Choosing the Right Vertical for 2026

In this week’s episode of the Merchant Sales Podcast, James Shepherd sits down with Juan Ortiz for a motivating and strategy-packed conversation on setting goals for 2026 and choosing the right vertical. Juan shares practical guidance for agents and ISOs on how to focus, niche down, and build a plan that actually drives measurable growth in the coming year. Together, they dig into the challenges reps face today and the mindset shifts needed to win in an increasingly verticalized payments landscape. After the interview, James and Patti Murphy bring you another Today in Payments update, offering a quick look at what’s happening across the industry right now.