This is a solo, year-in-review episode of Closing Conversations. After a year of conversations with founders, operators, consultants, and sales leaders, certain themes became impossible to ignore. Rather than recap individual guests or moments, this episode pulls together the patterns that showed up again and again—regardless of industry, title, or experience level. In this reflection, Max shares what hosting Closing Conversations clarified about sales, leadership, and building teams that act...
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This is a solo, year-in-review episode of Closing Conversations. After a year of conversations with founders, operators, consultants, and sales leaders, certain themes became impossible to ignore. Rather than recap individual guests or moments, this episode pulls together the patterns that showed up again and again—regardless of industry, title, or experience level. In this reflection, Max shares what hosting Closing Conversations clarified about sales, leadership, and building teams that act...
This is a solo, year-in-review episode of Closing Conversations. After a year of conversations with founders, operators, consultants, and sales leaders, certain themes became impossible to ignore. Rather than recap individual guests or moments, this episode pulls together the patterns that showed up again and again—regardless of industry, title, or experience level. In this reflection, Max shares what hosting Closing Conversations clarified about sales, leadership, and building teams that act...
John Salzinger builds products that matter and the markets around them. As the founder behind MPOWERD’s category-creating solar lights (5M lives impacted, B Corp score 140) and now Haven Lantern, John blends purpose with ruthless practicality. In this episode, we get into: * Why “play to learn” beats “play to win” for founders and sellers * Lean, founder-controlled go-to-market (and when capital quietly becomes a boss) * Culture you don’t manufacture—people you actually want to work wit...
Hope Brick has sat on every side of the table—fashion operator, VP, and now Founder of BRICK Executive Search placing leaders across luxury, fashion, and beauty. In this episode, we talk about: * The 3 hiring signals that never go out of style: hungry, coachable, personable * Why “work–life balance” as a #1 priority can be a tell—and how to probe it without being a jerk * Boundaries vs. burnout: on-days, off-days, and protecting your battery so you can win the week * Remote vs. in-perso...
Sales compensation should be simple, fast, and trusted—but too often it’s the opposite. Antoine Fort (Cofounder & CEO, Qobra) joins me to break down what really works in 2025 and what to ditch for good. We talk about: * Why spreadsheets and clever-but-confusing plans destroy trust * The “two KPI” rule for clarity and motivation * Paying monthly on quarterly/yearly targets (and how pacing actually works) * Accelerators vs. decelerators—and when they help or harm * Setting achievable ...
Casie Gillette has spent nearly two decades turning demand gen into pipeline—from agency days and SEO’s rise to leading member & sponsor marketing at The Suite. In this episode, we get into: * Why the last 5 years changed marketing more than the previous 15 * Getting beyond generic content: publish the specifics buyers can’t Google * True ABM (really contact-based): precision ICPs, lists that actually qualify, and where Clay fits * Email is saturated—what still works (and where hu...
Adam Brown doesn’t run ads. He doesn’t cold call. He doesn’t outsource sales. And yet, his social agency, Sircle Media, has been growing strong for 13+ years—powered entirely by trust, content, and a daily presence on LinkedIn. In this episode, we dig into: * How Adam built a no-outreach business through consistency and transparency * Why lazy AI posts actually repel good leads * The difference between posting for clicks vs. posting for clients * Tactical tips to make content a real s...
Brano Vargic has seen every side of HR—from CHRO at major banks to founder of a fast-scaling HR tech platform. In this episode, we talk about: * Why employer branding starts with the business—not HR * The danger of building a company people “like” (instead of one people want to work for) * How to reverse-engineer job ads that actually attract the right candidates * What e-commerce can teach us about recruiting top talent * How to convert passive candidates—without wasting a single lea...
Dave Sifry is the definition of a serial entrepreneur—founder of nine tech companies, from Technorati to Warm Start, and a former exec at Lyft and Reddit. Dave’s built category-defining companies, worked inside some of tech’s biggest names, and now he’s helping others rediscover the power of their own networks—with the help of AI. Whether you’re a founder looking for your first 10 customers or a seller trying to hit quota without burning out, this one hits home. In this episode, we talk...
What happens when you let go of pressure, stop chasing the next thing, and start really living the work you’re doing? Amos Schwartzfarb has led six companies, authored two books, advised hundreds of founders—and somehow still found the time to release a new indie rock single. He’s someone who’s learned (and earned) perspective, and in this episode, we get deep into it. We talk about: * Letting go of outcome obsession * Why “being in sales” doesn’t mean selling * The self-imposed pressure that...
In this episode of Closing Conversations, Max sits down with Yusuf Ongel, founder of XDRhub and self-proclaimed cold calling beast. With over 140,000 dials under his belt, Yusuf shares what most teams get wrong about sales development—and how to fix it. They dig into: * Why most SDRs fail (and what real enablement looks like) * What’s changed in outbound over the past 5 years * Why coaching is the job of sales leadership * How cold calling is still the #1 channel—if you know how to use it I...
Kristen Habacht has done it all—CSM, CRO, COO, and now CEO of Elly.ai. In this episode, we talk about: How product-led growth really worksWhy most hiring processes are totally brokenThe art of simple, honest marketingHow great sellers don’t all come from SalesforceWhat it takes to scale a product that actually sells itself Whether you’re a founder trying to build GTM from scratch or a seller figuring out where the industry’s headed, Kristen brings clarity, humor, and no-BS insight to all of...
Ken Pouliot has led enterprise sales teams at Box, Gigya, Percolate, and SheerID—scaling revenue from $10M to $75M. In this episode, he joins Max to break down why most teams stall, what real enablement looks like, and how the best sellers stay relevant while the rest rely on shortcuts. No fluff. Just what it takes to win. In this episode, we cover: – How AI is changing sales roles and startup strategy – Why real enablement (not onboarding theater) drives performance – The...
Bryan Lemster has advised hundreds of startups across AI, blockchain, wearable tech, and beyond. But he’s not interested in buzzwords—he backs companies solving real problems for real people. In this episode, we cover: How to succeed in founder-led salesWhy social proof should be your GTM backboneWhat happens when startups chase the wrong ICPWhen to flex your roadmap for big-name clients—and when to walkHow macro-economic conditions shape product successAnd Bryan’s wild (but deeply prac...
In this no-BS conversation, host Max Notis sits down with Deepak Srivastava, co-founder of Sunrise AI, to unpack the art—and the necessity—of founder-led sales. Dive into the “Wild West” of scaling where your first round of funding means nothing without real market validation. Learn how to: 🔥 Presell before you code – use customer conversations as your R&D lab. 🤫 Listen 70% of the time – measure airtime, not buzzwords, to unearth raw pain points. 🤝 Be a missionary, not a mercenary – build...
In this episode of Closing Conversations, Max Notis is joined by Josh Epstein, who has scaled revenue to over $200M across roles at VMware, HashiCorp, and now as CRO at Coder — but what makes him stand out isn’t just the numbers. It’s how he leads. Josh deepdives on what great revenue leadership really looks like: from gut-check accountability tools (“If I get defensive, they’re probably right”), to hiring with integrity, to creating a culture where sellers feel safe to speak up and motivated...
In this episode of Closing Conversations, Max Notis is joined by Rob Gibbons, a seasoned sales leader who remains deeply involved in the day-to-day sales processes. Rob shares insights from his journey scaling teams, leading companies through transformational growth, and coaching sales reps. They discuss the importance of leading from the front, the nuances of effective coaching at scale, and the crucial 'pipeline gut check' that ensures deal closings. With practical advice on building relati...
In this episode of Closing Conversations, Max Notice sits down with Tiffany Slowinski, CEO of Team Spark Advisors, to discuss the keys to hiring and leading top-performing sales teams. Tiffany shares her expertise on using data-driven tools like Culture Index to ensure the right hires, and emphasizes the importance of personalized management styles to retain and empower employees. The discussion covers practical strategies for effective sales leadership, including persistence, coaching, and f...
In this premiere episode of Closing Conversations, Max Notis sits down with Chris Brady, Betty Bungard, and Emily Botero from Sage’s GTM team to dissect one of the most important—and most misunderstood—topics in sales leadership: hiring. We explore why the “hire someone from that company” mentality is lazy, what actually makes top sellers say yes, and how the interview process often reveals more about the company than the candidate. From sales managers who can’t sell the role to founders look...
This is a solo, year-in-review episode of Closing Conversations. After a year of conversations with founders, operators, consultants, and sales leaders, certain themes became impossible to ignore. Rather than recap individual guests or moments, this episode pulls together the patterns that showed up again and again—regardless of industry, title, or experience level. In this reflection, Max shares what hosting Closing Conversations clarified about sales, leadership, and building teams that act...
