#124 Josh Pankow: Becoming Indispensable

My guest today is Josh Panko, President of Leaf Trading Cards. Josh's journey in the sports card industry started at age seven when he opened a card shop in his basement. That childhood passion turned into a remarkable career that's taken him from working at card shops as a teenager, to Upper Deck's product development team, to now leading one of the most creative trading card companies in the industry.

What I love about Josh's story is how he built his career by working every angle of the business—retail, distribution, manufacturing, customer service. He learned the entire supply chain, which gave him a perspective that few in the industry have. And today, at Leaf, he's creating some of the most innovative products in the space, from on-card autographs of Hollywood legends like Al Pacino and Clint Eastwood, to unique sports card concepts that major licensed manufacturers can't touch.

This conversation is packed with wisdom on hard work, taking initiative, building relationships, and staying humble even as you climb the ladder. Whether you're in the trading card world or not, Josh's lessons on career development and leadership are gold.

In this episode we discuss:

• Why working every level of your industry early in your career creates an unfair advantage - and how Josh's experience in retail, distribution, and manufacturing shaped his leadership at Leaf

• The handwritten letter strategy that landed Josh his dream job at Upper Deck - and why his father's unconventional advice to FedEx overnight it to the CEO actually worked

• How being kind to everyone (especially people outside your department) can fast-track your career - Josh's finance department friendships got his projects prioritized over senior colleagues

• Why Josh would rather employees take initiative and make mistakes than wait for permission - and the Shawshank Redemption lesson about not asking to go to the bathroom

• The "harder you work, the luckier you get" philosophy - and how Josh turned clocking out at 5pm then returning to work unpaid into career-defining opportunities

SHOW NOTES

[00:00] Introduction

• Josh's journey from 7-year-old card shop owner to President of Leaf Trading Cards

[02:15] The Origin Story

• Opening a card shop in his basement at age seven

• Weekly trips to the card shop with his mom during grocery runs at Winn-Dixie

• The 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. card that changed everything

• Getting a $5 allowance and learning to wheel and deal

[08:30] Early Business Lessons

• Setting his own prices without Beckett guides

• Understanding supply and demand as a kid

• How his sales-oriented dad influenced his entrepreneurial spirit

• Working neighborhood card shows and building inventory

[15:45] The Philosophy of Pricing and Value

• Why modern pricing comps are still arbitrary

• Comparing card pricing to buying a house

• Advice for buying cards: focus on what you want, not speculation

• The safety of eBay's authentication process

[22:10] The Grading Game

• When Josh first encountered card grading in the early 2000s

• The shift from Beckett to PSA dominance

• Why a PSA 10 isn't necessarily "harder" than other 10s

• The conflict of interest in Fanatics owning grading companies

• When vintage cards justify premium grading costs vs. modern cards

[35:20] Family and Work Ethic

• How his parents shaped his approach to work

• His dad selling baby diapers and being a natural salesman

• Mom as a stay-at-home Cubs fan

• Teaching his own kids (ages 6 and 10) to appreciate hard work

• Fighting against instant gratification culture

[42:00] The LeBron James Standard

• Why LeBron arriving 10 hours before games matters

• The compounding effect of consistent effort over 20 years

• How God-given talent still requires incredible work ethic

• Durability and longevity in any profession

[48:30] Getting the Upper Deck Job

• His dad's unconventional advice: handwrite a letter and FedEx it overnight

• Why the letter strategy worked when online applications wouldn't

• The 8-month hiring process from January to August

• Starting in product development and learning the business

[54:15] Working at Upper Deck

• Clocking out at 5pm then going back to work unpaid

• Choosing learning and experience over overtime pay

• Helping every department to understand the full business

• Making himself invaluable across the company

• Building relationships with finance, acquisitions, and customer service

[01:02:00] The Move Back to Atlanta

• Leaving Upper Deck after a year to open his own card shop

• The smooth departure and maintaining relationships

• Running an eBay business from his college apartment

• Having UPS pickup from his apartment building

• Working every angle: retail, distribution, wholesale, manufacturing

[01:08:45] Understanding the Full Supply Chain

• Why working at all levels gave him an unfair advantage

• The distributor role most people don't know exists

• How distributors buy bulk and take financial risk

• Why they're the wealthiest (and most invisible) people in the industry

• Learning from the customer service side and the manufacturing side

[01:15:30] The Path to Leaf Trading Cards

• Knowing the previous owner and doing consulting work

• Starting at Razor Entertainment in 2006

• Becoming President about two years ago

• Why he loves the creative manufacturing side

• Watching the French Open as part of his job

[01:20:00] Lessons from Upper Deck Applied at Leaf

• Getting his hands in everything, not staying in his lane

• The two mentalities: "I'm not paid enough so I won't do extra" vs. "I'm not paid enough so I need to show what I can do"

• Understanding finance, acquisitions, customer service, and design

• Making yourself invaluable while staying humble

• His dad's reminder: "No one is irreplaceable" - even Steve Jobs

[01:28:15] The Secret Sauce at Leaf

• Creativity and innovation without league licenses

• Creating cards that Fanatics and Panini can't make

• The Patrick Mahomes + Lionel Messi + Aaron Judge triple autograph

• Keeping products affordable ($125-$200 boxes vs. $1,000+)

• Hand-collating every single box for consistent value

[01:33:45] Greg Cohen: The Product Mastermind

• How his former Upper Deck colleague became Leaf's head of product development

• Greg's incredible creativity and humble nature

• The "Pieces of the Past" shadow box cards

• Moment cards: The George Brett Pine Tar incident with Goose Gossage

• Creating unique inscriptions and concepts that stand out

[01:40:20] Pop Culture Cards

• The product Josh is most proud of

• Autographs from Margot Robbie, Clint Eastwood, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro

• Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson wardrobe swatches

• Back to the Future cast autographs

• Working Dallas Fan Expo to get Michael J. Fox, Huey Lewis, and Star Wars cast

• Creating something truly unique with no competition

[01:48:00] The Power of Being Nice

• Why treating people with respect goes so far

• Building relationships with agents, players, and vendors

• The company motto: everyone represents Leaf at shows

• Firing people with dignity and respect

• Sending employees home early on Fridays as a small gesture

• Supporting employees through family emergencies

[01:55:30] Career Advice for Young People

• Show up on time (no Starbucks excuse)

• Be nice and respectful to everyone

• Take initiative without waiting for permission

• The Shawshank Redemption bathroom analogy

• Don't be afraid to make mistakes - just take responsibility

• Don't take credit for wins if you won't take responsibility for losses

• Athletes who play "not to get injured" get injured - same with work

[02:02:00] Final Thoughts

• Put in the work early so you have freedom later

• The harder you work, the luckier you get

• Why instant gratification is killing work ethic

• Teaching the next generation to appreciate effort