Drinks and Deals

Pour a drink and pull up a chair — these are the stories behind the deals.Drinks & Deals is the candid podcast where business developers swap real-world lessons, hard-won victories, and the occasional detour from the field. No buzzwords, no corporate speak — just honest conversations about what it really takes to build relationships, close deals, and keep moving forward.Hosted by Assad Q., each 20-minute episode cuts through the noise with true stories, smart tactics, and unfiltered advice from the people actually doing the work.Whether you’re early in your business development career

Drinks and Deals is a business podcast hosted by Assad Quraishi, with 28 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Assad Quraishi hosts Drinks and Deals, a business show with 28 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

• 

  Episode #27

  Episode 27 – David Bossin-Hardy – Luck, Opportunity, and Building a Career You Believe In

  Dec 23, 202545 minS1

  <p>We wrap up this three-part series with a powerful discussion on luck, opportunity, resilience, and long-game business development. David shares the story behind how he landed at JALI, why timing matters, and how saying yes to the right opportunities can change the trajectory of your life.</p><p>We talk about product belief, handling rejection with a clear head, using customer feedback to improve, and why every deal still requires real effort—even when you have a marquee client like Cyberpunk 2077 on your résumé. David also shares one of my favorite stories: how JALI helped a small indie stud...

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #26

  Episode 26 – David Bossin-Hardy – Why Authentic People Make the Best Dealmakers

  Dec 16, 202518 minS1

  <p>In part two of our conversation, David and I unpack why so many exceptional business development leaders start their careers outside of traditional sales roles. David explains how authenticity builds trust, why the “slick salesperson” model is outdated, and how relationship-first selling drives long-term success in the gaming and tech industries.</p><p>We explore how being yourself—not a template—creates genuine connection. David shares insights on conference behavior (including how to stop badge-scanning), the value of sincerity, and how small gestures like handwritten notes can create meaningful moments that set you apart. This episode is filled with real, fi...

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #25

  Episode 25 – David Bossin-Hardy – How Restaurants Created a World-Class Biz Dev Leader

  Dec 9, 202517 minS1

  <p>In this first part of our three-episode series, David Bossin-Hardy shares the unexpected path that led him from restaurants and bartending to becoming Director of Sales and Partnerships at JALI Research, one of the most innovative facial-animation companies in the industry.</p><p>David breaks down how customer service, expectation management, and reading people in real time shaped his entire approach to business development. We talk about why the best BD professionals often come from nontraditional backgrounds, how to “own the table,” and how the skills he learned in hospitality directly translate to building trust, managing deals, and guiding clie...

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #24

  Episode 24 – Rabia Dincer – How Curiosity, Empathy, and Real Conversations Drive Better Partnerships

  Dec 2, 202522 minS1

  <p>In this episode of Drinks & Deals, recorded live at MIGS, Assad sits down with Rabia Dincer, Partnerships Manager at CrazyGames, to unpack what authentic business development looks like when you strip away the pitch deck polish. Rabia shares her unconventional journey into BD, the early challenges of being the only woman in a male-dominated company, and how learning to advocate for herself reshaped both her confidence and her approach to partnerships.<br></p><p>The conversation dives into Rabia’s operating philosophy: keep messages short, make them personal, avoid ego-driven outreach, and “sell the way you would want to be s...

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Drinks and Deals

  Episode 23 – Ethan Cossio – Bridging East and West in International Business Development

  Nov 25, 202526 minS0

  <p>In this episode of Drinks & Deals, Assad sits down with Ethan Cossio — Level Designer, Biz Dev professional, and international bridge-builder between East Asian and Western markets. Ethan shares how a single trip to GDC set him on a path to connecting with creators, studios, and business leaders across China, Korea, and Japan.</p><p>This conversation dives into the real nuances of international BD: cultural expectations, etiquette differences, relationship-building in Asia, and how authenticity can make or break a deal. Ethan also explores the importance of networking aggressively before traveling, respecting cultural norms (like Japan’s business card etiquette), and...

  ListenShow Notes

Recent guests on Drinks and Deals. Study who booked and why before you pitch.

Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.