# Finding Your Voice and Leading with Resilience, with Joe Eskenazi

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/hunters-and-unicorns-1378689/finding-your-voice-and-leading-with-resilience-with-joe-eskenazi
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/hunters-and-unicorns-1378689/finding-your-voice-and-leading-with-resilience-with-joe-eskenazi.md
Podcast: [Hunters and Unicorns](https://stenobird.com/podcast/hunters-and-unicorns-1378689)
Published: 2026-01-21T10:50:58+00:00
Episode link: https://huntersandunicorns.podbean.com/e/finding-your-voice-and-leading-with-resilience-with-joe-eskenazi/
Audio file: https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/yui9dupsj6x24sun/Hunters_Vegas25_Joe_E_audio7gix5.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/hunters-and-unicorns-1378689/episodes/finding-your-voice-and-leading-with-resilience-with-joe-eskenazi
Duration seconds: 3323

## Resource

In this episode, we welcome Joe Eskenazi, CRO at Kong, to discuss the critical transition from an elite salesperson to a top-tier business leader. Joe shares how he bypassed the typical "salesperson" label by treating every interaction as a business consultancy, fueled by a concurrent MBA and an early career in sports broadcasting. We dive deep into the reality of the CRO role—orchestrating cross-functional ecosystems rather than just closing deals—and the personal journey of managing high-intensity burnout. Joe also offers powerful advice on finding an authentic leadership voice and why organizations must prioritize leadership training to protect their talent. 🙌 Thanks To Our Sponsor! Aurasell AI: https://www.aurasell.ai 🏹 Key Topics Covered 00:00 - Intro 01:57 - The Reputation and Rise of a CRO 03:39 - Viewing Sales as Business Optimization 06:47 - The Calling Card for Success 13:50 - The Cross-Functional Ecosystem 19:30 - The Strength and Weakness of Intensity 25:00 - Navigating Burnout 33:14 - The Kobe Bryant Lesson 42:34 - Finding Your Own Voice 46:36 - The Era of AI Governance and APIs 💥 3 Biggest Lessons: Be a Business Leader, Not a Sales Leader: To reach the executive level, you must shift your mindset from selling products to solving strategic business challenges. Joe argues that a true business leader drives cross-functional alignment and won't do "bad deals" just for a commission because they are focused on the long-term health of the organization. You Can’t Outwork the Job: High-performers often fall into the trap of trying to out-hustle every problem, which inevitably leads to burnout. True leadership requires ruthless prioritization, mental resilience practices like breathwork or cold plunging, and recognizing that your effectiveness is compromised if you…

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