Episode Library

Episode Summary Are you part of the 82% of leaders who feel like "Accidental Managers"? In this episode of Thoughts on Selling , Lee Levitt talks with Ben Perreau , a former music journalist turned leadership expert and founder of Parafoil . We discuss the most dangerous leap in any career: the transition from Individual Contributor (IC) to Team Leader. Ben explains why companies set new managers up to fail by promoting them for technical skills but ignoring the emotional intelligence required t...

Episode Summary Is the "growth at all costs" era over? In this episode of Thoughts on Selling , Lee Levitt sits down with Amos Bar-Joseph , a third-time entrepreneur joining from Tel Aviv, to dismantle the broken "Unicorn Playbook." Amos describes himself as an "Anti-Capitalist Capitalist," rejecting the traditional VC model of raising massive rounds to hire bodies. Instead, he is building Swann , an Autonomous Business designed to scale with Artificial Intelligence , not headcount. We explore w...

In this episode of Thoughts on Selling, Lee Levitt sits down with ETA leader Garth Fasano to discuss the massive shift from traditional inside sales to "Agentic AI"—autonomous agents that think, adapt, and sell without fatigue. Garth explains why small businesses are adopting this technology faster than enterprises to solve the "consistency" problem, ensuring every prospect gets a "fully caffeinated" interaction even after 175 calls. We also explore the future of "Bot-to-Bot" commerce, where AI buyers negotiate with AI sellers, and how this shifts the sales function from simple execution to strategic business visibility.

Episode Summary What do selling gum in the 5th grade and playing defense in hockey have in common with high-stakes Enterprise Sales? According to Nina Iannuzzi , absolutely everything. In this episode of Thoughts on Selling , Lee Levitt sits down with Nina, a sophomore at the Isenberg School of Management (UMass Amherst) and a top-tier finalist at the recent National Intercollegiate Sales Competition (NISC) . If you think the next generation of sales talent is "soft," you haven’t met Nina. We re...

Episode Summary In this episode of Thoughts on Selling , Lee Levitt sits down with Sean Gannon , founder of GTMPPL (GTM People) , to answer the "unanswerable" question: Who is Sean Gannon? We dive into a refreshing (and controversial) take on Sales Leadership : why the best managers strive to make themselves obsolete . If your team can't function without you, you aren't leading—you're hovering. From the trenches of EdTech to the nuances of Sandler Training , Sean shares candid stories about the ...

Episode Summary In this episode of Thoughts on Selling , Lee Levitt geeks out with Maeve Ferguson , an ex-steeplechase jockey turned Big Four consultant and data expert. We dive deep into why the "Quiz Funnel" is dead and how Diagnostic Assessments are the new gold standard for generating high-quality leads. Maeve explains the "Delulu Factor"—how data exposes the gap between perception and reality—and how to leverage that gap to close deals. We also explore Agentic AI : agents that run continuou...

Episode Summary Sales is human work. And humans run on purpose, energy, and trust. Lee Levitt sits down with Lester Sidney , a 17-year tech sales veteran and "brother from another mother," for a raw and authentic conversation. Lester opens up about his battle with depression after leaving a company he helped build and his journey to rediscovering his "Why" through the Ikigai Framework . We discuss why Vulnerability is a sales superpower, why walking away from a bad deal is the ultimate credibili...

Episode Summary Is your "Pipeline Problem" actually a "Data Problem"? In this episode of Thoughts on Selling , Lee Levitt sits down with Torquil Thomson , founder of The Conversion Architects , to explore a hard truth that most revenue leaders ignore: Your Go-to-Market engine is only as good as the data beneath it. Joining from Barcelona, Torquil shares astonishing stats from the field—like companies with 40–50% duplicate records or databases with 2 million accounts but only 1 million contacts. ...

Episode Summary In this special episode of Thoughts on Selling , Lee Levitt sits down with Gerhard Gschwandtner , founder of Selling Power Magazine . Gerhard’s story is extraordinary—from growing up in Austria to creating one of the most influential media platforms in sales history. We discuss how Curiosity , Creativity , and Courage shape every career, and why the most important question isn't "What do you want to buy?" but "Who are you?" Gerhard shares lessons from giants like Zig Ziglar and M...

In this episode of Thoughts on Selling, Lee Levitt sits down with Lauren Bailey -- founder of Factor 8, #GirlsClub, and Legacy VIP -- for a raw and inspiring conversation about the "Inner Game" of leadership. Lauren shares how personal tragedy birthed her mission to help executives show up authentically, and she breaks down actionable frameworks like "The Pause Game" for coaching reps and the "3 F's" (Fears, Failures, and F-ups) for building psychological safety. From the wisdom of The Four Agreements to the tactical execution of inside sales, this is a masterclass on why perfectionism kills confidence and why true leadership is about creating space, not taking it.