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PODCAST

Power to Sell

Power to Sell is a student-led podcast focusing on mastering the underlying skills of persuasion, leadership, and sales. It"s focused on how we transform these "ordinary" human skills into the extraordinary and how we can differentiate ourselves based on how we sell versus the characteristics of what we sell.

business entrepreneurship

All Episodes

44:51

CeCe Morken - Power of Empathy

Power to Sell ·

2026/04/01

This episode of the Power to Sell podcast features an interview with Cece Morken, a successful North Dakota State University alumni and former CEO of Headspace. Throughout the conversation, Morken discusses her transition from sales and marketing into high-level executive leadership and corporate board roles. She emphasizes that effective selling and leading both require deep empathy and a focus on co-developing solutions with others. Morken also shares personal insights on maintaining a grow...

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41:27

Ann Melancon - Power of Relationships

Power to Sell ·

2026/03/26

In this episode of the Power to Sell podcast, training manager Ann Melancon joins student hosts to discuss her career path and the relationship-driven culture at CED (Consolidated Electrical Distributors). After a 15-year career gap as a stay-at-home mother, Ann returned to the workforce at CED, a company she praises for its integrity and family-oriented environment. Ann describes CED as a decentralized wholesale electrical supplier where nearly 800 locations operate as independent "profit ce...

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36:11

Joe Sandin - Power of Reps

Power to Sell ·

2026/03/03

In this episode of the Power to Sell podcast, NDSU students sit down with Joe Sandin, founder and CEO of Onsharp, to explore lessons from his 26-year journey as a technology entrepreneur and business leader. A central theme throughout the conversation is the importance of putting in the reps, the belief that mastery in sales, leadership, and entrepreneurship comes from consistent, disciplined effort over time. Sandin reflects on the risks he took starting a technology company while still in c...

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53:30

Ryan Watkins - Power of Reliability

Power to Sell ·

2026/02/18

In this episode of Power to Sell, NDSU students interview Ryan Watkins, the CEO of the upper Midwest region for Marsh McLennan Agency. Watkins shares his professional journey, which began with high-volume cold calling and transitioned into a successful career in the insurance industry. He reflects on his rise through various leadership roles, eventually overseeing a half-billion-dollar business with 1,600 colleagues. The conversation delves into Watkins' core philosophies, highlighting the im...

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32:13

KJ Blattenbauer - Power of Brevity

Power to Sell ·

2026/02/11

In this episode of Power to Sell, NDSU students sit down with publicist and author KJ Blattenbauer. KJ discusses her career journey and the core principles of her new book, Pitchworthy. She shares practical advice for small business owners and students on how to persuade audiences and build credibility without a large budget. Blattenbauer emphasizes that successful pitching requires brevity, clarity, and a focus on the recipient’s needs rather than the sender’s accolades. She also cautions ag...

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32:15

Sandi Piatz - Power of Questions

Power to Sell ·

2025/11/20

In this episode of Power to Sell, NDSU students sit down with Sandi Piatz, President and CEO of the United Way of Cass-Clay. Sandi walks through her impressive career path—from a startup software company, to sales and technology consulting, to serving as Microsoft’s site leader—before making the leap into the nonprofit sector. She shares how her long-standing commitment to community involvement consistently aligned with the values of the organizations she joined. That alignment ultimately led...

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59:04

Lanelle Vasichek - Power of Brand

Power to Sell ·

2025/10/30

In this episode of Power to Sell, NDSU students sit down with Lanelle Vasichek, Senior Director of Global Brand for Bobcat Company. Lanelle shares her career journey and the path that led her to her current leadership role at Bobcat. She reflects on the monumental challenge of building a global brand function in a company that had traditionally focused on “selling excavators and selling loaders” as independent products. One of her biggest hurdles, she explains, was influencing the internal te...

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50:18

Thom Coats - Power of Mindset

Power to Sell ·

2025/10/23

This episode of The Power to Sell Podcast, features Thom Coats, Professor and Director of the sales program at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). Coats details his career shift from over 25 years in sales and a six-year stint in law enforcement to academia. A central theme is the transformative power of sales education, which he argues can "change family trees" by helping students earn double or triple the income of a normal degree. Coats stresses that "everybody sells"—whether externa...

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30:18

Gary Halvorson - Power of Trust

Power to Sell ·

2025/10/16

In this episode of Power to Sell, NDSU students sat down with Gary Halvorson, Executive Vice President at CHS. Recorded at CHS headquarters in Minneapolis, the conversation explores the foundation of trust in both sales and leadership. Halvorson shares his journey from growing up on a small North Dakota farm to leading a global Fortune 100 cooperative serving farmers and consumers around the world. He reflects on lessons from his 26-year career at CHS—how mentorship, consistency, and moral in...

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26:50

Angelia Vang - Power of Curiosity

Power to Sell ·

2025/10/03

In our second episode of Fall 2025, NDSU students sat down with Angelia Vang, Digital Marketing Strategist with DSG Supply, to discuss how genuine curiosity is the ultimate catalyst for career growth and organizational impact. Angelia, who started her career in merchandising before shifting into marketing, shares how her "curiosity really pulled me toward marketing". Angelia reveals that her most valuable professional skill—learning to anticipate needs before they even surface—is built by "re...

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37:15

John Roberts - Power of Influence

Power to Sell ·

2025/09/23

Students kick off season seven of the Power to Sell podcast from Northwestern Mutual’s corporate headquarters in Milwaukee, sitting down with Chief Field Officer, John Roberts. Roberts, who is responsible for supporting the company’s 22,000 independent financial advisors and team members, explains why mastery of human influence is crucial for his leadership role. Dive into a dynamic conversation covering the essential traits needed to thrive in modern business. Roberts reveals the key t...

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48:29

Eric Gjerdevig - Power of Fearlessness

Power to Sell ·

2025/05/06

In the final Spring 2025 episode of the Power to Sell podcast, students interviewed Eric Gjerdevig, a sales lecturer at NDSU and former business owner. The interview explores Gjerdevig’s professional journey, from his early exposure to technology and accidental entry into sales to his experience at Great Plains Software and Microsoft and ultimately starting and selling his own software consulting company. The conversation also touches upon the importance of overcoming fear and being open to n...

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47:54

Valentina Montesano – Power of Networking

Power to Sell ·

2025/04/29

In episode #40 of the Power to Sell podcast, students sat down with Valentina Montesano, an Azure Sales Specialist at Microsoft. Valentina discussed her journey from competitive cheerleading and community college to transferring to the University of Florida and eventually landing a role at Microsoft through their Aspire program for recent graduates. She shares insights on networking, preparing for interviews, her day-to-day life in tech sales, and her experiences living and working in New Yor...

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45:28

Todd Prigozen – Power of Grit

Power to Sell ·

2025/04/22

In episode #39, students interviewed Todd Prigozen, the CEO of Bobcat of New York City and Long Island. The conversation explores the importance of perseverance and grit and the dynamic nature of doing business in New York, contrasting it with experiences in other regions and overseas in London, particularly regarding logistics, staffing, and customer interactions. Todd also shares his career journey within the family business, insights on leadership and hiring, the relationship with Bobcat a...

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34:16

Reed Overfelt - Power of Listening

Power to Sell ·

2025/04/15

In this episode (#38), students sat down in New York City with Reed Overfelt, a seasoned technology executive and serial CEO. Overfelt discussed his career journey, from his early involvement with the internet to his experiences building and selling multiple tech companies. The conversation explores key aspects of sales and leadership, including the importance of listening, building trust, navigating challenges, and the impact of technology, offering valuable insights for aspiring sales profe...

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30:17

Joe Pallo - Power of Emotion

Power to Sell ·

2025/03/31

In this episode of Power to Sell, NDSU students sat down with Joe Pallo, author of How to Sell Nothing: The Logical Way to Make the Emotional Sale. With over 35 years of experience in commission sales and thousands of sales calls under his belt, Joe shares insights on why emotional connections—not just logic—drive successful sales. He offers real-world advice for young professionals and reflects on his journey from selling books door-to-door in college to coaching top sales performers today. ...

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58:08

Dan Florness - Power of the (Blue) Team

Power to Sell ·

2025/03/25

In our third episode of Spring Semester 2025 (episode 36), students sat down with Dan Florness, the CEO of Fastenal, at their headquarters in Winona, MN. Dan shared the history of Fastenal, including stories about the founder, Bob Kierlin, and how Bob shaped the values and culture that are alive and well in Fastenal today. Dan discussed the importance of ongoing education for team members and numerous other leadership and sales lessons. He discussed technology, empowering team mem...

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36:18

Marcus Pratt - Power of Yes

Power to Sell ·

2025/03/05

For our second episode of Spring 2025 (episode 35), students sat down with NDSU alumni Marcus Pratt, a Sales Engineer at Midwest Mechanical Solutions. Marcus talked about his time at NDSU as an engineering student and how he leveraged that into a technical sales career. Sales was not on Marcus’s radar in college, but sometimes the opportunities that land in our laps are the ones that were meant to be. Marcus talked about the importance of being honest with yourself, encouraged students ...

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40:25

Richard Walsh – Power of Goals

Power to Sell ·

2025/02/12

For our first episode of Spring 2025 (episode 34), students sat down with the CEO of Corvent Medical, Richard Walsh. Richard talked about his career in medical device sales, the story of Corvent Medical, and the importance of setting goals. Students had an excellent opportunity to understand better the entrepreneurial journey of a medical device startup, which started during COVID-19, regulatory challenges, and the importance of staying focused and goal-oriented. Richard shared several ...

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44:55

Shannon Hauf - Power of Resiliency

Power to Sell ·

2024/12/03

For our seventh and final episode of Fall 2024 (episode 33), students sat down with Shannon Hauf, the Senior Vice President and Head of North America, Australia, and New Zealand Product Supply for Bayer. Shannon shared her journey from growing up on a farm in southern Minnesota to being an executive at Bayer today. Shannon discussed the importance of trust, responsibility, resilience, teamwork, passion, and credibility. Shannon shared several great stories and talked about her time in Fargo w...

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52 results

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