All Episodes 153: Steven Werley | From Army Ranger to AI Strategist
153: Steven Werley | From Army Ranger to AI Strategist
Steven Werley has lived two lives: first as an Army Ranger, where discipline and clarity under pressure meant survival, and now as a marketing strategist, where those same principles drive revenue growth. Having helped more than 6,500 business owners rethink their sales systems, Steven knows most businesses don’t have a lead problem—they have a conversion problem. In this episode of The Prestigious Initiative, Chris and Steven unpack how AI agents are reshaping sales teams, why overlooked leads often hold the biggest wins, and how to scale revenue without losing the human touch. If you’ve ever felt like you’re leaving money on the table, or you’re burning out chasing leads that don’t close, this conversation will show you how to reclaim your time, sharpen your systems, and grow smarter—not harder.
Stop Chasing Leads: How to Fix Your Sales Conversion Problem with AI (An Army Ranger's Strategy)
If you're in business, you've felt the pressure. The pipeline looks thin, anxiety creeps in, and the immediate reaction is to scream,
"We need more leads!"
But what if I told you that's a myth? What if the leak in your revenue bucket isn't at the top, but in the bottom? What if you're letting potential revenue slip through your fingers simply because your follow-up system is broken?
On this episode of The Prestigious Initiative, I sat down with Steven Werley, a former Army Ranger who has parlayed the disciplines of special ops into a cutting-edge sales strategy. Steven now helps sales teams harness AI to close more deals with less stress, and his insights are a masterclass in working smarter, not just harder.
Our conversation was a deep dive into the real reason sales teams struggle, and the solution is more accessible than you think.
The Lead Problem Myth: You're Drowning in Opportunity You're Ignoring
We jumped right into the core premise of Steven’s work. I asked him to break down his controversial statement that most businesses don’t have a lead problem.
His response was illuminating. He pointed out that most somewhat successful businesses already have a customer acquisition engine, however basic. "Leads tend to not be the problem," Steven noted. "They do tend to be a blame for some business owners that hit a lull."
So, if it’s not a lead problem, what is it? A conversion problem.
The issue, as Steven laid out, isn't getting people in the door; it's what happens after the first conversation. "The follow-up stage… is a graveyard typically," he stated bluntly.
"You can typically scroll it forever. Whenever I go and analyze a new organization, they have a lot of people just sitting in the follow-up stage for a very long time, months and months and months since the last communication too."
This hit home for me. How many of us have had a great initial call, felt a spark of potential, and then… nothing? The prospect goes cold not because they weren’t interested, but because we, as salespeople and entrepreneurs, get overwhelmed. We’re subjective, we’re reactive, and we let high-priority tasks get buried by the daily chaos.
From the Battlefield to the Boardroom: The Mindset for Flawless Execution
Steven’s background isn't your typical sales guru story. His journey from self-taught coder to Army Ranger to sales strategist is a testament to the power of adaptable discipline. I was particularly interested in how his military experience shaped his business philosophy.
He shared that his time in the Ranger Regiment was a profound lesson in leadership and ownership.
"The level of respect that you need to have for the guy next to you, the guy on top of you… really taught me a lot about how to treat people, but how to take ownership in everything that you do and how to communicate and just how to carry yourself as a human being with good morals, integrity, all of that."
This foundational mindset is non-negotiable. You can have the best tech in the world, but without the discipline to implement it and the integrity to use it correctly, it’s worthless. Steven brings a Ranger's focus on mission, teamwork, and systematic execution to the often-chaotic world of sales, and it’s a powerful combination.
The AI Co-Pilot: How to Augment Your Sales Team, Not Replace It
This is where the conversation got truly exciting. Steven isn't advocating for replacing salespeople with cold, impersonal AI chatbots. His approach is far more nuanced and effective. He sees AI as a co-pilot that handles the analytical grunt work, freeing up the human for high-value connection.
His first foray into this was born from a manager's pain point: the inability to review every single sales call.
"I realized like there needs to be a better way to do this," Steven explained. "And that was my first interaction with AI was creating a custom GPT to review sales calls in the way that I review sales calls. Is it 100% as good as me? No… But does it notice things more consistently than I do? Yeah. In some ways, it's better than me… It can notice trends a heck of a lot faster than I can."
This is a game-changer. Imagine every single customer interaction being analyzed for key objections, missed opportunities, and communication trends. The AI doesn't get tired, it doesn't have favorites, and it works 24/7. This provides an objective, data-driven coaching tool that was previously impossible at scale.
The Killer App: Objective Follow-Up and "Next Action" Clarity
But analysis is only half the battle. The real ROI comes from plugging this intelligence into the follow-up process. This is where Steven’s systems truly shine, creating what he calls a "human-in-the-loop" automation.
The core of the problem is subjective overwhelm. As Steven put it,
"you start being incredibly subjective, not by choice, but just because it's human nature in terms of what actions you need to do as a salesperson when you don't have a scheduled call on your calendar."
His solution is elegantly simple in theory, but powerful in execution: Every open deal must have a "next action item" and a "next action date."
"If each deal has that," Steven said,
"now we're not going to be... And listen, you could do this manually. You could do this without AI... if they are doing stuff in the CRM, create those two fields... And if you put those in there and they follow them, you're going to see a lift on your sales. I can basically guarantee it."
Now, layer AI on top of this. His systems use AI to analyze call transcripts and automatically suggest what that next action should be. For example:
"This prospect was concerned about implementation time. Send them the case study and a link to a calendar for a technical deep-dive." The AI can even draft the email. The sales rep simply gets a notification in Slack, reviews it, and clicks "send."
This removes the "think work" and the "memory work," allowing the salesperson to focus on what they do best: building rapport and closing deals.
Your First Step: A Practical Automation You Can Build Today
For the small business owners and solopreneurs listening, I asked Steven for one high-impact, low-cost automation they could build now.
His answer was immediate and actionable.
"Get a meeting recorder that can interact with webhooks very easily... get that transcript, send it to AI, analyze it specifically around your company and understanding your products and services, have it provide feedback for that call and have it provide suggested next follow-up actions that are highly specific based on things in the conversation."
If you're not technical, you can start even simpler. Create a Custom GPT with a specific prompt for your business, and after every call, paste the transcript in. Spend five minutes reviewing its feedback and suggested next steps. This alone will transform your conversion rate from "decent" to "dominant."
Join us weekly for deep, unfiltered conversations about personal development, leadership, productivity, and excellence. Each episode is crafted to help you take initiative and unlock your full potential — both personally and professionally
Susanne Biro helps C-Suite and executive leaders escape what she calls the “Outer Life Trap”—the pattern of chasing external achievements to solve inner emptiness. With two decades coaching senior leaders globally, she believes sustainable success comes from integrating your inner world—your thoughts, feelings, and presence—into how you lead, decide, and show up. In this episode of The Prestigious Initiative, Chris and Susanne dive into the tension between outer life metrics and inner life reality: how many leaders feel “successful” but burned out, stressed, or disconnected. We explore tools for awareness, reducing stress without reducing impact, and leadership that grows from the inside out. For anyone who feels the results aren’t matching the effort, this conversation will illuminate a new path forward.
www.susannebiro.com
Get her book here: www.susannebiro.com/book
John Solleder has been building businesses—and people—for more than four decades. As a top earner in four network marketing companies and mentor to over 5,000 entrepreneurs, John knows the difference between chasing short-term wins and building a life of sustainable achievement. In this episode of The Prestigious Initiative, Chris and John dive deep into what it takes to stay relevant and effective for the long haul. They explore how mindset drives outcomes, why self-development is the non-negotiable investment, and how balance isn’t just possible—it’s essential. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a leader, or someone working to align personal growth with professional goals, this conversation will give you a blueprint for building success that lasts decades, not just years.
What does it take to build a life where business, family, and mental health all matter — and actually find balance in the middle of it?
In this episode of The Prestigious Initiative, Chris Beane welcomes his friend Bri Haug — a mom, wife, and business owner who runs her own tattoo shop. Bri opens up about her journey of building a business with integrity, navigating equality in the industry, and prioritizing self-care in the face of life’s challenges.
Together, Chris and Bri discuss the importance of mental health, how to manage time as both a leader and parent, and why setting goals with intention helps keep both personal and professional life aligned. This candid conversation shines a light on resilience, creativity, and the real work of living with balance.
Website: www.electricladytattoo.com
Email: brihaugtattoo@gmail.com
Instagram: @brihaug and @electricladylounge
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