What happens when an unexpected career turn leads to an entirely new path? 

In this all-new BizWiz episode, host Laura Cohn speaks with Scott Martindale about his transition from engineering at Chevron to investment research and eventually becoming CEO of Sabrient Systems. Scott shares lessons on navigating setbacks, spotting opportunities, creating value, and using AI in investment research.

In this episode, Laura and Scott Martindale discuss:

• Turning career changes into new opportunities through existing skills
• Lessons early-stage companies can learn from challenges and false starts
• The role of an entrepreneurial mindset and personal brand in career growth
• Technology and AI’s impact on investment research and decision-making

Key Takeaways:

• Scott moved from engineering into investment work through consulting, writing, trading, and joining a startup without immediately taking on the risks of starting a business.
• Sabrient found a major growth opportunity after years of false starts by launching the Baker’s Dozen during the 2009 market downturn, eventually attracting First Trust Portfolios.
• An entrepreneurial mindset means focusing on high-potential projects, responding to customer needs, avoiding unnecessary rabbit holes, and creating value by advocating for your ideas.
• Adaptability, communication, and the ability to create and scale value matter across careers, while AI can accelerate research and synthesis when its output is carefully reviewed.

"As a company, you want to be resilient when things turn south. And as an individual, you want to make yourself indispensable, and learn to advocate for yourself and your ideas." — Scott Martindale

About Scott Martindale: Scott Martindale is the CEO of Sabrient Systems, where he leads strategy, product development, institutional sales, business development, client relations, and portfolio management. He began his career as a structural design engineer with Chevron Corp, later moving into engineering, analysis, and management roles. Scott holds BS and MS degrees in civil engineering from the University of Arizona, an MBA from California State University East Bay, and a Series 65 license.

About Laura Cohn: Laura is the host of The BizWiz Podcast, a Strategic Marketing Consultant, founder of 416 Sales, and author of Sales Without Being Pushy. With over 30 years of sales experience and 50,000+ sales conversations, she has helped thousands of business owners improve their sales and marketing. Her diverse background in sales, branding, customer experience, and business growth gives her a practical approach to helping small business owners sell confidently through simple, authentic, and repeatable systems. She lives in Belton, TX.

Connect with Scott Martindale: 

Website: https://MoonRocksToPowerStocks.com & https://www.sabrientsystems.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottmartindale

Book: Moon Rocks to Power Stocks: https://www.amazon.com/Moon-Rocks-Power-Stocks-Scientist-ebook/dp/B0FLSQ67X3

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sabrientsystems

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/martindale_scott

Connect with Laura Cohn: 

Website: https://www.416sales.com/

Book: Sales Without Being Pushy: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H9CD52YD

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraanncohn/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/416SalesTX

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About Bob Campana: Bob Campana is a lifelong entrepreneur whose career spans five decades and industries as varied as construction, real estate, hospitality, and global travel. From building one of California’s top swimming pool companies to creating the award-winning Redwood Café, his ventures reflect a deep belief that business is ultimately about people, purpose, and perseverance. The author of Don’t Look Down! shares hard-won lessons on risk, reinvention, and resilience drawn from a lifetime of turning challenges into opportunities. When he’s not advising founders or leading small-group travel experiences around the world, he’s still doing what he’s always done—building connections that last.

In this episode, Dan and Bob Campana discuss:

• Overcoming fear and adversity through bold decision-making and resilience
• The importance of empathy and authentic human connection in business and life
• Lessons learned from decades of entrepreneurship across multiple industries
• Finding meaning, legacy, and purpose through storytelling and shared experiences

Key Takeaways:

• Shift your sales approach from price and product to purpose and emotion by discovering what truly motivates your customers—often their desire to create lasting memories—and build your entire pitch and experience around helping them achieve that dream.
• Lead through presence, gratitude, and genuine curiosity by walking the floor, engaging directly with your team and customers, and creating a culture where appreciation, personal acknowledgment, and human warmth drive both loyalty and performance.
• Transform setbacks into stepping stones by viewing every failure, crisis, or unexpected turn—whether it’s a business challenge or a life-threatening accident—as an opportunity to learn, connect deeper with others, and build a stronger, more resilient version of yourself.
• Adopt the “rocking chair test” before making big decisions—imagine yourself at the end of your life asking, “Will I regret not doing this?”—and let that clarity push you to take bold, informed action rather than letting fear dictate your path. 

"Empathy, the big thing is understanding everybody has a story, everybody has an individual life, and respecting that... enriches your life more." — Bob Campana

Connect with Bob Campana: 

Website: https://www.bobcampana.com/

Book: Don’t Look Down!: https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Look-Down-Battle-Tested-Entrepreneur/dp/B0F9H1YGTT

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GetBack2Workk

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-campana-entrepreneur/

Connect with Dan Hollis: 

Website: www.themagicofselling.net

Email: [email protected]

Business Number: 973-862-8331

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About Debra Clary: Dr. Debra Clary is a leadership strategist, curiosity researcher, and author of The Curiosity Curve (Fast Company Press, October 2025). With more than three decades of executive experience at Fortune 50 companies, including Frito-Lay, Coca-Cola, Jack Daniel’s, and Humana, she now helps leaders harness curiosity as a catalyst for growth, innovation, and engagement. A sought-after keynote speaker and executive coach, Dr. Clary is known for translating neuroscience and real-world experience into practical frameworks that transform culture and performance. She has delivered a TEDx talk viewed by over 225,000 people, was named one of the Top 10 Speakers to Watch in 2025, and continues to inspire audiences worldwide through her company, The Clary Group.

In this episode, Dan and Debra Clary discuss:

• Curiosity as a catalyst for stronger leadership and organizational transformation
• Developing environments that nurture curiosity and psychological safety
• Shifting leadership mindsets from having answers to asking better questions
• Turning curiosity into a measurable and repeatable driver of performance and innovation

Key Takeaways:

• Research confirmed that when leaders consistently model and reward curiosity, their teams mirror that behavior—resulting in measurable gains in engagement, job satisfaction, and overall performance.
• Neuroscience shows curiosity isn’t a personality trait but a state influenced by environment, meaning organizations can deliberately cultivate it by encouraging inquiry and rewarding experimentation.
• Executives who view curiosity not as a luxury but as a strategic advantage are better equipped to adapt, innovate, and maintain competitive momentum in rapidly changing markets.
• Establishing a culture where people feel safe to ask questions, challenge assumptions, and offer ideas empowers teams to move from compliance to creativity and unlocks the full potential of collective intelligence. 

"Curiosity is contagious; when you’re around curious people, your curiosity level will increase at the rate that theirs is." — Debra Clary

Connect with Debra Clary: 

Website: https://debraclary.com/

Book: The Curiosity Curve: https://www.amazon.com/Curiosity-Curve-Leaders-Transformation-Questions/dp/1639081380/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdebraclary/

Connect with Dan Hollis: 

Website: www.themagicofselling.net

Email: [email protected]

Business Number: 973-862-8331

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About W. David Prescott: W. David Prescott is a seasoned geologist and environmental consultant with over 30 years of experience. He has led numerous projects across the U.S., balancing environmental responsibility with economic growth, and is recognized for his work in groundwater protection and contaminated site remediation. Prescott advocates for market-driven solutions to sustainability, combining his expertise with leadership roles on community and state boards to influence policies promoting both ecological health and economic prosperity.

In this episode, Dan and W. David discuss:

• ESG mandates and their expanding influence on financial markets and corporate behavior
• America’s struggle to maintain energy independence while pursuing environmental goals
• The global race for energy dominance and its link to technological and geopolitical power
• Capitalism’s resilience and innovation as forces shaping future prosperity

Key Takeaways:

• ESG pressures have caused capital markets to dry up for oil and gas operators, leaving even profitable and well-managed businesses unable to secure investment, which erodes U.S. energy independence and destabilizes entire regional economies.
• Eliminating natural gas from fertilizer production would devastate agriculture by cutting yields of staple crops like corn and wheat by 60%, driving food prices sky-high, and threatening both national food security and global supply chains.
• When investors and pension funds prioritize ESG mandates over fiduciary responsibility, they risk poor returns and massive financial losses that can derail individual retirements and undermine the stability of billions in pension assets.
• While China and India rapidly expand coal, nuclear, and refining capacity to fuel AI and industrial growth, the U.S. is retreating from dense energy production, a strategic misstep that could result in decades of lost economic power and global influence. 

"There has to be a liaison between the natural environment and industry. We have to have jobs, we have to have energy to have the life that we have, and we want to continue to have, but we can do it responsibly." — W. David Prescott

Connect with W. David Prescott: 

Website: https://creativedestruction.gr-site.com/

Email: [email protected]

Book: Creative Destruction: How ESG Mandates Are Destroying Capitalism, Costing You Money, and Wrecking America: https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Destruction-Mandates-Destroying-Capitalism/dp/B0D64WSNP9

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/w-david-prescott-p-g-b1600714/

Connect with Dan Hollis: 

Website: www.themagicofselling.net

Email: [email protected]

Business Number: 973-862-8331

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About Eric Degen: Eric Degen is the Principal of Titan Business Development Group, a business coaching, advisory, and exit planning firm based in Flanders, New Jersey. He is a Certified Public Accountant, Chartered Global Management Accountant, Certified Exit Planning Advisor, Licensed Professional Business Coach, and Certified Mastermind Executive Coach.

In this episode, Dan and Eric Degen discuss:

• Shifting from a technical profession into coaching and advisory work
• Comparing different ways experts support business owners
• Struggles entrepreneurs face in managing and growing their companies
• Planning ahead to protect and increase the value of a business

Key Takeaways:

• Entrepreneurs who operate in a constant state of reaction—matching competitors’ prices, chasing short-term fixes, or confusing busyness with productivity—miss out on the deeper benefits of building foresight, strategy, and proactive leadership that create sustainable growth.
• Because 75–80% of businesses that go to market never sell and many shut down unexpectedly due to events like death, disability, divorce, disputes, or disasters, owners who don’t prepare years in advance risk losing not only their company but also their legacy, their employees’ futures, and their financial security.
• While revenue and profits are important, the real long-term value of a business comes from strengthening intangible capital such as leadership teams, customer loyalty, processes, and brand reputation, which collectively represent about 80% of valuation and directly influence a buyer’s perception of attractiveness and stability.
• By deeply listening to customers—observing what they say and do without judgment—business owners can uncover valuable patterns, unmet needs, and subtle signals that guide smarter decisions, build stronger relationships, and transform raw feedback into a roadmap for innovation and competitive advantage. 

"My greatest tip is so easy: listen carefully, closely, everything your customer says and does; everything they say and do, watch them, listen to them, and don't be judgmental, because everything they say and do is a blessing for you." — Eric Degen

Connect with Eric Degen: 

Website: https://www.titanbdg.com/

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%E2%98%85-eric-degen-cpa-cgma-cepa-lpbc-cmec-833b1210/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/titan-business-development-group-llc

Phone: (973) 601-3275

Connect with Dan Hollis: 

Website: www.themagicofselling.net

Email: [email protected]

Business Number: 973-862-8331

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About George Pesansky: George Pesansky is the President of MyBlendedLearning.com and a seasoned operations performance coach with more than 30 years of experience in continuous improvement, leadership development, and performance optimization. A Six Sigma Master Black Belt and veteran of both the U.S. Army and Fortune 500 organizations, he has trained and coached thousands of professionals in Lean, Six Sigma, and systems thinking. George is the creator of Deliberate Improvement® and Deliberate Reliability®, innovative frameworks designed to help organizations sustain results, eliminate waste, and unlock the root causes of success. He is also the author of the upcoming book Superperformance (September 2025), which reveals eight proven strategies to turn peak moments into everyday excellence. As a speaker, author, and nonprofit advocate, he is passionate about empowering individuals and teams to achieve sustainable success and lasting impact.

In this episode, Dan and George Pesansky discuss:

• The difference between learning theory and applying knowledge in practice
• Leadership approaches that prioritize team empowerment over individual recognition
• Identifying and removing barriers that limit personal or organizational performance
• Strategies for sustaining long-term improvement and preventing burnout

Key Takeaways:

• Sustaining long-term success requires deliberately identifying, measuring, and consistently repeating the specific actions and conditions that create positive results, rather than only analyzing problems or failures.
• The “leaky bucket” concept highlights that organizations waste time and resources when they focus solely on adding new initiatives while ignoring inefficiencies, turnover, and systemic waste that continuously drain performance.
• Shifting from a “me” style of leadership to a “we” style—where leaders empower teams to operate effectively without constant oversight—creates resilience, sustainability, and stronger organizational outcomes.
• Focusing on immediate “target conditions,” such as the next exam or milestone, helps individuals and teams build momentum through small, achievable wins, rather than being paralyzed by distant and abstract goals like graduation or retirement. 

"You can't sustain what you can't explain. So, if you don't know what helps you work, if you don't know what helps you succeed, there's a good chance you won't continue to do it." — George Pesansky

Connect with George Pesansky: 

Website: https://georgepesansky.com/

Book: Superperformance: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1639081356

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deliberateimprovement/

Twitter: https://x.com/SuperPerformnz

Connect with Dan Hollis: 

Website: www.themagicofselling.net

Email: [email protected]

Business Number: 973-862-8331

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

About Lamell McMorris: Dr. Lamell McMorris is a visionary leader, author, and advocate for resilience and significance. As the founder and CEO of Phase 2 Consulting, based in Washington, DC, he has redefined strategic advisory services to empower clients in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors to make a meaningful impact.

With a career spanning government affairs, community advocacy, and business innovation, Dr. McMorris is also the founder of Greenlining Realty USA, dedicated to reversing the effects of redlining in underserved communities. As an accomplished author and speaker, he continues to inspire audiences nationwide with his insights on leadership, resilience, and social progress.

In this episode, Dan and Lamell McMorris discuss:

• Advocacy as a driver for meaningful change in government, business, and communities
• Resilience is a universal principle that applies across personal, professional, and societal challenges
• Leadership is shaped by humility, service, and the willingness to adapt
• Personal growth through overcoming obstacles and developing enduring habits for success

Key Takeaways:

• Resilience is present not only in celebrated leaders and athletes but also in everyday individuals such as parents working multiple jobs, small business owners keeping their doors open, and farmers sustaining family land through decades of hardship.
• The Eight Habits—attitude, work ethic, agility, vulnerability, network, focus, dogged determination, and faith—serve as a structured framework to help individuals and organizations maintain strength and progress through victories and defeats alike.
• Embracing vulnerability, though challenging for those in leadership roles, allows others to step in with support, fosters trust, and strengthens relationships, ultimately creating more sustainable success.
• True leadership is measured not by position or recognition but by consistent servant leadership, meeting people at every level with respect, and leading with the heart as much as with strategy. 

"Everybody sees the glory, but people don’t see the story enough… You can’t skip over the story and get straight to the glory." — Lamell McMorris

Connect with Lamell McMorris: 

Website: http://www.lamellmcmorris.com/ & https://www.phase2-consulting.com/ & https://greenliningrealtyusa.com/

Book: The Power to Persist: 8 Simple Habits to Build Lifelong Resilience (releases September 23, 2025): https://www.amazon.com/Power-Persist-Simple-Lifelong-Resilience/dp/1639081437

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lamellmcmorris/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mcmorrislamell/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lamellmc/

Connect with Dan Hollis: 

Website: www.themagicofselling.net

Email: [email protected]

Business Number: 973-862-8331

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

About Mark Ryski: Mark Ryski is the Founder and CEO of HeadCount Corporation, a pioneering firm in store traffic and conversion analytics since 1994. He is a recognized industry authority and the author of three influential books, including Store Traffic Is a Gift and CONVERSION: The Last Great Retail Metric. Mark’s work has shaped how retailers worldwide measure and improve in-store performance, earning him media coverage in outlets like Forbes, Retail Dive, and The Globe & Mail. As a frequent contributor to RetailWire and other forums, he continues to advocate for smarter, data-informed retail strategies.

In this episode, Dan and Mark Ryski discuss:

• The growing role of data in physical retail decision-making
• How analytics are reshaping the brick-and-mortar customer experience
• Ongoing challenges and myths around measuring store performance
• Resilience and innovation across years of retail disruption

Key Takeaways:

• Many retailers continue to allocate staffing budgets based on historical sales instead of aligning labor with actual store traffic patterns, resulting in lost sales opportunities, staff burnout, and a long-term erosion of conversion potential despite high footfall.
• Despite the increasing importance of data-driven insights, nearly half of all brick-and-mortar retailers still do not track in-store traffic at all, missing out on fundamental visibility into how many sales they could or should be converting.
• By identifying “super converting stores” — those that consistently outperform their peers in converting visitors into buyers relative to traffic volume — retailers can uncover overlooked talent, replicate successful behaviors, and improve underperforming locations with real-world best practices.
• The pandemic starkly highlighted just how fragile and valuable in-store traffic truly is, as even massive multi-store retailers saw their daily foot traffic collapse to zero, proving that every visit is a finite, high-stakes opportunity that must be measured and maximized. 

"There's so many places to buy everything in this day and age, online, other physical stores, etc.—that you have to assume once they leave without buying, they may never be back." — Mark Ryski

Connect with Mark Ryski: 

Website: https://headcount.com/

Book: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Mark-Ryski/author/B0F54MXT75

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-ryski-8826601/

& https://www.linkedin.com/company/headcount-corporation/

Connect with Dan Hollis: 

Website: www.themagicofselling.net

Email: [email protected]

Business Number: 973-862-8331

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

About Ken Bruce: Ken Bruce is a two-time Emmy-winning animation director whose career spans iconic projects including Toy Story 3, Up, Shrek, The Simpsons, Ren and Stimpy, The Fairly OddParents, and Family Guy. A lifelong Walt Disney enthusiast, Ken spent over a decade researching and writing his acclaimed book Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room Before the Birds Sang Words. The book offers a deeply immersive and visually rich exploration of the origins of Disneyland’s Tiki Room, the rise of Audio-Animatronics, and the legacy of Imagineering. With a storytelling style that blends cinematic flair with meticulous historical research, Ken brings the magic behind the magic to vivid life.

In this episode, Dan and Ken Bruce discuss:

• Creative innovation in theme park storytelling and experiential design
• Shifts in animation industry culture and personal artistic evolution
• Intersection of nostalgia, technology, and narrative immersion
• Independent historical preservation in pop culture and entertainment

Key Takeaways:

• Without access to Disney’s official archives, Ken Bruce built a comprehensive historical account through deep independent research, interviews, and family collections.
• The Enchanted Tiki Room began as a background sketch and evolved into a pioneering animatronic show, highlighting how small artistic gestures can trigger massive creative developments when leaders stay curious and adaptable.
• Walt Disney’s decision to replace live performers with mechanical figures stemmed from his drive to maximize scalability and efficiency, reminding innovators to always challenge operational limits in pursuit of sustainable magic.
• To break into animation or any competitive industry, creators must focus on emotional connection over polish, because compelling original work that resonates is more likely to open doors than technical perfection alone.

"If you can make something of your own that for even two minutes holds someone’s attention, you’re good to go." — Ken Bruce

Connect with Ken Bruce: 

Book: Before the Birds Sang Words: https://www.tikiroom63.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tikiroom1963

Connect with Dan Hollis: 

Website: www.themagicofselling.net

Email: [email protected]

Business Number: 973-862-8331

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

About Patrick Ungashick: Patrick Ungashick is a nationally recognized speaker, author, and CEO with over 30 years of experience advising business owners and executive teams on leadership, growth, and exit strategy. As the founder of NAVIX Consultants, he has guided hundreds of companies through successful exits, representing more than $2.5 billion in enterprise value. His latest book, A Day for Leadership, distills timeless leadership lessons from the D-Day invasion into practical insights for today’s executives navigating pressure and uncertainty. A frequent keynote speaker and workshop leader, Patrick helps leaders elevate their decision-making and build aligned, high-performing teams. 

In this episode, Dan and Patrick Ungashick discuss:

• The importance of leadership and team alignment in business success
• Strategies and challenges around building high-performing teams
• Insights into creating effective business exit strategies
• Drawing lessons from historical military operations to guide modern leadership

Key Takeaways:

• Business leaders who shift their mindset from building a great company to building a great team will achieve greater, more scalable, and more sustainable results because empowered teams are the ones who create lasting value.
• The true value and long-term viability of a business—especially in the context of a sale or succession—rests heavily on the strength, cohesion, and alignment of its leadership team, not just financial metrics or market share.
• A powerful way for leaders to evaluate the health and potential of their team is to regularly ask themselves whether they would enthusiastically rehire each member today based on current cultural alignment, future needs, and individual contribution.
• The story of General Clarence Huebner’s transformation of a fractured, insular military unit into a cohesive, mission-ready force before the D-Day invasion shows that with urgency, clarity, and the right leadership approach, even deeply entrenched cultures can be rebuilt under extreme pressure. 

"The business leader’s primary responsibility is not to go build a great company, but to build a great team, and then the team builds that great company." — Patrick Ungashick

Connect with Patrick Ungashick: 

Website: https://www.patrickungashick.com/ & https://www.navixconsultants.com/

Book: A Day For Leadership: https://www.amazon.com/Day-Leadership-Business-Insights-Executives/dp/1639081240/

Download a secret chapter, The Hapless 90th Case Study, and get an interactive Team Leader’s Guide for productive team discussions now: https://www.patrickungashick.com/#leadership

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickungashick

Connect with Dan Hollis: 

Website: www.themagicofselling.net

Email: [email protected]

Business Number: 973-862-8331

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.