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Truth BOMB from Joe Eskenazi

Finding Your Voice and Leading with Resilience, with Joe Eskenazi

In this episode, we welcome Joe Eskenazi, CRO at Kong, to discuss the ...

In this episode, we welcome Joe Eskenazi, CRO at Kong, to discuss the critical transition from an elite salesperson to a top-tier business leader.

Joe shares how he bypassed the ...typical "salesperson" label by treating every interaction as a business consultancy, fueled by a concurrent MBA and an early career in sports broadcasting. We dive deep into the reality of the CRO role—orchestrating cross-functional ecosystems rather than just closing deals—and the personal journey of managing high-intensity burnout.

Joe also offers powerful advice on finding an authentic leadership voice and why organizations must prioritize leadership training to protect their talent.

🙌 Thanks To Our Sponsor!
Aurasell AI: https://www.aurasell.ai

🏹 Key Topics Covered
00:00 - Intro
01:57 - The Reputation and Rise of a CRO
03:39 - Viewing Sales as Business Optimization
06:47 - The Calling Card for Success
13:50 - The Cross-Functional Ecosystem
19:30 - The Strength and Weakness of Intensity
25:00 - Navigating Burnout
33:14 - The Kobe Bryant Lesson
42:34 - Finding Your Own Voice
46:36 - The Era of AI Governance and APIs

💥 3 Biggest Lessons:

Be a Business Leader, Not a Sales Leader: To reach the executive level, you must shift your mindset from selling products to solving strategic business challenges. Joe argues that a true business leader drives cross-functional alignment and won't do "bad deals" just for a commission because they are focused on the long-term health of the organization.

You Can’t Outwork the Job: High-performers often fall into the trap of trying to out-hustle every problem, which inevitably leads to burnout. True leadership requires ruthless prioritization, mental resilience practices like breathwork or cold plunging, and recognizing that your effectiveness is compromised if you neglect your health or family.

Never Compromise the Standard: Influenced by mentors like Cedric Pech and Luca Lazzaron, Joe believes in maintaining an unshakeable standard of excellence. He uses the "Touch the Line" philosophy to remind leaders that shortcutting small details eventually leads to personal and professional erosion.

💬 Notable Quotes
"Find your voice. Find out who you are as a leader".

"I tell AEs who become leaders, you can't outwork the job. Just know that".

"I realized that I love what I'm doing because I love to help businesses optimize and transform".

"Preparation was always my calling card... I absolutely have a big fear of failure".

"There’s no AI without APIs... we like to be the picks and shovels leading to the gold".

🙌 Thanks for listening!
This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro.

If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns
Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns
Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns
Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

#softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverseShow More

How does the CRO of Cyera deal with the pressure?

The ONE thing truly successful people have

Stop Being Nice, Start Being Kind: The Cultural Shift That Built Kong

In this episode, we sit down with Carl Mattsson, VP & GM EMEA at Kong, ...

In this episode, we sit down with Carl Mattsson, VP & GM EMEA at Kong, to discuss one of the most remarkable scaling journeys in the industry.

Carl joined Kong ...when it was at just $1M ARR in the EMEA market and has since spearheaded its growth to nearly $100M ARR. We explore the unique sales principles that shaped the organization, the "heart surrounded by science" culture, and how Carl navigated the transition from a single-product company to a dominant AI-governance platform.

Carl also shares the incredible story of a founder’s personal commitment that kept him at the company during a critical turning point.

🙌 Thanks To Our Sponsor!
Aurasell AI: https://www.aurasell.ai

🏹 Key Topics Covered
00:00 - intro
02:30 - Joining Kong at $1M ARR
04:34 - Pivoting from Family to Team Culture
07:42 - Hiring for Character over Industry Experience
17:22 - The Open Source to Enterprise Transition
22:31 - The Pasta Story: A Founder's Commitment
31:46 - Kong’s Role as the AI Governance Layer
50:39 - Scaling Careers in 4-Year Increments

💥 3 Biggest Lessons:

Hire Character, Teach Technology: In the early stages of a high-growth startup, it is more effective to hire for sales character and drive than for specific industry knowledge. Carl emphasizes that while API technology can be taught, the innate curiosity and grit required to traverse from developers to the C-suite cannot be coached.

Heart Surrounded by Science: While many elite sales organizations focus 99% on "science" (metrics and process), Carl advocates for a culture of kindness over niceness. This means having the "heart" to challenge each other uncomfortably and care for the human, while using "science" to provide the repeatable structure needed for scale.

The "Because Of" Journey: Carl encourages leaders and reps to seek out roles where their personal contribution leaves a visible mark on the company's trajectory. Success in a "because of you" environment sharpens a salesperson more than a fully-oiled machine, preparing them for the highest levels of business leadership.

💬 Notable Quotes
"Our culture should be: we’re not going to be nice every day, but we’re going to be kind".

"I can teach it (the playbook), but I can't teach you character".

"If you're in something you believe in... I don't tend to pick up the phone, even when great people like you call in".

"We put the customers first, the company second, and ourselves last".

"I look at my career in four-year increments... that’s always helped me be pretty focused about where I need to go and learn".

🙌 Thanks for listening!
This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Oli Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro.

If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns
Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns
Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns
Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

#softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverseShow More

Beyond the Sales Book: The Emotional Secret to 10X Career Growth

In this episode, we welcome Steve Rog, CRO at Cyera, one of the ...

In this episode, we welcome Steve Rog, CRO at Cyera, one of the fastest-growing technology companies in the world.

Steve opens up about his journey from a technical networking background ...to becoming a high-impact leader in cybersecurity. We unpick how he landed one of the industry's most sought-after CRO roles and why Cyera’s culture of humility and teamwork keeps them winning.

Steve shares profound lessons on seeking out mentors, the critical importance of Emotional Intelligence (EQ) in delivery, and why he views leadership as a responsibility to help others reach their "ceiling".

🙌 Thanks To Our Sponsor!
Aurasell AI: https://www.aurasell.ai

🏹 Key Topics Covered
00:00 - In this episode
01:53 - Landing the Industry's Hottest Role
02:45 - Culture: No One is Bigger Than the Team
05:02 - The Science Behind the Playbook
06:45 - The Debt of Gratitude: Seek Mentors
13:05 - Overcoming Early Career Insecurity
35:57 - EQ: Why the Way You Deliver Matters

39:15 - A Turning Point: When My Boss Joined Me

💥 3 Biggest Lessons:

EQ is About Delivery, Not Softness: Emotional Intelligence isn't just about being "likable"; it's about the strategic delivery of information. Steve emphasizes that the way a leader delivers good or bad news determines how it is received and acted upon, requiring the leader to put themselves in the other person's shoes.

Authentic Leadership is Altruistic: The most authentic form of leadership is surrounding yourself with people better than you and not being insecure about having "weapons" on your team. Steve attributes his success to Cyera's altruistic culture, where teams prioritize the customer first, the company second, and themselves last.

Active Mentorship Drives Careers: You cannot wait for an introduction; you must proactively seek out mentors and ask for help. Steve advocates for paying this forward by investing in everyone from BDRs upward, ensuring team members have the guidance they need to navigate "highs and lows" without entering a tailspin.

💬 Notable Quotes
"I love seeing the team win. I love seeing career progression and I love the thought that I'm helping people achieve their career goals".

"No one person is bigger than the team".

"Measure six times, cut once. It's the philosophy across the company".

"You almost have to have imposter syndrome to go figure it out".

"You can't coach charisma, you can't coach likability... and you can't really coach desire".

🙌 Thanks for listening!
This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Oli Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro.

If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns
Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns
Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns
Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

SEO Tags: Steve Rog, Cyera, CRO, Sales Leadership, Cybersecurity, Servant Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, Mentorship, GTM Strategy, Force Management, Career Progression, Software Sales, Hunters & Unicorns

Tags: #softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverseShow More

Find Out Who is the FASTEST Leader in Software Sales? (Season 2!)

What happens when you take the world’s most competitive software sales ...

Hunters and Unicorns is BACK in Vegas! [AWS Re:Invent 2025]

THAT’S A WRAP 🎬 - AWS Re:Invent, Las Vegas - Here’s a look at what ...

Will AI replace sellers?

Sellers, are you maximizing productivity with AI?

Will AI Replace Sellers or Make Them Unstoppable?

Jason Eubanks is back to answer the question every revenue leader is ...

Jason Eubanks is back to answer the question every revenue leader is asking: Will AI kill sales jobs or make great sellers unstoppable?

He drops hard stats (91% of ...B2B teams missed quota, top 25 % drive 80% of revenue at 11× productivity) and explains why AI is a superpower for elite performers, a wake-up call for the bottom quartile, and a complete game-changer for SDR outreach, buyer trust, and hiring.

If you lead a sales org, this 35-minute conversation is required listening.

🙌 Thanks to Our Sponsor!
Aurasell AI – The first AI-native GTM platform: https://aurasell.ai

🏹 Key Topics Covered
00:00 - Intro & Jason returns
01:38 - AI: replace or superpower?
03:07 - Top 25% dominate revenue
04:38 - 91% teams miss quota
09:40 - AI’s impact on SDRs
12:46 - Outreach volume vs buyer fatigue
16:52 - Human trust + real-time signals
25:14 - Hiring for the AI era
28:25 - Will AI make sellers lazy?
31:12 - Keeping top talent engaged

💥 3 Biggest Lessons:

1. AI Widens the Performance Gap
Top 25 % already produce 11× more — AI will make them unstoppable while exposing under-performers.

2. Bottom Quartile Must Adapt Fast
If you don’t aggressively adopt AI tools, you’ll fall further behind as others 2–4× their productivity.

3. Hire Character, Teach Skills
Work ethic and engagement can’t be automated — get these right and AI turns good sellers into great ones.

💬 Notable Quotes
“AI will be a superpower… it will unlock new levels of productivity that allow your top sellers to become even more productive.”

“91 % of all B2B sales teams didn’t hit their revenue targets.”

“80 % of the revenue was generated by only 25 % of the sellers.”

“I don’t buy that AI makes sellers lazy — laziness exists for other reasons.”

🙌 Thanks for listening!
This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro.

If you enjoyed this episode, please smash like/share and subscribe!

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns
Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com
X: http://x.com/HuntersUn1corns
Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns
Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

#softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverseShow More

We Have a NEW Sponsor! The first AI-native GTM platform

In this episode, we talk to Jason Eubanks, CEO and Co-founder of ...

In this episode, we talk to Jason Eubanks, CEO and Co-founder of Aurasell (our brand NEW Sponsor!), about his transition from a 20-year go-to-market operator to a builder and founder. ...

Jason shares the exact moment he became obsessed with solving a major product problem, the complexity and low productivity caused by massive tool sprawl (over 20 products) and unintentional data silos in the go-to-market stack.

He details the crucial steps of founding Aurasell: partnering with a complementary CTO, validating the huge market problem (estimating over $1 billion in services spend), and securing a significant seed round to build the world's first AI-native CRM platform focused on customer-problem-centric design.

🙌 Thanks To Our Sponsor!
Aurasell AI - The first AI-native GTM platform: - https://www.aurasell.ai

🏹 Key Topics Covered
01:36 - Founder Journey & Co-Founders
03:24 - From Operator to 3:15 a.m. Spark
05:00 - VC Detour & Market Gap
07:42 - Tool Sprawl & Unified AI Context
11:22 - Mapping the Problem to $30M Seed

💥 3 Biggest Lessons:
The Spark of Product Obsession: Jason’s 20-year career as a CRO never led him to chase founding a company—until he woke up obsessing over a core product problem firsthand: the low productivity and operational cost caused by 20+ disconnected tools in the go-to-market stack.

Tool Sprawl Handicaps AI: The reliance on 20+ legacy SaaS products unintentionally creates data silos where crucial contextual metadata lives, rather than the core CRM. When companies try to "sprinkle" AI on this brittle structure, they severely handicap the potential for high-quality automation.

The Opportunity is in AI Native: To maximize productivity and solve the tool sprawl problem, the necessary solution is a single, AI-native platform built with a unified logic layer. This approach moves beyond small "AI tricks" to actionable automation that frees expensive sellers to attack the market.

💬 Notable Quotes
"I don't wake up at 3 in the morning and obsess over product. And then one day I did wake up at 3:15 in the morning obsessing over a product problem."

"I think it's important to make sure that your co-founding partners are complementary in skill set, like Minded and Alind on the problem."

"On average, every dollar of software you spend, historically has carried with it $3 of services."

"The problem... is that those sellers are being asked to interface with... the contextual awareness that allows us to use AI to automate with high quality outcomes, often that contextual awareness lives in the metadata."

🙌 Thanks for listening!
This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro.

If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns
Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns
Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns
Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

SEO Tags: Jason Eubanks, Aurasell, AI Native CRM, Founder Journey, CRO to CEO, Tool Sprawl, Data Silos, Sales Productivity, GTM Platform, Seed Round, Co-founder, Venture Partner

#softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverseShow More

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