# From Poverty to Pricing Power | Why Great Companies Undercharge By Mike McCalley · Published 2026-04-02 · Updated 2026-06-08 · Engineering & Construction on MarketScale Canonical: https://www.marketscale.com/industries/engineering-and-construction/from-poverty-to-pricing-power-why-great-companies-undercharge Creator hub: Get Vertical with Mike McCalley > Casey Brown didn’t grow up thinking she would become an entrepreneur. She grew up in a blue-collar family where money was always tight — close enough to the edge that the fear of poverty shaped many of her early decisions. That fear led her into engineering, into corporate America, and eventually into a moment… ## Key points - Casey Brown didn’t grow up thinking she would become an entrepreneur. - She grew up in a blue-collar family where money was always tight — close enough to the edge that the fear of poverty shaped many of her early decisions. - That fear led her into engineering, into corporate America, and eventually into a moment… Block Field [Casey Brown](https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseybrownboost/) didn’t grow up thinking she would become an entrepreneur. She grew up in a blue-collar family where money was always tight — close enough to the edge that the fear of poverty shaped many of her early decisions. That fear led her into engineering, into corporate America, and eventually into a moment where she had to decide: Stay safe… or take the risk. In this episode of [*Get Vertical!*](https://marketscale.com/shows/get-vertical-with-mike-mccalley/), Casey shares how she went from: • First-generation college student • Engineer at GE • Corporate leader → To building a firm that helps companies price with confidence and unlock millions in value. But this conversation goes deeper than business. It’s about: • Fear and how it shapes decisions • Imposter syndrome and breaking through it • Why so many companies underprice their value • The human impact of better pricing (families, communities, employees) • And what it really means to do work that matters This is a story about doing something extraordinary — not because the path was clear, but because the alternative wasn’t acceptable. **Chapters** 00:00 Intro 01:01 Growing Up on the Edge of Poverty 02:24 Choosing Engineering Out of Fear 03:47 Corporate Career & Early Success 05:06 The Fear That Almost Stopped Her 05:49 Redefining Risk & Taking the Leap 06:18 Breaking Out of Rural America 08:37 Culture Shock & Starting Behind 10:37 Grit, Stubbornness, & Survival 12:14 The “Proving” Mindset 14:26 Early Career & Imposter Syndrome 18:43 Defining Success & Big Wins 19:07 Casey’s “Why” — Pricing & Impact 20:29 The Real Impact of Better Pricing 21:45 Confidence, Negotiation & Culture Shift 24:48 From Proving to Purpose 27:11 Overcoming Failure & Mindset Shifts 28:25 Authenticity at Work 31:00 Adventures, Risk & Kayaking 31:47 AI, Work, and the Future of Jobs 36:42 The Coming Skills Gap 39:32 Redefining Work & Value Creation 43:09 Education, Trades & Career Shifts 44:09 Life Outside of Work 46:35 Where She’d Go Next 47:01 Life Beyond Business Casey Brown is a pricing expert, speaker, and the founder of [Boost Pricing](https://boostpricing.com/), where she helps companies rethink their pricing and unlock meaningful profit growth. She has helped thousands of businesses generate over $1 billion in incremental profit and is known for translating complex pricing concepts into practical, actionable steps for leaders and sales teams. With a background spanning engineering and leadership roles at GE and AkzoNobel, she combines operational expertise with deep insight into value-based pricing. Tags: Boost Pricing, Casey Brown, Get Vertical! with Mike McCalley, pricing strategy, profit optimization, revenue growth --- Source: MarketScale, https://www.marketscale.com/industries/engineering-and-construction/from-poverty-to-pricing-power-why-great-companies-undercharge. Published for AI indexing and citation; cite the canonical URL. Site guide for agents: https://www.marketscale.com/llms.txt