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-frank-sondors

Episode Summary:

In this episode of the Next Gen Sales Leader Podcast, Ben Reed sits down with Frank Sondors, Founder & CEO of Salesforge, to unpack how he scaled a multi-product AI sales platform to $3M ARR in 12 months, fully bootstrapped. Frank shares how he validated the idea through 40 customer interviews, closed four paying customers before writing code, and built seven products using a “compound software” approach. They dive into AI-native engineering, rapid feature velocity, the real challenges of remote hiring, and why hybrid human + AI workflows will shape the future of sales. This episode is a tactical blueprint for founders and GTM leaders building fast in competitive markets.

What You’ll Learn:

• How Frank went from leading 50 reps to launching Salesforge
• Why domain expertise gives founders a 10x advantage
• The landing-page strategy that closed four customers pre-product
• How Salesforge hit $1M ARR with no employees or agencies
• Why the “compound model” accelerates multi-product growth
• How AI-native engineers dramatically improve product velocity
• How Frank evaluates performance, competence, commitment, and culture
• The real challenges of remote hiring and how to filter high-integrity talent
• Why hybrid human + AI agent workflows will dominate sales

Featured Guest:

Frank Sondors, Founder & CEO, Salesforge

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

Episode Highlights:

[00:00:43] Frank’s path from Google → SaaS → leading a 50-rep sales org

[00:02:09] Why SalesForge exists and why Frank built software to replace headcount

[00:09:40] Landing page → $0 to first 4 customers before writing code

[00:10:22] The first SalesForge product: sequencer + 20-language unique email engine

[00:13:37] Engineers with quotas → How SalesForge ships fast

[00:31:27] Why customers switch: cost, results, and “legacy tools stopped working” [00:53:21] How expansion works: 7 products → consultative, not pitch-driven sales

[01:14:27] Frank’s hiring philosophy: competence, commitment, culture

[01:34:12] AI-native employees outperform and how SalesForge screens for them

Connect with Frank:

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

Website: https://salesforge.ai

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-frank-sondors

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

Episode Summary:

In this episode of the Next Gen Sales Leader Podcast, Ben Reed sits down with Niels Klement, CMO of Perspective, to unpack how their mobile-first funnel builder scaled to $10M ARR bootstrapped in just four years. Niels breaks down how a single webinar funnel saved the business, why SaaS cashflow is uniquely challenging, and how discovering a “beachhead” use case in the German market ignited early adoption. They go deep into paid acquisition for SaaS, the creative engine behind Perspective’s ads, how Niels writes scripts that convert, and why most founders waste years focusing on the wrong problems. This conversation is a masterclass in growth, positioning, creative strategy, and constraint-based decision making.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why SaaS cashflow struggles make annual conversions a necessity
• How Perspective identified its German recruiting “beachhead” and scaled fast
• The webinar funnel strategy that unlocked profitable paid acquisition
• How to build a creative engine: concepts, hooks, scripts, and iterations
• Why message-market resonance beats any copywriting framework
• How to identify the biggest constraint in GTM and allocate resources
• Why USPs evolve as the product evolves and how Perspective stacks them

Featured Guest: Niels Klement, CMO, Perspective

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

Episode Highlights:

• [00:00:53] From agency to $10M ARR SaaS in four years.
• [02:41:50] Webinar funnel solving SaaS cashflow and paid acquisition constraints
• [14:42:00] Riding recruiting-funnel trend to win the German-speaking lead gen market.
• [19:16:00] Mobile-first, interactive funnels born from real client performance pain.
• [39:34:00] Inside Perspective’s performance marketing engine and creative testing system.
• [56:22:00] Copy, customer context, objections and scripts over fancy tactics.
• [01:07:20] Niels’ final message: “The only thing that matters is enjoying life.”

Connect with Niels:

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

Website: https://www.perspective.co/

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-mr-niels

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

Episode Summary:

In this episode of the Next Gen Sales Leader Podcast, Ben Reed speaks with Richard Purcell, founder of Moxie GTM, about his bold claim that GTM engineers will become obsolete before SDRs. Richard breaks down why today’s GTM tech stack is over-engineered, how AI is accelerating consolidation, and why data quality, creativity, and human enablement matter more than complex workflows. They dive into the limits of AI, the future of CRMs, and why perfect leads still fail without strong processes and real human judgment.

What you’ll learn:

• Why GTM engineers may disappear before SDRs
• How AI + consolidated data infrastructure are reshaping GTM
• The real reason GTM tools create complexity instead of solving it
• Why clean data + messaging > prompts + automation
• The future of CRMs and “conversation with your data” UX
• How human creativity and enablement remain irreplaceable

Featured Guest: Richard Purcell, Founder, Moxie GTM

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

Episode Highlights:

[00:01:09] Thesis drop: “GTM engineers will die before SDRs.”

[00:04:39] What is a GTM engineer? role & responsibilities defined.

[00:11:12] CRM debate: what belongs in CRM vs prospecting tools.

[00:12:07] Consolidation: single API + Claude demo cuts setup time.

[00:41:32] Bootstrapped vs VC growth, churn and sustainability tradeoffs.

[00:46:46] AI future: agents, buyer/seller AIs, and systemic risks.

[00:58:07] SDRs: Human nuance still beats raw automation, real examples.

Connect with Richard:

Website: moxiegtm.com

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

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-richard-f-p

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

Episode Summary:

In this episode of the Next Gen Sales Leader Podcast, Ben Reed sits down with Brandon Charleson, founder of Top of Funnel, certified Clay & Instantly expert, U.S. Air Force veteran, and GTM systems builder. Brandon shares his path from tinkering with TI-calculator apps and running Kickstarter campaigns to becoming a recruitment leader, data engineer, and AI-powered GTM operator. The conversation blends tactical GTM execution (Clay, scraping, APIs, automation) with the human side of leadership, prioritization, communication, mental energy, and avoiding burnout.

What you’ll learn:

• How Brandon evolved from tinkerer to GTM engineer using APIs, scraping, and automation
• Why “people + systems” is the essential framework for scaling
• Practical Clay/no-code data acquisition and enrichment tactics
• How to manage “brain cycles” and make better founder decisions
• Communication skills: silence, deep lexicon, and micro open-loops
• The PPTP method (Puppy → Process → Training → People) for building scalable workflows
• Where AI helps today and why it fails without clean data

Featured Guest: Brandon Charleson, Founder, Top of Funnel

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

Episode Highlights:

• 00:26 - Brandon’s Background: Tech, Film, Recruiting & Air Force
• 03:43 - “People + Systems”: How Brandon Diagnoses Problems
• 15:29 - Communication Psychology & Sales
• 18:45 - Brain Cycles, Prioritization & Founder Decision-Making
• 31:12 - Fitness, Sleep, Circadian Rhythm & Peak Performance
• 46:40 - AI Prompting, Context Engineering, LLMs
• 57:22 - Schema Design, Data Meaning & GTM Architecture
• 59:02 - Final Advice: Tell People You Care About Them Daily

Connect with Brandon:

Website: https://www.topoffunnel.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-charleson/

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-sa...

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

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform): https://tinyurl.com/revyops-jdgarcia1

Episode Summary:

In this episode of the Next Gen Sales Leader Podcast, Ben Reed sits down with JD Garcia, Head of Growth at Impactable, for a raw, insightful conversation that blends the human side of leadership with the tactical edge of modern GTM. From there, Ben and JD dive into the mechanics of LinkedIn ads, channel validation, intent signals, and why so many companies misunderstand both data and AI. They break down the gap between reach and relevance, the truth about GTM engineering, and what founders actually need to do before scaling their offer. It’s equal parts philosophy, playbook, and straight talk.

What you’ll learn:

• Why achievement without fulfillment wrecks founders
• How to validate a LinkedIn audience using saturation and frequency data
• Why “reach” is a lie and “relevance” is king
• The must-do technical basics for LinkedIn Ads (Insights tag, matched audiences, paused campaigns).
• How to identify intent through overlooked signals
• Why most GTM teams misuse AI
• The simple “founder validation framework”
• Why early-stage teams shouldn’t rely on LinkedIn Ads alone
• Simple leadership moves that improve CRM adoption, team growth, and alignment.

Featured Guest: JD Garcia, Head of Growth, Impactable

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

Episode Highlights:

• 00:33: Work-Life Balance & Integrity
• 06:40: “Everybody’s Replaceable” & Real Career Lessons
• 15:38: “Perfection Is the Enemy of Good” & Moving Fast
•  32:19: Marketing is not gonna work in a silo.
• 29:48: Validating LinkedIn as a Channel (Real Examples)
• 01:00:15: Intent Signals, Data Quality & Why AI Isn’t Magic
• 01:12:58: Don't Believe the Hype, AI Needs Real Data to Work

Connect with JD:

Website: https://impactable.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linknlearn-jdg/

Follow Ben on Social:

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

Join our FREE GTM Scaling Group:

https://tinyurl.com/next-gen-skool

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform): https://tinyurl.com/revyops-jdgarcia1

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform | Better Data & Reports): https://tinyurl.com/revyops-jordan2

Episode Summary:

In this episode of the Next Gen Sales Leader Podcast, Ben Reed sits down with Jordan Park, Founder of Rev Pilot, to discuss how to build simple, scalable sales systems that sales reps actually use. Jordan shares insights on improving CRM adoption, creating accountability, and cutting through the hype around AI in sales. Together, they unpack the human side of sales operations, the difference between management and ops, and why great leadership and simplicity always win.

What You Will Learn:

• How Rev Pilot helps companies build sales systems reps love and leaders trust.
• Why most CRM adoption issues come down to leadership, not technology.
• The key differences between sales management and sales operations.
• How to handle resistant reps and drive real accountability.
• Why AI is not the silver bullet for sales operations.
• The legal and ethical risks of AI voice agents in outbound sales.
• Why simplicity and discernment outperform complexity and hype.

Featured Guest: Jordan Park – Founder, RevPilot

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

Episode Highlights:

• 01:14 – What Rev Pilot does and why trust in your system matters more than tech
• 03:22 – Sales rep adoption: The #1 thing that makes or breaks CRM implementation
• 07:45 – Leadership vs. systems: fixing behavior, not just processes
• 14:43 – The three-step framework for handling resistant sales reps
• 10:59 – Cultural pushback: when a few unhappy reps can derail the whole system.
• 22:17 – Top-down leadership vs. democratized values (the culture coach disaster story)
• 30:20 – The 12 leads/week guy who wanted AI: When solutions chase problems
• 42:30 – AI hype vs. reality: Why most businesses don't actually need AI
• 52:28 – The politics of tech providers and why honest voices get silenced
• 01:08:12 – WARNING: AI voice agents and FTC robocall compliance (this will get you sued)
• 01:17:18 – Signal-based outreach: Context beats personalization every time

Connect with Jordan:

Website: https://revpilot.co

YouTube: Jordan R. Park

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

Instagram: @jordanrpark

Follow Ben on Social:

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

Join our FREE GTM Scaling Group:

https://tinyurl.com/next-gen-skool

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Platform) https://tinyurl.com/revyops-jordan2

Episode Summary: In this episode of the Next Gen Sales Leader Podcast, Ben welcomes Felipe Aranguiz , Head of Growth and Partner at Email Bison. Felipe shares his decade-long journey in cold email, from the early days of sending “spam” to co-founding one of the most advanced email deliverability platforms tailored for agencies and GTM teams. They unpack how the cold email industry has evolved, why deliverability is the most critical lever today, and how the best players in the space are adapting. This is a must-listen for GTM Agency owners, cold email pros, and anyone doing outbound marketing today.

What You Will Learn:

• Why deliverability is the new bottleneck in cold email and how to overcome it.
• The major differences between Email Bison and other sequencers like Instantly.
• Insights from Taylor Harron's 250K email deliverability benchmark study.
• Why most cold email data is misleading (and how to fix it).
• What separates top-performing agencies from the rest.
• Why tracking full-funnel metrics matters more than reply rates.
• Felipe’s take on building an honorable business in a hype-driven industry.

Featured Guest: Felipe Aranguiz – Head of Growth & Partner, Email Bison

Connect with Felipe:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/felipearanguiz/

Subscribe & Review: Love this episode? Subscribe to the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast for B2B cold outbound, lead generation, sales, and marketing industry insights. If you found value in today’s episode, please leave us a review.

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

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

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

Give your GTM Team Data Super Powers: https://tinyurl.com/revyops-29