Noah Sturm, Senior Vice President of Sales and Revenue at Augment AI, shares his journey from an unstructured upbringing through professional golf aspirations to becoming a transformative sales leader building AI-powered relationship technology to transform and redefine how B2B sales are done.

• Raised in a dynamic, homeschooled environment that fostered creativity, resilience, and comfort with uncertainty
• Developed extraordinary resilience, helping his family through his mother's cancer battle and later his father's passing during his college years
• Transitioned from potential professional golf career to sales excellence, starting at RR Donnelly, where he grew from $70,000 quota to multi-million dollar accounts
• Joined N3 and later Accenture, becoming a vice president at just 28 years old by focusing on execution rather than conventional experience
• Now building Augment to transform B2B sales by focusing on durable relationships and addressing the 83% of buying decisions that happen without salespeople present
• Believes AI should enhance human relationships rather than replace them, focusing on making mid-performers act like top performers through situational awareness
• Advocates for kindness, empathy, and spending less time on social media to foster genuine human connection

Get in touch with Noah on LinkedIn at noah-sturm-augment or email him at noah@augmentco.

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Josh Payne shares his unique journey from musician to tech entrepreneur, exploring how AI is creating a more personalized, adaptive internet experience that could revolutionize how we interact with the internet, websites, and overall digital experiences. 

• Personalization is fundamentally changing the internet, making it more contextual and adaptive to individual users
• Josh sees personalized experiences becoming essential, predicting A/B testing will eventually be obsolete 
• Founding multiple startups, including AccessBell, Autograph with Tom Brady, and now Coframe
• Coframe uses AI to transform website testing from months-long processes to minutes or hours
• Working with major brands like OpenAI and The Economist to drive millions in incremental revenue through personalization
• Finding balance through music, playing with the SF Philharmonic, and using flotation tanks for deeper thinking
• Partnering directly with OpenAI to train specialized models for website code generation
• The importance of choosing founding team members based on working relationships rather than friendship alone
• Josh's perspectives on AI's rapid advancement and the need for responsible governance while embracing its creative potential

Learn more about Josh and Coframe: 

https://www.coframe.com/

[email protected]

https://x.com/joshpxyne

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Abby Davisson shares a comprehensive framework for making life's biggest decisions, from career transitions to family planning, with a clear process that reduces anxiety and builds confidence.

• The Five C's Framework: Clarify what's important, Communicate with those involved, Consider broad choices, Check in with trusted resources, and examine Consequences across time horizons
• Rest is not something earned after work is done – it's essential to incorporate deliberate breaks to enhance creativity and decision-making
• Career success and family life can coexist with strategic outsourcing and focusing parental presence during truly critical developmental stages
• Who you partner with can be either a career accelerant or roadblock – early honest conversations about expectations and values are crucial
• Decision-making skills improve with practice – finding the right conditions for important conversations (like hiking or walking by water) can facilitate better communication
• Entrepreneurship requires letting go of one trapeze to catch the next – small experiments can build confidence before making the full leap
• Financial planning should align with your values – clarify your needs, wants, and wishes to make more intentional choices

Watch it on YouTube

Abby's Substack

Abby's website

📖 Get the book: MONEY & LOVE: AN INTELLIGENT ROADMAP FOR LIFE'S BIGGEST DECISIONS

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Picture this: a technology salesperson walks into a meeting armed with impressive specs—gigabytes, terabytes, processing power—only to face a small business owner who simply asks, "What will this do for my business?" This fundamental disconnect lies at the heart of why so many technology companies struggle to serve the massive small and medium business (SMB) market effectively.

In this conversation, "Magic" Maciek Szczesniak draws from his 25-year journey through Compaq, HP, HPE, and as a Chief Growth & Strategy Officer at B2SMB Institute to unpack the critical differences between enterprise and SMB technology sales. "SMBs don't care if the box is black or white," Magic explains. "They care what this box will do for them. It has to lower costs, make them more efficient, drive revenue, or please their customers." This business-first approach requires a complete rethinking of how technology is marketed and sold.

Beyond SMB insights, Magic shares powerful leadership wisdom that applies across organizations of all sizes. His approach to recognition stands out: "Recognition is a never-ending pot. The more audience you gather to recognize someone, the more everyone understands what behaviors are valued." He advocates for precise, public recognition tied directly to business goals — a practice that costs nothing yet yields tremendous results in building high-performing teams.

The conversation expands to explore international business dynamics, the critical transition from manager to leader, and how artificial intelligence offers SMBs a once-in-a-generation opportunity to close the productivity gap with larger corporations. Magic estimates this gap represents 5-10% of GDP — real dollars, which small businesses can capture by embracing AI strategically.

Whether you're selling to small businesses, leading teams across cultural boundaries, or navigating the AI revolution, this episode delivers actionable insights from someone who's mastered the intersection of technology, business, and human connection. 

Connect with Magic on LinkedIn

Watch it on YouTube. 

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This episode was produced by Google Notebook LLM using my latest blog post on my website: https://www.grandslamjourney.com/post/tennis-tuesdays

I'm curious what you think about it. I found this a fun experiment. https://notebooklm.google/

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Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

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If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone who may enjoy it as well, and consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. You can also submit your feedback directly on my website.

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Unlock the secrets of transforming athletic discipline into entrepreneurial success with our special guest, James Hilovsky, a former minor league baseball player who now helms the FranDream. In this episode, we tackle the myth that franchising is just about food and restaurants, revealing opportunities in diverse fields, from pest control to pickleball clubs. James takes us through his journey of swapping baseball gloves for business strategies, showing how the competitive mindset from sports is a golden ticket to thriving franchise ownership.

We explore how athletes' natural teamwork and discipline translate seamlessly into managing and growing a franchise. James shares personal insights from his time in baseball, highlighting lessons in modern training methodologies and how these shaped his management style in the restaurant industry. You'll hear anecdotes about the transition from sports to business, shedding light on the importance of a supportive network and how the structure of franchising mimics a well-coached team.

Lastly, we delve into the crucial elements of franchise ownership, from capital requirements to in-depth research, comparing it with other investment avenues like real estate. James shares fascinating examples, such as athletes venturing into wedding dress franchises and dog poop cleanup services, and we discuss the impact of NIL on young athletes and the new opportunities they can start creating early in their lives. This episode is packed with valuable insights for athletes considering a new career path in franchising, offering a roadmap to success after sports.

Watch it on YouTube

Connect with James:
[email protected]
https://www.thefrandream.com/

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If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone who may enjoy it as well, and consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. You can also submit your feedback directly on my website.

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Unlock the secrets to maximizing your potential with our special guest, Dre Baldwin, a former Professional Basketball player turned entrepreneur, coach, and speaker. How do skills like communication, energy, and salesmanship multiply your success? Dre takes us through his unique journey from the basketball court to the boardroom, highlighting why mastering the art of selling matters more than just doing. Learn his top strategies for content creation, busting myths about video length, and standing out in a saturated market.

Ever struggled with balancing new projects while maintaining quality? We tackle this head-on, discussing how to overcome perfectionism and streamline your content creation process. Whether you're podcasting or posting on social media, Dre and I share actionable tips to focus on quality content over technical perfection. Plus, we explore the differences in podcast production approaches and how to create engaging material that resonates with your audience despite minor imperfections.

From effective communication to savvy marketing strategies, this episode is packed with insights on transforming your intellectual property into various valuable formats. Discover how to turn a single idea into keynote speeches, mastermind groups, and more, all while keeping your audience engaged. We also dive into the critical role of physical fitness in professional success and the rising trend of the coaching industry. 

✂️ Discover the secret to beating perfectionism and making content creation easier
🎧 Why quality content keeps listeners hooked, no matter how long it is
📈 Unlock the marketing strategies that will skyrocket your audience reach
🤝 The powerful role of audience relationships in marketing success
🚀 How confidence and smart marketing can make you stand out in any crowded market

📚Claim Dre’s offer to get your free book The Third Day: https://www.thirddaybook.com/

Connect with Dre:
https://www.workonyourgameuniversity.com/
http://Twitter.com/DreAllDay
http://Instagram.com/DreBaldwin
http://YouTube.c

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Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

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If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone who may enjoy it as well, and consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. You can also submit your feedback directly on my website.

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Ever wondered how the discipline of sports can catapult you into a life of entrepreneurial success? Join me as I sit down with former professional basketball player turned entrepreneur Dre Baldwin to reveal how the lessons from the court can translate into boardroom victories. Dre, known for his "Work On Your Game" philosophy, dives into his personal story of grit and determination, demonstrating how mental toughness and the ability to handle critical feedback are invaluable beyond the bounds of sports.

This episode isn't just about scoring points and mastering life skills. We'll unpack the nuances of transitioning from being an athlete to navigating the competitive world of entrepreneurship. From the discipline of 'third-day' training to understanding the synergy between individual skill and team dynamics, Dre's narrative is a playbook for anyone looking to harness their sports experience into professional prowess. We even tackle the traits of agreeableness versus disagreeableness and how this shapes our ability to innovate and lead.

But the true slam dunk? It's about developing a mindset that views every challenge as an opportunity. Dre shares how adopting a Michael Jordan-esque approach to business and life ensures that your energy and example resonate with your team. We'll also explore the strategies, systems, and accountability that have allowed Dre to replicate the success he achieved in basketball in the realm of business and how you, too, can collapse timeframes to escalate your expertise. Tune in for an episode that's more than just talking the talk; it's about walking the walk of a champion on and off the court.

📚 Claim Dre's offer and get your free book- The Third Day: https://www.thirddaybook.com/

Connect with and follow Dre:
https://www.workonyourgameuniversity.com/
http://YouTube.com/Dreupt
http://LinkedIn.com/in/DreAllDay
https://www.facebook.com/WorkOnYourGameUniversity

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LEORÊVER COMPRESSION AND ACTIVEWEAR
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Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

This content is also available in a video version on YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone who may enjoy it as well, and consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. You can also submit your feedback directly on my website.

Follow @GrandSlamJourney on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and join the LinkedIn community.

Thank you all for tuning in. I share some reflections on the past almost 1.5 years of creating content and releasing episodes on a weekly basis, as well as announcements of what's next.

I would appreciate it if you could share some feedback with me as I think through how to iterate on this podcast.
Send me an email to share your feedback: [email protected]
Or submit it on my website: https://www.grandslamjourney.com/feedback

If you are unsure what to share, here are some sample questions:
1. If this podcast was gone, what are the 1-3 things you would miss the most?
2. Are there any guests or episodes that stood out to you? Why?
3. What do you think about the length and the format of the episodes?
4. What do you think about the cadence of the episodes? Do you listen to it weekly?
5. Are there any specific topics you’d like us to cover in future episodes?
6. How can we improve our interaction with you? What would you like us to see doing more of or less of? 
7. What would make the show more enjoyable and valuable to you?

Watch episode #79 on YouTube: Dre Baldwin's Winning Playbook: From Hoops to Entrepreneur  https://youtu.be/sAwTwxjBHIQ
It will be available on all podcasting platforms in an audio version on May 26th.  

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Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

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If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone who may enjoy it as well, and consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. You can also submit your feedback directly on my website.

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Step into the dynamic world of visionary leadership and strategic innovation with Dr. Nicole Wieberneit,  the Managing Director of Sales Strategy and Business Architecture Cross Solutions at Microsoft, whose journey from competitive skiing to global leadership is nothing short of inspiring. Our latest episode reveals how Nicole integrates Key Performance Indicators into her leadership style and the significance of celebrating team milestones. Her tales, from the snowy slopes of the German Alps to the boardrooms of tech titans, reveal the resilience and dedication needed to thrive in today's business ecosystem.

From the intricacies of family dynamics and career shifts across continents to the evolution of CRM and sales strategies, Nicole's narrative is a treasure trove of insights. Discover how her early days as an IT consultant within SAP laid the groundwork for her transformative role at Microsoft. We trace her professional growth, the challenges she's faced, and the triumphs that have defined her career, offering valuable takeaways for anyone looking to scale new professional heights.

As we conclude, Nicole reflects on the broader themes of gender equality in leadership and the integration of personal values into professional life, sharing how these principles shape her approach to parenting and mentorship. We also look ahead to the future of business and technology, with Nicole providing a glimpse into the potential impact of AI on CRM systems and customer engagement. Join us for a conversation that bridges the personal and the professional, celebrating the shared success stories that empower and inspire.

Connect with Nicole on LinkedIn

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Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

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If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone who may enjoy it as well, and consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. You can also submit your feedback directly on my website.

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