In this episode of RISEUP@work, host Dr. Deepak Bhootra sits down with Jasmine Davis, founder and CEO of Pretty Talk LLC, to explore why leadership development must begin long before young people enter the workforce.

Drawing from her experience in juvenile justice, youth mentorship, and character development, Jasmine shares how confidence, communication, empathy, and emotional intelligence are becoming the true power skills of the modern workplace.

In this episode of RISEUP@work, host Dr. Deepak Bhootra sits down with Gearoid Cox founder of Sales Pipeline to break down why most founders struggle to scale revenue and what it actually takes to build a predictable sales engine.

Drawing from his experience in enterprise sales and entrepreneurship, Gearoid reveals the biggest mistake leaders make: relying on hustle instead of building structured, repeatable systems.

• (00:00:00) - Rising Up at Work With Gerod Cox
• (00:00:51) - What Does Sales Pipeline Do Today?
• (00:01:36) - In the Elevator With Entrepreneurs
• (00:02:00) - What Do Founders Get It Wrong When They Build a Sales Engine?
• (00:03:32) - What to Do About Sales When the Company's On Fire?
• (00:05:25) - The System of Selling
• (00:06:33) - The System of Solutions for Outreach
• (00:08:51) - What Makes Our Approach So Different?
• (00:13:08) - How To Have a Real Talk With a Founder
• (00:16:02) - The Cost of a One-Person Sales Team
• (00:17:24) - Rise Up At Work
• (00:18:15) - What's So Unique About Sales?
• (00:20:14) - What separates the Great Salespeople from the Burnout
• (00:23:54) - How to Become More Resilient and Purposeful in Your Career
• (00:26:17) - When You Start Your Company, Does Your Responsibility Extend to the Company
• (00:28:10) - In the Elevator With Steve Jobs
• (00:30:44) - What Side of You Revealed in Starting a Business?
• (00:32:14) - How to Get Out Of the Trap of Growth
• (00:33:35) - What Advice Would You Give to Your 21-Year-Old Self
• (00:36:11) - Rise Up At Work
• (00:36:42) - A Few Words from Gerald
• (00:37:06) - Overwhelmed? Take a Break From Work This Week
• (00:39:41) - In the Elevator With Garrett Jones
• (00:40:56) - Walking to relieve stress
• (00:43:21) - How To Manage Your Life
• (00:48:12) - Putin's acceptance speech

In this episode of RISEUP@work, host Dr. Deepak Bhootra sits down with Mark Phinick, author of When Deals Go Quiet and founder of Let’s Make It Rain, to uncover why effort alone doesn’t accelerate sales success.

Mark challenges traditional selling by revealing that deals don’t close through persistence alone, but through understanding how organizations actually make decisions.

• (00:00:00) - Rising Up At Work With Mark Finnick
• (00:01:01) - How to Accelerate Your Sales Career with SEO
• (00:01:24) - Sales Coach: Effort and Organization Goals
• (00:02:54) - How to Manage a Full Pipeline
• (00:10:34) - What is a Champion at Work?
• (00:12:06) - The 4 Conditions That Must Be Included Before a Deal Forms
• (00:14:53) - What to Teach the Newbie
• (00:17:51) - How To Catch Weak Deals Before They Crash
• (00:20:34) - Marketing Champion: How to Keep the Client Excited
• (00:22:09) - Marketing Lessons on Enthusiasm
• (00:23:03) - Rising Up at Work
• (00:24:24) - Stop Sellying
• (00:28:23) - CXO Coach vs Champion
• (00:31:39) - Does Forecast Pressure Distract Your Sales Development?
• (00:35:24) - Rising Up at Work
• (00:36:34) - What's So Different About The Quiet Stage of Enterprise Deals
• (00:40:15) - Marketing Live: The Fat Bear
• (00:44:18) - What Makes a Great Salesperson?
• (00:45:40) - WSJD Live: A Question for Mark Zuckerberg
• (00:46:27) - What Makes a Great Salesperson?
• (00:48:24) - Rise Up!

In this episode of RISEUP@work, host Dr. Deepak Bhootra sits down with Suresh Madhuvarsu co-founder & CEO of SalesTable to unpack one of the toughest transitions in entrepreneurship: moving from building a product to actually selling it.

Drawing from 25+ years in startups, Suresh shares the hard truth many founders face great products don’t guarantee revenue.

In this episode of RISEUP@work, host Dr. Deepak Bhootra sits down with Justin Starbird, CEO of The AEBLI Group, to explore the real journey behind entrepreneurship, leadership, and building something that lasts. From early career struggles and chasing material success to redefining values through experience, Justin shares how authenticity, clarity, and strong systems shape long-term growth.

• (00:00:00) - Rising Up at Work With Deepak Bhutra
• (00:00:23) - CEO of Ably Group Justin Starbuck
• (00:00:34) - In the Elevator With Justin Flannery
• (00:01:00) - Introducing Justin Ably
• (00:02:32) - Justin On Marketing and Business Development
• (00:03:39) - Tim Ferriss on Success and the Challenges
• (00:05:10) - "Old Timers"
• (00:06:07) - The Importance of Work Ethic
• (00:09:25) - Deepak's One Value From His Work Ethic
• (00:10:48) - A Value System for Growth
• (00:12:11) - Rising Up At Work
• (00:12:58) - The Shift from Hustle to Systems
• (00:16:17) - Crowdfunding: The Future of Ideas
• (00:16:46) - Have You Turned From Consulting to Investing?
• (00:19:10) - What's the Best Place to Start a Startup?
• (00:21:35) - What's The Secret to Raising a Startup's Capital?
• (00:22:53) - What to Ask Yourself Before Raising Money?
• (00:25:31) - Rising Up At Work
• (00:26:17) - Rising Up At Work: The Age of Automation
• (00:27:13) - How AI Is Affecting Marketing
• (00:29:20) - What Parts of Marketing Have Been commoditized?
• (00:31:47) - What Skills Are More Valuable Because of AI?
• (00:34:35) - What Would You Do In Marketing Today?
• (00:38:30) - Rising Up at Work
• (00:39:52) - What's The One Constant in Your Life?
• (00:41:18) - Motivation and Discipline in Business
• (00:42:52) - What Have You Had To Unlearn To Get Out Of A Div
• (00:48:50) - "Don't Fall In Love With Your Hair"
• (00:49:49) - How to Get Erenerated at Work
• (00:50:32) - Rise Up at Work With Justin Starbert

In this episode of Rise Up at Work, host Dr. Deepak Bhootra sits down with Divya Gill CPA, entrepreneur, and founder of Gill Tax Group to explore how high performers can grow without burning out. Drawing from her journey as a second-generation CPA and immigrant leader, Divya shares powerful insights on shifting from overwork to intentional leadership.