Friday Coffee Talks

Friday Coffee Talks #90 - I was incredibly inspired by a video I cam across on Instagram this week. You may have seen the viral clip of Yoel with his wife Mari celebrating his first American paycheck since defecting from Cuba. He's an absolute light to the world and I loved seeing his passion and excitement. There were several times this week that I stepped back and was filled with gratitude...

Friday Coffee Talks #89 - The stage has been set, the bracket is almost complete, and it is time to name a winner in The Great Coffee Showdown! After weeks of trying everything I could get my hands on, it all comes down to McDonald's versus Einstein Bros. Bagels. Which coffee will reign supreme? I say unto you in the words of my uncle - allez cafe! #FridayCoffeeTalks #FCT #SalesPodcast #Sales...

Friday Coffee Talks #88 - Halloween was Monday and our family had an absolute blast. However, what did we do on Tuesday morning? Go in the attic and pull down the garlands and peppermints? Throw "Baby, It's Cold Outside" on repeat? No - and there's a reason why. There's another holiday between Halloween and Christmas and I'm here to speak for Thanksgiving. You're...

Friday Coffee Talks #87 - Do you have places that you've eaten in life that leave a more lasting mark than others? I've got quite a few. Going on dates with my Grandma June or the steakhouse I went to on my first road trip with GT Football, but perhaps none are more prominent than Junior's Grill. Junior's had the best chicken tenders and French toast I've ever had and was...

Friday Coffee Talks #86 - Traveling is a tough game that is simply a reality for those of us in sales. Airports, bad hotel beds, delays, shuffling schedules - it's all just a way of life for people who are required to be on the road. Over the years, I've found a few things that I can do when I'm traveling to make it work for me and make that time away valuable. There are thousands o...

Friday Coffee Talks #85 - The Final Four of your favorite podcast coffee competition is back and this week I've got Adam Kersh to help me decide who is moving to the championship. Adam is one of the best people I know and he has an incredibly interesting past as a musician, pastor, salesman, and all-time top 5 friend. We taste the Final Four contestants and rank them to see who will advance....

Friday Coffee Talks #84 - The best term to describe my relationship with Harry Potter as a kid was obsession. I loved it, loved everything about it, and I was all in short of wearing robes to school and testing out spells. I grew up before Hogwarts at Universal Studios was a thing so I can't imagine being a Potterhead now. For whatever reason though, a mutual love for all things magic came co...

Friday Coffee Talks #83 - If you're anything like me, you get cold reach-outs from people on an almost constant basis. The vast majority of mine are from bots trying to sell me the newest list of hot prospects or conference attendees, but there are plenty from real people trying to make things happen as well. Today we go through some really good and some not quite so good cold messages I&apos...

Friday Coffee Talks #82 - Do you ever find yourself getting bogged down in the details? In the stress of making things happen? Does negativity in sales start to affect you? It's incredibly easy to do and we all find ourselves there from time to time. After quite a bit of reflection this week on my own situation, I found it to be very reassuring and calming to remember why I've started th...

Friday Coffee Talks #81 - Two quick stories to start us off - how do you handle stress? Are you a fight or flight person? Do you let your gas tank run all the way down or do you fill it up when you get below half a tank? Competition is something that drives most sellers (and it should!) but somewhere along the way that has been twisted to be vicious and merciless. I don't believe it has to be...

Friday Coffee Talks #80 - The Great Coffee Showdown is back with even more tasty action! We're down to the Elite 8 and in this round we're doing specialty coffees - lattes, cappuccinos, iced coffee, you name it. I'm out here doing the hard work, overcaffeinating myself for the pure entertainment value. Is your favorite joint still in? Will they make it to the Final Four? Take a watc...

Friday Coffee Talks #78 - Today we return to a sales focused episode inspired by a Reddit post I saw this week. Is drinking a necessary activity in a sales career? I enjoy a nice beverage, but the notion that you can't be a successful seller without drinking is a bummer. I go through some alternatives that you can focus on instead as well as how to approach the discussion as a whole. #FridayC...

Friday Coffee Talks #78 - As someone who travels alone quite a bit, I have plenty of routines and habits that I've developed for doing things alone. Making my way through the airport with a good podcast on, finding just the right restaurant to experience new cities, booking the hotel near interesting sightseeing opportunities. Alone time is something I've grown to enjoy, but the stigma s...

Friday Coffee Talks #77 - The pandemic changed almost everything but no industry was shifted more than restaurants and during this time we saw the rise of something brand new: ghost kitchens. In concept, they're great and an efficient use of resources but Mandy and I had an experience this week that changed all of that. How have ghost kitchens been for you? #FridayCoffeeTalks #FCT #SalesVlog...

Friday Coffee Talks #76 - Round One of the greatest southeast fast food coffee battle ever begins right here! Over the past couple of weeks, I've been trying 16 (well, 15) of the best drive-thru coffees I can get my hands on. Some were great. Others were flat out terrible.    #FridayCoffeeTalks #FCT #SalesVlog #EnterpriseIT #StorMagic   #TheGreatCoffeeShowdown Thanks for listening! Follow me...

Friday Coffee Talks #74 - Thanks to everyone who sent in questions, the AMA (Ask Me Anything) is finally here. In today's episode I answer some of the most random "Would You Rather?" questions ever, visit some famous Atlanta filming locations, and discuss some of the best things I've learned. Finally, I'm announcing The Great Coffee Showdown and giving you all the first lo...

Friday Coffee Talks #73 - What an awesome week in Las Vegas! I was out for a couple of days for HPE Discover and got to have some of the best times I've had in Sin City. The food, the #frozies, the dice, and the company were all absolutely on point. Thanks so much to our friends at HPE and TSA for making it an absolute blast.  #FridayCoffeeTalks #FCT #SalesVlog #EnterpriseIT #StorMagic #HPEDi...

Friday Coffee Talks #72 - I had the immense pleasure of sitting down with a longtime friend of mine and catching up about our careers, hobbies, and approach to sales. Dennis has been a great mentor and friend to me throughout my journey in IT and it was so kind of him to set aside some time for me while he was in Atlanta. Special thanks to the folks at Toast and Jam Community for the use of the co...

Friday Coffee Talks #71 - As an elder millennial, American man, Adam Sandler holds a special place in my heart. Every time I hold a golf club, I want to run up to the ball. Every time the "Back To School" ads start, I start signing a certain song in my head. Every time we eat sloppy joes, I picture Chris Farley dancing with an apron on. Sandler's comedic chops are legendary, but his...

Friday Coffee Talks #70 - There are quite a few things pinging around in my head this week, but the main topic is trivia. I'm a giant nerd at heart and I love all the trivia game shows, but Jeopardy! has to be at the top. The question format, the history, the champions - I love it all. But I'm very intimidated so my game of choice would be The Chase. Have you watched it?  Could you compe...

Friday Coffee Talks #69 - I promised an interview last week, but due to some technical difficulties I wasn't able to make it happen. However in today's episode I show you all the things that go into making an episode of your favorite Friday morning beverage-themed podcast. This is a full tour of camera, microphone, lighting and more. All the items are linked below. I'll also be doin...

Friday Coffee Talks #67 - One of my favorite shows of all time is Saturday Night Live - improv is such a unique and fun element of comedy. Today's episode reviews what I love about this type of comedy and how it relates to selling more than you would think.  #FridayCoffeeTalks #FCT #SalesVlog #EnterpriseIT #StorMagic #Improv Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram @FridayCoffeeTalks and...

Friday Coffee Talks #66 - Parker has been begging to get his own episode so today is his day in the sun! Fun fact: he listens to FCT episodes as he goes to bed most nights so he has picked up quite a few of my sayings and mannerisms. I turned on the camera and let him go so topics range from soccer to unicorns to hiring. Please enjoy! #FridayCoffeeTalks #FCT #SalesVlog #EnterpriseIT #StorMagic Tha...

Friday Coffee Talks #65 - We spent last weekend at my sister's wedding and one of my cousins did something for Parker. It was small, but incredibly memorable and appreciated and I believe that's one of the things our world is missing most. People who are willing to do anything above and beyond to be kind are rare and that's why it creates such a special feeling when we're on th...

Friday Coffee Talks #64 - Did you know that it would be equally correct to call me Rev. Conner Volpe? That’s right! Your boy is an ordained minister with three weddings under his belt. I’m here at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC where I’ll officiate my sister’s wedding tomorrow and make it four! It’s such a special thing to be a part of and I’m so honored to get to play this role. Thanks for l...