Get Your Mind Right

This episode is different. We’re not talking about closing deals or chasing number. We are talking about what happens when life hits you with something you could never imagine was coming. Kylee and Emilee share the story of their sister, Halee; not through the lens of tragedy, but through the legacy she left behind. From navigating unimaginable loss in the public eye to making the decision to take...

In this episode, I sit down with Bob Marsh, Chief Revenue Officer at OnTrack AI, and we get into the real stuff, what actually shapes great salespeople and leaders. This isn’t theory. This is from someone who’s in the trenches right now building teams, leading revenue, and helping companies implement AI in real-world environments. We dig into: -How Bob’s early experience working with his dad shape...

Welcome to Get Your Mind Right—Mailbag Edition. Today’s episode is “Throw ‘Em Out”Today we’re getting into three questions that hit right at the heart of judgment, discipline, and what actually moves the needle. How do you know when it’s time to walk away from an opportunity without second-guessing yourself for the next six weeks? How should merchants start looking at payments data like a marketin...

In this episode, I sit down with Bob Marsh, Chief Revenue Officer at OnTrack AI, and we get into the real stuff, what actually shapes great salespeople and leaders. This isn’t theory. This is from someone who’s in the trenches right now building teams, leading revenue, and helping companies implement AI in real-world environments. We dig into:How Bob’s early experience working with his dad shaped...

This is a special two-part conversation with Kim Becking, a New York Times bestselling author, international keynote speaker, and expert in resilience, mindset, and navigating change in high-performance environments. In Part 1, John Johnson and Kim dive into the reality of operating in today’s “world of so muchness,” where constant change, AI, and overwhelming demands are the norm. Kim breaks down...

You lost a deal you thought was locked. You’re brand new in payments and everything feels overwhelming. And half the industry still can’t explain the difference between surcharging and dual pricing. In the backstory, I’m going to share a story about a know-nothing 22-year-old that was nearly consumed by a dragon. We’re talking fear, structure, and why the worst thing that could happen… usually doe...

This is a special two-part conversation with Kim Becking, a New York Times bestselling author, international keynote speaker, and expert in resilience, mindset, and navigating change in high-performance environments. In Part 1, John Johnson and Kim dive into the reality of operating in today’s “world of so muchness,” where constant change, AI, and overwhelming demands are the norm. Kim breaks down...

Is your statement really too complicated… or are you just not in control? Are price-driven prospects cheap… or just cautious? And why does payroll suddenly become a five-alarm fire the moment your business starts to grow? Today we’re talking about structure under pressure. Today’s backstory is about how a bad attitude can lead to moving rocks. And more rocks. And more…I’ll explain.#getyourmindrigh...

You think deals die at the close. They don’t. Most deals die way earlier in the sales process, long before you even realize the opportunity was never real. In this episode of Where Deals Die, we break down why sales pipelines get filled with Hopium, how friendly conversations trick salespeople into thinking progress is happening, and the questions that expose real opportunities from fake ones. If...

What do software companies promise that sounds amazing… until month six? What separates a good rep from a truly dangerous one? And if you’re sponsoring a trade show, are you supposed to sit, stand, or stalk the aisle like a professional? Today we’re talking about smoke, mirrors, and session musicians. Because sometimes what looks like a rock band… is just really good production.#getyourmindright #...

This is a special two-part conversation with Candy Fernaux, a merchant services pro, branding expert, entrepreneur, painter, and country singer-songwriter who built an unforgettable niche in an industry that is usually banking-blue and boring. In Part 2, the conversation goes deeper into freedom, reinvention, and what Candy is building heading into 2026. She shares how merchant services became the...

Today we’re draining the pond. We’re talking about myths in merchant services, the difference between busy and lethal, and why chasing the wrong deals is the fastest way to burn out. If you’ve ever been tempted by Hopium, convinced yourself a dead lead just “needs more time,” or believed pricing is all the same… this one’s for you. And in The Backstory, I’m going to tell you about a pond that two...

This is a special two-part conversation with Candy Fernaux, a merchant services pro, branding expert, entrepreneur, painter, and country singer-songwriter who built an unforgettable niche in an industry that is usually banking-blue and boring. In Part 1, John Johnson and Candy kick it off with Candy’s viral-era music video “Beauty Don’t Come Cheap” and use it as a launch point into branding, diffe...

Do you turn the camera on or off when your background’s a mess? How do you stay valuable when AI is coming for every corner of the sales cycle? And what do you actually do when your client is swamped, overwhelmed, and too buried to even fill out an app? And in today’s Backstory? Let’s just say… I learned there’s a limit to how far you can joke with your mother after she’s been vacuuming pine needl...

Cannabis is legal in a lot of states, but banking still gets weird fast. In this two-part conversation, I’m joined by Donna Bashi, CBPA and Jason Abate from Community Choice Credit Union to unpack what most people don’t understand about cannabis banking and why “cash-only” isn’t just inconvenient, it’s a business risk. We get into:Why accounts get shut down and checks get rejected (even personal a...

Industry events: waste of time or worth the airfare? Bree’s hearing a lot of “can you guarantee results?” and wants a new outbound gameplan. And Patrick’s wondering how to use social media when making cold calls. Real-world tactics, real talk, and one hot cup of coaching. Plus, in the Backstory—what a lifelong love of coffee taught me about capacity, grit, and being built for the long haul. #getyo...

Cannabis is legal in a lot of states, but banking still gets weird fast. In this two-part conversation, I’m joined by Donna Bashi, CBPA and Jason Abate from Community Choice Credit Union to unpack what most people don’t understand about cannabis banking and why “cash-only” isn’t just inconvenient, it’s a business risk. We get into:Why accounts get shut down and checks get rejected (even personal a...

What do you do when a red-hot prospect suddenly ghosts you? How much training is enough before you hit the field, and what should your manager actually be teaching you? And what operational levers can you pull to get more juice out of your current merchant base without becoming a full-blown consultant? Big questions, clear answers, and in the Backstory, a hard truth from my dad about layoffs, loya...

What does an auctioneer turned ISO partner, a pro-2A call center, and a bold move from California to Texas have in common? In this Boots on the Ground episode of Get Your Mind Right, John Johnson sits down with Paul Rasidakis, the a principal of a sales machine with offices in Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Plano. From building a 40-rep cold call center to dominating the firearms vertical with Elite2AP...

What’s the best way to revive a ghosted lead? How do you handle a business owner who thinks they know your job better than you do? And which types of clients actually stick around for the long haul? Today’s Mailbag is loaded with practical answers. And in the Backstory, we meet Max Johnson: a fifth grader with a silent protest so legendary, his Catholic school still isn’t sure what hit them. Spell...

This may the most important episode of GYMR you will see this year. Are you one small tweak away from doubling your results? This episode is all about what happens when you stack, multiply, and win. We’ll break down: Why most reps stop following up way too early—and what to do about itThe margin moves that separate elite performers from the packA dead-simple rhythm to dominate your dayAnd, a power...

In this episode of Get Your Mind Right- Boots on the Ground, I sit down with Cliff Torrence, a merchant services powerhouse who went from managing a Radio Shack to building a national business empire. We talk:The mentor who changed his life at 17How sales is more like martial arts than you thinkThe cost of greatness…and what happens when you don’t take care of yourselfCliff shares how a near-death...

Industry events- strategic or just self-promotion in disguise? What do you say when prospects ask you to guarantee results? And is social media cold outreach really a smart play or just another spammy trap? We’re diving into all that in today’s Mailbag Edition of Get Your Mind Right. Plus, a backstory about a rep who followed the rules, but blew the deal with one sentence. Feel matters. And if you...

What do you get when you mix a patented inventor, a globetrotting payments exec, and a former Radio Shack power-user with a sense of humor that might involve a classic internet rickroll? A killer episode. On this episode of Get Your Mind Right, Gene Schenberg joins me to break down ISV stacking, building truly sticky merchants, straight talk on tariffs, and why soft skills still matter in a tech-s...

What happens when a world-class ops leader turns frontline sales whisperer? In this episode, I sit down with Lori Carney from Worldpay. Lori is a 35-year payments veteran with the receipts to prove it. We go deep on what ISOs are doing right (and wrong), how she flipped her career from call centers to C-suites, and what the future of the Global/Worldpay merger really looks like. Oh, and we get per...