Closing Conversations
Closing Conversations is a podcast for founders, leaders, and sellers who win together - featuring insightful discussions on leadership, team building, and strategies for driving success in sales and business.
Episodes
32 episodes
Episode 31: Why Hard Work Is What Gets You Lucky (with Paul Hletko Spirits Founder and Consumer Brand Entrepreneur)
Paul Hletko is an entrepreneur in the adult consumption space who built FEW Spirits, helped roll up brands including Widow Jane, Bluecoat Gin, Tequila Ocho, Mezcal Vago, and Brenne, and now runs Skull & Petal, a men’s cosmetics and skincare...
Episode 30: Why Real Relationships Still Beat Automated Outreach (with Erik Reynolds, Entertainment Strategist, Game Industry Veteran, and Creative Operator) Part 2
Erik Reynolds has lived a few different professional lives — video games, music, publicity, business development, partnerships, creative strategy, and entertainment.In this episode, we talk about:- Grief, vulnerability, and why re...
Episode 29: Why Real Founders Build a Life, Not Just a Career (with Erik Reynolds, Entertainment Executive, Game Studio Co-Founder, and Creative Operator) Part 1
This episode was supposed to be a podcast introduction.Before every episode of Closing Conversations, Max usually jumps on a quick intro call with the guest before the actual recording. It’s meant to be simple: get to know each other, ta...
Episode 28: Why Great Sellers Stop Fooling Themselves (with Reagan Rodriguez, Foundation Leader and Global Development Investor)
Reagan Rodriguez helps manage a foundation focused on funding projects that create sustainable jobs, stimulate local economies, and support long-term development in underdeveloped parts of the world.But this episode quickly becomes about...
Episode 27: Why Deals Fall Apart After the Celebration (with Jaclyn Voor, Private Equity Operator and Transformation Consultant)
A lot of private equity deals look great on paper.That does not mean they work in real life. Jaclyn Voor joined me on Closing Conversations to talk about what actually happens after the acquisition dinner, the swag, and the b...
Episode 26: Why Clear Messaging Wins Bigger (with Laura Burkemper, Founder of Scaleblazer)
A lot of companies do something valuable.Far fewer know how to explain it in a way that makes people care.Laura Burkemper joined me on Closing Conversations to talk about what actually makes a brand land — with investors, with cus...
Bonus Episode: Podcast Anniversary!
Max Notis started Closing Conversations with no grand plan — just a belief that the conversations he was having while building his company were too valuable not to share. One year later, the podcast has grown into a global ...
Episode 25: Why Great Founders Never Really Retire (with Dan Bauer, 3x Founder, Exitwise Advisor, and Marketing Strategist)
Dan Bauer has done a little bit of everything — founder, operator, marketer, mentor, advisor — and somehow makes it all sound simple.In this episode, we talk about:Why cold outreach keeps getting harder The ...
Episode 24: Enterprise Sales Isn’t a Volume Game (with Itai Karelic, CRO of vHive)
Itai Karelic has built revenue in some of the toughest environments there are: deep tech, long sales cycles, tiny buyer universes, and deals where every conversation matters.In this episode, we talk about:• Why enterprise sale...
Episode 23: The CRM That Calls You to Practice And Fixes “AI Drift” (with Elias Moosman, Founder of ThetaDriven)
Elias Moosman is the founder of ThetaDriven, and he’s building something that feels inevitable in hindsight: a sales “CRM” that’s less about data entry—and more like a flight simulator + checklist that coaches you through real conversations.
Episode 22: AI Anxiety, Tool Fatigue, and the New Leadership Crisis (with David Foos, CEO of Massive Dynamics)
David Foos is the CEO and President of Massive Dynamics, a global management consulting firm built by entrepreneurs—and run like it.In this episode, we talk about:* Why “time and capital” are the only two resources that matter...
Episode 21: The Handoff Is the Whole Game: Sales, CS, Trust, and Expansion (with Lincoln Murphy)
Lincoln Murphy has been in the CS world since before most people knew what “customer success” even meant—and he’s blunt about what actually makes companies grow.In this episode, we get into:* Why sales overstuff deals (and wha...
Episode 20: The Real Flex is Integrity (with Brian Esposito)
Brian J. Esposito doesn’t do small talk—and neither do I. We sat down, poured a bourbon, and went straight into the stuff most founders and leaders avoid saying out loud.In this episode, we talk about:* Why “taking the L” is s...
Episode 19: Sell Like a Human: Boundaries, Vulnerability, and Movement-Driven Crowdfunding (with Sarah Hardwick, Founder of The Crowd)
Sarah Hardwick has raised $140M+ and helped spark one of the most passionate communities in crowdfunding. In this episode, we get real about:* Why vulnerability and values beat “slick” every time* Cadence over quota—building...
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Episode 18: 2025 Wrapped: Closing Conversations
This is a solo, year-in-review episode of Closing Conversations.After a year of conversations with founders, operators, consultants, and sales leaders, certain themes became impossible to ignore. Rather than recap individual guests or mo...
Episode 17: Play to Learn, Build to Last (with John Salzinger, Category-Creating Founder of Haven Lantern & MPOWERD)
John Salzinger builds products that matter and the markets around them. As the founder behind MPOWERD’s category-creating solar lights (5M lives impacted, B Corp score 140) and now Haven Lantern, John blends purpose with ruthless practicality.<...
Episode 16: Work Ethic Isn’t a Perk: Hiring Hunger, Building Careers (with Hope Brick, Founder of BRICK Executive Search)
Hope Brick has sat on every side of the table—fashion operator, VP, and now Founder of BRICK Executive Search placing leaders across luxury, fashion, and beauty. In this episode, we talk about:* The 3 hiring signals that neve...
Episode 15: Comp Plans That Actually Drive Behavior (with Antoine Fort, Cofounder & CEO of Qobra)
Sales compensation should be simple, fast, and trusted—but too often it’s the opposite. Antoine Fort (Cofounder & CEO, Qobra) joins me to break down what really works in 2025 and what to ditch for good. We talk about:* Wh...
Episode 14: Why Alignment Beats Attribution and Community Beats Cold Ads (with Casie Gillette, Sr. Director of Member & Sponsor Marketing at The Suite)
Casie Gillette has spent nearly two decades turning demand gen into pipeline—from agency days and SEO’s rise to leading member & sponsor marketing at The Suite. In this episode, we get into:* Why the last 5 yea...
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Episode 13: The Sales Secret Behind a No-Outreach Agency (with Adam Brown, Founder of Circle Media)
Adam Brown doesn’t run ads. He doesn’t cold call. He doesn’t outsource sales.And yet, his social agency, Sircle Media, has been growing strong for 13+ years—powered entirely by trust, content, and a daily presence on LinkedIn. <...
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Episode 12: Why Employer Branding is Broken and How to Fix It (with Brano Vargic, Co-Founder of Talent Square)
Brano Vargic has seen every side of HR—from CHRO at major banks to founder of a fast-scaling HR tech platform. In this episode, we talk about:* Why employer branding starts with the business—not HR* The dang...
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Episode 11: Warm Outreach, Real Relationships, and the Power of AI (with Dave Sifry, Founder of Warm Start)
Dave Sifry is the definition of a serial entrepreneur—founder of nine tech companies, from Technorati to Warm Start, and a former exec at Lyft and Reddit.Dave’s built category-defining companies, worked inside some of tech’s biggest name...
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Episode 10: Stop Carrying Extra Weight (with Amos Schwartzfarb, Author, Investor, and 6-Time Founder)
What happens when you let go of pressure, stop chasing the next thing, and start really living the work you’re doing?Amos Schwartzfarb has led six companies, authored two books, advised hundreds of founders—and somehow still found the ti...
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Episode 9: 140,000 Cold Calls Later: How to Lead and Win with Real Sales Coaching (with Yusuf Ongel, Founder of XDRhub)
In this episode of Closing Conversations, Max sits down with Yusuf Ongel, founder of XDRhub and self-proclaimed cold calling beast. With over 140,000 dials under his belt, Yusuf shares what most teams get wrong about sales development—and how t...
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Episode 8: Why Product-Led Growth Wins & When the Product Actually Works (with Kristen Habacht, CEO of Elly.ai)
Kristen Habacht has done it all—CSM, CRO, COO, and now CEO of Elly.ai. In this episode, we talk about:How product-led growth really worksWhy most hiring processes are totally broken<...
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