August 4, 2026

How Top SDR Teams Are Evolving with AI – Ep. 33

Elric Legloire ran SDR teams at Chili Piper, earning three or four promotions in two years, before leaving to advise companies on his own. Working solo, he says, is what lets him see the same handful of problems repeat across every industry. His take on promotion: it doesn’t come from being the top performer, it comes from visibly improving the playbook and coaching the people around you. When he hires, he runs a role-play and watches how the candidate takes feedback, because someone who pushes back on coaching early rarely takes it later. On AI, he thinks the panic about SDRs disappearing has it backwards. Thirty thousand more SDRs were added globally over the past year, and OpenAI and Anthropic are now hiring reps to go after their biggest accounts. What has actually changed is the day itself: prospecting used to eat about a third of the week and now runs closer to 80%. He also tells clients to expect a full year before outbound turns into revenue, once you account for the sales cycle, hiring, and ramp. The episode wraps up with practical advice on asking better discovery questions, building SDR programs from scratch, and how sales professionals can stand out by focusing on genuine curiosity, empathy, and solving real customer problems.

Real conversations. Proven strategies. Sales that scale.

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The LevelUp Podcast brings you insights from the front lines of B2B sales, outbound strategy, and pipeline growth. Whether you’re a founder, sales leader, or startup builder — we break down what actually works in modern prospecting. Brought to you by LevelUp Leads — a B2B Sales Development agency helping businesses land more meetings through done-for-you outbound. We act as an extension of your team with Fractional or Full-Service SDRs, tech-enabled outreach, and the kind of expertise that builds real pipeline.

🎧 Learn from industry pros, proven playbooks, and behind-the-scenes takes on cold email, LinkedIn outreach, and cold calling — all designed to help you generate more conversations and revenue.

Some of our guests:

Scott Leese

Sales leader, consultant, and founder of the Surf and Sales Summit

Featured on:
Building From Zero With Scott Lease – Ep. 19

Jason Bay

Founder of Outbound Squad

Featured on:
Door Knocking, Grit & B2B Sales Mastery | Jason Bay on Coaching Top Teams – Ep. 20

Justin Michael

Author of Cold Call ALGO and longtime sales innovator

Featured on:
The Future Of Sales In The Age Of AI – Ep. 12

Josh Roth

B2B sales leader

Featured on:
Building a Career in Sales From Zero to Top BDR Manager – Ep. 16

R.J. Jalichandra

VC & PE-Backed CEO

Featured on:
Leadership Lessons From 6x Venture & PE-Backed CEO – Ep. 17

Chris Ritson

Founder & Sales Trainer

Featured on:
Navigating the Risky Jump from SDR to AE – Ep. 26

Podcast Episodes:

Sales Leadership, Family Growth, & Family Legacy – Ep. 15

August 18, 2025

In this episode of Prospecting Pros, John and Chris sit down with Mike Simmons, founder of Catalyst. Mike never planned on a career in sales, but his journey through operations and customer success eventually gave him the stability and drive to launch his own business. Mike talks about how Catalyst helps family-run manufacturing companies that have stalled in growth by stripping things back to basics. His approach relies on asking the right questions, focusing on what’s working, and testing new ideas in small groups before scaling. He also opens up about working with his son, who recently joined as an SDR, and how they use testing and curiosity to build outbound strategies. The conversation touches on the power of keeping messaging simple, the value of community groups like Pavilion, and how leaders can create space for learning and growth.

B2B Cold Outreach Strategies That Actually Work – Ep. 14

August 11, 2025

On this episode of Prospecting Pros, John and Chris are joined by Wesley Balmer, Director of Sales at Intake Breathing. Intake is the company behind the viral magnetic nasal strip that is helping over a million people breathe better, sleep deeper, and perform at higher levels. Wesley explains how one in three people experience nasal valve collapse, which impacts sleep, focus, and energy, and why the product has resonated so strongly online with more than 700 million views last year. Wesley talks about the life-changing impact for users, from athletes and resort guests to children who experience clear breathing for the first time. He also shares how Intake is moving into medical, dental, and fitness markets while fighting off knockoffs with a full suite of patents. The conversation highlights how small, nimble teams can validate markets quickly, and why partnerships and education will be key to Intake’s continued growth.

How Top SDRs Stand Out In Sales – Ep. 13

July 28, 2025

On this episode of Prospecting Pros, John and Chris talk with Eddie Cortez, a veteran SDR leader who has coached and managed hundreds of reps. Eddie shares his unusual path into sales, bouncing from real estate and contracting to car sales before finally breaking into tech. Since then, he has made it his mission to give back by helping the next generation of SDRs succeed. He explains why resilience, soft skills, and coachability are more important than a degree or polished resume. Eddie breaks down what separates top performers from the rest and how he trains reps using frameworks instead of rigid scripts, and the role effort and curiosity play in long-term success. The group also digs into how the SDR role is evolving, why AI enhances but does not replace salespeople, and some mistakes companies make when hiring their first SDR.

The Future Of Sales In The Age Of AI – Ep. 12

July 17, 2025

On this episode of Prospecting Pros, hosts John and Chris sit down with Justin Michael, author of Cold Call ALGO and longtime sales innovator. Justin shares his wild journey from boiler room telemarketing to consulting for hundreds of startups and writing eight books on sales. He explains why cold calling still dominates as the number one channel, backed by training data from over 200 sales teams, and how neuroscience proves most reps use broken openers that trigger fight-or-flight instead of real conversations. Justin talks about the limitations of email and LinkedIn automation, recent FCC regulations that have killed off AI voice cloning, and why clean phone data combined with smart dialing is the last big advantage left in outbound. He also introduces his ALGO method, a new framework for high-status openers and tough but respectful conversations that lead prospects to change.

Simplify And Scale Your Sales Team – Ep. 11

July 9, 2025

On this episode of Prospecting Pros, host John Karsant sits down with Corey Bray, author, consultant, and sales enablement leader. Corey takes us through his journey from running prospecting experiments in 2008 to advising hundreds of companies and publishing multiple sales books. He breaks down why many sales teams make things harder than they need to be and how the best reps keep it simple by focusing on clear messaging, a well-defined ICP, and repeatable systems. Corey talks about some mistakes companies make when hiring SDRs without a playbook, the debates that often happen at the leadership level, and the lack of clarity that slows growth. He also shares his view on the rise of AI SDRs, the importance of cutting through today’s noisy market, and why sales enablement should be about building consistency across the team.

How to Stand Out as an SDR – Ep. 10

June 5, 2025

In this episode of Prospecting Pros, hosts John and Chris chat with Arely Brattin, Sales Development Manager at Orum. Arely shares her journey from inbound rep at ZoomInfo to leading Orum's entire sales development program, managing six reps across commercial, enterprise, and strategic accounts. She also reveals three things that make certain SDR candidates stand out from others during hiring. Arely shares how 90% of Orum's meetings come from phone calls, with LinkedIn as a strong secondary channel, while emails prove less effective. She talks about the importance of robust onboarding programs, explaining that even talented hires will fail without the right setup and training. Arely also shares her thoughts on connection rates,data quality, and why former athletes and teachers tend to crush it in sales roles.

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