Imagine living life with Schizophrenia but having no idea. Today’s conversation is with a special guest, my childhood friend Dr. Apollo Ellis.
He is known as one of Silicon Valley’s top programmers in the tech industry, but the road to get there was incredibly difficult.
The show for the ‘Executive Athlete’.
In this exclusive podcast Interview, David Fastuca shares how his Travel Startup, Locomote, found success through a bold COVID Pivot. When the Travel Industry nearly shut down, Fastuca and his team saw an opportunity to refine their Go-To-Market Strategy and revamp their Sales Pipeline. Their journey became a shining example of Startup Growth and Business Resilience, fueling insights that shaped the new Sales Playbook he co-created with Luigi Prestinenzi.
Fastuca’s story underscores the critical role of Presales Process and a strong Customer Journey in shaping effective B2B Sales. By zeroing in on client pain points and prioritizing empathetic communication, Locomote not only retained existing customers but also opened new revenue streams. This Business Pivot demonstrates how agility and Pandemic Innovation can drive success in any economic climate.
If you’re seeking actionable Sales Tips or need a roadmap for COVID Business Strategy, Fastuca’s experience offers valuable Entrepreneur Insights. From establishing a clear value proposition to iterating strategies in real time, his approach to navigating the crisis is a blueprint for organizations aiming to thrive under pressure. Check out the full interview to learn how robust planning, constant iteration, and a dose of resilience can propel any business to new heights.
What to expect in this episode:
(02:03) – The journey of Locomote.
(08:24) – Breaking the norms of travel booking systems.
(13:16) – Building a new business model to attract CFOs.
(19:49) – How do sales and marketing need to work together to make a customer experience work optimally?
(28:54) – David's view on prospecting new sales in 2025.
(35:10) – Tightening the sales process to better the CX.
(39:32) – Answering phone calls in 2025.
(41:15) – How to build an optimal sales system.
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LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/davidfastuca/
Website – growthforum.io/
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The connection between schizophrenia and drug abuse
From addiction, depression and ultimately a diagnosis of Schizophrenia, his story is no short of a miracle, and certainly the outcome of a deep desire to be more in life. Apollo and I had shared in the madness of addiction and the streets as teenagers, we were truly lost in the wilderness.
We were amongst the worst within our circle of friends.
Through the Valley: Streets, Schizophrenia, and Success in Tech
Apollo Ellis’s journey from the streets of the 1990s San Francisco Bay Area to the heights of Silicon Valley is a tale of extraordinary resilience. Growing up in a world dominated by hip-hop and street culture, he faced daunting circumstances. Narrow escapes from the drug game and gang violence left their marks in the form of PTSD and addiction.
Homelessness and Schizophrenia
Homeless at the age of twenty, Apollo made the pivotal decision to return to school. Choosing education as his lifeline, he began to reconstruct himself. When a diagnosis of acute paranoid schizophrenia threatened his story again, he stayed his course and went on to graduate from UC Berkeley.
Today, Dr. Apollo Ellis is a renowned expert in computer science and technology. He has earned a Master’s degree and a PhD from the best institutions in the world and worked at many Fortune 500 tech giants like Intel, Apple, Sony PlayStation, and Facebook.
In Through the Valley, we accompany him on this journey from the precarious streets, through schizophrenia, to Silicon Valley’s pinnacle. It is truly a testament to the power of determination and of an unyielding pursuit of the right to chase one’s dreams.
What to expect in this episode:
00:04:24) – Becoming a meth baller from early teens.
(00:47:04) – Navigating learning while having Schizophrenia
(01:21:26) – Insights on how to publicly share your mental health journey.
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Follow Apollo:
Book – Through the Valley: Streets, Schizophrenia, and Success in Tech
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/apollo-e-481621a0/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/apollo.ellis
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