I’m trying to stop the endless cycle of hiring, training, and turnover by leaning into AI-driven outreach instead of adding another sales rep. I walk through what I’m testing with Apollo.io, what went wrong on my first run, and how I’m rebuilding my lead list and email sequence to reach real local decision makers.
• why staffing flakiness makes owners do every job at once
• choosing automation over hiring for trade and barter education-heavy sales
• what Apollo.io does well and where it fails for hyperlocal businesses
• pulling local leads with ReferenceUSA and filtering for the right companies
• uploading CSVs, running enrichment, and avoiding wasted credits
• building a three-email sequence that boosts legitimacy with a local ad and podcast
• early results after fixing the setup and targeting decision makers
Hit me up if you’d like some tickets here soon when they when they open up.
You can just apply yourself online if you want to.

Thanks for listening to The Trading Post Podcast!

Find all our important links— https://linktr.ee/traderstu

This episode of The Trading Post is proudly sponsored by Press X 2 Play Games, Metro Trading Association, and the Michigan Renaissance Festival. Exciting news—I’m featured as The Trader at the Trading Post in Press X 2 Play’s upcoming video game! Learn more about Press X 2 Play at pressx2play.games, discover how Metro Trading Association helps businesses grow through barter and trade, and explore the magic of the Michigan Renaissance Festival.

Questions or guest suggestions? Email us at thetradingpostwithtraderstu@gmail.com

“Whistles In The West” was written, recorded, and produced by Durracell, exclusively for use with Trader Stu’s platform.
The track is protected under U.S. Copyright (filed and registered), and rights to use have been granted specifically to Trader Stu for content and promotional use related to his brand and media presence.
For additional licensing, custom audio, or to inquire about future collaborations and performances, contact:
📧 durracellmusic@gmail.com
🌐 www.durracell.com