In this episode of Drinks & Deals, Assad Quraishi sits down with Cole, Strategic Account Executive at Clio, to talk about mentorship, discovery, and the art of meaningful sales. Cole shares how he prioritizes accounts, builds relationships through curiosity and data, and uses mentorship to give back to the next generation of sales pros. From defining “compelling events” to leveraging AI in discovery, this episode dives deep into how top performers balance metrics with meaning.

You’ll hear practical strategies on identifying your top 10 clients, turning curiosity into conversions, and keeping your sales process human—even in a digital world.

Where to Connect with Cole Hecht:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colehecht7/

Website: https://www.clio.com/

Contact Info for Assad:

LinkedIn: ⁠Assad Quraishi on LinkedIn⁠

Website: ⁠QS Consulting⁠ & ⁠XP Gaming⁠

Music by ⁠Oleksandr Stepanov⁠ from ⁠Pixabay⁠

https://www.qsconsulting.info/drinks-and-deals

In this episode of Drinks & Deals, Assad Quraishi sits down with Dennis Meador, Founder of the Legal Podcast Network. Dennis shares how his team produces 250 episodes per month, the launch story behind the Legal Podcast Network, and his philosophy on sales, leadership, and building scalable systems. From developing an AI-powered podcasting app to turning one episode into 30 days of content, Dennis gives a masterclass on growth, adaptability, and creating value in the legal sector.

• Legal Podcast Network

• Podcast growth

• Sales and entrepreneurship

• AI for podcasting

• Content marketing

• Leadership and scaling

• Business development for lawyers

• Podcast production

Where to Connect with Dennis Meador

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennismeador/

• Website: https://www.thelegalpodcastnetwork.com/

Contact Info for Assad

• • LinkedIn: ⁠Assad Quraishi on LinkedIn⁠
  • Website: ⁠QS Consulting⁠ & ⁠XP Gaming⁠

  Music Credit
  Music by Oleksandr Stepanov from Pixabay

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In this solo episode of Drinks & Deals, host Assad Quraishi explores how lessons from gaming—like grinding in Pokémon Go, leveling up, and building long-term strategies—apply directly to sales. From gamification pitfalls to leveraging player psychology, Assad shares actionable insights on discipline, resilience, and building lasting partnerships. Tune in to discover how thinking like a gamer can sharpen your sales strategy and keep you leveling up in business development.

Contact Info for Assad:

LinkedIn: ⁠Assad Quraishi on LinkedIn⁠

Website: ⁠QS Consulting⁠ & ⁠XP Gaming⁠

Music by ⁠Oleksandr Stepanov⁠ from ⁠Pixabay⁠

https://www.qsconsulting.info/drinks-and-deals

sales strategy, gaming in sales, gamification vs gaming, Pokémon Go sales lessons, sales discipline, business development, leveling up, partnerships, resilience in sales, sales pipeline growth

Nathan Turner of Earnest Investing and host of the Diversified Mortgage Expo shares how he rebounded from the 2008 crash, turned networking into a repeatable system, and built confidence through simple, practical habits. Learn why setting goals like “20 business cards” can change a career, how to push past imposter syndrome, and why switching seats at conferences can 10x your network. This episode offers relatable lessons for SDRs, BDRs, AEs, and entrepreneurs on building confidence, solving problems, and growing your sales career.

Where to Connect with Nathan Turner:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-turner-a9a1b510/

• Website: https://earnestinvesting.com/

Contact Info for Assad:

• • LinkedIn: ⁠Assad Quraishi on LinkedIn⁠
  • Website: ⁠QS Consulting⁠ & ⁠XP Gaming⁠

  
  

• Music Credit:

  • Music by⁠ ⁠Oleksandr Stepanov⁠⁠ from⁠ ⁠Pixabay⁠⁠

In this episode of Drinks & Deals, host Assad Quraishi sits down with Zach Acito, Business Development Manager at Keywords Studios, to discuss how one of the largest service providers in gaming is shifting focus from AAA dominance to supporting indie and AA studios. Zach shares insights on overcoming the “too big to work with us” stigma, the ROI of in-person networking for smaller teams, and how to sell with startup agility inside a global organization. He also highlights a practical career framework and book recommendation for anyone looking to level up in sales and business development in the games industry.

• LinkedIn: Zach Acito on LinkedIn

• Company Website: Keywords Studios

• LinkedIn: Assad Quraishi on LinkedIn

• Websites: QS Consulting

Music by Oleksandr Stepanov from Pixabay

In this episode of Drinks & Deals, Assad sits down with Alex, Head of Sales at Snapser, a backend platform that helps game studios and app developers launch faster without sacrificing customization.

Alex shares how he’s built high-performing sales pipelines for startups and global tech brands—often with limited budget, small teams, and tight timelines. You’ll hear strategies for controlling what you can control, ruthlessly prioritizing high-impact actions, and identifying bad deals before they drain your resources.

They also dive into the realities of competing in the gaming industry, protecting your company’s mission, and building a personal brand that opens doors for the long term.

Whether you’re in business development, SaaS sales, or the gaming space, this conversation is packed with actionable insights you can apply today.

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/avlahopoulos/

• Snapser Website: https://snapser.com/

• Contact Info for Assad:LinkedIn: ⁠Assad Quraishi on LinkedIn⁠

  Website: ⁠QS Consulting⁠ & ⁠XP Gaming⁠

  Music by ⁠Oleksandr Stepanov⁠ from ⁠Pixabay⁠

  business development, sales strategy, SaaS sales, gaming industry, pipeline building, startup sales, sales prioritization, B2B sales, qualifying leads, sales tips, Snapser, backend platform, SaaS startups, sales leadership

Breaking into sales is tough—standing out is tougher. In this episode of Drinks & Deals, Clio SDR coach and leader Matt Baston shares how to rise above the noise in both hiring and sales. We cover why job hunting is just like prospecting, the mindset that separates top performers, and how to turn ambition into results. Matt also explains why “getting messy” beats waiting for perfect prep, how to approach career moves strategically, and why culture add matters more than culture fit. Whether you’re an SDR, BDR, or career switcher, this conversation is packed with practical tips to help you land the role and excel once you have it.

Where to Connect with Matt Baston

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-baston/

• • Company Website: https://www.clio.com/

  Contact Info for Assad

• • LinkedIn: Assad Quraishi on LinkedIn

  • Website: QS Consulting & XP Gaming

  • Music Credit: Music by Oleksandr Stepanov from Pixabay

Where to Connect with Ora Xu:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ora-xu/

Website: https://www.envarstudio.com/

From fine art studios in New York and China to leading business development in the gaming industry, Ora Xu’s career journey proves that sales success isn’t just about numbers — it’s about strategy, relationships, and trust.

In this episode of Drinks & Deals, we dive into:

• How to overcome imposter syndrome in sales and advocate for yourself

• Why business development is more than cold calls — and how strategy drives results

• Building trust with clients by believing in your company’s work

• Lessons for B2B sales in unpredictable markets

• How creative careers can shape stronger sales skills

Whether you’re in business development, B2B sales, partnerships, or exploring a career change, you’ll learn how to combine strategy and authenticity to win trust and close deals.

Pour yourself a drink, pull up a chair, and get inspired.

Contact Info for Assad:

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠Assad Quraishi on LinkedIn⁠⁠

Website: ⁠⁠QS Consulting⁠⁠ &⁠ ⁠XP Gaming⁠⁠

Music by⁠ ⁠Oleksandr Stepanov⁠⁠ from⁠ ⁠Pixabay⁠⁠