S2 E08 VIDEO VERSION: Atif Rafiq, Former McDonald’s, Amazon, and MGM exec, author of Decision Sprint

About this episode

Atif Rafiq discusses the essential elements of persuasion and decision-making in high-stakes environments.

If you think great pitches are about storytelling alone, you may be missing the deeper truth. Persuasion is built on judgment, preparation and the ability to move people. Not just impress them. In this episode, Danny Fontaine sits down with former McDonald’s, Amazon, Volvo and MGM executive Atif Rafiq to unpack what it really takes to influence high-stakes decisions. From negotiating multimillion-dollar deals in his twenties to securing a billion-dollar transformation investment, Atif shares how deep preparation, listening and conviction separate persuasive leaders from everyone else. This is a conversation about pitching when the stakes are real and the room doesn’t owe you anything. From negotiating multimillion-dollar deals early in his career to securing a billion-dollar transformation at McDonald’s, Atif breaks down the habits that separate persuasive leaders from everyone else: Why most pitches fail before the meeting even starts How listening reveals the real decision behind the conversation Why conviction matters and how to earn it How to handle resistance without losing momentum What Amazon’s culture teaches about preparation and influence This isn’t theory. It’s how…

People in this episode

Host: Danny Fontaine

Guest: Atif Rafiq

Topics covered

• persuasion
• high-stakes decisions
• negotiation
• influence
• preparation
• leadership

Keywords

• pitching
• decision-making
• influence
• negotiation
• leadership
• preparation
• conviction

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: McDonald’s, Amazon, MGM, Volvo, Ritual

Products: Decision Sprint

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