John Carey didn't plan on becoming an expert in grid security and renewable energy infrastructure—he started with a random call to his dorm at NC State, which landed him in door-to-door book sales with Southwestern Advantage. Today, he's CEO of Ovanova, a company creating portable microgrids and secure energy solutions. In this three-hour conversation, John covers how knocking on doors in rural America prepared him for leadership, resilience, and high-stakes problem-solving. He shares detailed e...
Jun 16, 2025•2 hr 40 min
Lester Crafton and John Carey back to Pony Tales for nearly three hours of straight-through conversation. They start with the job that first put them on doorsteps and finish in the middle of a national-grid debate, showing—step by step—how those early summers shaped everything that came after. Lester explains the moment he realised energy was the thread connecting almost every modern problem and why he left residential solar to focus on utility-scale projects. John walks through the hard lessons...
Jun 09, 2025•3 hr 18 min
Victoria Varberg works in conservation now — specifically raising money to help protect rhinos at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. In this episode, she talks about how she got into that world, what it’s really like working in international fundraising, and how much of what she learned from selling books still applies. She also tells the story of her craziest week on the book field — a stretch that included a cult, a broken-down car, and one of her biggest sales weeks ever. Big thanks to our spons...
May 27, 2025•2 hr 12 min•Ep. 268
Eric Hampton is an AE and RevOps Manager at Lemony.ai, and he’s carved out a career in one of the fastest-moving industries out there: AI startups. In this episode, we talk about what it’s actually like working in tech after the book field — how sales cycles are different, how to position yourself to get hired, and how to figure out which startups are worth jumping into (and which are a dumpster fire in stealth mode). We also get into a story from his first summer that involves a totaled car, a ...
Apr 16, 2025•2 hr 5 min•Ep. 267
Get info about BIZZLER in Greece here: [email protected] Get ready for a marathon episode with Ella Roach! As the daughter of a book-seller, Ella brings a perspective we don’t hear often — what it’s like growing up around Southwestern and then going through the experience yourself. In this conversation, we talk about what it means to stay coachable while also advocating for yourself, learning who you are, and holding onto your independence. If you know Ella, you already know you’re in f...
Apr 11, 2025•4 hr 2 min
Get info about BIZZLER in Greece here: [email protected] In this episode of The Pony Tales Podcast, we chat with Joe, who sold books for three summers in the 1980s and went on to build a remarkable career. Joe is the author of Habits Driven is the Game Changer , where he shares how the habits he developed during his book-selling days paved the way for his success in business. He’s now a consultant for Live Better Financial in California, specializing in Reverse Mortgages and Divorce Len...
Apr 08, 2025•1 hr 34 min
In this episode of The Pony Tales Podcast, we sit down with Emma, a true champion of the book-field. Growing up in a family of successful book-sellers, Emma shares what it was like to be surrounded by such a high-achieving alumni family. She opens up about the pressures of living up to their success and how she learned to let go of her ego and the need for recognition. By embracing a mindset of self-improvement, she hit her biggest goals yet. A big thanks to our sponsors over at Cardinal Senior ...
Apr 07, 2025•2 hr 16 min
Monette Howell is a 7-summer book girl who sold in the late-70s/early-80s at a time when not many women were on the bookfield. During the COVID shutdown, Monette started her own weekly podcast, Mornings with Monette. She and Andres talk about the origins of her podcast and the learning curve that comes with an audio platform. Monette had a star-studded career on the bookfield and she talks about how she was a student of the game, what she did to bring a 20-man team, and so much more. Be sure to ...
Jan 10, 2025•2 hr 9 min•Ep. 263
At the time of this recording, Theo is the Head of Business Enablement for Google in the Asia-Pacific region. In this episode, we discuss his career journey from books to Google, his accomplished public speaking career, and, of course, how he holds the record for experienced dealers and the best day ever—literally. You can connect with Theo regarding his latest career move on LinkedIn. A big thanks to our partners over at Cardinal Senior Benefits. If you want more information about them, here’s ...
Dec 19, 2024•1 hr 38 min
Being curious, a better listener, less judgmental, and letting go are just some of the topics we shared in this hour long Executive Exercises episode. Let us know what habits you’ve learned since leaving the bookfield that you are proud of! Also, here is the video of the door-to-door pizza guy. Books mentioned:
Nov 01, 2024•59 min
Adam, a nine-summer bookman, hops on the show for a shorter episode with Andres. Oddly enough, Adam had multiple encounters with Filipino families while on the brookfield, and has some great stories to accompany them. Since his time selling books, Adam has worked with Southwestern Consulting and launched the student consulting branch of the group for middle and high school students. UPCOMING: Adam is part of a new non-profit venture to take the student coaching model to kids aging out of the fos...
Sep 05, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 261
This might be the best Executive Exercises episode ever. (Say that four times fast. It had disagreements, laughs, and feet.
Aug 13, 2024•36 min
Phil hops on as our second Varberg to grace the show (Peter is #215). From growing up in the Philippines, Phil heard all about selling books from his dad, and knew this was the path for him. He and Andres talk about the twists and turns of life after the bookfield and his journey with Inspire Benefits, before digging into some wild stories of the days slingin’ books. Phil sold for 7 summer and has the stories to prove it. If you’re watching, around the 90-minute mark, take a peek at the photos P...
Jul 28, 2024•1 hr 58 min•Ep. 260
In this episode Pat, Alecia, Lee and Andres discuss when it is time to quit. How do you know if the career path you are on is not working out? Have you been at your role too long? Are you getting paid enough? Do your values align? These are the questions we address and more. Enjoy!
Jul 26, 2024•39 min
Ian Brown hops on the show from Tampa, Florida after selling for 7 summers. Ian hit some great numbers in his time on the bookfield, and shares with Andres how his time as a track athlete set him up for success and a “fast” start. From Honky Tonk Badonkadonk, to Jesus PR, to Retail Leasing, these two have a great time catching up - all the way to Pound Town! Key Moments and Chapters: 00:00:00 - Start 00:04:05 - Rapid Fire 00:07:47 - POUND TOWN 00:23:55 - Honky Tonk 00:27:50 - Stocking piling the...
Jul 25, 2024•1 hr 52 min•Ep. 259
PART 2 OF: Elliott Alexander (IG: @Ezander15) sold with the FORCE organization for three summers. Now with Family Heritage, Elliott shares some insight into what makes this endeavor unique from the bookfield experience. He wasn’t always the most “on schedule” bookman, and he and Andres share some fantastic stories of those off schedule shenanigans, complete with finding all of his HQ out on the lawn! Enjoy!
Jul 14, 2024•1 hr 44 min
Elliott Alexander (IG: @Ezander15) sold with the FORCE organization for three summers. Now with Family Heritage, Elliott shares some insight into what makes this endeavor unique from the bookfield experience. He wasn’t always the most “on schedule” bookman, and he and Andres share some fantastic stories of those off schedule shenanigans, complete with finding all of his HQ out on the lawn! Enjoy! Key Moments and Chapters: 00:00:00 - Start 00:01:52 - Elliott Intro 00:03:30 - Catch Up! 00:08:30 - ...
Jul 11, 2024•1 hr 33 min
YOU'RE FIRED! The panel discusses the different circumstances that lead to letting someone go. Are they impacting your culture? Not meeting standards? Overpaid? Check out the philosophies that come up based on the different contexts involving the dismissal of a person from your company.
Jun 28, 2024•52 min
The title says it all. This time we sit down and chat about the most valuable lessons we have carried with us since our time selling books. This is one you want to have a pen and paper for. For more information about our panel: https://www.maverickandcompany.com/ https://southwesternconsulting.com/coaches/will-metscher
Jun 14, 2024•49 min
Keith sold books with FORCE for five summers. Now with Southwestern Consulting, Keith shares with Andres some powerful lessons learned from his clients and the defining difference between Competing and Collaborating. Keith grew up with Matt Atchison and has some great stories to share on how that influenced his decision to sell with Southwestern, what sales school with the Europeans was like, and of course some remarkable days on the book field. “You know a hoarder’s house when you see one.” Key...
May 23, 2024•2 hr 54 min•Ep. 256
Ah yes, the "ONE MORE" culture. But how do you know when one more is actually hurtful. Great episode for those of you who struggle to know when enough is enough vs when you need to give it another shot. Also, sorry for the audio in some parts.
May 22, 2024•49 min
This week we had Andres, Pat, Will, and Lee share some of the bigger mistakes in recent memory, both personally and professionally. The lessons they learned through these blunders, will help any listener avoid the same. Please enjoy!
May 17, 2024•48 min
Brad Ledwith is an 8-summer bookman and former DSL. He brings the FUN to the fundamentals of building a successful life. Brad currently runs his own financial wealth management firm and shares with Andres his WHY for the work he loves doing so much. Brad sold in the ‘90s and has some hilarious stories that will have you rolling. X/Twitter: @bradledwith IG: @noruleshottips FB: Ledwith Financial Wealth Management Book Recommendation : Poor Charlie’s Almanack by Charlie Munger - https://www.amazon....
May 05, 2024•1 hr 53 min•Ep. 255
Part 2 is HERE! Bizzler registration is now open. Checkout our Instagram page and go to our pinned post for more information. The sign up link is below. https://travefy.com/f/6kw9rqeqbxgqra6uetet6blu7rwgs88a Part 2 00:00:00 Start 00:53:09 Ad Ends. 00:01:30 Recruiting 00:02:28 Selling during COVID 00:07:34 Working referrals 00:13:16 Hitting MORT Level 00:17:15 Does Territory Matter? 00:25:55 Logan Merret selling machine 00:44:30 Why did you leave? 00:58:38 Theory on why DSMs leave 01:02:40 Salary...
May 03, 2024•2 hr 6 min
Inspired by Lee's original "Dirt Pile" story, we decided to ask the crew about their toughest personal moments since leaving Southwestern. This will be a Part 1. Enjoy the stories from Pat, Andres, and Alecia. Lee's original story - https://youtu.be/sTQNQ7x5gIU?si=S4HjfdWmEjpoo6Zy About our panel: Alecia Huck is the founder of MAVERICK & Company, a management consultant, sought-after speaker, and author. She specializes in helping leadership teams of fast-growing companies build the critical...
Apr 05, 2024•56 min
For the first time ever, we are splitting an episode into separate parts. With Lainey, we knew that our conversation was going to be filled with many great stories. Instead of cutting them short, we decided to eat the elephant of stories, one bite at a time. Enjoy Part 1 of this episode, we know you will have fun listening. Also, Bizzler registration is now open. Checkout our Instagram page and go to our pinned post for more information. The sign up link is below. https://travefy.com/f/6kw9rqeqb...
Mar 28, 2024•1 hr 57 min
Executive Exercises are back! We asked our panel to share their TOP 5 favorite success principles of all time. It's a fun ride from start to finish, thanks to how different everyone is. We've got stories, laughs, and a ton of wisdom packed into one conversation. Whether you're into hearing how people overcome obstacles, find creative sparks, or just keep pushing forward, there's something in here for you. Our guests get real about what works for them, sharing tips and experiences that are as use...
Mar 25, 2024•54 min
Logan is fresh off the bookfield and rocking in his new sales position. We love an episode full of stories and discussions of the Southwestern summer experience that include some feedback. Listen in and tell us your opinions on our opinions. 00:00:00 Start 00:03:14 Intro 00:12:42 Covid Sales School 00:17:09 First Actual Door 00:18:51 First Customer 00:22:26 Rapid Fire 00:55:50 Why not last year 00:59:33 Tell us what you're up to. 01:10:26 Would you go back? 01:24:47 Pony Tales...
Feb 23, 2024•1 hr 43 min•Ep. 252
We had to do an episode with spouses that didn’t sell. In this episode Brianna Gamboa (Andres Gamboa), John Kelly (Meredith Gardner), Sarah Greder (Grant Greder), Ben Taubensee (Naomi Kaufman), Jenny Roach (Patrick Roach), all joined us for a hilarious episode. We asked them the following questions. ENJOY. What was your first thought when your spouse told you they sold books? How many book kids have stayed on your couch? Was it a cult? What Southwestern-isms do they still use/do? What are they l...
Feb 14, 2024•1 hr 25 min
The day we’ve been waiting for - the day when our host Andres Gamboa is on the other side of the mic to share HIS time on the bookfield and the origin of this show that has made it to 250 EPISODES!!! Jacob Levine picks up the host mic and chats with Andres for an episode all about his origin story, his first sales school, and his greatest Pony Tale. Andres shares some behind the scenes on what it’s like to receive stories from guests, often for the first time. He shares his philosophy on curiosi...
Feb 08, 2024•2 hr 36 min•Ep. 250
