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

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/

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/]