Deen & Deals

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/

Harvard. College Football. 12 Years in SaaS. And He Almost Lost It All | Zak Aossey | Ep. 26

Assalamu alaykum fam — yo, this episode is a different one. We sat down with Zak, Harvard econ grad, former college football player, 12 years in SaaS, and one of the most grounded Muslim sales leaders we've ever had on the show. He went from a lime green Aston Martin and a penthouse to looking in the mirror and not recognizing himself and that moment changed everything. We talked rizq, Ramadan quota runs, what his great-great-grandfather building the Mother Mosque in Cedar Rapids has to do with his DNA in sales, and why less is literally more. MashAllah this one hits different. Press play. Show Notes 00:00 — Welcome + who is Zak? 00:58 — His family pedaled goods across the Midwest in the 1800s and it's in his DNA 03:00 — How he accidentally fell into sales (and why his boss told him to stop project managing immediately) 06:00 — The Huddle days: selling to the NBA, NCAA, and traveling every state in the country 08:45 — From Whoop B2B to Smartsheet Enterprise and what he learned at each stop 14:00 — Why timing, territory, leader, and team matter more than the company name on your resume 17:00 — How becoming a father shifted everything and why tawakkul became more real than ever 19:00 — His Islamic journey: strong foundation, college tested it, dunya almost took him out 22:00 — The moment he looked in the mirror and didn't recognize himself 23:30 — Why he wrote "The Man You're Meant To Be" and started investing in Muslim founders 27:00 — Navigating alcohol culture in sales and how he handles it without hiding who he is 30:00 — Salah, Ramadan, and being upfront with leadership about what's non-negotiable 32:00 — His actual approach to hitting quota: faith first, then ruthless prioritization 35:00 — Peak performance day: morning walks with his son, the gym, sauna, and strategic selling 38:00 — Why taking care of your body is a deen obligation and not just a sales hack 41:00 — The three pieces of advice he'd give every Muslim in sales right now 43:00 — What his book will give you: mind, body, soul, and dunya + akhira success Get Zak's Book Zak wrote a book called "The Man You're Meant To Be" and we bought it the same day we recorded this episode. 100% worth it. If you want the framework to show up as the best husband, father, sales professional, and Muslim you can be, this is it. Mind, body, and soul. Grab it here: 📖 The Man You're Meant To Be: https://a.co/d/05AFmdgs [https://a.co/d/05AFmdgs] 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 Zak: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zakareya-aossey-18844440/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/zakareya-aossey-18844440/]

From Barbershop to $100K+ Tech Sales | Mohammed Kiswani | Ep. 25

Assalamu alaykum! This one is special. Episode 25 is Mohammed's origin story, and Futhallah is pulling it ALL out. We're talking about a Palestinian immigrant dad who slept on the NYC subway to save money, built a 35-year barbershop empire in Seattle, and raised Mohammed in that shop shaking hands with CEOs before he could even cut hair. Mohammed took over the business at 19 after his dad went into a coma, went from zero to mastering the craft, then made one of the boldest pivots you'll hear about — from barber to top-10 SDR at DocuSign. This is faith, grit, family, and rizq all wrapped into one episode. Press play.Show Notes00:00 — Wait, who's the guest today?01:03 — The Spider-Man origin story Mohammed never tells01:22 — Growing up in the shop — this is where it all started02:31 — Dad slept on the subway in NYC and stashed cash in his shoes03:58 — How the Bellevue Barbershop became a 35-year institution05:45 — From 30 employees to 3 chairs — the pivot that changed everything06:39 — "The Professional Man's Barber" — Mohammed's dad understood branding before branding was a thing10:01 — Cutting hair for software engineers from Microsoft and Amazon11:20 — What happens when the haircut goes wrong and the pressure's on12:12 — Dad goes into a coma — Mohammed steps up at 19 years old13:24 — Diamonds are made under pressure — this is the proof14:58 — Getting so locked in he'd mime cutting stranger's hair in public16:14 — The business reality that made Mohammed look for the exit17:23 — College AND barbershop at the same time — how he pulled it off18:30 — Watching 60-year-old barbers with bad backs and realizing he had to go22:20 — The client who said "you should try sales" and changed his life23:38 — The DocuSign interview rush — missed the bus, ran home, paid $50 to park24:51 — Second fastest SDR promoted at DocuSign. 10 months. Let's go25:26 — You never lose — you either learn or you're blessed for being patient29:00 — The flip — Futhallah's origin story is next

#24: "If You Can't Answer This Question, I'm Not Buying"

Assalamu alaykum fam! Futhallah just became a dad — MashAllah — and we're kicking off this episode celebrating that before diving straight into the real talk. This week we're breaking down why Futhallah is literally the hardest person to sell to, and what that means for YOU as a seller. We get into how buyers actually make decisions, why ROI clarity is everything, and what separates a seller who closes from one who just talks. SubhanAllah, this one's packed. Show Notes 00:00 — Futhallah just became a dad and we had to celebrate first 00:02 — Why Mohammed called Futhallah the hardest person to sell to 00:03 — The 3 reasons humans buy anything (and why most sellers miss it) 00:04 — The barber story: why Futhallah drives 2 hours for a $45 haircut 00:06 — Understanding your buyer's decision process before you pitch 00:07 — Coaching, courses, and the 10-15K lesson on ROI 00:11 — Why Umrah is a no-brainer purchase but a sales course isn't 00:13 — How cold emails fail the "so what?" test every single time 00:14 — What a seller MUST do to get Futhallah to say yes 00:15 — Selling with conviction: can you guarantee your result? 00:17 — The Prophet ﷺ as the greatest example of trust-based selling 00:18 — Why Claude at $20/month is the competitor every coach needs to beat 00:20 — The human element AI still can't replace in complex sales 00:21 — Alex Kremer's question every seller should ask before every call 00:22 — Shoutout to Salman and how a LinkedIn post changed Futhallah's career 00:24 — Gap selling, the future AE, and why you're now driving with your customer 00:25 — 3-step framework to close someone who's hard to sell to 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/] #DeenAndDeals #MuslimPodcast #SalesTips #HowToSell #MuslimEntrepreneur #SalesStrategy #BuyerPsychology #ROI #SalesCoaching #ClosingDeals #TechSales #IslamicBusiness #SellWithIntegrity #GapSelling #MuslimProfessionals #FaithAndBusiness #SalesSkills #EnterpriseSales #AccountExecutive #ValueSelling

"Why This CEO Wants to Go Back to Being a Sales Rep" | Ep. 23

Assalamu alaykum fam! This episode is PACKED. We sat down with Troy Munson, CEO of Demo, LinkedIn content creator, and food TikToker, and this man got REAL with us. We're talking about leaving a job where the stock went from $80 to $500 (yeah, do that math), the LinkedIn poll hack that books meetings on autopilot, and why he's considering leaving entrepreneurship to go back to selling. Troy also dropped some gems on prospecting, building a brand, and what it really looks like behind the curtain of running a startup. You don't wanna miss this one! Show Notes 00:00 — Meet Troy Munson and the Raleigh connection 01:00 — How Mohammed and Troy linked up at Starbucks 02:00 — Wisconsin weather vs. Texas vs. North Carolina (pick your poison) 04:00 — Tesla in the snow? Not great 06:00 — How LinkedIn brought all three of us together 07:00 — Troy's origin story: oil and gas fell through, sales career fair changed everything 10:00 — The biggest career regret: job hopping and missing out on MongoDB stock 12:00 — Why chasing OTEs can cost you long term 14:00 — Where Troy actually learned to sell (Symantec and MongoDB) 16:00 — Why AEs should bring their managers into deals early 17:00 — New logo hunting vs. customer expansion: which is actually harder? 20:00 — Do you even need to prospect if you can hit quota farming? 24:00 — The LinkedIn content journey: from polls to 53K followers 27:00 — The genius poll hack that booked 5 to 7 meetings per post 30:00 — Getting called out by your employer for posting too much 31:00 — The awkwardness of being recognized in public from LinkedIn and TikTok 35:00 — When a food review goes viral for the wrong reasons 36:00 — The cussing experiment: 14x engagement but at what cost? 39:00 — Why Troy wants to disappear from LinkedIn (but can't) 42:00 — From seller to serial entrepreneur: Pringles, beard oil, SaaS, and more 46:00 — Troy's big news: considering selling Demo and going back to sales 48:00 — The midlife crisis at 31: figuring out what you actually love doing 52:00 — Building a daily lifestyle you're happy with TODAY not later 57:00 — Where to find Troy and final plugs 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 Troy Munson: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/troymunson/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/troymunson/] #DeenAndDeals #TroyMunson #Demo #SalesCareer #LinkedInProspecting #B2BSales #Entrepreneurship #SalesRep #StartupLife #LinkedInTips #ColdCalling #AccountExecutive #SalesPodcast #MuslimPodcast #TechSales #NewLogoSales #LinkedInGrowth #ProspectingTips #SalesStrategy #FounderLife #MongoDB #Proofpoint #Cybersecurity #SalesMotivation #MuslimProfessionals #CareerAdvice #SidHustle #LinkedInContent #TwoDadsInTech