Sell By Being Human

What if the secret to building a brand people love isn’t about being the biggest or the loudest, but about winning something deeper? Warren Kornblum calls it “share of heart.” After a career that took him from creative director to Global CMO of Toys “R” Us, he’s convinced it’s the only metric that truly matters.

In this episode of Sell by Being Human, host Alex Smith sits down with Warren Kornblum, former Global CMO of Toys R Us, former CMO of Serta Simmons Bedding, and current founder and CEO of Share of Heart. With a career spanning from the advertising agency world to the C-suite, Warren shares his journey and the philosophy that guided him: true customer loyalty is built on emotional connection, trust, and genuine human care, not just awareness or wallet share.

Drawing on his experience at Toys R Us during a pivotal time of retail disruption, Warren explains why the brand’s emotional connection, embodied by the iconic “I don’t want to grow up” song and Geoffrey the Giraffe, was its greatest asset, and how losing sight of the customer in favor of shareholders contributed to its decline. The conversation explores the lessons he learned from his father, “Uncle Philly,” a master of human connection; the critical difference between awareness and belief; and why AI, for all its power, will never replace human empathy.

Warren also discusses his new book, Notes from the Brand Stand, and shares practical advice for anyone, from CEOs to baristas, on how to make people feel seen, valued, and important.

Tune in to learn how to earn trust, build emotional connections, and sell by being more human, not less.

Key Takeaways

• Share of heart goes beyond share of mind and share of wallet
• Awareness can be bought, but belief must be earned
• Selling to one person or millions follows the same process: relevance, trust, and caring
• Great sellers stay in the moment, because it’s about the customer, not you
• Know who your customers are and who they aren’t
• Retaining customers matters as much as winning new ones
• Sometimes the best change is no change: modernize a brand’s “jewels” instead of discarding them
• Quarterly pressure can pull companies away from the customers who built them
• Leaders should listen in on call centers and chat logs
• AI is table stakes; empathy and leadership set companies apart
• Making people feel they matter costs nothing

In This Episode:

• [00:00] Dynamic intro
• [00:36] Welcome and introducing Warren Kornblum
• [03:54] What “sell by being human” means to Warren
• [05:30] The upside and risk of real human connection
• [07:53] Growing up in the mattress business with “Uncle Philly”
• [10:46] What Warren’s dad did that other salespeople didn’t
• [12:38] Marketing as an act of caring (and what it can cost)
• [13:47] Churn, retention, and why you can’t buy belief
• [16:40] Inside the early days of Toys R Us
• [18:04] Why Warren refused to retire the song and Geoffrey the giraffe
• [21:53] The Times Square store and Warren’s proudest moment
• [23:42] Seeing the signs before the decline
• [24:19] The online battle Warren lost with the board
• [27:07] Customers vs. shareholders: the battle he’d fight harder today
• [30:00] Making the business case for emotional connection
• [31:05] Measuring share of heart and managing by walking around
• [34:45] Why employees are the second most important audience
• [35:37] Will AI replace human connection?
• [36:51] Empathy, escalation, and AI as table stakes
• [41:01] The sycophantic chatbot problem
• [41:58] Daily skills for improving human connection
• [43:55] Starbucks, the pizza place, and feeling “processed”
• [48:08] Ordering coffee from a robot
• [49:42] Making people feel they matter costs nothing
• [50:55] What makes Warren totally Warren
• [52:26] Where to connect with Warren
• [54:00] Closing

Notable Quotes

• [00:01] “If I can make an emotional connection with them, if I can become a part of their lives, then you sort of have the job almost well done.” - Warren Kornblum
• [15:19] “Awareness can be bought, but you can’t buy belief. I can get in your sphere through marketing but I can’t get you to believe in me unless I earn that.” - Warren Kornblum
• [12:42] “Marketing is an act of caring.” - Warren Kornblum
• [22:15] “Your natural instinct is to change things because you’re the new sheriff in town... sometimes the best change is not to change at all.” - Warren Kornblum
• [37:36] “Machines don’t have empathy.” - Warren Kornblum
• [40:42] “AI can be a great soldier. The day it starts being the leader, we’re all in big trouble.” - Warren Kornblum
• [49:42] “Making people feel like they matter costs nothing.” - Warren Kornblum
• [41:22] “AI is the most non-empathetic response we’ll ever get. It's very gratuitous.” - Warren Kornblum

Our Guest

Warren Kornblum is the founder and CEO of Share of Heart and the author of Notes from the Brandstand. A former advertising agency creative director, he went on to serve as global chief marketing officer at Toys R Us and chief marketing officer at Serta Simmons Bedding. Today he advises CEOs and boards on emotional branding, customer loyalty, and leadership, and he is writing a follow-up book about the people behind famous brands.

Sell by Being Human

• Link

Warren Kornblum

• Share of Heart website
• LinkedIn: Warren Kornblum
• Book: Notes from the Brandstand

Alex Smith

• Website
• LinkedIn

Can you really learn to sell by watching a course, memorizing a script, or practicing with an AI bot? Alex Moses says no, not if you want the skill to stick.

In this episode of Sell by Being Human, host Alex Smith sits down with Alex Mozes, CEO of Gravity Learning and one of the first employees at Udemy. Alex shares his journey from scaling a learning marketplace to founding a company built on a contrarian idea: that effective learning isn’t easy, fun, or asynchronous. It’s interactive, challenging, and deeply human.

Drawing on his experience at Udemy, where he helped grow the company to over 100 million learners, Alex explains why the industry’s focus on completion rates and satisfaction scores is misguided. He argues that real growth comes from practice, feedback, and accountability with other people. The conversation explores the neuroscience of learning, the power of small group cohorts, and why AI is a great practice partner but a poor teacher.

Alex also discusses how these principles apply directly to leadership and sales. He shares his approach to building trust with his team through structured feedback and genuine human connection, and he explains why the best way to sell is often to simply listen.

Tune in to learn how to practice sales skills with real feedback, use AI the right way, and sell by being more human, not less.

Key Takeaways

• Effective learning is about outcomes, not ease or entertainment
• Real behavior change happens through practice, challenge, and feedback with other humans
• The L&D industry has focused on the wrong metrics like completion and satisfaction
• AI is excellent for practicing a known skill but poor for learning something new
• Interpersonal skills are becoming the central currency of business success
• Small-group, interactive, cohort-based learning mirrors how humans evolved to learn
• To make learning stick, you must apply it and visualize its future impact
• Great facilitators make learners feel seen by connecting content to their lives
• "Feedback is fuel" for building a transparent and honest team culture
• As a CEO, dedicating one-on-ones to non-work conversations builds deeper trust
• The simplest and hardest sales skill is to listen intently to understand the other person
• Creating a space where people can be bad at something is essential for growth
• The best way to learn is to teach and practice with an accountability partner
• Connecting learning to a specific future application makes it more likely to be retained
• Your unique human quirks, like working from a sailboat, are part of what makes you relatable

In This Episode:

• [00:00] Dynamic Intro
• [00:47] Welcome and introducing Alex Mozes
• [03:17] What "sell by being human" means to Alex
• [03:18] Being human in a world of AI coworkers
• [07:40] Small moments and community in early stage Udemy
• [08:28] Growing a team from 3 to 150 people
• [11:42] Rethinking earlier beliefs about learning and friction
• [13:10] Why the L&D industry built toward the wrong goal
• [17:43] Skills that matter most for effective learning today
• [18:49] Why AI is good for practice but not for learning
• [23:27] What makes a facilitator truly connect with a room
• [27:24] Questions that help learners go deeper
• [32:09] How Alex builds connection and transparency as a CEO
• [32:23] The SBI feedback model and "feedback is fuel"
• [35:46] Using human skills to connect with investors and clients
• [36:28] Why listening is the core selling skill
• [37:52] What makes Alex totally Alex
• [39:19] Where to connect with Alex
• [39:35] Closing :

Notable Quotes

• [13:24] "It's not about making learning easier or more fun... Effective is what we should be caring about. Outcomes is what we should be caring about." — Alex Mozes
• [14:57] "The number of subscribers to Duolingo to the number of people that have learned to speak another language using Duolingo is a fraction." — Alex Mozes
• [20:38] "AI is sycophantic... is not going to challenge or put you in a position where you can be bad. And it's also something that you really need to do with somebody that can give you truly constructive feedback." — Alex Mozes
• [22:12] "AI is actually pretty good at practice. It's not good at learning." — Alex Mozes
• [23:46 "I think one of the central traits of a good teacher, facilitator, or good experience is how connected they are to you and how much they are able to make you feel seen." — Alex Moses
• [32:58] "Feedback is fuel." — Alex Mozes

Our Guest

Alex Mozes is the CEO of Gravity Learning, a company focused on interpersonal skills training through live, interactive, cohort-based workshops. Previously, he was one of the first employees at Udemy, where he helped scale the company from a small startup to a global learning platform serving over 100 million learners. With over 20 years in the learning industry, Alex is a leading voice on the future of adult learning, the science of behavior change, and the critical role of human connection in professional development.

Sell by Being Human

• Link

Alex Moses

• Gravity Learning website
• LinkedIn

Alex Smith

• Website
• LinkedIn

The clock is ticking. You have 30 seconds before someone decides you're not worth their time but there are people you can't stop paying attention to. Every time they post, you read it. When they speak, you listen. When they reach out, you reply. You don't know exactly when it happened, but somewhere along the way, they became impossible to ignore.

They didn't get there by shouting louder or posting more. They got there by being unmistakably themselves.

Alexis Rivera Scott is one of those people.

She's the head of Scott Consulting, founder of The Fairy Job Mom, and a creator who has built a career on showing up authentically. She's helped hundreds of people navigate their careers and build personal brands that actually work. And she's ranked the #1 Latina creator on Favicon.

In this episode of Sell by Being Human, host Alex Smith sits down with Alexis to unpack how she did it. She reveals why she doesn't do traditional outbound outreach, how a simple, human question can open doors, and why "the secret to selling is actually not selling."

Alexis also breaks down the difference between influencers and creators, why ghostwriting isn't about using AI, and why the magic happens in the DMs, not just in posts. She shares how consistency on LinkedIn led to a role that was created just for her, and how a friendship formed through online connection turned into a seat at the TIME100 Influencers Dinner.

She ends with a challenge: commit to 30 days of showing up. Even if it's tiny, something will happen.

This is a conversation about how authenticity and human connection can turn a digital presence into a career-defining asset.

Key Takeaways

• Selling by being human means understanding your buyer and making them feel seen, heard, and understood
• Trust is the secret sauce; nobody buys from someone they don't trust
• The secret to selling is actually not selling; focus on connecting first
• Authenticity means talking to people like you would a friend; the more professional you sound, the more walls go up
• Personal brand is a long-term play; it's a marathon, not a sprint
• The magic of LinkedIn happens in the DMs, not just in posts
• Consistency builds trust and creates a flywheel of inbound opportunities
• A resume should highlight impact, not just duties; ask "why should anyone care?"
• If you can Google it, it's not a LinkedIn post; add your own perspective
• Every creator is not an influencer, but every influencer is a creator
• When all your opportunities come inbound, you've built real influence
• Committing to 30 days of consistent content creation will generate results, even if small

In This Episode:

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:23] Meet Alexis Rivera Scott
• [02:41] What "sell by being human" means to Alexis
• [03:13] Making people feel seen, heard, and understood
• [04:12] Why Alexis doesn't do traditional outbound outreach
• [05:33] The secret to selling is actually not selling
• [06:48] Social selling as a long-term relationship play
• [07:30] Why being too professional makes people's walls go up
• [08:51] A real example of a bad sales email and why it fails
• [10:22] A great outbound email that actually got a meeting
• [12:49] How personal brand on LinkedIn changed Alexis's career trajectory
• [13:37] The story of getting laid off, joining Thursday Night Sales, and building a role from scratch
• [16:43] How content creation created an inbound flywheel
• [17:46] Advising job seekers on visibility and impact
• [19:10] Why stating facts isn't bragging
• [20:49] Ghostwriting for executives: capturing voice vs. using AI
• [23:46] Why "you are your brand" even as an employee
• [25:22] The different lanes: influencer, thought leader, subject matter expert, educator
• [26:40] Why personal brand is a long-term commitment
• [29:16] The unexpected benefit: getting invited to the TIME100 Influencers Dinner
• [33:51] Influencer vs. creator: what's the difference?
• [35:56] The moment Alexis realized she was an influencer
• [37:34] "Only Alexis" moment: Inside Edition and Newsweek features
• [38:50] The 30-day content challenge
• [39:22] Closing remarks

Notable Quotes

• [02:43] "Sell by being human is more to do with really understanding your buyer and understanding how you can help them and being able to communicate that in a way that helps them feel seen, heard, understood." — Alexis Rivera Scott
• [03:03] "No one's going to buy from you if they don't trust you." — Alexis Rivera Scott
• [05:32] "The secret to selling is actually not selling." — Alexis Rivera Scott
• [07:19] "I always tell people, particularly on LinkedIn, speak or type like you are talking to a friend. The more professional you sound, the more people's walls go up." — Alexis Rivera Scott
• [12:01] "Who do I want to work with? I want to work with someone I like. Someone who's comfortable to me. Someone who I can be myself around." — Alexis Rivera Scott
• [19:23] "If you feel uncomfortable, all I want you to ask yourself is: is this true? If the answer is yes, you are simply stating a fact. You're not bragging. You are stating a fact." — Alexis Rivera Scott
• [24:08] "You are your brand. Even as an employee, you are your brand." — Alexis Rivera Scott
• [25:20] "If I can Google it, that's not a LinkedIn post." — Alexis Rivera Scott
• [28:37] "Once you start to see the fruits of your labor, the consistency becomes easier. The time that you dedicate becomes more valuable to you because you're seeing the ROI, but you have to commit." — Alexis Rivera Scott
• [36:15] "When you don't have to go outbound and everything comes inbound, you're an influencer." — Alexis Rivera Scott
• [38:50] "30 days, commit and watch what happens. Even if it's tiny, it will happen. It's impossible not to." — Alexis Rivera Scott

Our Guest

Alexis Rivera Scott is the founder of Scott Consulting, a consultancy that helps individuals and companies think differently about how they show up professionally and personally, both on LinkedIn and beyond. Also known as the Fairy Job Mom, she has helped hundreds of people navigate their careers and next opportunities, and works with executives on ghostwriting and personal branding. She was ranked the number one Latina creator by Favikon and has built a following across LinkedIn and TikTok rooted in authenticity, storytelling, and long-term relationship building.

Sell by Being Human

• Link

Alexis Rivera Scott

• Website
• LinkedIn
• TikTok: @AlexisRiveraScott
• The Fairy Job Mom: [Link]

Alex Smith

• Website
• LinkedIn

How do you become the kind of person people trust enough to refer? How much does your reputation influence a sale before you ever have the chance to make your pitch? And in a world where AI can create the perfect sales message, what makes people trust the person behind it?

In this episode of Sell by Being Human, Alex Smith sits down with Stephen Uman, a sales leader, coach, and speaker with more than 25 years of experience at companies including Microsoft, Outreach, and Accenture. Stephen's TEDx Talk on the 5 C's of referability has reached more than 300,000 views, but his message goes far beyond sales tactics.

Stephen shares why selling by being human starts with remembering what it's like to be the buyer. They explore how every interaction shapes your reputation, why trust is something another person has to give you, and how transparency, authenticity, and intention influence the way people experience you.

The conversation also breaks down Stephen's 5 C's of referability: character, conviction, clarity, competence, and credibility. They discuss the difference between principles and tactics, why AI can replicate tactics without replicating the person behind them, and how intimate communities can create genuine referral opportunities.

Stephen ends with a simple challenge: ask three people why they would or wouldn't refer you, then have the vulnerability to listen to what they say.

Ultimately, this is a conversation about building a reputation people can believe in, trust they can feel, and relationships strong enough to open doors.

Key Takeaways

• Selling by being human means remembering what it's like to be the buyer
• Every interaction contributes to the reputation people build around you
• Reputation is what others say about you when you're not in the room
• Every person has inherent value and something you can learn from
• Transparency and authenticity create stronger, more sustainable trust
• Trust is ultimately given by another person, not something you can simply declare
• Persuasion and manipulation can use the same tactics, but intention separates them
• Good intentions don't matter if you fail to step into another person's world
• Principles scale, while tactics don't always translate from one person to another
• Character, conviction, clarity, competence, and credibility are the foundation of referability
• AI can generate tactics, but the person behind the tactic is what creates trust
• Strong communities can create warm connections and accelerate referrals
• The best way to improve your referability is to ask others for honest feedback

In This Episode:

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:39] How Alex and Stephen connected through a referral
• [03:25] What “sell by being human” means to Stephen
• [04:42] Stepping into the buyer's world
• [06:16] Why human relationships create real value
• [08:39] Understanding the inherent value of every person
• [10:07] The connection between kindness and results
• [11:00] Why humans are at the center of marketplace value
• [12:45] Your reputation walks into the room before you do
• [14:09] Brand vs. reputation
• [15:31] Why every interaction builds your reputation
• [16:46] Transparency, authenticity, and protecting trust
• [17:47] The small moments that reveal character
• [18:54] Why trust is given, not earned
• [20:04] Persuasion vs. manipulation
• [22:07] Why sales has a reputation problem
• [24:10] A leadership mistake that eroded trust
• [25:02] When a Friday text message becomes a problem
• [26:52] Why principles scale but tactics don't
• [29:10] The danger of putting yourself first
• [29:49] Why intention matters more than technique
• [30:47] Showing people what's really in your heart
• [32:10] Transparency when you can't share everything
• [33:47] When a leader's good intentions weren't enough
• [35:04] Why character and trust can't be declared
• [36:38] When doing the right thing still gets misunderstood
• [38:08] Helping employees find roles where they can thrive
• [39:24] Grace, forgiveness, and the human side of sales
• [41:26] The 5 C's of referability
• [41:43] Principles vs. tactics
• [43:36] What makes someone trustworthy in front of a CEO
• [45:14] Why the person behind the tactic matters
• [46:36] Building credibility through other people
• [48:06] How communities create warm connections
• [50:08] Why intimate communities matter
• [50:51] How to self-audit your referability
• [51:06] Asking three people why they would refer you
• [52:07] How to ask for referrals without making it about you
• [53:26] What makes Stephen totally Stephen
• [54:19] Where to connect with Stephen
• [54:41] Closing

Our Guest

Stephen Oomen is a sales leader with over 25 years of experience at companies including Microsoft, Outreach, and Accenture. His TEDx Talk, "The 5 C's of Referability," became an editor's pick and has been viewed over 300,000 times. He specializes in helping leaders and sales teams build reputations that drive revenue, teaching that trust, character, and human connection are the real foundations of sustainable success. He is also a leadership coach and keynote speaker who helps organizations scale through reputation, not just activity.

Sell by Being Human

• Link

Stephen Oomen

• Website
• Socials: @StephenOomen (all platforms)
• TEDx Talk: The 5 C's of Referability

Alex Smith

• Website
• LinkedIn

What if the biggest leadership advantage isn't experience, strategy, or authority—but your ability to genuinely connect with people?

In this episode of Sell by Being Human, host Alex Smith sits down with Wayne Barrington, founder and CEO of The Jaro Group, executive coach, leadership consultant, and former Boeing executive who transformed one of the company's lowest-performing teams into one of its highest-rated.

Wayne shares the leadership lessons that came from navigating organizational change inside Boeing, why most transformation efforts fail, and how influence always outperforms authority. Through stories from the boardroom, the mountains of Kilimanjaro, and years of coaching executives, he explains why lasting change begins by understanding people before trying to fix processes.

You'll also hear why leaders often focus on the wrong problems, how removing judgment creates better performance, and why helping someone carry their "backpack" may be the greatest act of leadership you'll ever perform.

If you're leading a team, managing change, or simply want to become someone others trust and willingly follow, this conversation offers a refreshing perspective on leadership that puts people first.

• Why human connection is the foundation of effective leadership
• The difference between leading through authority and leading through influence
• Why most organizational change initiatives fail
• How Wayne transformed employee satisfaction from 52% to 90% at Boeing
• The power of meeting people where they are
• Why beliefs shape culture more than metrics do
• How removing judgment creates better leaders and stronger teams
• The leadership lesson Wayne learned climbing Mount Kilimanjaro

[00:00] Meet Wayne Barrington and today's conversation on leadership

[02:09] What "Sell by Being Human" means to Wayne

[04:19] How Wayne's consulting career began after transforming a Boeing team

[06:29] The real reason employee satisfaction was so low at Boeing

[09:18] The leadership mistake Wayne made early on

[10:40] Why 70–90% of organizational change fails

[12:08] Building culture through genuine human connection

[14:21] Influence versus authority in leadership

[17:05] The Mount Kilimanjaro story and the power of carrying someone else's backpack

[19:13] Helping leaders define the person they want to become

[21:11] How self-awareness transformed one executive's leadership

[24:16] Creating trust so leaders feel safe being vulnerable

[25:36] Why beliefs matter more than metrics

[29:22] What helped skeptical executives embrace a new approach

[31:20] Looking beyond employee surveys

[33:20] Fun questions: Wayne's superpowers, kryptonite, and where to connect

• [02:17] "If you're truly human and you truly lead with human connection, you don't have to sell as much." — Wayne Barrington
• [05:34] "The world doesn't need any more consultants, but it needs me." — Wayne Barrington
• [10:39] "You can't just pull people along. They've got to want to come along." — Wayne Barrington
• [11:41] "Culture eats strategy for breakfast every single time." — Wayne Barrington
• [18:16] "Just follow my footsteps." — Wayne Barrington
• [18:47] "If you can take someone's backpack and help them take the next step, it completely changes what's possible." — Wayne Barrington
• [22:33] "Self-awareness without judgment is the key." — Wayne Barrington
• [26:14] "Most leaders look at the metrics. The real work starts with people's beliefs." — Wayne Barrington
• [30:14] "My job is not to judge you. My job is to help you keep moving." — Wayne Barrington
• [33:13] "I've already taken the survey. Just do better as a leader." — Wayne Barrington

Wayne Barrington is the founder and CEO of The Jaro Group, where he coaches executives and leadership teams through organizational change, culture transformation, and leadership development. Before launching his consulting practice, Wayne led a major transformation at Boeing, improving employee satisfaction from 52% to 90% while turning a struggling organization into a strategic business partner. Today, he works with organizations including Boeing, NBC Peacock, Hilton, UKG, and the University of Colorado, helping leaders create lasting change through trust, influence, and human connection.

Sell by Being Human

• Link

Alex Smith

• Website
• LinkedIn

Do what is hard, and your life will be easy. Do what is easy, and your life will be hard. It's a simple idea, but for Josh Mastel, it became the philosophy that transformed every part of his life.

In this episode of Sell by Being Human, host Alex Smith sits down with Josh Mastel, co-owner of Innovien Solutions, a tech solutions and staffing firm serving onshore and nearshore talent that's approaching $100 million in ARR and has landed on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing companies for six years running.

Josh's story starts a long way from that success. Raised on the South Side of Chicago, he moved out at 16 with his older brother, working and paying rent on his own before he had even finished high school. Two years later, his brother, the closest thing he had to a father figure, died in a car accident. Josh spent the next seven years masking the pain behind a charismatic, "everything's great" exterior, until a first sales manager named Kirby Style saw something in him worth investing in and taught him a principle that still runs his company today: do what is hard, and your life will be easy.

That lesson, paired with a hard won lesson in vulnerability, took Josh from a directionless 20 something to a record breaking sales career, and eventually to walking away from corporate to cash out his 401(k) and build Innovien Solutions with his wife. Along the way, he's learned that the best salespeople aren't the smoothest talkers in the room, they're the ones who actually care whether they can solve your problem, and are willing to say so when they can't.

This conversation covers grief, mentorship, radical honesty as a leadership tool, why AI perfect emails are killing response rates, and why "useful delusions" might be the most underrated growth strategy there is. Let’s dive in!

Key Takeaways

• Doing hard things consistently creates an easier and more rewarding life over time
• The best mentors help people become better outside of work, not just better employees
• Vulnerability builds stronger relationships than pretending to have everything figured out
• Great leaders admit mistakes and create environments where others feel safe to do the same
• Human connection creates more lasting success than persuasion alone
• The best salespeople focus on understanding problems before offering solutions
• Helping people often creates greater business results than chasing commissions
• Investing in people produces returns that can't be measured by revenue alone
• Asking for help is one of the fastest ways to accelerate personal and professional growth
• Knowing yourself is one of the most valuable skills any leader can develop
• Authenticity becomes even more valuable in an AI-driven world
• Success becomes possible when you believe bigger than your current circumstances

In This Episode:

[00:00] Introduction

[01:23] Meet Josh Mastel

[03:00] What "Sell by Being Human" means

[05:04] Leaving home at sixteen and finding a mentor

[06:00] The sales manager who changed Josh's life

[09:17] Why doing hard things makes life easier

[11:24] Building discipline through uncomfortable habits

[12:03] Losing his brother and learning vulnerability

[14:02] How opening up created deeper human connection

[16:30] Why great leaders admit when they're wrong

[20:08] Vulnerability as a leadership advantage

[21:12] Building a company by investing in people

[22:10] Helping an employee become one of the company's top leaders

[25:37] The biggest misconception about sales

[27:16] Why the best salespeople solve problems instead of pushing products

[28:58] Becoming the kind of salesperson people trust

[30:26] Lessons learned from building a business with his wife

[33:35] Leading yourself before leading others

[34:45] Why asking for help changes everything

[36:51] The power of using the word "help"

[39:28] Why authenticity matters more than AI

[40:58] Knowing yourself before chasing success

[41:50] Building relationships that hold you accountable

[42:42] Thinking bigger than your current reality

[47:43] Where to connect with Josh Mastel

[48:18] Closing

Our Guest

Josh Mastel is the co-owner of Innovien Solutions, a tech solutions firm specializing in project services and staffing for both onshore and nearshore talent. With his wife, he has built the company to scale close to $100 million in ARR and over a billion in transactions, earning a spot on the Inc. 5000 list for six consecutive years.

Josh's personal journey from Chicago's South Side, moving out at 16, losing his brother, and overcoming self doubt, gives him a unique perspective on human potential. He believes that with vulnerability, discipline, and the willingness to do what is hard, anyone can create meaningful change in their life and career.

Sell by Being Human

• Link

Josh Mastel

• LinkedIn
• Innovien Solutions

Alex Smith

• Website
• LinkedIn

What if the biggest obstacle standing between you and success isn't a lack of skill, talent, or opportunity but a story you've been telling yourself for years?

In this episode of Sell by Being Human, Alex Smith sits down with Coach Monique DeMonaco, founder of EQ Wize, emotional intelligence expert, executive coach, and author of Most People Don't Need a Therapist, They Just Need Change. With more than two decades of experience helping leaders, teams, and individuals develop emotional intelligence, Monique has built a career around one powerful idea: awareness changes everything.

But her journey began far from boardrooms and leadership retreats. Raised in rural poverty by parents struggling with mental illness, Monique spent much of her childhood believing she wasn't smart enough, capable enough, or destined for more. Diagnosed at fifteen with learning disabilities and epilepsy after years of being misunderstood, she faced a choice that would shape the rest of her life: accept the limitations others placed on her or begin questioning them.

Monique shares the deeply personal story of how a single shift in self-awareness transformed her future, eventually leading her to become the first person in her family to graduate from college and build a thriving coaching practice. Along the way, she discovered that most behaviors people want to change aren't the real problem; they're coping mechanisms hiding deeper fears, beliefs, and emotional patterns.

From overcoming self-doubt to helping leaders navigate change, Monique explains why emotional intelligence is one of the most valuable skills anyone can develop. Whether you're leading a company, building a business, raising a family, or simply trying to become a better version of yourself, this conversation offers a powerful reminder that growth starts with understanding yourself first.

Because before you can influence others, you have to learn how to believe in your own potential.

Key Takeaways

• Self-awareness is the foundation of emotional intelligence and lasting personal growth
• Many behaviors people want to change are symptoms of deeper emotional patterns
• Resilience allows people to separate failure from their identity
• Most people are far more capable than they believe themselves to be
• Asking thoughtful questions creates more change than giving advice
• Emotional intelligence helps people understand both themselves and others more effectively
• Connection is built through curiosity, empathy, and understanding
• People are always selling themselves through relationships, communication, and influence
• Stories and emotions create stronger connections than facts alone
• Personal growth is a lifelong process, regardless of success or achievement
• Confidence grows through awareness, not perfection
• The most meaningful change begins when people challenge the beliefs they've inherited about themselves

In This Episode:

[00:00] Intro

[01:14] Meet Coach Monique DeMonaco

[02:22] What “sell by being human” means to Monique

[03:33] Building connections through authentic relationships

[05:17] Why emotional intelligence became her life’s work

[06:27] Growing up with learning disabilities, epilepsy, and self-doubt

[08:30] Discovering the Silva Method and the power of self-awareness

[09:59] Turning personal transformation into a coaching career

[11:53] Why awareness is the foundation of emotional intelligence

[13:11] Resilience, identity, and overcoming limiting beliefs

[14:50] The moment Monique began seeing herself differently

[16:08] Being told she would never go to college

[17:35] Becoming the first person in her family to graduate

[19:12] Emotional intelligence as a tool for creating change

[21:01] Understanding the emotions behind behavior

[23:39] Why questions are more powerful than advice

[24:53] Uncovering the hidden causes of problem behaviors

[28:25] How emotionally intelligent selling creates trust

[30:30] Why stories are more persuasive than statistics

[31:58] Practical ways to strengthen emotional intelligence

[33:34] Lifelong learning and self-awareness practices

[35:08] Using past successes to build confidence

[36:58] Sales, influence, and human connection

[39:34] Why people often underestimate themselves

[42:10] Raising children across two generations

[43:07] What Gen Z is teaching leaders about communication

[45:13] Why most people are better than they think they are

[47:11] Imposter syndrome at every level of success

[48:10] Where to find Coach Monique and EQ Wize

[49:20] Closing

Our Guest

Coach Monique DeMonaco is the founder of EQ Wize, an education and training startup delivering emotional intelligence and brain science-based education. With over 20 years of experience as an internationally trained life, executive, and career coach, she has helped individuals, teams, and leaders develop core emotional intelligence skills including self-awareness, resilience, and critical thinking. She is also the author of Most People Don't Need a Therapist, They Just Need Change: An Easy Guide for Positive Sustainable Change.

Monique's personal journey from rural poverty to coaching celebrities, professional athletes, and executives gives her a unique perspective on human potential. She believes that with the right tools and awareness, anyone can create meaningful change in their life and career.

Sell by Being Human

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Coach Monique DeMonaco

• LinkedIn
• EQ Wize
• Book: Most People Don't Need a Therapist, They Just Need Change

Alex Smith

• Website
• LinkedIn

Could the most powerful sales skill have nothing to do with persuasion and everything to do with seeing someone's potential before they can see it themselves?

In this episode of Sell by Being Human, Alex Smith sits down with Maximos Lih, a former Google recruiter, Google Ventures coach, and founder of Emboldened LLC. Maximos has helped scale everything from early-stage startups (including Uber in its 50-person days) to top executives navigating high-stakes change. But his most powerful lessons in connection didn't come from Silicon Valley. They came from his grandfather, a general in the Chinese army who took in orphans during a civil war and taught Maximos that success isn't about forcing change. It's about being the eyes and ears for someone else's potential.

Maximos shares how he learned to look past résumés and "no's" to see what others missed, first as a recruiter, then as a coach to founders afraid of failing their teams. He talks about why anxiety is the real enemy of change, why unsolicited advice kills trust, and why the best salespeople don't try to change someone's mind. They change the emotional atmosphere in the room.

From his grandfather's quiet acts of humanity to late-night conversations with strangers on airplanes, Maximos's story is a powerful reminder: sell by being human. Lower the anxiety first. The rest follows.

Key Takeaways

• People embrace change faster when anxiety is reduced first
• Great recruiters and coaches look beyond resumes and surface-level performance
• Human connection begins when people feel seen, heard, and understood
• Curiosity creates stronger relationships than authority or expertise alone
• The best leaders collaborate with people instead of forcing decisions onto them
• Unsolicited advice often creates resistance, even when intentions are good
• Helping someone clarify what they truly value leads to better decisions
• Trust grows when people feel emotionally safe enough to be transparent
• Leadership is less about giving answers and more about asking better questions
• Real influence comes from helping people arrive at their own conclusions

In This Episode:

[00:00] Intro

[00:01] Meet Maximos Lee

[01:00] From Google and Uber to executive coaching

[01:34] Maximos ’ family story and his grandfather’s legacy

[02:29] What “sell by being human” means to Maximos

[05:11] Growing up surrounded by change and adaptation

[09:42] Why people need others to become their “eyes and ears”

[11:01] Looking beyond resumes and recognizing hidden potential

[17:00] Hope, opportunity, and helping the next generation

[18:10] Why people resist the idea of “selling”

[19:01] Skills that help people connect and create change

[20:48] Lowering anxiety before leading change

[22:59] Why people need to feel seen and understood

[23:25] Coaching versus advising: understanding what people truly need

[24:41] Helping clients feel safe enough to be transparent

[30:33] Asking values based questions instead of surface level questions

[31:06] Coaching startup founders through identity and change

[36:18] Interrupting patterns and helping leaders think differently

[37:14] Helping founders make difficult decisions without fear

[39:30] Fear, identity, and decision making under pressure

[41:13] Collaborative leadership instead of forcing solutions

[42:19] Helping people arrive at their own decisions

[44:39] The danger of unsolicited advice

[48:44] Why expertise alone does not build trust

[50:44] What makes Maximos totally Maximos?

[52:54] Connecting deeply with strangers and seeing humanity everywhere

[56:01] Random conversations, empathy, and human connection

[56:50] Where to find and connect with Maximos

[56:54] Closing

Our Guest

Maximos Lih is the founder of Emboldened LLC, an executive coach who works with small teams and leaders to scale without losing their edge. He previously worked as a technical recruiter at Google, a coach at Google Ventures (helping founders scale from startup to scale-up), and watched Uber grow from 50 people to hundreds. His approach blends Silicon Valley pragmatism with a deeply human philosophy inherited from his grandfather — a Chinese general who taught him that real influence isn’t about control, but about seeing people fully.

Sell by Being Human

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Maximos Lih

• LinkedIn
• Emboldened LLC

Alex Smith

• Website
• LinkedIn

In sales, they always say: stay professional and never rock the boat, right? But think about it. Who do buyers actually remember? The professional who checks all the boxes or the real human with smiles, energy, and personality?

In this episode of Sell by Being Human, host Alex Smith sits down with April Palmer, Account Executive at Duckbill, adjunct professor at VCU, and self-described "hot mess boss," to explore why showing up as your authentic self is not just good for your soul, it is good for sales.

April's path started in unexpected places. From selling mistletoe door to door as a kid to closing multi-million dollar enterprise deals, she has learned that the real secret to sales is not better scripts or sharper rebuttals. It is genuine human connection. With 20,000 "weirdos" following her late-night LinkedIn chaos, April has proof that people buy from real people, not robots or talking heads.

In this conversation, you will hear why she tells prospects not to buy from her, how a ruptured Achilles led to 12 job offers, and why the platinum rule beats the golden rule every time. She also shares her dad's most annoying and effective question, what hula hoops and cheesecake taught her about prospecting, and why showing up looking like a "cotton candy machine that turned into a human" is actually a calculated strategy.

If you have ever felt pressure to dim your personality at work, wondered if you could be "too much" for corporate America, or suspected that vanilla ice cream is not your flavor, this conversation offers a different way forward.

Key Takeaways

• Why "professionalism" is often just fear in beige clothing
• How being authentically you attracts the right buyers and repels the wrong ones
• The platinum rule: Treat others the way they want to be treated
• Why "help me understand" is the most powerful phrase in sales
• How to know when to tell a prospect not to buy from you
• The importance of systems and transparency in building trust
• Why calculated risks (like wearing a hot pink suit to a tech conference) pay off
• How being vulnerable creates safety for buyers to open up
• The art of connecting people and why introductions reveal how you really feel

In This Episode:

[00:00] Introduction to April Palmer

[01:29] April's legendary outreach email

[04:34] What "sell by being human" means to April

[05:26] Why rebuttals give her the "ick"

[07:58] The platinum rule vs. the golden rule

[08:56] Growing up in the Bible Belt without TV

[11:06] The seven-layer man: April's dad and the art of asking why

[14:33] "Help me understand" and the power of shutting up

[16:43] Professionalism is fear masquerading as beige

[19:21] Being pistachio in a sea of vanilla

[23:28] Surfing as a metaphor for life and sales

[24:48] Posting about sexual assault and the connections it created

[26:48] Getting fired while injured and the 12 offers that followed

[29:45] Transparency in the sales process: Project plans and aligned expectations

[32:28] Why April tells people not to buy from her

[34:00] Hula hoops, cheesecake, and standing out

[37:30] Fear in sales: Disappointing clients and handing off deals

[42:43] Chaos with a purpose: The strategy behind the unhinged

[47:37] How being yourself invites buyers to drop their armor

[49:33] The story that's so April: How introductions reveal everything

[52:53] Where to find April

Notable Quotes

• [05:11] “When I hear sales tactics from someone else, I get the ick so hard that even if I love the thing, I hesitate to buy from them.” — April
• [06:17] “ If you’re super curious about someone’s needs, you don’t have to have a rebuttal; you just figure out if you’re the right solution for them.”— April
• [08:18] ” I go by the platinum rule: treat others the way they want to be treated.— April
• [11:44] ” I learned it’s okay to keep asking questions until you figure out what’s actually behind what people are asking you to do.”— April
• [18:20] ” In a sea of vanilla ice cream, people on LinkedIn be pistachio.”
• [21:40] “People come to me and buy from me because they love the energy I bring and know I’ll tell them the truth.” — April
• [28:50] “ I don’t want to sell you a lie about who I am. I could convince you I’m somebody else, but wouldn’t that be a horrible bait and switch?” — April
• [38:32] “I have a lot of anxiety around not providing the sales experience I want to give to other people.” — April
• [40:20] ”What happens if I build this level of trust and then I hand it over to a team and they don’t care about the customer as much as I do? That keeps me up at night.”— April

Our Guest

April Palmer is an Account Executive at Duckbill, where she helps companies fix their AWS bills by making them "smaller and less horrifying." She is also an adjunct professor at VCU, teaching students how to network and land jobs. With a career spanning founder roles, VP of Sales positions, and enterprise sales, April has made a name for herself by showing up exactly as she is in hot pink suits, bedazzled boots, and unfiltered honesty. She believes in making revenue strategy feel like a group chat gone slightly off the rails, teaching business like it is 2 AM and everyone is a little loopy. Find her on LinkedIn as "Hot Mess Boss," where 20,000 weirdos follow her late-night chaos.

Sell by Being Human

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April Palmer

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Duckbill

Alex Smith

• Website
• LinkedIn

When was the last time a salesperson helped you make a truly confident decision? In this episode of the Sell by Being Human podcast, Alex Smith sits down with Mark Kosoglow, Chief Revenue Officer at Deutsche Bank and former CRO at Catalyst Software, to talk about what selling actually looks like when you strip away the scripts. From selling shoes as a teenager to helping scale Outreach to $250M, Mark’s journey is anything but typical, but his core idea has stayed the same: great salespeople help others make confident decisions.

They get into what that looks like in practice. Mark shares why letting passion lead often creates better conversations than trying to sound polished, how his early experience with consultative selling shaped the way he works today, and why honesty and vulnerability matter more than most people think, especially when you’re asking teams or customers to embrace change.

They also dive into storytelling, the role of metaphors in making ideas stick, and the problems that come from unclear expectations. Throughout the conversation, Mark makes a strong case for being yourself, not as a slogan, but as a real advantage in both sales and leadership.

If you’ve ever felt like selling forces you to be someone you’re not, this episode will change how you approach every conversation.

Key Takeaways

• Help people make confident decisions, not just hit numbers
• Let passion show instead of hiding behind professionalism
• Treat “no” as a step that moves you closer to yes
• Focus on understanding the problem before offering solutions
• Build trust by being transparent about intentions and mistakes
• Give direction, but avoid control to unlock creativity
• Act, learn, and adjust instead of over-planning
• Prioritize clarity and ask questions instead of assuming

In This Episode:

• [00:00] Mark’s core motivation for selling
• [01:00] Welcome & introduction to Mark Kosoglow
• [02:05] Dan Pink’s To Sell Is Human and personal connections
• [05:05] What “sell by being human” means to Mark
• [06:03] Helping people make confident decisions (the 2-out-of-3 rule)
• [08:15] Early days: Selling shoes at The Athlete’s Foot & learning consultative selling
• [11:45] Telemarketing lessons and embracing “no”
• [14:21] Leading through change and the weight of asking people to shift how they work
• [16:05] Balancing control with freedom and creativity
• [18:46] Admitting failures and iterating quickly (self-sourcing example)
• [22:28] Revenue Kickoff reflections and the power of in-person connection
• [25:32] Using metaphors and storytelling (the Boeing story)
• [29:38] What Mark looks for in a CEO/leader above him
• [33:29] Clear communication and avoiding misinterpretation
• [36:08] Lessons for his kids
• [39:06] Signature question: What makes Mark totally Mark?
• [40:36] Where to find Mark
• [40:59] Closing

Notable Quotes

• [05:11] “Let your passion overcome your professionalism.” — Mark Kosoglow
• [05:55] “My personal motivation and the motivation I like my sales teams to have is to help people make confident decisions.” — Mark Kosoglow
• [10:32] “People love learning about their problem enough to understand why you’re suggesting a solution, and then they’re super confident in making the decision of that solution.” — Mark Kosoglow
• [12:27] “The faster they say no, the more I can move on to the next call that could say yes.” — Mark Kosoglow
• [36:42] “Who you are is who you are, and it’s probably pretty awesome” — Mark Kosoglow
• [24:27] “ I just really want to have fun and I want to work hard and I want to kick ass and win. And I don’t think that I have to be an asshole to do that.” — Mark Kosoglow
• [36:54] “Work ethic is like a trump card for success.” — Mark Kosoglow
• [38:22] “Expectations are the number one thing that kill parent-child relationships.” — Mark Kosoglow

Our Guest

Mark Kosoglow is Chief Revenue Officer at Deutsche Bank and a seasoned sales leader with decades of experience scaling revenue organizations. Previously, as CRO at Outreach, he helped scale the company to $250 million in revenue. Mark's career began at a shoe store called The Athlete's Foot, where he learned consultative selling at 16 years old, a philosophy that has shaped his leadership style ever since. Known for his storytelling, metaphors, and unconventional communication style, Mark believes that great sales leadership comes down to trust, transparency, and helping people make confident decisions.

Sell by Being Human

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Mark Kosoglow

• LinkedIn

Alex Smith

• Website
• LinkedIn