Whiskey Is for Closers

What happens when the guy who sells seeing things from a distance sits down with three people he's never recorded with before? You get this episode. James Hatfield runs the Ambassador program at LiveSwitch — a community of home-services founders using video to do business smarter than the giants. He joins Craig, Steve, and Drew to talk about chickens in boxes (yes, really), what David-versus-Golia...

It's May. You wrote the plan in January. Five months in, the gap between what you said this year would be and what it's actually been is staring you in the face. The pipeline is soft. The numbers are off. The team feels it. And in your gut, you already know — something has to change. The next move you make is the one that makes or breaks the rest of 2026. In this bonus episode, the three of us cra...

Every founder hits a stop on the journey where what got them here won't get them there. The skills are different. The conversations are different. The version of themselves they need to become is different. Piper Moore, executive coach and founder of PM Morning, has built her career sitting with leaders in exactly that moment.  In this episode of Whiskey Is For Closers, Piper joins us with a Shirl...

What if you could assemble a crack team of industry titans – seasoned experts precisely where you need them, from cutting-edge technology and strategic marketing to high-impact sales and crucial operational support – all while orchestrating their efforts through a proven, rapid-scale system?  AND what if this level of elite talent wasn't a distant dream requiring a fortune, but a tangible reality...

Most visionary leaders have the ideas. They have the hustle. What they don't have is clarity—because they're too busy drowning in their own stuff to see the real problem. Today we sit down with Ben Weaver from Breakers Consulting to talk about why the best sales strategy isn't about closing deals; it's about closing the gap between who you are and who you need to become.  We dig into an origin sto...

Hillary Spreizer didn't set out to build a staffing powerhouse—but 24+ years later, The Latitude Group is connecting top tech talent with companies nationwide.  In this episode, we sit down with Hillary to talk about scaling a woman-owned recruiting firm, why honest compensation conversations are a closer's best friend, and what it really takes to build a team that sticks around. Plus, she shares...

You know that feeling when you're at a networking event and everyone's just trying to extract something from you? Clay Hicks felt it too. So he built the H7 Network to prove there's a better way. We're breaking down the framework behind H7's success, why trust comes before tactics, and how to build a network that doesn't make you feel like you need a shower afterward.   Clay shares how he built a...

Let's be honest, most founders are out here wasting money on sales reps who aren't managed, processes that don't exist, and AI tools that just make bad outreach faster. It's a mess. And throwing more budget at it isn't fixing anything. In this episode of Whiskey Is For Closers, we sit down with Sean O’Shaughnessey, founder of New Sales Expert, to talk about what's actually burning your cash—and wh...

You've built something incredible. Now comes the hard part: making sure you're ready to let it go. Rich Hall helps business owners navigate one of life's most critical transitions—and it's rarely about maximizing dollars. It's about alignment: personal goals, financial security, and business sustainability all working together. In this conversation, Rich breaks down the biggest mistakes founders m...

Most founders don't take the straight path—and Anne Candido & April Martini prove that's actually the point. In this episode of Whiskey Is For Closers, we're joined by the dynamic duo behind Forthright People, a brand strategy consultancy built on the radical idea that being direct actually works. Anne and April didn't follow the traditional founder playbook—they zigged when others zagged, and...

Most founders are out here trying to close customers. Braxton Kilgo is out here trying to impact a billion people. In this episode of Whiskey Is For Closers, we pour something smooth and sit down with Braxton, founder of I Believe In You (IBIY)—a movement built on four simple words that have traveled from a small-town school assembly to wrists and phones around the world. Braxton shares how a hand...

AI is everywhere. It's writing emails, qualifying leads, and apparently coming for all our jobs (if you believe the headlines) . But here's the thing—we're not so sure. In this episode, we crack open our bourbon and dig into what AI actually means for sales, why we think human connection is about to become more valuable, not less, and how we're thinking about weaving AI into Altezza without losing...

What happens when two founders decide to combine life's two greatest indulgences—alcohol and ice cream—into one ultra-creamy, award-winning, totally-adult treat? On this episode of Whiskey Is For Closers, we're joined by Jenn Randall and Dirk Brown, the co-founders of PROOF Hard Ice Cream. They didn't just launch a product—they built an entirely new category. And spoiler alert: it wasn't easy. We...

Most founders start their business with passion, not spreadsheets—but eventually, every entrepreneur faces the moment when gut feelings aren't enough anymore. In this episode, we sit down with Ben Cooper, founder of Amplify, who's helped over 100 businesses transform from financial guesswork to strategic growth. We'll dive into why so many founders struggle with their numbers (spoiler: it's not ab...

Ben Albert, has conducted over 500 interviews with everyone from Jordan Harbinger to Cal Fussman—but his real genius lies in treating each conversation as sales training in disguise. In this whiskey-fueled episode, Ben reveals the surprising parallels between hosting world-class conversations and closing HUGE deals. We explore how asking unexpected questions, creating psychological safety, and aut...

You closed the first deal. Then the tenth. Then the hundredth. Now you're three years in, and you're still the one jumping on every discovery call at 7 PM because "nobody sells it like the founder." Sound familiar? In this episode, the Whiskey Is For Closers crew dives deep into the golden handcuffs of founder-led sales—that beautiful, terrible moment when your biggest strength becomes your busine...

What happens when you inherit a family business and decide to completely flip the script? Danielle from The New Flat Rate didn't just take over—she transformed her family's company into a pricing revolution that's liberating technicians from sales pressure nationwide. In this episode of Whiskey Is For Closers, we explore how one founder's fresh perspective on a family legacy sparked an industry tr...

This conversation bridges the gap between sales execution and organizational culture—perfect for founders who think culture is "nice to have" but are struggling to scale their sales teams. Jaime's perspective on culture as a business amplifier (not a poster on the wall) will resonate. Don't miss this chance to unlock the secret weapon every founder needs in their sales strategy! Jaime Taets is the...

Your pitch deck is beautiful. Your case studies are compelling. Your brief origin story brings tears to eyes. And none of it matters if you won't stop talking long enough to hear what your prospect actually needs. In this refreshingly honest episode, the Whiskey Is For Closers crew breaks down why great salespeople are story collectors, not storytellers. Discover the 90/10 talking rule, master the...

I like my salespeople like I like my Fireball — I don’t. Episode one of Whiskey Is For Closers uncorks the why behind the show, our favorite sales screwups, and how we help founders replace themselves in the revenue seat without going full bottle-service bro in the process.

Whiskey Is For Closers is the podcast where Altezza Solutions sits down with bold founders who’ve built businesses from scratch—and are now learning to scale beyond themselves. We talk sales breakthroughs, hard lessons, near-burnouts, and the real stories behind what it takes to grow a startup from scrappy to scalable. And yes—every guest brings their favorite drink, because behind every great fou...

Whiskey Is For Closers is the podcast where Altezza Solutions sits down with bold founders who’ve built businesses from scratch—and are now learning to scale beyond themselves. We talk sales breakthroughs, hard lessons, near-burnouts, and the real stories behind what it takes to grow a startup from scrappy to scalable. And yes—every guest brings their favorite drink, because behind every great fou...