Why 50% of SDRs Fail When They Become AEs – Ep. 26

In this episode of Prospecting Pros, John sits down with Chris Ritson to talk about the real path from SDR to AE and why that jump is a lot harder than most people think. Chris shares how his own career moved from SDR to AE to sales leadership, and why that experience shaped the way he now coaches reps and SDR leaders. The conversation gets into what actually makes someone successful in an AE role, why so many internal promotions struggle, and why leadership is not always the obvious next step for top SDRs. Chris also talks about ambition, career ownership, and the pressure younger SDR leaders are under in today’s market. It is a thoughtful, honest conversation about sales careers, growth, and figuring out what you actually want, instead of chasing the title that looks best on paper.

Real conversations. Proven strategies. Sales that scale.

Unlock your potential with LevelUp podcast:

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:

Keys to Successful Lead Generation with LevelUp Leads’ John Karsant

January 23, 2025

Josh sits down with John Karsant, the mastermind behind LevelUp Leads, to explore how to define your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and turn it into real sales success. 💼✨

From the resurgence of cold calling 📞 to creating human-to-human connections 🤝, John shares how his team at LevelUp Leads helps small and midsize businesses level up their prospecting game. Plus, Josh reveals his personal experience with over 2,000 conversations and how you can achieve 100% inbound marketing success without spam, ads, or hard selling. 🌟

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