LevelUp Podcast Episodes

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

In this episode of Prospecting Pros, hosts John and Chris chat with Michael Sanchez, a sales training consultant at Growth Genie. Michael shares how he went from door-to-door sales to becoming VP of Sales at Cloud Task, which grew from 25 to over 400 employees during the pandemic as companies pivoted to working remotely. Now at Growth Genie, Michael shares how he's been helping sales teams with over 5 reps improve their conversion rates. He also shares some of the common sales team issues he comes across. Michael talks about how important targeted outreach campaigns are to specific industries and personas rather than generic blasts. He also notes how many established companies even with their polished appearances, still lack basic sales infrastructure. When it comes to team performance, Michael shares the approach he takes to building camaraderie within the team.