Sold DVDs Door to Door Before Netflix. Now Runs 2 AI Companies | Shafan Khan | Ep. 31

Sold DVDs Door to Door Before Netflix. Now Runs 2 AI Companies | Shafan Khan | Ep. 31

Assalamu alaykum! This one is a gem. My guy Shafan Khan went from selling DVDs door to door before Netflix even existed to running two AI companies. We get into skipping the whole SDR grind, the sales game he learned watching his mom run a salon out the basement, and the realest take on why AI is quietly making people dumber. He even drops how he war games entire deals with AI before he ever picks up the phone. If you want to use AI to get sharper instead of lazier, press play! 01:21 — The roots: humble beginnings and grandma teaching Quran 02:18 — The 9 year old hustler going door to door 03:31 — From Bloomberg data to Deloitte consulting 05:09 — Becoming a sales director with zero SDR experience 06:20 — The sales lessons he stole from his mom's basement salon 08:06 — How he crushed the "you've never been an SDR" objection 11:38 — Islam as the perfect moral code of conduct 16:32 — Why he moved to New York to chase the hustle 17:19 — The AI spark and the electricity analogy 21:16 — Building Remedies, the AI consultancy 22:38 — Introducing Squad, super geniuses in a box 23:10 — The intent to outcome gap nobody warns you about 23:40 — Mohammed breaks down his own AI sales workflow 25:38 — How to actually run an AI consulting sales motion 27:36 — The AI overload backlash hitting everyone's inbox 28:39 — Keep critical thinking with you, not the machine 33:09 — War gaming deals with AI (the 8 Mile move) 35:12 — Will AI take your job? The honest answer 36:16 — Why taste and managing agents win the future 38:54 — Three career principles for taking the leap 40:56 — Learning compounds and value finds you 43:07 — Where to find Shafan, Squad, and Remedies Follow Deen & Deals: Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0TmLGVfHqu3uG8TZyNtPcT [https://open.spotify.com/show/0TmLGVfHqu3uG8TZyNtPcT] Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deen-deals/id1847344968 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deen-deals/id1847344968] Where to find Mohammed: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammedkiswani/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammedkiswani/] Where to find Futhallah: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futhallah-hamed/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/futhallah-hamed/] Where to find Shafan: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shafan-khan [https://www.linkedin.com/in/shafan-khan] https://trysquad.ai/

If You Think Cold Calling Is Beneath You, Leave Sales | Ep. 30

Assalamu alaykum! Episode 30 is a real one. We went deep on something every sales rep needs to hear: if you think prospecting is beneath you, sales might not be for you. We pulled from Fanatical Prospecting, Can't Hurt Me, and honestly just real talk from the trenches. We broke down why the basics still win, how to actually know your numbers, and why AI is a tool not a replacement for the human touch. This one hit different. Don't sleep on it! 00:00 — Welcome to Ep. 30 & what we're getting into today 02:44 — Jeb Blount dropped a line that hit mid-bench press. Here's what it was. 04:16 — Why real human connection is the most underrated prospecting tool right now 10:04 — The basics are making a comeback. In-person, video, cold calls. Here's proof. 12:14 — The moment you go from SDR to AE, prospecting discipline gets loose. Here's why. 15:19 — More pipeline = less desperation. The math every AE needs to hear. 18:01 — How Mohammed uses Claude + HubSpot to build a talk track before the dial even goes out 19:17 — The AE of the future isn't scared of AI. They're running it. 20:20 — Know your number. Reverse engineer it. Protect the time to hit it. 22:42 — Old-school pen and paper is beating every productivity app. Here's the system. 26:00 — Community teaser + see you next week inshallah Where to find Mohammed: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammedkiswani/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammedkiswani/] Where to find Futhallah: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futhallah-hamed/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/futhallah-hamed/] #MuslimPodcast #SalesPodcast #DeenAndDeals #FanaticalProspecting #ColdCalling #MuslimInSales #SalesTips #PipelineBuilding #SDR #AccountExecutive #SaaSsales #TechSales #MuslimProfessional #AIinSales #Prospecting #SalesMindset #JebBlount #DavidGoggins #HalqaMuslim #IslamicMotivation

CRO of Replit: Here's the Truth About AI Taking Your Job | Ghazi Masood | Ep. 29

Assalamu alaykum! This episode is a real one. Ghazi Masood went from a Pakistani immigrant kid in Bellevue selling warranties at 16 to becoming CRO at Replit — one of the fastest-growing AI platforms in tech. He breaks down what it actually took to climb from rep to regional manager at 23, how he navigated 30 years of sales leadership as a visibly Muslim man in rooms where he was the only one of color, and why faith wasn't a liability — it was his edge. Plus his honest take on AI, the future of enterprise sales, and the #1 thing every early seller needs to do right now. Don't sleep on this one. 0:32 — Welcome and guest intro: Ghazi Masood, CRO at Replit1:16 — Day of Arafah sales mindset: recording the episode on the holiest day1:42 — Origin story: Pakistani immigrant kid in Bellevue, his father's sacrifice, and how grit drove him into sales7:26 — First corporate role at Zones: catalogs, quotas, and cutting his teeth in corporate America8:46 — From top rep to manager at 23: salesperson of the month and the leadership moment that changed everything12:08 — Career moves and staying in lane: Avaya, Microsoft, Oracle, Auth0, Retool — how success compounds14:35 — Faith as a career compass: growing up Muslim and how tawakkul shaped every career decision18:05 — Being Muslim in sales leadership: navigating Ramadan on the road, wining and dining, and setting boundaries without broadcasting22:14 — You don't have to give up your identity to get to the top — he breaks the myth27:28 — Replacing SaaS and keeping Salesforce: SMBs vs. enterprise and the Replit extensibility play31:26 — The self-serve enterprise experiment: why he pulled small deals off the AE's plate35:36 — In-person hubs and onboarding: why he invests 3 weeks before a rep makes a single call38:31 — Building office hubs: SF, NYC, Salt Lake City, and London40:26 — Culture vs. remote: why early-career sellers need the room more than the flexibility41:40 — Territory enterprise shift: when it makes sense to have reps living in their patch42:01 — AI jobs outlook: the bottleneck no one's talking about and why forward-deployed engineers prove humans still matter43:11 — Human skills AI can't replace: communication, presence, and emotional intelligence45:25 — Staying grounded: his morning routine, Namaz, the gym, and creating sacred time on the road41:43 — Advice for early sellers: do your job so well people have to notice you43:50 — Strategic mentorship playbook: what real mentorship looks like beyond surface-level coffee chats44:14 — Closing and connect Follow Deen & Deals: Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0TmLGVfHqu3uG8TZyNtPcT [https://open.spotify.com/show/0TmLGVfHqu3uG8TZyNtPcT] Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deen-deals/id1847344968 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deen-deals/id1847344968] Where to find Mohammed:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammedkiswani/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammedkiswani/] Where to find Futhallah:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futhallah-hamed/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/futhallah-hamed/] Where to find Ghazi Masood:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ghazi-masood-09195a2/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ghazi-masood-09195a2/] Replit: https://replit.com [https://replit.com/]

Led 3,000 Muslims at Google. Made It to the C-Suite. Quit Anyway | Othman Altalib | Ep. 28

Assalamu alaykum fam! This episode is a special one. Brother Othman Altalib went from the classic DMV immigrant path to leading 3,000+ Muslims at Google to walking away from corporate with no backup plan in Ramadan 2024. He gets real about what it looks like to climb the ladder while losing your purpose, why being at the C-suite table during the Masjid Al-Aqsa crisis still wasn't enough, and the one question that changed everything — what will you say to Allah about how you spent your life? Plus why he believes sales is the #1 skill every Muslim should develop. This one hits different. Don't skip it. 0:00 — Cold open: why every Muslim needs to learn sales 0:46 — Who is Brother Othman? Futhallah's origin story with RYSE Coaching 2:27 — Growing up in the immigrant blueprint: DMV government contracting life 3:58 — IBM to Appian to Google: what happens when you leave your comfort zone 7:22 — The autopilot trap: chasing titles until you lose yourself 12:44 — The moment the Muslim ERG became the best part of the job15:26 — Integrating faith and work at Google: allyship training and Sheikh Omar Suleiman on campus 22:33 — How to actually live in alignment as a Muslim professional 27:00 — Why money stops being the goal after a certain point 29:00 — The question that changed everything: what will you say to Allah about how you spent your life? 30:33 — The layers of self-awareness that led him out of corporate 34:14 — Being at the C-suite table during the Masjid Al-Aqsa crisis and realizing the table wasn't enough 37:15 — He resigned with no backup plan in Ramadan 2024 42:35 — How RYSE Coaching was born from rock bottom 44:05 — Building Miraj Collective with Sheikh Mikaeel Smith and Brother Ashiq Haq 49:22 — Why sales is the number one skill every Muslim should develop 53:28 — The dopamine trap in sales culture and how it keeps you stuck 55:33 — Finding silence: men's retreats and asking yourself the harder questions 1:00:09 — Advice for Muslims in tech sales right now 1:01:41 — Plug: Miraj Collective 8-week cohort starting June — link in the description 1:01:48 — Closing and wrap-up Follow Deen & Deals:Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0TmLGVfHqu3uG8TZyNtPcT Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deen-deals/id1847344968 Where to find Mohammed: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammedkiswani/ Where to find Futhallah: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futhallah-hamed/ Where to find Othman Altalib: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/othman-altalib/ Miraj Collective: https://www.mirajcollective.com Integrated Program: https://integrated.mirajcollective.com Suhba Program: https://suhba.mirajcollective.com Founders Circle: https://founders.mirajcollective.com

From Furniture Sales to ServiceNow: The Full Story | Futhallah Hamed | Ep. 27

Assalamu alaykum ya'll — this one's special. Mohammed finally flips the script and puts his co-host Futhallah Hamed in the hot seat. Futhallah breaks down his full origin story: selling Power Balance wristbands at 12, dreading his Deloitte job on day one, and how a WhatsApp message from a friend changed the whole trajectory. The real gem here is how Futhallah connects his deen to his drive and why he believes abundance starts with relying on Allah, not your pipeline. MashAllah this conversation goes deep. Press play. 00:48 — Welcome to the show — Mohammed puts his co-host in the hot seat 01:58 — Who is Futhallah? The 60-second snapshot 03:14 — "Work and play became the same thing" — how he spends his weekends 05:17 — The Ummah deserves better — the mindset that's driven him since day one 07:14 — Selling Power Balance wristbands at 12 years old (the birth of a salesperson) 10:10 — Shoe conferences, phone cases, and the burnout nobody talks about 15:06 — A random Muslim sister at a career fair accidentally launched his IT career 19:51 — Day one at Deloitte: "I hated it. Take your signing bonus back." 21:45 — The Salesforce hiring manager who told him "you should be in sales" — and changed his life 24:59 — "It was sitting right under my feet the whole time" 26:03 — Will he be in sales his whole life? His answer (and the Mark Cuban story) 27:07 — Does he ever see himself beyond sales? Real talk. 28:06 — How did Islam shape his entire career path? Mohammed asks the real question 29:53 — His grandfather — an imam of Mecca — and the amanah he carries because of him 32:46 — "If my salah is ever at risk at a job, take your money back."36:53 — The WhatsApp message that led to a spiritual reawakening that changed everything 40:45 — Why do we go to everyone EXCEPT Allah first? The mindset shift 46:29 — "Don't go to a king and ask for pennies" — the abundance mindset + gratitude practice 51:13 — New baby, new energy, and the community we're building for Muslim tech professionals 53:50 — Closing thoughts and what's coming next for Deen & Deals Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0TmLGVfHqu3uG8TZyNtPcT Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deen-deals/id1847344968 Where to find Mohammed: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammedkiswani/ Where to find Futhallah: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futhallah-hamed/