Join hosts Audrey Strong and C. Lee Smith on the #1 sales management podcast as they dive into management, leadership, business, sales, company culture, talent retention, revenues, performance metrics, hiring and more. From debunking sales myths to learning how to manage with and without measurements, you'll learn something new with every episode and will be able to implement positive change throughout your workplace. Available on all major podcast outlets and all episodes available on ManageSmarter.com
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300: Businesspeople Are People Too - We'll Go First with C. Lee Smith and Audrey Strong
Sunday, March 15, 2026 • Duration 29:31
Audrey Strong and C. Lee Smith celebrate 300 episodes by sharing their top management tips, podcasting secrets, and stories about real business leadership. They discuss show prep, follow-up questions, overcoming imposter syndrome, and building genuine connections. Whether you want podcasting advice, management strategies, or business growth tips, this episode delivers actionable insights and personal experiences from two industry veterans.
"It's one of those things where we have these stories that we learn about each individual person. And we work that into the conversation and try to do it early in the conversation as far as what inspired them to do what they do or asking them something that's unique about them. And there's a certain power that's associated with getting to know somebody on a personal level." - C. Lee Smith
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- How to build a personal, authentic relationship with colleagues
- Best strategies for management day-to-day relationships and improving them
- Best piece of advice in business we ever got
- How a completely random meeting 40 years ago started a long business relationship for us
CONNECT WITH MANAGE SMARTER
Website: https://salesfuel.com/manage-smarter/· LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/audreystrong/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cleesmith/
X
Audrey https://x.com/tallmediamaven
Lee https://x.com/cleesmith
Connect with SalesFuel
Website: https://salesfuel.com/
X: https://x.com/SalesFuel Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/salesfuel/
#Business relationships #Business Networking # Authentic leadership # human side of business
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299: Thrive Under Fear-Based Leaders with Kate Lowry
Sunday, March 1, 2026 • Duration 23:59
Kate Lowry, CEO, coach, and author of 'Unbreakable: How to Thrive Under Fear-Based Leaders,' shares expert insights on identifying and managing toxic leaders, especially in startups and tech. She offers practical strategies for overcoming fear-driven management styles, boosting innovation, and improving team morale. Listen for actionable advice on workplace culture, employee retention, and navigating toxic workplaces.
"The first way is to make sure you never tell them what you actually care about. People like this will try to take away or target the things that are important to you so that they can manipulate you and cause big reactions."
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
-Latest statistics on how many workplaces have fear-based leaders
-Signs to look for that signal you're working under a fear-based leader
-Solutions on what you can do to protect yourself and your team
-New feedback ideas to help mitigate a fear-based environment
CONNECT WITH KATE LOWRY
www.katelowry.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherinejlowry/
CONNECT WITH MANAGE SMARTER
Website: https://salesfuel.com/manage-smarter/· LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/audreystrong/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cleesmith/
X
Audrey https://x.com/tallmediamaven
Lee https://x.com/cleesmith
Connect with SalesFuel
Website: https://salesfuel.com/
X: https://x.com/SalesFuel Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/salesfuel/
#workplace #badboss #toxicleadership #workplaceintimidation #HR #workplacefear #dysfunctionalboss
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298: Dr. Rosenna Bakari: Seven Exits: Leave Behind What No Longer Serves You
Sunday, February 15, 2026 • Duration 22:35
Dr. Rosenna Bakari, psychologist and author of "Seven Exits: Leave Behind What No Longer Serves You," explores leadership transformation, emotional clarity, and the power of micro exits to reset and lead with confidence. Discover how self-awareness and letting go of limiting patterns helps professionals build trust, enhance performance, and create more meaningful personal and workplace relationships.
"You have to have a rabbit stick for change, right? You have to have some idea of who you want to be. And that's so hard to figure out if you haven't been allowed to be. And so you have to borrow somebody else's sense of being for a while. You can change it at any time."
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
-Definitions of lack of fulfillment and other signs that you're unhappy
-How are you getting in your own way and what to do
-What is a micro-exit and how to use it to reset your mindset
-Which of the 'seven exits' do most people struggle with, and what impact does it have?
CONNECT WITH DR. BAKARI
http://transformation.sevenexits.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosenna-bakari-ph-d-b3120194/
Connect with Manage Smarter and its hosts
Website: https://salesfuel.com/manage-smarter/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/audreystrong/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cleesmith/
X: Audrey https://x.com/tallmediamaven
Lee https://x.com/cleesmith
Connect with SalesFuel
Website: https://salesfuel.com/
X: https://x.com/SalesFuel Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/salesfuel/
#physology #workplaceproblems #careers #careerproblems #workunhappiness #RosennaBakari #SevenExits #careerprogress
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297: Humor as a Leadership Superpower with Kevin Hubschmann
Sunday, February 1, 2026 • Duration 26:36
Kevin Hubschmann, founder of Laugh.Events, shares how improv and comedy skills like active listening, adaptability, and self-deprecating humor can strengthen leadership, sales, and workplace culture. Learn to build psychological safety, improve brand voice, and connect authentically for business success. Discover actionable strategies and tips to use humor effectively at work and in team building.
"Humor skills and comedy skills, as I refer to them, are actually about soft skills. And that's listening, communication, empathy, thinking on the fly, going off script, reading a room."
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
-How using self-deprecation in the workplace can build a better culture
-Effective use of humor with tough audiences requires patience, active listening, and tailoring your approach to the individual’s openness, rather than forcing jokes
-Strategies for using humor effectively with an audience or people who do not readily respond
CONNECT WITH KEVIN HUBSCHMANN
https://laughrx.laugh.events
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-hubschmann
CONNECT WITH MANAGE SMARTER
Website: https://salesfuel.com/manage-smarter/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/audreystrong/ X: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cleesmith/
X: Audrey https://x.com/tallmediamaven
X: Lee https://x.com/cleesmith
Connect with SalesFuel
Website: https://salesfuel.com/
X: https://x.com/SalesFuel
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/salesfuel/
#kevinhubschmann #managesmarter #podcasts #businesspodcasts #workplaceculture #workplacehumor #officehumor #teamtrait #AdMall
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296: Courageous Conflict Resolution with Dan Tocchini
Sunday, January 18, 2026 • Duration 21:23
Dan Tocchini, leadership development expert and author of "The Change Imperative," reveals the secrets to navigating tough workplace conversations and resolving conflict with courage. Dan is also
co-founder of TakeNewGround.com. Learn actionable strategies for leaders and managers looking to develop trust, improve communication, and foster high-performing teams. Dan shares practical conflict resolution and leadership tips that can elevate any organization's team culture.
"To improve work relationships, ask: 'Here’s what I’m making up about what you said—tell me if I’m wrong.' It opens up honest, judgment-free feedback." - Dan Tocchini
KEY TAKEAWAYS
-How to openly invite feedback
-Reflection Techniques and how to use them
-What business metrics will be affected if you avoid conflict.
-How to build difficult conversations and conflict resolution into your overall company culture
Connect with Dan Tocchini
https://takenewground.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dantocchini
Connect with Manage Smarter and its hosts Website: https://salesfuel.com/manage-smarter/· LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/audreystrong/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cleesmith/
X: Audrey https://x.com/tallmediamaven
Lee https://x.com/cleesmith
Connect with SalesFuel·
Website: https://salesfuel.com/·
X: https://x.com/SalesFuel·
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/salesfuel/
#salesfuel #dantocchini #leadershipskills #difficultemployees #teamsuccess #leadershipadvice #managesmarterpodcast #cleesmith #audreystrong #salescred #sales #teamtrait #admall
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Extra Point: Team Commitment
Wednesday, January 7, 2026 • Duration 04:05
This week, we're tackling a topic that every leader has faced at some point: team commitment. Gain valuable insights on leadership and team dynamics with host Chip Gray.
Join us each week for a brand new bonus Extra Point episode. In less than 5 minutes, you'll get additional insights about the psychology of leadership and management from the producers of the Manage Smarter podcast. Find all of the Manage Smarter episodes on ManageSmarter.com
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295: Relationship Sales Strategies with Theresa Bassett
Sunday, January 4, 2026 • Duration 24:15
Theresa Bassett is CEO of The Diamond Group and an expert in relationship sales. With a background in construction, real estate, and digital marketing, she’s driven over $550M in transactions across various sectors. Theresa’s expertise spans working with Fortune 500 companies like Pulte Homes and GE Aviation, and she’s passionate about helping businesses grow through a proprietary system for sales and marketing. As a thought leader, entrepreneur, and speaker, she also focuses on team development and fostering growth-driven cultures, embodying her Progress = Happiness philosophy.
"With the onset of AI and all of the generational things that you've talked about, I think credibility more and more is being challenged... People don't know what to trust. So even more to the point that the personal communication, the interpersonal FaceTime conversations... are even more important because people are looking for transparency, authenticity." - Theresa Bassett
KEY TAKEAWAYS
-The core principle behind effective relationship selling strategies
-How organizations should structure their sales and marketing processes for maximum efficiency and lead conversion
-What inbound marketing tip can dramatically improve trust and engagement with potential clients
-Maintaining face-to-face interaction is still important in the digital age, especially with the rise of AI
CONNECT WITH THERESA BASSETT
https://www.diamond-group.co/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/theresalbassett
CONNECT WITH MANAGE SMARTER AND ITS HOSTS
Website: https://salesfuel.com/manage-smarter/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/audreystrong/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/cleesmith/
X: https://x.com/tallmediamaven
https://x.com/cleesmith
Connect with SalesFuel
Website: https://salesfuel.com/
X: https://x.com/SalesFuel
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/salesfuel/
#sales #relationshipselling #theresabassett #salestips #salesfuel #salescred #cleesmith #audreystrong #salesAI
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Extra Point: Stand Out Traits
Wednesday, December 31, 2025 • Duration 05:13
I'm Chip Gray and this week, we're talking about the traits that truly make a candidate stand out in the hiring process. Gain valuable insights on leadership and team dynamics with host Chip Gray.
Join us each week for a brand new bonus Extra Point episode. In less than 5 minutes, you'll get additional insights about the psychology of leadership and management from the producers of the Manage Smarter podcast. Find all of the Manage Smarter episodes on ManageSmarter.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Extra Point: Building Trust as a Leader
Wednesday, December 24, 2025 • Duration 05:08
This week, we're talking about a topic that's crucial for any leader aiming to empower their team: trust. Gain valuable insights on leadership and team dynamics with host Chip Gray.
Join us each week for a brand new bonus Extra Point episode. In less than 5 minutes, you'll get additional insights about the psychology of leadership and management from the producers of the Manage Smarter podcast. Find all of the Manage Smarter episodes on ManageSmarter.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
294: MOST POPULAR 2025: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome with Summer Craig
Sunday, December 21, 2025 • Duration 21:20
Summer Craig is the President and CEO of the Craig Group , a business growth advisory firm. With over 20 years of experience in digital marketing, she is a seasoned expert in driving revenue growth for multimillion-dollar companies. Summer specializes in leveraging technology, integrating sales and marketing, and aligning organizations for sustainable business growth. Her expertise extends to working with private equity-backed businesses to lead large in-house teams. Beyond her professional achievements, Summer is also an avid mountain climber, having conquered peaks like Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Rainier, which she uses as metaphors for overcoming challenges in business and life.
"You don't have to have done it. You don't have to know, but you have to be smart enough to figure it out and maybe go find help or admit that you need help and go solve the problem." - #SummerCraig
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
-How can professionals overcome imposter syndrome? Summer suggests focusing on what you are good at and leveraging your unique skills to overcome challenges. She believes that identifying and utilizing your strengths can help mitigate feelings of inadequacy and build confidence.
-What role does vulnerability play in leadership? Summer argues that admitting when you haven't done something before can actually enhance your credibility as a leader. She believes that showing vulnerability and a willingness to learn can foster trust and collaboration within a team.
-How can climbing mountains teach business professionals about overcoming challenges? Summer shares that climbing mountains like Mount Rainier taught her the importance of teamwork and humility. She believes that tackling difficult tasks outside of your comfort zone can provide valuable life lessons and build resilience.
-What is a key strategy for managing imposter syndrome in teams? Summer recommends hiring individuals who have the ability to figure things out and encouraging open communication. She stresses the importance of creating an environment where team members feel comfortable admitting when they need help and are supported in finding solutions.
#leadership #impostersyndrome #workplace #csuite #teamwork #salesfuel #admall #teamtrait
Connect with Summer Craig
https://www.craiggroup.io/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigsummer/
Connect with Manage Smarter and its hosts!!!!
· Website: https://salesfuel.com/manage-smarter/
· LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/audreystrong/
· LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cleesmith/
X
Audrey https://x.com/tallmediamaven
Lee https://x.com/cleesmith
Connect with SalesFuel
· Website: https://salesfuel.com/
· X: https://x.com/SalesFuel
· Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/salesfuel/
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