The Growth Signal

People don’t buy because you tell them to. They buy because they see themselves in the product.Social proof is no longer a “nice to have.” It is the difference between scrolling past and clicking buy.Alyssa Nolte sits down with Yelena Banic to rethink how brands use user-generated content, influencers, and real customer stories to drive trust and conversion. From micro-influencers to celebrities, this conversation breaks down why seeing real people use a product matters more than any polished sales pitch. If you sell direct to consumer, this episode will change how you think about your website, your product pages, and your marketing spend.This episode is for anyone building or growing an e-commerce brand who wants to rethink the future of customer relationships and close the gap between interest and action.Key takeawaysSocial proof helps buyers picture themselves using your product, which increases conversionMicro-influencers with high engagement can outperform big names with massive followingsYour product page is the point of sale, and it should do the heavy lifting, not your adsPeople and resources mentionedFourSixty (foursixty.com)Amazon VineSkimsKylie CosmeticsMikayla NogueiraKNO Commerce

More data does not fix confusion. Clear thinking does. Alyssa Nolte and Charlie Sells break down why leaders who move fast often create misalignment, burnout, and stalled growth… and how rethinking clarity can change how customers and teams experience your business.Most leaders believe clarity comes from giving more answers. Charlie argues the opposite. When teams ask the same questions over and over, it is not because they need more information. It is because the direction is not clear. This conversation rethinks how leadership clarity shapes customer trust, brand growth, and long term momentum.If you lead a team, sell services, or care about customer experience, this episode will challenge how you think about speed, simplicity, and alignment.Why you should listenYou feel like your team keeps missing the point, even after you explain it.Your brand message feels muddy or stretched too thin.You want to rethink how leadership decisions impact customers, not just internal ops.3 key takeawaysMore information often signals confusion, not clarity.Clear leadership creates better customer experiences and faster growth.What is already working matters more than chasing the next shiny idea.People and resources mentionedRandy GravittMark MillerLead Every DayDr. Matt PaytonBrian LawrenceWinSiteclarityovereverything.com

Tech layoffs may feel like they slowed down, but TJ Walia believes the hardest part is still ahead.Alyssa Nolte sits down with TJ Walia to rethink what layoffs really mean, why another wave may be coming, and how AI, salary resets, and fear are reshaping the future of work. This conversation challenges the idea of job security and pushes listeners to rethink how they build skills, value, and independence in a changing economy.If you work in tech, sales, marketing, or any corporate role, this episode will make you stop and ask a hard question… if your job disappeared tomorrow, what would you do next?Why you should listen This episode goes beyond headlines. It explores what layoffs signal about power, control, and opportunity, and how rethinking your relationship with work can put more of your future back in your hands.3 key takeawaysLayoffs are no longer about performance. They are about cost, leverage, and control.AI will not replace you. People who use AI well might.True security comes from knowing how to earn on your own, not from a job title.People and resources mentioned TJ Walia Malina Walia and The Young Leaders Podcast Gary Vee LinkedIn Microsoft AI tools like ChatGPT

Growing a business is not about hustle. It is about balance. Rethinking how people, strategy, execution, and cash actually work together.Most businesses fail because one part gets all the attention and the others get ignored. Alyssa Nolte sits down with Fuquan Bilal to break down his hot take on the four parts every business must balance to grow without breaking. This conversation challenges the idea that vision alone is enough and rethinks what real, sustainable growth looks like.If you are building a business, leading a team, or trying to scale without losing your soul, this episode will help you see where things quietly fall apart and how to fix them before they do.Why you should listen This episode helps you rethink growth beyond big ideas and revenue goals. Fuquan shares lessons from building real businesses, raising capital, and leading teams over decades. Alyssa connects those ideas back to leadership, sales, and how trust is built with both teams and customers.3 key takeawaysEvery business must balance people, strategy, execution, and cash or it will stallVision without systems leads to chaos, not growthDoing good and making money do not have to be oppositesPeople and resources mentionedEOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System)Scaling Up (Rockefeller Habits 2.0)Napoleon HillThink and Grow RichMaxwell MaltzPsycho-CyberneticsJim RohnBrian TracyNNG Capital Fund (nngcapitalfund.com)

B2B buyers are done being forced through slow, sales-first processes. They want the same freedom, clarity, and control they get as everyday consumers.Alyssa Nolte sits down with Ray Hartjen to rethink how B2B companies go to market when buyers expect digital-first journeys, self-serve options, and clear pricing. This conversation challenges old habits in sales and marketing and makes the case for revenue teams to adapt or get left behind.If you sell, market, or support B2B products, this episode will help you see buyer behavior through a new lens and rethink how customer relationships actually start and grow.Why listen Most B2B teams are still optimizing for their internal process, not how buyers want to buy. Ray explains why that gap is costing companies revenue and how a more buyer-led approach creates trust, speed, and better outcomes.3 key takeawaysB2B buyers expect B2C-style experiences, including self-serve and less frictionGated content and hidden pricing push serious buyers away earlier than most teams realizeRevenue works best when sales, marketing, and customer teams move together around the buyer journeyPeople and resources mentionedRevenue Orchestration (book by Ray Hartjen)Nadine DietzVirtuosi LEAPG2The Growth Signal is about rethinking the future of customer relationships. This episode is a clear reminder that the future belongs to buyers who stay in control.

Rethinking growth means letting go of someone else’s blueprint. Alyssa Nolte sits down with Joseph Drolshagen to challenge the idea that success comes from following a fixed formula. This conversation is about building a business that fits you, not forcing yourself into a system that was never designed for your life or your customers.If you work in marketing, sales, customer success, or leadership, this episode pushes you to rethink how growth really happens. Instead of copying tactics, Joseph explains why your mindset, beliefs, and uniqueness shape the results you get with customers and teams. Alyssa connects it all back to customer relationships and what it takes to build trust, clarity, and momentum that actually lasts.Why you should listenMost growth advice assumes people are interchangeable. Your customers are not. Neither are you. This episode helps you rethink success, rethink leadership, and rethink how real connection drives growth.3 key takeawaysThere is no universal path to success. What works for one person often fails for another.Your subconscious beliefs shape how you sell, lead, and serve customers.The best growth comes from alignment. Who you are, how you work, and how you connect with customers should match.People and resources mentionedThe SMT Method (Subconscious Mindset Training)Book: Reprogramming the Subconscious MindWebsite: coachwithjoey.com

David Wachs joins Alyssa Nolte to rethink what really builds lasting customer relationships.Most teams celebrate the close and then move on. That gap right after conversion is where loyalty is won or lost. Alyssa Nolte and David Wachs dig into why keeping customers takes just as much intention as winning them, and how small, human actions can drive bigger lifetime value. If you care about retention, trust, and rethinking how customers feel after they buy, this episode is for you.Why listen If you are focused on growth but churn keeps creeping up, this conversation will challenge how you think about onboarding, customer service, and follow-up. David shares real stories where owning mistakes, following up the right way, and showing care turned frustrated customers into customers for life. Alyssa connects it all back to how effort, emotion, and perception shape modern customer relationships.3 key takeawaysThe real LTV killer is not bad sales. It is what happens after the sale.Customers leave when effort feels higher than value, even if the product works.Simple actions like follow-ups and handwritten notes can create outsized loyalty.This episode is about rethinking retention, rethinking effort, and rethinking what it means to truly appreciate customers long after the deal is done.People and resources mentionedDavid WachsHandwritten (handwritten.com)Brittany HodakCreating Superfans by Brittany Hodak

Rethinking how trust, relationships, and real human connection drive growth.Most organizations ask for money too fast. They sell, pitch, and blast emails… then wonder why people tune out. Alyssa Nolte sits down with Katherine Lacefield to rethink what actually builds loyalty. The answer is stewardship. Real relationships. Treating people like humans, not transactions.If you work in sales, fundraising, customer success, or marketing, this episode will change how you think about growth and long-term trust.Why you should listen This conversation breaks down why constant selling hurts credibility and how curiosity builds stronger customer and donor relationships. You’ll hear practical examples from nonprofit fundraising, sales, and real-life moments that show why stewardship works better than pressure.3 key takeawaysStewardship is about relationships, not transactions. People give and buy more when they feel seen.Curiosity beats scripts. Real listening builds trust faster than perfect sales questions.Segmentation matters. The more relevant your message, the less annoying it feels.Alyssa Nolte and Katherine Lacefield also talk about authenticity, desperation in sales, and why forcing relationships usually backfires. The episode connects nonprofit lessons to for-profit growth, all while rethinking the future of customer relationships.People and resources mentionedDana SnyderMission to Movement podcastMonthly Giving Summit

Who really owns churn and what if the answer makes you uncomfortable? Customer success has long blamed sales or product when customers leave. In this conversation, Alyssa Nolte and Jeff Moss challenge that habit and rethink who is actually best positioned to reduce churn and drive real customer outcomes.Jeff Moss makes a clear hot take. Churn may not always be customer success’s fault, but it is their responsibility to solve. Together, Alyssa Nolte and Jeff Moss unpack why customer success sits closest to the truth, the data, and the customer experience and why that changes everything.If you work in customer success, sales, product, or leadership, this episode will push you to rethink how teams work together and how companies truly build durable customer relationships.Why you should listen If churn feels like a constant fire drill at your company, this episode gives you a practical, clear-headed way to move from blame to action. It shows how rethinking ownership can unlock better deals, better onboarding, and customers who actually stay.Key takeawaysCustomer success is in the best position to understand why customers stay or leaveStudying successful customers matters more than only studying churned onesObjective customer data beats opinions, gut feelings, and internal finger-pointingPeople and resources mentionedThe Challenger Sale (book)ExpansionPlaybooks.com

Reality bends. Perception sells.Alyssa Nolte and Aviv Ben Or dig into why what people believe often matters more than what is true, and how that shapes the future of customer relationships. If you want to rethink how buyers see your brand, this conversation hits fast and hits deep.Alyssa and Aviv break down why some products win even when they’re not the best, why perception becomes reality, and how small cues shape trust, desire, and action. This episode is perfect for anyone who wants to understand the real forces behind customer behavior.Why listenYou’ll hear simple, clear examples that show how perception drives choice, how brands create meaning, and why customer research needs real conversations, not just surveys.Key takeawaysPerception is powerful… people act on the story they think is true.Strong brands guide decisions with one clear message.Talking to real customers reveals blind spots that data alone cannot.People mentionedRory Sutherland (Ogilvy)