Close The Deal Podcast

Ewell Smith
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Biweekly

Most people aren’t stuck—they’re living with broken promises to themselves. This is where that changes.The Close The Deal Podcast features real conversations with high achievers who are facing the decisions they’ve been avoiding and committing to what comes next.Hosted by Ewell Smith.Visit www.CloseTheDeal.com to put you name on the Close The Deal Board

  1. 2d ago

    Your Time Management Problem Isn’t What You Think: Amanda Van Der Heiden #138 Close The Deal

    Think you have a time management problem? Amanda Van Der Heiden says the real problem may be your priorities, communication, or leadership. In this episode of Close The Deal Podcast, Amanda joins Ewell Smith to break down why productivity hacks alone often don’t solve the problem—and what busy professionals can do instead. Amanda explains why your calendar is one of the clearest indicators of your priorities. If an important goal never gets scheduled, the demands of the day can quickly take over. She also explains how to identify the work that truly moves the needle and why unclear communication between leaders and employees can turn a simple assignment into hours or even days of wasted effort.  Key Takeaways A time management problem may actually be a prioritization problem.Important goals need dedicated calendar time.Urgent and noisy tasks aren't necessarily the work that creates progress.Your most productive schedule depends on your own energy and circumstances.Clear expectations can eliminate significant amounts of wasted work.Leaders and team members share responsibility for confirming understanding. About Amanda Amanda Van Der Heiden is a chief learning consultant with a master’s degree in industrial and organizational psychology. She works in learning and development and has helped skill up thousands of people around the world.  Connect With Amanda Free goal development workbook: https://gtdscorp.com/go/ ## Visit www.CloseTheDeal.com to see all episodes. The Close The Deal Podcast is where decisions and broken promises to oneself  get made. Hosted by Ewell Smith, this show features real conversations with high achievers - entrepreneurs, business owners, leaders, and competitors who are at a crossroads facing the decision they’ve been putting off.  This isn’t about theory, tactics, or surface-level advice. Every episode is built around one thing: 👉 A clear decision 👉 A real commitment If you’re building something, you already know the truth - there’s a decision in front of you that matters. This show is where you face it. 🔥 CALL TO ACTION  Want to be part of it? Go to CloseTheDeal.com and put your name on the board.

  2. Sep 29

    How to Make Your Ideas Land with Andrew Hurteau #137 Close The Deal

    You have the knowledge. You have the experience. But can you get what’s in your head across to someone else in a way that actually makes an impact? That’s the communication problem Andrew Hurteau helps professionals solve. Andrew spent the first half of his career as a professional actor, performer, acting teacher, and coach. He eventually shifted that experience toward professionals who may never have signed up to be performers—but suddenly find themselves presenting to teams, clients, boards, and audiences. Andrew joins Ewell Smith to explain why one of the most common presentation habits can work against you: writing everything down first and then trying to deliver those written words naturally. The problem? We don’t speak the same way we write. Andrew explains how to get back to your authentic speaking voice, why a presentation deck should illustrate your ideas instead of becoming the presentation, and how stories can turn dry information into something people understand and remember. Key Takeaways: Start with the most authentic version of yourselfTranslate written material back into the way you naturally speakUse bullet points and visuals as triggers rather than scriptsLet your deck illustrate your wisdom instead of trying to contain itUse stories to give information context and meaningRecognize communication as a core part of leadershipMemorable Moment “Your deck…should illustrate you. You should not be narrating your deck.” — Andrew HurteauAndrew shares the example of a leader who had spent years delivering a required rules-and-regulations presentation. By replacing a rules-first approach with relevant stories, the leader told Andrew that instead of feeling like a “traffic cop,” he finally felt like a coach and a leader. About Andrew Hurteau Andrew Hurteau is based in Oakland, California. After working as a professional actor, acting teacher, and coach, he shifted toward helping professionals bring their ideas to audiences in ways that are impactful and meaningful. Connect with Andrew: www.butterfieldspeaks.com/andrew ## Visit www.CloseTheDeal.com to see all episodes. The Close The Deal Podcast is where decisions and broken promises to oneself  get made. Hosted by Ewell Smith, this show features real conversations with high achievers - entrepreneurs, business owners, leaders, and competitors who are at a crossroads facing the decision they’ve been putting off.  This isn’t about theory, tactics, or surface-level advice. Every episode is built around one thing: 👉 A clear decision 👉 A real commitment If you’re building something, you already know the truth - there’s a decision in front of you that matters. This show is where you face it. 🔥 CALL TO ACTION  Want to be part of it? Go to CloseTheDeal.com and put your name on the board.

  3. Sep 20

    The AI Risks Small Business Owners Aren’t Thinking About | Sara Skowronsk #136 Close The Deal

    Are you using AI in your business without thinking about what happens when it touches employee data, hiring decisions, terminations, or critical business systems? AI can make a business faster and more efficient, but small business owners also need to understand the risks they may be creating along the way. Ewell Smith sits down with Sara Skowronsk, who brings 25 years of multi-state employment law and HR experience to the conversation. Sara explains why businesses need simple guardrails around AI rather than blindly adopting every new tool. That includes deciding which AI platforms employees can use, protecting sensitive information, keeping humans responsible for HR decisions, and maintaining backups of the AI assets your company depends on. Key Takeaways: Don’t rely on AI alone to make hiring, disciplinary, or termination decisions.Establish clear guidelines for which AI tools employees can use.Protect Social Security numbers and other sensitive personal information.Consider company-sponsored AI accounts so the business controls its data and workflows.Keep external backups of important prompts, agents, and automations.Continue applying human judgment instead of automatically accepting an AI-generated answer.Memorable Moment “Anytime you let AI make a decision for you that you cannot justify.”That warning captures one of Sara’s central points: AI may assist the process, but the business still has to be able to explain and stand behind consequential decisions. About Sara Skowronsk Sara brings 25 years of multi-state employment law and HR experience to her work with small businesses. Her work explores the intersection between HR and AI and how businesses can adopt AI while creating appropriate guardrails around its use. Connect AI Clarity Roadmap: aiclarityroadmap.com Email provided during the episode: sarah@eoshr.com Sara also invites listeners to connect with her on LinkedIn. ## Visit www.CloseTheDeal.com to see all episodes. The Close The Deal Podcast is where decisions and broken promises to oneself  get made. Hosted by Ewell Smith, this show features real conversations with high achievers - entrepreneurs, business owners, leaders, and competitors who are at a crossroads facing the decision they’ve been putting off.  This isn’t about theory, tactics, or surface-level advice. Every episode is built around one thing: 👉 A clear decision 👉 A real commitment If you’re building something, you already know the truth - there’s a decision in front of you that matters. This show is where you face it. 🔥 CALL TO ACTION  Want to be part of it? Go to CloseTheDeal.com and put your name on the board.

  4. Sep 13

    How to Get Unstuck: Clarity, Competency and Courage with Mark Reynolds #135 Close The Deal

    You know what you need to do—but you still aren’t doing it. What’s actually keeping you stuck? Army veteran and executive coach Mark Reynolds joins Ewell Smith to unpack a problem almost every entrepreneur, executive, and business owner encounters: knowing something needs to change but failing to execute. Mark breaks the problem into what he calls the Three C Framework: clarity, competency, and character/courage. First, do you actually know what you want? Second, do you have the skills required to accomplish it? And finally, if you know what you want and know how to do it, what’s preventing you from acting? The conversation also explores why information is increasingly cheap, why working harder eventually stops being the answer, and how shortening your timeframe can help you move forward when a big goal feels overwhelming. Key Takeaways Get specific enough about your goal to know when you’ve achieved it.Determine whether your obstacle is clarity, competency, or courage.More information isn’t necessarily the answer when you already know what to do.Bring the timeframe closer when the bigger goal feels overwhelming.Treat creating a great day as an active process.Recognize when working harder is no longer enough to reach the next level.Memorable Moment “You can become whoever you choose to be, but it’s not a passive activity.” — Mark ReynoldsAbout Mark Reynolds Mark Reynolds is an Army veteran, executive coach, entrepreneur, author, and international award-winning speaker. He works with executives, entrepreneurs, and small business owners who are ready for change but need clarity and confidence about how to move forward. Connect With Mark ReynoldsCoaching.com marc@reynoldscoaching.com Mark is also active on LinkedIn. Follow or subscribe to Close The Deal Podcast and share this episode with someone who knows what they need to do—but hasn’t done it yet. Learn more at CloseTheDeal.com. ## Visit www.CloseTheDeal.com to see all episodes. The Close The Deal Podcast is where decisions and broken promises to oneself  get made. Hosted by Ewell Smith, this show features real conversations with high achievers - entrepreneurs, business owners, leaders, and competitors who are at a crossroads facing the decision they’ve been putting off.  This isn’t about theory, tactics, or surface-level advice. Every episode is built around one thing: 👉 A clear decision 👉 A real commitment If you’re building something, you already know the truth - there’s a decision in front of you that matters. This show is where you face it. 🔥 CALL TO ACTION  Want to be part of it? Go to CloseTheDeal.com and put your name on the board.

  5. Sep 5

    Why Your High-Ticket Offer Isn’t Selling with Esther Stewart #134 | Close The Deal

    What if your high-ticket offer isn't the problem? Esther Stewart, CEO of Cottn Owl, joins Ewell Smith on the Close The Deal Podcast to explain why struggling offers often come down to positioning, messaging, and an unnecessarily complicated sales funnel. Esther breaks down how to better communicate the value of your offer, differentiate yourself in a crowded market, and simplify the path that moves someone from prospect to client. She also explains why she prefers premium offers and shares the story of a therapist who launched a $7,500 coaching offer with $20 per day in ad spend. By the third month, according to Esther, the client needed to decrease the ad spend because she was getting too many booked calls to keep up with. Key Takeaways from Esther “It typically is not the offer. It’s just how the offer is positioned.”“Your story—who you are behind it—that’s part of what we’re selling.”“A funnel is taking your ideal client from just finding you online to becoming a client.”In this episode, you'll discover why positioning matters, what a sales funnel really needs to do, how your personal story can strengthen your marketing, and why simplifying your funnel may help you generate better opportunities. ## Visit www.CloseTheDeal.com to see all episodes. The Close The Deal Podcast is where decisions and broken promises to oneself  get made. Hosted by Ewell Smith, this show features real conversations with high achievers - entrepreneurs, business owners, leaders, and competitors who are at a crossroads facing the decision they’ve been putting off.  This isn’t about theory, tactics, or surface-level advice. Every episode is built around one thing: 👉 A clear decision 👉 A real commitment If you’re building something, you already know the truth - there’s a decision in front of you that matters. This show is where you face it. 🔥 CALL TO ACTION  Want to be part of it? Go to CloseTheDeal.com and put your name on the board.

    Why Your High-Ticket Offer Isn’t Selling with Esther Stewart #134 | Close The Deal

  6. Jun 2

    James Trawick: The Commitment He Delayed While Building Hondo Rodeo Fest #133 | Close The Deal

    James Trawick built one of the most ambitious rodeo and music festivals in America. But despite the success, there was still a commitment he'd been postponing. In this episode of Close The Deal, James shares the story behind Hondo Rodeo Fest, the challenge of launching in New Orleans, and the personal goal that kept getting pushed aside. The conversation ultimately reveals something many entrepreneurs face: When does building the dream start crowding out the things that originally gave life meaning? Key Takeaways Launching large-scale events in new marketsBuilding relationships through communityFamily-first leadershipThe importance of intentional recreationWhy personal commitments deserve deadlines James Trawick is the Founder and CEO of Hondo Rodeo Fest and a lifelong advocate for rodeo culture, family values, and community experiences.  🎙 KEY MOMENT "I'm hoping to have all of that in play inside 12 months." "I've gotta get that done." "I've gotta spend quite a bit of time in the saddle in September." CTA Subscribe, share, and visit CloseTheDeal.com. ## Visit www.CloseTheDeal.com to see all episodes. The Close The Deal Podcast is where decisions and broken promises to oneself  get made. Hosted by Ewell Smith, this show features real conversations with high achievers - entrepreneurs, business owners, leaders, and competitors who are at a crossroads facing the decision they’ve been putting off.  This isn’t about theory, tactics, or surface-level advice. Every episode is built around one thing: 👉 A clear decision 👉 A real commitment If you’re building something, you already know the truth - there’s a decision in front of you that matters. This show is where you face it. 🔥 CALL TO ACTION  Want to be part of it? Go to CloseTheDeal.com and put your name on the board.

  7. May 26

    The Hidden Cost of Entrepreneurship with Kris Grey of Creatapult #132 | Close The Deal

    Kris Grey helps organizations recover failing projects and scale operations through better systems and project management. But behind the business success was a harder truth: years of neglecting his health, relationships, and personal priorities while trying to survive entrepreneurship. In this episode of Close The Deal, Kris shares: losing his job three days after becoming a fathersurviving nine months without stable incomehow survival mode reshaped his lifewhy entrepreneurs delay taking care of themselvesthe commitment he’s making to change direction before it’s too lateThis conversation goes beyond business systems. It’s about the promises leaders quietly break to themselves. KEY MOMENT “I can’t be there for anyone else if I’m not there first and foremost for myself and in a healthy state.”  Key Takeaways Why convenience slowly destroys long-term healthThe danger of operating permanently in survival modeHow small systems create life-changing momentumWhy entrepreneurs struggle to prioritize themselvesThe connection between health, leadership, and familyGuest Bio Kris Grey is the founder of Creatapult, where he helps companies improve operational systems, recover delayed projects, and scale more effectively through structured project management. Subscribe, share this episode, and ask yourself: What commitment have you delayed long enough? More episodes: Close The Deal Podcast ## Visit www.CloseTheDeal.com to see all episodes. The Close The Deal Podcast is where decisions and broken promises to oneself  get made. Hosted by Ewell Smith, this show features real conversations with high achievers - entrepreneurs, business owners, leaders, and competitors who are at a crossroads facing the decision they’ve been putting off.  This isn’t about theory, tactics, or surface-level advice. Every episode is built around one thing: 👉 A clear decision 👉 A real commitment If you’re building something, you already know the truth - there’s a decision in front of you that matters. This show is where you face it. 🔥 CALL TO ACTION  Want to be part of it? Go to CloseTheDeal.com and put your name on the board.

  8. May 21

    Andrea Sells Cadillac: The Visibility She Couldn’t Avoid #131 | Close The Deal

    Andrea Anderson built a massive online audience helping people buy cars and negotiate confidently. But success created a new problem: visibility. In this episode of Close The Deal, Andrea opens up about growing beyond the screen and confronting the one thing she still struggles with - public speaking and leadership visibility. Despite building 100,000+ followers online, Andrea admits she’s naturally introverted and uncomfortable being the center of attention. Now she’s making a commitment that forces her into the next version of herself. This conversation dives into: growth through discomfortidentity shiftsleadership visibilityauthenticity in contentwhy introverts often win in salesthe impact mentorship can have on confidence and growthAndrea also shares how mentor Russ “Flips Whips” Richardson encouraged and challenged her to think bigger about visibility and leadership. THE COMMITMENT Andrea commits to participating in: 🥊 5 public-facing events or speaking opportunities before the end of the year Even if it makes her uncomfortable. KEY TAKEAWAYS Visibility creates new levels of pressureConfidence usually follows actionPersonal brands grow through authenticityIntroverts can become elite communicatorsThe next level often requires discomfortMentorship can accelerate growth dramaticallyANDREA' S CLOSE THE DEAL QUOTES “You can feel uncomfortable and still move forward.” “I’m not the loudest person in the room.” “Those uncomfortable feelings don’t mean you should stop.” ABOUT THE GUEST Andrea Anderson, known online as Andrea Sells Cadillac, is a top automotive sales professional and content creator helping customers and sales professionals navigate confidence, negotiation, and growth. 🎙 KEY MOMENT (TRANSCRIPT) “I’d be scared to death… but I would do it.” 👉 Listen to hear why Andrea committed to stepping into more public leadership opportunities before the end of the year. Subscribe, share the episode, and visit CloseTheDeal.com for more conversations around business, growth, and leadership. ## Visit www.CloseTheDeal.com to see all episodes. The Close The Deal Podcast is where decisions and broken promises to oneself  get made. Hosted by Ewell Smith, this show features real conversations with high achievers - entrepreneurs, business owners, leaders, and competitors who are at a crossroads facing the decision they’ve been putting off.  This isn’t about theory, tactics, or surface-level advice. Every episode is built around one thing: 👉 A clear decision 👉 A real commitment If you’re building something, you already know the truth - there’s a decision in front of you that matters. This show is where you face it. 🔥 CALL TO ACTION  Want to be part of it? Go to CloseTheDeal.com and put your name on the board.

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About

Most people aren’t stuck—they’re living with broken promises to themselves. This is where that changes.The Close The Deal Podcast features real conversations with high achievers who are facing the decisions they’ve been avoiding and committing to what comes next.Hosted by Ewell Smith.Visit www.CloseTheDeal.com to put you name on the Close The Deal Board

Information

  • Creator
    Ewell Smith
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    149
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Close The Deal Podcast
  • Show Website
    Close The Deal Podcast