocdoc - Go to Zocdoc.com/KARA to find and instantly book a doctor you love today. Pipedrive CRM - Get more leads and grow your business. Go to Pipedrive.com/kara and get started with a 30-day free trial. Momentum - Simplify your supplement routine with Momentum—get a free Welcome Kit and Travel Collection (a $70 value) at Momentumshake.com/karagoldin.   Check out our website to view this episode's show notes: https://karagoldin.com/podcast/826

She built an $800 million business…but sacrificed it all when her father became President, now Ivanka Trump tells her story! Ivanka Trump is a world-renowned businesswoman, real estate developer, and entrepreneur who served as Advisor to the President during Trump's first administration. She was previously Executive Vice President in the Trump Organization, and is the author of 2 New York Times bestsellers, including ‘Women Who Work: Rewriting the Rules for Success'. She explains: ▪️The negotiation tactic used to close billion-dollar deals ▪️Why she permanently stepped back from the Trump campaign ▪️How to build a billion-dollar brand from total scratch ▪️Why most leaders fail to adapt to the upcoming AI revolution ▪️Her mission to develop a pristine Mediterranean island in Albania Chapters 00:00:00 Intro 00:03:12 When You Realize You're Different What Happens Next 00:05:24 What Her Mother Was Really Like Behind Closed Doors 00:11:27 The Key Difference That Shaped Who She Became 00:15:23 What Donald And Ivana Trump's Divorce Really Meant For Her 00:18:07 The Reality Of Being Trump's Daughter What People Get Wrong 00:23:16 How Do You Find Yourself Surrounded By Power And Fame 00:30:38 Why Being Underestimated Became Her Biggest Advantage 00:32:39 What She Actually Looks For When Hiring And Why It Matters 00:37:30 Why She Walked Away From Fashion For Government 00:40:46 What Really Happened When Trump Decided To Run 00:46:04 Trump Running For President What Changed Everything 00:48:33 Ads 00:50:44 Did She Ever Think Her Father Would Actually Do It 00:54:06 Was Leaving The White House A Relief Or Something Else 00:57:48 Was Anyone Truly Prepared For Life Inside The White House 00:59:24 What The Assassination Attempt Changed Forever 01:07:01 What Life Looks Like After Stepping Away From Politics 01:10:44 Ads 01:14:05 How Therapy Changed The Way She Sees Everything 01:20:09 The Loss Of Her Mother And What It Taught Her 01:26:08 The 3 Rules She Believes Define Success And Happiness 01:28:17 What Planet Harvest Is And Why It Could Matter More Than You Think Enjoyed the episode? Share this link and earn points for every referral - redeem them for exclusive prizes: https://doac-perks.com Follow Ivanka:  Instagram - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/8tOoNMr Facebook - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/69wVEv5  X - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/9z3Vx7h You can purchase ‘Women Who Work: Rewriting the Rules for Success', here: https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/F9lFRYu  The Diary Of A CEO: ◼️Join DOAC circle here - https://doaccircle.com/  ◼️Buy The Diary Of A CEO book here - https://smarturl.it/DOACbook  ◼️The 1% Diary is back - limited time only: https://bit.ly/3YFbJbt  ◼️The Diary Of A CEO Conversation Cards (Second Edition): https://g2ul0.app.link/f31dsUttKKb  ◼️Get email updates - https://bit.ly/diary-of-a-ceo-yt  ◼️Follow Steven - https://g2ul0.app.link/gnGqL4IsKKb  Sponsors: Wispr - Get 14 days of Wispr Flow for free at https://wisprflow.ai/steven   Shopify - https://shopify.com/bartlett  Pipedrive - https://pipedrive.com/CEO    Vivobarefoot - https://vivobarefoot.com/DOAC with code STEVENB15 for15% off

Show Notes: Lauri Euren, founder of Operating.app, explains that Operating is a tool for consulting firms or professional services that are growing and need help with staffing, internal resourcing, and month-end closes. The tool handles the workflow from time sheets to invoicing, supporting delivery across multiple projects.  Operating.app Explained Lauri emphasizes that Operating is not a CRM system and can integrate with existing CRMs like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Pipedrive. Lauri explains that Operating is not for actual sales execution but for back-end processes like staffing, time sheets, and invoicing. The tool also monitors project health, margins, and financials, providing tracking and insights into project burn rates and utilization. Operating.app Demonstration Lauri demonstrates the main dashboard, which includes tabs for staffing, personal schedules, projects, and reports. Lauri describes the main entities in Operating: projects, people, and positions, and how they intersect to manage staffing and project assignments. Lauri explains the different sections and their functions.   The dashboard includes pinned views for saved and shared views, time sheets for tracking hours, and various reporting options. Lauri highlights the importance of tailoring the use of Operating to different roles within the organization, such as consultants, COOs, and staffing managers. The invoicing feature generates invoices based on the invoicing schedule and billing type of the project. When saved, the invoice saves automatically to the accounting software used.  Lauri explains that projects often come from CRMs like HubSpot or Salesforce and are enriched with metadata using AI tools like Copilot or GPT using the Operating MCP server and AI tools like Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini or Microsoft Copilot. Operating can handle different pricing structures, including per hour and fixed price models, and can model various types of work within the fixed price model.   Planned vs Forecast Revenue Revenue Recognition The tool also includes revenue recognition features, allowing finance teams to track and recognize revenue accurately. Lauri mentions that Operating integrates with accounting tools like QuickBooks or NetSuite for billing and financial management. Clients Operating Serves Lauri discusses the ideal client size for Operating, typically starting from 10 people and scaling up to large firms with hundreds of consultants. The tool replaces spreadsheets and other point solutions for time tracking and resource planning. Lauri explains how Operating handles external consultants, tagging them differently in the system and managing their permissions and utilization. The tool allows for robust customization of permissions, ensuring that each user sees and edits only what they are allowed to. Managing a Project in Operating Lauri explains the end-to-end process of managing a project in Operating, from staffing to invoicing.  The process includes adding a project, allocating team members, setting budgets, and tracking time sheets. Operating provides real-time profitability calculations and margin effects for projects. The tool allows for the creation of invoices based on time entries and integrates with accounting tools for final billing. AI Integration with Operation Lauri highlights the AI integration with tools like Claude, allowing users to query and manage projects using natural language. The MCP server in Operating acts as an AI agent, consuming data and executing queries based on user permissions. Customers can build automated tasks and health checkers using Cloud Code and AI, enhancing efficiency and accuracy. The tool's flexibility and customization options make it suitable for various roles and project management needs. Pricing Model Lauri explains the current pricing model for Operating, which is $22 per person per month for the full module and $11-$13 for individual modules. The tool is designed to be more affordable than enterprise competitors, making it  a scalable solution for growing consulting firms. Lauri provides information on how interested parties can start a free trial or book a demo on the Operating website. Timestamps: 0:02: Introduction and Overview of Operating App  02:44: Features and Functionality of Operating  06:39: Detailed Walkthrough of Operating Dashboard  08:15: Integration with CRMs and AI Tools  13:39: Client Segment and Implementation  18:26: End-to-End Project Management in Operating  26:03: AI Integration and Customization  27:57: Pricing and Availability  Links: Operating Website: https://www.operating.app/ MCP Server (Use directly in Claude, ChatGPT...): https://www.operating.app/blog-posts/ai-consulting-mcp-server Lauri's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eurenl/ This episode on Umbrex:  Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com. *AI generated timestamps and show notes.  

The truth about Sam Altman. AI Critic Karen Hao reveals what 90 OpenAI employees told her. Karen Hao is an AI expert, award-winning investigative journalist, and former reporter for The Wall Street Journal covering American and Chinese tech companies. She is also co-host of the podcast The Interface and freelances for publications like More Perfect Union and The Atlantic. Her latest book is the bestselling ‘EMPIRE OF AI: Inside The Reckless Race For Total Domination.' She explains: ◼️Why the US-China “AI arms race” may be misleading and politically driven ◼️The truth behind the Pentagon using Claude for military strikes ◼️Why AGI is a marketing scam used to consolidate trillion-dollar power ◼️How agentic AI like OpenClaw will automate desk jobs within 18 months ◼️The hidden human cost behind AI training Chapters 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:27 Why The AI Industry May Be Chasing Profit Over Progress 00:04:49 What 250 OpenAI Insiders Revealed Behind Closed Doors 00:10:48 Did Sam Altman Outmaneuver Elon Musk—Or Is There More To It? 00:14:47 What People Really Think About Sam Altman (And Why It Matters) 00:17:34 The Hidden Power Struggle To Remove Sam Altman 00:25:14 The Real Reason Companies Are Racing To Build AI 00:31:35 Do AI CEOs Truly Believe This Will Help Humanity? 00:33:08 Why OpenAI Refused To Be Part Of This Book 00:41:47 Why Sam Altman Was Forced Out 00:45:18 The Hidden Instability, What Was Altman Actually Disrupting Internally? 00:50:53 Ad Break 00:54:15 What Really Triggered Sam Altman's Firing—And The Mass Exodus After 01:04:51 Should You Vote Based On AI Policies—And What's At Stake? 01:12:30 How Robots Updating Instantly Could Change Everything 01:15:11 Will AI Surpass The Best Surgeons—And What Happens If It Does? 01:18:57 Are Self-Driving Cars Truly Safe 01:25:00 Which Jobs Actually Survive AI And Who Gets Left Behind? 01:35:03 What The Klarna CEO Reveals About The Future Of AI And Business 01:38:09 Ad Break 01:41:58 Is AI Quietly Eroding Meaning—And Impacting Health And The Planet? 01:50:52 How We Can Actually Build AI Without Putting Humanity At Risk 01:56:44 Will The AI Race Ever Slow Down Or Are We Past The Point Of Control? Enjoyed the episode? Share this link and earn points for every referral - redeem them for exclusive prizes: https://doac-perks.com  Follow Karen: X - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/7MVVs8B Website - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/ARHB0mk  You can purchase ‘EMPIRE OF AI: Inside the reckless race for total domination', here: https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/CcrcHj2  The Diary Of A CEO: ◼️Join DOAC circle here - https://doaccircle.com/  ◼️Buy The Diary Of A CEO book here - https://smarturl.it/DOACbook  ◼️The 1% Diary is back - limited time only: https://bit.ly/3YFbJbt  ◼️The Diary Of A CEO Conversation Cards (Second Edition): https://g2ul0.app.link/f31dsUttKKb  ◼️Get email updates - https://bit.ly/diary-of-a-ceo-yt  ◼️Follow Steven - https://g2ul0.app.link/gnGqL4IsKKb  Sponsors: Wispr - Get 14 days of Wispr Flow for free at https://wisprflow.ai/steven  Pipedrive - https://pipedrive.com/CEO    Saily - Download from the app store and use code DOAC at the checkout for 15% off

Face à la domination des géants américains du numérique, Christofer Ciminelli lance “Le Switch”, une newsletter dédiée aux alternatives européennes. Son objectif : démontrer qu'il est possible de conjuguer performance, souveraineté et pragmatisme.Interview : Christofer Ciminelli, créateur de "Le Switch"PunchlinesIl existe des dizaines de logiciels français, mais on ne les connaît pas.Choisir européen ne suffit pas, il faut que ce soit performant.On peut déjà absorber 80 % de nos usages.En agissant, nous avons plus de pouvoir que le Parlement européen.Pourquoi avoir lancé “Le Switch” ?L'idée est partie d'un constat que je mûris depuis plusieurs mois et qui s'est accéléré avec l'élection de Donald Trump. On a toujours le réflexe d'utiliser des outils américains, que ce soit Google Workspace, Pipedrive ou Adobe. Quand on donne nos datas et notre argent à ces modèles SaaS, on affaiblit l'écosystème tech européen. S'il n'y a pas de marché local, il n'y a pas d'investissement. Et sans investissement, on ne peut pas recruter les meilleurs ingénieurs ni développer des produits compétitifs. C'est un cercle vicieux. Je me suis demandé s'il existait des alternatives européennes. J'ai commencé par les CRM et j'en ai trouvé une trentaine en France. L'offre existe, mais elle est méconnue. “Le Switch” est né pour montrer que ces solutions sont performantes et accessibles.Les alternatives européennes sont-elles vraiment au niveau ?Oui. Je ne parle que d'outils performants. Par exemple, j'utilise désormais Yousign, alternative européenne à DocuSign : c'est moins cher et l'interface est meilleure. Je parle aussi de Noota pour la prise de notes, de Brevo Meetings comme alternative à Calendly, de Lovable pour le développement, de Vivaldi comme navigateur ou encore de Swiss Transfer. Le vrai enjeu n'est pas la performance des outils, mais leur interconnexion. La force des GAFAM, c'est leur écosystème : tout dialogue avec tout. En Europe, on a encore du chemin à faire sur ces connexions API et cette logique de stack cohérente.Quels sont les freins à l'utilisation d'outils européens ?Certains détails manquent encore dans certaines applications. Ce sont les 20 % d'usages qui peuvent faire la différence. Mais si on absorbe déjà 80 % des besoins, c'est un énorme pas. Je constate aussi une vraie prise de conscience dans les grandes entreprises. On parle de plus en plus de dégaffamisation. Dans les appels d'offres, il y a désormais des critères qui valorisent les solutions développées en Europe. Il y a aussi un débat politique avec l'Industrial Accelerator Act, porté notamment par Stéphane Séjourné. Mais au-delà des décisions politiques, nous avons un pouvoir immédiat : flécher nos dépenses vers des acteurs européens.Concrètement, comment "switcher" ?Ça ne prend pas tant de temps. Pour une PME de 30 ou 50 salariés, changer un outil de visio ou de signature électronique est relativement simple. Je conseille de cartographier toute sa stack logicielle. On découvre souvent qu'on paie des outils inutilisés. Ensuite, commencer par les outils périphériques et avancer progressivement vers le cœur du système. Le plus complexe reste la messagerie, notamment Google Workspace, car tout est interconnecté. Mais à un moment, il faut se poser la question sérieusement. Sinon, on ne sortira jamais de cette dépendance.La newsletter Le Switch Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

Today on the show, we have Priya Lakshminarayanan, CPO of Recurly, a subscription management platform empowering brands like Twitch, PupBox, Sprout Social, and Pipedrive to launch, scale, and optimize subscription experiences.In this episode, we dive deep into Recurly's 2026 State of Subscriptions report, uncovering surprising trends that challenge conventional wisdom about churn. We explore why "selective churn" might actually reflect stronger consumer intent rather than fatigue, and why the pause button has evolved from a red flag into a strategic retention tool.We discuss the dramatic shift in subscriber behavior, including why 51% of consumers cancelled at least one subscription in the last 12 months, how micro-subscriptions are becoming the new trial experience in an AI-driven world, and why traditional free trials are becoming cost-prohibitive as LLM costs rise.Finally, we tackle the loyalty paradox: why transparency and easy cancellation actually drive long-term retention, how annual subscription renewals have become critical inflection points, and why the best retention strategy might be proactively canceling customers who aren't using your service.Churn FM is sponsored by Vitally, the all-in-one Customer Success Platform.

In this episode of the CPQ Podcast, we sit down with Dustin Anglen, Strategic Partnerships Manager at PandaDoc, to discuss how PandaDoc CPQ supports faster quoting for SMB teams (roughly 5–500 employees). PandaDoc is widely known for proposals and eSignature, and Dustin explains why CPQ is a natural extension—especially for organizations that want a practical, easy-to-administer approach without heavy configuration overhead. We cover where PandaDoc CPQ fits best (including SaaS, software & technology, professional services, and education) and how customers typically use it alongside their CRM. Dustin outlines PandaDoc's API-forward SaaSapproach and its key integrations with HubSpot, Pipedrive, and Salesforce. We also discuss what's available today—and what's still evolving—such as ERP connectivity (currently not a standard integration, with MVP work underway) and common customer expectations around implementation, which is often 8–12 weeks. On the capability side, Dustin shares the top requests he sees from the market: product configuration, contract-based pricing, and CRM integration. We talk about product structure support (including bundles), pricing flexibility across segments and regions, usage-based pricing, and how PandaDoc positions its CPQ as a rules engine that is largely no-code (with options for more advanced logic when needed). We also dig into PandaDoc's AI direction—template generation, OCR and document intelligence, metadata-driven automation, and an admin-focused AI feature for helping set up product and pricing rules (currently in testing, with broader availability expected later this year). You'll also hear a few personal moments from Dustin—from his early career in the Salesforce ecosystem (including starting at Apttus in 2014), to an unexpected chapter running a beekeeping business in Santa Barbara, to his passion for freediving near San Diego. A PandaDoc CPQ free trial is available on PandaDoc's website.

Este episodio cuenta con el apoyo de Softwariza3Softwariza3 acompaña a las empresas en su día a día, ayudándolas a simplificar la gestión, automatizar tareas y ahorrar tiempo, con soluciones digitales siempre adaptadas a la normativa vigente.Implantación profesional, soporte experto y una forma honesta de hacer las cosas.Conoce más sobre Softwariza3: https://softwariza3.es/podcast-itnig/Hoy en el podcast de itnig nos sentamos con Jaume Puig y Kai Brandt, cofundadores de Enginy (antes Genesy), para hablar sin filtros de cómo están construyendo una plataforma de “go-to-market engineering” que ayuda a los equipos de ventas a encontrar mejores leads y a automatizar la prospección con IA sin perder el toque humano.Hablamos en profundidad del funcionamiento: señales de intención, agregación de datos desde múltiples fuentes, el rol del playbook para que la IA entienda el contexto de cada negocio, la diferencia entre autopilot y copilot, y cómo lo conectan con CRMs como HubSpot o Pipedrive para que todo quede registrado sin fricción. También debatimos los riesgos de depender de plataformas como LinkedIn, la realidad del acceso a datos, los baneos en el mercado y cómo piensan construir un producto defendible a largo plazo.Además, repasamos su historia de crecimiento y go-to-market: empezar con mentalidad de financiarse con clientes, los primeros “pilotos” cuando todavía era casi un PowerPoint, la cultura de outbound, el uso de design partners y cómo piensan en el siguiente salto. Si te interesa SaaS, ventas, datos e IA aplicada de verdad, este episodio te va a dar muchas ideas.

Questioning unlocks elite performance.Pete Harris, President of Pipedrive, was at the pinnacle of his previous profession (one that he'd spent his entire career pursuing).Everything was on track... the prestige and the rank. But while many founders and leaders might push uncomfortable thoughts aside, Pete did something different.He used a specific type of curiosity to ask himself a question that 99% of leaders are too afraid to face....a question that forces you to confront whether you're actually on the path you're meant to be on.Answering it meant walking away from the very finish line everyone expected him to cross.That moment of clarity unlocked a version of himself he hadn't met yet......one capable of:- Finishing full-distance Ironmans.- Leading a global engine for 100,000+ businesses.Most leaders are too afraid the deeper question because they're terrified of the answer.Pete leaned in and shows us this conversation how we all can too.When has asking the right question helped you?-----Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben FanningSpeaking and Training inquiresSubscribe to my Youtube channelLinkedInInstagramTwitter

Six years after his first appearance on Founder Views, Luca is back with the real story of how AI forced a full business model and go-to-market shift.Customerly went from a seat-based, product-led support platform for small SaaS teams to an AI-first customer service engine selling into mid-market and enterprise, where volume and ROI are obvious.In this episode we get into:The AI pivot: why they refused to build “old-school chatbots,” and how ChatGPT changed what was possibleQuality metrics that matter: error rate, confidence thresholds, escalation triggers, and why AI CSAT can be higher than humansWhat actually trains a good AI agent: knowledge base structure, what not to upload, and how hallucinations happen in the real worldAutomation outcomes: average ticket closure rates, what drives 80%+ vs 40–50%, and how teams improve over timeEnterprise GTM shift: moving from product-led to sales-led, filtering signups, longer cycles, bigger ACVOutbound reality: why the agency failed, what changed when they built outbound internally, and the tooling stack (Clay, Apollo, Lemlist, Pipedrive)Founder sales lessons: Challenger Sale thinking and why founders still need to own sales earlyThe Arena The Arena is a private Skool community for SaaS founders who are actively building and selling. I share real-time decisions, experiments, and assets as I use them while growing a bootstrapped SaaS.No theory. No polish. Just execution.Learn more at: https://www.skool.com/the-arena/Chapters / Timestamps00:00 – Reunion after 6 years and what changed (COVID + AI era)01:27 – Luca intro: what Customersly does today02:30 – From $100K ARR to near $1M and why pricing changed05:08 – “Chatbots are shit”: how they built AI without the bad UX07:10 – Under 1% error rate and reducing hallucinations09:52 – Grounded AI, intents, and automating beyond FAQs11:09 – Closure rate benchmarks and what “good” looks like16:41 – How to pick an AI support tool that actually works18:20 – Training mistakes: transcripts, clutter, and marketing banners causing hallucinations20:46 – Confidence thresholds and escalation as a feedback loop22:48 – How long it takes to move from 45% to 70–80% automation24:34 – Should AI learn from your inbox? Pros, risks, and why they avoid it29:41 – Implementation timelines: small teams vs enterprise rollouts31:38 – Why AI CSAT can beat humans (speed wins)35:46 – Escalation rules: human request, sentiment, low confidence, missing info37:21 – Going enterprise: ARPU jump and sales-led reality41:02 – Outbound experiment: agency failure and building it internally43:32 – LinkedIn ads + Clay targeting + the masterclass lead magnet49:25 – Challenger Sale and shifting the conversation53:20 – Founder lesson: why you can't outsource what you haven't done58:54 – Outbound stack: Clay, Apollo, Lemlist, Sales Nav, Pipedrive01:05:12 – 2026 vision and wrap

Here's a problem that'll make your head spin: What do you do when you can sell way more than your company can produce? That's the question posed by Dylan Noah from Toronto. Dylan sells craft cider to bars and restaurants across his territory. He's the only salesperson for a small producer, working with limited tools (no proper CRM), and here's the kicker: he could sell a million dollars' worth of product, but production isn't enough to meet that demand. If you're shaking your head thinking this is a champagne problem, you're half right. But for Dylan trying to hit his income goals through commissions, it's a real constraint that's costing him money every single day. The CRM Obsession Is a Distraction Let's tackle the first issue head on. Dylan is worried he doesn't have the right CRM tools to manage his accounts and hit his numbers. Here's the brutal truth: at one point in time, salespeople sold a lot of cider, beer, wine, liquor, and all kinds of other stuff without any CRM at all. They used index cards in a box. They had lists on paper. And they crushed it. You're a small business with one salesperson working with 3,000 to 7,000 potential accounts in your territory. The last thing you should worry about right now is a $40,000 CRM system. Could you use automation for email sequences and promotions? Absolutely. Should you eventually invest in something like HubSpot or Pipedrive? Yes. But right now, what you need is a simple system to identify your best accounts and focus your time there. You're not going to hit $1 million across 3,000 accounts. You're going to hit it across 500 accounts that are the biggest restaurants and bars, where they like you, their customers like cider, and where you can create events and experiences that spike sales. Use a spreadsheet. Use index cards. Use whatever basic tool you've got right now. Create a 30-60-90 day system where you know who you're calling on in the next 30 days, the next 60 days, and the next 90 days. Build a list of your top 250 accounts that buy the most from you. That's where you live. Stop obsessing over tools you don't have and start maximizing the opportunity in front of you. Scarcity Is Your Secret Weapon This brings us to the real issue: production capacity. Dylan can sell it, but his company can't make enough of it. The bourbon distillers in America are dealing with this exact problem right now. They ramped up production years ago based on projected demand, and now they're sitting on excess inventory that's aging out. It's a delicate balance, and if you make too much, it goes bad and you lose everything. Here's what most salespeople don't understand about scarcity: it's actually a competitive advantage if you manage it right. When you have limited product, you're always going to be in an ebb and flow situation. Sometimes you'll have an abundance of one product type. Sometimes you'll have high demand products in short supply. The key is building a system that lets you move fast when opportunity strikes. This is where building buying profiles for every single customer becomes essential. You need to know which accounts buy which types of products, what their purchase patterns look like, and what their potential is (high, medium, or low). Think about it like your account coverage pyramid. When you have product available, you start at the top with your highest value accounts and work your way down. You're not treating all 150 accounts the same. You're prioritizing based on potential. When you have an abundance of one product type, you go directly to the customers who buy that product and say, "Hey, I've got product right now. Do you want to buy?" You can run specials. You can offer incentives (within legal limits). You move it fast. When your high demand products come in, you call your best accounts first and say, "I've got ten cases of this. I'm calling you first. How many do you want?" Then you go down your list. Most of the time, you'll sell out before you even leave your office. But if you've got 150 accounts and you're treating them all the same, it gets overwhelming fast. Segment them. Prioritize them. Work them strategically. Making Your Number When You Can't Control Supply The income issue is where this gets really interesting. Dylan wants to double his sales and earn more commissions, but he can't because the company keeps running out of product. Here's my take: if you're supposed to sell $1.5 million but your company only produces $750,000 worth of product that you could sell, they should pay you for the $1.5 million. Production was the reason you couldn't make your number, not your sales ability. Now, I know there are people in operations reading this who are going to say I'm full of it. But from a sales standpoint, if you've sold out of everything available, you've done your job. The constraint isn't you, it's production capacity. That's a hard conversation to have with ownership, I get it. But here's how you make that case: sell out of the other stuff that people don't want as much. Figure out how to move all of it. Put yourself in a position where you own the moral high ground when it comes to sales performance. If you do that and they still can't or won't pay you for what you could have sold, then you've got a decision to make. But at least you'll have learned how to sell in a resource-constrained environment, how to build relationships, how to manage your territory, and how to work a manual system. Those are skills that transfer to any sales role, especially ones that give you all the bells and whistles and unlimited product to sell. The Power of Old School Discipline Let's go back to 1985 for a minute. In 1985, you would have had a Rolodex with tabs for H (high potential), M (medium potential), and L (low potential) accounts. When product came in, you'd open to H, pull out the cards, and start dialing. "I've got ten cases of your favorite cider. I'm calling you first. How many do you want?" If they don't want any, click. Next card. By the time you hit the tenth account, you're usually sold out. That's the power of segmentation combined with discipline. Systems beat moods. Sequence beats sporadic effort. Process creates momentum. You don't need fancy technology to do this. You need clear priorities, good segmentation, and the discipline to work your system consistently. The Bottom Line If you're in Dylan's situation with limited tools and limited product, here's your game plan: Stop worrying about what you don't have and focus on maximizing what you do have. Build a simple segmentation system using whatever tools are available. Create detailed buying profiles for all your accounts so you know exactly who to call when specific products become available. Work your account coverage pyramid from top to bottom, always prioritizing your highest value customers. Sell out of everything, even the less popular products, so you have leverage when talking to ownership about compensation. The reality is that most sales challenges aren't about having the perfect tools or unlimited resources. They're about having the discipline to work a proven system consistently, even when conditions aren't ideal. That's how you win in sales. That's how you hit your numbers. And that's how you build a foundation of skills that will serve you for your entire career, whether you stay in a resource constrained environment or move to a role where the sky's the limit. Ready to master the fundamentals of prospecting and account management? Check out Jeb Blount's latest book with Brynne Tillman, The LinkedIn Edge, and learn how to build systematic, relationship-driven sales processes that work in any environment.

Here's a problem that'll make your head spin: What do you do when you can sell way more than your company can produce? That's the question posed by Dylan Noah from Toronto. Dylan sells craft cider to bars and restaurants across his territory. He's the only salesperson for a small producer, working with limited tools (no proper CRM), and here's the kicker: he could sell a million dollars' worth of product, but production isn't enough to meet that demand. If you're shaking your head thinking this is a champagne problem, you're half right. But for Dylan, trying to hit his income goals through commissions, it's a real constraint that's costing him money every single day. The CRM Obsession Is a Distraction Let's tackle the first issue head-on. Dylan is worried he doesn't have the right CRM tools to manage his accounts and hit his numbers. Here's the brutal truth: at one point in time, salespeople sold a lot of cider, beer, wine, liquor, and all kinds of other stuff without any CRM at all. They used index cards in a box. They had lists on paper. And they crushed it. You're a small business with one salesperson working with 3,000 to 7,000 potential accounts in your territory. The last thing you should worry about right now is a $40,000 CRM system. Could you use automation for email sequences and promotions? Absolutely. Should you eventually invest in something like HubSpot or Pipedrive? Yes. But right now, what you need is a simple system to identify your best accounts and focus your time there. You're not going to hit $1 million across 3,000 accounts. You're going to hit it across 500 accounts that are the biggest restaurants and bars, where they like you, their customers like cider, and where you can create events and experiences that spike sales. Use a spreadsheet. Use index cards. Use whatever basic tool you've got right now. Create a 30-60-90 day system where you know who you're calling on in the next 30 days, the next 60 days, and the next 90 days. Build a list of your top 250 accounts that buy the most from you. That's where you live. Stop obsessing over tools you don't have and start maximizing the opportunity in front of you. Scarcity Is Your Secret Weapon This brings us to the real issue: production capacity. Dylan can sell it, but his company can't make enough of it. The bourbon distillers in America are dealing with this exact problem right now. They ramped up production years ago based on projected demand, and now they're sitting on excess inventory that's aging out. It's a delicate balance, and if you make too much, it goes bad and you lose everything. Here's what most salespeople don't understand about scarcity: it's actually a competitive advantage if you manage it right. When you have limited product, you're always going to be in an ebb and flow situation. Sometimes you'll have an abundance of one product type. Sometimes you'll have high-demand products in short supply. The key is building a system that lets you move fast when opportunity strikes. This is where building buying profiles for every single customer becomes essential. You need to know which accounts buy which types of products, what their purchase patterns look like, and what their potential is (high, medium, or low). Think about it like your account coverage pyramid. When you have product available, you start at the top with your highest value accounts and work your way down. You're not treating all 150 accounts the same. You're prioritizing based on potential. When you have an abundance of one product type, you go directly to the customers who buy that product and say, "Hey, I've got product right now. Do you want to buy?" You can run specials. You can offer incentives (within legal limits). You move it fast. When your high-demand products come in, you call your best accounts first and say, "I've got ten cases of this. I'm calling you first. How many do you want?" Then you go down your list. Most of the time, you'll sell out before you even leave your office. But if you've got 150 accounts and you're treating them all the same, it gets overwhelming fast. Segment them. Prioritize them. Work them strategically. Making Your Number When You Can't Control Supply The income issue is where this gets really interesting. Dylan wants to double his sales and earn more commissions, but he can't because the company keeps running out of product. Here's my take: if you're supposed to sell $1.5 million but your company only produces $750,000 worth of product that you could sell, they should pay you for the $1.5 million. Production was the reason you couldn't make your number, not your sales ability. Now, I know there are people in operations reading this who are going to say I'm full of it. But from a sales standpoint, if you've sold out of everything available, you've done your job. The constraint isn't you, it's production capacity. That's a hard conversation to have with ownership, I get it. But here's how you make that case: sell out of the other stuff that people don't want as much. Figure out how to move all of it. Put yourself in a position where you own the moral high ground when it comes to sales performance. If you do that and they still can't or won't pay you for what you could have sold, then you've got a decision to make. But at least you'll have learned how to sell in a resource-constrained environment, how to build relationships, how to manage your territory, and how to work a manual system. Those are skills that transfer to any sales role, especially ones that give you all the bells and whistles and unlimited product to sell. The Power of Old School Discipline Let's go back to 1985 for a minute. In 1985, you would have had a Rolodex with tabs for H (high potential), M (medium potential), and L (low potential) accounts. When product came in, you'd open to H, pull out the cards, and start dialing. "I've got ten cases of your favorite cider. I'm calling you first. How many do you want?" If they don't want any, click. Next card. By the time you hit the tenth account, you're usually sold out. That's the power of segmentation combined with discipline. Systems beat moods. Sequence beats sporadic effort. Process creates momentum. You don't need fancy technology to do this. You need clear priorities, good segmentation, and the discipline to work your system consistently. The Bottom Line If you're in Dylan's situation with limited tools and limited product, here's your game plan: Stop worrying about what you don't have and focus on maximizing what you do have. Build a simple segmentation system using whatever tools are available. Create detailed buying profiles for all your accounts so you know exactly who to call when specific products become available. Work your account coverage pyramid from top to bottom, always prioritizing your highest value customers. Sell out of everything, even the less popular products, so you have leverage when talking to ownership about compensation. The reality is that most sales challenges aren't about having the perfect tools or unlimited resources. They're about having the discipline to work a proven system consistently, even when conditions aren't ideal. That's how you win in sales. That's how you hit your numbers. And that's how you build a foundation of skills that will serve you for your entire career, whether you stay in a resource-constrained environment or move to a role where the sky's the limit. Ready to master the fundamentals of prospecting and account management? Check out Jeb Blount's latest book with Brynne Tillman, The LinkedIn Edge, and learn how to build systematic, relationship-driven sales processes that work in any environment.

In this highly practical episode of the SpeakersU Podcast, James Taylor and Maria Franzoni share the essential tools they use every day to run successful, scalable speaking businesses. From payments and scheduling to CRM systems, international banking, SEO, video production, writing, and travel management, this episode delivers a full behind-the-scenes tour of a modern professional speaker's tech stack. Maria reveals how she automates coaching bookings end-to-end using Stripe, Calendly, Zapier, Xero, and Zoom, plus the browser tools she relies on for productivity, documentation, and client management. James shares the marketing, SEO, video, writing, and travel tools that power his global keynote career including Kajabi, SEMrush, Ecamm Live, Scrivener, eSpeakers, and TripIt Pro. If you want to save time, increase your efficiency, improve your marketing, streamline your finances, and stay sane on the road, this episode is a must-listen.     Key Takeaways Automate your bookings and payments to remove admin friction using Stripe, Calendly, Zapier, Xero, and Zoom. Choose your ecosystem wisely with an all-in-one platform like Google Workspace or a diversified stack for redundancy. Kajabi is a powerhouse for speakers running courses, memberships, websites, and email marketing in one place. Scribe creates instant SOPs by recording your screen and auto-generating training documentation. Wise saves thousands in international banking fees for globally travelling speakers. eSpeakers simplifies lead tracking, contracts, and inquiry management for professional speakers. TextExpander massively boosts productivity with smart text shortcuts across all devices. Scrivener is ideal for long-form writing including books and keynote research. Pipedrive offers a clean, mobile-friendly CRM with real-time proposal tracking. TripIt Pro is a game-changer for global travel management with live itinerary updates and travel analytics. SEMrush reveals keyword gaps and competitive SEO strategy for authority positioning. Ecamm Live enables professional virtual keynotes and multi-camera live broadcasting.     Memorable Quotes "Stripe, Calendly, Zapier, Xero, and Zoom all talking to each other changed my life." – Maria Franzoni "Why are we paying five different companies when one system can do most of it?" – James Taylor "Scribe builds your SOPs while you work. It's magic." – Maria Franzoni "Wise saved me an absolute fortune in international bank charges." – Maria Franzoni "If you want to rank number one in your topic, you have to invest in SEO tools." – James Taylor "TextExpander gives you your time back in the smallest, smartest way." – Maria Franzoni "TripIt Pro is my mission control for global travel." – James Taylor     Episode Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome and why tools equal ROI 01:27 – Maria's automated booking stack: Stripe, Calendly, Zapier, Xero, Zoom 03:05 – Dropbox vs Google Workspace debate 06:25 – Fathom AI meeting notes and cloud backups 08:44 – Kajabi for courses, memberships, websites, and email 11:35 – Scribe for instant SOP creation 13:12 – Tea etiquette and British cultural detour 14:23 – eSpeakers for speaker CRM, contracts, and inquiries 16:08 – Wise for international payments and currency accounts 18:41 – Ecamm Live for virtual keynotes and livestreaming 20:27 – GoFullPage for capturing entire web pages 21:31 – SEMrush for competitive SEO tracking 23:57 – TextExpander for instant productivity gains 26:31 – Scrivener for book writing and keynote creation 28:40 – Pipedrive CRM with email, LinkedIn, and pipeline tracking 31:18 – TripIt Pro for global travel stats and itineraries 34:00 – Wrap-up and future episode on physical gear    

Most companies don't have a lead problem, they have a follow-up problem. In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Jason Kramer, Founder & CEO at Cultivize, who breaks down how smart CRM strategy can transform “maybe someday” prospects into real revenue. Jason shares how his team helps manufacturing, roofing, finance, and home service businesses design, implement, and actually use CRM systems like HubSpot and Pipedrive so salespeople stop dropping the ball. With real-world case studies, including a roofing company that turned old quotes into seven-figure sales, Jason shows what's possible when technology, strategy, and authentic follow-up finally line up. Key Takeaways: → Why most growing businesses don't really know which marketing efforts are working, and how a properly set up CRM changes that. → The three simple criteria that define an ideal client for a CRM overhaul and why company size and sales team count matter. → The common problem shared by manufacturing, roofing, finance, and home service companies is that they send hundreds of proposals a year. → A behind-the-scenes case study of a roofing company that revived ignored quotes with a thoughtful, automated follow-up sequence. → How to design automated emails that feel genuine and personal, not robotic or canned, while still running on autopilot. Jason Kramer is the founder of Cultivize, a consulting firm that builds smart CRM strategies for business consultants and growth advisors. With over 20 years in marketing and business development, he helps experts transform their lead management systems into scalable growth engines. His process integrates CRM automation with email nurturing to create trackable, ROI-focused results for B2B and consulting clients. Jason's background includes work with global giants like Virgin Atlantic and Johnnie Walker, but today his focus is on supporting strategic advisors and fractional leaders who need visibility into what's working—and what's not—in their sales process. When he's not helping clients streamline their revenue systems, he's on the Hudson River with his family. Connect With Jason Kramer: Website: https://cultivize.com/ X: https://x.com/cultivize Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cultivize/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonleighkramer/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most companies don't have a lead problem, they have a follow-up problem. In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Jason Kramer, Founder & CEO at Cultivize, who breaks down how smart CRM strategy can transform “maybe someday” prospects into real revenue. Jason shares how his team helps manufacturing, roofing, finance, and home service businesses design, implement, and actually use CRM systems like HubSpot and Pipedrive so salespeople stop dropping the ball. With real-world case studies, including a roofing company that turned old quotes into seven-figure sales, Jason shows what's possible when technology, strategy, and authentic follow-up finally line up. Key Takeaways: → Why most growing businesses don't really know which marketing efforts are working, and how a properly set up CRM changes that. → The three simple criteria that define an ideal client for a CRM overhaul and why company size and sales team count matter. → The common problem shared by manufacturing, roofing, finance, and home service companies is that they send hundreds of proposals a year. → A behind-the-scenes case study of a roofing company that revived ignored quotes with a thoughtful, automated follow-up sequence. → How to design automated emails that feel genuine and personal, not robotic or canned, while still running on autopilot. Jason Kramer is the founder of Cultivize, a consulting firm that builds smart CRM strategies for business consultants and growth advisors. With over 20 years in marketing and business development, he helps experts transform their lead management systems into scalable growth engines. His process integrates CRM automation with email nurturing to create trackable, ROI-focused results for B2B and consulting clients. Jason's background includes work with global giants like Virgin Atlantic and Johnnie Walker, but today his focus is on supporting strategic advisors and fractional leaders who need visibility into what's working—and what's not—in their sales process. When he's not helping clients streamline their revenue systems, he's on the Hudson River with his family. Connect With Jason Kramer: Website: https://cultivize.com/ X: https://x.com/cultivize Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cultivize/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonleighkramer/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to Build a Winning Strategy for Your B2B Brand In a fast-paced business environment, marketers, agencies, and consultants must proactively help clients differentiate their brands in the marketplace. One way of doing this is by analyzing the strategy, messaging, and brand positioning, both for their own brands and key competitors. So how can teams conduct this kind of brand research and competitive analysis in a way that's insightful, efficient, and actionable for planning the next steps? Tune in as the B2B Marketers on Mission Podcast presents the Marketing DEMO Lab Series, where we sit down with Clay Ostrom (Founder, Map & Fire) and his SmokeLadder platform designed for brand research, messaging and positioning analysis, and competitive benchmarking. In this episode, Clay explained the platform's origins and features, emphasizing its role in analyzing brand positioning, core messaging, and competitive landscapes. He also stressed the importance of clear, consistent brand positioning and messaging, and how standardized make it easier to compare brands across multiple business values. Clay also highlighted the value of objective, data-driven analysis to identify brand strengths, weaknesses, and gaps, and how tools like SmokeLadder can save significant time in gathering insights to build trust with clients. He provided practical steps for generating, refining, and exporting brand messaging and analysis for internal or client-facing use. Finally, Clay also discussed how action items and recommendations generated from analysis can immediately support smart brand strategy decisions and expedite trust-building with clients. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4_o1PzF1Kk Topics discussed in episode: [1:31] The purpose behind building SmokeLadder and why it matters for B2B teams [12:00] A walkthrough of the SmokeLadder platform and how it works [14:51] SmokeLadder's core features [17:48] How positioning scores and category rankings are calculated [35:36] How differentiation and competitors are analyzed inside SmokeLadder [44:07] How SmokeLadder builds messaging and generates targeted personas [50:24] The key benefits and unique capabilities that set SmokeLadder apart Companies and links: Clay Ostrom Map & Fire SmokeLadder Transcript Christian Klepp  00:00 In an increasingly competitive B2B landscape, marketers, agencies and consultants, need to proactively find ways to help their clients stand out amidst the digital noise. One way of doing this is by analyzing the strategy, messaging and positioning of their own brands and those of their competitors. So how can they do this in a way that’s insightful, efficient and effective? Welcome to this first episode of the B2B Marketers in the Mission podcast Demo Lab Series, and I’m your host, Christian Klepp. Today, I’ll be talking to Clay Ostrom about this topic. He’s the owner and founder of the branding agency Map and Fire, and the creator of the platform Smoke Ladder that we’ll be talking about today. So let’s dive in. Christian Klepp  00:42 All right, and I’m gonna say Clay Ostrom. Welcome to this first episode of the Demo Lab Series. Clay Ostrom  00:50 I am super excited and very honored to be the first guest on this new series. It’s awesome. Christian Klepp  00:56 We are honored to have you here. And you know, let’s sit tight, or batten down the hatches and buckle up, and whatever other analogy you want to throw in there, because we are going to unpack a lot of interesting features and discuss interesting topics around the platform that you’ve built. And I think a good place to start, perhaps Clay before we start doing a walk through of the platform is, but let’s start at the very beginning. What motivated you to create this platform called Smoke Ladder. Clay Ostrom  01:31 So we should go all the way back to my childhood. I always dreamed of, you know, working on brand and positioning. You know, that was something I’ve always thought of since the early days, but no, but I do. I own an agency called Map and Fire, so I’ve been doing this kind of work for over 10 years now, and have worked with lots and lots of different kinds of clients, and over that time, developed different frameworks and a point of view about how to do this kind of work, and when the AI revolution kind of hit us all, it just really struck me that this was an opportunity to take a lot of that thinking and a lot of that, you know, again, my perspective on how to do this work and productize that and turn it into something that could be used by people when we’re not engaged with them, in some kind of service offering. So, so that was kind of the kernel of it. I actually have a background in computer science and product. So it was sort of this natural Venn diagram intersection of I can do some product stuff, I can do brand strategy stuff. So let’s put it together and build something. Christian Klepp  02:46 And the rest, as they say, is history. Clay Ostrom  02:49 The rest, as they say, is a lot of nights and weekends and endless hours slaving away at trying to build something useful. Christian Klepp  02:58 Sure, sure, that certainly is part of it, too. Clay Ostrom  03:01 Yeah. Christian Klepp  03:02 Let’s not keep the audience in suspense for too long here, right? Like, let’s start with the walk through. And before you share your screen, maybe I’ll set this up a little bit, right? Because you, as you said, like, you know, you’ve built this platform. It’s called Smoke Ladder, which I thought was a really clever name. It’s, you like to describe it as, like, your favorite SEO (Search Engine Optimization) tool, but for brand research and analysis. So I would say, like, walk us through how somebody would use this platform, like, whether they be a marketer that’s already been like in the industry for years, or is starting out, or somebody working at a brand or marketing agency, and how does the platform address these challenges or questions that people have regarding brand strategy, analysis and research? Clay Ostrom  03:49 Yeah, yeah. I use that analogy of the SEO thing, just because, especially early on, I was trying to figure out the best way to describe it to someone who hasn’t seen it before. I feel like it’s a, I’m not going to fall into the trap of saying, this is the only product like this, but it has its own unique twists with what it can do. And I felt like SEO tools are something everybody has touched at one point or another. So I was using this analogy of, it’s like the s, you know, Semrush of positioning and messaging or Ahrefs, depending on your if you’re a Coke or Pepsi person. But I always felt like that was just a quick way to give a little idea of the fact that it’s both about analyzing your own brand, but it’s also about competitive analysis and being able to see what’s going on in the market or in your landscape, and looking specifically at what your competitors are doing and what their strengths and weaknesses are. So does that resonate with you in terms of, like, a shorthand way, I will say, I don’t. I don’t say that. It’s super explicitly on the website, but it’s been in conversation. Christian Klepp  05:02 No, absolutely, absolutely, that resonated with me. The only part that didn’t resonate with me is that I’m neither a coke or a Pepsi person. I’m more of a ginger ale type of guy. I digress. But yeah, let’s what don’t you share your screen, and let’s walk through this, right? Like, okay, if a marketing person were like, use the platform to do some research on, perhaps that marketers, like own company and the competitors as well, right? Like, what would they do? Clay Ostrom  05:32 Yeah, so that’s, that is, like you were saying, there’s, sort of, I guess, a few different personas of people who would potentially use this. And initially I was thinking a little more about both in house, people who, you know, someone who’s working on a specific brand, digging really deep on their own brand, whether they’re, you know, the marketing lead or whatever, maybe they’re the founder, and then this other role of agency owners, or people who work at an agency where they are constantly having to look at new brands, new categories, and quickly get up to speed on what those brands are doing and what’s the competitive space look like, you know, for that brand. And that’s something that, if you work at an agency, which obviously we both have our own agencies, we do this stuff weekly. I mean, every time a new lead comes in, we have to quickly get up to speed and understand something about what they do. And one of the big gaps that I found, and I’d be curious to kind of hear your thoughts on this, but I’ve had a lot of conversations with other agency owners, and I think one of the biggest gaps is often that brands are just not always that great at explaining their own brand or positioning or differentiation to you, and sometimes they have some documentation around it, but a lot of times they don’t. A lot of it’s word of mouth, and that makes it really hard to do work for them. If whatever you’re doing for them, whether that’s maybe you are working on SEO or maybe you’re working on paid ads or social or content, you have to know what the brand is doing and kind of what they’re again, what their strengths and weaknesses are, so that you can talk about that. I mean, do you come across that a lot in your work? Christian Klepp  07:33 How do I say this without offending anybody? I find, I mean jokes aside, I find, more often than not, in the especially in the B2B space, which is an area that I operate in, I find 888 point five times out of 10. We are dealing with companies that have a they, have a very rude, rudimentary, like, framework of something that remotely resembles some form of branding. And I know that was a very long winded answer, but it’s kind of sort of there, but not really, if you know what I mean. Clay Ostrom  08:17 Yeah. Christian Klepp  08:17 And there have been other extreme cases where they’ve got the logo and the website, and that’s as far as their branding goals. And I would say that had they had all these, this discipline, like branding system and structure in place, then people like maybe people like you and I will be out on a job, right and it’s something, and I’m sure you’ve come across this, and we’ll probably dig into this later, but like you, it’s something I’ve come across several times, especially in the B2B space, where branding is not taken seriously until it becomes serious. I know that sounds super ironic, right, but, and it’s to the point of this platform, right, which we’re going to dig into in a second, but it’s, it’s things, for instance, positioning right, like, are you? Are you, in fact, strategically positioned against competitors? Is your messaging resonating with, I would imagine, especially in the B2B context, with the multiple group target groups that you have, or that your company is, is going after? Right? Is that resonating, or is this all like something that I call the internal high five? You’ve this has all been developed to please internal stakeholders and and then you take it to market, and it just does not, it just does not resonate with the target audience at all. Right? So there’s such a complex plethora of challenges here, right? That people like yourself and like you and I are constantly dealing with, and I think that’s also part of the reason why I would say a platform like this is important, because it helps to not just aggregate data. I mean, certainly it does that too, but it helps. To put things properly, like into perspective at speed. I think that might be, that might be something that you would have talked about later, but it does this at speed, because I think, from my own experience, one of the factors in our world that sometimes works against us is time, right? Clay Ostrom  10:19 No, I totally agree, yeah, and, you know, we’re lucky, I guess would be the word that we are often hired to work on a company strategy with them and help them clarify these things. Christian Klepp  10:33 Absolutely. Clay Ostrom  10:34 There are a million other flavors of agencies out there who are being hired to execute on work for a brand, and not necessarily being brought in to redefine, you know what the brand, you know they’re positioning and their messaging and some of these fundamental things, so they’re kind of stuck with whatever they get. And like you said, a lot of times it’s not much. It might be a logo and a roughly put together website, and maybe not a whole lot else. So, yeah, but I think your other point about speed is that was a huge part of this. I think the market is only accelerating right now, because it’s becoming so much easier to start up new companies and new brands and new products. And now we’ve got vibe coding, so you can technically build a product in a day, maybe launch it the next day, start marketing it, you know, by the weekend. And all of this is creating noise and competition, and it’s all stuff that we have to deal with as marketers. We have to understand the landscape. We’ve got to quickly be able to analyze all these different brands, see where the strengths and weaknesses are and all that stuff. So… Christian Klepp  11:46 Absolutely. Clay Ostrom  11:46 But, yeah, that, I think that the speed piece is a huge part of this for sure. Christian Klepp  11:51 Yeah. So, so we’re okay, so we’re on the I guess this, this will probably be the homepage. So just walk us through what, what a marketing person would do if they want to use this platform, yeah? Clay Ostrom  12:00 So the very first thing you do when you come in, and this was when I initially conceived of this product, one of the things that I really wanted was the ability to have very quick feedback, be able to get analysis for whatever brand you’re looking at, you know, right away to be able to get some kind of, you know, insight or analysis done. So the first thing you can do, and you can do this literally, from the homepage of the website, you can enter in a URL for a brand, come into the product, even before you’ve created an account, you can come in and you can do an initial analysis, so you can put in whatever URL you’re looking at, could be yours, could be a competitor, and run that initial analysis. What we’re looking at here, this is, if you do create an account, this is, this becomes your, as we say, like Home Base, where you can save brands that you’re looking at. You can see your history, all that good stuff. And it just gives you some quick bookmarks so that you can kind of flip back and forth between, maybe it’s your brand, maybe it’s some of the competitors you’re looking at and then it gives you just some quick, kind of high level directional info. And I kind of break it up into these different buckets. Clay Ostrom  13:23 And again, I’d love to kind of hear if this is sort of how you think about it, too. But there’s sort of these different phases when you’re working on a brand. And again, this is sort of from an agency perspective, but you first got the sort of the research and the pitch piece. So this is before maybe you’re even working with them. You’re trying to get an understanding of what they do. Then we have discovery and onboarding, where we’re digging in a little bit deeper. We’re trying to really put together, what does the brand stand for, what are their strengths and weaknesses? And then we have the deeper dive, the strategy and differentiation. And this is where we’re really going in and getting more granular with the specific value points that they offer, doing some of that messaging analysis, finding, finding some of the gaps of the things that they’re talking about or not talking about, and going in deeper. So it kind of break it up into these buckets, based on my experience of how we engage with clients. Does that? Does that make sense to you, like, does that? Christian Klepp  14:28 It does make sense, I think. But what could be helpful for the audience is because this, this almost looks like it’s a pre cooked meal. All right, so what do we do we try another I mean, I think you use Slack for the analysis. Why don’t we use another brand, and then just pop it into that analysis field, and then see what it comes out with. Clay Ostrom  14:51 So the nice thing about this is, if you are looking at a brand that’s been analyzed, you’re going to get the data up really quickly. It’ll be basically pop up instantly. But you can analyze a brand from scratch as well. Just takes about a minute or so, basically, to kind of do some of the analysis. So for the sake of a demo, it’s a little easier just to kind of look at something that we’ve got in there. But if it’s a brand that you know, maybe you’re looking at a competitor for one of your brands, you know, there’s a good chance, because we’ve got about 6000 brands that we’ve analyzed in here, that there’s a good chance there’ll be some info on them. But so this is pipe drive. So whoever’s not familiar Pipedrive is, you know, it’s a CRM  (Customer Relationship Management), it’s, it’s basically, you know, it’s a lighter version of a HubSpot or Salesforce basically track deals and opportunities for business, but this so I flipped over. I don’t know if it was clear there, but I flipped over to this brand brief tab. And this is where we we get, essentially, a high level view of some key points about the brand and and I think about this as this would be something that you would potentially share with a client if you were, you know, working with them and you wanted to review the brand with them and make sure that your analysis is on point, but you’ll see it’s kind of giving you some positioning scores, where you rank from a category perspective, message clarity, and then we’ve got things like a quick overview, positioning summary, who their target persona is, in this case, sales manager, sales operation lead, and some different value points. And then it starts to get a little more granular. We get into like key competitors, Challenger brands. We do a little SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis, and then maybe one of the more important parts is some of these action items. So what do we do with this? Yeah, and obviously, these are, these are starting points. This is not, it’s not going to come in and, you know, instantly be able to tell you strategically, exactly what to do, but it’s going to give you some ideas of based on the things we’ve seen. Here are some reasonable points that you might want to be looking at to, you know, improve the brand. Make it make it stronger. Christian Klepp  17:13 Gotcha. Gotcha. Now, this is all great clay, but like, I think, for the benefit of the audience, can we scroll back up, please. And let’s just walk through these one by one, because I think it’s important for the audience/potential future users,/ customers of Smoke Ladder, right? To understand, to understand this analysis in greater depth, and also, like, specifically, like, let’s start with a positioning score right, like, out of 100 like, what is this? What is this based on? And how was this analyzed? Let’s start with that. Clay Ostrom  17:48 Yeah, and this is where the platform really started. And I’m going to actually jump over to the positioning tab, because this will give us the all the detail around this particular feature. But this is, this was where I began the product this. I kind of think of this as being, in many ways, sort of the heart and soul of it. And when I mentioned earlier about this being based on our own work and frameworks and how we approach this, this is very much the case with this. This is, you know, the approach we use with the product is exactly how we work with clients when we’re evaluating their positioning. And it’s, it’s basically, it’s built off a series of scores. And what we have here are 24 different points of business value, which, if we zoom in just a little bit down here, we can see things like reducing risk, vision, lowering cost, variety, expertise, stability, etc. So there’s 24 of these that we look at, and it’s meant to be a way that we can look across different brands and compare and contrast them. So it’s creating, like, a consistent way of looking at brands, even if they’re not in the same category, or, you know, have slightly different operating models, etc. But what we do is we go in and we score every brand on each of these 24 points. And if we scroll down here a little bit, we can see the point of value, the exact score they got, the category average, so how it compares against, you know, all the other brands we’ve analyzed, and then a little bit of qualitative information about why they got the score. Christian Klepp  19:27 Sorry, Clay, Can I just jump in for a second so these, these attributes, or these key values that you had in the graph at the top right, like, are these consistent throughout regardless of what brand is being analyzed, or the least change. Clay Ostrom  19:42 It’s consistent. Christian Klepp  19:43 Consistent? Clay Ostrom  19:44 Yeah, and that was one of the sort of strategic decisions we had to make with the product. Was, you know, there’s a, maybe another version of this, where you do different points depending on maybe the category, or, you know, things like that. But I wanted to do it consistent because, again, it allows us to look at every brand through the same lens. It doesn’t mean that every brand you know there are certain points of value that just aren’t maybe relevant for a particular brand, and that’s fine, they just won’t score as highly in those but at least it gives us a consistent way to look at so when you’re looking at 10 different competitors, you know you’ve got a consistent way to look at them together,. Christian Klepp  20:26 Right, right, right. Okay, okay, all right, thanks for that. Now let’s go down to the next section there, where you’ve got, like this table with like four different columns here. So you mentioned that these are being scored against other brands in their category. Like, can you share it with the audience? Like, how many other brands are being analyzed here? Clay Ostrom  20:51 Yeah, well, it depends on the category. So again, we’ve got six, you know, heading towards 7000 brands that we’ve analyzed collectively. Each category varies a little bit, but, you know, some categories, we have more brands than others. But what this allows us to do is, again, to quickly look at this and say, okay, for pipe drive, a big focus for pipe drive is organization, simplification. You know, one of their big value props is we’re an easier tool to use than Salesforce or HubSpot. You can get up to speed really quickly. You don’t have all the setup and configurations and all that kind of stuff. So this is showing us that, yes, like their messaging, their content, their brand, does, in fact, do a good job of making it clear that simplicity is a big part of pipe drive’s message. And they do that by talking about it a lot in their messaging, having case studies, having testimonials, all these things that support it. And that’s how we come up with these scores. Is by saying, like the brand emphasizes these points well, they talk about it clearly, and that’s what we base it on. Christian Klepp  22:04 Okay, okay. Clay Ostrom  22:06 But as you come, I was just gonna say as you come down here, you can see, so the green basically means that they score well above average for that particular point. Yellow is, you know, kind of right around average, or maybe slightly above, and then red means that they’re below average for that particular point. So for example, like variety of tools, they don’t emphasize that as much with pipe drive, maybe compared to, again, like a Salesforce or a HubSpot that has a gazillion tools, pipe drive, that’s not a big focus for them. So they don’t score as highly there, but you can kind of just get a quick view of, okay, here are the things that they’re really strong with, and here are the things that maybe they’re, you know, kind of weak or below average. Christian Klepp  22:58 Yeah, yeah. Well, that’s certainly interesting, because I, you know, I’ve, I’ve used the, I’ve used the platform for analyzing some of my clients, competitor brands. And, you know, when I’m looking at this, like analysis with the scoring, with the scoring sheet, it, I think it will also be interesting perhaps in future, because you’ve got a very detailed breakdown of, okay, the factors and how they’re scored, and what the brand value analysis is also, because, again, in the interest of speed and time, it’d be great if the platform can also churn out maybe a one to two sentence like, summary of what is this data telling us, right? Because I’m thinking back to my early days as a product manager, and we would spend hours, like back then on Excel spreadsheets. I’m dating myself a little bit here, but um, and coming up with this analysis and charts, but presenting that to senior management, all they wanted to know was the one to two sentence summary of like, come on. What are you telling me with all these charts, like, what is the data telling you that we need to know? Right? Clay Ostrom  24:07 I know it’s so funny. We again, as strategists and researchers, we love to nerd out about the granular details, but you’re right. When you’re talking to a leader at a business, it does come down to like, okay, great. What do we do? And so, and I flipped back over to slacks. I knew I had already generated this but, but we’re still in the positioning section here, but we have this get insights feature. So basically it will look at all those scores and give you kind of, I think, similar to what you’re describing. Like, here’s three takeaways from what we’re seeing. Okay, okay, great, yeah, so we don’t want to leave you totally on your own to have to figure it all out. We’ll give you, give you a little helping hand. Christian Klepp  24:53 Yeah. You don’t want to be like in those western movies, you’re on your own kid. Clay Ostrom  24:59 Yeah. We try not to strand you again. There’s a lot of data here. I think that’s one of the strengths and and challenges with the platform, is that we try to give you a lot of data. And for some people, you may not want to have to sift through all of it. You might want just sort of give me the three points here. Christian Klepp  25:19 Absolutely, absolutely. And at the very least they can start pointing you in the right direction, and then you could be, you could then, like, through your own initiative, and perhaps dig a little bit deeper and perhaps find some other insights that may be, may be relevant, right? Clay Ostrom  25:35 Totally. Christian Klepp  25:36 Hey, it’s Christian Klepp here. We’ll get back to the episode in a second. But first, I’d like to tell you about a new series that we’re launching on our show. As the B2B landscape evolves, marketers need to adapt and leverage the latest marketing tools and software to become more efficient. Enter B2B Marketers on a Mission Marketing Demo Lab where experts discuss the latest tools and software that empower you to become a better B2B marketer. Tune in as we chat with product experts. Provide unbiased product reviews, give advice and deliver insights into real world applications and actionable tips on tools and technologies for B2B marketing. Subscribe to the Marketing Demo Lab, YouTube channel and B2B Marketers on a Mission, on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Christian Klepp  26:21 All right. Now, back to the show, if we can, if we could jump back, sorry, to the, I think it was the brand brief, right? Like, where we where we started out, and I said, let’s, let’s dig deeper. Okay, so then, then we have, okay, so we talked about positioning score. Now we’re moving on to category rank and message clarity score. What does that look like? Clay Ostrom  26:41 Yeah. So the category rank is, it’s literally just looking at the positioning score that you’ve gotten for the brand and then telling you within this category, where do you sort of fall in the ranking, essentially, or, like, you know, how do we, you know, for comparing the score against all the competitors, where do you fall? So you can see, with Slack, they’re right in the middle. And it’s interesting, because with a product like Slack, even though we all now know what slack is and what it does and everything. Christian Klepp  27:18 Yeah. Clay Ostrom  27:19 The actual messaging and content that they have now, I think maybe doesn’t do as good of a job as it maybe did once upon a time, and it’s gotten as products grow and brands grow, they tend to get more vague, a little more broad with what they talk about, and that kind of leads to softer positioning. So that’s sort of what we’re seeing reflected here. And then the third score is the message clarity score, which we can jump into, like, a whole different piece. Christian Klepp  27:48 Four on a tennis not a very high score, right? Clay Ostrom  27:52 Yeah. And again, I think it’s a product, of, we can kind of jump into that section. Christian Klepp  27:57 Yeah, let’s do that, yeah. Clay Ostrom  27:59 But it’s, again, a product, I think of Slack being now a very mature product that is has gotten sort of a little vague, maybe a little broader, with their messaging. But the message clarity score, we basically have kind of two parts to this on the left hand side are some insights that we gather based on the messaging. So what’s your category, quick synopsis of the product. But then we also do some things, like… Christian Klepp  28:33 Confusing part the most confusing. Clay Ostrom  28:36 Honestly to me, as I get I’d love to hear your experience with this, but coming into a new brand, this is sometimes one of the most enlightening parts, because it shows me quickly where some gaps in what we’re talking about, and in this case, just kind of hits on what we were just saying a minute ago. Of the messaging is overloaded with generic productivity buzzwords, fails to clearly differentiate how Slack is better than email or similar tools, etc. But also, this is another one that I really like, and I use this all the time, which is the casual description. So rather than this technical garbage jargon, you know, speak, just give me. Give it to me in plain English, like we’re just chatting. And so this description of it’s a workplace chat app for teams to message, collaborate, share files. Like, okay, cool. Like, yeah, you know, I get it. Yeah, I already know what slack is. But if I didn’t, that would tell me pretty well. Christian Klepp  29:33 Absolutely, yeah, yeah. No, my experience with this is has been, you know, you and I have been in the branding space for a while. So for the trained eye, when you look at messaging, you’ll know if it’s good or not, right. And we come I mean, I’m sure you do the same clay, but I also come to my own like conclusions based on experience of like, okay, so why do I think that that’s good messaging, or why do I think that that’s confusing messaging? Or it falls short, and why and how can that be improved? But it’s always good to have validation with either with platforms like this, where you have a you have AI, or you have, you have a software that you can use that analyzes, like, for example, like the messaging on a website, and it dissects that and says, Well, okay, so this is what they’re getting, right? So there’s a scoring for that, so it’s in the green, and then this is, this is where it gets confusing, right? So even you run that through, you run that through the machine, and the machine analyzes it as like, Okay, we can’t clearly, clearly define what it is they’re doing based on the messaging, right? And for me, that’s always a it’s good. It’s almost like getting a second doctor’s opinion, right? And then you go, Aha. So I we’ve identified the symptoms now. So let’s find the penicillin, right? Like, let’s find the remedy for this, right? Clay Ostrom  30:56 Yeah, well, and I like what you said there, because part of the value, I think, with this is it’s an objective perspective on the brand, so it doesn’t have any baggage. It’s coming in with fresh eyes, the same way a new customer would come into your website, where they don’t know really much about you, and they have to just take what you’re giving at face value about what you present. And we as people working on brands get completely blinded around what’s actually working, what’s being communicated. There’s so much that we take for granted about what we already know about the brand. And this comes in and just says, Okay, I’m just, I’m just taking what you give me, and I’m going to tell you what I see, and I see some gaps around some of these things. You know, I don’t have the benefit of sitting in your weekly stand up meeting and hearing all the descriptions of what you’re actually doing. Christian Klepp  31:59 I’m sorry to jump in. I’m interested to know, like, just, just based on what we’ve been reviewing so far, like, what has your experience been showing this kind of analysis to clients, and how do they respond to some of this data, for example, that you know, you’re walking us through right now? Clay Ostrom  32:18 Yeah, I think it’s been interesting. Honestly, I think it can sometimes feel harsh. And I think again, as someone who’s both run an agency and also built worked on brands, we get attached to our work on an emotional level. Christian Klepp  32:42 Absolutely. Clay Ostrom  32:42 Even if we think about it as, you know, this is just work, and it’s, you know, whatever, we still build up connections with our work and we want it to be good. And so I think there’s sometimes a little bit of a feeling of wow, like that’s harsh, or I would have expected or thought we would have done better or scored better in certain areas, but that is almost always followed up with but I’m so glad to know where, where we’re struggling, because now I can fix it. I can actually know what to focus on to fix, and that, to me, is what it’s all about, is, yes, there’s a little bit of feelings attached to some of these things, maybe, but at the end of the day, we really want it to be good. We want it to be clear. We don’t want to be a 4 out of 10. We want to be a 10 out of 10. And what specifically do we need to do to get there? And that’s really what we’re trying to reveal with this. So I think, you know, everybody’s a little different, but I would say the reactions are typically a mix of that. It’s like, maybe an ouch, but a Oh, good. Let’s work on it. Christian Klepp  33:55 Absolutely, absolutely. Okay. So we’ve got brand summary, we’ve got fundamentals, then quality of messaging is the other part of it, right? Clay Ostrom  34:02 So, yeah, so this, this is, this is where the actual 4 out of 10 comes. We have these 10 points that we look at and we say, Okay, are you communicating these things clearly? Are you communicating who your target customer is, your category, your offering, where you’re differentiated benefits? Do you have any kind of concrete claim about what you do to support you know what you’re what you’re selling? Is the messaging engaging? Is it concise? You’ll see here a 7% on concise. That’s basically telling us that virtually no brands do a good job of being concise. Only about 7% get a green check mark on this, and kind of similar with the jargon and the vague words big struggle points with almost every brand. Christian Klepp  34:55 Streamline collaboration. Clay Ostrom  34:58 So we can see here with Slack. You know some of the jargon we got, KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), MQLs (Marketing Qualified Lead), if you’re in the space, you could argue like, oh, I kind of know what those things are. But depending on your role, you may not always know. In something like Salesforce marketing cloud, unless you’re a real Salesforce nerd, you probably have no idea what that is. But again, it’s just a way to quickly identify some of those weak points, things that we could improve to make our message more clear. Christian Klepp  35:27 Yes, yes. Okay, so that was the messaging analysis correct? Clay Ostrom  35:33 Yeah. Christian Klepp  35:33 Yeah. Okay. So what else have we got? Clay Ostrom  35:36 Yeah, so I think one other thing we could look at just for a sec, is differentiation, and this is this kind of plays off of what we looked at a minute ago with the positioning scores. But this is a way for us to look head to head with two different brands. So in this case, we’ve got Slack in the red and we’ve got Discord in the greenish blue. And I think of these, these patterns, as sort of the fingerprint of your brand. So where you Where are you strong? Where are you weak? And if we can overlay those two fingerprints on top of each other, we can see, where do we have advantages, and where does our competitor have advantages? So if we come down, we can sort of see, and this is again, for the nerds like me, to be able to come in and go deep, do kind of a deep dive on specifically, why did, why does Discord score better than Slack in certain areas. And at the bottom here we can see a kind of a quick summary. So slack is stronger in simplification, saving time, Discord has some better messaging around generating revenue, lowering costs, marketability. But again, this gives us a way to think about what are the things we want to double down on? So what do we want to actually be known for in the market? Because we can’t be known for everything. You know, buyers can maybe only remember a couple things about us. What are those couple things where we’re really strong, where we really stand out, and we’ve got some separation from the competitors. Christian Klepp  37:18 Right, okay, okay, just maybe we take a step back here, because I think this is great. It’s very detailed. It gets a bit granular, but I think it’s also going back to a conversation that you and I had previously about, like, Okay, why is it so important to be armed with this knowledge, especially if you’re in the marketing role, or perhaps even an agency talking to a potential client going in there already armed with the information about their competitors. And we were talking about this being a kind of like a trust building mechanism, right? For lack of a better description, right? Clay Ostrom  38:03 Yeah, I think to me, what I like about this, and again, this does come out of 10 years of doing work, this kind of work with clients as well, is it’s so easy to fall into a space of soft descriptions around things like positioning and just sort of using vague, you know, wordings or descriptions, and when you can actually put a number on it, which, again, it’s subjective. This isn’t. This isn’t an objective metric, but it’s a way for us to compare and contrast. It allows us to have much more productive conversations with clients, where we can say we looked at your brand, we we what based on our analysis, we see that you’re scoring a 10 and a 9 on simplicity and organization, for example. Is that accurate to you like do you think that’s what you all are emphasizing the most? Does that? Does that resonate and at the same time, we can say, but your competitors are really focused on there. They have a strong, strong message around generating revenue and lowering costs for their customers. Right now, you’re not really talking about that. Is that accurate? Is that like, what you is that strategically, is that what you think you should be doing so really quickly, I’ve now framed a conversation that could have been very loose and kind of, you know, well, what do you think your strategy is about? What do you know? And instead, I can say, we see you being strong in these three points. We see your competitors being strong in these three points. What do you think about that? And I think that kind of clarity just makes the work so much more productive with clients, or just again, working on your own brand internally. So what do you think about that kind of perspective? Christian Klepp  40:08 Yeah, no, no, I definitely agree with that. It’s always and I’ve been that type of person anyway that you know you go into a especially with somebody that hasn’t quite become a client yet, right? One of the most important things is also, how should I put this? Certainly the trust building part of it needs to be there. The other part is definitely a demonstration of competence and ability, but it’s also that you’ve been proactive and done your homework, versus like, Okay, I’m I’m just here as an order taker, right? And let’s just tell me what to do, and I’ll do it right? A lot and especially, I think this has been a trend for a long time already, but a lot of the clients that I’ve worked with now in the past, they want to, they’re looking for a partner that’s not just thinking with them, it’s someone that’s thinking ahead of them. And this type of work, you know what we’re seeing here on screen, this is the type of work that I would consider thinking ahead of them, right? Clay Ostrom  41:18 No, I agree. I think you framed that really well. Of we’re trying to build trust, because if we’re going to make any kind of recommendations around a change or a shift, they have to believe that we know what we’re talking about, that we’re competent, that we’ve done the work. And I think I agree with you. I think like this, it’s kind of funny, like we all, I think, on some base level, are attracted to numbers and scores. It just gives us something to latch on to. But I think it also, like you said, it gives you a feeling that you’ve done your work, that you’ve done your homework, you’ve studied, you’ve you’ve done some analysis that they themselves may have never done on this level. And that’s a big value. Christian Klepp  42:08 Yes, and a big part of the reason just to, just to build on what you said, a big part of the reason why they haven’t done this type of work is because it’s not so much. The cost is certainly one part of it, but it’s the time, it’s a time factor and the resource and the effort that needs to be put into it. Because, you know, like, tell me if you’ve never heard this one before, but there are some, there are some companies that we’ve been working with that don’t actually have a clearly, like, you know, a clear document on who their their target personas are, yeah, or their or their ICPs, never mind the buyer’s journey map. They don’t, they don’t even have the personas mapped out, right? Clay Ostrom  42:52 100% Yeah, it’s, and it’s, I think you’re right. It’s, it’s a mix of time and it’s a mix of just experience where, if you are internal with a brand, you don’t do this kind of work all the time. You might do it at the beginning. Maybe you do a check in every once in a while, but you need someone who’s done this a lot with a lot of different brands so that they can give you guidance through this kind of framework. But so it’s, you know, so some of it is a mix of, you know, we don’t have the time always to dig in like this. But some of it is we don’t even know how to do it, even if we did have the time. So it’s hopefully giving, again, providing some different frameworks and different ways of looking at it. Christian Klepp  43:41 Absolutely, absolutely. So okay, so we’ve gone through. What is it now, the competitor comparison. What else does the platform provide us that the listeners and the audience should be paying attention to here? Clay Ostrom  43:55 So I’ll show you two more quick things. So one is this message building section. So this is… Christian Klepp  44:03 Are you trying to put me out of a job here Clay? Clay Ostrom  44:07 Well, I’ll say this. So far in my experience with this, it’s not going to put us out of a job, but it is going to hopefully make our job easier and better. It’s going to make us better at the work we do. And that’s really, I think that’s, I think that’s kind of, most people’s impression of AI at this point is that it’s not quite there to replace us, but it’s sure, certainly can enhance what we do. Christian Klepp  44:36 Yeah, you’ll excuse me, I couldn’t help but throw that one out. Clay Ostrom  44:38 Yeah, I know, trust me, I’m this. It’s like I’m building a product that, in a sense, is undercutting, you know, the work that I do. So it is kind of a weird thing, but this message building section, which is a new part of the platform. It will come in, and you can see on the right hand side. And there’s sort of a quick summary of all these different elements that we’ve already analyzed. And then it’s going to give you some generated copy ideas, including, if I zoom in a little bit here, we’ve got an eyebrow category. This is again for Slack. It’s giving us a headline idea, stay informed without endless emails. Sub headline call to action, three challenges that your customers are facing, and then three points about your solution that help address those for customers. So it’s certainly not writing all of your copy for you, but if you’re starting from scratch, or you’re working on something new, or even if you’re trying to refresh a brand. I think this can be helpful to give you some messaging that’s hopefully clear. That’s something that I think a lot of messaging misses, especially in B2B, it’s, it’s not always super clear, like what you even do. Christian Klepp  45:56 Don’t get me started. Clay Ostrom  45:59 So hopefully it’s clear. It’s, you know, again, it’s giving you some different ideas. And that you’ll see down here at the bottom, you can, you can iterate on this. So we’ve got several versions. You can actually come in and, you know, you can edit it yourself. So if you say, like, well, I like that, but not quite that, you know, I can, you know, get my human touch on it as well. But yeah, so it’s a place to iterate on message. Christian Klepp  46:25 You can kind of look at it like, let’s say, if you’re writing a blog article, and this will give you the outline, right? Yeah. And then most of the AI that I’ve worked with to generate outlines, they’re not quite there. But again, if you’re starting from zero and you want to go from zero to 100 Well, that’ll, that’ll at least get you to 40 or 50, right? But I’m curious to know, because we’re looking at this now, and I think this, I mean, for me, this is, this is fascinating, but, like, maybe, maybe this will be part of your next iteration. But will this, will this generate messaging that’s already SEO optimized. Clay Ostrom  47:02 You know, it’s not specifically geared towards that, but I would say that it ends up being maybe more optimized than a lot of other messaging because it puts such an emphasis on clarity, it naturally includes words and phrases that I think are commonly used in the space more so than you know, maybe just kind of typical off the shelf Big B2B messaging, Christian Klepp  47:27 Gotcha. I had a question on the target persona that you’ve got here on screen, right? So how does the platform generate the information that will then populate that field because, and when I’m just trying to think about like, you know, because I’ve been, I’ve been in the space for as long as you have, and the way that I’ve generated target personas in the past was not by making a wild guess about, like, you know, looking at the brand’s website. It’s like having conducting deep customer research and listening to hours and hours of recordings, and from there, generating a persona. And this has done it in seconds. So… Clay Ostrom  48:09 Yeah, it’s so the way the system works in a couple different layers. So it does an initial analysis, where it does positioning, messaging analysis and category analysis, then you can generate the persona on top of that. So it takes all the learnings that it got from the category, from the product, from your messaging, and then develops a persona around that. And it’s, of course, able to also pull in, you know, the AI is able to reference things that it knows about the space in general. But I have found, and this is true. I was just having a conversation with someone who works on a very niche brand for a very specific audience, and I was showing him what it had output. And I said, Tell me, like, Don’t hold back. Like, is this accurate? He said, Yeah, this is, like, shockingly accurate for you know, how we view our target customer. So I think it’s pretty good. It’s not again, not going to be perfect. You’re going to need to do some work, and you still got to do the research, but, but, yeah. Christian Klepp  49:13 Okay, fantastic, fantastic. How do, I guess there’s the option, I see it there, like, download the PDF. So anything that’s analyzed on the platform can then be exported in a PDF format, right? Like, like, into a report. Clay Ostrom  49:28 Yeah, right now you can export the messaging analysis, or, sorry, the the messaging ideation that you’ve done, and then in the brand brief you can also, you can download a PDF of the brand brief as well. So, those are the two main areas. I’m still working on some additional exports of data so that people can pull it into a spreadsheet and do some other stuff with it. Christian Klepp  49:49 Fantastic, fantastic. That’s awesome, Clay. I’ve got a couple more questions before I let you go. But this has been, this has been amazing, right? Like and I really hope that whoever’s in the one listening and, most importantly, watching this, I hope that you really do consider like, you know, taking this for a test drive, right? How many I might have asked you this before, because, you know, I am somebody that does use, you know, that does a lot of this type of research. But how much time would you say companies would save by using Smoke Ladder? Clay Ostrom  50:24 It’s a good question. I feel like I’m starting to get some feedback around that with from our users, but I mean, for me personally, I would typically spend an hour or two just to get kind of up to speed initially, with a brand and kind of look at some of their competitors. If I’m doing a deep dive, though, if I’m actually doing some of the deeper research work, it could be several hours per client. So I don’t know. On a given week, it might depend on how many clients you’re talking to. Could be anywhere from a few hours to 10 hours or more, depending on how much work you’re doing. But, yeah, I think it’s a decent amount. Christian Klepp  51:07 Absolutely, absolutely. I mean, this definitely does look like a time saver. Here comes my favorite question, which you’re gonna look at me like, Okay, I gotta, I gotta. Clay Ostrom  51:17 Now bring it on. Let’s go. Christian Klepp  51:22 Folks that are not familiar with Smoke Ladder are gonna look at this, um, and before they actually, um, take it upon themselves to, like, watch, hopefully, watch this video on our channel. Um, they’re gonna look at that and ask themselves, Well, what is it that Smoke Ladder does that? You know that other AI couldn’t do, right, like, so I guess what I’m trying to say is, like, Okay, why would they use? How does the platform differ from something like ChatGPT, Perplexity or Claude, right? To run a brand analysis? Clay Ostrom  52:00 Yeah, no, I think it’s a great question. I think it’s sort of the it’s going to be the eternal AI question for every product that has an AI component. And I would say to me, it’s three things. So one is the data, which we talked about, and I didn’t show you this earlier, but there is a search capability in here to go through our full archive of all the brands we’ve analyzed, and again, we’ve analyzed over 6000 brands. So the data piece is really important here, because it means we’re not just giving you insights and analysis based on the brand that you’re looking at now, but we can compare and contrast against all the other brands that we’ve looked at in the space, and that’s something that you’re not going to get by just using some off the shelf standard LLM  (Large Language Model) and doing some, you know, some quick prompts with that. The next one, I think, to me that’s important is it’s the point of view of the product and the brand. Like I said, this is built off of 10 plus years of doing positioning and messaging work in the space. So you’re getting to tap into that expertise and that approach of how we do things and building frameworks that make this work easier and more productive that you wouldn’t get, or you wouldn’t know, just on your own. And then the last one, the last point, which is sort of the kind of like the generic software answer, is you get a visual interface for this stuff. It’s the difference between using QuickBooks versus a spreadsheet. You can do a lot of the same stuff that you do in QuickBooks and a spreadsheet, but wouldn’t you rather have a nice interface and some easy buttons to click that make your job way, way easier and do a lot of the work for you and also be able to present it in a way that’s digestible and something you could share with clients? So the visual component in the UI is sort of that last piece. Christian Klepp  54:01 Absolutely. I mean, it’s almost like UX and UI one on one. That’s, that’s pretty much like a big part of, I think what it is you’re trying to build here, right? Clay Ostrom  54:13 Yeah, exactly. It’s just it’s making all of those things that you might do in an LLM just way, way easier. You know, you basically come in, put in your URL and click a button, and you’re getting access to all the data and all the insights and all this stuff so. Christian Klepp  54:29 Absolutely, absolutely okay. And as we wrap this up, this has been a fantastic conversation, by the way, how can the audience start using Smoke Ladder, and how can they get in touch with you if they have questions, and hopefully good questions. Clay Ostrom  54:47 Yeah, so you can, if you go to https://smokeladder.com/ you can, you can try it out. Like I said, you can basically go to the homepage, put in a URL and get started. You don’t even have to create an account to do the initial analysis. But you can create FREE account. You can dig in and see, you know, play around with all the features, and if you use it more, you know, we give you a little bit of a trial period. And if you use it beyond that, then you can pay and continue to use it, but, but you can get a really good flavor of it for free. Christian Klepp  55:16 Fantastic, fantastic. Oh, last question, because, you know, it’s looking me right in the face now, industry categories. How many? How many categories can be analyzed on the platform? Clay Ostrom  55:26 Yeah, yeah. So right now, we have 23 categories in the system currently, which sounds like a lot, but when you start to dig into especially B2B, it’s we will be evolving that and continuing to add more, but currently, there’s 23 different categories of businesses in there. Christian Klepp  55:46 All right, fantastic, fantastic. Clay, man. This has been so awesome. Thank you so much for your time and for your patience and walking us through this, this incredible platform that you’ve built and continue to build. And you know, I’m excited to continue using this as it evolves. Clay Ostrom  56:06 Thank you. Yeah, no. Thanks so much. And you know, if anybody, you know, anybody who tries it out, tests it out, please feel free to reach out. We have, you know, contact info on there. You can also hit me up on LinkedIn. I spend a lot of time there, but I would love feedback, love getting notes, love hearing what’s working, what’s not, all those things. So yeah, anytime I’m always open. Christian Klepp  56:30 All right, fantastic. Once again, Clay, thanks for your time. Take care, stay safe and talk to you soon. Clay Ostrom  56:36 Thanks so much. Talk to you soon. Christian Klepp  56:37 All right. Bye for now.

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https://www.b2bRevenue.com - Get Your Free E-Book on How Companies make Decisions.   Get a 30 day Free Trial of Pipedrive with "BRUTALTRUTH" coupon at https://www.Pipedrive.com   Video Emails by Covideo = http://www.Covideo.com     A.I. Call Analysis by Gong.io = https://www.gong.io/bt   Audible 30 day Free Trial: http://www.audibletrial.com/BrutalTruth     Check out my YouTube channel and watch my Free Sales/Social Selling Course. https://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=MaverickMethod     Listen to The Sales Questions PodCast: https://itun.es/i67d3Ry     Listen to The B2B Revenue Leadership Show: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/b2b-revenue-leadership-show/id1174976428?mt=2     Join The Gaggle and Spread The Brutal Truth: http://gaggleamp.com/i/xfpnkxv   LeadFuze Coupon = SALES20 - to get 20% more leads https://www.leadfuze.com/#_l_1i       Use Find that Lead to get anyone's email: https://findthatlead.com/pricing#_r_brian81     Twitter: @briangburns LinkedIn: Brian G. Burns Facebook: Brian Burns YouTube: Brian Burns    

No.1 vulnerability expert BRENÉ BROWN exposes how shame, fear, and perfectionism secretly control your life - and reveals proven ways to unlock courage, confidence, trust, connection, and joy. Brené Brown is a world-renowned research professor who has spent over two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy. She is also the author of 6 #1 New York Times bestsellers, including her recently published book, ‘Strong Ground', and hosts two award-winning podcasts on leadership and human connection. She explains:  ◼️The marble jar theory that changed how Fortune 100 companies build trust ◼️The 4 skill sets of courage you can train and measure ◼️Why fitting in is the greatest threat to true belonging ◼️How to identify your “armor” when you're afraid and drop it ◼️The gratitude practice that stops catastrophising in real-time (00:00) Intro (02:34) What Made Brené Who She Is? (07:23) Parents Affecting Your View of Love (10:48) 87 Human Emotions (11:50) Why Did Brené Struggle With Self-Love and Belonging? (15:36) How Has the World Changed in the Last Two Decades? (16:23) Is Power Driven by Fear? (19:51) Four Types of Power: How to Be Successful as a Leader (22:54) Systems Theory (26:48) The Role of AI and Social Media in Shaping Society (34:39) Wisdom From Psychology and Life Experience (41:26) What Type of Connection Should People Be Looking For? (44:34) Belonging vs. Standing Alone (47:43) Making a Divisive Podcast (54:07) Pros and Cons of Curiosity (54:50) Responsibility of a Platform to Assess Guest Credibility (1:03:34) Ads (1:04:32) Importance of Vulnerability (1:09:30) Managing Fear of Vulnerability (1:18:36) Overcoming Negative Traits (1:21:06) Improving Self-Esteem (1:25:43) Four Steps to Courage (1:27:44) Building Trust With the Marble Jar Theory (1:32:47) Leaders' Misconceptions of Trust (1:35:05) Cheating (1:36:03) Ads (1:38:11) Relationship Advice (1:41:42) Losing Your Mother to Dementia (1:45:27) How Did You Deal With Grief? (1:48:40) What Are You Optimizing for Right Now? Follow Brené: Website - https://bit.ly/47rISeb  LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/3Jq4T5i  Instagram - https://bit.ly/49rCLt0  You can purchase Brené's book ‘Strong Ground', here: http://bit.ly/47gIWyJ  You can listen to Dare to Lead podcast here: http://bit.ly/3WwlN56  The Diary Of A CEO: ◼️Join DOAC circle here - https://doaccircle.com/  ◼️Buy The Diary Of A CEO book here - https://smarturl.it/DOACbook  ◼️The 1% Diary is back - limited time only: https://bit.ly/3YFbJbt  ◼️The Diary Of A CEO Conversation Cards (Second Edition): https://g2ul0.app.link/f31dsUttKKb  ◼️Get email updates - https://bit.ly/diary-of-a-ceo-yt  ◼️Follow Steven - https://g2ul0.app.link/gnGqL4IsKKb  Sponsors: Shopify - https://shopify.com/bartlett   Pipedrive - http://pipedrive.com/CEO      Vanta - https://vanta.com/steven

Today's show:Australia has accused Microsoft of employing a dark pattern… Hear why Jason says these kinds of sneaky tactics aren't usually worth it.It's a brand-new Monday TWiST and it's PACKED with news. In addition to Australia's allegations against MSFT, we're looking at Chinese drone fails and wondering how live experiences will change in the age of AI.PLUS has Tesla finally “solved” FSD after years of promises? Does it matter that so much of Mercor's revenue goes back out to contractors? Do Chinese LLMs have a major advantage when it comes to the stock market over Western counterparts? Why Jason avoids overseas deals when he doesn't speak the language or know the culture. And much more!Timestamps:(00:03:44) Fall is here! And Jason is already looking ahead to “BFCM” and the holiday season.(00:07:13) We're bringing back the TWiSTies and a Prediction 2026 show(00:07:33) People are using AI to create fake receipts for fraudulent invoices!(10:00) Pipedrive - Bring clarity and control to your sales process with Pipedrive, the #1 CRM for small and medium sized businesses. Supercharge your sales today. Start with a 30-day free trial at pipedrive.com/twist.(00:14:23) It's earnings week for Meta AND Alphabet AND Microsoft AND AMAZON!(00:19:55) What happened with the disastrous Chinese drone and fireworks show?(20:00) Monarch - Thanks to our partner, Monarch! Try the app and get 50% off your first year by visiting monarchmoney.com/twist.(00:27:37) Why Jason thinks live experiences are going to get much bigger and more impressive in the age of AI(00:29:34) Why Tesla is training FSD on synthetic data now… Has FSD finally been “solved”?(30:00) AWS Activate - AWS Activate helps startups bring their ideas to life. Apply to AWS Activate today to learn more. Visit https://www.aws.amazon.com/startups/credits(00:45:10) What's going on with these new Sequoia funds? Jason unpacks the strategy…(00:50:50) Jason doesn't like to invest overseas unless he speaks the language and knows the culture(00:51:11) Jason's thoughts on the controversy surrounding Sequoia partner Shaun Maguire's comments(00:58:34) Mercor pays out 60-70% of its toppling revenue to contractors… does this MATTER?(01:06:14) Do Chinese LLMs have a major advantage when it comes to investing? (Humans are now betting on all this on PolyMarket)(01:09:45) Australia alleges that Microsoft is employing a dark pattern… why Jason says that's a problem.Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisThank you to our partners:AWS Activate - AWS Activate helps startups bring their ideas to life. Apply to AWS Activate today to learn more. Visit https://www.aws.amazon.com/startups/creditsMonarch Money - Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at www.monarchmoney.com/TWISTPipedrive - Bring clarity and control to your sales process with Pipedrive, the #1 CRM for small and medium sized businesses. Supercharge your sales today. Start with a 30-day free trial at pipedrive.com/twist.Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.comSubscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916

In this episode, we dive into the often-overwhelming world of building a tech stack for your coaching business! We know the thought of sorting through all the technology options can make your eyes glaze over, but fear not! We break it down into manageable pieces, discussing everything from accounting software to payment processors, calendaring systems, and even email marketing tools. Adding tech to your process should save you time and money, not cause you headaches and cost you cash. Our goal is to help you streamline your processes so you can focus on what you do best – coaching! Are you ready to take your coaching business to the next level? Listen in as we share our personal experiences with different tools and provide recommendations that can help you build a solid tech foundation for a thriving coaching practice.

¿QUIERES AUMENTAR TUS VENTAS Y CERRAR NEGOCIOS COMO UNA MÁQUINA?

On this episode of The YM Show, I sit down with my good buddy Michael Kleinfeld, a top performer in B2B sales. We get super practical about how he actually wins contracts—from the first cold call, to follow-ups, to proposals—and how you can apply the same frameworks in any industry.If you're in sales (or you're a founder doing sales yourself), this episode is a cheat-sheet: the ins & outs, do's & don'ts, misconceptions, and yes—the occasional “scheme” to watch for—so you can close more cleanly and build long-term relationships.

https://constraintcalculator.scoreapp.com/In this episode, Jordan Ross interviews Megan Balyk, VP at Jive PR and Digital, to share how her team transformed operations by moving from manual, disconnected systems into a Go High Level + Notion + AI-powered workflow.Jive PR was stuck juggling PipeDrive, Beehive, and DocuSign while manually tracking leads, proposals, and onboarding. After implementing automation and consolidating tools, they not only saved tens of thousands of dollars annually but also avoided hiring a $60K/year business development assistant.Instead, they reinvested savings into marketing, content creation, and growth initiatives—compounding results without burning out their team.If you're an agency owner or operator frustrated by manual work and tool overload, this conversation breaks down how to streamline your workflows, minimize human error, and free up resources to scale.Chapters – The pain of manual tasks & why automation matters – Meet Megan Balyk & Jive PR – Life before automation: PipeDrive & scattered tools – Transition to Go High Level + Notion – Favorite automations that changed the game – From messy notes to automated follow-ups – Consolidating tools & cutting costs – Adding proactive outreach & social listening – Proposal process before vs. after automation – Transition challenges & the simplicity factor – Asking “dumb” questions to learn faster – Building with Alexandra: best practices + customization – Lasting impact: saving time, cutting errors, scaling smarter – Avoiding a $60K hire through automation – Redirecting savings into content & marketing growth – Where to find Jive PR & their services – Closing thoughts: get ahead of the AI + automation waveTo learn more go to 8figureagency.co

In dieser Folge spreche ich Klartext: Outbound ist nicht tot, aber im Koma. 100 E-Mails, 3 Antworten? 50 Calls, 4 Gespräche mit „kein Interesse“? Willkommen im Jahr 2025.

Are your daily tasks keeping you from growing your business? In this episode, business coach and systems strategist Holly Jean Jackson joins us to share why documenting key processes, like sales, client onboarding, and team workflows, is the secret to sustainable growth. Tune in to learn how the right systems (and tools like ClickUp, Pipedrive, and ActiveCampaign) can help you delegate with confidence, create “delight moments” for your clients, and free up your time to focus on what matters most.

In this special episode, Gresham Harkless is in a season of deep self-awareness and transition, navigating the balance between learning a new industry and staying true to who he is.    Gresham recalls a pivotal moment from his time with the Evolutionary Business Council, where he was reminded that he wasn't meant to conform but to lead with distinction.   As he builds his presence in the franchise brokerage world, he's realizing that some of the tools and systems he initially adopted, like an expensive all-in-one CRM, aren't helping him thrive.   Gresham considers transitioning everything back to Pipedrive, a system he's familiar with and can customize to better support his goals.    He aims to be part of the high-performing 20% by building his process, trusting his instincts, and staying adaptable.   Blue Star Franchise: http://bluestarfranchise.com Browse the Franchise Inventory: https://bluestarfranchise.com/franchise Is franchising right for you? Check this out to see: http://bluestarfranchise.com/assessment Franchise CEO (A CBNation Site - coming soon) - http://franchiseceo.co Check out our CEO Hack Buzz Newsletter–our premium newsletter with hacks and nuggets to level up your organization. Sign up HERE.  I AM CEO Handbook Volume 3 is HERE and it's FREE. Get your copy here: http://cbnation.co/iamceo3. Get the 100+ things that you can learn from 1600 business podcasts we recorded. Hear Gresh's story, learn the 16 business pillars from the podcast, find out about CBNation Architects and why you might be one and so much more. Did we mention it was FREE? Download it today!

Send us a textThe enterprise software and AI landscape continues to evolve with a wave of targeted innovations and strategic alliances. Rimini Street and T-Systems North America have joined forces to offer cost-effective enterprise software support and hosting, while ServiceNow is introducing AI agents tailored for the telecom sector to enhance productivity across service lifecycles. AI continues to take center stage—Creatio's latest 8.2.2 release brings key platform enhancements, Pipedrive now simplifies sales reporting with AI-generated insights, and Resulticks debuts Genie, an AI agent designed to slash marketing workloads by 40%. Meanwhile, GoTo is catering to automotive dealerships with a new communication platform, Persado is transforming financial services marketing through dynamic AI-driven emails, and Simpplr is boosting enterprise integration flexibility with custom app extensibility. From smarter ERP deployments like iFabric Corp's adoption of BlueCherry®, to customer service innovation with Talkdesk's After Hours initiative, the momentum toward industry-specific, AI-augmented, and integration-ready solutions shows no signs of slowing down.In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro SommFor more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform. 

Dmitry Dragilev is a SaaS founder and content marketer who built and sold four businesses to Google, Semrush, SEOJet, and Mangools. He founded TopicRanker, SmallBizTools, JustReachOut, and helped scale Polar Polls to 40M+ monthly pageviews before its acquisition by Google. Dmitry has also helped brands like DowJones and Pipedrive rank #1 on Google. Today, he is going to share the strategies and lessons behind building and scaling successful businesses. CONNECT WITH HIM https://topicranker.com/ Subscribe to this channel now!  https://www.youtube.com/user/lunidelouis/?sub_confirmation=1    ---------------------------------------------------- Join our exclusive Facebook group @ https://www.facebook.com/groups/339709559955223  --------------------------------------------------- Looking for accountability to do your morning routine -- join us tomorrow morning, it's FREE:   https://bestmorningroutineever.com/  ----------------------------------------­­­­­­­-------------

Why you should listenChris Brisson reveals how SMS achieves 98% deliverability rates compared to declining email open rates, giving tech consultants an unfair advantage in client communication.Learn the "Textize Your Business" framework that turns every touchpoint in your client journey into a conversation starter, from lead generation to getting reviews and referrals.Discover real case studies including how one speaker converted 150 event attendees into $25,000+ of lead value using simple QR codes and SMS automation.You're probably still over-relying on email and LinkedIn to reach prospects and clients - and missing out on the channel with the highest engagement rates. As a tech consultant, this could be costing you deals and dragging out your sales cycles. In this episode, I talk with Chris Brisson, who's been in SMS marketing since 2009 and built SalesMessage to help businesses "textize" their operations. We dive deep into how SMS integrates with platforms like HubSpot, Salesforce, and Pipedrive, plus the AI-powered agents that can handle responses 24/7. Chris shares the exact frameworks for turning cold leads into warm conversations, reducing no-shows, and scaling client communication without adding overhead.About Chris BrissonChris Brisson is the founder and CEO of Salesmsg (read as “sales message”), a leading AI-powered SMS platform designed to help businesses engage, qualify, and convert leads at scale through two-way text messaging. A serial entrepreneur and seasoned SaaS operator, Chris has bootstrapped Salesmsg into an 8-figure ARR business while maintaining strong profitability and a high-performing team culture.Previously, Chris founded Call Loop, one of the earliest voice and text broadcasting platforms, and has spent over 15 years building direct response marketing systems and SaaS products. Today, he's at the forefront of AI-driven customer engagement, leading the charge to “Textize Your Business”—a methodology that empowers companies to turn messaging into their most effective conversion channel.Chris is also an EOS-driven founder, speaker, and growth strategist who's passionate about helping fellow entrepreneurs unlock scalable systems, dominate niche markets, and design companies that are both profitable and purposeful.Resources and LinksSalesmessage.comChris' LinkedIn profileClaude.aiPrevious episode: 626 - Are You Building a Business or Just Buying Yourself a Job?Check out more episodes of the Paul Higgins PodcastSubscribe to our YouTube channel: @PaulHigginsMentoringFree Training for AI & Tech Consultants Ready to Stop Trading Time for MoneyJoin our newsletterSuggested resource

Gresham Harkless reflects on a pivotal transition toward simplifying and refocusing his strategy.    He acknowledges the need to scale back temporarily on Google Ads, recognizing that without a clearly defined and responsive client avatar, those efforts serve as inefficient amplifiers.   Gresham shifts his attention toward organic and relationship-driven methods, particularly leveraging the podcast and blog as tools for discovery, outreach, and opportunity generation.    Gresham emphasizes the importance of identifying a real, urgent pain point, such as layoffs or workforce reductions, that can prompt quicker decisions from potential clients seeking career reinvention through franchising.    He plans to reengage with past podcast guests and consolidate client information using tools like Pipedrive, aiming to create a more organized and effective system for tracking and nurturing relationships.    Moreover, his focus is on letting go of tactics that aren't producing meaningful results and doubling down on the strategies that align with his long-term vision, creating a more intentional and efficient approach moving forward.   Blue Star Franchise: http://bluestarfranchise.com Browse the Franchise Inventory: https://bluestarfranchise.com/franchise Is franchising right for you? Check this out to see: http://bluestarfranchise.com/assessment Franchise CEO (A CBNation Site - coming soon) - http://franchiseceo.co Check out our CEO Hack Buzz Newsletter–our premium newsletter with hacks and nuggets to level up your organization. Sign up HERE.  I AM CEO Handbook Volume 3 is HERE and it's FREE. Get your copy here: http://cbnation.co/iamceo3. Get the 100+ things that you can learn from 1600 business podcasts we recorded. Hear Gresh's story, learn the 16 business pillars from the podcast, find out about CBNation Architects and why you might be one and so much more. Did we mention it was FREE? Download it today!

In this episode, Will and Christy touch base about wrangling code updates, keeping up with Squarespace's ongoing changes, and the debate between live and pre-recorded marketing. Then they bring in Kelsey Gilbert Kryling, founder of Week of the Website, to talk honestly about what it's like running an agency and the day-to-day realities of digital business. Kelsey shares what it takes to balance work and family life, the practical realities of maternity leave, and her biggest lessons on team structure and workflow. If you're weighing freelance vs. agency life or planning to step back for family or health, Kelsey's open-book approach is both reassuring and eye-opening. They also take a few minutes to celebrate simple wins, like the joy of a good pastry!Kelsey's top tech stack:Slack [https://slack.com/]Pipedrive [https://www.pipedrive.com/]EOS/90.io [https://www.90.io/] (Entrepreneurial Operating System organizing tool)Find Kelsey at https://www.weekofthewebsite.com/ or https://www.bykelseygk.com/ Sponsor: SquareKickerWhat if you could have unlimited creativity on Squarespace? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The SquareKicker Pro Extension⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ gives you powerful design control, with an intuitive, visual UI right inside your Squarespace editor.Created by designers, for designers, over 100 no-code tools empower you to customize Squarespace far beyond its native capabilities. Visit squarekicker.com for a free trial—no credit card required. Use SOMEWHAT15 to get 15% off all SquareKicker products today.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn More

In this episode, Zach sits down with Shaun Shirazian, CEO of Lodgify, for an unfiltered conversation about what's next in hospitality tech—and what's not changing. Shaun shares how a meaningful moment on a San Diego balcony more than a decade ago sparked his passion for short-term rentals, and how that guest connection still drives his work building tools for small operators around the globe. We unpack Lodgify's long-standing mission to “arm the underdogs” by empowering independent hosts and managers with the same technology advantages as the big players. Shaun draws a clear line between his upbringing as the son of immigrants, his experience at companies like Intuit and PipeDrive, and the deep conviction that great tech should level the playing field for the little guys. But this episode isn't just philosophical—it's tactical. Shaun offers a refreshingly honest take on: Why switching PMSs still feels painful, and what needs to change. How Lodgify is navigating its role as both OTA partner and direct booking champion. What's holding back the direct booking experience (hint: it's not just UX). How the best future software will be invisible—delivering outcomes, not dashboards. We also talk AI, and Shaun shares why Lodgify is entering what he calls its “13-year-old growth spurt,” a new chapter he's dubbed Lodgify 2.0. Think: fewer clunky interfaces, more Stripe-like booking flows, and a relentless focus on what hosts have always cared about—trust, time savings, and more bookings. This one's for the rebels, the brand builders, and anyone who's ever screamed at a janky checkout page and thought, “There has to be a better way.” Behind the Stays is brought to you by Journey — a first-of-its-kind loyalty program that brings together an alliance of the world's top independently owned and operated stays and allows travelers to earn points and perks on boutique hotels, vacation rentals, treehouses, ski chalets, glamping experiences and so much more. Your host is Zach Busekrus, Head of the Journey Alliance. If you are a hospitality entrepreneur who has a stay, or a collection of stays with soul, we'd love for you to apply to join our Alliance at journey.com/alliance. 

BONUS: Martti Kuldma shares how to transform century-old organizations through product-driven agile transformation In this BONUS episode we explore the remarkable transformation journey at Omniva with CEO Martti Kuldma. From traditional postal services to innovative logistics solutions, we explore how a 100+ year old company embraced product thinking, DevOps practices, and agile transformation to become a competitive force in modern logistics. Omniva's Digital Evolution—IT as a Revenue Center "We innovated the parcel machine business for a few years, and software has been an area of investment for us - software as a separate vertical in our business." Omniva represents a fascinating case study in organizational transformation. While many know it as Estonia's post office, the company has evolved into an international logistics powerhouse with significant revenue streams beyond traditional postal services. Under Martti's leadership, the organization has reimagined software not as a support function but as a core revenue driver, positioning itself for the dramatic shifts expected in logistics delivery over the next five years. The Vision: Physical Mailing as the Next IP Network "The Vision: physical mailing as the next IP network - this will give us a lot more freedom to adapt to changes in delivery demand." Martti's strategic vision extends far beyond conventional logistics thinking. By conceptualizing physical delivery networks similar to internet protocols, Omniva is preparing for a future where logistics companies leverage their physical infrastructure advantages. This approach addresses the fundamental challenge of fluctuating demand in e-commerce and traditional logistics, creating opportunities for crowd delivery solutions and gig economy integration that capitalize on existing network effects. Breaking Down Waterfall Barriers "When I came we had waterfall processes - annual budgeting, procurement for software development. It took a couple of weeks to do the first rounds, and understand what could be improved." The transformation from traditional procurement-based software development to agile product teams required dismantling entrenched processes. Martti discovered that the contractor model, while seemingly cost-effective, created expensive knowledge transfer cycles and left the organization vulnerable when external teams departed. His engineering background enabled him to recruit talent and build sustainable development capabilities that keep critical knowledge within the organization. Creating Cross-Functional Product Teams "We started to create cross-functional product area teams. We are not going to tell you what you need to build. You are accountable for the logistics efficiency." The shift from eleven distinct roles in software development to autonomous product teams represents more than organizational restructuring. By empowering teams with accountability for business outcomes rather than just deliverables, Omniva transformed how work gets planned and executed. This approach eliminates traditional handoffs and role silos, creating teams that own both the problem and the solution. The Product Manager Evolution "For me, the PM is directly accountable for the business results. The final step of the transformation started when I took the CEO role." Martti identifies a critical challenge in agile transformations: the misunderstanding of Product Manager responsibilities. Rather than falling into delivery or project management patterns, effective PMs at Omniva own business results directly. This shift required company-wide transformation because technical changes alone cannot sustain organizational evolution without corresponding changes in mindset and accountability structures. Leadership Through Storytelling "My main tool is just talking. All I do is story-telling internally and externally. I needed to become the best salesman in the company." The transition from technical leadership to CEO revealed that transformation leadership requires different skills than technical management. Martti discovered that his primary value comes through narrative construction and communication rather than direct technical contribution. This realization highlights how senior leaders must evolve their impact methods as organizations scale and transform. Real-Time Feedback Philosophy "The feedback needs to be given immediately. ‘Last year, in May your performance was not the best' - this is completely useless feedback." Martti's rejection of annual reviews stems from practical experience with feedback effectiveness. Immediate, personal feedback creates learning opportunities and course corrections that annual cycles cannot provide. Anonymous 360 feedback systems often dilute accountability and actionability, whereas direct, timely conversations enable meaningful professional development and relationship building. Essential Transformation Practices "You need to tell the story - and convince people that this transformation is essential and needed. You need to trust and let them make their own decisions." Drawing from experiences at both Pipedrive and Omniva, Martti identifies three critical elements for leading complex organizational change: Compelling narrative: People need to understand why transformation is necessary and how it benefits both the organization and their individual growth Distributed decision-making: Trust enables teams to solve problems creatively rather than waiting for hierarchical approval Business accountability for engineers: When technical teams understand and own business outcomes, they innovate more effectively toward meaningful goals The dynamic team formation model used at Pipedrive, where engineers and PMs pitched ideas and assembled mission-focused teams, demonstrates how organizational structure can enable rather than constrain innovation. About Martti Kuldma Martti Kuldma is CEO of Omniva, leading its transformation into a product-driven logistics company. A former engineering leader at Pipedrive and CTO at Omniva, he brings deep expertise in scaling teams, agile transformation, and digital innovation. Martti is also a startup founder and passionate advocate for high-impact product organizations. You can link with Martti Kuldma on LinkedIn.

Ep. 323 Did you know you can build a custom AI-powered marketing grader for any tactic in just minutes? Kieran dives into the exact process he uses to instantly evaluate and improve marketing work with AI—from legendary copywriting principles to advanced product positioning feedback. Learn how to swipe timeless tactics, engineer prompts for your unique needs, and create a universal marketing grader to upgrade your product launches, landing pages, paid campaigns, and more. Mentions Marketing tactics falling flat? Get 1,000+ AI Marketing Prompts: https://clickhubspot.com/wtc David Ogilvy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Ogilvy_(businessman) HubSpot's CRM https://www.hubspot.com/products/crm Pipedrive https://www.pipedrive.com/ Gong https://www.gong.io/ Get our guide to build your own Custom GPT: https://clickhubspot.com/customgpt We're creating our next round of content and want to ensure it tackles the challenges you're facing at work or in your business. To understand your biggest challenges we've put together a survey and we'd love to hear from you! https://bit.ly/matg-research Resource [Free] Steal our favorite AI Prompts featured on the show! Grab them here: https://clickhubspot.com/aip We're on Social Media! Follow us for everyday marketing wisdom straight to your feed YouTube: ​​https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGtXqPiNV8YC0GMUzY-EUFg  Twitter: https://twitter.com/matgpod  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@matgpod  Join our community https://landing.connect.com/matg Thank you for tuning into Marketing Against The Grain! Don't forget to hit subscribe and follow us on Apple Podcasts (so you never miss an episode)! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-against-the-grain/id1616700934   If you love this show, please leave us a 5-Star Review https://link.chtbl.com/h9_sjBKH and share your favorite episodes with friends. We really appreciate your support. Host Links: Kipp Bodnar, https://twitter.com/kippbodnar   Kieran Flanagan, https://twitter.com/searchbrat  ‘Marketing Against The Grain' is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by Hubspot Media // Produced by Darren Clarke.

Hala Taha built an eight-figure media company using data-driven sales strategies and activity-based selling to close high-value deals. As a successful entrepreneur, she knows that sales success isn't about luck. It comes from mastering the right tools, prospecting strategically, and developing a resilient mindset. In this episode, Hala breaks down how to scale smarter, optimize your funnel, and boost conversions. She also shares insights on leveraging AI in business, tracking your pipeline effectively, and managing deals seamlessly with CRM tools like Pipedrive. In this episode, Hala will discuss:  (00:00) Introduction (01:30) Webinar Overview (05:27) Understanding Bottoms Up Sales Strategy (07:48) Activity-Based Selling Explained (10:02) Driver Trees and Performance Metrics (19:39) Becoming a Sales Psychopath with Shelby Sapp (28:40) Pipedrive Demo and Features (34:44) Introduction to Pipedrive (35:48) Optimizing Sales Funnels with Sean Cannell (36:27) Improving Conversion Rates with Russell Brunson (43:13) Analyzing Competitor Funnels (46:44) Prioritizing Sales Calls (50:41) Identifying Fool or Favorite Clients (58:27) Leveraging AI in Sales Hala Taha is the host of Young and Profiting, the number one entrepreneurship and business podcast. She is the Founder and CEO of YAP Media, an award-winning social media and podcast production agency. She also founded YAP Media Podcast Network, a top business and self-improvement podcast network, where she helps business podcasters like Jenna Kutcher, Amy Porterfield, Neil Patel, and Russell Brunson grow and monetize their platforms. Resources Mentioned: Get a free 14-day trial and 20% off your membership with Pipedrive: youngandprofiting.co/sales  Pipedrive Slides: youngandprofiting.co/PipedriveSlides Sponsored By: Shopify - youngandprofiting.co/shopify Airbnb - airbnb.com/host Rocket Money - rocketmoney.com/profiting Indeed - indeed.com/profiting    RobinHood - robinhood.com/gold Factor - factormeals.com/factorpodcast   Rakuten - rakuten.com Microsoft Teams - aka.ms/profiting Active Deals - youngandprofiting.com/deals   Key YAP Links Reviews - ratethispodcast.com/yap  Youtube - youtube.com/c/YoungandProfiting  LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/htaha/  Instagram - instagram.com/yapwithhala/  Social + Podcast Services: yapmedia.com  Transcripts - youngandprofiting.com/episodes-new  Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship Podcast, Business, Business Podcast, Self Improvement, Self-Improvement, Personal Development, Starting a Business, Strategy, Investing, Sales, Selling, Psychology, Productivity, Entrepreneurs, AI, Artificial Intelligence, Technology, Marketing, Negotiation, Money, Finance, Side Hustle, Mental Health, Career, Leadership, Mindset, Health, Growth Mindset, Online Selling, Economics, E-Commerce, Ecommerce, Negotiation, Persuasion, Inbound, Value Selling, Account Management, Scale, Sales Podcast.