Get Vertical! With Mike McCalley

From Poverty to Pricing Power | Why Great Companies Undercharge

Casey Brown didn’t grow up thinking she would become an entrepreneur. She grew up in a blue-collar family where money was always tight — close enough to the edge that the fear of poverty shaped many of her early decisions. That fear led her into engineering, into corporate America, and eventually into a moment where she had to decide: Stay safe… or take the risk. In this episode of Get Vertical!, Casey shares how she went from: • First-generation college student • Engineer at GE • Corporate leader → To building a firm that helps companies price with confidence and unlock millions in value. But this conversation goes deeper than business. It’s about: • Fear and how it shapes decisions • Imposter syndrome and breaking through it • Why so many companies underprice their value • The human impact of better pricing (families, communities, employees) • And what it really means to do work that matters This is a story about doing something extraordinary — not because the path was clear, but because the alternative wasn’t acceptable. Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:01 Growing Up on the Edge of Poverty 02:24 Choosing Engineering Out of Fear 03:47 Corporate Career & Early Success 05:06 The Fear That Almost Stopped Her 05:49 Redefining Risk & Taking the Leap 06:18 Breaking Out of Rural America 08:37 Culture Shock & Starting Behind 10:37 Grit, Stubbornness, and Survival 12:14 The “Proving” Mindset 14:26 Early Career & Imposter Syndrome 18:43 Defining Success & Big Wins 19:07 Casey’s “Why” — Pricing & Impact 20:29 The Real Impact of Better Pricing 21:45 Confidence, Negotiation & Culture Shift 24:48 From Proving to Purpose 27:11 Overcoming Failure & Mindset Shifts 28:25 Authenticity at Work 31:00 Adventures, Risk & Kayaking 31:47 AI, Work, and the Future of Jobs 36:42 The Coming Skills Gap 39:32 Redefining Work & Value Creation 43:09 Education, Trades & Career Shifts 44:09 Life Outside of Work 46:35 Where She’d Go Next 47:01 Life Beyond Business Casey Brown is a pricing expert, speaker, and the founder of Boost Pricing, where she helps companies rethink their pricing and unlock meaningful profit growth. She has helped thousands of businesses generate over $1 billion in incremental profit and is known for translating complex pricing concepts into practical, actionable steps for leaders and sales teams. With a background spanning engineering and leadership roles at GE and AkzoNobel, she combines operational expertise with deep insight into value-based pricing.

A CEO’s Blueprint for Success: Leading with Love to Drive Performance and Culture

Leadership right now feels heavier than it did just a few years ago. Teams are stretched, expectations are high, and many employees are quietly disengaged. In fact, Gallup’s 2025 U.S. data [https://www.gallup.com/workplace/701486/employee-engagement-declines-2020-peak.aspx] shows that only about 31% of employees are actively engaged at work, leaving the majority feeling disconnected or indifferent. For CEOs and senior leaders, that’s not just a cultural issue—it’s a performance risk. And in many cases, it’s the difference between a “storybook” career success narrative and the harder, messier reality of leading when it counts. So what does it actually take to re-engage a workforce and drive meaningful growth at the same time? And can something as unexpected as “leading with love” become a serious business strategy? On this episode of Get Vertical! [https://marketscale.com/shows/get-vertical-with-mike-mccalley/], host Mike McCalley [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelmccalley] sits down with Robby Humble [https://www.linkedin.com/in/robby-humble/], Chief Executive Officer of Penn Warranty [https://www.pennwarranty.com/] and Preferred Warranties [https://preferredwarranties.com/], to explore an unconventional leadership philosophy that has fueled a company turnaround. Humble shares how leading with both nurturing and tough love helped reinvigorate a struggling automotive warranty business, delivering 20% year-over-year growth in Q3 cash collections—without introducing new products, services, or marketing initiatives. Key highlights from the conversation... * How redefining accountability through “nurturing” and “tough” love transformed leadership dynamics inside the organization. * Why creating psychological safety allows teams to bring problems forward early—and solve them faster. * How career breadth across six industries—and a hard-earned detour outside corporate America—reshaped Humble’s definition of career success and prepared him to lead a complex turnaround. Robby Humble is a CEO and investor with leadership experience spanning seven industries and every major go-to-market model, including B2B, B2C, B2G, and D2C. He has held C-level roles in public and private equity–backed companies, helped lead a $720 million company sale, driven a 40%+ EBITDA CAGR through an eight-acquisition roll-up strategy, and overseen more than $1 billion in annual sales as Chief Revenue Officer. He is currently CEO of Penn Warranty and Preferred Warranties, where he is leading a multi-year transformation centered on performance and culture, and is the author of the forthcoming book Love & Leadership [https://robbyhumble.com/book], a blend of memoir and leadership framework drawn from real experiences inside high-pressure organizations. Article written by MarketScale.

Virtual Physical Therapy and the Changing Landscape of Athlete Care

Virtual care is no longer an experiment—it’s a structural shift in healthcare. Telehealth usage [https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/digital-health/new-data-details-how-telehealth-use-varies-physician-specialty] remains significantly higher than pre-2020 levels, and providers across disciplines are rethinking how to deliver higher-quality outcomes without the overhead and insurance constraints of traditional clinics. Meanwhile, recreational and endurance sports participation continues to rise, with millions of Americans [https://sfia.org/resources/sfias-topline-participation-report-shows-247-1-million-americans-were-active-in-2024] registering for road races, marathons, and endurance events each year. The stakes are clear: more active people means more preventable injuries—and a growing need for smarter, longer-term rehabilitation models, including the rise of virtual physical therapy. As healthcare delivery shifts beyond the walls of traditional clinics and more athletes push their physical limits, a new question emerges: when pain starts limiting performance, is it time for physical therapy—and what role can a virtual physical therapy model play in building long-term durability? Welcome to Get Vertical! [https://sfia.org/resources/sfias-topline-participation-report-shows-247-1-million-americans-were-active-in-2024] In the latest episode, host Mike McCalley [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelmccalley/] sits down with Kameron Harder [https://www.instagram.com/ridgeathleticsaz/], founder of Ridge Athletics [https://ridgeathleticsaz.com/], to explore the evolution of physical therapy from insurance-driven clinic models to fully digital, performance-based programming. The conversation covers Harder’s journey from injured runner to Doctor of Physical Therapy, his decision to leave traditional practice, and why he believes virtual care can deliver equal—or better—long-term outcomes for athletes. Throughout the conversation, Harder explains how insurance reimbursement pressures have forced many clinics to increase patient volume, limiting one-on-one time and long-term follow-up. In contrast, his virtual model focuses on customized strength programming, functional assessments, and sustained guidance beyond the typical 8–12 visit discharge cycle. The main topics of conversation... * Why traditional insurance-based physical therapy often prioritizes symptom relief over root-cause correction—and how that affects long-term durability. * The leap from in-person clinic ownership to a fully virtual practice serving athletes globally. * When runners, endurance athletes, and active professionals should seek help instead of pushing through recurring pain. Harder is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and endurance athlete based in Flagstaff, Arizona. He has served the athletic community since 2017, working with runners, recreational athletes, and competitive endurance performers. After years in traditional clinical settings, he founded Ridge Athletics in 2022 to provide more individualized, performance-driven care. His expertise includes orthopedic rehabilitation, strength training for runners, and long-term injury prevention programming delivered through a fully digital platform. Article written by MarketScale.

Get Vertical! Growing with Sales for Success

Buying behavior has shifted dramatically. Today’s B2B customers do most of their research before ever speaking with a salesperson. In fact, 61% of B2B buyers say they prefer a rep-free buying experience, according to a 2025 Gartner survey [https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2025-06-25-gartner-sales-survey-finds-61-percent-of-b2b-buyers-prefer-a-rep-free-buying-experience]. At the same time, U.S. retail e-commerce sales exceeded $1.192 trillion in 2024 [https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/article/us-ecommerce-sales/]. Growth still depends on sales—but growing with sales in today’s market requires a new approach. So here’s the question leaders are asking: If buyers are more independent and informed than ever, how can sales teams still drive meaningful growth? On this episode of Get Vertical! [https://marketscale.com/shows/get-vertical-with-mike-mccalley/], host Mike McCalley [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelmccalley/] welcomes John W. Buckner [https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnwbuckner/], Chief Revenue Officer at Sales Xceleration [https://salesxceleration.com/], for a practical conversation about what it really means to grow with sales today. Buckner shares lessons from decades of leadership across multiple industries and explains how sales, marketing, coaching, and customer lifetime value all connect to sustainable success. Key highlights from the conversation… * Why sales remain essential to economic growth—even in an AI-driven marketplace. * The difference between the cost of acquisition and cost of ownership, and why lifetime value matters. * How coaching transforms sales from an activity into a high-performance discipline. John W. Buckner is a senior revenue executive with more than 30 years of experience leading go-to-market strategy, sales infrastructure, and performance management across industrial, consumer goods, and B2B markets. As Chief Revenue Officer at Sales Xceleration and former Senior Vice President of Sales with P&L responsibility for a $240 million division, he has built multimillion-dollar pipelines, driven double-digit profit growth, and implemented enterprise sales methodologies to scale teams and improve EBITDA. His expertise spans sales strategy, CRM optimization, pipeline development, cross-functional leadership, and coaching high-performance teams to deliver sustainable revenue growth.

Get Vertical! Going from Idea to the Top 1% in Less Than 3 Years

Independent retail is operating in one of the most competitive environments in decades. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, roughly 20% of new businesses fail within their first year, and a whopping 50% don’t make it to year five. At the same time, consumers are increasingly choosing brands that offer community, authenticity, and experience—not just products. In this landscape, building a specialty retail business that rises into the top tier nationally isn’t just difficult—it places a company in rare company. So what does it actually take to go from a rough idea to becoming one of the top specialty stores in the country in under three years? Is it capital, connections, timing—or something deeper? Welcome to Get Vertical! In the latest episode, host Mike McCalley sits down with Drew Flowers, General Manager at Trailhead Running Supply, to unpack how a niche trail running concept turned into one of the most recognized specialty run shops in America. The conversation explores career pivots, brand positioning, retail strategy, and the power of building authentic community in a hyper-focused market. Top insights from the talk… * How Drew executed multiple career pivots—from construction to graphic design to outdoor retail leadership—and what those transitions taught him about risk. * Why narrowing into a niche (trail running) created leverage rather than limitation in a crowded market. * How community-building—not just product selection—became the store’s defining competitive advantage. Drew Flowers is the General Manager of Trailhead Running Supply, where he leads operations, builds strategic vendor partnerships, and drives community-centered retail growth. With a background spanning REI retail management, specialty run sales, and custom apparel production, he brings deep expertise in service-oriented sales, trend analysis, and team development. Known for cultivating long-term customer relationships and creating high-impact community events, Drew has been recognized for his leadership and commitment to core values.