Sales POP! Podcasts: Insights from Top Experts in Sales, Marketing, Leadership & More.

Kai Stone built a $297/month platform that's helped over 1,000 contractors scale with AI — and he did it from his mom's house. In this conversation with SalesPOP! host John Golden, Kai breaks down why most small businesses are losing leads to unanswered phone calls, how a simple AI text-back system changes the game, and why every contractor needs a personal brand (even if it's just a phone and $5/day). Plus: why searching for your business on ChatGPT matters as much as Google now.

Adnan Malik, co-founder and CEO of Softwarefinder, joins host John Golden to discuss why 70–80% of B2B software buyers end up dissatisfied — and how trust and human-driven consulting can fix that. Softwarefinder's pay-equal model removes financial bias from software recommendations, connecting buyers with the right solutions through trained consultants across 40+ verticals. Explore the platform and book a free consultation at softwarefinder.com.

Amir Berenjian, founder of REM 5 Studios, has put over 150,000 people into VR headsets — from pro sports fans at the Minnesota State Fair to UN policymakers experiencing polio vaccination campaigns in Zambia. In this conversation with SalesPOP! host John Golden, Brenian explains where immersive tech actually delivers marketing ROI, why $300 headsets are changing the game, and why spatial computing will become the primary way we interact with AI.

Guest: Steven Rosen, MBA — Founder of STAR Results and author of Focused: The Leadership Discipline That Protects Performance from Distraction

A quick preview of our conversation with Steven Rosen. After 30 years coaching CROs and VPs of sales, Steven has a blunt message: if your numbers are off, stop looking at your reps and start looking in the mirror. Here's a taste of what he shared with John Golden.

Key Takeaways:

What does it really take to reach the top one percent in sales—or any competitive field? In this episode of the Sales POP! podcast, host John Golden sits down with Larry Weidel, a veteran sales executive, investor, and bestselling author of Serial Winner. With more than $6 billion in assets under management, Larry has earned his place among the elite—and he's on a mission to show others the path.

Larry's journey from construction work to the pinnacle of financial services wasn't powered by genius. It was powered by mentors, relentless curiosity, and a repeatable framework he call...

What separates a great sales hire from a costly mistake? In this episode, John Golden welcomes Steve Radford, a seasoned UK-based sales leader and author with over 25 years of experience, to tackle one of the toughest challenges in any growing organization: finding and selecting salespeople who will actually perform.

Radford explains why traditional resume-driven hiring consistently fails and what forward-thinking companies do instead. He walks through his approach to building success profiles that go beyond skills and experience to capture the traits, values, and behavioral patterns that predict real-world performance. The conversation covers practical screening techniques—from st...

Spending on Google Ads without a real strategy is like filling a bucket with holes—money flows in and leads trickle out. This episode dives into the common traps that burn through ad budgets and delivers a clear framework for turning paid search into a predictable, profitable channel.

You'll learn why aligning your ad copy, keywords, and landing pages around a defined buyer persona is the single most important step most advertisers skip. Jeff Coleman shares battle-tested strategies for using negative keywords and audience exclusions to cut waste, why the top ad spot is rarely worth the pr...

Your brand is speaking to your customers' brains every single day. The real question is: which brain is actually listening? In this episode, John Golden welcomes Paul Larche to the Sales POP! podcast for a wide-ranging conversation that bridges neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and real-world selling strategy in ways you won't hear anywhere else.

Larche, author of The Divided Brain, explains how AI-powered personalization exploits the same survival instincts that once kept our ancestors alive in the wild—and what that means for the way we build brands, craft campaigns, and close deals in today's hyper-connected world. He wa...

George Rivera's father was dying when he delivered the advice that changed everything: stop missing your son's games. That single conversation forced Rivera—a self-made entrepreneur running a $20 million business—to rethink what success actually looks like when your kids are growing up without you.

In this powerful conversation with host John Golden, Rivera opens up about the emotional toll of being a founder and why so many entrepreneur dads stay trapped in a cycle they never planned for. He introduces the concept behind his 18 Summers Roundtable, a community where founder fathers share real struggles, hold each othe...

Most business advice boils down to one thing: make more money. But what happens when the money's coming in and you still feel stuck?

Andy Clark has spent two decades helping business owners answer that question. In this episode, he joins host John Golden to introduce the Whole Pie System — a 15-step framework designed to help entrepreneurs build companies that are profitable, meaningful, and genuinely enjoyable to run.

Andy walks through the biggest mistakes he sees small business owners make, from neglecting their core values to getting addicted to crisis management. He also shares a de...

Paul Ross has spent 30 years studying why people say yes—and it rarely has anything to do with your product.

In this episode, he explains how top-performing reps create emotional safety before ever making a pitch. Small language shifts—words like "explore" and "together"—signal partnership instead of pressure, quietly lowering a buyer's guard.

When objections arise, Ross doesn't argue. He interrupts the pattern with a question that reframes the resistance entirely. The result? Conversations that feel less like sales calls and more like genuine decisions being made.

Kai Law spent years coaching high-performing remote salespeople — and the pattern is always the same. The ones who last aren't the most gifted. They're the most prepared.

In this episode, Kai covers financial runway strategies for commission-only roles, why peer communities change everything in remote work, and how persistent follow-up quietly outperforms raw talent every single time.

If you're serious about remote sales, this conversation is your starting point.

Your packed calendar isn't proof of strong leadership — it might be the biggest obstacle to it.

Dr. Garland Vance warns that chronic busyness destroys the focus, creativity, and presence that effective leadership demands. His fix: audit your commitments ruthlessly, protect thinking time, and answer the four questions your team is silently asking — where are we going, how do we get there, what's my role, and why does it matter?

Clear answers to those questions change everything.

Tim Rexius spent years testing, repackaging, and studying sales velocity before investing in marketing. When he finally expanded internationally, distributors paid upfront, cash flow stabilized, and growth accelerated.

His core lessons: bootstrap until your system is bulletproof, tell your story authentically, and stay adaptable enough to pivot before the market forces your hand.

Entrepreneurship isn't a launch. It's a long game of compounding small, smart decisions.

Bet on yourself early. The results show up later.

Sales POP! host John Golden sat down with Simon Bowen to unpack why the "how" beats the "why" every time in sales conversations.

Bowen's core idea: clients don't buy your product — they buy confidence in your process. A clear, visual framework that explains your approach in under 10 minutes builds more trust than any pitch deck ever will.

In the age of AI, the professionals who stand out won't just have better tools — they'll have better thinking behind those tools.

Catch the full episode on Sales POP! to hear Simon Bowen's complete framework.

Track your time for one week, and you'll never look at your schedule the same way. That's where this conversation with Claire Giovino starts — and it goes deep fast.

We unpack how to match your best work to your peak energy windows, why delegation fails without documentation, and how intentional breaks actually increase output.

Practical, no-fluff, and built for leaders who are done being busy without being effective.

🎧 Hit play — your perfect workday is closer than you think.

Speed wins in sales. The faster you follow up, the more deals you close — and AI voice agents are making instant follow-up achievable at any scale. In this episode, Will from Thoughtly shares the use cases that actually drive revenue, why transparency with AI builds trust rather than breaks it, and how businesses are doubling close rates with tools most teams haven't used yet. If your pipeline has a follow-up problem, this one's worth your time.

Most businesses stop growing when the founder does. Allan Khazak figured out why — and fixed it.

In this episode, Khazak shares how personal discipline, embracing failure, and obsessing over key metrics helped him scale Vroom Media Group fast. From hiring strategies to AI leverage, every insight is practical and immediately actionable.

Hit play and learn how to stop being your own biggest obstacle.

What separates six-figure entrepreneurs from seven-figure icons? Kathryn Porritt breaks down the luxury brand framework that commands premium prices.

First, master one hyper-specific skill. Generalists struggle at the top—luxury clients pay for depth, not breadth. Your expertise needs years of proven results, not surface-level knowledge.

Second, flip your business model. Most entrepreneurs start cheap and climb up. Luxury brands launch with high-ticket offers ($100K+) immediately, building credibility that flows downward.

Third, surround yourself with peers who understand your journey. Isolation kills momentum. Community creates accountability and opens opportunities.

Abby Connect's CEO, Nathan Strum, reveals what separates successful AI implementations from failures: hybrid models that leverage both technology and human expertise.

Their three-tier approach—human-only, AI-only, and hybrid service—addresses different customer needs. AI excels at routine inquiries and complex scheduling that would require extensive human training. Humans handle nuanced situations requiring empathy and creative problem-solving.

Old-school management is dying, and good riddance. The "first in, last out" mentality never measured real productivity—it just rewarded theater.

Christine Sandman Stone spent decades leading transformation at global companies, and she's clear: location doesn't matter. Hours don't matter. Results matter.

Modern managers need to stop monitoring presence and start defining outcomes. Give your team clear goals, regular check-ins, and trust. That's it.

The pandemic proved remote work functions. Now it's time to embrace what actually drives performance: clarity over surveillance, impact over optics, and real achievement over visible struggle.

No...

In this episode, Dr. Don Capener reveals Chang Robotics' proven methodology for integrating AI and robotics without workforce resistance. His counterintuitive insight: automation should eliminate tasks, not jobs.

Learn why starting with stakeholder workshops prevents implementation disasters, how transparency builds trust faster than any marketing campaign, and why treating failure as data—not disaster—accelerates innovation

Amrit Dhaliwal bought into the franchise dream—turnkey business, proven system, guaranteed support. She got none of that. Her first franchise left her struggling with "entrepreneurial poverty": owning a business but barely surviving.

So she built Goldfinch differently. Her home care franchise rejects half its applicants, provides real coaching, and goes fully digital in a paper-obsessed industry. The mission? Help franchisees actually thrive, not just survive.

Goldfinch's "Time to Thrive" philosophy extends to clients, too. Through Thrive Clubs offering yoga and art classes, they're redefining aging as opportunity, not decline.

Dhaliwal's advice for en...

What makes customers remember your brand instead of scrolling past? Anique Mautner breaks it down to three essentials: relevance, distinction, and clarity.

On the Expert Inside Interview podcast, Mautner revealed how brands win by embracing imperfection. She references kintsugi—Japanese pottery repaired with gold—as the perfect metaphor. "Your cracks make you memorable, not your polish," she explains.

Her advice for marketers? Stop chasing perfection. AI can generate flawless content, but audiences crave authentic human stories. Listen deeply to your customers, highlight what makes you unique (including your flaws), and communicate with crystal clarity.

...

In this episode of Sales POP!, supplement industry veteran John Smiddy (New to Marketers) reveals the strategies behind his $100M+ in client revenue.

Key takeaways for 2026: 

AI-first optimization: Structure your product data for AI recommendation engines, not just search engines. Consumers are buying through ChatGPT conversations now.

Amazon launch strategy: Start on Amazon to build instant credibility and reviews. Smiddy's data shows conversion rates of 5%+ for new brands- better than most DTC sites.

Differentiation is critical: Generic formulations fail. Partner with experts to create proprietary blends backed by clinical validation and t...

Rihab Abouzaki, creative director at This and That Communications, cuts through the noise on international advertising. Her approach ignores flashy social media metrics and focuses on what actually converts: streaming TV and strategic podcasting.

American consumers demand credibility. That means partnering with tax-paying U.S. agents who unlock access to 300+ streaming platforms reaching massive audiences weekly. Entry costs start at just $5,000 monthly—far more accessible than most Gulf brands realize.

Podcasts offer something digital ads can't: intimate connection. When brand leaders share authentic stories on industry-relevant shows, they build authority and trust that drives real ac...

If you've written off red wine as "too bitter" or "too strong," Michael Fors has news for you—the wine isn't the problem. Proper aeration is.

As founder of Liquid Jazz, Fors developed a nature-inspired solution after observing waves rolling over coastal rocks. His innovative decanter mimics this natural process, using stepped ridges to dramatically increase wine's surface area exposure.

The result? A four-minute rocking motion unlocks flavors and aromas that remain trapped in traditional bottles and glasses. What seemed harsh becomes approachable; what tasted one-dimensional reveals unexpected complexity.

The same technology works fo...

Interview with Alexis Sikorsky, Strategic Advisor

Most founders hit a wall at $5 million in revenue. Alexis Sikorsky, who led a nine-figure private equity exit, shares the proven framework for breaking through.

Start by auditing your time. List every task you handle, then delegate everything that doesn't absolutely require the founder's touch. Stop attending meetings where you add minimal value.

Next, build financial clarity. Track 10-20 metrics monthly—not quarterly. Focus on cash flow, margins, customer lifetime value, and capital efficiency.

Upgrade leadership strategically. Fractional executives deliver senior expertise without the full-time pr...

Most sales leaders hire wrong. They prioritize industry experience over buyer understanding, rush to fill empty seats, and sell the role before qualifying candidates. Walter Crosby flips this approach entirely.

His counterintuitive strategy? Write job ads that repel weak candidates. Interview like you're qualifying a prospect—with tough questions and genuine discovery. Forget the "industry retread" myth; product knowledge is trainable, but understanding buyers isn't.

Crosby emphasizes assessing cultural fit early and identifying coachability as the ultimate predictor of success. The biggest mistake? Fear-based hiring. An empty territory hurts less than a bad hire who dr...

Serial entrepreneur Daniel Hindi joined Sales POP! to discuss what most companies get wrong about AI in customer service. His message: stop worrying about job loss and start focusing on business transformation.

Hindi's company, Noem AI, builds chatbots that act like your best sales rep—qualifying leads naturally, understanding context, and adapting mid-conversation. The results speak volumes: companies resolve 80-90% of support tickets automatically while boosting lead conversions by over 34%.

Cold email works—if you protect your domain first. Adam Rosen of EOC Works reveals the critical mistake killing most campaigns: sending from your primary business domain. "You're gambling with your entire email reputation," he tells Sales Pop host John Golden.

Rosen's fix: Create dedicated domains for outreach. Use companymail.com instead of company.com. Set up multiple inboxes to distribute volume and authenticate everything with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records.

But infrastructure is just the start. "Cold email connects people who should know each other," Rosen explains. Skip the gimmicks and fake urgency. Research re...

Equipment financing scams target busy entrepreneurs who need tools and machinery to grow. The most dangerous scheme? Companies advertising impossibly low rates, then demanding upfront fees before securing actual approval. Contracts contain hidden clauses making these payments "non-refundable" when real terms arrive much worse, or never materialize.

Other red flags include automatic lease renewals requiring cancellation within narrow windows (miss it and pay another full year), deposit schemes where companies simply disappear, and interim rent manipulation, adding phantom months to your bill.

Protect yourself: Never pay significant fees before final approval. Verify companies through BBB...

Traditional employee engagement is broken. Your remote workers aren't seeing celebrations, and generic recognition programs fall flat because everyone's motivated differently.

Workplace culture specialists are seeing success with three core strategies: First, use digital platforms like Teams and Slack to make recognition consistent across locations. Second, gamify behaviors that matter—not just sales numbers, but collaboration, innovation, and effort. Third, personalize everything. Let people choose their preferred style of rewards and recognition.

Sales teams especially need this. Commission-only motivation leads straight to burnout. Recognize the grind: most calls made, best customer relationships, skills improvement. Celebrate pr...

Are your digital ads performing poorly despite significant investment? You might be a fraud victim. This episode breaks down the explosive growth of ad fraud from $8 billion in 2015 to $140 billion today, fueled by accessible AI tools and global criminal networks.

Expert Rich Kahn explains how fraudsters use bots, malware, and human click farms to steal from every digital channel. Red flags include unpredictable campaign results, chargeback spikes, and leads who don't recognize your brand.

The key to fighting back is professional fraud detection using collective intelligence from multiple clients, real-time monitoring that adapts weekly, and...

Promoting your top salesperson to manager seems like a no-brainer. They exceeded every target, so leading a team should be easy, right? Wrong.

Star performers often succeed through "unconscious competence"—they're naturally gifted but can't explain their methods to others. Without management training, they struggle with coaching, delegation, and difficult conversations. Your sales champion becomes a frustrated manager leading an underperforming team.

The solution? Assess leadership potential separately from sales performance. Does this person enjoy developing others? Can they handle conflict constructively?

Forward-thinking companies now offer dual career paths—letting top performers advance with...

Your customers aren't unmotivated—they're scared. Consumer psychology expert Matt Sucha explains why addressing fear outperforms aggressive selling every time.

One bank's free insurance offer flopped until they tackled customer skepticism head-on. The result? A 167% conversion increase without changing the product.

The secret lies in subconscious decision-making. When a water heater salesperson started presenting two options instead of one "perfect" choice, his conversion rate nearly doubled. Why? Choice reduces anxiety and creates empowerment.

Sucha's breakthrough: communication changes three things—what people feel, think, and do. If you can't define all three outcomes before your...

In this eye-opening podcast episode, Rebel Health Alliance CEO John Goldman shares how traditional healthcare failed him in his 40s—and what he did about it. When declining energy and brain fog were dismissed as "normal aging," Goldman took matters into his own hands.

The answer wasn't a magic pill. It was comprehensive diagnostics, coordinated specialist teams, and personalized interventions based on real data. But here's the kicker: this level of care was only available to the ultra-wealthy.

What if consulting contracts rewarded results instead of hours worked? Tim Beattie, CEO of Stellafai and former Red Hat executive, is pioneering exactly that approach. 

In this conversation, Beattie breaks down the emerging consulting model that's replacing traditional project-based work. Subscription engagements provide clients ongoing access to expertise while creating predictable revenue streams. Asynchronous coaching through recorded videos scales impact beyond billable hours. AI tools amplify consultant knowledge without replacing human connection.

Your personal brand isn't your Instagram aesthetic. Business mentor Katrena Friel defines it as "the presence that walks in the door ahead of you"—your reputation before you enter the room.

The Imposter Syndrome Reality Check

Feeling like a fraud? Join the club. Even top performers battle self-doubt. The difference? They move forward anyway. Ask yourself: "If not me, then who?" Your messy journey is exactly what someone else needs to hear right now.

Finding Your Unique Edge

Everyone has a "field of excellence"—the unique combination of skills and experiences only...

AI is reshaping marketing, but genuine storytelling stays human at heart. In this episode with David J. Ebner, discover practical methods to fuse AI with emotionally engaging narratives for B2B tech. Start with a unique idea, then use AI for research and first drafts—while humans shape the emotional journey, voice, and value storytelling. Map a clear workflow: human-led ideation, AI-assisted drafting, and expert revision to ensure brand alignment. Maintain a flexible AI ecosystem to test new tools and guard against lock-in, and build a robust internal knowledge base to fuel content accuracy and consistency. Treat AI as a...