Episodios

  • Becoming the Brand Everyone Talks About, ex-CMO of Gong ($300M ARR)| Belkins Podcast Episode #23

    Becoming the Brand Everyone Talks About, ex-CMO of Gong ($300M ARR)| Belkins Podcast Episode #23
    Apr 10 2026
    What does it take to build a brand in B2B that people actually talk about? Udi Ledergor has a word for it. Courage. He was employee #13 at Gong. The first, and for a long time, only marketer. He joined when nobody had heard of them, with 11 paying customers and zero brand presence. By the time he stepped back, Gong was doing $300M ARR, had five of the Fortune 10 as clients, and had become one of the most recognisable names in B2B. He did it by building what he calls courageous marketing — the belief that attention only goes to brands willing to do something genuinely different. Not different for the sake of it. Different because playing it safe, copying competitors, and following the same templates everyone else follows is the surest way to be completely invisible. We sat down with Udi live in London, and the conversation went places we didn't expect. 🔑 What we get into: 🔹 The science behind great sales — why the best salespeople talk less than half the time, and what Gong's research revealed about the difference between winning and losing deals 🔹 How buyers actually decide in 2025 — 85% of the journey is done before they contact you. What that means for where you spend your marketing time and budget 🔹 Courageous marketing in practice — not as a concept, but as a series of real decisions Udi made at Gong that most marketers wouldn't have had the nerve to make 🔹 Creative teams and real results — why psychological safety without process accountability produces great ideas that go nowhere 🔹 Navigating uncertainty without losing focus — Udi has been through the dot-com crash, 2008, COVID, and the current cycle. His perspective on what you can and can't control is genuinely useful "I never really understood why B2B defaults to boring." — Udi Ledergor In this episode, we get into exactly how he built a $300M company by doing something about it. 00:00 - Intro: Udi Ledergor: The Marketing Mind Behind Gong 10:32 - Why Best Practices Produce Average Results 13:59 - Personalization, Relevance and What Buyers Actually Respond To 18:47 - Storytelling as a Business Weapon 39:42 - How to Build a Culture of Creative Experimentation 51:15 - Decision Making, Hiring and What to Build In-House 01:08:20 - Marketing Through Uncertainty, AI Disruption and Finding Balance 01:20:31 - What's next for Udi & Priorities About the Show What does it really take to grow a B2B business today? We ask the people doing it. The Belkins Podcast dives deep into the strategies, decisions, and behind-the-scenes insights driving real growth at top B2B companies. Each episode features candid conversations with industry heavyweights—CROs, CMOs, founders, and seasoned operators—who've navigated market downturns, scaled teams, and mastered the realities of revenue growth. You'll hear hard truths, unfiltered insights, and actionable tactics directly from leaders who've actually done the work. 🔔 Subscribe to never miss an episode. 💬 Enjoyed the conversation? Share it with your network and help spread real insights. ⭐ Leave a review—your feedback helps us keep bringing you valuable conversations. About our Guest Udi Ledergor is the Chief Evangelist at Gong, where he helped define and dominate the revenue intelligence category, taking the company from zero to hundreds of millions in revenue and achieving a multi-billion-dollar valuation. A five-time marketing leader at B2B startups, Udi is known for his bold, human-centric approach to branding and storytelling. An author, speaker, mentor, angel investor, and board member, Udi is also a passionate advocate for startups, storytelling, and creating unforgettable brand experiences. Udi joined Gong in 2016 as employee #13 and was the first of what is now a team of 60 talented marketers. Along the way, he contributed to taking Gong from a couple hundred thousand in revenue into a business making hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue. And so, you can imagine that Udi has a couple of priceless pieces of advice to share - advice you can implement to grow your own business. About the Host Michael Maximoff is the Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer of Belkins, the #1 ranked B2B appointment-setting agency, recognized by Clutch, G2, and Inc. Over the past decade, Michael has built Belkins into one of the most respected voices in B2B sales and marketing, helping over 1,000 companies across 50+ industries achieve predictable, scalable growth. Known for his straightforward style, Michael hosts the Belkins Podcast to speak directly with top growth leaders and uncover what truly moves the needle today. 🔗 Connect with Michael: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-maximoff/ 🔗 Learn more about Belkins: https://belkins.io 🔗 Learn more about Gong: https://www.gong.io 🔗 Connect with Udi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/udiledergor/
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    1 h y 27 m
  • The "Upmarket" Trap: What Actually Moves Enterprise Deals | Belkins Podcast Episode #22

    The "Upmarket" Trap: What Actually Moves Enterprise Deals | Belkins Podcast Episode #22
    Feb 23 2026

    Companies go upmarket, hit three slow months, and decide the strategy “doesn’t work.”

    In this live episode, Yann (co-founder of Userled, former Salesforce enterprise seller) breaks down what enterprise deals actually look like up close: long stretches of silence that aren’t rejection, stakeholders who shape the decision without ever joining a call, and why “activity” can feel busy while the deal goes nowhere.

    You’ll also hear the less glamorous side: what founder life feels like when momentum disappears, why some teams survive the hard quarters (and others don’t), and how hiring for energy changes everything.

    Yann shares how Userled changed their ICP, survived two brutal quarters — then closed more in October–November than the rest of the year combined.

    We enjoyed this conversation. Hope you will too.

    🔑 WHAT WE COVER

    The enterprise sales playbook Salesforce actually uses — deep discovery, the "holodeck" method, and why the best reps never feel like they're selling
    Going upmarket in B2B: the real timeline — and 4 things you're probably not charging for (professional services alone adds 33% to deal value)
    What ABM really is — the one question you must answer before spending a dollar on account-based marketing
    The LinkedIn ABM tactic that drops ad costs from $10 to $2–3 per engagement — how to target 300 people inside a single account with messaging built around what's happening at that company right now
    AI in ABM: where it cuts content creation time by 70% — and where it's still mostly hype
    Hiring for energy, not just skills — why endurance and energy are harder to find than any technical skill, and the story that changed how Yann builds teams

    "Startups are built on momentum. And sometimes there is none. So what do you rely on?" — Yann

    About the Show

    What does it really take to grow a B2B business today? We ask the people doing it. The Belkins Podcast dives deep into the strategies, decisions, and behind-the-scenes insights driving real growth at top B2B companies. Each episode features candid conversations with industry heavyweights—CROs, CMOs, founders, and seasoned operators—who've navigated market downturns, scaled teams, and mastered the realities of revenue growth. You'll hear hard truths, unfiltered insights, and actionable tactics directly from leaders who've actually done the work.

    🔔 Subscribe to never miss an episode.
    💬 Enjoyed the conversation? Share it with your network and help spread real insights.
    ⭐ Leave a review—your feedback helps us keep bringing you valuable conversations.

    About the Host

    Michael Maximoff is the Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer of Belkins, the #1 ranked B2B appointment-setting agency, recognized by Clutch, G2, and Inc.

    Over the past decade, Michael has built Belkins into one of the most respected voices in B2B sales and marketing, helping over 1,000 companies across 50+ industries achieve predictable, scalable growth. Known for his straightforward style, Michael hosts the Belkins Podcast to speak directly with top growth leaders and uncover what truly moves the needle today.

    🔗 Connect with Michael: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/michael-maximoff
    🔗 Learn more about Belkins: https://belkins.io
    🔗 Learn more about Userled: https://www.userled.io
    🔗 Connect with Yann: https://www.linkedin.com/in/userled/
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    1 h y 18 m
  • Belkins’ Founders Open Up: Confronting Their Mistakes, Wins, and Regrets | Belkins Podcast Episode #21

    Belkins’ Founders Open Up: Confronting Their Mistakes, Wins, and Regrets | Belkins Podcast Episode #21
    Dec 31 2025
    For 10 years, Belkins’ founders never sat down on camera to talk honestly about what building this company has really cost them.Michael Maximoff and Vlad Podoliako have spent a decade building together. They took Belkins from zero to one of the world’s leading B2B lead generation agencies, built Folderly, and managed a portfolio of joint investments.On paper, the story looks perfect. But a portfolio of companies doesn’t show what it feels like to live through it.To close out one of the hardest years they’ve ever had, Michael and Vlad finally sit down — in person — to break the silence.This special episode isn’t about “how we scaled an agency.” It’s about what happens to two people when they spend a decade in hardcore mode: carrying a 300-person team, making painful decisions, holding impossible targets, and trying not to lose themselves (or each other) in the process.They talk about optimism turning into realism, when caring too much starts holding the company back, and why 2025 felt like a loss even with “good numbers.”If you’ve ever felt the weight of responsibility as a founder, co-founder, agency owner, or someone building ambitious things inside a B2B company, this conversation will hit home.In this episode, we unpack:🔹 Co-founder dynamics in real life — how Michael and Vlad actually work together, where they clash, and how they’ve stayed partners through years that didn’t feel like “wins.” 🔹 Naivety, loyalty, and letting go — when believing in people becomes a liability, how many second chances are too many, and what they’ve learned about making hard calls faster. 🔹 The cost of being “#1” — what it really took to build and keep a leading B2B agency while launching a product company in a crowded market. 🔹 Living in “hard-mode entrepreneurship” — why they see business like a video game with one life, bosses, grinding, side quests — and why they still choose to play it this way. 🔹 Seeing a whole year as a “loss” — why Vlad calls 2025 a losing year, why Michael still sees it as a foundation, and how that tension keeps the company moving. 🔹 Identity, ego, and who you become — the versions of themselves they had to let go over the last 10 years, what they miss, and why they still believe this journey is worth it.If you’re tired of polished “success stories” and want to hear what this life actually feels like from the inside, start here.Chapters:00:00 — Intro: Building Belkins & What Success Really Cost Us07:20 — The "Street MBA": Lessons We Learned the Hard Way11:55 — Optimism vs. Realism: How Leadership Changes You Over Time24:03 — Business on Hard Mode: Stress, Pressure, and Staying in the Game33:47 — One Company, One Bet: Choosing Between Belkins and Folderly36:29 — Trust, Expectations, and the Realities of Co-Founder Leadership49:48 — Rapid-Fire: Bootstrapping, VCs, Tools, and Startup Tradeoffs59:10 — The “Walk-Away” Question — What If It All Collapsed?01:07:00 — Was 2025 a Failure? Conflict, Perspective, and Resilience01:17:59 — Good CEO vs. Great CEO — Responsibility, Identity, and What Comes NextAbout the ShowWhat does it really take to grow a B2B business today? We ask the people doing it. The Belkins Podcast dives deep into the strategies, decisions, and behind-the-scenes insights driving real growth at top B2B companies. Each episode features candid conversations with industry heavyweights—CROs, CMOs, founders, and seasoned operators—who've navigated market downturns, scaled teams, and mastered the realities of revenue growth. You'll hear hard truths, unfiltered insights, and actionable tactics directly from leaders who've actually done the work.🔔 Subscribe to never miss an episode.💬 Enjoyed the conversation? Share it with your network and help spread real insights.⭐ Leave a review—your feedback helps us keep bringing you valuable conversations.About the HostMichael Maximoff is the Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer of Belkins, the #1 ranked B2B appointment-setting agency, recognized by Clutch, G2, and Inc. Over the past decade, Michael has built Belkins into one of the most respected voices in B2B sales and marketing, helping over 1,000 companies across 50+ industries achieve predictable, scalable growth. Known for his straightforward style, Michael hosts the Belkins Podcast to speak directly with top growth leaders and uncover what truly moves the needle today.Connect with Vlad: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chiefdata/Connect with Michael: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-maximoff/Check us out: https://belkins.io/
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    1 h y 23 m
  • Why RevOps Is Having a Moment (with Jen Igartua) | Belkins Podcast Episode #20

    Why RevOps Is Having a Moment (with Jen Igartua) | Belkins Podcast Episode #20
    Dec 22 2025

    Revenue teams are dealing with more tools, more data, more automation - and more pressure - than ever before. Growth isn’t just about selling better anymore. It’s about how the entire revenue engine actually works.
    For the first time, RevOps isn’t a background function — it’s shaping how companies grow, scale, and make decisions.
    In this episode of the Belkins Podcast, Michael Maximoff sits down with Jen Igartua, Founder & CEO of Go Nimbly, to unpack what’s really happening inside modern revenue organizations — and why RevOps is suddenly at the center of it all.
    Jen has helped architect revenue systems for some of the most respected SaaS companies in the world, including Twilio, Zendesk, Snowflake, Intercom, and Superhuman. But this conversation isn’t about theory or frameworks. It’s about what breaks when companies scale, where AI actually helps (and where it creates chaos), and why the future of sales, marketing, and RevOps looks very different than most teams expect.

    What you’ll learn in this episode:
    Why RevOps is having a moment — and how rising complexity, AI adoption, and executive pressure have pushed RevOps into a strategic role

    What Revenue Operations actually does beyond automation, reporting, and tooling — including enablement, strategy, and protecting the customer experience

    How AI is changing RevOps teams — from workflow automation and data architecture to the risks of agent and automation sprawl

    The real future of sales roles — why junior SDR roles are disappearing, and why business development is becoming more senior, not automated away

    How to know when your company needs RevOps — including revenue thresholds, organizational signals, and common mistakes founders make too early

    What strong RevOps teams get right — clean data, shared definitions, cross-functional trust, and decision-making that actually sticks

    Throughout the episode, Jen and Michael go deep on the messy, human side of scaling revenue — misaligned incentives, broken handoffs, over-engineered stacks, and the uncomfortable truth that most companies don’t actually have a single view of the customer.
    This isn’t a hype conversation about tools. It’s a grounded look at how modern revenue organizations are being rebuilt — and why RevOps is now one of the most critical functions inside growing B2B companies.

    Chapters:
    00:00- Intro: Who is Jen Igartua
    03:17- What is RevOps?
    09:25- AI Changed RevOps: AIOps, When to Hire RevOps, Build vs Outsource
    17:25- Workflow Automation Is Getting Out of Control
    24:02- What’s Next: Platform Consolidation in RevOps
    27:46- Clay, HubSpot, and the Reality of the Modern RevOps Stack
    33:48- The Limits of AI in Sales & Marketing
    39:25- How SDRs, Marketing, and Social Selling Are Merging
    49:50- RevFest: Building Real RevOps Community
    01:00:49- Go Nibly's Evolution and Strategy
    01:12:44- Curated Dinners as Acquisition Strategies
    01:21:26- Creativity, Leadership, and “Follow the Fun”

    About the Show
    What does it really take to grow a B2B business today? We ask the people doing it.
    The Belkins Podcast dives deep into the strategies, decisions, and behind-the-scenes insights driving real growth at top B2B companies. Each episode features candid conversations with industry heavyweights — CROs, CMOs, founders, and seasoned operators — who’ve navigated market downturns, scaled teams, and dealt with the realities of modern revenue growth.
    You’ll hear hard truths, unfiltered insights, and actionable perspectives from leaders who’ve actually built and operated revenue engines at scale.
    🔔 Subscribe to never miss an episode
    💬 Enjoyed the conversation? Share it with your network
    ⭐ Leave a review — it helps others find the show

    About the Host
    Michael Maximoff is the Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer of Belkins, the #1 ranked B2B appointment-setting agency, recognized by Clutch, G2, and Inc.
    Over the past decade, Michael has helped more than 1,000 companies across 50+ industries build predictable, scalable growth engines. Known for his direct, operator-first approach, he hosts the Belkins Podcast to explore what actually works in B2B sales, marketing, and revenue leadership today.
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    1 h y 28 m
  • Why Companies Force AI: Zapier’s CEO Wade Foster Explains | Belkins Podcast Episode #19

    Why Companies Force AI: Zapier’s CEO Wade Foster Explains | Belkins Podcast Episode #19
    Dec 1 2025
    Behind every well-known tech company is a leader navigating pressure, uncertainty, and constant change. That’s what makes this conversation with Wade Foster — Co-Founder and CEO of Zapier — stand out.Wade doesn’t show up with clichés or polished CEO lines. He talks about the decisions that actually shape a $5B company: how he manages his time, how he thinks about hiring and org structure, what AI really means for Zapier, and why leadership gets harder — not easier — as the company scales.This is one of those episodes you watch if you care about real leadership, decision-making under pressure, and what it takes to build a product people depend on every day. It’s grounded, tactical, and surprisingly honest.👇 What you’ll learn: • How a CEO actually spends their time — the systems, guardrails, and rituals Wade uses to stay clear and focused • The leadership pivots that changed Zapier — adding layers of management, hiring execs, correcting mis-hires, building around strengths • How Zapier approaches AI without the hype — what’s useful, what isn’t, and why they’re not chasing trends for the sake of it • Why “small teams ship faster” — and how Zapier thinks about efficiency, headcount, and org design at 750+ employees • How Wade deals with imposter syndrome — and why founders who grow with their company have an advantage outsiders don’t • What inspired “Agents of Scale” — Zapier’s AI podcast focused on real business use cases versus the drama dominating mainstream AI talk • The habits and routines that keep him steady — from fitness to sleep to managing mental load • A rare look at the pressure behind the scenes — how he handles nonstop decisions, fires, expectations, and scaling pains • Why the future of work is “despecialization” — and what that means for teams learning to work with AI • Whether a one-person, AI-powered billion-dollar company is actually possibleWade Foster is one of the most respected builders in SaaS. This episode shows why — not through big statements, but through clarity, discipline, and how he thinks about problems that only show up at massive scale.00:00 — Introduction: Who Is Wade Foster, Zapier CEO?03:37 — Inside a CEO’s Daily Workflow06:45 — How Leadership Changes at Scale12:20 — The Mindset Behind Big Decisions18:40 — How Zapier Really Uses AI Today27:59 — Should Zapier Build Its Own Model?32:17 — Why Wade Started Agents of Scale (and What Leaders Miss)41:37 — Would Wade Be a Billionaire?48:06 — Could Zapier Run With 100 People?54:10 — Cut Deep or Scale Smart?59:00 — How AI Reshapes Team Skills01:05:06 — The Future of Hiring in AI01:09:22 — Are Solo Billion-Dollar Firms Next?01:16:40 — Final Thoughts + This or ThatAbout the Show What does it really take to grow a B2B business today? We ask the people doing it. The Belkins Podcast dives deep into the strategies, decisions, and behind-the-scenes insights driving real growth at top B2B companies. Each episode features candid conversations with industry heavyweights—CROs, CMOs, founders, and seasoned operators—who've navigated market downturns, scaled teams, and mastered the realities of revenue growth. You'll hear hard truths, unfiltered insights, and actionable tactics directly from leaders who've actually done the work. 🔔 Subscribe to never miss an episode.💬 Enjoyed the conversation? Share it with your network and help spread real insights.⭐ Leave a review—your feedback helps us keep bringing you valuable conversations. About the HostMichael Maximoff is the Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer of Belkins, the #1 ranked B2B appointment-setting agency, recognized by Clutch, G2, and Inc. Over the past decade, Michael has built Belkins into one of the most respected voices in B2B sales and marketing, helping over 1,000 companies across 50+ industries achieve predictable, scalable growth. Known for his straightforward style, Michael hosts the Belkins Podcast to speak directly with top growth leaders and uncover what truly moves the needle today. Connect with Wade Foster: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wadefoster/ Zapier: https://zapier.comListen to Agents of Scale Podcast: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4O7eFPtxPBSrdsO2KwY6KoConnect with Michael Maximoff: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/michael-maximoffLearn more about Belkins: https://belkins.io
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    1 h y 20 m
  • What Marketers Lost When AI Took Over | Belkins Podcast Episode #18

    What Marketers Lost When AI Took Over | Belkins Podcast Episode #18
    Nov 4 2025

    AI has changed how B2B marketers work — and how they connect.

    In this episode, Dr. Amy Cook, Co-Founder and CMO at Fullcast, joins Michael to explore what happens when automation starts replacing authenticity, and how today’s most effective marketers are rebuilding the human side of their craft.

    Her framework is simple: use AI for knowledge. Leave relationships to humans.

    Amy brings an unusual perspective to this conversation. She has a PhD in organizational rhetoric (how companies actually persuade people), ran her own agency for 15 years, and spent her early career as a professional violinist performing with the Osmond family. That last credential matters: she learned on stage that audiences always know when something feels rehearsed instead of real.

    That's exactly what's happening in B2B marketing right now.

    Join us, as we explore where AI actually makes marketers better versus where it destroys the trust that drives revenue.

    You'll get frameworks you can apply immediately, data from Fullcast's State of RevOps 2025 research, and the expensive lessons that come from getting this balance wrong.

    What we cover

    🔹 Where AI adds value, and where it breaks trust
    🔹 The PASSF Framework for Campaign Planning
    🔹 How Belkins spent 20% of revenue creating thousands of posts. Zero conversions. Then deleted 80% and ranked #1.
    🔹 State of RevOps 2025: Companies have 3 AI tools, 13 total tools, and 100% say their data is terrible.
    🔹 The metrics and roles that sustain revenue: Revenue per employee, marketing ops hiring, and how to split pipeline between marketing and sales.

    Chapters
    00:00- Introduction: Marketing in the Age of AI
    02:52- The PASSF Framework - Marketing as Science and Art
    06:24- Use AI for Research, Not Relationships
    11:32- Marketing Fundamentals vs. AI Shortcuts
    16:00- How AI Does Market Research in 2 Hours vs. 2 Weeks
    24:10- Where AI Works in Marketing (Press Releases, Blogs, Images)
    29:13- Content Quality Over Quantity: Deleting 80% to Rank Higher
    38:20- Ethos, Pathos, Logos: How to Persuade in B2B Marketing
    42:10- Marketing Patience: When to Wait vs. When to Move Fast
    49:00- Founder-Led Marketing When You're Outfunded
    56:48- What's Driving B2B Pipeline in 2025
    1:07:52- Lead Scoring, Revenue Per Employee, and Marketing Ops Hiring
    1:18:09- State of RevOps 2025: The Data Quality Problem

    About our guest

    Dr. Amy Cook is the Co-Founder and CMO at Fullcast, an AI go-to-market platform built on Salesforce. Before Fullcast, Amy helped scale and exit multiple high-growth companies, founded Stage Marketing and has guided several teams from Series A through acquisition.

    She’s also the co-author of The Rev Ops Advantage, which reveals why RevOps is more than just a supporting function; it’s your organization’s ultimate competitive edge.

    This book offers a step-by-step roadmap to align your teams, streamline your processes, and harness the power of automation to outpace the competition. Whether you’re a CEO, RevOps leader, sales executive, or investor, this is the RevOps guide you’ve been waiting for.

    About the Show

    What does it really take to grow a B2B business today? We ask the people doing it.
    The Belkins Podcast dives deep into the strategies, decisions, and behind-the-scenes insights driving real growth at top B2B companies. Each episode features candid conversations with industry heavyweights—CROs, CMOs, founders, and seasoned operators—who’ve navigated market downturns, scaled teams, and mastered the realities of revenue growth.
    You’ll hear hard truths, unfiltered insights, and actionable tactics directly from leaders who’ve actually done the work.

    🔔 Subscribe to never miss an episode.
    💬 Enjoyed the conversation? Share it with your network and help spread real insights.
    ⭐ Leave a review—your feedback helps us keep bringing you valuable conversations.

    Connect with Amy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyosmondcook
    Get your copy of "The Rev Ops Advantage" book: https://www.fullcast.com/the-revops-advantage/
    Connect with Michael: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-maximoff/

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    1 h y 19 m
  • The Evolution of BDRs: Salesloft CRO Explains Why | Belkins Podcast Episode #17

    The Evolution of BDRs: Salesloft CRO Explains Why | Belkins Podcast Episode #17
    Sep 15 2025

    Should you hire BDRs or full cycle sales reps? Mark Niemiec, CRO of Salesloft thinks companies are shifting budgets away from BDR teams. At Salesloft, they already made the switch from sales engagement platform to what they call revenue orchestration.

    Mark's perspective: AE-generated pipeline converts 3-4x better than BDR pipeline. He predicts the BDR role that became popular around 2012 may not exist by 2026. The economics that created the BDR boom - cheap money and abundant VC funding - are gone.

    Mark runs revenue for a company that serves 5,000+ customers. Salesloft has captured 5-6 billion sales data points over time. When he talks about fundamental changes in B2B sales process, you listen.

    Mark answers the questions sales leaders are asking: Should you cut your BDR team? How does AI account planning actually work? What's the difference between sales engagement platforms and revenue orchestration? And why do most cold pitches to CROs fail?

    What Mark covers:
    👉🏻 "What's replacing BDR teams?" - The Office of Pipeline Management strategy that sits between sales and marketing
    👉🏻 "Do AI sales tools actually work?" - Salesloft's AI account planning software that writes emails, finds buyers, and creates dynamic sales cadences
    👉🏻 "How do you sell to enterprise CROs?" - Mark's executive dinner strategy that builds relationships, not pitches
    👉🏻 "Why is full cycle sales more effective?" - The pipeline generation strategies that actually convert in demand-neutral markets
    👉🏻 "Which AI features are overhyped?" - Real talk on AI SDR tools vs human-in-the-loop sales automation
    👉🏻 "How do you transition from VP Sales to CRO?" - What changes when you move from managing reps to running all revenue operations

    Mark shares practical details about why he almost never takes cold calls, how Salesloft eliminated their BDR function, and his thoughts on sales team structure in 2025. This conversation covers the changes he's seeing in B2B sales methodology.

    Chapters:
    00:00 - Intro: The State of Sales Tech in 2025
    06:01 - The Death of the BDR Function
    13:15 - Why Full-Cycle Sales is the Future
    21:06 - CRMs vs. Action Platforms
    25:11 - What's Overhyped vs. What Works in Sales Tech
    35:17 - Salesloft's Real AI Breakthrough
    38:01 - The Future of AI in Sales
    57:17 - How to Sell to Enterprise CROs
    1:10:23 - This or That: CRO Quick Takes
    1:12:02 - Final Thoughts: From VP to CRO

    About our guest:
    Mark Niemiec is the Chief Revenue Officer at Salesloft. Salesloft’s industry-leading Revenue Orchestration Platform uses purpose-built AI to help market-facing teams prioritize and take action on what matters most, from first touch to upsell and renewal. With 5,000+ customers, Salesloft’s most recent public valuation was $2.3 billion.

    Before joining Salesloft in early 2024, Mark spent 7 years at Salesforce, ultimately serving as Senior Vice President of Sales, and a decade at Cisco, where he steered the company's Financial Services and Collaboration software segments through double digit expansion.
    About the Show
    What does it really take to grow a B2B business today? We ask the people doing it.
    The Belkins Podcast dives deep into the strategies, decisions, and behind-the-scenes insights driving real growth at top B2B companies. Each episode features candid conversations with industry heavyweights—CROs, CMOs, founders, and seasoned operators—who've navigated market downturns, scaled teams, and mastered the realities of revenue growth.
    You'll hear hard truths, unfiltered insights, and actionable tactics directly from leaders who've actually done the work.

    🔔 Subscribe to never miss an episode.
    💬 Enjoyed the conversation? Share it with your network and help spread real insights.
    ⭐ Leave a review—your feedback helps us keep bringing you valuable conversations.

    About the Host
    Michael Maximoff is the Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer of Belkins, the #1 ranked B2B appointment-setting agency, recognized by Clutch, G2, and Inc. Over the past decade, Michael has built Belkins into one of the most respected voices in B2B sales and marketing, helping over 1,000 companies across 50+ industries achieve predictable, scalable growth.
    Known for his straightforward style, Michael hosts the Belkins Podcast to speak directly with top growth leaders and uncover what truly moves the needle today.
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    1 h y 13 m
  • HubSpot Elite Partner Secrets: How We Reached the Top 1% | Belkins Podcast Episode #16

    HubSpot Elite Partner Secrets: How We Reached the Top 1% | Belkins Podcast Episode #16
    Aug 18 2025

    Only 1% of HubSpot's 6,500+ partners ever reach elite status. So what do the top 1% do differently?

    Brendan Walsh built his agency into that exclusive group, but the path had its challenges. He went 7 months without paying himself during a cash crunch and learned when to say no to clients - and crucially, when it's too early to start saying no.

    In this first-ever Belkins episode recorded LIVE, Michael and Brendan sit face to face to go through the hardest lessons, biggest mistakes, and key decisions that turned Mole Street into a successful consultancy.

    They dig into what it really takes to build lasting partnerships - both in business and with co-founders - and the expensive lessons most founders learn the hard way.

    What we cover:
    🔹 HubSpot elite partnership requirements - What it takes to reach the top 1% and the benefits you get

    🔹 Cash flow mistakes - Going 7 months without founder pay and when to listen to advisors

    🔹 When to say no vs say yes - The business stage framework that prevents pipeline disasters

    🔹 Executive search ROI - Why paying serious recruiting fees beats DIY hiring

    🔹Strategic partnership tactics - How working from HubSpot's office built real business relationships

    🔹14-year co-founder relationship - Values alignment and what makes business partnerships last

    Brendan doesn't skip over what didn't work, and Michael asks the questions that get to how decisions actually get made.
    If you're ready to hear how the top 1% actually think about growth, this conversation delivers.

    About our guest:

    Brendan Walsh is the Principal and Co-founder of Mole Street, an Elite HubSpot Solutions Partner that helps mid-market and enterprise organizations unify complex tech stacks on HubSpot.

    About the Show:

    What does it really take to grow a B2B business today? We ask the people doing it.

    The Belkins Podcast dives deep into the strategies, decisions, and behind-the-scenes insights driving real growth at top B2B companies.

    Each episode features candid conversations with industry heavyweights: CROs, CMOs, founders, and seasoned operators who've navigated market downturns, scaled teams, and mastered the realities of revenue growth.
    You'll hear hard truths, unfiltered insights, and actionable tactics directly from leaders who've actually done the work.

    Chapters

    00:00- Intro: Brendan Walsh
    02:48- How Do You Transform a Scattered Business into Focused Growth?
    06:29- The Hardest Lesson - Learning to Say No for Growth
    15:00- Why Copying Competitors Destroys Your Competitive Advantage
    20:05- The $500K Founder Mistake ((Going 7 Months Without Pay)
    25:24- Why Hiring Finance Advisors Was Our Best Decision
    32:25- How to Scale from Lifestyle Business to $10M+ Company
    36:24 - HubSpot Partnership Strategy: Elite Benefits and Tactics
    52:03 - What Makes Co-Founder Partnerships Last 14+ Years?
    01:03:30 - Why Successful Leaders Need Hobbies Outside Work
    01:09:24- What Can Polo Teach You About Business Strategy?
    01:13:45 - This or That: Polo vs Marketing

    🔔 Subscribe to never miss an episode.
    💬 Enjoyed the conversation? Share it with your network and help spread real insights.
    ⭐ Leave a review—your feedback helps us keep bringing you valuable conversations.

    About the Host:

    Michael Maximoff is the Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer of Belkins, the #1 ranked B2B appointment-setting agency, recognized by Clutch, G2, and Inc.

    Over the past decade, Michael has built Belkins into one of the most respected voices in B2B sales and marketing, helping over 1,000 companies across 50+ industries achieve predictable, scalable growth.

    Known for his straightforward style, Michael hosts the Belkins Podcast to speak directly with top growth leaders and uncover what truly moves the needle today.

    Let's stay connected:
    👉 Brendan Walsh - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendan-walsh-940563a/
    👉 Michael Maximoff - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-maximoff
    👉 Michael’s newsletter “From Zero To Agency Hero” - https://www.fromzerotoagencyhero.com/
    👉 Belkins - https://www.linkedin.com/company/belkins
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