NextGen Sales Leaders

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform): https://tinyurl.com/revyops-jgrss

Episode Summary

In this episode, Ben Reed sits down with Jérémy Grandillon, founder of TC9, to discuss why traditional lead generation agencies are struggling and how AI-powered GTM engines are reshaping modern sales, marketing, and RevOps. They dive into CRM optimization, AI adoption, Claude Code, GTM engineering, and why strategy, business context, and human judgment will become the most valuable skills in an AI-first world.

What You'll Learn

• Why the traditional lead generation agency model is breaking down
• The importance of product-market fit before scaling outbound
• How AI GTM engines improve sales, marketing, and RevOps processes
• Why CRM optimization creates hidden revenue opportunities
• How Claude Code is changing GTM engineering
• AI adoption challenges inside enterprise organizations
• Why strategy and business context matter more than automation

Featured Guest

Jérémy Grandillon - Founder of TC9, an AI GTM automation agency helping companies modernize sales, marketing, and RevOps through intelligent workflows and GTM engines.

Host

Ben Reed, Host of the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast

Episode Highlights

[00:01:00] Why lead generation agencies are broken and TC9's pivot to AI GTM automation

[00:05:00] Product-market fit vs. scaling outbound: why most clients churn

[00:13:00] GTM engines and moving beyond traditional lead generation

[00:17:00] CRM optimization and uncovering hidden revenue opportunities

[00:35:00] GTM consulting, audits, and where AI creates the most ROI

[00:40:00] AI adoption inside enterprise organizations and data privacy concerns

[00:46:00] Claude Code, AI workflows, and the future of GTM engineering

[00:55:00] AI for prototyping vs. production software

[01:01:00] Why expertise, judgment, and taste will become more valuable than execution

[01:07:00] AI, the future of work, and what's next

Connect with Jérémy

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremygrandillon/

Follow Ben on Social

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-aaron-reed/

Love this episode? Subscribe to the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast for conversations on GTM engineering, RevOps, AI, sales leadership, and the future of B2B growth. If you found value in today's conversation, please leave a review.

Join Our B2B GTM & RevOps Entrepreneur Community

https://www.skool.com/outbound-b2b-sales/about?ref=07a56393b2d2435d9366f2e6151e2600

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform): https://tinyurl.com/revyops-jgrss

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform): https://tinyurl.com/revyops-jeremy3

Episode Summary:

In this episode, Ben Reed sits down with Jeremy Ross, fractional GTM Engineer and founder of GTM Folks, for a deep dive into the rapidly evolving world of go-to-market engineering, AI, and modern sales technology. Jeremy shares his journey from sales leadership to becoming one of the industry's leading GTM engineers, while Ben and Jeremy explore how AI, Claude Code, Clay, open-source tooling, and autonomous workflows are reshaping the future of RevOps. They also discuss the build-vs-buy debate, data infrastructure, AI SDRs, the commoditization of sales data, and what the next decade could look like for GTM teams.

What you'll learn:

• Jeremy’s path into GTM engineering
• The rise of GTM engineers and Clay’s impact
• How AI and Claude Code are reshaping GTM systems
• Why data quality and context matter for AI SDRs
• Build vs. buy decisions in modern GTM
• The future of GTM engineering and AI workflows

Featured Guest:

Jeremy Ross, Fractional GTM Engineer & Founder of GTM Folks

Host:

Ben Reed, host of the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast

Episode Highlights:

[00:01:00] Jeremy’s transition into GTM engineering

[00:05:00] Origins of the GTM Engineer movement

[00:16:00] Clay, pricing, and AI-native alternatives

[00:22:00] AI-powered GTM infrastructure

[00:28:00] Data and context for AI SDRs

[00:37:00] The future of GTM engineers

[00:41:00] AI trends and constraints

[00:53:00] GTM Folks and AI adoption advice

Connect with Jeremy:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremyscottross/

Follow Ben on Social:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-aaron-reed/

Love this episode? Subscribe to the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast for conversations on GTM engineering, RevOps, AI, sales leadership, and the future of B2B growth. If you found value in today's conversation, please leave a review.

Join our B2B GTM & RevOps Entrepreneur Community:

https://www.skool.com/outbound-b2b-sales/about?ref=07a56393b2d2435d9366f2e6151e2600

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform): https://tinyurl.com/revyops-jeremy3

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform):https://tinyurl.com/revyops-tom-blue-q

Episode Summary:

In this episode, Ben Reed sits down with Tom Blue, CEO and Founder of Quick Enrich and Lead411, to discuss the rapid evolution of B2B sales data and GTM technology. Tom shares how he built Lead411, why he launched Quick Enrich, and what’s driving the shift away from traditional data providers toward API-first solutions. The conversation covers data quality, email verification, GTM engineering, AI-powered workflows, and the future of sales intelligence in an increasingly automated world.

What you'll learn:

• How Tom built Lead411 from a simple funding newsletter into a leading sales intelligence platform
• Why API-first data providers are gaining market share from traditional platforms
• The differences between Lead411 and Quick Enrich
• Why data quality and verification matter more than ever in outbound sales
• How GTM engineers are changing the way sales teams access and use data
• The role AI and tools like Claude Code are playing in modern sales operations
• Why clean, unified data is foundational for future AI SDRs and autonomous agents
• The economics behind email verification and enrichment providers
• How data commoditization is impacting the sales intelligence market
• The future of sales data, automation, and revenue operations

Featured Guest:

Tom Blue, CEO & Founder of Quick Enrich and Founder of Lead411

Host:

Ben Reed, host of the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast

Episode Highlights:

[00:01:00] Tom's background and the evolution from Lead411 to Quick Enrich

[00:05:00] The shift from traditional sales intelligence platforms to API-first solutions

[00:12:00] Data commoditization and the growing demand for enrichment services

[00:16:00] How companies should evaluate data providers and test list quality

[00:28:00] The rise of GTM engineers and AI-powered workflows

[00:34:00] Email verification, BounceBan, and maintaining data accuracy

[00:47:00] AI hype cycles, Claude Code, and the future of software development

[00:55:00] Build vs. buy: the future of sales technology infrastructure

Connect with Tom:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tombluelead411/

Lead411: https://www.lead411.com/

Quick Enrich: https://www.quickenrich.io/

Follow Ben on Social:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-aaron-reed/

Join our B2B GTM & RevOps Entrepreneur Community:

https://www.skool.com/outbound-b2b-sales/about?ref=07a56393b2d2435d9366f2e6151e2600

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform): https://tinyurl.com/revyops-tom-blue-q

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform): https://tinyurl.com/revyops-chris-b

Episode Summary:

In this episode, Ben Reed sits down with Chris Booth, Founder & CEO of Charm, to discuss authenticity, entrepreneurship, leadership, AI, and GTM engineering. Chris shares why elite performance comes from small optimizations, how authenticity drives better sales outcomes, and why self-awareness and focus are critical for business success. The conversation covers personal branding, AI tools, entrepreneurship, and building leverage in business and life.

What you'll learn:

• Why elite performance is built through the accumulation of small improvements
• How authenticity, self-awareness, and personal branding drive stronger sales and leadership outcomes
• Why sales, relationship-building, and entrepreneurship share the same foundational principles
• The opportunities and risks of AI, GTM engineering, and automation tools like Clay and Claude Code
• How constraints, leverage, and a focus on meaningful impact create long-term business success

Featured Guest:

Chris Booth, Founder & CEO of Charm, GTM strategist, entrepreneur, mentor, and advocate for authentic leadership and business growth.

Host:

Ben Reed, Host of the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast

Episode Highlights:

[00:01:00] The power of small optimizations in elite performance

[00:04:00] Authenticity, sales, and personal branding

[00:08:00] Self-love, leadership, and business growth

[00:13:00] Lessons from entrepreneurship and relationship building

[00:15:00] The evolution of personal brands in modern business

[00:22:00] Why GTM agency owners share similar personality traits

[00:27:00] Claude Code, Clay, and the future of GTM engineering

[00:33:00] Creativity, constraints, and building leverage

[00:42:00] Choosing the right business leverage at the right time

[00:47:00] Chris's message to humanity: "Spread Love"

Connect with Chris:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%F0%9F%A7%99-christopher-booth-216072127/

Website: https://hirecharm.com

Follow Ben on Social:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-aaron-reed/

Join our B2B GTM & RevOps Entrepreneur Community: https://www.skool.com/outbound-b2b-sales/about?ref=07a56393b2d2435d9366f2e6151e2600

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform): https://tinyurl.com/revyops-chris-b

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform): https://tinyurl.com/revyops-sean-malone

Episode Summary:

In this episode, Ben Reed sits down with Sean Malone, co-founder and CMO of Flowchat, to break down the future of social DM prospecting, LinkedIn automation, and AI-powered sales outreach. Sean shares his incredible entrepreneurial journey from struggling with cold calls and sales rejection to building multiple eight-figure businesses through direct messaging systems and scalable outbound frameworks. The conversation dives deep into LinkedIn automation safety, storytelling in sales, personal branding, AI-driven outreach, and the lessons Sean learned working alongside Russell Brunson. If you're looking to scale outbound sales, protect your LinkedIn account, and build predictable lead generation systems through social DMs, this episode is packed with actionable insights.

What you'll learn:

• Why LinkedIn DMs outperform traditional cold outreach channels
• How Flowchat protects users from LinkedIn bans and account restrictions
• The safest way to scale LinkedIn automation without triggering algorithms
• Why personal branding is critical for successful outbound prospecting
• Sean’s DM outreach benchmarks for scalable lead generation
• How storytelling and the “hero’s journey” improve sales and marketing
• The role of AI in modern sales outreach and personal DMs
• What Sean learned inside Russell Brunson’s mastermind ecosystem

Featured Guest: Sean Malone, Co-Founder & CMO of Flowchat

Host: Ben Reed, host of the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast

Episode Highlights:

[00:01:00] Intro

[00:03:00] LinkedIn automation tools and account safety

[00:07:00] Understanding LinkedIn algorithms and outreach limits

[00:10:00] Sean’s LinkedIn connection and response benchmarks

[00:13:00] Sean’s journey into sales and early struggles

[00:15:00] Growing businesses from millions to eight figures

[00:17:00] Learning paid ads and discovering DM outreach

[00:18:00] Working with Russell Brunson and building software companies

[00:19:00] Building a high-ticket sales agency through DMs

[00:23:00] Storytelling frameworks and the hero’s journey in sales

Connect with Sean:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theseanmalone/

Flowchat: https://flowchat.com

Follow Ben on Social: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-aaron-reed/

Join our B2B GTM & RevOps Entrepreneur Community: https://www.skool.com/outbound-b2b-sales/about?ref=07a56393b2d2435d9366f2e6151e2600

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform): https://tinyurl.com/revyops-sean-malone

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform): https://tinyurl.com/revyops-barry-flanagan

Episode Summary: In this episode, Ben Reed sits down with Barry Flanagan, CEO and founder of AI IQ Systems, to discuss scaling B2B sales teams, startup go-to-market strategy, and using AI to better understand buyers. Barry shares lessons from helping scale companies like Citrix, VMware, and ControlUp, including how to hire effectively, structure sales teams, and build trust-driven sales processes. They also dive into product-led growth, outbound sales, buyer psychology, and how AI is changing modern B2B marketing and sales.

What you'll learn:

1) How Barry helped scale a startup from $2M to $50M ARR

2) The biggest hiring mistakes founders make in sales

3) Differences between product-led, sales-led, and marketing-led growth

4) How SDRs, AEs, and Sales Engineers work together

5) Why deep ICP and persona research improves sales performance

6) How AI can help with messaging, content, and buyer research

7) Why trust-building is critical in enterprise sales

8) The psychology behind objection handling and buyer decisions

Featured Guest: Barry Flanagan, Founder/CEO of GetBuyerIntel.ai

Host: Ben Reed, host of the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast

Episode Highlights:

[00:03:00] Scaling ControlUp from $2M to $50M ARR

[00:08:00] Sales team roles explained: SDRs, AEs, and SEs

[00:12:00] Founder-led sales and outbound strategy

[00:17:00] Product-led growth and SaaS go-to-market

[00:27:00] AI-powered buyer personas and messaging

[00:38:00] Trust-building and sales psychology

[00:45:00] Final advice for founders and sales leaders

Connect with Barry: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barryflanagan/

Follow Ben on Social: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-aaron-reed/

Join our B2B GTM & RevOps Entrepreneur Community: https://www.skool.com/outbound-b2b-sales/about?ref=07a56393b2d2435d9366f2e6151e2600

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform): https://tinyurl.com/revyops-barry-flanagan

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform): https://tinyurl.com/revyops-geraldina-olson

Episode Summary: In this episode, Ben Reed sits down with Geraldina Scarascia Olson, fractional CMO and B2B SaaS growth strategist, to discuss how companies scale beyond founder-led growth. Geraldina breaks down how she helps SaaS companies build structured growth systems, align marketing with product and sales, and avoid common scaling mistakes. They also dive into AI overload, product-market fit, customer experience, and why great marketing can never compensate for a weak product.

What you'll learn:

• How founders become the bottleneck in scaling
• Why structured KPIs improve marketing execution
• The biggest AI and automation mistakes companies make
• Why product and marketing must work together
• Why great marketing can’t fix a weak product

Featured Guest: Geraldina Scarascia Olson, Fractional CMO and B2B SaaS Growth Strategist

Host: Ben Reed, host of the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast

Episode Highlights: [00:03:00] Founder-led growth challenges [00:08:00] AI tools and automation mistakes [00:11:00] KPI frameworks and accountability [00:16:00] Best-performing B2B growth channels [00:24:00] Why great products outperform great marketing

Connect with Geraldina:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geraldinascarascia/

Website: https://geraldinaolson.com/

Follow Ben on Social: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-aaron-reed/

Love this episode? Subscribe to the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast for insights on B2B sales, RevOps, AI, and leadership. If you found value in today’s conversation, please leave a review.

Join our B2B GTM & RevOps Entrepreneur Community: https://www.skool.com/outbound-b2b-sales/about?ref=07a56393b2d2435d9366f2e6151e2600

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform): https://tinyurl.com/revyops-geraldina-olson

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform): https://tinyurl.com/revyops-drjay

Episode Summary:

In this episode, Ben Reed sits down with Jay Feldman, founder of Otter PR and the creator of "Lead Gen Jay," to break down the realities of B2B lead generation, cold email, and scaling a high-growth agency. Jay shares his journey from medical school to entrepreneurship, how he built a multi-Inc. 5000 company, and why cold email remains one of the most powerful low-cost acquisition channels. They also dive into copywriting, AI's role in modern outreach, and what it really takes to build and scale a business in today's competitive landscape.

What you'll learn:

• How Jay transitioned from medical school to building a successful PR agency
• Why cold email is still one of the most effective lead generation channels
• The three key components of successful cold email (open, read, reply)
• How to approach copywriting as both an art and a psychological system
• Why giving away free value accelerates brand growth and authority
• How long-form YouTube content builds trust and drives inbound demand
• How AI can be used as a co-pilot for copywriting and lead generation
• Why beginners should avoid ads and focus on direct outreach first
• The difference between demand-side and supply-side constraints in scaling
• Why templates fail and real subject matter expertise wins

Featured Guest:

Jay Feldman, Founder of Otter PR and B2B Lead Generation Expert

Host:

Ben Reed, host of the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast

Episode Highlights:

[00:01:00] Jay's journey from doctor to entrepreneur

[00:03:00] Building Otter PR and early lead generation challenges

[00:06:00] Why cold email became the primary acquisition channel

[00:10:00] The power of personal branding and "Lead Gen Jay"

[00:14:00] Long-form YouTube content as a growth strategy

[00:18:00] Cold email fundamentals: open, read, reply

[00:22:00] Copywriting frameworks and psychology

[00:30:00] Using AI to improve outreach and campaigns

[00:40:00] Scaling challenges: hiring, ops, and systems

[00:50:00] Final advice for beginners in lead generation

Connect with Jay:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-jay-feldman/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@leadgenjay

Follow Ben on Social:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-aaron-reed/

Join our B2B GTM & RevOps Entrepreneur Community:

[https://www.skool.com/outbound-b2b-sales/about?ref=07a56393b2d2435d9366f2e6151e2600](https://www.skool.com/outbound-b2b-sales/about?ref=07a56393b2d2435d9366f2e6151e2600)

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform): https://tinyurl.com/revyops-drjay

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform): https://tinyurl.com/revyops-jay-clay-bhandari

Episode Summary:

In this episode, Ben Reed sits down with Jay Bhandari, GTM Engineer at Clay, to unpack how one of the fastest-growing companies in sales tech helped create an entirely new category: GTM Engineering. Jay shares his journey from private equity and startups into the world of Clay, while Ben and Jay explore the rise of AI-powered revenue systems, the RevOps vs GTM Engineer debate, Clay’s explosive growth strategy, and the future of SaaS in an agentic AI world. They also discuss Claude Code, vibe coding, product complexity, and why having fun may be the most important career lesson of all.

What you'll learn:

• How Jay transitioned from Wall Street and private equity into GTM Engineering
• What a GTM Engineer actually does and why the role is growing rapidly
• The differences and similarities between GTM Engineers and RevOps professionals
• How Clay built a category-defining brand and product-led community
• Why orchestration and enrichment are transforming modern pipeline generation
• The truth about Claude Code, vibe coding, and AI software hype cycles
• Why building scalable software is harder than most people think
• How AI should augment sales teams instead of replacing core systems
• Why creativity is a competitive advantage in go-to-market strategy
• Jay’s personal philosophy on career growth, fulfillment, and having fun

Featured Guest: Jay Bhandari, GTM Engineer at Clay

Host: Ben Reed, host of the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast

Episode Highlights:

[00:01:00] Jay’s path from private equity to startups

[00:03:00] Discovering Clay and joining as a GTM Engineer

[00:06:00] How Clay built a category around GTM Engineering

[00:10:00] GTM Engineer vs RevOps explained

[00:18:00] Clay’s branding, creativity, and community strategy

[00:25:00] Advanced Clay workflows and real customer use cases

[00:27:00] Claude Code vs Clay: build vs buy debate

[00:35:00] Why vibe coding has limits at scale

[00:43:00] Where AI fits in modern GTM systems

[00:46:30] Jay’s life advice: fun, fulfillment, and enjoying the journey

Connect with Jay:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-bhandari-profile/

Follow Ben on Social:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-aaron-reed/

Join our B2B GTM & RevOps Entrepreneur Community: https://www.skool.com/outbound-b2b-sales/about?ref=07a56393b2d2435d9366f2e6151e2600

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform): https://tinyurl.com/revyops-jay-clay-bhandari

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform):https://tinyurl.com/revyops-alex-shartsis

Episode Summary:

In this episode, Ben Reed sits down with Alex Shartsis, Founder of Skyp.ai, to discuss the battle between SaaS and AI in modern GTM. They break down why mass outbound is declining, where AI SDR tools fall short, and how thoughtful automation is replacing spam. Alex also shares insights on vibe coding, software complexity, and why real expertise still matters in an AI-first world.

What you'll learn:

- How Alex built Skyp.ai from real outbound pain points

- Why mass cold email is declining but still not dead

- How thoughtful AI automation beats spammy AI SDR tactics

- Why most people underestimate how hard real software is to build

- The difference between vibe coding prototypes vs scalable SaaS products

- Why product management and subject matter expertise still matter most

- How AI can help individual sellers without replacing GTM systems

- The hidden complexity behind CRMs, data infrastructure, and RevOps

- Why many founders are chasing hype instead of solving real problems

- What the future of SaaS may look like in an AI agentic world

Featured Guest: Alex Shartsis, Founder of Skyp.ai

Host: Ben Reed, host of the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast

Episode Highlights:

[00:01:00] Why SaaS and AI are colliding in GTM

[00:03:00] The decline of mass cold email campaigns

[00:06:00] How Skyp.ai was built from real customer demand

[00:10:00] Why vibe coding creates false confidence

[00:14:00] Product management vs AI-generated software

[00:18:00] Where Lovable and Bolt are actually useful

[00:22:00] Why subject matter expertise still wins

[00:30:00] How AI should support sales reps, not replace them

[00:40:00] The future of SaaS infrastructure and GTM systems

[00:50:00] Final advice for salespeople in the AI era

Connect with Alex:

Website:https://skyp.ai/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shartsis/

Follow Ben on Social:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-aaron-reed/

Join our B2B GTM & RevOps Entrepreneur Community: https://www.skool.com/outbound-b2b-sales/about?ref=07a56393b2d2435d9366f2e6151e2600

Sponsored By RevyOps (The #1 GTM Data Management Platform): https://tinyurl.com/revyops-alex-shartsis