The Emblazers Show

How are enablement leaders adapting to an AI-powered world where technology can increase productivity, but human expertise remains the key differentiator?
In this episode of The Emblazers Show, host Tim Riesterer speaks with Nate Vogel, Global Vice President of Revenue Enablement at Constructor, about how AI is transforming the way sales teams operate, scale, and engage with customers. Nate shares how he has shifted his approach to enablement by treating tools and AI agents as extensions of his team, using them alongside people to drive insights, productivity, and better decision-making. He explains why the future of selling is not about choosing between AI and human skills, but combining both to create stronger customer experiences.
The conversation also explores why soft skills are becoming the new hard skills in sales. Nate discusses how AI can help sellers prepare, research accounts, and understand customer context, but curiosity, authenticity, business acumen, and the ability to solve problems remain what separates great sellers. He also highlights the growing importance of technical knowledge, partner enablement, and using data to continuously improve how teams support revenue growth.
Tune in to learn:
How AI agents and tools are becoming part of the modern enablement ecosystem
Why human skills like curiosity, authenticity, and discovery are critical in AI-powered sales
How sales leaders can combine technology, data, and enablement strategies to create better customer experiences
 
Episode highlights: 
(00:00) Introduction
(00:26) Why AI will become table stakes
(02:18) Balancing AI with human expertise
(03:51) Managing AI tools like teammates
(06:46) Turn leaders into enablement extensions
(08:13) The Sphere’s human-plus-AI experience
(10:28) When AI no longer differentiates
(11:25) Soft skills become hard skills
(15:16) Join the Emblaze Revenue Community
(20:35) Keeping pace with AI innovation
(22:58) Why sales is becoming more technical
(28:02) Partner enablement builds customer trust
(30:58) Using data to serve revenue teams
 
Links and Resources:
Connect with Abby Kerr: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbycathkerr/
Connect with Tim Riesterer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-riesterer/ 
Connect with Nate Vogel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nate-vogel-712224a/ 
Request the replays of your choice from NEXT Revenue Summit 2026: https://win.corporatevisions.com/NEXT-Revenue-Summit-2026-Replay-Request.html
Subscribe to The Emblazers for more conversations with leading B2B thinkers.
Explore the Emblaze revenue community and start a membership today.
 
Learn about Nate Vogel
As Global Vice President of Revenue Enablement at Constructor, Nate Vogel focuses on helping organizations build scalable revenue teams through enablement strategy, data, and emerging technologies. With experience leading enablement functions at companies including Tableau, Salesforce, Gong, Databricks, and Pigment, Nate helps sellers create more valuable customer conversations by combining AI-powered insights with human expertise. His work explores how tools, agents, and analytics can extend enablement capabilities while strengthening the curiosity, business acumen, and authentic engagement that drive customer success.
 
Learn about Tim Riesterer
As Chief Strategy Officer at Corporate Visions and Chief Research Officer at Emblaze revenue leaders’ community, Tim Riesterer is a pioneering force in developing customer conversations that break through the status quo and drive measurable business results. His innovative approach helps companies craft differentiated messages and deploy them through powerful self-service and sales-directed tools that consistently outperform traditional content strategies. A recognized expert in value creation and capture, Tim enables organizations to transform their customer conversations through proven methodologies that elevate their market position and drive sustainable growth.
 
Learn about Abby Kerr 
As Director of Content & Community at Emblaze, Abby Kerr designs content experiences that spark conversations and strengthen the connective tissue between B2B revenue leaders. With a background spanning brand voice strategy, enterprise B2B content, and education, she brings a sharp eye for nuance and a deep understanding of how people learn and grow. A champion of insight-driven storytelling and peer-to-peer learning, Abby helps make Emblaze a place where leaders don’t just consume content—they contribute to it. She’s also a warm, un-shy introvert who reads fiction, asks big questions, and drinks her coffee black.

How can sales organizations future-proof their revenue teams and scale enablement without getting lost in the AI tech chase?
In this episode of The Emblazers Show, Marcela Piñeros, Global Head of Sales Enablement at Stripe, discusses how AI is reshaping individual contributor roles, leadership strategies, and the broader go-to-market workforce. Marcela shares how organizations can look beyond the initial whiplash of rapid AI adoption to build a structured, human-first strategy that focuses on enduring skills over fleeting tools.
The conversation explores how enablement teams use core competencies like workflow architecture, advanced empathy, and output validation to build trust and keep humans in the loop. Marcela also explains how traditional enablement roles, from instructional designers to content admins, are evolving into strategic future positions like context architects and AI governance leads.
For sales leaders and enablement professionals, this episode offers practical strategies for normalizing experimentation, establishing clear decision guardrails, and preparing teams for the future of human-first, agentic selling.
 
Tune in to learn:
How shifting from tools to core skills future-proofs revenue teams
Ways keeping humans in the loop builds trust and eliminates AI anxiety
How traditional enablement roles are evolving into strategic future positions
 
Episode highlights: 
(00:00) Introduction(02:18) Why AI tools are not the real advantage(05:19) Seeing the forest instead of the trees(08:00) Keeping humans in the loop(10:00) Defining the real job to be done(11:36) Six skills every AI-ready individual contributor needs(15:35) Eight leadership capabilities for the AI era(19:57) How enablement roles will evolve with AI(27:07) Why AI creates more strategic and human work(29:17) Where leaders should start with AI adoption
 
Links and Resources:
Connect with Abby Kerr: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbycathkerr/
Connect with Tim Riesterer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-riesterer/ 
Connect with Marcela Piñeros: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcelapineros/
Request the replays of your choice from NEXT Revenue Summit 2026: https://win.corporatevisions.com/NEXT-Revenue-Summit-2026-Replay-Request.html
 
Subscribe to The Emblazers for more conversations with leading B2B thinkers.
Explore the Emblaze revenue community and start a membership today.
 
Learn about Marcela Piñeros
As the Global Head Of Sales Enablement at Stripe, Marcela Piñeros is a driving force in helping high-growth revenue teams translate intentional excellence into strategic business impact. Leading enablement across global enterprise landscapes, she focuses on building human-first systems that connect skill development, behavioral architecture, and operational trust directly to team velocity and revenue outcomes. Her approach is grounded in future-proofing workforces through major technological shifts, partnering closely with go-to-market leadership to drive scalable experimentation and validate the true business value of AI-enabled selling.
 
Learn about Tim Riesterer
As Chief Strategy Officer at Corporate Visions and Chief Research Officer at Emblaze revenue leaders’ community, Tim Riesterer is a pioneering force in developing customer conversations that break through the status quo and drive measurable business results. His innovative approach helps companies craft differentiated messages and deploy them through powerful self-service and sales-directed tools that consistently outperform traditional content strategies. A recognized expert in value creation and capture, Tim enables organizations to transform their customer conversations through proven methodologies that elevate their market position and drive sustainable growth.
 
Learn about Abby Kerr 
As Director of Content & Community at Emblaze, Abby Kerr designs content experiences that spark conversations and strengthen the connective tissue between B2B revenue leaders. With a background spanning brand voice strategy, enterprise B2B content, and education, she brings a sharp eye for nuance and a deep understanding of how people learn and grow. A champion of insight-driven storytelling and peer-to-peer learning, Abby helps make Emblaze a place where leaders don’t just consume content—they contribute to it. She’s also a warm, un-shy introvert who reads fiction, asks big questions, and drinks her coffee black.

How are enablement leaders transforming product-heavy organizations into value-driven sellers that can differentiate and prove measurable business impact in an increasingly competitive market?
In this episode of The Emblazers Show, a fireside chat replay from NEXT Revenue Summit 2026, host Tim Riesterer speaks with Anne Lake, Revenue Enablement Leader at IBM, about the shift from product-centric selling to value-based conversations. Anne explains how IBM separates product enablement (“what to sell”) from value enablement (“how to sell”), helping sellers move beyond features and functions to focus on outcomes, differentiation, and the “why change” behind every deal.
She also shares how IBM’s “Deliver with Impact” program combines storytelling, value messaging, and interactive techniques like whiteboarding and flipcharting to create more engaging, human-centered buyer conversations. The episode further explores how IBM is blending qualitative storytelling with quantitative business cases, using tools, AI, and financial modeling to help sellers justify decisions and demonstrate ROI.
Tune in to learn:
Why separating product knowledge and value messaging is essential for modern enablement
How storytelling and whiteboarding transform buyer engagement and retention
How leading organizations are combining qualitative narratives with quantitative business cases to prove impact
 
Episode highlights: 
(00:00) Introduction(05:19) Focusing on value conversations versus product enablement(13:36) Deliver with Impact workshop pilots and global rollout(16:12) Storytelling and whiteboarding as engagement tools(22:16) Capstone exercises to integrate value messaging and client scenarios(27:44) Quantitative business value and financial discussions(31:15) Infusing value messaging into product training and AI coaching(38:23) Making value selling a natural part of the sales process
 
Links and Resources:
Connect with Abby Kerr: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbycathkerr/
Connect with Tim Riesterer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-riesterer/ 
Connect with Anne Lake: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-lake/ 
Request the replays of your choice from NEXT Revenue Summit 2026: https://win.corporatevisions.com/NEXT-Revenue-Summit-2026-Replay-Request.html
Subscribe to The Emblazers for more conversations with leading B2B thinkers.
Explore the Emblaze revenue community and start a membership today.
 
Learn about Anne Lake
As a Revenue Enablement Leader at IBM, Anne Lake focuses on bridging learning, messaging, and measurable business impact. She helps teams turn complex product capabilities into clear, outcome-driven narratives that enable sales and executives to communicate value effectively. With a background in human-centered enablement and talent development, Anne equips facilitators and sellers with practical storytelling techniques—from whiteboarding to flipcharting—to create more engaging, high-impact delivery. Her work helps global teams move beyond features to confidently articulate business outcomes that drive adoption at scale.
 
Learn about Tim Riesterer
As Chief Strategy Officer at Corporate Visions and Chief Research Officer at Emblaze revenue leaders’ community, Tim Riesterer is a pioneering force in developing customer conversations that break through the status quo and drive measurable business results. His innovative approach helps companies craft differentiated messages and deploy them through powerful self-service and sales-directed tools that consistently outperform traditional content strategies. A recognized expert in value creation and capture, Tim enables organizations to transform their customer conversations through proven methodologies that elevate their market position and drive sustainable growth.
 
Learn about Abby Kerr 
As Director of Content & Community at Emblaze, Abby Kerr designs content experiences that spark conversations and strengthen the connective tissue between B2B revenue leaders. With a background spanning brand voice strategy, enterprise B2B content, and education, she brings a sharp eye for nuance and a deep understanding of how people learn and grow. A champion of insight-driven storytelling and peer-to-peer learning, Abby helps make Emblaze a place where leaders don’t just consume content—they contribute to it. She’s also a warm, un-shy introvert who reads fiction, asks big questions, and drinks her coffee black.

How can enablement leaders prove impact and drive predictable revenue in a world where business conditions, buyers, and AI are constantly evolving?
In this episode of The Emblazers Show, host Tim Riesterer speaks with Ashton Williams from Salesforce, who leads a top ranked SMB operating unit and oversees enablement for a global high velocity sales organization. Ashton shares how enablement can move beyond activity metrics and instead use a clear framework of reach, readiness, and results to connect training to measurable business outcomes like pipeline progression and revenue growth.
She explains how enablement teams can secure investment by partnering with finance, rev ops, and HR to build stronger ROI cases, including modeling rep break even points and cohort performance. The discussion also covers how pilots help validate impact before scaling, with targeted programs showing revenue uplifts of 10 to 15 percent. Ashton also highlights how AI is reshaping coaching and productivity, while reinforcing that human interaction remains essential in complex sales.
Tune in to learn:
Why leading and lagging indicators are key to proving enablement impact
How finance partnerships strengthen ROI and investment cases
Why pilots and cohort analysis reduce risk and improve adoption
 
Episode highlights: 
(00:00) Introduction(04:16) Why accelerating change is stretching traditional training models(05:45) How Salesforce reorganized SMB sales and scaled enablement support(07:38) Building new onboarding, always-on learning programs, and targeting financial fluency to improve performance(09:04) Partnering with finance to understand ROI, and investment justification(11:14) Why different business functions interpret the same data differently and how alignment is built across teams(14:00) The reach, readiness, results framework for measuring enablement effectiveness(16:53) How a financial fluency pilot led to measurable revenue uplift and informed broader rollout decisions(20:41) Using the Kirkpatrick model to create shared language and align expectations across executives(22:22) Using pipeline signals, deal data, and manager feedback to identify skill gaps vs motivation issues(27:19) Why pilots are critical for proving value, securing investment, and driving adoption(29:18) How Salesforce manages lag time between training and results while maintaining executive engagement(30:41) Sustaining behavior change through manager reinforcement and aligning enablement with organizational health(34:43) How Salesforce is using AI agents and avatars for coaching, and training at scale(38:04) Why human connection remains essential in sales despite increasing AI adoption
 
Links and Resources:
Connect with Abby Kerr: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbycathkerr/
Connect with Tim Riesterer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-riesterer/ 
Connect with Ashton Williams: https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamsashton/ 
Request the replays of your choice from NEXT Revenue Summit 2026: https://win.corporatevisions.com/NEXT-Revenue-Summit-2026-Replay-Request.html
Subscribe to The Emblazers for more conversations with leading B2B thinkers.
Explore the Emblaze revenue community and start a membership today.
 
Learn about Ashton Williams
As a sales enablement leader at Salesforce, Ashton Williams is a driving force in helping high velocity revenue teams translate learning and development into measurable business impact. Leading enablement for a global SMB operating unit, she focuses on building scalable systems that connect training, coaching, and skill development directly to pipeline progression, revenue growth, and productivity outcomes. Her approach is grounded in practical ROI measurement, partnering closely with finance, revenue operations, and sales leadership to define clear business cases and validate impact through data driven experimentation and pilots.
 
Learn about Tim Riesterer
As Chief Strategy Officer at Corporate Visions and Chief Research Officer at Emblaze revenue leaders’ community, Tim Riesterer is a pioneering force in developing customer conversations that break through the status quo and drive measurable business results. His innovative approach helps companies craft differentiated messages and deploy them through powerful self-service and sales-directed tools that consistently outperform traditional content strategies. A recognized expert in value creation and capture, Tim enables organizations to transform their customer conversations through proven methodologies that elevate their market position and drive sustainable growth.
 
Learn about Abby Kerr 
As Director of Content & Community at Emblaze, Abby Kerr designs content experiences that spark conversations and strengthen the connective tissue between B2B revenue leaders. With a background spanning brand voice strategy, enterprise B2B content, and education, she brings a sharp eye for nuance and a deep understanding of how people learn and grow. A champion of insight-driven storytelling and peer-to-peer learning, Abby helps make Emblaze a place where leaders don’t just consume content—they contribute to it. She’s also a warm, un-shy introvert who reads fiction, asks big questions, and drinks her coffee black.

How can sales organizations improve seller performance and scale enablement without significantly increasing resources?
In this episode of The Emblazers Show, Mike Wallington, Division Vice President of Global Sales Learning & Leadership Development at ADP, discusses how AI is reshaping onboarding, coaching, and sales execution. Mike shares how ADP built a structured development journey that helps sellers ramp faster, improve productivity, and achieve long-term success.
The conversation explores how ADP uses AI-powered assessments, role plays, deal intelligence, and coaching tools to help sellers practice real-world scenarios, improve forecast accuracy, and navigate complex sales conversations. Mike also explains how AI avatars are accelerating product training, knowledge sharing, and enabling content creation across the organization.
For sales leaders and enablement professionals, this episode offers practical strategies for building scalable learning programs, empowering managers with better coaching insights, and preparing teams for the future of AI-enabled selling.
Tune in to learn:
How AI is helping ADP accelerate onboarding and seller development
Ways AI role plays and deal intelligence improve coaching and sales execution
How AI avatars are scaling product training and knowledge sharing
 
Episode highlights: 
(00:00) Introduction(02:05) Why ADP is planning learning and enablement three to five years ahead(03:15) Rethinking year one onboarding as a full 12-month learning journey(05:00) Why year two is the make-or-break stage for seller proficiency(09:08) How structured learning paths and assessments personalize development(10:29) Scaling practice through video role play simulations(13:15) The coaching gap in year two and how leaders can close it(15:18) Using AI role play to build real sales readiness at scale(17:35) Inside ADP’s Smart Coach initiative(21:48) How Gong AI trackers improve forecasting and deal qualification(36:09) Building an always-on enablement system with global teams and AI avatars
 
Links and Resources:
Connect with Abby Kerr: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbycathkerr/
Connect with Mike Wallington: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikewallington/
Request the replays of your choice from NEXT Revenue Summit 2026: https://win.corporatevisions.com/NEXT-Revenue-Summit-2026-Replay-Request.html
Subscribe to The Emblazers for more conversations with leading B2B thinkers.
Explore the Emblaze revenue community and start a membership today.
 
Learn about Mike Wallington
As Division Vice President of Global Sales Learning and Leadership Development at ADP, Mike Wallington is a recognized leader in sales enablement, talent development, and learning innovation. He oversees the strategies and programs that help thousands of sales professionals accelerate productivity, strengthen selling skills, and achieve long-term success across one of the world's largest sales organizations. Mike is known for transforming onboarding, coaching, and performance development through scalable learning frameworks that blend data, technology, and human-centered enablement.
 
Learn about Abby Kerr 
As Director of Content & Community at Emblaze, Abby Kerr designs content experiences that spark conversations and strengthen the connective tissue between B2B revenue leaders. With a background spanning brand voice strategy, enterprise B2B content, and education, she brings a sharp eye for nuance and a deep understanding of how people learn and grow. A champion of insight-driven storytelling and peer-to-peer learning, Abby helps make Emblaze a place where leaders don’t just consume content—they contribute to it. She’s also a warm, un-shy introvert who reads fiction, asks big questions, and drinks her coffee black.

How can sales teams deliver predictable revenue in an unpredictable world while AI changes the way buyers engage?
In this episode of The Emblazers Show, host Tim Riesterer explores how to improve human interactions in B2B sales with AI as an enabler, not a replacement. Tim shares insights from Corporate Visions’ research on over 150,000 B2B decisions, showing that buyers still prioritize human engagement at critical decision points, and that the right interactions can predict wins, losses, retention, and churn. He explains how identifying and measuring these human interactions can drive better hiring, coaching, and team performance.
The conversation covers practical approaches to developing talent, including AI-driven performance assessments, predictive skill evaluations, and cohort-based learning programs. Tim highlights how companies can design human interaction “engines” by integrating sales steps, skills, and storytelling, and how AI agents can scale and personalize these interactions at every stage of the buyer journey.
For sales leaders and professionals, this episode offers actionable strategies to improve win rates, tailor coaching, and ensure their teams deliver the experiences buyers actually value.
Tune in to learn:
Why human interactions remain essential even as AI reshapes B2B buying
How to assess, coach, and upskill teams using predictive, performance-based metrics
Ways to scale human interactions while personalizing development for each salesperson
 
Episode highlights: 
(00:00) Introduction
(04:24) Gartner reverses buyer preference toward human interaction
(07:47) Three-part framework for winning interactions
(09:31) 150k buyer decisions reveal winning interactions
(16:20) Improve human in loop performance through coaching
(17:28) AI skills assessments replace self assessment surveys
(20:28) Sponsor break: Emblaze community for B2B leaders
(24:30) Linking skills to win rates explained
(27:14) Cohort learning playbook improves sales performance
(30:42) Scaling steps skills and stories system
(33:39) AI agents enable three layer cake vision
 
Links and Resources:
Connect with Abby Kerr: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbycathkerr/
Connect with Tim Riesterer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-riesterer/ 
Request the replays of your choice from NEXT Revenue Summit 2026: https://win.corporatevisions.com/NEXT-Revenue-Summit-2026-Replay-Request.html
Subscribe to The Emblazers for more conversations with leading B2B thinkers.
Explore the Emblaze revenue community and start a membership today.
 
Learn about Tim Riesterer
As Chief Strategy Officer at Corporate Visions and Chief Research Officer at Emblaze revenue leaders’ community, Tim Riesterer is a pioneering force in developing customer conversations that break through the status quo and drive measurable business results. His innovative approach helps companies craft differentiated messages and deploy them through powerful self-service and sales-directed tools that consistently outperform traditional content strategies. A recognized expert in value creation and capture, Tim enables organizations to transform their customer conversations through proven methodologies that elevate their market position and drive sustainable growth.
 
Learn about Abby Kerr 
As Director of Content & Community at Emblaze, Abby Kerr designs content experiences that spark conversations and strengthen the connective tissue between B2B revenue leaders. With a background spanning brand voice strategy, enterprise B2B content, and education, she brings a sharp eye for nuance and a deep understanding of how people learn and grow. A champion of insight-driven storytelling and peer-to-peer learning, Abby helps make Emblaze a place where leaders don’t just consume content—they contribute to it. She’s also a warm, un-shy introvert who reads fiction, asks big questions, and drinks her coffee black.

How do sales teams succeed in a rapidly changing environment where AI is reshaping the tools but not the fundamentals of selling?
In this episode of The Emblazers Show, host Tim Riesterer talks with Frank Cespedes, Harvard Business School professor and expert in sales strategy, about how sales leaders can leverage AI without losing sight of the fundamentals. Frank explains that AI is a performance enhancer, not a replacement for strong sales skills, coherent business strategy, or effective execution. He says that the key to success lies in understanding the drivers of sales performance, managing strategy and execution, and focusing on developing human talent.The conversation covers practical approaches for performance management, including account reviews, performance reviews, win-loss analyses, and using AI to free up salespeople’s time for customer engagement. Frank highlights how leaders can ensure strategy aligns with incentives, markets, and available resources to maximize impact.
For sales leaders and professionals, this episode offers actionable insights to improve pipeline management, cultivate high-performing teams, and use AI tools responsibly to accelerate results.
 
Tune in to learn:
Why the fundamentals of selling remain critical even in the AI era
How to manage and coach salespeople to make the most of newly available time
The importance of aligning strategy, compensation, and execution for enterprise value
 
Episode highlights: 
(00:00) Introduction
(02:08) AI in sales without hype
(03:40) AI amplifies strong sales fundamentals
(05:18) AI for targeting and rep productivity
(07:53) Hiring myths and CRM data risks
(11:09) Measuring AI through time savings
(15:04) AI-powered coaching and sales practice
(16:34) Strategy gaps, planning, and incentives
(18:56) Why comp plans reward volume
(30:31) Staying close to changing buyers
(34:59) AI boosts people, not replaces them
 
Links and Resources:
Connect with Abby Kerr: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbycathkerr/
Connect with Tim Riesterer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-riesterer/ 
Connect with Frank Cespedes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankcespedes/ 
Subscribe to The Emblazers for more conversations with leading B2B thinkers.
Explore the Emblaze revenue community and start a membership today.
 
Learn about Frank CespedesAs a Harvard Business School professor and a leading authority on sales strategy and performance management, Frank Cespedes helps organizations enhance sales outcomes by aligning strategy, execution, and incentives while integrating AI tools effectively. Frank emphasizes the importance of fundamentals, human judgment, and continuous improvement in achieving sustainable sales growth. His expertise spans performance management, account reviews, win-loss analyses, and the strategic use of AI to augment productivity without undermining core sales skills.
 
Learn about Tim Riesterer
As Chief Strategy Officer at Corporate Visions and Chief Research Officer at Emblaze revenue leaders’ community, Tim Riesterer is a pioneering force in developing customer conversations that break through the status quo and drive measurable business results. His innovative approach helps companies craft differentiated messages and deploy them through powerful self-service and sales-directed tools that consistently outperform traditional content strategies. A recognized expert in value creation and capture, Tim enables organizations to transform their customer conversations through proven methodologies that elevate their market position and drive sustainable growth.
 
Learn about Abby Kerr 
As Director of Content & Community at Emblaze, Abby Kerr designs content experiences that spark conversations and strengthen the connective tissue between B2B revenue leaders. With a background spanning brand voice strategy, enterprise B2B content, and education, she brings a sharp eye for nuance and a deep understanding of how people learn and grow. A champion of insight-driven storytelling and peer-to-peer learning, Abby helps make Emblaze a place where leaders don’t just consume content—they contribute to it. She’s also a warm, un-shy introvert who reads fiction, asks big questions, and drinks her coffee black.

How do you help sales teams create demand and succeed when traditional prospecting tactics no longer work and buyers are harder to engage than ever?
In this episode of The Emblazers Show, host Tim Riesterer talks with Becc Holland, CEO and Founder at Flip the Script, about how modern salespeople can succeed in a changing marketplace. Becc explains how understanding buyer psychology, metrics, and unknown problems helps sales teams break through status quo bias and engage prospects more effectively. She emphasizes that sales is more than process; it’s about creating new demand and becoming a trusted advisor.
The conversation covers practical tips for cold outreach, including email deliverability, readability, and subject line optimization, and how leaders can equip teams to apply these tactics. 
For sales leaders and professionals, this episode offers actionable methods to engage prospects, generate new opportunities, and build a high-performing team.
 
Tune in to learn:
How to uncover buyer problems they didn’t know they had
The best practices for crafting cold outreach that generates responses
How leaders can equip their teams with metrics, sequences, and tactical expertise
 
Episode highlights:(00:00) Introduction(00:52) Meet Becc Holland, CEO of Flip the Script
(02:08) How prospecting has changed from old tactics to today’s reality
(04:37) Current email response rates and why old volume-based methods fail
(06:18) Uncovering problems buyers didn’t know they had
(10:35) How to spark self-persuasion and confidence in buyers
(11:15) Step-by-step method for uncovering buyer metrics and gremlins
(22:00) Leadership perspective on routing, sequences, and personalization
(24:25) Email optimization(33:25) Equip reps to become industry experts and tactical leaders
(38:22) Leading from the front and enabling success
 
Links and Resources:
Connect with Abby Kerr: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbycathkerr/
Connect with Tim Riesterer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-riesterer/ 
Connect with Becc Holland: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beccholland-flipthescript/
Subscribe to The Emblazers for more conversations with leading B2B thinkers.
Explore the Emblaze revenue community and start a membership today.
 
Learn about Becc Holland
As CEO and Founder at Flip The Script, Becc Holland is a leading authority in modern sales strategy and prospecting. She helps organizations break through the status quo by uncovering unknown buyer problems, creating new demand, and guiding teams to engage prospects more effectively. Her innovative approach combines deep understanding of buyer psychology, metrics, and tactical expertise to drive measurable results. A recognized expert in cold outreach, email optimization, and sales enablement, Becc empowers leaders to equip their teams with the insights, sequences, and skills needed to outperform traditional prospecting methods and achieve sustainable growth.
 
Learn about Tim Riesterer
As Chief Strategy Officer at Corporate Visions and Chief Research Officer at Emblaze revenue leaders’ community, Tim Riesterer is a pioneering force in developing customer conversations that break through the status quo and drive measurable business results. His innovative approach helps companies craft differentiated messages and deploy them through powerful self-service and sales-directed tools that consistently outperform traditional content strategies. A recognized expert in value creation and capture, Tim enables organizations to transform their customer conversations through proven methodologies that elevate their market position and drive sustainable growth.
 
Learn about Abby Kerr 
As Director of Content & Community at Emblaze, Abby Kerr designs content experiences that spark conversations and strengthen the connective tissue between B2B revenue leaders. With a background spanning brand voice strategy, enterprise B2B content, and education, she brings a sharp eye for nuance and a deep understanding of how people learn and grow. A champion of insight-driven storytelling and peer-to-peer learning, Abby helps make Emblaze a place where leaders don’t just consume content—they contribute to it. She’s also a warm, un-shy introvert who reads fiction, asks big questions, and drinks her coffee black.

AI is either a magic wand or a massive distraction. At Stripe, they’ve decided it’s the former and they have the data to prove it. 
In this episode of The Emblazers Show, host Tim Riesterer sits down with Kevin Bognar, Head of Commercial & SMB Sales - Americas at Stripe. Kevin reveals how his team moved past the AI hype to build "AI Agents" that find ICP twins, successfully slashing their SMB sales cycle from 76 days down to just 13. 
But high-velocity sales isn't just about the tech. Kevin shares his approachable yet data-driven philosophy on leadership, including the five core principles every aspiring CRO needs to know and the story of his 'Time to Shine' initiative, which is a masterclass in building an authentic culture in a high-pressure world.
 
Tune in to learn:
How Stripe uses AI for prospecting "twins" of their best customers
Why the best sales cultures sit exactly between high accountability and high fun
Kevin’s personal roadmap for navigating VC, PE, and Public leadership structures 
Why meaningful, in-person connection still outperforms a "boiler room" mentality
 
Episode Highlights (00:00) Introduction
(00:32) Meet Kevin Bognar, CRO at Stripe
(02:15) Kevin’s path from consulting to leading global revenue teams
(06:48) What younger sellers need from leaders today
(08:22) How Stripe powers internet commerce and digital payments
(10:47) Why AI is reshaping the CRO role
(12:09) Real examples of AI improving sales execution
(13:50) How Stripe reduced SMB sales cycles from 76 days to 13
(16:46) Why AI creates capacity, not just efficiency
(18:00) The five leadership principles Kevin uses to lead teams
(22:53) Why culture matters as much as accountability
(26:21) The “Time to Shine” leadership idea that built team connection
(29:25) Why in-person collaboration still matters in sales
(31:24) Building competitive teams without creating burnout
 
Links and Resources:
Connect with Abby Kerr: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbycathkerr/
Connect with Tim Riesterer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-riesterer/ 
Connect with Kevin Bognar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinjbognar/ 
 
Subscribe to The Emblazers for more conversations with leading B2B thinkers.
Explore the Emblaze revenue community and start a membership today.
 
Learn about Kevin Bognar
As the Head of Commercial & SMB Sales - Americas at Stripe, Kevin Bognar leads a high-growth sales organization at the heart of the internet’s financial infrastructure. His leadership journey spans over 20 years of experience in the technology sector, including an 18-year tenure at Microsoft where he navigated various leadership roles across public and private sectors. Kevin is a vocal advocate for the strategic integration of AI to expand sales capacity, but he remains deeply committed to "human-first" leadership—proving that even in high-velocity environments, authenticity and community are the primary drivers of sustainable growth.
 
Learn about Tim Riesterer
As Chief Strategy Officer at Corporate Visions and Chief Research Officer at Emblaze revenue leaders’ community, Tim Riesterer is a pioneering force in developing customer conversations that break through the status quo and drive measurable business results. His innovative approach helps companies craft differentiated messages and deploy them through powerful self-service and sales-directed tools that consistently outperform traditional content strategies. A recognized expert in value creation and capture, Tim enables organizations to transform their customer conversations through proven methodologies that elevate their market position and drive sustainable growth.
 
Learn about Abby Kerr 
As Director of Content & Community at Emblaze, Abby Kerr designs content experiences that spark conversations and strengthen the connective tissue between B2B revenue leaders. With a background spanning brand voice strategy, enterprise B2B content, and education, she brings a sharp eye for nuance and a deep understanding of how people learn and grow. A champion of insight-driven storytelling and peer-to-peer learning, Abby helps make Emblaze a place where leaders don’t just consume content—they contribute to it. She’s also a warm, un-shy introvert who reads fiction, asks big questions, and drinks her coffee black.

How do you help sales teams stay motivated and perform consistently when the pressure is higher than ever and rejection is a constant challenge?
In this episode of The Emblazers Show, host Tim Riesterer talks with Dr. Debbie Qaqish, a leading expert on sales psychology and neuroscience, to discuss how salespeople can thrive in an unpredictable world. Dr. Qaqish shares her insights on how psychological endurance, mindset, and inner skills can help salespeople manage stress and perform better. She explains how sales is more than just a skillset and process; it’s about how to stay mentally resilient in the face of rejection and pressure.
The conversation dives into Dr. Qaqish’s 3M model: Mindset, Moments, and Momentum, which outlines how salespeople can control their inner dialogue, stay grounded during high-stress situations, and use positive momentum to push forward. She discusses how mindset shapes performance and how small shifts in thinking can lead to better sales outcomes. The episode also touches on the importance of self-reflection, purpose, and leveraging strengths to create a more fulfilling sales career.
For sales leaders and professionals looking to elevate performance, this episode provides practical tools to boost resilience, manage stress, and maintain focus on the bigger picture.
Tune in to learn:
How to use the power of mindset to reframe challenges and unlock potential
The importance of controlling moments of stress to improve decision-making
How momentum can propel consistent performance even in tough times
 
Episode highlights:(00:00) Introduction
(02:18) Dr. Qaqish explains stress importance today
(03:52) The 3M framework for sales leaders
(07:36) How mindset shapes sales success
(12:55) Controlling moments with the 3Rs method
(18:31) Focusing on what’s in your control
(31:53) Using the reset tool for performance
Links and Resources:
Connect with Abby Kerr: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbycathkerr/
Connect with Tim Riesterer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-riesterer/ 
Connect with Dr. Debbie Qaqish: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbieqaqish/ 
Download The 10-Minute Leadership Reset™ Sales from Dr. Debbie Qaqish.
 
Subscribe to The Emblazers for more conversations with leading B2B thinkers.
Explore the Emblaze revenue community and start a membership today.
 
Learn about Dr. Debbie Qaqish
As a renowned expert in sales psychology, leadership, and the application of neuroscience to enhance sales performance, Dr. Debbie Qaqish specializes in helping organizations build resilient sales teams that thrive under pressure. Through her 3M model—Mindset, Moments, and Momentum—Dr. Qaqish empowers salespeople and leaders to manage stress, stay focused, and perform consistently. Her work bridges the gap between sales techniques and psychological health, helping teams navigate the challenges of modern sales environments.
 
Learn about Tim Riesterer
As Chief Strategy Officer at Corporate Visions and Chief Research Officer at Emblaze revenue leaders’ community, Tim Riesterer is a pioneering force in developing customer conversations that break through the status quo and drive measurable business results. His innovative approach helps companies craft differentiated messages and deploy them through powerful self-service and sales-directed tools that consistently outperform traditional content strategies. A recognized expert in value creation and capture, Tim enables organizations to transform their customer conversations through proven methodologies that elevate their market position and drive sustainable growth.
 
Learn about Abby Kerr 
As Director of Content & Community at Emblaze, Abby Kerr designs content experiences that spark conversations and strengthen the connective tissue between B2B revenue leaders. With a background spanning brand voice strategy, enterprise B2B content, and education, she brings a sharp eye for nuance and a deep understanding of how people learn and grow. A champion of insight-driven storytelling and peer-to-peer learning, Abby helps make Emblaze a place where leaders don’t just consume content—they contribute to it. She’s also a warm, un-shy introvert who reads fiction, asks big questions, and drinks her coffee black.