Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform): https://tinyurl.com/revyops-josh-og-sales

Episode Summary:

In this episode of the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast, Ben Reed sits down with Josh Gillespie, former Enterprise Sales Director at PandaDoc and former Head of Growth at Aomni. Josh shares his journey into enterprise sales and breaks down why disqualification, deep ICP research, and human intelligence still outperform AI-driven outbound in today’s noisy market.

What You’ll Learn:

- How Josh entered sales through a non-traditional career path

- What enterprise sales actually looks like behind the scenes

- Why most RFPs should be disqualified early

- How the Zero Interest Rate Period (ZIRP) reshaped SaaS sales

- Why AI has saturated outbound channels and reduced effectiveness

- How top sellers gather insight humans, not bots, can uncover

- Why close-lost deals are critical to long-term growth

Episode Highlights:

[00:01:32] From philosophy major to first sales role at Yelp

[00:03:58] Building PandaDoc from $0 in revenue

[00:13:07] Equity vs. cash tradeoffs in venture-backed startups

[00:17:10] Why unqualified RFPs are usually a trap

[00:21:00] Enterprise sales as detective work, not pitching

[00:40:53] How AI has hurt email, phone, and LinkedIn outreach

[01:02:00] Learning more from lost deals than won deals

Featured Guest:

Josh Gillespie - Head of Growth at Aomni, Sales Coach & Mentor at AlwaysHired, Founding AE at PandaDoc

Connect with Josh:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ogsalesjosh/

Host:

Ben Reed - Host of the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast

Follow Ben on Social: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-aaron-reed/

Love this episode? Subscribe to the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast for expert insights on B2B sales, GTM strategy, growth, and RevOps. If you found value in today’s episode, please leave us a review.

Join our B2B GTM & RevOps Entrepreneur Community: https://www.skool.com/outbound-b2b-sales/about?ref=07a56393b2d2435d9366f2e6151e2600

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform): https://tinyurl.com/revyops-josh-og-sales

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform): https://tinyurl.com/revyops-teodora-v

Episode Summary:

In this episode of the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast, Ben Reed sits down with Teodora Vukasinovic, a B2B growth strategist and LinkedIn expert, to explore why there is no such thing as a perfect strategy. Teodora breaks down how over-reliance on AI, templates, and “guru frameworks” is hurting modern GTM efforts, and why deep ICP understanding, active listening, and authentic messaging are the real levers of sustainable growth. The conversation dives into market research, copywriting psychology, multichannel outreach, and why many founders get stuck scaling past the $1-5M revenue range.

What You’ll Learn:

- Why “perfect strategies” don’t exist in B2B growth

- How AI and templated outreach are eroding trust and credibility

- Why deep ICP research beats automation at every stage

- How to conduct meaningful customer interviews using the Mom Test

- Why messaging is psychology, not just words on a screen

- How to structure multichannel outreach that actually converts

- Why generic ghostwriting damages brand reputation

- How self-awareness and authenticity drive better GTM decisions

Featured Guest:

Teodora - B2B Growth Strategist, founder of HotTake.ly

Host:

Ben Reed, Host of the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast

Episode Highlights:

[00:01:11] Why LinkedIn gurus, templates, and frameworks fail across markets

[00:06:10] How founders accidentally scale the wrong ICP

[00:12:12] The danger of falling in love with your solution instead of the problem

[00:28:00] Structuring effective multichannel outreach and follow-ups

[00:38:37] Why AI-generated messaging kills differentiation

[00:41:05] Why ghostwriting is often a waste of money and reputation

Connect with Teo:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teodoravukasinovic/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOZuemv4x3MFoJhSXwzXV5Q

Follow Ben on Social:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-aaron-reed/

Love this episode? Subscribe to the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast for expert insights on B2B sales, GTM strategy, growth, and RevOps. If you found value in today’s episode, please leave us a review.

Join our B2B GTM & RevOps Entrepreneur Community:

https://www.skool.com/outbound-b2b-sales/about?ref=07a56393b2d2435d9366f2e6151e2600

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform): https://tinyurl.com/revyops-teodora-v

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform): https://tinyurl.com/revyops-justin-kroeger

Episode Summary:

In this episode of the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast, Ben Reed sits down with Justin Kroeger, Founder of HiveSight, to unpack why outbound is breaking in the age of AI. Justin shares why trust, not scale is the real GTM bottleneck, how fake personalization has eroded buyer confidence, and why familiarity and third-party credibility outperform automation. Together, they explore when LinkedIn content actually works, why early-stage founders should avoid scaling too early, and how doing things that don’t scale still drives real B2B traction.

What You’ll Learn:

- Why outbound reply rates are declining despite better AI tools

- Why trust and believability matter more than personalization

- How familiarity and third-party credibility accelerate sales

- When LinkedIn content helps and when it hurts GTM efforts

- Why early-stage founders should avoid automation and scale manually

- How to validate offers through design partnerships

- Why niche credibility beats virality in B2B markets

- The hidden risks of scaling the wrong message

Featured Guest:

Justin Kroeger - Founder, HiveSight

Host:

Ben Reed, Host of the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast

Episode Highlights:

[00:01:00] Why AI-driven outbound is increasing noise and modern buyer skepticism

[00:04:36] Founder bias and the power of third-party credibility

[00:14:17] Why viral LinkedIn content doesn’t convert in B2B

[36:00:00] When founders should not invest in content marketing

[47:05:00] Doing things that don’t scale to reach first revenue

[59:40:00] Design partnerships and early GTM validation

[01:04:22] The cost of scaling unproven messaging

[01:06:00] Justin’s final advice on trust and GTM discipline

Connect with Justin:

LinkedIn: https:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jkroeger123/

Website: https://hivesight.so/

Follow Ben on Social:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-aaron-reed/

Love this episode? Subscribe to the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast for expert insights on B2B sales, GTM strategy, and leadership. If you found value in today’s episode, please leave us a review.

Join our B2B GTM & RevOps Entrepreneur Community: https://www.skool.com/outbound-b2b-sales/about?ref=07a56393b2d2435d9366f2e6151e2600

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform): https://tinyurl.com/revyops-justin-kroeger

(Sponsored By RevyOps – The #1 GTM Data Management Platform): https://tinyurl.com/revyops-soheil-saeidmehr

Episode Summary:

In this episode of the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast, Ben Reed is joined by Soheil Saeidmehr, Head of Service Delivery at ColdIQ, for a deep dive into the reality behind AI, GTM engineering, and modern outbound sales.

Sohail breaks down how ColdIQ scaled from roughly $70k to $800k in monthly recurring revenue, why the SDR role is changing (but not disappearing), and how AI should be used as leverage not a replacement for human judgment. The conversation covers real-world AI workflows, multi-LLM outbound systems, persona-based copy, LinkedIn distribution, and what it actually takes to win in today’s crowded GTM environment.

Featured Guest:

Soheil Saeidmehr – Head of Service Delivery, ColdIQ

Host:

Ben Reed – Host of the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast

What you’ll learn:

- Why GTM engineers and SDRs still matter in an AI-driven sales world

- Where AI truly excels in outbound and where humans are still essential

- How ColdIQ uses multiple LLMs across research, enrichment, and copy

- A modular approach to outbound copy by persona and function

- How to think about AB testing when AI generates dynamic variants

- Why judgment, taste, and context can’t be automated

- How LinkedIn content compounds outbound performance

- Practical advice for agencies scaling without burning cash

- The importance of community and consistency in sales careers

Episode Highlights:

[00:02:57] Why Humans Still Need to Stay in the Loop

[00:09:38] AI's Real Capabilities vs. The Hype

[00:10:11] Breaking Down Copy with Multi-LLM Workflows

[00:14:07] The ColdIQ Agentic Flow System

[00:17:28] Modular, Persona-Based Campaign Design

[00:20:17] A/B Testing When AI Generates the Variants

[00:23:59] Data Stack: Airtable, Dashboards, and Limitations

[00:27:55] Scaling from 70K to 800K MRR: The ColdIQ Flywheel

Connect with Sohail:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/soheil-saeidmehr/

Website: coldiq.com

Follow Ben on Social:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-aaron-reed/

Love this episode? Subscribe to the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast for expert insights on B2B sales, GTM strategy, RevOps, and SaaS leadership. If you found value in today’s conversation, please leave us a review.

Join our B2B GTM & RevOps Entrepreneur Community: https://www.skool.com/outbound-b2b-sales/about?ref=07a56393b2d2435d9366f2e6151e2600

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform): https://tinyurl.com/revyops-soheil-saeidmehr

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform): https://tinyurl.com/revyops-hugo-m-d

Episode Summary:

In this episode of the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast, Ben Reed sits down with Hugo Millington Drake, Founder of Trigify, to unpack the real journey of building a SaaS company in today’s crowded GTM landscape. Hugo shares how Trigify evolved from an accidental automation agency into a social intent platform, why interest-based signals outperform traditional triggers, and the hidden challenges of selling software to cost-sensitive agencies. The conversation dives deep into PLG vs. sales-led growth, churn, pricing pressure, LinkedIn outbound, the rise of GTM engineers, and why most founders underestimate how hard software really is.

What you’ll learn:

• How Trigify pivoted from an agency into a SaaS product
• Why social engagement data beats traditional trigger-based signals
• The real differences between selling services vs. selling software
• Why PLG is harder than it looks in complex GTM tools
• The challenges of churn when selling to agencies
• LinkedIn outbound vs. cold email at scale
• Influencers, micro-creators, and early SaaS distribution strategies
• The truth about “GTM engineers” and no-code/AI hype
• Why founder stress is often self-inflicted and how to manage it

Episode Highlights:

[00:00:48] What Trigify does and how it evolved

[00:04:43] Interest-based targeting vs. traditional triggers

[00:07:27] From automation agency to SaaS, selling $149 software vs. $3k retainers

[00:18:41] Churn, pricing pressure, and agency customers

[00:27:17] PLG, onboarding, and customer confusion

[00:40:00] GTM engineers, Clay, and AI tool hype

[00:54:13] LinkedIn outbound, fake accounts, and scale limits

[01:11:10] Founder stress, perspective, and long-term thinking

Featured Guest:

Hugo Millington Drake – Founder, Trigify

Host:

Ben Reed, Host of the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast

Connect with Hugo:

Website: https://www.trigify.io/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugomdrake/

Follow Ben on Social:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-aaron-reed/

Love this episode? Subscribe to the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast for expert insights on B2B sales, GTM strategy, RevOps, and SaaS leadership. If you found value in today’s conversation, please leave us a review.

Join our B2B GTM & RevOps Entrepreneur Community: https://www.skool.com/outbound-b2b-sales/about?ref=07a56393b2d2435d9366f2e6151e2600

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform): https://tinyurl.com/revyops-hugo-m-d

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform): https://tinyurl.com/revyops-thibault-garcia

Episode Summary:

In this episode of the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast, Ben Reed sits down with Thibault Garcia, founder of Reachly, to explore what it really takes to build a successful lead generation agency without chasing trends or hype. Thibault shares his journey from growing up in France to building a global agency from Thailand, starting on Fiverr while working a full-time corporate job, and eventually scaling, acquiring another agency, and serving clients across APAC, the UK, and the US. The conversation dives into consistency vs. trend hopping, the reality behind overnight success, agency fulfillment challenges, and why long-term thinking always wins.

What you’ll learn:

• Why trend hopping into AI and automation often leads to failure
• How Thibault validated his agency idea on Fiverr before quitting his job
• The difference between selling leads and actually delivering results
• Why most agencies struggle after 5–8 clients and how to avoid the yo-yo effect
• Horizontal vs. vertical agency models and when each makes sense
• How podcasts and long-form content build trust before the sales call
• Why patience, repetition, and discipline matter more than speed

Featured Guest:

Thibault Garcia, Founder, Reachly

Host:

Ben Reed, host of the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast

Episode Highlights:

[00:05:00] Building a business outside the US

[00:08:50] Starting a side business on Fiverr while working full-time

[00:12:00] Why trend hopping is a trap

[00:14:04] Knowing when to persist vs. when to pivot

[00:24:35] Acquiring another lead gen agency

[00:30:00] Scaling agencies and the fulfillment bottleneck

[00:43:12] Horizontal vs. vertical agency strategies

[00:56:26] Clay, GTM engineers, and the future of AI in outbound

[01:10:44] The long-term mindset every founder needs

Connect with Thibault:

Website: https://www.reachly.co/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thibault-garcia/

Follow Ben on Social:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-aaron-reed/

Love this episode? Subscribe to the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast for expert insights on B2B sales, RevOps, and leadership. If you found value in today’s conversation, please leave us a review.

Join our B2B GTM & RevOps Entrepreneur Community: https://www.skool.com/outbound-b2b-sales/about?ref=07a56393b2d2435d9366f2e6151e2600

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform): https://tinyurl.com/revyops-thibault-garcia

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform): https://tinyurl.com/revyops-kellen-casebeer

Episode Summary:

In this episode of the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast, Ben Reed sits down with Kellen Casebeer, founder of The Deal Lab and the community formerly known as Clay Cafe, now rebranding to GTM Cafe. Kellen shares how the community grew organically to over 1,300 highly engaged members, why the rebrand was a natural evolution, and what it reveals about where modern go-to-market teams are headed. The conversation explores community-led growth, the expanding definition of GTM, and why elite revenue execution can’t be reduced to a single tool.

What you’ll learn:

• How Clay Cafe grew organically into a 1,300+ member GTM community
• Why the shift from Clay Cafe to GTM Cafe was inevitable
• What actually drives engagement and consistency in professional communities
• How sales, GTM engineering, agencies, and operators are converging
• Why great GTM goes far beyond any single tool or tactic
• The importance of facilitation over promotion in community building

Featured Guest:

Kellen Casebeer, Founder, The Deal Lab & GTM Cafe

Host:

Ben Reed, host of the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast

Episode Highlights:

[00:00:54] The origin story: why Kellen created Clay Cafe after going solo

[00:02:05] Early growth moments and the “we hit 40 members” realization

[00:03:11] The Venn diagram problem: Clay vs elite GTM

[00:13:39] GTM engineers vs SDR economics

[00:16:35] The core value shift: button pushers vs thinkers

[00:21:25] Why most people won’t survive the shift

[00:27:28] Why premium pricing requires making things look hard

[00:29:35] The Porsche analogy: why restraint and simplicity signal real power

[00:46:19] Taste and discernment as the real GTM skill

[01:36:30] Why discernment outlives every tool and trend

[01:36:30] The final takeaway: give away what you want to receive

Connect with Kellen:

GTM Cafe: https://gtmcafe.com

The Deal Lab: https://www.thedeallab.io

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellen-casebeer/

Follow Ben on Social:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-aaron-reed/

Join our B2B GTM & RevOps Entrepreneur Community:

https://www.skool.com/outbound-b2b-sales/about?ref=07a56393b2d2435d9366f2e6151e2600

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform): https://tinyurl.com/revyops-kellen-casebeer

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform): https://tinyurl.com/revyops-ramsey-alramahi

Episode Summary:

In this episode of the Next Gen Sales Leader Podcast, Ben Reed talks with Ramsey Al Ramahi, Founder of Rev Reply, about the real, unglamorous truth of building a SaaS company in today’s GTM world. They explore why lead gen agencies make demanding but powerful early customers, how post-response management and speed-to-lead drive revenue, and why founders must learn to filter feedback without losing focus. The conversation covers product management, founder-led sales, values-driven hiring, and why a little “craziness” is often a competitive advantage for modern builders.

Featured Guest: Ramsey Al Ramahi, Founder of RevReply

Host: Ben Reed, host of the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast

What You’ll Learn:

• Why post-response workflow is the new outbound edge.
• How lead gen agencies sharpen early SaaS products.
• Filtering feature requests without derailing your roadmap.
• Founder-led sales principles that actually scale.
• Using “taste” and judgment in product decisions.
• How core values quietly shape every GTM move.
• Why a little strategic craziness becomes an advantage.

Connect with Ramsey:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramseyaalramahi/

Website: https://www.revreply.com

Follow Ben on Social:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-aaron-reed/

Join our B2B GTM & RevOps Entrepreneur Community: https://www.skool.com/outbound-b2b-sales/about?ref=07a56393b2d2435d9366f2e6151e2600

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform): https://tinyurl.com/revyops-ramsey-alramahi