In this episode of The Future of Selling, host Rick Smith is joined by Michael Gallagher, founder of the Stevie Awards and co-founder of two AI-driven companies: Reqsy and ImageShield.

Michael shares why recognition matters more than ever in an AI-powered world, how storytelling is the key to standing out, and why building your personal brand is crucial—especially for early-career sales professionals facing automation threats.

🔥 Key Topics:

Why Michael launched the "Oscars for Business" in the shadow of Enron

How AI is changing sales recognition—and how to use it wisely

How to tell a story that gets noticed (and wins awards)

Advice for sales reps who want to future-proof their careers

💡 Whether you’re a seller, a team leader, or just curious about the future of recognition and AI, this conversation will leave you with clear, practical takeaways.

Connect with Michael Gallagher https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-gallagher-a8b785/
Nominate a Sales Pro for a Stevie Award: https://stevieawards.com//sales

Connect with Rick Smith https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-smith-094b29b
Connect with Conquer https://conquer.io/

Cold outreach is broken—and this founder has a plan to fix it.
In this episode of The Future of Selling, we explore what happens when you stop spamming inboxes and start respecting your prospects.

Our guest is Ryan O'Hara, founder of Pitchfire, a paid-prospecting platform that flips traditional sales outreach on its head. Instead of begging for time, reps pay for responses—and it’s working. With reply rates up to 60% and meetings booked in just 3 pitches, this is not your average cold outreach conversation.

🎯 We cover:
– Why reply rates have plummeted and how to turn the tide
– The difference between buying a meeting vs. buying a response
– How creativity (like sending piano songs!) builds trust
– What “zero-click marketing” and personal branding mean for sellers
– Why paid prospecting could actually be more ethical
– The future of B2B sales, AI, and buyer-led deal rooms
– A real story about how a cold call led to a life-changing conversation

Whether you lead a sales team or carry a quota, this conversation will challenge the way you think about outreach.

Connect with Ryan O'Hara https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanmohara/
Connect with Pitchfire https://www.pitchfire.com/

Connect with Rick Smith https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-smith-094b29b
Connect with Conquer https://conquer.io/

In this episode of The Future of Selling Podcast, host Rick Smith sits down with Shannon Schaul, founder and principal of SKS Advisory, to explore how sales has fundamentally changed since the pandemic, and what leaders must do to adapt.

Shannon brings a unique perspective from years of building go-to-market strategies for growth-stage, mission-driven companies. From empathy-driven selling to the rise of hybrid sales skills, this conversation covers it all.

• What’s different about selling in 2025
• Why empathy and small talk are essential, not optional
• The outdated sales mindsets that no longer work
• Why your team must use their voice
• The problem with most sales training, and how to fix it
• How to invest in people the right way
• And why "hitting pause" might be the most powerful leadership move you can make

Whether you're a CRO, sales leader, or individual contributor, this episode is packed with practical insights to help you lead with purpose and perform at a higher level.

Connect with Shannon Schaul: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonschaul/

Connect with Rick Smith: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-smith-094b29b/
Check out Conquer: https://conquer.io/

When a deal closes, the real work begins—but only if sales and client success are aligned. In this episode of The Future of Selling, host Rick Smith sits down with award-winning client success leader Erica Newell to explore the underestimated power of a well-executed sales handoff.

Erica brings wisdom from years of customer success leadership, sharing why bad handoffs lead to churn, how “turf anxiety” kills collaboration, and what great teams do to build trust across the client lifecycle. You'll learn:

• The top 3 pitfalls of poor sales-CS transitions
• How to create a frictionless baton pass
• Why early involvement of CS (especially in enterprise deals) is essential
• Which metrics matter—and which don’t
• How to build client relationships that endure beyond contracts

Whether you're a CRO, CSM, or sales leader, this episode is packed with practical strategies to create smoother handoffs, happier clients, and healthier revenue.

Connect with Erica Newell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericajnewell/

Connect with Rick Smith: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-smith-094b29b/

Check out Conquer: https://conquer.io/

What if the key to scaling your company wasn’t a new strategy, but a new way of being?

In this provocative and insightful episode, executive coach and sales transformation architect Townsend Wardlaw joins us to unpack why consciousness, not just systems or hustle, is the most powerful growth lever a founder can use. From his bold take on integrity and mindset to the hidden meaning behind "yes" and "no" in sales conversations, Townsend offers a radical reframe for how leaders can drive revenue, align teams, and ultimately create companies built for a high-value exit.

🔥 What You’ll Learn:

• Why consciousness is more than mindset and how it drives tangible business outcomes
• How founders unintentionally become bottlenecks, and what to do about it
• The game-changing difference between playing to win vs. not to lose
• What it really means to lead with integrity, and how it accelerates revenue
• Why checking for understanding is a secret superpower in leadership
• A simple, powerful step to shift your company’s trajectory—starting today

About Townsend Wardlaw:

Townsend is a coach, consultant, and advisor to founders, helping companies between $1M and $10M scale revenue and create meaningful exits. He’s known for challenging leaders to elevate their consciousness and shift their results by changing how they see and show up in the world.

Connect with Townsend Wardlaw: https://www.linkedin.com/in/townsendwardlaw/

Connect with Rick Smith: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-smith-094b29b/
Check out Conquer: https://conquer.io/

In this episode, Rick talks discusses the evolving landscape of sales enablement with Brian Trautschold, co-founder of Ambition, a leading sales performance management platform.

Brian shares his entrepreneurial journey—from coffee runs and copy machines at UBS to co-founding multiple startups and building Ambition into a company that transforms sales teams through coaching, gamification, and trust.

If you're a sales leader navigating the complexities of scaling your team or thinking about how AI and manager enablement will shape the next decade of performance, this is a must-listen conversation.

Connect with Brian Trautschold: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-trautschold-97518219/
Check out Ambition: https://ambition.com/

Connect with Rick Smith: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-smith-094b29b/
Check out Conquer: https://conquer.io/

In this high-energy and deeply insightful episode, Rick sits down with Amanda Rubin, Chief Revenue Officer at Wildfire and former EVP of Growth at Enthusiast Gaming. Together, they explore how authenticity is reshaping modern marketing, particularly through Amanda’s groundbreaking work connecting brands with communities on Discord.

Amanda explains how Wildfire is helping brands authentically integrate into Gen Z-focused communities—not through ads, but through meaningful dialogue, partnerships, and experiences. She also unpacks the difference between marketing vs. branding, why trust is the ultimate competitive advantage, and how startups should think about go-to-market strategy from day one.

In the second half of the episode, Amanda opens up about building her career as a woman in a male-dominated industry, overcoming imposter syndrome, and how she’s found purpose by blending strategic leadership with human connection. Her story is as real as her leadership style—and one that will resonate with professionals at every level.

🎧 Tune in for a masterclass in modern brand building—and how character and competence create career momentum.

Connect with Amanda Rubin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-j-rubin/
Check out Wildfire: https://www.getwildfire.gg/

Connect with Rick Smith: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-smith-094b29b/
Check out Conquer: https://conquer.io/

Unlock the secrets to building high-performing sales teams and staying ahead of the curve! In this episode of The Future of Selling, host Rick Smith welcomes Phil Hernandez, Global VP of Sales at Taskus, to discuss what it takes to lead winning teams in today's evolving sales landscape.

Phil shares practical insights from his 20+ years of experience — from creating strong sales cultures and developing leadership skills, to harnessing the power of AI to scale faster. Whether you're building a new sales team or leading an established one, this episode is packed with real-world strategies you can use today.

In this episode:

• Why culture is the foundation of sales success
• How AI is reshaping sales enablement and customer engagement
• Hiring strategies that go beyond the resume
• Building resilience and learning through failure
• The future mindset every sales leader needs

If you're ready to grow yourself, your team, and your results, this episode is for you.

👉 Like, subscribe, and hit the bell to catch every episode of The Future of Selling!

Connect with Phil Hernandez: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hernandezphillip/
Learn more about Taskus: https://www.taskus.com/

Connect with Rick Smith: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-smith-094b29b/
Learn more about Conquer: https://conquer.io/

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