Peter Cholnoky, CEO of E-Hawk, joins me for a conversation about a topic that might not sound flashy but is absolutely critical for any online business: lead risk and data integrity. While most marketers focus on the quantity of leads, Peter explains why the quality of those leads, and the metadata behind them, determines your actual success.

The episode explores the sophisticated world of “smelling engines” (Peter’s term for his firm’s analysis tools) that sniff out high-risk signups in real time. We discuss the transition from reactive spam traps to proactive risk scoring, the hidden dangers of free email accounts, and how businesses can use metadata to customize their risk tolerance, much like a car dealership at a credit bureau.

From identifying bot patterns with AI to the “toilet paper vs. iPad” rule of e-commerce friction, this conversation is a deep look into the infrastructure of trust. The core message? Stop manually sifting through garbage. Use data to automate your defense so you can spend your energy on actual growth.

1️⃣ 🕵️ Risk Is More Than Just an Email Address While checking if an email is deliverable is a great start, true risk assessment involves looking at the whole profile. E-Hawk analyzes over 500 metadata points, including IP addresses, phone numbers, fingerprints, and domain age, to build a complete lead profile.

2️⃣ ⚖️ Customize Your Risk “Thermostat” Every business has a different risk appetite. An adult entertainment site might welcome disposable emails, while a B2B SaaS company would see them as a red flag. The goal isn’t necessarily to block every lead, but to score them so your CRM or e-commerce system can decide how much “friction” to apply (e.g., allowing a high-risk user to buy toilet paper but not an expensive iPad).

3️⃣ 🤖 Using AI to Fight AI The bad actors are already using AI to create sophisticated bot attacks and move periods around in Gmail addresses to create thousands of “disposables.” To stay ahead, Peter’s team uses AI to attack their own systems, training their models to recognize the latest patterns before they hit your forms.

4️⃣ 🛑 Don’t Spend $5,000 to Fix a $1,000 Problem Peter offers a grounded perspective on fraud prevention: assess what the fraud is actually costing you. If you’re a small shop getting a handful of leads, manual review is fine. But once you scale and bots start leveraging your infrastructure to send spam or steal products, that is when you need to automate your “bouncer at the door.”

5️⃣ 📧 The “Business Email Only” Debate Should you block Gmail leads? It depends. While enterprise whales rarely use free accounts for serious inquiries, smaller businesses might miss out on a “whale” by being too restrictive. A better move is to allow them but watch for other red flags, like a disconnected phone number or a suspicious IP address.

6️⃣ 🛠️ Ditch the “Chief PowerPoint Officer” Mindset We touched on productivity tools that actually move the needle. Peter’s team lives in Slack and Claude rather than long email chains or decks. He even shared a tip for a “Slack CRM” that keeps everything in one communication hub, proving that efficiency is about staying where the work actually happens.

7️⃣ 👃 Everyone Needs a “smengine” Peter’s internal “smelling engine” checks data every six minutes to see if a domain that looked okay at signup has suddenly turned malicious. In the modern landscape, data isn’t static. A lead that is “green” today might be “red” tomorrow, and your systems should be agile enough to react.

This episode is a reminder that marketing and sales are only as good as the data they are built on. If you’re filling your CRM with “garbage” leads, you’re wasting your team’s time and your company’s money. Take a look at your data patterns, identify the friction points, and don’t be afraid to lean on partners who specialize in keeping the internet a safer, cleaner place.

Make sure to check out E-Hawk!

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Joshua Harrell, Chief Revenue Officer at WorldVia Travel Network, joins me for a conversation that starts with travel—but quickly becomes a masterclass in modern marketing strategy.

The episode explores how travel has shifted from a luxury to a priority for many families, why experiences now matter more than possessions, and how travel advisors are making a comeback in a DIY world. Joshua shares his journey from retail cosmetics to leading revenue growth in the travel industry, highlighting what marketing really means today: driving revenue, not just producing content.

From Disney overwhelm to European river cruises, from email marketing ROI to TikTok Live authenticity, the conversation connects travel lessons to real-world marketing principles. The core message? Stop chasing shiny tactics. Focus on strategy, storytelling, and measurable revenue impact.

Families are prioritizing travel over material gifts. Exposure to different cultures and perspectives creates long-term value—personally and professionally. For marketers, this reinforces a bigger truth: people buy transformation and experience, not just products.

The pandemic revealed how complex travel can be. Consumers increasingly value expert guidance—especially for premium or complicated trips.

The business lesson?
Your customers don’t just want access. They want insight, strategy, and protection from mistakes.

Joshua emphasizes that marketers often get distracted by the newest tools, acronyms, or platforms. Whether it’s AI discoverability or the latest algorithm change, the fundamentals haven’t changed:

• Know your audience
• Tell a compelling story
• Build a system that drives revenue
• Measure what matters

Marketing tasks without strategy lead nowhere.

The shift from CMO to CRO isn’t just a title change—it’s a mindset shift.

Marketing is not about colors, fonts, or tweets. It’s about:

• Generating leads
• Supporting sales
• Increasing revenue
• Finding overlooked opportunities

Every marketer today carries revenue responsibility.

Despite new platforms and AI tools, email marketing remains the strongest ROI channel.

Why?

• You own the audience.
• It’s measurable.
• It drives conversions.
• It builds long-term relationships.

Consistency matters more than complexity.

TikTok Live and short-form video are changing how audiences connect with brands. The barrier to entry is low, and authenticity outperforms polished perfection.

People buy from people.
If you can explain your product in a room, you can go live.

Exposure to new cultures builds empathy and awareness. That perspective makes better marketers because marketing is about understanding human behavior.

Travel teaches:

• Cultural nuance
• Storytelling depth
• Emotional drivers
• Comparative thinking

The broader your worldview, the better your marketing.

This episode blends business strategy with life perspective. Travel broadens your thinking. Strategy strengthens your marketing. And revenue is the ultimate scoreboard.

If you’re stuck in tactical mode, this conversation is your reminder to zoom out, clarify your strategy, and focus on what actually drives growth.

And maybe… book that trip while you’re at it.

Check out Joshua’s Book: Travel Marketeering on Amazon.

Find Joshua on Linkedin

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In this lively and insightful episode, I sat down with Victor Julio Coupe, Head of Business Development at Kensho Media and host of The Squared Table podcast. We talked about how email outreach and sales strategies are evolving in 2026—especially in the world of iGaming—and how personal branding and authenticity are now more critical than ever. From cringe-worthy cold calls to genius video messages, Victor brought stories, strategies, and a whole lot of heart.

We also unpacked how AI, oversaturation, and poor targeting are damaging trust in sales outreach—and what to do instead. Spoiler: it involves showing up, being human, and yes, sometimes asking for “one kiss only.” 💋

✉️ Email is Still King—But Only If You Respect It

• Email remains the most controllable and reliable outreach channel—but it’s often undervalued or misused.
• Victor stressed the importance of list quality over quantity, personalization, and relevance.

🧠 Stop Spray-and-Pray Outreach

• Don’t mass-email conference lists if people don’t know your name or brand. It’s lazy, and it hurts your sender reputation.
• “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.” Targeting starts with thoughtful list building.

📹 Use Video to Humanize Your Brand

• One of Victor’s best-performing tactics: short, energetic video messages on LinkedIn before conferences.
• Video builds connection, familiarity, and breaks through inbox noise. Tools like Bonjoro and BHuman make this easy.

🧍‍♂️ Build Your Personal Brand, Not Just Your Business

• People trust people more than faceless brands. In 2026, personal branding is a non-negotiable for sales pros.
• Even if you’re not camera-ready, start small: write, comment, share thoughts. Consistency beats perfection.

🔥 Conferences Need to Catch Up

• Conference organizers should allow speakers/sponsors to submit short intro videos pre-event.
• This helps with brand recognition and warms up leads in a human, value-driven way.

🧠 Know Your Audience (and Yourself)

• Cold calling may work in the U.S., but not everywhere. Know what fits your region and your style.
• Victor’s superpower? Being authentic, upbeat, and approachable. Figure out what your brand voice is and lean into it.

🤖 AI Isn’t the Enemy, Sloppy Outreach Is

• With AI-generated spam on the rise, real, human-crafted messages stand out more than ever.
• Personalized, relevant outreach = higher response rates. The “Dear Sir/Madam” era is dead.

The episode wrapped with a challenge: Start building your personal brand today. Whether it’s posting on LinkedIn, recording a short video, or simply replying with heart, taking small, consistent actions builds trust—and trust leads to conversations (and conversions 💰).

Victor said it best:
“If you don’t ask for the kiss, you can’t get the conversion.” 💋

👀 Don’t Miss It:

Listen to his podcast: The Squared Table

Find Victor on LinkedIn

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