Carey Smolensky is the Founder & President of CSP Worldwide, a family of companies including Event Production, Entertainment, Facilitation, Branded Merchandise, and continuing to evolve into more full-service offerings. Carey has won numerous local, national, and international awards for his entertainment and event production, and is best known to the Cutco/Vector family for providing his fine support for many company events. He has impacted countless lives through his events, collaboration ...
Jan 04, 2023•52 min•Ep. 380
Changing Lives Selling Knives is a podcast about all the inspiring stories of people who learned the basics of sales, leadership, and business through working with Cutco/Vector Marketing, and are now using their skills and their influence to change the world for the better. For the milestone one-hundredth episode, the guest was our host himself, Dan Casetta, being interviewed by Jon Berghoff, who Dan counts as being a long-time colleague, friend, mentee, and mentor, all rolled into one. This Fla...
Dec 16, 2022•17 min•Ep. 379
Danny Guerrido is one of the most impactful sales reps in the 70+ year history of Cutco. He joined Vector as a sales rep in December 1998 and advanced into management by Summer 2000. After 2 successful periods as a District Manager, in which he produced well over $4 million in team sales, Danny committed to the Cutco Sales Professional role in 2013. He has grown his production from about $200K in 2014 to over $600K in 2021, and is among the company’s leaders in sales again for 2022. With over $4...
Dec 14, 2022•49 min•Ep. 378
Jaymison Jones is the NorCal Division Manager for the Cutco/Vector Marketing sales organization. He’s been with the company since 2003 and is responsible for over $38 million in sales. He’s truly one of the most exceptional leaders you could ever meet, and he balances his work with an amazing personal life. In his youth, Jaymison might not have been headed towards such a great place. But through several transformational experiences, he has truly evolved, in both his business and in his life. Thr...
Dec 09, 2022•15 min•Ep. 377
The Four Agreements is one of the most impactful books ever written. The agreements themselves are deceptively simple, yet incredibly profound. This short solo episode shares some quick thoughts on one of the 4 agreements, which is “Don’t Make Assumptions.” Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life. If you’...
Dec 06, 2022•14 min•Ep. 376
Shannon Smadella was a successful manager with Cutco/Vector Canada before moving on to pursue other interests. Named Miss Canada in 2009, the outer transformation Shannon underwent in pursuing this crown brought about a far more significant inner transformation. Shannon has since used her platform to impact children and adults all over North America and beyond with technologies for mental and physical well-being. Extensively trained in the Yogic Sciences, Shannon educates others about inner beau...
Dec 02, 2022•13 min•Ep. 375
Brad Weimert is an entrepreneur, adventurer, and endurance athlete. As a Cutco sales rep, he quickly advanced to become the company’s #1 sales rep in 2001, and he was inducted into the Cutco/Vector Hall of Fame before moving on to new ventures. Brad founded EasyPay Direct, a payment platform which has served over 30,000 businesses. He also hosts the podcast “Beyond A Million” and runs adventure trips for entrepreneurs under the brand “Unplugged Events.” Outside of business, Brad has been an incr...
Nov 29, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 374
Phil Bohlender is the Intermountain Division Manager for the Cutco/Vector sales organization, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. A veteran with the company since 1994, Phil has produced over $38 million in sales and is a member of the company’s Hall of Fame. Throughout his career, Phil has been inspired by strong reasons, starting with building a family while he was still a college-student sales rep. Phil is an expert at enrolling others in his goals, and he creates an atmosphere of collabor...
Nov 18, 2022•15 min•Ep. 373
Alyce Dailey is a coach, speaker, entrepreneur, community builder, and the ultimate Girl Mom raising 4 adventurous daughters, while running multiple businesses alongside her husband, Seth. Alyce & Seth have been top achievers in the Keller-Williams real estate organization, and have been widely recognized for excellence in leadership and entrepreneurship. Alyce believes that being a Mom is the most entrepreneurial venture on the planet. She wrote “The Magic Mom” in an effort to inspire and g...
Nov 15, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 372
Amar Dave has been one of the most impactful leaders in the 70+ year history of Cutco. Early in his career, he was the company’s #1 District Manager while still in college at the University of Michigan. At age 26, he became the youngest Regional Executive in company history. Over the years, he directly influenced and developed 4 future Region Executives on his way to becoming Cutco’s Senior Vice-President in 2014. He continues to serve in this role, where his spirit of innovation enables him to ...
Nov 11, 2022•14 min•Ep. 371
One of the greatest lessons of the Cutco/Vector Marketing experience is learning how to think. Through lessons, observation, and practice, people gain insights into how to process the things that happen, develop an ability to choose empowering meanings for those occurrences, and then choose actions that move them in the direction of their visions in life. Dan Casetta has spent many years illuminating these concepts, and he offers some simple insights in this short solo episode. To get access to ...
Nov 08, 2022•20 min•Ep. 370
Ben Schemper is the Founder & CEO of Abundant, a coaching organization that helps sales leaders uncover the path to their greatest possibility. Ben was previously a top achiever with Cutco/Vector, starting out by selling over $50,000 in his first 4 weeks. As a manager, Ben was a part of the team that established a one-week Cutco sales record in 2009 that stood for over a decade, and he won the National Champion’s Silver Cup in his first full year as a District Manager. Ben is known for being...
Nov 04, 2022•14 min•Ep. 369
Michael Dobson is one of the top all-time District Managers in the Cutco/Vector Marketing sales organization. He has been a consistent performer over the past 16 years, and is a member of the company’s Hall of Fame with $15.8 million in career sales. One of Michael’s enduring strengths is that he is a fearless communicator. He establishes strong personal connections, asks deep questions, and loves guiding and mentoring others. Michael takes seriously the responsibility of leadership and truly st...
Nov 02, 2022•49 min•Ep. 368
As Cutco/Vector’s Training & Leadership Development Manager, Trent Booth is the tip of the spear in bringing a culture of personal growth to Vector’s leadership team. He shares some critical concepts for personal and professional success, including self-awareness, emotional intelligence, altruistic leadership, and a whole lot more. Trent experienced success as a sales rep and manager with Vector Canada before relocating to the Philadelphia area for a corporate role with Vector in 2004. Today...
Oct 28, 2022•17 min•Ep. 367
Katie Heaney is one of the most successful sales reps in the 70+ year history of Cutco. While producing over $4.4 million in career personal sales, it’s clear that Katie’s priorities are her family and her health. Her work is a great means for her to live a better life, with her husband, Mike, and 2 children, ages 11 & 9. Katie has a degree in Nutrition & Dietetics, has completed 10 full marathons, and is passionate about healthy living. Her insights can inspire you to work to live, not ...
Oct 21, 2022•46 min•Ep. 366
The Cutco/Vector Marketing sales organization has become well-known for having an extremely unique and powerful combination of cultural elements that lead to extraordinary retention of top talent and long-term success. The company’s environment truly brings out the best in people, fosters a tremendous spirit of cooperation, creates a family feel, and has led so many amazing leaders to stay in the business for long and vibrant careers. What has created such a unique and powerful corporate culture...
Oct 14, 2022•22 min•Ep. 365
Steve Pokrzyk is the Director of Marketing at Cutco Corporation, having served in this role since 2007. His time with the company actually dates back to 1986 when he started as a sales rep in Buffalo NY. Steve advanced to Assistant Manager, Branch Manager, and District Manager before moving into a special role as the Northeast Region Sales Promotion Manager. He later held the National SPM position for about 5 years before moving to Olean to work with the corporate headquarters. With his unique b...
Oct 10, 2022•49 min•Ep. 364
Andrew Smallwood is the Director of Sales for Second Nature, a young company that is already at the top of its industry. Over recent years, Andrew has been able to develop a reputation as a tremendous role model for effective communication in a variety of important ways. He possesses a remarkable combination of intelligence, humility, curiosity, open-mindedness, empathy, and respect for others. In a world of cancel culture and divisive communication, Andrew is a shining example of civil discours...
Oct 07, 2022•19 min•Ep. 363
Dr. Barry Posner is the Accolti Endowed Professor of Leadership at the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University, where he has served as the Dean of the School for the last 12 years. Dr. Posner is one of the world’s foremost scholars on the subject of leadership, and is best known for his book, The Leadership Challenge, which is an international best-seller with over 3 million copies sold in 22 languages. This award-winning book details the 5 practices that are most common when leaders...
Oct 04, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 362
Mark Bullard is the Southern Rock Division Manager for the Cutco/Vector Marketing sales organization. Headquartered in Memphis TN, his Division encompasses parts of 5 Southern states. By making it a top priority to invest time and resources into his people, Mark has created a legacy of powerful relationships over his 23 years in the Vector business. He’s responsible for over $47 million in Cutco sales, and is a member of the company’s Hall of Fame. Mark’s stories and lessons will inspire you to ...
Sep 30, 2022•13 min•Ep. 361
Chris Nicoud is one of the most successful District Managers in the history of the Cutco/Vector Marketing sales organization. Having produced over $16 million in sales, he’s a member of the company’s Hall of Fame. Chris’ great strength as a leader is his ability to show up authentically in all of his interactions. By fully engaging his own unique abilities and talents, Chris has been able to grow in self-confidence and perform at his best both professionally and personally. He’s a tremendous rol...
Sep 27, 2022•51 min•Ep. 360
Nadine McGowan was a successful leader in the Cutco/Vector Marketing sales organization, ultimately reaching the role of Indiana Division Manager. On a mission trip to Africa, Nadine came to realize that by pouring into the women of a community, we could truly impact the next generation and shift the whole culture. She founded Purposeful Living, Inc., as a non-profit to invite women to find and live their purpose. Nadine’s organization is changing the lives of over 2000 women in the Indianapolis...
Sep 23, 2022•16 min•Ep. 359
Mark Mastrandrea (AKA Mark Brazil) is the Co-Founder and CEO of the well-known digital art company, Ikonick. Mark sold Cutco in the Summer of 2004 while attending the University of Delaware. He started Ikonick in 2016 with his partner, Jeff Cole. Mark’s story is one of grit, determination, persistence, self-growth, focused effort, and now massive success. In reality, Ikonick is not an “art company,” but instead is inspiring and motivating people through images, quotes, and stories, and the compa...
Sep 20, 2022•45 min•Ep. 358
Jake Meiser is the Buckeye (OH) Division Manager for the Cutco/Vector Marketing sales organization. Now 15 years into his career with the company, Jake has produced over $24 million in sales and is a member of the company’s Hall of Fame. From his background playing competitive soccer and throughout his Vector career, Jake has been known as someone with a powerful internal drive to succeed, coupled with a strong work ethic. Through consistent effort and a winner’s mindset, Jake has been able to a...
Sep 16, 2022•15 min•Ep. 357
Steven Williams is the Territory Sales Manager for Mississippi & Louisiana for Olympus Corporation of the Americas, a leader in the Medical Device industry. He also plays a role as a National Field Sales Trainer for the company. Steven honed his sales and leadership skills during a 6-year stint with Cutco/Vector Marketing, serving as both a top sales rep and a District Manager, during and after his college years at Mississippi State University. Now he is rapidly climbing in his industry, whi...
Sep 13, 2022•50 min•Ep. 356
Jeff Teresi is among the Top 25 sales reps in the history of the Cutco Cutlery /Vector Marketing sales organization, and is also a published author and aspiring public speaker. But there’s a real twist to his story, in that Jeff battles with Asperger syndrome. Being on the Autism spectrum can be a monumental challenge for anyone in any role, and is magnified by Jeff’s choice of sales and public speaking as his vocation in life. But Jeff looks at this difficulty differently, and that has made all...
Sep 09, 2022•16 min•Ep. 355
Roman Malik is one of the all-time greatest legends in the Cutco business. He started selling Wear-Ever Cookware under ALCOA in 1952, and joined Cutco when the 2 businesses later merged. He was a Champion sales rep and influential manager who helped build the Northern California sales organization into a perennial National Championship team. He’s been married for 67 years and has raised 3 successful children. And he’s built a financial empire including 13 properties throughout California, Hawaii...
Sep 01, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 354
Tony Carlston is a true pioneer in Cutco history. He started with the company as a sales rep in 1998, and quickly turned into one of the top reps in the company. After a short stint in a management position, he decided to pursue full-time sales as a Cutco Sales Professional. After hearing the legendary John Ruhlin talk about the concept of business gifting with Cutco, Tony hatched his ideas for the Cutco Closing Gifts program, targeted primarily at realtors, and he quickly rose to the top of the...
Jul 29, 2022•15 min•Ep. 353
Lori and Fred Snyder both sold Cutco and have gone on to highly successful lives and careers after their experience with Vector Marketing. Lori advanced to District Manager and even served as Sales Promotion Manager for the Midwest Region. Now she’s a coach and speaker who runs a faith-based podcast called Created To Thrive. Fred’s short experience selling Cutco was truly transformative, and provided him with the tools and confidence to build a lucrative career in the home-building industry, whe...
Jul 27, 2022•46 min•Ep. 352
Andrew Biggs is an international sales coach for top performers in multiple industries, and founder of Better Than Rich, whose mission is to change the world for the better by providing tools and ideas to leaders throughout the world. Andrew was a star Cutco rep who became a National Champion Branch Manager with Vector Marketing. After leaving Vector, he directly managed a team of 1500 people in the mobile gaming industry, responsible for operations for 6 of the highest-grossing apps on the Appl...
Jul 22, 2022•18 min
