The Strong Mind Strong Will Podcast

Startup Founder to RVP of Sales: Chris Kornbrust’s Playbook for Success

In Episode 23 of The Strong Mind Strong Will Podcast, Adam speaks with Chris Kornbrust, RVP of Enterprise Sales at Seismic. Chris speaks about his journey from starting businesses to becoming an RVP at an industry leading technology company, how to maximize your financial success within sales, as well as practices for personal growth and much more! Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to hit Follow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, leave a review, and connect with @strongmindstrongwill on Instagram and Adam Knees on LinkedIn and X for updates on future episodes!   Episode Breakdown: 0:00 - Snippet: Cold calling Seismic's Head of Sales / #1 Tip for new hires in sales. 2:39 – Introduction: Meet Chris Kornbrust, startup founder and sales expert. 3:25 – Chris’s Background: From early career moves to leading in tech sales. 5:52 – Startup at the Start: Benefits and challenges of founding a company early in your career. 10:56 – Timing Is Everything: Joining a revolutionary company at the right time. 13:47 – Sales Rep Advice: Networking within your company and building a quality sales pipeline. 16:23 – Cold Calling Success: How Chris started at Seismic.  19:22 – Big Earnings in Tech: Strategies to maximize your income in tech sales. 26:21 – AI in Sales: Chris’s insights into standout AI tools and functions in the sales process. 34:59 – Life Beyond Work: Tips for personal growth, fulfillment, and achieving work-life balance.

Inside OpenAI: Mac Huffman on Driving AI Innovation

In Episode 22 of The Strong Mind Strong Will Podcast, Adam interviews Mac Huffman, GTM Account Manager at OpenAI. This episode dives deep into the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, the industries seeing the biggest AI-driven transformations, and actionable advice for building a successful career in sales. From Mac’s personal career journey to his expert insights on AI and sales strategies, this is a must-listen for anyone looking to stay ahead in today’s fast-changing world. Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to hit Follow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, leave a review, and connect with @strongmindstrongwill on Instagram and Adam Knees on LinkedIn for updates on future episodes!   Episode Breakdown:   0:00 – AI in Action: A quick snippet on the transformative power of artificial intelligence.  1:15 – Meet Mac Huffman: Learn about Mac’s background and career journey to OpenAI.  2:25 – Top AI Use Cases: Discover how businesses and individuals are leveraging AI to solve problems and boost efficiency.  5:31 – Industries Disrupted by AI: Explore which markets are being reshaped the most by AI adoption.  7:27 – Learning AI the Right Way: Tips on how people are mastering the use of AI tools.  8:52 – Breakthrough Innovations in AI: What’s next for AI? The advancements that are shaping its future.  12:54 – Addressing AI Concerns: How OpenAI tackles the imperfections of AI and addresses workforce fears.  19:07 – Sales Outreach Mastery: Mac shares his proven framework for effective sales outreach.  26:56 – Must-Have Sales Tools: The best software tools for sellers — and which ones to avoid.  28:37 – Peak Sales Performance: Tips to structure your workday for maximum productivity and results.  36:59 – Navigating Career Growth: Advice on advancing your career and making strategic job changes.  40:44 – Job Search with AI: Leverage AI and other resources to streamline your job hunt.  42:29 – Fast-Tracking Promotions: How to accelerate your career from SDR to AE and beyond.  45:54 – Final Thoughts: Key takeaways and closing remarks with Mac Huffman.

Scaling Cold Email Agencies: College Hustle to 10K+ Monthly Revenue with Guests Aaron Ensminger and Luke Pisacane

In the Season 3 Opener and 21st episode of The Strong Mind Strong Will Podcast, Adam speaks with Aaron Ensminger and Luke Pisacane, two cold email lead agency founders. We discussed how Aaron and Luke scaled their agencies to generate 10K+ a month in revenue while being in college, what makes for a great cold email, ways in which A.I. is being utilized in outreach, and much more!   If you enjoyed this episode, please hit the follow button on Spotify/Apple Podcasts, leave a review, and make sure to check out @strongmindstrongwill on Instagram and @Adam Knees on LinkedIn to stay updated with all future episodes!     Aaron: https://www.kadelsolutions.com/ [https://www.kadelsolutions.com/]   Luke: https://www.avantaagency.com/ [https://www.avantaagency.com/]     0:00 – Introduction.   1:49 – Luke Pisacane and Avanta Agency background.   2:13 – Aaron Ensminger and Kadel Solutions Background.    2:29 – What inspired Luke and Aaron to create their own cold email lead agencies?   4:40 – How they use cold email to book meetings with qualified leads (softwares, techniques, etc).   7:12 – What industries does this outreach service aim to help?   8:58 – How creating a personal brand for yourself can lead to more revenue / How to perform social selling the right way.   11:10 – The key to booking qualified leads through a cold email.   16:32 – Utilizing A.I. with lead generation and email outreach.   18:26 – Air.ai / A.I. Cold Calling Software.   19:21 – Challenges that have come with creating these companies in college and how they have overcome them.   24:19 – The biggest habits Luke and Aaron have incorporated into their routines to help them achieve success.    27:16 – The key to achieving your long term goals.   28:47 – Sales/Business Professionals to look into (Grant Cardone, Alex Hormozi).    31:38 – Wrapping up / where to find Luke and Aaron.

Season 2 Finale

In the 20th episode and season 2 finale of The Strong Mind Strong Will Podcast, Adam recaps conversations held with sales executives within the Technology, Consumer Packaged Goods, and Sports (NFL) industries. These guests provide their expertise on finding the right sales position, how they’re using A.I. in their roles, as well as best practices and techniques for achieving success in any form of sales! If you enjoyed this episode, please hit the follow button on Spotify/Apple Podcasts, leave a rating and review, and make sure to check out @strongmindstrongwill on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn to stay updated with all future episodes! 0:00 - Introduction 0:43 - Dillon Blair, Account Executive at Salesforce, tips for entry level salespeople (BDR/SDR) to achieve success. (Snippet from episode #11, From Gaucho to Account Executive). 2:01 - Dillon provides insight on the importance of believing in the company/product(s) you are selling. (Snippet from episode #11, From Gaucho to Account Executive). 3:40 - Billy Stein, Director of Sales at Soci Inc, details what you should be looking for early in your sales career. (Snippet from episode #14, Navigating Early Job Experiences). 4:36 - Billy discusses the importance of developing a routine that aligns with your circadian rhythm. (Snippet from episode #14, Navigating Early Job Experiences). 6:28 - Joey Vendel, Associate Vice President of Sales Development at Seismic, provides examples of good and bad ways to use A.I. as a seller. (Snippet from episode #12, Tips and Insights from a Sales Development Executive). 8:59 - Mitchell Korey, Senior Account Executive at Wondery, an Amazon company, details how he has been using A.I. in his role. (Snippet from episode #15, Exploring Media Sales: Mitchell Korey's Journey from Pandora to Spotify to Amazon). 9:49 - David McDonald, Account Manager at Intuit, explains the cons he currently sees with using A.I. as a seller, and how A.I. will transform certain sales processes in the future. (Snippet from episode #16, Insights to the AE/AM Role). 11:15 - Chip Huffman, Sales Director at Unilever, shares how he and other CPG sales executives are using A.I. (Snippet from episode #13, From Marketing to Sales: Chip Huffman's Journey in the CPG Industry). 11:39 - Jennifer Prince, Chief Commercial Officer of the Los Angeles Rams, shares how her Sales and Partnership Teams are using A.I. to close more deals. (Snippet from episode #19, From Media to Tech to Sports: Jennifer Prince’s Insights on Sales and Partnership Success). 13:19 - Jennifer Prince shares what industries she would pursue a sales career in if she were starting her career today. (Snippet from episode #19, From Media to Tech to Sports: Jennifer Prince’s Insights on Sales and Partnership Success). 14:30 - William Padilla, Senior Account Executive at Aspire and Host of the SellthatSaas Podcast, shares the 3 most incentivizing industries to work at within technology sales. (Snippet from episode #18, The Essentials of SaaS Sales: Branding, Outreach, and More). 16:33 - Jennifer Prince gives advice for those aspiring to start a sales career. (Snippet from episode #19,  From Media to Tech to Sports: Jennifer Prince’s Insights on Sales and Partnership Success). 18:55 - Wrapping up.

From Media to Tech to Sports: Jennifer Prince’s Insights on Sales and Partnership Success

In the 19th episode of The Strong Mind Strong Will Podcast, Adam speaks with Jennifer Prince, Chief Commercial Officer of The Los Angeles Rams. Jen discusses her experience at UCSB, her sales and partnerships career journey at companies such as The Wall Street Journal, Google and Twitter, as well as advice for those in sales.  If you enjoyed this episode, please hit the follow button on Spotify/Apple Podcasts, leave a review, and make sure to check out @strongmindstrongwill on Instagram and @Adam Knees on LinkedIn to stay updated with all future episodes! 0:00 - Key snippet.  0:45 - Introduction. 1:57 - Jennifer Prince background (The Wall Street Journal, Google, Twitter, Los Angeles Rams). 7:27 - Why Jen chose UCSB and her college experience. 10:00 - What forms of sales Jen would look into if she was graduating UCSB today. 12:16 - What does being the Chief Commercial Officer of the LA Rams entail and how do they generate one of the highest revenues in the NFL. 18:58 - Why brands and business choose to partner with the Rams / What is their competition? 22:42 - Keys to ensuring long term success with customers/partners. 24:50 - What challenges come with finding the right strategic partnerships in the technology and professional sport industries? 28:18 - Strategies for motivating and managing sales and partnership teams. 31:45 - How Jen has utilized A.I. in her role and the impact it will have in the future of sales. 33:41 - Advice for those going into sales / how to sell yourself. 36:53 - Conclusion