In this Business Blast Podcast episode, host Tyler Wagner interviews John Price, founder of America's Market Intelligence. Price shares a pivotal 1992 story where he turned a failing job in Toronto into a profitable venture by taking 30 programmable LED signs to Mexico, which, due to a sudden 300% tariff on Chinese imports, became fifteen times more valuable—illustrating his belief that chance favors the daring. He then explains his 26‑year expertise in Latin American markets, emphasizing that South American economies are driven by three key export commodities; predicting their prices lets investors forecast economies, currencies, and optimal entry times. Price advises against basing future plans on past performance in volatile markets, likening it to driving by looking in a rear‑view mirror. He stresses the importance of focus—servicing fewer clients exceptionally and mastering a narrow domain—as generalists lose relevance online. For personal finance, he recommends living below one’s means to reduce pressure and increase strategic flexibility. The book that impacted him most is Paris 1919 by Margaret MacMillan, which taught him the long arc of history and the outsized influence of individual leaders on geopolitical outcomes. He also shares a favorite Winston Churchill quote, “If you’re going through hell, keep going,” highlighting perseverance. The episode concludes with a plug for his website, america‑smi.com.
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Welcome to the Business Blast Podcast. I'm your host, Tyler Wagner. This episode is brought to you by Authors Unite. Authors Unite provides you with all the resources you need to become a successful author. You can learn more about Authors Unite and join the free community at authorsunite.com. Now let's jump into the episode.
All right everyone, welcome back to another episode of the Business Blast podcast. I'm your host Tyler Wagner. Today I have John Price with us. He's the founder of America's Market Intelligence. So welcome to the show, John.
Thanks, Tyler, appreciate it.
Of course, thanks for hopping on. Uh, we'll dive in. The first question I have for you, John, is what is the best story from your life that has an underlying valuable message?
Okay, um, back in 1992, I was living and working in Toronto for a company that marketed programmable LED signs. The company was failing, and I knew it was just a matter of months before we would all be out of a job. Dozens of these signs that we sold had been returned because of faulty fuses. It was an easy fix, but it was not permitted to resell refurbished products. Through retailers. So they were stacking up, piling up in our warehouse. So I negotiated to receive my last month's pay in signs at $0.20 on the dollar. And for personal reasons, I moved next to Mexico and I took 30 signs with me. A month after I arrived in Mexico, my new home country was in a trade dispute with China, and the signs that I brought in were now subject to 300% punitive tariff. So suddenly my signs were worth 15 times what I paid for them. Lesson learned, chance favors the daring. And I took a chance and it worked out. Took me 2 years to get my business up and running in Mexico and I financed it all through these signs that I brought in.
Wow, man, that's an incredible story. Thank you for sharing that.
You bet.
And what is the most valuable piece of information we should know that's within your expertise or industry?
Well, I'm, uh, by what some people would call a Latin American expert. I've studied these markets for 26 years, and everyone of course knows the Latin American markets are volatile, but few appreciate how predictable those business cycles are in Latin America, especially South American markets, which are all economies driven by the export of commodities. So if you can predict the pricing of the 3 most exported commodities of any South American market, you can predict its economy, you can predict its currency, which means if you're an investor, you can pick stocks and bonds and know when to invest. And if you're a strategic investor, you also can determine when's a good time to enter the market.
And what is your best piece of overall business advice and not necessarily industry-specific?
Well, when you operate in a volatile business environment like Latin America or like a lot of emerging markets, um, The trick is to not plan your future business based upon the last years of performance. And so many companies still base, you know, next year's projections and next year's budget on what happened last year and the year before. So they're driving their car looking through the rearview mirror, and ultimately that runs into problems as well as missed opportunities.
And if you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would that be?
Focus. The key to success is focus. Focus on fewer clients and service the hell out of them. Focus your expertise on a finite number of subjects, countries, industries. In the world of the internet, the lifespan of generalists is coming to a close. You have to be an expert. It's better to be a master of one trade, not a jack of many.
And in your opinion, what is the key to happiness?
Live below your means. If you spend less than you earn and save the rest, you will operate with a lot less pressure and you'll have many more options to make smart decisions when opportunities or crises come along.
And what's the best book that you've read and what was the number one thing you learned from that?
Well, the book I most enjoyed reading is called Paris 1919: 6 Months That Changed the World by Margaret McCullen. Sorry, Macmillan. And the book recounts the fascinating, very personal relationships among world leaders that rewrote the world map at the end of the First World War during the lengthy Versailles Treaty outside of Paris. It taught me two things. One, that the arc of history is long, and the tendency to view countries and conflict in contemporary terms is almost always short-sighted. A great example of this is Iraq, of course. I think if American politicians had read Winston Churchill's accounts of the difficulties of administering 3 British colonies that were united into one Iraq after World War I, ostensibly to save money, the US may never have invaded. Secondly, historic events are authored by individuals and the convictions of their beliefs. The determination of Woodrow Wilson to end colonization led to the independence of dozens of countries, and he stood his ground despite, um, criticism by the French and the British. Equally, the determination of the French to exact a costly revenge upon Germany after World War I led to the rise of radicalism and Third Reich in Germany. All of which is to say that leaders are important, and we should think wisely when we elect our politicians.
And what is your favorite quote and why?
Well, I love Winston Churchill, and he says many, many great quotes, but one I particularly like is If you're going through hell, keep going. And really what he's talking about is the perseverance is the most important factor of success in any endeavor.
Yes. Thank you so much for coming on, man. Such a valuable episode. The last question I have for you before we let you go is where's the best place for people to find you online?
Probably at our website, which is America's— sorry, America then the letters smi.com.
Perfect, man. Thanks again for joining us. We appreciate it.
My pleasure. All the best.
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