Distribution Talk

Do you know which activity is sabotaging your company’s potential? All of them. Busywork across every department––from order processing to inventory management––is a real drag on employee morale, customer relationships, and the bottom line. Conventional software won’t save you, but AI could.

In this episode of Distribution Talk, Jason chats with Michael Delgado, founder of Canals AI, about bringing the power of AI to small and medium-sized wholesale distributors. They also discuss the investigative process that led to Canals AI’s distributions-focused design, use cases, and the one significant difference between your current software package and artificial intelligence. 

CONNECT WITH JASON

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth, and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, an integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

Leave it to Dirk Beveridge, keynote speaker, best-selling author, executive film producer, and founder of UnleashWD, to reference ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus, comparative mythology expert Joseph Campbell, and Tatooine farmboy Luke Skywalker in the same conversation. When you’re in the company of this self-professed advocate of distribution and champion of positive leadership, all of the philosophical and cultural references make perfect sense. 

Jason caught up with Dirk to discuss his latest endeavor, Force For Good, a live virtual event created to empower every individual in distribution today, whether they work on the warehouse floor, in the customer service center, or up in the C-suite.

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth, and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: Profit2, helping distributors charge the right price.

Successful change management is about knowing your audience and anticipating what they can accept and when. Whether you run a family-run distribution company or a member-owned cooperative in the professional turf, ornamental and specialty landscape vertical, that formula remains the same. 

Jeff Braun, CEO of Primera Co-Op, thoroughly understands the critical moves his organization must take to excel. More importantly, he knows when to ease up before rolling out his plans. Jason chats with Jeff about his transition from major manufacturer to co-op, the pleasures and perils of taking on a new vertical, and the art of slowing down to accelerate innovation.

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, an integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

Can EOS® transform your company? Yes, and Charlton Keultjes not only has the case studies to prove it, but he also has the training to help you easily integrate the Entrepreneurial Operating System. Charlton is a professional EOS implementer with over a decade of experience coaching owners and leadership teams. 

Jason invites Charlton to share his experiences using EOS at his former privately-held company. The pair also explore how this proven business operating system helps entrepreneurial organizations clarify, simplify, and achieve their vision.

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth, and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, an integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.  

Senior members of the C-suite take note: distribution’s next-gen leaders are out there. You must know where to find them and how to support their growth. Seth Gordon, CEO of Glacier Supply Group, didn’t grow up in the HVAC distribution business. Still, he recognized an opportunity to innovate within the industry and work with a tangible product. 

Jason chats with Seth about his journey from finance to duct fittings, the importance of connecting with mentors, and the Glacier team’s wildly successful implementation of EOS, the Entrepreneurs Operating System.

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth, and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: Moblico, helping businesses do more business on mobile devices.

If you’re in distribution, you probably belong to an association, one that’s focused on advancing the concerns of your specific vertical. Chances are also good that you have no idea who manages the day-to-day activities of that organization or that it offers excellent career opportunities for young professionals. 

Kevin Gammonley has been getting those messages out for 30+ years as a senior director at Smithbucklin. Jason caught up with Kevin to get a behind-the-scenes tour of association management basics and learn why it’s an excellent career choice for innovative young professionals.

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth, and achieve personal goals. 

This episode was edited by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: Connected Peers providing virtual communities for wholesale distributors.

Movies portray embezzlement as a big-money, high-flying romp. Fact is decidedly different than fiction––and surprisingly common! 

Jason dives into the realities of pink-collar crime with Kelly Paxton, a workplace dishonesty expert, fraud educator, and host of the Fraudish podcast. The pair offer case studies (including Jason’s personal experience) that expose the motives behind the misconduct, company culture's role in fostering opportunities for theft, and how small withdrawals add up to big financial headaches. Kelly also provides straightforward steps to keep your company safe from embezzlement schemes. 

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Embezzlement: How To Detect And Investigate Pink Collar Crime

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth, and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, an integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

Guitze Messina is a man of many qualities. As the eminently personable executive director of HARDI LATAM, Guitze has transformed what was once HARDI Mexico into a powerhouse organization representing heating, air-conditioning, and refrigeration distributors across nine Latin American countries and counting. Not one to hoard his success, Guitze recently published Moneycall, his savvy, entertaining guide to attracting more recurring sales with less prospecting. 

Jason welcomes Guitze back to discuss the benefits of a proactive selling strategy, the science, and software behind distribution’s next evolution, and why he opted to format his book as a fable.

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Moneycall

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth, and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

If data is the new gold (as touted on TV), distributors would be wise to entrust their assets to someone well-versed in the malleable but often dense nature of distribution-centric information. 

Vinny Maurici, vice president of data engineering at Object Edge, is that person. Jason chats with Vinny about his early days in distribution, the importance of attaching C-suite buy-in to revolutionary initiatives, and the alchemy behind turning raw data into profitable long-term objectives.

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth, and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: Profit2, helping distributors charge the right price.

Leading with compassion is one thing (and a good thing at that). But what if whole departments ran on a standard of sensitivity to and emotional concern for the people in their care, be they customers or employees? Before leaving The Granite Group to start her own consultancy, Tracie Sponenberg held the title of Chief People Officer. She’s credited for shifting the company’s human resources perspective towards compassion over compliance. 

Jason invited Tracie to discuss the impetus for this mindset change, strategies for CEOs interested in making similar upgrades to their company’s HR culture, and what she’s doing now to support the meaningful evolution of workforce administration.

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: Moblico, helping businesses do more business on mobile devices.

Robert Rovira, president of Energy Pipe & Supply, has plans for his C-suite successors, but that hasn’t always been the case. Rob admits to having missed opportunities to strengthen his organizational structure. Now, he and his management team are preparing the next generation to lead the charge at the New Orleans-based company his family has owned since 1988. 

Jason chats with Rob about his succession planning blindspots, course-correcting with Millennials in mind, and the benefits of belonging to a buying group.

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth, and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry. 

Martha Brooke is a repeat guest on Distribution Talk for good reason. In her two previous visits, the founder and lead customer experience consultant of Interaction Metrics made a compelling argument for conducting customer satisfaction evaluations via third-party, objective methodology rather than an in-house survey. 

This time, Jason chats with Martha about her most recent consulting case study, her favorite go-to techniques for analyzing customer interactions, and simple strategies for improving the entire customer experience. 

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

What happens when a self-described mad scientist tinkers around with vendor-managed inventory software? He creates an automated supply chain solution tailored to the needs and budgets of small-to-medium-sized industrial distributors. 

Andrew Johnson, CEO of ShelfAware VMI, returns to chat with Jason about the practical, transformative power of the company’s RFID-based tracking system. The pair also discuss ShelfAware’s latest foray into blockchain automation of physical financial documentation, creating a more transparent and cost-efficient transaction “paper trail.”

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

If this episode’s title has you shaking your head or, worse, burying it in the proverbial sand, hold on. Give AI a chance, and it will supercharge your business. That’s the message that Ian Heller, founder and chief strategy officer of Distribution Strategy Group, hopes to spread through his consulting work and Applied AI For Distributors, the massive, first-of-its-kind conference for wholesale change agents.

Jason chats with Ian about data-driven marketing, tips to help small companies develop their AI strategy, and what the industry as a whole can expect from the fascinating world of emerging AI tech.

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: SupplyMover

Could your team pass the litmus test? If you left your distribution business in their hands for four weeks, five, six, would the shop survive in your absence? Jamie Arguello has the real-life data to prove that her business wouldn’t simply survive; it would thrive.

We’re revisiting a conversation Jason had with the CEO of Grady's Foodservice Equipment & Supplies in Pueblo, CO, as we emerged from the 2020 pandemic, and Jamie emerged from a personal health challenge. They chat about coming home to the family business, creating space for second chances, and the rewards of letting go so others can step up. It’s a timely reminder about how to navigate difficult times both as a leader and a human.

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: HMI Performance Incentives, providing innovative, data-driven B2B incentive solutions.

Professional vulnerability is a hallmark of outstanding leadership. That said, there’s a reason so few leaders possess the characteristic: it’s uncomfortable at best; terrifying at worst. Alison Bencsik, CEO of BAI Electronic Systems Distributors, a professional and commercial audio, video, and lighting supplier in Ocala, FL, doesn’t know any other way to succeed. She’s transformed vulnerability into a superpower, fueling improvements within the company and strengthening relationships across the AV/IT industry.

Jason caught up with Alison to discuss her unconventional journey to CEO, her strategy to get more women involved in distribution, and turning unguarded moments into organizational wins.

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry. 

Your high-potential targets and most valuable accounts are hiding in plain sight. Bob Jordan and Donnie Williamson, vice president of analytics and analytics manager, respectively, at Modern Distribution Management (MDM), have the tools and expertise to help you locate them. 

Jason chats with the pair about MDM’s methodology and how it transforms reams of product, sales, and customer intel into valuable data, ultimately reducing costs and improving market share. The best part? MDM plays well with any distribution vertical, no matter the size.

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: Connected Peers, connecting key employees in distribution's leading organizations.

Richard Crifasi may have the finish line in sight, but he’s not ready to leave the track just yet. Even after decades in industrial and electrical supply distribution, he still gets a charge out of solving everyday customer problems and plotting long-range company goals. 

Jason chats with his old friend about his circuitous career path and current role as a safety consultant, his perspective on working for privately held vs. public companies, and why no other industry can match distribution in its access to the good life. 

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

Do you have a written step by step plan for what to do when you decide to transfer or sell your business? Do you know the best way to structure the transaction legally? How to minimize tax liabilities? To do the best by your family and employees?

That’s where The Center for Financial, Legal & Tax Planning comes in. Roman Basi is an attorney, CPA, real estate broker, and title insurance agent at the family firm. The Center handles mergers and acquisitions of privately held companies, as well as succession, strategic, and tax planning for companies across the U.S.

“One of the best things that you could do as a business owner,” Roman says, “is educate yourself on the process.” And it’s never too early to start!

From valuation, to tax analysis, to real estate, the potential pitfalls to a solid succession plan are plenty. Join Jason and Roman as they explore how to avoid them. “Preparation, knowledge and understanding – it’s going to save you so many headaches when you do come down to that final point, when you're ready to transfer your business.”

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: Profit2, helping distributors charge the right price.

How do we provide more value to the members? It’s the question at the forefront of every Association executive’s mind. For Brendan Breen, President at Industrial Supply Association (ISA), the answer is to be the best networking association in the industry.

And that strategy has paid off! At this past year’s convention, ISA got creative with how they delivered on the networking promise, adding a golf tournament, a 5k fun run, and facilitated networking lunches with assigned seats to their roster of top-notch keynotes and solid educational opportunities. 

As for the immediate future of distribution, Brendan is optimistic. He recommends focusing on the fundamentals of distribution and channel performance to weather whatever slowdown may be on the horizon. The buzz of changes in the workforce demographics, opportunities in omnichannel customer experience, and AI automation are best undergirded by a rock-solid understanding of channel conflict, strategic pricing, optimizing rebate programs, and financial models for distributors. 

Ultimately, Brendan and Jason agree that the industry's sustainability comes back to the people at its core, and how we connect with each other.

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: HMI Performance Incentives, providing innovative, data-driven B2B incentive solutions.

Tim O’Keeffe is a work in progress, and proud of it. Under his leadership at Huyett (formerly GL Huyett), the fastener company has expanded from a distributor-only business to a manufacturer and master distributor. In the process, Tim’s management style has shifted from dictator to democratic, and the company’s culture has never been better. 

Jason chats with the affable CEO about his leadership evolution, the work-from-home conundrum, and why his servant-style mindset starts in the parking lot.

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry. 

When it comes to the lingo and logistics of wholesale distribution, bottled water and pre-packaged power snacks aren’t that far removed from fasteners or PVC fittings. So says Chris Smythers, president and CEO of Merchants Grocery Company, a leader in the convenience distributors industry. 

Jason chats with Chris about the challenges of convenience supply management, the value of striking out on your own (even when those endeavors fail), and the lifelong benefits of association membership.

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: SupplyMover, the only CRM, e-commerce, and sales enablement suite built for distributors.

Mike Franz wants small and mid-sized distributors to win more business in the e-com space. As founder and CEO of iNSUPPLi, the fastest-growing mobile app for sourcing industrial and MRO supplies, he believes that “the little guys” can beat goliaths like Grainger and Amazon all day long in the local marketplace––with the right tool. 

Jason chats with Mike about his app’s ability to forge B2B connections without compromising buyer or seller value, the shifting purchasing habits of younger procurement managers, and the merits of providing list prices upfront.

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: Moblico, helping businesses do more business on mobile devices. 

David Gordon turns insights into actionable strategies for his distribution and manufacturing clients. With data at the ready and a wealth of experience to draw from, the founder of Channel Marketing Group shares his views on how COVID-19 is reshaping everything from C-suite occupancy to acquisition game plans to loyalty programs. 

Jason chats with David about early-career successes, the impact of the dot-com bust, and trends tracked by Channel Marketing’s recent rep of the future study. Gordon: “The mother of necessity is invention.”

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: Connected Peers, connecting key employees in distribution's leading organizations.

Distribution has a PR problem. Longtime listeners will no doubt recognize that phrase as one of Jason's favorites. The lament takes aim at the industry's lackluster attempts to attract fresh talent, anyone who hasn't grown up in a family business and, therefore, remains clueless to all that distribution offers. 

Steve Deist, chief operating officer of Ewing Irrigation, agrees. He chats with Jason about the math that makes distribution work, the industry's noble mission, and, of course, the value proposition about which more young people should know. 

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

How do you manage the generational divide within your company? Kathryne A. Newton, Ph.D., may not have all the answers, but she does possess more than enough intel to coax groups toward more productive communication. Whether those conversations happen face-to-face, through email, or via text is another matter. 

Self-professed generation geek Jason invites Kathryne to bust the cohort myths that get in the way of innovation. She also shares insights from her career as associate dean of Purdue University’s Polytechnic Institute and her tenure with the University of Innovative Distribution.

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

One of the best pieces of advice for finding success in any industry is to drill down into a niche. Gabriel Curry has supersized that axiom, creating several highly successful distribution businesses (Fuelbox Industrial, Authorify, Green Dynamix) to support smaller, often overlooked verticals.

Jason chatted with Gabe about his approach to researching new entrepreneurial endeavors, delivering customer value through private-label offerings, and utilizing remote associates to build a global network of motivated, loyal employees.

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: Profit2, helping distributors charge the right price.

Whether you’re in the C-suite or the cold-call trenches, there’s no question that the economic challenges we are facing are extensive––and exhaustive. 

It’s an excellent opportunity to visit Jason’s conversation with Paul Reilly, speaker, trainer, author, and host of The Q and A Sales Podcast. Paul breaks down six exercises you can implement to improve mental resilience, regardless of your company role, industry, or location. 

CONNECT WITH PAUL

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CONNECT WITH JASON

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

The way teams work has certainly changed since 2020. Even legacy distributors now rely on modes of project planning and communication that seemed unthinkable just a few years ago. Where in the world that talent works might be the next frontier worth exploring. Anna Shcherbyna, founder and CEO of Remotivate LLC, helps companies cast a wide net to attract A-list remote hires, saving her clients time, energy, and money––all of which could be better spent elsewhere. 

Jason chats with Anna about Remotivate’s proprietary vetting process, how distributors can scale their businesses more efficiently by incorporating a global hiring mindset, and the resume revision strategy that can help candidates land high-caliber remote work.

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

Not many privately-held wholesale distributorships last long enough to welcome a fourth generation into the fold. Doug Young, CEO and chairman of Behler-Young, an HVAC distributor based in Grand Rapids, MI, doesn’t take that longevity or the organization’s future for granted. He’s landed on a formula to translate century-old core values into a roadmap for 21st-century excellence. 

Jason caught up with Doug to discuss his passion for encouraging employee development, the benefits of an outside board of directors, and the transformative power of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS).

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: HMI Performance Incentives, providing innovative, data-driven B2B incentive solutions.

You better come prepared when tapped to refresh a stalwart cooperative of independent distributors in the industrial and construction supply channel. Good thing Bill Ward, CEO of Evergreen Supply Network (formerly Evergreen Marketing Group), has a game plan loaded with offense. But like any good coach, he’s careful not to reveal his best plays all in one go. 

Jason chats with Bill about the exciting changes in store at Evergreen, including a major rebranding effort, as indicated by the name change, and strategic initiatives that will fortify the organization’s already impressive menu of support services.

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Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: Moblico, helping businesses do more business on mobile devices.

Ready for the AI revolution? That question seems quaint in the wake of apocalyptic scenarios flooding our social feeds. Like it or not, the pin had already been pulled from this grenade long before ChatGPT and BARD AI made headlines. So now what? 

Nelson Valderrama says there’s no need to run for cover. Instead, the founder of Intuilize has a message for distributors: ditch the dread and embrace artificial intelligence before your competitors do. Jason invited Nelson back to the podcast to expand on their original AI discussion, sort fact from fiction, and provide practical, proactive advice for application in the (very) near future.

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Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: Connected Peers providing virtual communities for wholesale distributors.

Yates Hudson wasn’t looking for a second act. After 32 years with the same company, he got one anyway. Yates owes his successful pivot to general manager at Phoenix Fastener & Supply, a division of Birmingham Fastener, to an interest in roles beyond the IT department for which he was hired fresh after graduation and networking outside the company. 

Jason chats with Yates about building a career in distribution one position at a time and cultivating meaningful relationships along the way.

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Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

Trust. It's a quality that's difficult to quantify but impossible to do business without. What differentiates good from truly great distributors is their ability to cultivate trust on a sales call, at the counter, and anywhere there's a customer-centric interaction. 

Natalie Doyle Oldfield specializes in helping organizations build, manage, and protect their trust equity. Her book The Power Of Trust and companion programs are essential guides for creating a culture of integrity. Jason caught up with Natalie to discuss the impact that authenticity and empathy have on a distributor's bottom line, plus best practices for improving trust at every phase of the customer journey.

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Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: Profit2, helping distributors charge the right price. 

Cory Anderson cracked the code on customer stickiness by writing his own rules. As president of M&A Supply based out of Nashville, this third-generation leader has gone all-in on providing a peak customer experience in the hyper-competitive HVAC vertical.

Jason caught up with Cory to discuss his company’s technology journey, the goal-setting tool it relies on to manage growth, and why M&A invests in large-scale incentive trips, even when the bottom-line returns are difficult to quantify. 

LinkedIn

LinkedIn

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

https://www.distributionteam.com

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: HMI Performance Incentives, providing innovative, data-driven B2B incentive solutions.

Implementing a new pricing strategy takes work. That’s probably why many distributors avoid the project altogether. Worse, executives might invest big money in a pricing tool only to cut back on (or omit completely) supportive change management initiatives that ensure organizational endorsement.

Scott Sinning, CEO of Pricing For Distributors, has parlayed his corporate success into an entrepreneurial career designing custom pricing objectives to help wholesale distributors increase profitability. Jason and Scott met to discuss the philosophy behind creating tailored pricing advice and ensuring staff buy-in. 

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LinkedIn

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: Moblico, helping businesses do more business on mobile devices.

Raise your hand if your sales team still relies on spreadsheets to organize tasks, treating CRMs like glorified Rolodexes, and tracking changes to a client’s buying pattern from memory. You’re not alone.

Too many distributors are in the stone ages regarding their sales process, says Chris Van Ittersum, CEO of Workd, a cloud-based distribution software platform. Jason chatted with Chris about empowering sales teams and optimizing the client relationship via a single (and simple) data-driven management solution.

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LinkedIn

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: Connected Peers providing virtual communities for wholesale distributors. 

Like many next-gen trailblazers in the distribution space, Zac Jones, founder and CEO of PartsClub, grew up in the family business, surrounded by its potential and pain points. But rather than keep his success in-house, he’s now offering an e-commerce platform for all, helping buyers and sellers connect virtually over quotes and orders without revenue-costing delays. 

Jason caught up with Zac to learn more about how this transformative marketplace solution leverages the power of often insurmountable SKU data to enhance a distributor’s reach and foster genuine customer interaction.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

Childhood interests don’t often fuel “grown-up” careers. Enter Edward Boss, founder and CEO of Riteks, Inc., a chemical distributor in Houston, who parlayed his passion for chemistry into lucrative corporate positions and, eventually, a string of successful entrepreneurial endeavors.

Jason chats with Ed about the influence mentors have made throughout his career, the benefits of association membership, and the importance of encouraging the next generation of distribution leaders to explore STEM-related studies. 

LinkedIn

LinkedIn

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: Profit2, helping distributors charge the right price.

You're not alone if you’re having a tough time competing against the e-commerce giants. Susan Merlo, digital sales and marketing pioneer and creator of The Digital Distributor, urges CEOs to try a different tact: craft a relationship-focused persona online and power up the e-commerce and CRM assets they already have. 

The shift can transform basic online selling into an engine for lead generation and customer loyalty. Jason chats with Susan about what distributors get wrong in marketing and sales, the risk-free rewards of automation, and creating a content-rich selling environment.

Susan Merlo is a Digital Sales and Marketing Consultant specializing in wholesale distribution. Her focus is on identifying growth opportunities for distributors by integrating digital sales and marketing solutions into their existing sales functions. Her strategies help distributors increase new and recurring sales, customer spend, customer retention, and profitability. Susan is the founder of Next Level iMedia and The Digital Distributor Program. Her book, "The Digital Distributor: Six Steps to Accelerate Sales," is a workbook-style guide that shows distributors how to build a strong digital foundation from which they can successfully communicate their value, manage, and convert more valuable leads, and serve their buyers on their buyers' terms. Learn more at https://www.thedigitaldistributor.com/.

CONNECT WITH JASON

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CONNECT WITH SUSAN

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***

For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: Connected Peers providing virtual communities for wholesale distributors.

Robert Mayhew’s success story is a case study for younger folks eager to create meaningful careers. As president of Mayhew Marketing Group, he’s created a rep agency with a footprint that spans the entire Southwest. Jason chats with Robert about his enthusiasm for entry-level jobs, introducing the next wave of innovators to wholesale distribution’s entrepreneurial opportunities, and the mentors who guided him to where he is today. 

Robert encountered in the distribution world “some of the purest forms of entrepreneurship.” This praise is from the “elder Millennial” innovator who made pizzas to pay for college before backing into a warehouse job with a STAFDA distributorship. 

LinkedIn

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry

***

What have you done to secure your company’s future?

Beyond upgrades to your tech, your  warehouse space, and your fleet, what investments have you made in your people? Michael Meier, VP and COO of Meier Supply Company, discusses how his own professional growth has translated into a passion for training company talent and clientele. 

Michael laughs when he tells his origin story and it probably resonates for a lot of listeners. He spent his post-college years as an HVAC tech, happily turning wrenches for six years when...  “My dad offered me a position at the company. I took the job - and a $2 an hour pay cut!”

After six months, the then 26-year old Michael told his father he needed to get back out into the field and turned in his two week notice. A week later, his brother had convinced him to stay. 

Since then, he’s been a champion of professional development. “I realize the importance of coaching this next generation, this wave of employees,” he says, pointing to his own challenges as the impetus for his drive to educate the future.

“I originally struggled calling on customers and that wasn’t my specialty. I really had to learn to talk and to deal with people.”

Get the full show notes at http://www.distributiontalk.com

Thank you to our sponsor INxSQL, software built for distribution.

“The better we make our contractors, our customers, the better it’s going to be for us and, of course, for them...It’s about what can we do to make a contractor more profitable, what can we do for them?”  ~Michael Meier

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.  

Edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.

Connect with Jason on LinkedIn.

Connect with Michael on LinkedIn.

Want to know the secrets to a successful expansion? For Dan Esch of Esch Construction Supply based in St. Paul, Minnesota, a company’s mission is just as important as the advanced field work and the financial analysis. 

“This business is all about service.” That’s a sentiment you’ll hear Dan repeat throughout our conversation. He’s positioned Esch within the concrete cutting niche as a key collaborator, the customer’s go-to source for products, service, and information.

“We go out and solve problems and ask contractors how we can help them. That deep knowledge of that niche is where you can really add value and that’s really where the fun of this business is.”

Service may be one of Dan’s guiding principles but he’d never intended to make his mark in distribution. 

Listen in to find out how low unemployment is affecting Dan’s future recruitment plans and why the company’s successful rapid fulfillment service is a bit of a dual-edged sword.

Get the full show notes at http://www.distributiontalk.com

Thank you to our sponsor INxSQL, software built for distribution.

"That deep knowledge of that niche is where you can really add value and that’s really where the fun of this business is." ~Dan Esch

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.  

Edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.

Connect with Jason on LinkedIn.

Connect with Dan on LinkedIn.

Ankit Sharma, CEO of Kitply Industries LTD. in Vancouver, British Columbia, didn’t just take a leap of faith when he started his distribution business a decade ago; he set fire to all of his bridges for good measure.

I caught up with Ankit to find out what motivates this award-winning entrepreneur and why he’s on a mission to make wood sexy.

His strategy to attract the same employees that typically head into consumer marketing and high-end tech companies is to operate more like those businesses - inside and out.

His blog, makewoodsexy.com,is a modern hub for woodworkers and way to connect with young people in colleges and high schools, to reach them in a style that they can relate to.

Ankit’s working on scaling his business, seeking out areas for expansion and opportunities where he might purchase existing distribution companies, all while adhering to the core values that got him here. “Everyday’s a journey of gratefulness.”

Want to know why he’s an advocate for professional organization membership?

How recruiting scorecards can help your hiring process?

What punching above your (business) weight class can do for your business? Listen in! 

Thank you to our sponsor INxSQL, software built for distribution.

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.  

Edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.

Connect with Jason on LinkedIn.

Connect with Ankit on LinkedIn.

What are you selling? Beyond the parts and pieces, what differentiates you from your competitors?

Don’t answer, at least not until you’ve listened to my conversation with Paul Reilly, president of Tom Reilly Training.

His company has been on a 40 year mission to show sales teams that value-driven conversations can help them sell more profitably. The message has never been more relevant than in today’s market.

“My father Tom started the company back in the early 80s. What really got us started was that value-added selling message and, in distribution, it’s all about finding unique ways to add value, create value for your customers.”

Technology has changed many of the physical elements required to make a sale since Tom Reilly wrote the first edition of Value-Added Selling. But tech hasn’t gone so far as to disrupt the general principles outlined in the book and taught at Reilly Training seminars.

“People try to convince you that things have changed,” Paul says. “They’re stirring the pot a little, saying that everything’s changed in sales and you can’t go to market the same way.” He doesn’t buy it.

Distributorships have faced pricing pressures since the beginning and the companies that have survived make relationships their goal, not price. 

Paul put that value-driven principle into practice before joining the family business. He worked at Hilti for six years, selling products priced 20 to 30 percent higher than the competition’s. “You have to learn how to communicate that message of value and translate not only the product and services and what they do, but you have to translate that into meaningful impact to the customer.”

The fourth edition of Value-Added Selling blends Paul’s fresh experiences with new insights and ideas developed through Reilly training seminars.

As with previous editions, however, the company aims to move sales teams past price. How? “I would say the first tip is to just have better conversations with your customers.” he says. For instance, make a point of showing your clients how you can help them reduce their total costs, be they logistical, labor, time, etc. “Cost is a much better conversation to have than price.”

Paul shares a few more tips in the episode including strategies for shifting a customer’s short-term gain mentality to one where the long-term solution benefits both you and your client. “Asking these questions gets the customer thinking bigger, thinking long-term and all the while they’re taking the focus off price.” 

Ready to experience the bottom-line benefits of value-added sales for yourself?

Then you’ve got to listen in!

We talk about the number one attribute customers look for in their sales people as ranked by Reilly’s internal research, what Aristotle had to say about Millennials (yes, Aristotle), and add two authors to your summer reading list: Mike Weinberg and Daniel Pink. 

Thank you to our sponsor INxSQL, software built for distribution.

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.  

Edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.

Connect with Jason on LinkedIn.

Connect with Paul on LinkedIn.

What does your sales force look like in five years? In ten? If you don’t have an answer yet, my chat with Eric Wessinger, president of Richards Supply, will definitely spark some ideas. 

Officially, he’s lead the company for a little over six years. Unofficially, Eric’s been in and around the distribution business since childhood. As a second generation leader, he’s drawing on his decade of outside work experience as well as his lifetime of insider knowledge to tackle the company’s million-dollar sales question.

“We’ve talked about it a ton with both the leadership and the management team,” Eric says regarding the future of sales and service.

Challenges inherent to smaller businesses can thwart creative problem solving, especially when overshadowed by the seemingly limitless reach of the national brands. In search of guidance, Eric looked to Richards Supply’s core values. “We’ve been around for eighty-five years so we’re doing something right already. So how do we take that foundation and move it forward?”

Communication has always been key for the company. “I think outside sales, and face-to-face relationships, is still a differentiator for us.” To that end, Eric and his sales force check in with its customers and refine the partnership by asking clients how they want to interact with the company.

“I talk to customers all the time,” he says. “If you looked at the top fifty, top one hundred customers, we do business with each one of them very differently. I think that’s been a strength for us...being able to ask the right questions and listen to the answer and try to adjust accordingly.”

Although customization looks vastly different today from when the company began, the principle has stayed the same: meet the customer where they are. “If you ask a customer how they want to be served, you better be ready to say ‘yes’ to whatever the answer to that question is.”

For Richards Supply, that means an omni-channel approach to service options: outside sales, counter service, and a newly revamped website with a robust presence all its own.

“You have to consider your website as an extension of your business, basically as a branch,” Eric says. “You would never open a branch without inventory in mind or a sales methodology or a plan.”  

The company’s relationship driven, tech minded culture is a modern, practical approach to figuring out the future of sales. “It’s a massive challenge and exciting. And it’s fun but it’s definitely something that’s not snap of the fingers kind of thing.” It’s clear, however, that Eric and his staff have given Richards Supply a good head start. 

Dive deeper into the company’s massive website overhaul and find out how Eric’s years as a recruiter have helped him bolster the company’s hiring process. Listen in! 

Thank you to our sponsor INxSQL, software built for distribution.

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.  

Edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.

Connect with Jason on LinkedIn.

Connect with Eric on LinkedIn.

Yes! It’s possible to remain laid back and move your business forward. Bill Morse, former owner of Constar Supply out of Clovis, California, is proof. Bill sat down to discuss the philosophies that have lead him to create solid banking relationships, honor employee freedoms over management scrutiny, and find the right corporate fit for his company’s next chapter. 

There’s a lot to learn from a guy who’s been around since the dinosaur years, when deals were made over coffee and a handshake and banks came calling with capital to lend. “We moved banks two or three times in the early years,” Bill says, “because banks were wooing us back then...and we wanted to keep the pace of growth going.” 

It became apparent that building relationships with the people who greenlighted loans was crucial to avoiding the curse of a successful failure. Like many of us, Bill found that capitalizing on those relationships wasn’t one of his strengths. “If you don’t know it or if you’re not comfortable with it or you just don’t want to do it,” he says, “find somebody who does...because that’s essential!” 

Regardless of how friendly you are with your banker, Bill admits that the Great Recession has changed the banker-business relationship. Still, some aspects of applying for funds have stayed the same. “In every business, whether you’re a doctor, a professional, or just a contractor, you really are in some part salesman and you have to sell your whole idea.” 

To that end, Bill says that the work put into creating a forecast and outlining your vision comes down to selling yourself, otherwise, “they’re not going to buy into it. And banks these days are especially tough. You really have to give them a real argument.”

Personnel is another challenge that’s been a near constant since the beginning. When he started out, Bill says, “I had connections so I was able to pull some people away that had been in the industry for a long time.” But there’s a difference between finding an employee and finding the right employee. 

Once found, Bill gives his outside sales team their independence. “I don’t put our salesmen on call reports. I don’t track them. I don’t give them too many barriers to making the sale.” The payoff for Constar has been staff loyalty and a healthy bottom line - as well as a successful corporate buyout.

If you’ve been in the industry for decades or are just starting out, give this episode a listen. It’s a quick half hour of amazing insight on what it takes to stick around and stay successful. There’s even a barista analogy.

Thank you to our sponsor INxSQL, software built for distribution.

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.  

Edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.

Connect with Jason on LinkedIn.

Connect with Bill on LinkedIn.

If the prospect of business growth makes you uneasy, you’ll find a lot to relate to in this episode. Jason chats with Michelle St. John, owner and president of IBS Incorporated, a self-proclaimed risk-averse leader whose company continues to find creative solutions to industry challenges in spite of, or perhaps because of, her conservative mindset.

Maintenance, repair, and operational supply has proven to be an almost recession-proof market for IBS. “When there's a recession, people are maintaining their own equipment and we get business. When times are booming and people are building their breaking bolts and tearing up roads, we're making sales in that environment.”

But Michelle is acutely aware that when challenges arise, they may require solutions that exist beyond her comfort zone. “What we're experiencing right now is some growth to a degree that has caused us to sort of expand at a rate that is a little bit uncomfortable.” 

It’s a space that IBS wants to be in, however. So Michelle, who shares leadership duties at IBS with her brother Derek, relies on the lessons learned while watching her parents who started the company in the family’s basement.

“Derek and I both watched our parents really closely and we took a lot of lessons away from my dad.” One of the most important was the 72-hour rule, the idea that if you haven’t implemented an idea within 72 hours of learning it, the tendency for it to produce any change at all become zero the longer time goes on. “So, by the end of the 72-hours,” she says, “chances are good  It's not going to influence your culture your environment.”

The rule is a core value that IBS impresses upon its sales management team. “It’s really important that they’re in the field with our reps as soon as possible to reinforce that training.” To that end, IBS has committed to putting people in leadership positions who’ll challenge the status quo and help the company reach the next milestone.

Michelle says, “We’re challenged with making sure that we’re surrounded by people that can continually stretch us and expand us.”

Michelle recently wrapped up one of the greatest experiences of her life, a year-long tenure as president of STAFDA, Specialty Tool & Fasteners Distributors Association, proving that not all growth has to leave you feeling anxious. Trade associate participation has played a key role in her family’s professional development from the beginning.

“We devoured the education. We took advantage of all the consultative access.” That access and exposure are just two of the reasons why she’s enthusiastic about association membership. “I know for me, times are evolving so quickly and keeping pace is really important,” she says. “We need ideas from people who are in the trenches and figuring it out every day.” 

Michelle has so much insight to share that you’ll definitely want to tune in! Find out how IBS private label products created customer loyalty, learn which assessments her team relies on to gage candidate potential, and how her experience in the corporate world enhanced her leadership abilities.

Thank you to our sponsor INxSQL, software built for distribution.

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.  

Edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.

Connect with Jason on LinkedIn.

Connect with Michelle on LinkedIn.

“If you live by that example, those around you will do the same and the more people live that philosophy, the stronger your team becomes. And the stronger the team is, the stronger your business becomes.” ~Cameron Overacker

When it comes to the family business, there’s the clan you’re born into and the people that you surround yourself with. Jason talks with Cameron Overacker, president of Canadian flooring distributor Primco, to learn how DiSC assessment has helped his company get the very best from both.

It’s not easy to step into a family business. But, as Cam points out, many of the challenges that second or third generation leaders face come from self-doubt rather than external forces. “You always felt like you were being measured...because you were in the family business. Everybody expected you to be perfect.”

In truth, however, Cam says that he was probably harder on himself than anyone within the company. “That’s not the way most people were thinking [about you]. And those that were probably didn’t have good intentions for the relationship they had with you anyway.”

Still, he didn’t take the easy road back into his father’s company. He credits manual labor work for the oil and gas pipelines as well as the year he spent back-packing around the South Pacific for providing invaluable life lessons. The years he spent outside of Primco helped him develop his leadership style.

“Different people mature at different ages,” he says. And life experience has a lot to do with what someone brings to their role. “I don’t have a post-secondary degree. My father quit school at grade eleven yet he was very successful in setting up this company.”

Cam built upon his father’s success by facing challenges with honesty and humility. “The biggest thing is to surround yourself with good people and ensure that those people have your back and you have their backs.” But it can be tricky blending old-guard employees, those that have the experience in years, with fresh hires.

An executive coach has helped him better utilize the unique talents of each group by asking him to evaluate his own behaviors first. DiSC assessment helped Cam recognize his strengths and weaknesses and the effect they had on Primco’s culture. The exercise had such a profound effect on him that now everyone in the organization, not just the sales team, takes the assessment.

The DiSC profile doesn’t just highlight weaknesses. The questionnaire also helps participants understand how their skill set fits within the team dynamic and to appreciate the unique contributions of their fellow employees. “Always be humble and willing to learn from anybody and everybody, at any level of an organization,” Cam says. It’s a strategy that’s worked well for Primco.

Thank you to our sponsor INxSQL, software built for distribution.

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.  

Edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.

Connect with Jason on LinkedIn.

Connect with Cameron on LinkedIn.

“Most business owners try to grow our way out of our problems. But the result is simply a bigger monster. You can't grow out in your profit problem. You need to fix the profit first, then you grow.” -Tully Brewer

In this episode, Jason and Tully Brewer, president of Littlejohn, Inc., chat about the profit first approach and planning for a healthy succession.

Littlejohn, Inc. began selling tank trailers in the 1930s but it wasn’t until the family firm opened its parts business in the late 80s that things really took off. Eventually, opportunities gave way to challenges and Tully admits to having had a myopic view when it came to finding solutions for his middling bottom-line. ”We try to grow our way out of problems, hinging salvation on the next big sale customer or investor.” He credits Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine by Mike Michalowicz for helping him refocus and post record profits. “You need to fix the profit first,” Tully says, “Then you grow.”

To sustain that growth, Tully has cultivated a mindful, hands-off approach for developing the company’s next generation of leaders, which includes his son Zach, 31, and son-in-law Thomas, 29. He offers them guidance, support, and works through management books like Ego Is The Enemy by Ryan Holiday with them. For the most part, however, “they make decisions and move on,” he says. “It allows them to grow and develop and think strategically without me having to be there to tell them what to do.”

What would Tully do differently if he could go back to his early years at Little John, Inc? Listen in to find out.

Thank you to our sponsor INxSQL, software built for distribution.

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.  

Edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.

Connect with Jason on LinkedIn.

Connect with Tully on LinkedIn.

"There are three things that we ask when we make a call: what should we start doing? What should we stop doing? What should we continue doing? What should we stop doing is usually some of the best feedback." ~Gabriel Curry

Jason sits down with Gabriel Curry, president of G&S Nursery and Impact Media, to discuss client retention, business expansion, and the myriad ways data informs decisions.

Gabriel credits The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes with helping uncover his customer’s needs and focus on his niche market. Once identified, CRM technology like SalesForce and Microsoft Dynamics provides the data that allows him to take his business to the next level - so long as it’s used on a consistent basis. As he sees it, if a conversation isn’t logged into the CRM that you’ve invested time and money into, “It didn’t happen.”

Other advantages to using a CRM includes the ability to reconnect your sales team to clients who’ve gone dormant for one reason or another. “There’s no way greater to grow your business,” he says, “than reaching out to customers that have already worked with you.”

Gabriel also shares with Jason the role feedback has played in his success, whether from fellow professionals in the Young Presidents Organization or from clients. “These differences of opinion have really stretched my mind.”

Want to know which question has provided Gabriel with some of the best feedback? You might be surprised by his answer.

Thank you to our sponsor INxSQL, software built for distribution.

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.  

Edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.

Connect with Jason on LinkedIn.

Connect with Gabriel on LinkedIn.

“I think salespeople do a fantastic job accomplishing the task that they’ve been given. That said, none of what they produce out there can really come to fruition without the support of a wide network of folks within the organization.” --Marshall Jones 

Jason catches up with Marshall Jones, former owner of Marco Supply Company. They cover a lot of ground from life in and out of the family business to the merits of various talent assessment methods. And, if you’ve got kids of your own in the family business, you’ll want to hear Marshall’s views on sending them to gain experience elsewhere.

“I feel like I got a lot more out of the experience than they did,” Marshall says of his post-graduation gig with Omaha-based Carlson Systems (now SouthernCarlson Inc.). At a time when internships were few, even for graduates of the esteemed industrial distribution program at Texas A&M, Marshall credits Carlson for giving him a tremendous amount of flexibility to make mistakes and prove himself. “I had my work cut out for me and it was a great year of knocking on a lot of doors and learning a lot of lessons.”

Admittedly, not all of the ideas he brought back home worked. Still, Marshall says his time away prepared him to face the challenges. “It was incredibly valuable… to see some of the struggles that you’re going to encounter going back into the family business.”

One such struggle was learning how to overcome internal biases. No one wants to spend time or money setting up a good employee for failure in another department. “Not every individual...is cut out to be successful in every role,” says Marshall. Finding the right assessment method was key. “We learned lessons and they were painful lessons but we got better and better as we went along,” he says.

So which method produced better results: instinct or standardized testing? And how does Marshall make sure each department gets recognized for the value they add to the organization? Tune in to find out.

Thank you to our sponsor INxSQL, software built for distribution.

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.  

Edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.

Connect with Jason on LinkedIn.

Connect with Marshall on LinkedIn.

Meet Jason Bader, executive coach, speaker, and owner of The Distribution Team, and find out the origin story of the Distribution Talk podcast (the idea for which came like a 2x4 to the back of the head.)

Get ready to hear stories, struggles and solutions from business owners and thought leaders in the wholesale distribution industry.

Thanks to Michael and Greg at Get a Grip on Lighting for helping to inspire this show, and to podcast coach/editor Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios for her expert advice.

And thank you to our sponsor PeersOnDemand.com

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.  

Edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.

Connect with Jason on LinkedIn.

If change is the only constant, why do some leaders resist it at all costs? Jennifer Murphy, president of NetPlus Alliance, an industrial buying group based in Lockport, NY, embraces the transformative process, ditching long-standing methods to ensure the future health of her multi-generational family business. Jason caught up with Jennifer to learn more about NetPlus’ culture of continuous improvement and how membership in a buying group benefits both the distributor and supplier.

Jennifer’s exposure to the family business at an early age informs her attitude toward taking risks. “I saw how important it was to embrace change and the types of things you needed to do to be a much more progressive and competitive business.” 

LinkedIn

LinkedIn

***

For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry

You can call Richard Lawless many things––trailblazer, communicator, innovator. Just don’t call him ready to retire. This easy-going founder and president is still having too much fun growing the Lawless Group, his decades-old Dallas-based product rep agency. 

Jason caught up with Richard to uncover the secrets to his industry longevity, smart talent acquisitions, and successful expansion strategies.

While moving products for manufacturers of construction, electrical, industrial, and safety products efficiently takes more than physical space, having 600,000 sq ft of dedicated warehouse in which to stock said items doesn’t hurt. Add to that the 18 additional regional warehouses operated by Lawless Group, and you’ve got a logistics superpower that knows how to save time, save money.

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

https://www.distributionteam.com

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: Moblico, helping businesses do more business on mobile devices.

Hollywood loves to cast artificial intelligence as the villain. In reality, AI is more likely to win best supporting character accolades from those in the c-suite, says Nelson Valderrama, founder of Intuilize, the AI-driven firm specializing in helping distributors use analytics to optimize pricing, purchasing, and inventory management. 

Jason chats with Nelson about AI’s ability to sift through reams of data to unlock profitability, strengthen B2B relationships, and enhance employee productivity, not overtake humans. If only folks in senior distribution roles embraced the tech as readily as their Millennial and GenZ team members, says Nelson, they too would realize the transformative power of AI.

Nelson has 25+ years of experience in Latin America and the United States, beginning his career with GE, then moving to GE Capital before seeking opportunities with smaller, more agile companies. All the while, he maintained his fondness for distributors. 

“What I found out about all owners is that they have really good instincts. I'm not saying all the time it’s right, but typically it’s quite fine-tuned.”

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals. 

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry

On-demand local delivery isn’t just for burgers or beer. Matt Lafferty turned a remodeling project a-ha! moment into Curri, a nationwide all-in-one logistics platform best described as the Uber of construction supplies. Jason chats with Curri’s energetic co-founder and CEO about the company’s serendipitous start, impressive growth, and cost-effective delivery solutions for building materials distributors. 

Curri is a network of on-demand delivery drivers with appropriate vehicles (think: lift gates, flatbeds, bobtails) that could pick up and deliver materials wherever, whenever needed. Today, Curri operates in 49 states, making a delivery every 10 seconds. Each shipment comes with the same tech-driven features that the biggest names in e-commerce rely on, like live tracking and digital proof of delivery.

Matt’s vision has proven so effective that many distributors have replaced in-house delivery fleets with Curri’s on-demand platform, saving hefty operating costs. “We have a lot of distributors that are literally selling off their trucks and just using Curri because they're making more sales. They're not taking on the risk and the insurance for moving supplies and materials.”

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Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: Connected Peers, connecting key employees in distribution's leading organizations.

If entrepreneurs are known for marching to a different beat, then Jeff Peterson is an improvisational maestro. DT fans may remember Jason’s conversation with the CEO of Geneva Supply in episode 21, in which the two discussed growing and expanding that company’s footprint. And did he ever! Just as that business started to get predictable, Jeff stumbled upon his next entrepreneurial challenge: Interstate Music.

The opportunity to turn around a 75-year-old music retailer proved irresistible, and Jeff went all in — even though the company languished in bankruptcy and the world paused for a pandemic. He applied his extensive e-com knowledge and a lifelong affinity for live music to a new entrepreneurial challenge and has never once regretted taking on that challenge.

While the purchase agreement included Interstate Music Supply’s catalog of intellectual property, Jeff astutely excluded the company’s physical inventory and brick-and-mortar footprint: The revamp opened Interstate up to new avenues for attracting customers and building brand loyalty.

“There's big competitors out there that have been doing e-commerce music for a long time and doing it really well,” he says. “However, they're not selling to Amazon, they're not helping a manufacturer sell on a different platform in a different way. So that’s our niche to them.” 

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***

For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

“I like to say that I was able to put the dot on the “I” of HARDI, which is international,” laughs Guitze Messina. 

When HARDI, the premiere HVACR distribution association in North America, decided to expand its membership into Mexico, they tasked Guitze with the job. Jason chats with the dynamic executive director of HARDI Mexico about surpassing the organization’s boldest growth projections and fostering greater support for the two-step distribution model across Central America, South America, and Europe.

In Guitze’s five years at the helm, the organization has made tremendous headway within the Mexican market (signing on 70 members) and prompting interest from other Latin American countries.

Guitze’s commitment to the Mexican HVACR industry is evident in how he speaks of its future. “Besides being successful, we also want to pass on a legacy. We want the Mexican market to change.” But why stop there? Guitze and HARDI are poised to realize ambitious goals, bringing the tenets of networking, education, and business development to HVACR distributors worldwide.

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Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: Profit2, helping distributors charge the right price.

***

For full show notes and services, visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.

Privately held distributors often stifle growth by confining information to the C-suite. John Cain, president of Wiseway Supply, a plumbing and electrical supplier based out of the Greater Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky area, is passionate about sharing intelligence with folks inside his organization and out. Jason chats with John about transparency as a precursor to innovation, the value of external perspectives, and punching above the company’s weight class. 

John can thank his outside experience for Wiseway’s success. After college, he opted for a stint with Proctor & Gamble rather than a job in the family biz. That opportunity informed his willingness to consider perspectives beyond Wiseway’s walls. For example, while the company is proud of its track record for promoting from within, outside hires are essential. Their DNA sparks creativity that ignites the entire organization. 

Everyone within Wiseway contributes to the game plan; nothing is hidden. John: “[Branch managers] get the whole P and L. They see everything from top to bottom instead of the blind being asked to blindly lead the company.”

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Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by

***

For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

https://www.distributionteam.com

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

***

For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

When was the last time curiosity got the better of you on a business trip? In this rare solo episode, Jason explores roads less traveled. Literally. The world has reopened. Airports are busier than ever. Calling on clients is what business travel is all about, but is there room in your schedule for unexpected experiences? 

It doesn’t take much (if any) planning to get off the beaten path for a few hours, as Jason discovered on a recent trip to Salt Lake City. When a wonky gap in the schedule left him with some time to kill, he had two choices: head to his hotel room or let a Google Map suggestion lead him in a completely serendipitous direction.

The following day, when Jason mentioned the excursion to his client, she shared with him a website (and podcast) that lists many such hidden gems: Atlas Obscura. For those unfamiliar with Atlas Obscura, think of it as a virtual concierge with suggestions for weird and wonderful experiences worldwide. 

There’s probably a business metaphor connected to Jason’s pedal-to-the-metal experience out on the Flats. Instead, he’s content to keep the lesson literal for now. “You know, this little Google Map suggestion totally opened my eyes, and it reminded me that there are some really cool things in the world.” 

Make time for wonder on your next business trip.

Atlas Obscura

Bonneville Salt Flats

Bonneville Speedway

The Palmer House

***

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: Connected Peers, connecting key employees in distribution's leading organizations.

For full show notes and services visit: http://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.

The last few years have tested even the strongest links in our supply chains. Increasingly, master wholesalers have stepped in to reinforce weakened networks, acting as inventory buffers and partners in category optimization. Larry Davis, CEO and founder of AgoNow LLC, chats with Jason about his role as an industrial master wholesaler and channel solutions provider. 

Master distribution was born out of market inefficiencies, giving distributors access to extensive inventories without needing to meet the high minimums set by many brands and manufacturers. Master distributors take on the risks associated with those transactions, so distributors are free to order only what they need.

 “This market is in the middle of a major shift that's going to change the face of it dramatically, and it's going to require all of us to pivot multiple times,” says Larry, adding that gone are the days of if you have it in stock, customers will come calling. He cites Amazon as an example of a highly efficient ecosystem that should act as a wake-up call. 

Master wholesalers like AgoNow are driving innovation, shortening lead times, managing multiple manufacturer relationships, and advising distributors with market knowledge so they can adapt more quickly to customer trends.

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Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: HMI Performance Incentives, providing innovative, data-driven B2B incentive solutions.

***

For full show notes and services visit: http://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Government contracts aren’t for the faint of heart. Rick Lamb, marketing manager with Frank’s Supply in Albuquerque, NM, understands the arduous truth of that statement better than most. Jason chats with Rick about the complexities inherent to General Services Administration (GSA) certification and why it might make sense for other suppliers to jump through those hoops.

When Frank’s found itself in a position to bid for its first government contract in 1996 for Los Alamos National Lab, Rick found himself in the thick of it. “We had never even attempted something like that,” he says, but two Frank’s employees who knew just enough about GSAs to convince the company to put together a bid. 

Nine months later, Frank’s phone rang. “It was Christmas Eve, 1996. We get a call from the head of purchasing at Los Alamos, and they go, ‘Be ready to start the contract April 1st.’” Frank’s first scramble was on. 

While the bid timeline has shortened somewhat since the mid-90s, other aspects, like authentication and security clearance, have grown increasingly rigorous. Vendors must detail every level of the contract’s implementation, from the level of support to chain of responsibility to security clearances and  quality assurance programs,

But is the GSA route profitable? 

CONNECT WITH JASON

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Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

***

For full show notes and services visit: http://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Welcome back for part 2 with the Bader boys, Jason’s in-depth look at his family’s distribution business with patriarch and founder of Acme Construction Supply Co, Inc., Dick Bader, and younger brother Jordan, the company’s current president and CEO. As they wrap up their visit, 

Dick and Jordan reveal the fundamental principles that have supported Acme’s thriving culture and growth initiatives. They also share their motivations for and the rewards of trade organization participation.

Anyone involved in a family business knows that it's often a thin line between circus and success. One of the factors keeping the C-suite from devolving into a three-ring spectacle is an owner or leader who surrounds themselves with folks who can augment the skills or talents that they lack. Once the people are in place, a critical next step is for the owner or leader to yield control. 

When Jordan purchased the company in 2008, he began thinking about how to fill company roles vacated by retirement with his own team of next-generation leaders. First, he turned to folks outside his industry who might help Acme expand. Then he promoted star talent from within. Now Jordan’s broadening his industry’s appeal beyond its typically male-dominated workforce, fostering an environment where women and the LGBTQIA+ community feel welcomed. While the continued evolution of Acme’s culture is vital to him personally, he says what matters most is that these shifts result from his employees' influence.

DT100: Celebrating 100 Episodes! Legacy and Leadership with Dick and Jordan Bader of Acme Construction Supply

DT096: Amplifying Company Culture to Attract and Retain Top Talent with Bill Condron, The Granite Group

Young Presidents’ Organization

STAFDA

Evergreen Marketing Group

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Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: Moblico, helping businesses do more business on mobile devices.

***

For full show notes and services visit: http://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Milestones are a part of the distribution business and, as it turns out, podcasting. What better way to celebrate Distribution Talk’s 100th episode than with a combo of sorts––equal parts company case study and oral history. Jason corrals family patriarch and founder of Acme Construction Supply Co, Inc., Dick Bader, and little brother Jordan, current president and CEO, for an insider’s look at the family business. Like all epic tales, this one comes complete with plot twists, sibling rivalry (of the genial kind), and a cliffhanger. 

“I'll admit, the first time I saw you speak right after you left Acme, I was pretty sure we were saving a seat for you back at Acme,” Jordan jokes. When Jason exited the family business over a decade ago for the “greener pastures” of consulting, he eventually cleared a path for Jordan to lead Acme. Both Bader boys have their father to thank for their successes, having watched Dick navigate the often choppy waters of entrepreneurship. 

Dick weighed hefty considerations as he brought both of his sons into Acme. Legacy. Boundaries. Balance. No matter how thoughtful an entry or succession plan, there will be stumbles along the way. And successes more profound than any bottom lines. “Dad, as you brought us into the business, you showed continuity, and you showed this stability for our employees that, you know, I still have,” says Jordan.  

Stay tuned for part two!

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***

For full show notes and services visit: http://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: Profit2.

Customer messaging has always been a numbers race––and distributors that use 21st-century strategies to connect with and convert their target markets occupy pole position. Pierre Barbeau, president and co-founder of Moblico Solutions, says it's never too late to implement a mobile engagement plan specific to your vertical.

Jason caught up with Pierre to discuss adding value to inbound and outbound activities for independent distributors via mobile app communication. Pierre’s genius is in translating Moblico’s complex services into terms (and numbers) his clientele can relate to and utilize. 

Moblico products like targeted broadcast messaging, custom app development, and automated notifications establish lines of communication and create new channels by which companies can gather intel. Sales data and survey responses, for example, can inform improvements to internal protocols, thus better serving the customer. 

In-house productivity, too, can benefit from Moblico solutions. Think human resources activities and sales team endeavors. 

Mobile notifications come in various forms (text messages, and push notifications to name a few) and are sent either manually or via automation. Moblico offers strategies that integrate its mobile messaging apps with a client’s existing ERP and E-commerce platforms for the smartest reach. 

Regardless of how you may feel when a targeted ad or text crosses your path, studies show that younger professionals prefer mobile engagement over traditional forms of communication––and they’re your future customers. It’s beyond time to meet them where they live: on mobile.

Moblie Matters Podcast

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For full show notes and services visit: http://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: Connected Peers, connecting key employees in distribution's leading organizations.

The past is always present at Industrial Supply Company, thanks to a treasure trove of historical documents dating back to 1915. While the Utah-based company’s 106-year heritage is impressive, Jessica Yurgaitis has no intention of dwelling in the dust of the organization’s bygone era, even if the history major in her loves posting those old handwritten letters and sales slips.

Jason chats with this fourth-generation president about balancing respect for family legacy with a desire to launch the company into a thoroughly modern future. 

Initially, Jessica wanted no part in Industrial; she wanted a Master’s in history instead. But advanced degrees cost money, so she went to work. In purchasing, Jessica learned business basics: meeting with suppliers, building relationships, and executing marketing and co-branding strategies.

Moving through each department at Industrial taught Jessica how to strengthen relationships. “I feel like I have a wonderful network of people,” she says of her participation in associations like ISA. “I could pick up the phone anytime and call, and they'd be willing to give me time and help me work through an issue. And I do that all the time.” 

She applies that same humility when the conversation turns to younger team members. Jessica has wisely surrounded herself with folks whose “digital native” skill sets complement her historical organizational knowledge. Leveraging legacy, leaning into growth. Jessica’s got the balance right at Industrial Supply.

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***

For full show notes and services visit: http://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

Continuity is an underappreciated aspect of ownership transition. Ben Whitlock, president of Mobile Fixture, a kitchen and restaurant supply wholesaler based in Mobile, AL, followed that game plan to the letter when he and three partners bought out the company's longtime owner. 

Jason caught up with Ben to discuss drafting a protracted transition process into the buyout deal, maintaining organization-wide confidence throughout the pandemic, and succeeding in the crowded hospitality space.

Ben and his three partners, all members of the senior leadership team since approximately 2017, entered into a sale agreement with Mobile's longtime second-generation owner Walne Donald five years ago. But rather than pushing Walne out immediately, they wrote him into their purchase agreement. 

In addition to Walne staying on as majority owner, Ben and his partners were adamant about forgoing private equity. The team believed in the organization's inherent family philosophy and didn't want to tinker with it too much. That holistic approach to company culture served the organization well, especially during the pandemic. With no customers to sell to, Mobile closed its showroom and warehouses for several weeks to refresh and reorganize. That time together proved to be an excellent, if unplanned, team-building exercise.

Now that the transition switch has finally flipped, Ben and the team are ready to tackle post-pandemic challenges like supply chain issues and inflation.

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***

For full show notes and services visit: http://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: HMI Performance Incentives, providing innovative, data-driven B2B incentive solutions.

Want to know the secret to promoting a vibrant, growth-oriented company culture? Forget about the pingpong table in the breakroom. Bill Condron, CEO of Boston-based The Granite Group, says it starts with doing right by your associates and customers––even when no one’s watching. 

Jason chats with Bill about his approach to bottom-up employee engagement, his company’s aggressive expansion strategy, and striking the balance between healthy growth and sound culture.

Bill’s broader belief is that Granite’s enviable reputation as a service- and innovation-oriented supplier is shaped by the staffers who typically get relegated to the middle or bottom of org charts at other companies: pickers, branch managers, and truck drivers. 

Maintaining Granite’s culture isn’t a hands-off endeavor. The company’s yearly calendar boasts quarterly meetings, branch dinners, and town halls. 

The company has done an excellent job amplifying its culture to attract top talent, back-fill positions vacated by promotion and appeal to a demographic that this industry has traditionally ignored: women. 

“It's not perceived [as] welcoming or open or a place where women can be successful. That's absolutely false,” says Bill.  Granite boasts a finance team led by women and women-led branches as well. “If you’re able to do that, you're going to up your success by a factor of many.”

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Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

***

For full show notes and services visit: http://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

http://www.distributionteam.com

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: Moblico, helping businesses do more business on mobile devices.

Associations have long touted in-person events as a critical benefit of membership. However, in the wake of the pandemic, folks have grown more discerning about their time––and what they do with it.

Molly Alton Mullins, CEO of SEVEN12 Management, helps these organizations amplify their impact through innovative engagement. Jason chats with Molly about how her company enhanced its value proposition during the live event hiatus, the dynamic interpersonal changes taking place as conferences resume, and inspiring long-term membership involvement.

The Midwest in March isn’t everyone’s idea of a good time. Still, after two years of Zoom meetings, Molly couldn’t wait for the in-real-life conversation and collaboration at this year’s University of Distribution Innovation event. “It was great to get close to 600 distributors all together in a room, learning from each other, all different industries but essentially the same types of challenges, the same types of opportunities.” There’s no question that digital platforms helped most people maintain connections during the pandemic, but the community really thrives when that face-to-face happens in the same space. “On-site, the relationships that you make there, they're that much more intense,” Molly says. 

Molly is well-versed at fostering environments in which interaction flourishes. She spent time in the political fundraising arena and government affairs, honing her strategic-minded, relationship-focused perspective. Since coming to SEVEN12 in 2016, she’s applied that approach to grow the company’s portfolio, expanding its menu of benefits and services and extending its expertise to verticals as diverse as distribution and mental health professionals. Regardless of industry, Molly says association members want the same thing from their experience: “They want the opportunities to do workshops and hear from their peers and learn facts and things like that.” Members also crave in-person exchanges. “They want to engage, and they want to touch and feel and laugh and love and do all those sorts of things because they don't ever want to lose it again.”

As safety precautions lift and conferences ramp up, Molly says it’ll take more than the status quo to entice folks to sign up for association membership. “It's great to learn a great story, but people want more than that,” she says, especially if they’re attending a destination event. People rightly demand more meaningful interactions now, whether through workforce development, mentorship, or peer-to-peer connection. Molly and her team are poised to deliver on those expectations. 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

University of Innovative Distribution

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For full show notes and services visit: http://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: Profit2.

Visionary leaders chart a course to the C-suite with layovers in multiple departments, creating a culture of innovation throughout their organization along the way. Jason chats with Jameel Burkett, president and CEO of Burkett Restaurant Equipment & Supply in Toledo, OH, about supporting the pursuit of growth and learning, giving back to the industry through association advocacy, and revitalizing his family business amidst a global crisis. His passion for the food service supply industry is palpable, but he admits it wasn't always so. Like many next-generation owners, Jameel didn't think the family biz would satisfy his entrepreneurial aspirations. Twenty years later, he leads in an environment where the "intrapreneurial" spirit thrives.

Jameel believes in the pursuit of growth and learning beyond Burkett. He returned to school in 2012 to complete his master's degree and further honed his leadership skills with Vistage executive coaching. It's his membership in FEDA, however, that has provided the most support, especially as the hospitality industry bore the brunt of COVID's many challenges. "I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for all the great people in our industry that took me under their wing when I was a young guy coming out of college, wanting to conquer the world."

The Hard Thing About Hard Things - by Ben Horowitz

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For full show notes and services visit: http://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

Troy Meachum of ACR Supply isn’t afraid to share his religious beliefs. While some might consider such transparency a recipe for disaster, ACR’s chief encouragement officer makes a case for sincere faith-based leadership. Jason chats with Troy about integrating his religious convictions into everyday operations and how those beliefs have impacted employee morale, customer satisfaction, and the company’s bottom line. In fact, ACR has grown its revenue from $3m in 1997 to over $33m this past year. Perhaps it comes down to geography. While many business owners north of the Mason-Dixon line keep their religious beliefs private, those headquartered in the American South tend to be more transparent about their faith––on company websites, at branch locations, and in conversation. ACR Supply, which makes its home in Raleigh, NC, proves the point. Faith, says Troy, is the foundation upon which his personal and professional success rests. There’s no compartmentalizing the two.  Troy lives his faith with intention, whether by engaging with fellow HARDI members or championing initiatives through ACR Cares, his company’s outreach organization.  “I'm 60 years old, actually 61 on Friday, and I'm really starting to hit my stride just from a ministry perspective,” he says, looking ahead and placing his faith squarely in the future.

***

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For full show notes and services visit: http://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Brought to you by The Distribution Team and Connected Peers.

Whether you call it pot, grass, marijuana or nothing at all, it's impossible to ignore the cannabis industry's rapid transition from undercover operation to legitimate vertical, one with more conflicting regulatory statutes and distribution challenges than possibly any other.

Joy Hudson, founder and CEO of Nimble Distribution in Portland, OR, parlayed her success in the traditional medical supply arena into a thriving cannabis distributorship, all while balancing profits with social impact. Jason chats with Joy about professionalizing the industry, advocating for better legislative considerations, and lending direct support to communities devastated by harmful drug policies of the past.

Joy's logistics and sales expertise proved a perfect fit for a business on the brink of stratospheric growth. She and her business partner Marissa Rodriguez have built Nimble, a for-profit company with major social impact credentials. Their innovative strategies include second-chance employment opportunities and reparations-focused initiatives. By marrying a professional ethos with holistic community awareness, Nimble is securing its place at the vanguard of cannabis distribution.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Weeds

Oregon Retailers of Cannabis Association

NuProject

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Nimble

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

http://www.distributionteam.com

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

Having trouble finding a candidate to take over once you've left the business for good? You needn't confine succession planning to family members or fellow C-suite occupants. 

Jim Daniels, president and chief operating officer of Mid-State Sales in Columbus, OH, says the key to a successful strategy is to consider rising stars both in and outside your organization. Jason speaks with Jim about creating a succession roadmap for every key role and mentoring talent to take those positions forward.

At Mid-State, Jim's following a similar blueprint to the one that brought him into leadership, providing an environment in which Mid-State's 80 employees spread across the company's four branches can excel. Attracting top talent means providing candidates with a clearly defined path forward.    

And even top talent requires training. More specifically, mentoring. The difference, says Jim, is profound. In many ways, training is a one-way experience; this is how you do x-y-z. On the other hand, mentoring is a give-and-take exercise––and it's the key to successful succession planning. 

Succession doesn't always mean ownership or presidency. A distributor can mentor talent to fill many roles within the company, paving the way for continued health and prosperity of the entire organization. 

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Mid-State Sales

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For full show notes and services visit: http://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: HMI Performance Incentives, providing innovative, data-driven B2B incentive solutions.

Want to optimize talent, foster innovation, and inspire loyalty amongst your staff? Diane Dye Hansen, chief management consultant at What Works Consultants, Inc., says the secret begins and ends with your company culture. Too often, however, companies settle for buzzwords rather than developing a vision statement with input from all.

Diane joins Jason to discuss cultivating a healthy, productive work environment using research and data-driven assessment tools. She also shares one exercise guaranteed to help organizations define authentic company culture for themselves. 

Companies committed to recalibrating organizational integrity can begin by asking their employees to complete the following statement: The way we work around here is… The answers are often revelatory.

From diagnosing internal struggles to highlighting opportunities for innovation, this simple ask can transform company culture for the better––and the future. Action-oriented, inclusive company culture goes further in securing and keeping quality employees than words emblazoned on a lobby wall.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

The Predictive Index

Good To Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't

LinkedIn

What Works Consultants, Inc.

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For full show notes and services visit: http://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

If you haven’t considered a credit union as your next commercial lending partner, you're not considering all the options.

Mark Ritter, CEO of Nu Direction Lending, specializes in bringing traditional business financing to the credit union market, keeping the focus and funds local. Jason chats with Mark about what makes the credit union relationship unique and how wholesale distributors can benefit by securing their lines of credit, real estate loans, or general financing with a community-based lender.   

In addition to keeping money flowing locally, credit unions offer their clients direct access to lending decision-makers. That's a win-win for distributors as personal relationships buoy a company’s bottom line.

Not a member? No problem! Over the last ten years, credit unions have greatly expanded their membership criteria, welcoming more personal banking and small business clients into the fold.

Whether it's a line of credit, a real estate loan, or something in between, the opportunities for distribution businesses are endless. 

When searching for fast, fair, and reliable funding, maybe it's time you took your business to a credit union––an organization that knows your company as well as your community. 

LinkedIn

MarkRitter.com

***

For full show notes and services visit: http://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

Companies in every vertical have become acquainted with safety distributors throughout the pandemic. But there’s more to this partnership than “just” PPE.

Jason chats with Dave White, the purpose-driven co-owner of Quad City Safety in Davenport, IA, about back-to-basics accounting and why he favors educating customers at the expense of recording sales.

“A lot of the world operates selfishly,” Dave says, explaining why Quad City Safety gives away so much of its expertise through both a YouTube channel and a podcast. “I think that through being unselfish, usually you're rewarded for being [so].”

It’s doubtful that anyone who’s had a conversation with Dave would accuse him of ulterior motives; he’s that passionate about sharing life-saving products and safety information.

Of course, transactions keep the business viable enough to support those multimedia endeavors. That’s where Dave’s accounting background comes into play. Distribution companies are littered with emotional, sales-minded individuals who are sometimes swayed by bright, shiny decisions. 

Accountant-minded folks like Dave aren’t so easily distracted.

Dave and his Quad City Safety specialists continue to forge relationships through knowledge, regardless of how the numbers get crunched. They're committed to reliable, relatable customer care, from updating folks on the latest safety standards to demonstrating wearable gear and site-specific equipment. More often than not, those conversations result in a fall protection device ending up in the right place at the right time––and someone going home unharmed.

American Society of Safety Professionals 

AD Safety Network

LinkedIn

***

For full show notes and services visit: http://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: HMI Performance Incentives, providing innovative, data-driven B2B incentive solutions.

Looking for a way to enhance company culture and boost revenue? Mike Mortensen, president and CEO of Alaska Rubber Group based in Anchorage, AK, has a proven solution: an employee stock ownership plan.

Jason chats with Mike about his entry-level start in distribution, his company’s rapidly expanding physical and digital presence, and why owners of privately-held organizations should look to an ESOP when considering growth or exit strategies.

For many independent distributors, the thought of turning company ownership over to employees is as intriguing as it is intimidating.  But ESOP options are endless; owners can choose the most suitable structure for their organization and their legacy. For Alaska Rubber, that meant pursuing a “beneficial ownership” model. “The trust owns the company, owns the inventory, the assets and everything like that. And as an employee and a participant in the plan, we own the right to the rise or fall of the share price.” 

To say that the ESOP has panned out for Alaska Rubber is an understatement. While the model wasn’t an easy option for the company’s original selling party to buy into, the long-term benefits outweighed those initial doubts. 

Besides increased revenue, transitioning to an ESOP has provided the company with advantages in areas of recruitment, acquisition, and innovation. The company recently completed a massive website upgrade, for example and while on-site cash sales remains top tier, Mike says the fully integrated B2B e-commerce platform has captured business well beyond the counter. Mike also credits forward-thinking tech companies like data partner Proton AI with Alaska Rubber’s success despite online pressure from behemoth pick-and-ship competitors.

Mike’s good fortune in the distribution industry is one he’s paying forward. He views his participation in both NAHAD (The Association for Hose & Accessories Distribution) and IDCO (Industrial Distributors Co-op) as a way to contribute to the industry’s future. 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

DT082: Benj Cohen of Proton AI on Leveraging Sales Data with AI Designed for the Distribution Industry

Proton AI

NAHAD - The Association for Hose & Accessories Distribution

IDCO - Industrial Distributors Co-op

Alaska Rubber Group

LinkedIn

LinkedIn

***

For full show notes and services visit: http://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

During this holiday season, we are taking the opportunity to re-release some of the most popular episodes of Distribution Talk. Jason recently caught up with Lincoln Smith, chief strategy officer at HMI Performance Incentives.  Although most people associate loyalty incentives with customer programs, now would be a great time to look at shoring up the relationship with internal associates. Distributors are not immune to the “great resignation” going on in North America and we hate to see associates jump ship for a couple of bucks per hour when we could design non-monetary performance rewards to keep them engaged. 

Furthermore, Jason predicts that 2022 will be a great time to double down on increasing market share. If you have the inventory, you're in a great position. Loyalty incentives are just another arrow in your quiver. Lincoln has been a great resource to the Distribution Team’s clients over the last 18 months. Enjoy this conversation!

***

With everything you’ve got going on, here’s a topic you might not have considered: loyalty programs. Business has been thrown quite a few curveballs over the recent months and Lincoln Smith says rewards packages could hit a home run for B2B pros looking to boost their profiles and bottom lines in the months and years ahead.

Many distributors and wholesalers are being forced to meet challenges that were at the tail end of their do-to lists. HMI is stepping in with innovative solutions for any size business. The drastic world and business changes of late might warrant a tactical refresh and programs like those built by HMI become much more relevant as your business searches for an advantage in the business environment of the very near future. 

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

http://www.distributionteam.com

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: HMI Performance Incentives, providing innovative, data-driven B2B incentive solutions.

During this holiday season, we are taking the opportunity to re-release some of the most popular episodes of Distribution Talk. The August 2020 interview with Lisa Fiore, co-founder and CEO of Landscape Hub, broke all download records for the show. People were intrigued with her ability to apply this digital marketplace to the highly fragmented legacy industry of landscapes.

Since the interview, Landscape Hub has grown dramatically and they're continuing to add more robust search features for the end user. From a fingernails in the dirt family business to technology-driven service provider, this is a really cool innovation story.  Enjoy!

***

Lisa Fiore left the family business behind to transform an industry. Jason and Lisa discuss the challenges that have shaped her management style and the tech she’s created to revolutionize a stodgy wholesale vertical.

“Their version of the story is that I grabbed the business and took it from them. My version is they gave it to me,” Lisa laughs, recalling the series of events that ultimately lead to her taking over the family’s century-old landscape supply business in 2010 - at the height of the Great Recession. 

Throughout that crisis, Lisa maintained an honest dialogue with her staff and her family about the painful adjustments to come. Fostering that level transparency taught her a great deal about the value of vulnerability, an attribute that has prepared her for the current pandemic. “We all have deep scars from the recession and I guarantee you we're all gonna have deep scars of living through this…[but] it's informed my instincts.” 

Challenges should beget meaningful change. That’s a takeaway Lisa has run with throughout her career. After shoring up the family business, she left the company to realize her dream: the creation of an online marketplace connecting buyers and quality suppliers across the country. 

But optimizing a fragmented ecosystem is not an easy task - or a quick one. 

Imagine an industry in which the established common names for products change from region to region, where orders are often taken via pencil and pad. That’s what Landscape Hub is up against. Three years in, however, Lisa is as enthusiastic about her tech as she was the first time she pitched it to venture capitalists. “This is the future of the industry and I have to be a part of it and I have to see this thing through.” 

Under her guidance, Lisa and her team will no doubt do just that. An entrepreneur at heart, she’s happiest laying the foundation for future innovations. “We are doing something that is genuinely going to change this industry. We don't know necessarily what role we'll play in terms of the finished product, but I guarantee you, what we're doing today will make a difference.”

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

http://www.distributionteam.com

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

If a trade association is only as good as its leadership, then HARDI––the Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Distributors International Association––is very good indeed, thanks to the energetic and innovative direction of CEO Talbot Gee. Jason chats with Talbot about his formula for providing consistent, top-notch value to HARDI members. The equation includes plenty of workforce development, government advocacy, and gratitude for the biggest little industry most folks know nothing about.

“You could be a supremely educated college graduate, or you could be someone who never once even considered or wanted to go to college. Maybe [you] barely got through high school.” Talbot confides, before revealing distribution’s best-kept secret: “You could end up being a multimillionaire in this industry if you got the right stuff and work hard at it.” He has the stories to prove his supposition, committed to video for the documentary Hot Commodity, a  behind-the-scenes look at young people finding success in the HVAC industry. It’s one of the many workforce initiatives that Talbot has been involved in, a concerted effort to build relationships with the next generation of decision-makers. In doing so, he’s securing the current and future health of the industry.

Whether he’s promoting the HVAC industry, pushing the envelope of member offerings, or expanding his organization into Mexico, Talbot is laser-focused. HARDI’s membership appreciates his work, especially regarding the many congressional fly-ins he’s participated in on behalf of sector-specific issues. It’s a form of advocacy that Talbot has helped foster. “I know people get uncomfortable when you talk about the connection of money in politics,” he says, “but there's a reason that all exists. I'm not saying it's perfect, but it's not all bad.”

One of HARDI’s strengths lies in its ability to drive member engagement, reaching out rather than waiting for membership to respond. Talbot says the organization continues to lean into and learn from those efforts. “That's kind of one of those dynamics of just how our business is so different now than the way it was before,” he says, referencing not only the period just before the pandemic but also HARDI’s overall evolution. 

The organization has grown to three times the size since Talbot first arrived and has become a more consultative entity in the intervening years. That growth suits Talbot, who’s constantly tuned into creating mutually beneficial strategies and partnerships for the people he serves. “Man, when you solve a problem for them,” Talbot says, “it's like best friends for life. They're the absolute most gracious people you could ever meet.”

Watch Hot Commodity, the documentary mentioned in this episode, for free.

Hot Commodity

DT069: Steve Deist on career paths and recruitment strategies in wholesale distribution

HARDI

LinkedIn

LinkedIn

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

http://www.distributionteam.com

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

In order to compete in business, you need to be willing to change your ways. Jason talks about recruiting and retaining talent in the digital age with Marc Beerman, President and CEO of Beerman Precision in Beerman Precision is a New Orleans based rental, sales and service company focused on the industrial construction market.

Marc learned the importance of understanding finances early on from his father, Ralph, who founded the company as a side hustle while working full time and raising a family. Quoting a lesson from his dad, Marc says, “Don’t let tax returns fool you. Sometimes you make money on paper, but you have no cash.” This insistence motivated Marc to go back to school after completing his engineering degree to get another degree… this time in finance.

Marc came into the business in the early 1980s when the business was crashing due to the bottom dropping out of the oil industry. His solution was to stop buying inventory. “I said, ‘We need to be cash rich, inventory lean’… so that when things turn around we have enough capital to make it through.” And make it through, they did, but it wasn’t until the 1990s that they were able to start growing again. 

Over his 3+ decades of leadership Marc has weathered storms (literally and figuratively) and has navigated changes in branches, technology, and more. Like many DT guests, he says one of the best business decisions he made was joining the board at STAFDA, eventually even serving as president. “You learn tremendous amounts from being around people who know a lot more than you.”

One of the things that lights Marc up is seeing young people coming into STAFDA. He and Jason agree that they need even more young folks entering distribution as a career. Marc says the problem is that distribution isn’t a visible industry, rather it’s more behind the scenes. Jason quips, “We’re boxes in, boxes out!”

The corner Marc is turning now is to focus more on e-commerce, an area where he sees some companies excelling and a lot who are lagging behind. He feels like this is an area where there is opportunity for smaller companies to play. The challenge is to recruit and retrain a different type of talent than what they have previously been accustomed to. Pitching your company to a potential candidate can be a bit of a role reversal. For Beerman, Marc is asking the critical question  “What makes us a valuable place for someone to make a career?”

His solution is giving young candidates a career path, helping them see what the future may hold for them when they come to work for Beerman. He cites Evergreen Marketing Group as a valuable partner, providing members with financial incentives toward investing in training for their employees. He sees this as part of his pitch to attract talent, and says, “It's been a great win for many of our employees, but it also was a win, believe it or not, for some employees that didn't stay with us.” Ultimately, he says regardless of the risk, it’s worth the investment either way. 

Beerman Precision

LinkedIn

LinkedIn

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

http://www.distributionteam.com

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: HMI Performance Incentives, providing innovative, data-driven B2B incentive solutions.

There’s no question that artificial intelligence is poised to revolutionize distribution, and incorporating this vital tool is a lot less daunting than it once seemed. Jason chats with Benj Cohen, founder and CEO of Proton AI, about extracting the gold that’s buried deep in our systems. From uncovering hidden sales opportunities to onboarding new reps quicker than ever before, AI’s ability to dig into data can help our legacy industry close more sales and meet future market challenges.

“The median Proton AI customer sells 687,000 different skews,” says Benj. With all those items in play, it’s difficult for reps to figure out what customers need to buy now and anticipate what they’ll want to buy further down the sales stream. “We have a ton of data that we're not leveraging to solve this problem.” Enter Proton AI, the post-graduation project he set up to find a solution that would apply to the family’s dental distribution business and other verticals.

Having grown up in and around distribution, Benj is sensitive to AI skeptics amongst salespeople and owners. “We're very far away, in my opinion, from AI taking over the world, especially taking over the world of distribution,” he says, allaying those fears by explaining how the tech supports growth. “What we do is ingest all of the customer data, product, data, transaction data, quote data, online browse data, truly everything we can get about what a distributor’s customers are doing.” 

Those patterns, many of which are too sophisticated for the human brain to recognize efficiently, are analyzed to make reps smarter. “The challenge with traditional CRMs is that they are just taking from the rep but not giving.” Proton AI’s approach delivers sales opportunities and creates a unique partnership between reps and its technology––via a system that your company’s salesforce will actually want to use. “We're trying to be a helpful partner, to make their lives easier so they can spend more time with customers.”

Benj is a tech CEO with distribution in his DNA; he views the playing field from every angle and devises solutions accordingly. “Distributors need to be ready to compete with this next generation of digital-first companies,” he advises, adding, “I don't think we should be beating ourselves up as a distributor saying, ‘Oh, geez! We're backwards. We don't think technically!’”

Ultimately, it's about tools that, to this point, haven’t considered the industry’s business model.  Instead, they’ve simply overlaid their rigid systems onto distribution’s expansive terrain. “Distributors already have a ton of data at their disposal,” he says. Proton AI helps any size distributor analyze that information to their long-term advantage.

ProtonAI

benj@proton.ai

LinkedIn

LinkedIn

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

http://www.distributionteam.com

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

When Tyler Yelland, vice president of sales and marketing at Primco, approached the company’s president, Cam Overacker, about starting a podcast, the pair quickly realized the show’s potential beyond sales. Jason chats with the Canada-based duo about telegraphing Primco’s company culture via Know Where You Stand (KWYS), their trendsetting podcast in the ordinarily conservative floor covering industry. From honest talk about podcasting’s ROI to its power as a vehicle for inspiring the next generation of distribution professionals, Cam, Tyler, and Jason share their experiences and insights with the pod-curious.

There’s a simple explanation for how a Primco podcast came about: a marketing consultant proposed a blog. “I just wanted to do something more unique and something different [in] the market,” says Tyler. Ten episodes into recording KWYS, his instincts have proven sound. The show comes across exactly as intended––an informative chat among colleagues who just happen to be friends. “It doesn't feel like work. It's just like Cam and I having another meeting except, instead of talking KPIs, we're just talking about what we would normally talk about.” 

“I had no idea what I was getting in for,” Cam jokes. All kidding aside, he quickly embraced a bigger picture mentality. “The transparency that the podcast gives us is, ‘trust us, this is really who we are, and this is what we're going to say.’” Cam and Tyler aren’t product reviewers; they’re industry advocates inviting manufacturers, retail partners, and, yes, even consumers behind the scenes. “For me, it's more about that one person that you turn to, maybe, being open to hearing more about the Primco story and our products... To me, that’s more important than any stat you can get,” Cam says.

Still, KWYS has an impressive reach thus far, and it’s easy to understand why. With episode topics running the gamut from technology to shipping (a top-of-mind consideration given COVID import delays across every vertical), KWYS is a data-driven listen as well as an engaging access point for future business leaders. Tyler agrees. “There were so many times when I was younger and just thought I knew everything,” he says. “It would have been nice to be able to flip something like this on and just listen to it and get ideas and get those juices flowing.”

When asked to share their number one podcasting tip, the Primco guys echo one of Jason’s own: “Call Andrea,” Cam says, a shoutout to Andrea Klunder, producer of both KWYS and DT. The response is also a nod to Cam’s overall business investment strategy. “When we look back on [Primco’s] failures over 74 years of business, it's the times when you can see that [we] didn't go all in.”

The Q and A Sales Podcast w/ Paul Reilly 

V Strategies - Calgary Video & Production

Surfaces: The International Surfaces Event

NAFCD

​​

LinkedIn

LinkedIn

LinkedIn

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

http://www.distributionteam.com

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: HMI Performance Incentives, providing innovative, data-driven B2B incentive solutions.

Reports of massive employee turnover and dissatisfaction are everywhere––except at Stafford-Smith, Inc. Jason chats with David Stafford, third generation president and CEO of the Kalamazoo-based foodservice equipment distributor, about his company’s remarkable retention rate. With 19 locations across 11 states and an overwhelmingly Millennial workforce, Stafford-Smith’s culture of loyalty flourishes under David’s open-door policy, an office-wide environment of mutual respect, and a few well-timed pranks. “It's been a very good ride so far. We make money; we are very profitable. We work hard. [ ] I don't ask anybody ever to do anything I'm not willing to do myself or have not done.” Although David’s lead from the front style is a hallmark of successful privately-held distribution companies, it’s his repeated acknowledgement of team contributions that make him a standout in the industry.

Competitive by nature, David applies lessons learned from his college football days to business, preferring a team approach to execution and a coach’s mindset to decision-making. “It takes a village, and so we all need to do this together,” he says, referring to the pandemic-related challenges of the last 18 months. “But again, we also have another edict: business is not a democracy. There comes a time where somebody has to be the head coach, general manager, and owner.”

Access to the key decision maker lays the groundwork for job satisfaction and loyalty, regardless of an employee’s generational cohort. While many businesses are frantically trying to rework company culture issues exposed by the pandemic, Stafford-Smith is benefiting from well-established practices. “You see a lot of people having a hard time hiring people. Everybody came back to work for us,” David says with pride. Even the five employees (out of over 200) who wanted to retain wfh status were replaced within a week.

Stafford-Smith’s enviable position as a top-tier employer is one of the reasons they’re also exceptionally successful at acquisitions. For companies interested in pursuing an acquisition or greenfield startup, figuring out the perfect formula can seem daunting. David relies on data and his gut. “The formula is, really, I have to feel with these people what's going on. I gotta feel it's the right decision.” Again, he goes back to the importance of everyone involved, not only the bottom line. “You gotta make sure you handle it right, that you treat the people right,” he says, ever mindful that the new employees will assimilate into Stafford-Smith’s well-established ecosystem. 

Stafford-Smith’s gameplan for a post-COVID environment begins with the folks on the floor and ends on David’s doorstep––and his office is always open.

Check out Jason’s recent interview with Dirk Beveridge.

CONNECT WITH JASON

LinkedIn

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

http://www.distributionteam.com

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

Why would anyone spend 97 days on the road visiting 34 privately-held distributors in the middle of a pandemic? To champion the noble cause of distribution, of course!

Jason catches up with Dirk Beveridge, fresh from his We Supply America tour. Beyond the business strategies and innovation beats the heart of this industry: humanity. Dirk shares some of the people-powered stories he captured during this epic journey, offering his patented brand of inspiration and encouragement as well as resources to spark company-wide conversations.

“Everybody in my business network tried to talk me out of it,” Dirk laughs as he launches into the impetus for his 16,000 cross-country trek. After 18 months stuck in his office, unable to get out on the road and talk to people, Dirk had had enough.  “I was looking to take control [ ] to get into my unique ability.”

Anyone who’s ever met Dirk knows this visionary entrepreneur and award-winning keynote speaker for his superpower: telling stories about the industry he loves. “This project was really about coming back and finding it, finding Dirk.” What he found instead was renewed faith in the strength and resilience inherent to distribution.

We Supply America is more than a love letter to the industry, however. It’s a compilation featuring the not-so-secret ingredients that go into making great family-run wholesale distributorships. In an age where the distribution giants seem to be overtaking the world, We Supply America reminds family-run operations that their contribution to this country goes deeper than dollars and cents.

While the C-suite is well represented throughout the eight episodes, Dirk says it’s the chats he had with drivers, warehouse pickers, and outside sales teams, among others, that provided the most compelling revelations.

“Every one of these jobs provides for the unleashing of the human spirit, provides for the individual to grow and to develop and to move towards their potential.” They form the foundation of this noble cause, he says. Their unique vantage point provides valuable insights that management can apply to innovate processes and culture. As for the top-tier decision-makers, Dirk applauds every single one for their commitment during the pandemic. 

Owners continue to grapple with a neverending storm of supply chain issues, labor issues, regulation issues––the list is long. “They have overcome every hardship,” he says, adding, “They have accepted the challenge. They have embraced the challenge. They didn't ask for it. They brought their creativity, their grit, their desire, their team, their culture to bear.”  

At the end of his travels, Dirk landed on one core truth: folks in distribution are noble; they are essentially the backbone of this country. Now he’s excited to share that message with viewers through the We Supply America series. “It's been touching. It's been enlightening. It's been inspiring, and it’s buoyed me. It's lifted me in terms of the goodness in people, and the goodness of humanity and that business, independent entrepreneurial family-owned businesses that happened to be in the business of distribution are at their core human.”

Like what you hear? Check out Dirk’s resources and his appearances on previous episodes:

We Supply America

UnleashWD

Values.com

DT039: Dirk Beveridge on coming out of crisis better than before

DT022: Dirk Beveridge on innovation, leadership, and legacy

CONNECT WITH DIRK:

LinkedIn

CONNECT WITH JASON:

LinkedIn

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

http://www.distributionteam.com

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: HMI Performance Incentives, providing innovative, data-driven B2B incentive solutions.

Looking for concrete steps to ease the effects of languishing and regain mental fortitude? Jason and Paul Reilly, speaker, trainer, author, and host of the The Q and A Sales Podcast break down six exercises anyone can implement to improve mental resilience, regardless of company role, industry, or location. 

Whether you’re in the C-suite or the cold-call trenches, there’s no question that the challenges brought about by this pandemic are extensive––and exhaustive. It seems counterintuitive then that so many sales teams are crushing their goals from a commission standpoint. But take a closer look.

Professional performance doesn’t always reflect what’s happening personally, as Paul found out when he began conducting research for his latest book Selling Through Tough Times. While swings in success are inevitable over the course of a career, he points out that for the large cohort of salespeople who got into sales after the Great Recession, these last 18 months have hit a bit differently. “So many salespeople right now are facing tough times for the very first time and they have not built that foundation of mental resilience.”  

Even those of us who’ve weathered our share of economic storms before 2020 could use an assist right now. Paul developed his plan to appeal to everyone, no matter their experience. “I call it the Daily Mental Flex®. It's a collection of six exercises that will help you build resilience and help you build that mental strength that we need.”

His 30-day Tough-Timer Challenge supports positive mental programming, positive environmental programming, and tough-timer characteristics. So, what’s a tough-timer? “A tough-timer is kind of like an archetype. It's the individual who is able to thrive through challenging times.” 

The nearly 40 years worth of experience Paul’s company has had training salespeople provided more than enough tough-timer data. He distilled that information into a simple yet effective plan featuring daily exercises (like reps at a gym) for each of the following entries: 

While his challenge is primarily inward-focused, Paul adds that one of the most critical components of resilience-building is empathy.

By committing to 30-days of self-awareness, we acknowledge those areas where we need assistance and, in return, are better able to recognize the same in our family members, co-workers, or employees. “Being able to share what you're comfortable sharing is a nice way to let [the team] know, hey, it's okay to not be okay,” he says. In times like these, that acknowledgement goes a long way in strengthening our personal and professional foundations. 

Like what you hear? Check out Paul’s extensive resources:

ToughTimer.com

Selling Through Tough Times

30-day Tough-Timer Challenge 

The Q and A Sales Podcast

CONNECT WITH PAUL

LinkedIn

CONNECT WITH JASON

LinkedIn

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

http://www.distributionteam.com

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

How honest have you been with your team about their mental health? How honest have you been with yourself? Jason joins business partner Marshall Jones to address mental well-being in the time of COVID from an organizational and personal standpoint. 

The pair discuss anecdotal evidence, offer insights from their conversations with clients, and provide tools leaders can use to create a more empathetic working environment. No matter what you take away from this episode, know that if you’re struggling, you’re not alone. The sooner we acknowledge our shared vulnerability, the better for all. 

Does it feel like you’re working twice as hard just to tread water these days? When people consider mental health, they most often focus on one end of the spectrum or the other: flourishing or depression. The protracted uncertainty of the pandemic has exposed many of us to a middle state: languishing. Even if your organization is doing well despite the challenges, languishing is an invisible weight that seems to burden everyone. 

Then there’s the adjacent pandemic: loneliness. Once the silent torment of the elderly, Millennials report experiencing the highest degrees of loneliness. While no cohort is spared, GenY is a huge (if not the largest) percentage of the current workforce. “Senior leadership certainly needs to take a very active role in addressing this and not just, saying, ‘Well, I know HR has got it under control’ because it's really everybody's responsibility within the organization,” says Marshall. But how? 

Approaching mental well-being challenges honestly is a good foundation on which to build. The traditional route of head-down/push-through doesn’t support personal or organizational well-being. Neither does writing off employees with supposed ‘slacker’ tendencies; there is too much evidence to the contrary that there's something else going on. 

Beyond sharing our struggles with others, there are physical steps that can help ease folks back into a state of flow. Sleep, hobbies, exercise are often quoted because they work! Likewise, gathering the team for a day of community service or other gratitude-based activity can go a long way in strengthening bonds and helping everyone connect on a deeper and more meaningful level than the current crisis. 

Like what you hear? Check out the resources mentioned in this episode:

DT073 - Jason & Marshall on navigating the supply chain crisis

DT059 - Jason & Marshall on harnessing the power of peer networks

DT036 - Jason & Marshall on adapting to opportunities during the distribution crisis

The Lonely Century - by Loreena Hertz

NYT: There’s a name for the blah you’re feeling: it’s called languishing

CONNECT WITH MARSHALL JONES:

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CONNECT WITH JASON BADER:

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***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

http://www.distributionteam.com

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: HMI Performance Incentives, providing innovative, data-driven B2B incentive solutions.

To say Jeff New has earned his upcoming retirement after 40 years at the helm of Mid-City Supply out of Elkhart, IN, is an understatement. His legacy includes expanding the company from one location to nine and the staff from 35 employees to 130. Before he hands the keys to his sons, Jason chats with Jeff about the industry relationships that have helped Mid-City weather growing pains, multiple recessions, and that impending transition. 

“My first year of running this company, I took my father's company, which had never had a losing year [ ] and in the first year we lost $180,000,” says Jeff. “I thought I was a complete failure.” In Jeff’s defense, the late 1970s were difficult for everyone. Fast-forward four decades. Mid-City is not only a success; it’s a prime example of a company that stays competitive in the plumbing, HVAC, and industrial products industry through a willingness to learn from even the most unpleasant lessons. 

Trial and error is a less alarming process when you’re in the company of others who can commiserate and offer wise counsel. Jeff credits much of his on-the-job education to his organizational memberships. He’s an active participant in American Supply Association, taking on various leadership roles, including president in 2008 - amid yet another major recession. “Here I am, ASA president, big shot, flying around the country, giving speeches,” he laughs, remembering the extent to which everyone had to cut their budgets just to get by. “One year later, I'm cleaning my own toilets. If that doesn’t make you humble, nothing will.”

Belonging is rewarding, but only when members commit their participation. Jeff credits his connections to WIT (now Commonwealth Group) for putting him in touch with the people, strategies, and, yes, money that kept Mid-City afloat through tough times. “It really saved our company because, without that, we wouldn't have been here.” While many folks may oppose buying group membership, Jeff sees the relationship as an investment that pays big dividends. “This made us take a look at ourselves from a different viewpoint and made us a better company.”

As Jeff prepares to hand the C-suite over to his two sons, he’s looking forward to how their co-presidency will shape Mid-City’s future. “There are advantages and disadvantages of being co-president,” he admits, but his sons have a solid, forty-year foundation upon which to build. 

Like what you hear? Check out the conversations mentioned in this episode:

DT074 - Mike Adelizzi

CONNECT WITH JASON BADER:

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CONNECT WITH JEFF NEW:

LinkedIn

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

http://www.distributionteam.com

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

In an industry stacked with exemplary role models, Shannon Worthington stands among the very best. As president of Dixie Construction Products based in Atlanta, GA, his stewardship extends beyond the company and his era at the helm. Jason chats with Shannon about his commitment to fostering reciprocal relationships and setting the stage for seamless leadership transitions. 

Shannon began his career in distribution with a simple pledge to himself: “If I ever get in a position where I could make a difference, I would never send someone out without any training, without any knowledge to go call on people.”

Forty years later, that pledge still stands. He remains committed to leadership built on mutual respect and a desire for the entire team to succeed, even those not directly assigned to his payroll. Take Dixie’s relationship with its suppliers. While many organizations make the mistake of expecting hand-outs, Shannon and his team look for ways to strengthen those partnerships. ”The only thing I've ever asked, or we've ever asked is, help us be better, help sell more product,” he says. 

The strategy has served Dixie well. It’s also a hallmark of Shannon’s management style, creating networks from the ground up and nurturing those contacts with integrity - doing the right thing, especially when no one’s watching. Shannon admits the right thing isn’t always the easiest path to take. However, his commitment to everyone’s success remains unflappable no matter the pinch to his personal comfort.

“I learned early on that if you make sure that you've done everything you can, to help [employees] grow and support them [ ] and then they still can't… Then you've got to move on because it's not fair to everyone working around that person or anyone else in the building.”

Speaking of moving on, while he has no intention of stepping down anytime soon, Shannon’s keenly aware that he’ll have to pass the baton eventually. To that end, he takes his responsibility to the next generation of Dixie leadership seriously, owing a seamless transition to those who came before him and made his evolution from salesperson to president a success.

“There's no substitute for time and experience,” Shannon says. “You can't make it happen faster; you just got to experience it.” He’s happy to lend his support to Dixie’s younger talent as they fortify their networks and prepare for a successful future in distribution.

Like what you hear? Check out the conversations mentioned in this episode:

DT028: Kevin Higginbotham on cooperatives, manufacturer partnerships, and Planning for Profit

DT072: Kathryne Newton on generational differences in the distribution workforce

CONNECT WITH SHANNON WORTHINGTON:

LinkedIn

CONNECT WITH JASON BADER:

LinkedIn

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

http://www.distributionteam.com

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: HMI Performance Incentives, providing innovative, data-driven B2B incentive solutions.

It goes without saying that Mike Adelizzi, CEO of American Supply Association, hopes to never again face a test like the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, the crisis thrust distribution into the spotlight; Mike’s not about to let all that attention go to waste. 

Jason chats with this innovative association exec about serving the plumbing and PVF distribution community through advocacy, education, and planning. The pair also discuss D.Next, the organization’s ambitious program for solving supply chain issues and recruiting the brightest talent into industry careers.

“You can’t out-Amazon Amazon. We don’t have the budgets,” Mike laughs. But the obvious assessment doesn’t signal defeat. Instead, the market’s heaviest hitters - including Home Depot - act as catalysts, driving ASA to think more strategically to protect its members and propel the industry forward. “Amazon actually doesn't scare us. We feel we can compete with Amazon. What scares us is what's coming down the pipe,” he says, “what's the next Amazon?”  

While no one could’ve predicted a 15-month worldwide shutdown, ASA does have an excellent track record for spotting impending disturbances within the industry –– and getting proactive. The association has long worked to organize its membership around issues, think: national lobbying, and local grassroots activities like letter writing campaigns and voting strategies. 

The future of association advocacy, however, demands a modern approach. ASA has entered the 21st century with D.Next, their state-of-the-art research and innovation lab at University of Illinois Research Park. D.Next is a big initiative that attracts big thinkers. Mike’s passionate about the program’s recruitment potential and considers it one of his most important acts of advocacy. 

“Younger folks today, they don't want to go to meetings, you know? And that's what charged us years ago to start thinking about, well, what can the association do to support them where they would see value?” Under Mike’s visionary leadership, the answers lie in D.Next’s robust plans for analyzing business intelligence and developing the next-gen of industry solutions. 

CONNECT WITH MIKE ADELIZZI:

LinkedIn

CONNECT WITH JASON BADER:

LinkedIn

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

http://www.distributionteam.com

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

Navigating the current supply chain crisis requires adaptability - and intelligent math. Jason’s friend and business partner Marshall Jones asks the questions this time around as the pair chat real-time challenges and opportunities. Jason’s simple equation for calculating customer profitability coupled with his tips for strengthening the relationships that matter will help distributors avoid costly missteps well into the future.

“History does have a good strong track record of giving us, in normal times, a very good prediction of what to buy for our needs,” says Marshall before delivering a caveat. “In uncertain times like this, it's not as valuable.”

The last 15 months have served up more surprises than the previous fifty. That’s prompted even the most conservative distributors to panic. So, how can they adjust their systems to deal with ongoing uncertainties in the marketplace, and what should they be doing to protect themselves, to hedge against being the distributor with too much stock? Well…

“I think this is kind of a tough intestinal fortitude-type of behavior that folks are going to have to take a hard look at. In other words, allocating product to the very best customers that you have,” says Jason, noting that manufacturers have played the allocation game for years; it’s an easy, effective, and immediate quantification of a distributor’s most desirable customers over time. Those who don’t measure up are simply taking away gross margin dollars from those profitable customers’ contributions.

Customers are only one side of the calculation; suppliers occupy the other. As the world reclaims its footing, distributors that show a willingness to share more information with their core suppliers can gain momentum faster. “If you are a collaborator with these folks,” Jason says, “you are going to see, possibly, your orders getting filled more often.” At some point, the bottleneck will loosen. Proper crisis management now can create competitive advantages for distributors in the future.  

Find Jason’s net profitability exercise at Distributor Power Tools: Customer Profitability. 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Distributor Power Tools: Customer Profitability

CONNECT WITH MARSHALL JONES:

LinkedIn

CONNECT WITH JASON BADER:

LinkedIn

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

http://www.distributionteam.com

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: HMI Performance Incentives, providing innovative, data-driven B2B incentive solutions.

“You better be thinking towards the future, or you're going to get left behind.”  -Kathryne A. Newton, Ph.D

How do you manage the generational divide within your company? Kathryne A. Newton, Ph.D., may not have all the answers, but she does possess more than enough intel to coax groups toward more productive communication. Whether those conversations happen face-to-face, through email, or via text is another matter. 

Self-professed generation geek Jason invites Kathryne to bust the cohort myths that get in the way of innovation. She also shares insights from her career as associate dean of Purdue University’s Polytechnic Institute and her tenure with the University of Innovative Distribution.

In case anyone assumed otherwise, Kathryne makes her cohort allegiance clear: “I am not a basher of Millennials or Gen Z or any of ‘em.” Instead, she champions creating environments where the differences build stronger teams rather than pitting one group against another. 

With literally five generations currently working side by side, there’s a staggering wealth of expertise and innovation in the workforce right now - and an inevitable amount of friction. Helping management navigate  intergenerational conflicts is Kathryne’s specialty. She often finds that attachment to generational stereotypes (the cynical GenXer; the entitled Millennial) derail good intentions. Each group possesses unique talents, influence, and outlook; it’s incumbent upon management to recognize those differences and foster a company-wide appreciation for them. 

Her top tip? Meet the individual cohorts where they are rather than expecting everyone to operate in the same style. 

Kathryne’s time at Purdue has afforded her a unique vantage point to assess the mettle of distribution’s next leaders. She likes what she sees. She does wish that more institutions would follow Purdue’s lead and provide students with creative programs for financing graduate degrees. However, no matter where they’ve graduated from, wholesale distribution professionals can continue their education via The University of Innovative Distribution, one of Jason’s favorite events. Kathryne is the department chair and a faculty member of the concentrated CEU program. 

Although a Boomer herself, Kathryne doesn’t sound eager to join the ranks of that generation’s retirees, at least not yet. She still enjoys transforming generational discord into workplace triumph.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

DT069: Steve Diest on career paths and recruitment strategies in wholesale distribution

Generations At Work: Managing the Clash of Boomers, Gen Xers, and Gen Yers in the Workplace - by Claire Raines, Ron Zemke, Bob Filipczak

Adaptive Spaces: How GM and Other Companies are Positively Disrupting Themselves and Transforming into Agile Organizations - by Michael J. Arena

CONNECT WITH KATHRYNE A. NEWTON, Ph.D.

University Of Innovative Distribution

Purdue University

LinkedIn

CONNECT WITH JASON BADER:

LinkedIn

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

http://www.distributionteam.com

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

“We started to create a strong bridge between inside and outside of the house; we were realizing that we needed to make both pieces great.”  -Andrew Hartman

Teams flourish under teachable leaders. For proof, look no further than Andrew Hartman, president of Hartman Independent Company based in Canonsburg, PA.

As the third-generation  decision-maker, his conscious efforts to remain open to new ideas and willingness to engage in challenging conversations have transformed this 70-year-old distributorship. Jason chats with Andrew about tweaking team roles, buying group advantages, and leading by example.

“I actually had to apply to the company where I was working part-time for a full-time position,” Andrew recalls, explaining that, in hindsight, the speed bumps his father put in place before he could join the family business served him better than having the keys to the kingdom simply handed over.

The experience reinforced the notion that he was applying for a “real job” and, if he wanted to rise in the ranks, he’d have to earn every rung. No spoiler here; Andrew did succeed. “To be a great leader, you have to first be able to be led. That’s not possible if you’re not teachable,” he says, with the self-assured yet humble style that’s at the core of Hartman Independent’s thriving culture.

Teachability is behind a recent shift within the company. Intrigued by the prospect of strengthening Hartman’s value proposition, Andrew split his customer service team and inside sales staff into two separate entities. While not without its challenges, especially during a pandemic, the change has allowed the organization to reallocate resources for potentially more significant returns. “I think, again, just being willing to learn and to grow and to change, it’s gonna end in success,” Andrew says.

The education doesn’t stop once Andrew leaves his office. In addition to STAFDA membership, he’s also active in several buying groups: AFFlink and Sphere 1. He’s a firm believer in the tools and services provided and the relationships fostered among members.

“There’s really a triangle effect that is going on, three strands if you will,” he says, “and it creates a strong bond driven by the organization but, still, with the distributor and the manufacturer at the core.” Here, too, Andrew approaches his membership with humility, knowing he’ll only get out of these associations what he puts in. 

CONNECT WITH ANDREW HARTMAN:

LinkedIn

CONNECT WITH JASON BADER:

LinkedIn

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

http://www.distributionteam.com

“The answers don’t always come from me; I am asking you for the answers, and I’m asking you to find those answers and to drive change yourself.” -Jamie Arguello

Could your team pass the litmus test? If you left your distribution business in their hands for four weeks, five, six, would the shop survive in your absence? Jamie Arguello has the real-life data to prove that her business wouldn’t simply survive; it would thrive. Jason chats with the CEO of Grady's Foodservice Equipment & Supplies in Pueblo, CO, about coming home to the family business, creating space for second chances, and the rewards of letting go so others can step up.

“So, I got involved with my family business basically by chance,” Jamie says, recounting the deal she made with her father in 2007 - to work at Grady's until she’d paid him back for a real estate investment that had tanked along with the markets. Once that debt cleared, however, Jamie had found her professional home. The wholesale distribution space provided her with everything she had sought elsewhere: competition, collaboration, and connection.

“I have actually held every position in our company, and I’ve never been good enough at any of them to keep them for long,” she laughs. Instead, Jamie turned her keen eye toward the interrelation between every department under the Grady's’ roof, connecting her employees through processes and systems, and moving everyone forward, together. 

But all that superior macro vision couldn’t prepare Jamie for a pandemic and the health crisis that came next. Or could it? Amid the challenges that marked summer 2020, Jamie discovered she had breast cancer. The diagnosis swiftly shifted all of the company’s micro concerns onto her team. “I couldn’t do what I used to do, and for me, that was extremely hard.” But not without its rewards. It’s a testament to Jamie’s management style how well the Grady's family flourished as she focused on her recovery. That time away also provided Jamie with a fresh perspective. “It’s so much easier to see [challenges] from a distance than it is to see in the day-to-day when you’re in it,” she says. 

Meeting challenges and being of service is a hallmark of Jamie’s character. She’s an active member of FIDA, admitting that she initially got involved solely for the data. Now, she champions FIDA’s exceptional educational programs and access to talent. 

Perhaps her most meaningful professional commitment is to those in need of a second chance. Grady's, long known for making connections, offers employment opportunities to folks whose criminal record may prevent them from securing meaningful work. The program has turned out to be a win-win. “They’ve always provided me with more motivation than I could ever have provided them,” she says. Yet another reason why the Grady's team receives the highest marks on that litmus test. 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

DT069: Steve Diest on career paths and recruitment strategies in wholesale distribution

CONNECT WITH JAMIE ARGUELLO:

LinkedIn

CONNECT WITH JASON BADER:

LinkedIn

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

http://www.distributionteam.com

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: HMI Performance Incentives, providing innovative, data-driven B2B incentive solutions.

“A distributor is very much about micro marketing; [ ] they win the battle one customer in one relationship at a time.” -Steve Deist

Distribution has a PR problem. Longtime listeners will no doubt recognize that phrase as one of Jason's favorites. The lament takes aim at the industry's lackluster attempts to attract fresh talent, anyone who hasn't grown up in a family business and, therefore, remains clueless to all that distribution offers.

Steve Deist, chief operating officer of Ewing Irrigation & Landscape Supply, agrees. He chats with Jason about the math that makes distribution work, the industry's noble mission, and, of course, the value proposition about which more young people should know. 

"I'm really, really boring," laughs Steve before launching into his origin story. His career trajectory, while not glitzy - an engineering degree followed by time on the manufacturing side, 20 years worth of consulting, 4+ in his current role - has provided him with a unique vantage point from which he can see the industry's promise and pitfalls. 

"One of the first ah-has that you get from distribution is that it's all different, right? If you've seen one, you've seen one." Steve considers the sheer diversity reason enough to consider distribution as a viable career option.

Add to that distribution's persistent presence as an economic force, and you've got a recipe for steady professional growth. From the 1970's onward, for instance, "the number of the percentage of the GDP and the number of wholesale distribution companies is pretty darn stable." According to Steve, that's a function of the key value that distributors provide. 

So why don't more folks out of college (or even high school) give serious consideration to distribution? Messaging. 

"I think we tend to be a little shy and not willing to put our employee value proposition out there," Steve says, pointing out that distribution doesn't do a very good job about talking itself up. Sure, big tech gets all the glossy press. Yes, their hotel-like HQs are status campuses. Distribution, however, offers unprecedented opportunities for advancement - and far earlier than those management-heavy behemoths. 

The industry also offers an exceptional relationship-building, difference-making environment that resonates with Gen Z. "At Ewing, I don't care about selling them this rotor or this bag of fertilizer this month. I mean, I want to do that," he laughs.

Ultimately, Steve says that Ewing's goal is to make their customer successful, to help them grow rather than simply rating a transaction. "That's a long-term career relationship," Steve says - the kind that will attract a new wave of leaders.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

DT: Mike Marks on reinforcing your foundation and building market share during difficult time‪s

CONNECT WITH STEVE DEIST:

LinkedIn

CONNECT WITH JASON BADER:

LinkedIn

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

http://www.distributionteam.com

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

“Pick the right system for yourself... At some point, you trust your judgment and whoever you’re working with that,’okay, this is gonna work.'” -AJ Maloney

AJ Maloney has weathered a lot of changes - as has the family business he once guided. While this former vice president of Coburn Supply in Beaumont, TX, may have passed the baton onto the 4th generation of leaders, he still has plenty of sage advice to share. Jason chats with AJ about sustaining multi-generational success, the perils of large-scale systems migration, and the importance of association membership. 

“The first rule that we’ve had when we hire a family member is that anybody we hire, we can fire.” That’s AJ laying down the company law. Being born into this family business doesn’t guarantee your spot. Instead, there’s an informal rule that family members can only join the ranks if they’ve pursued other professional options outside of the company.

It worked for AJ. The one-time math teacher and coach returned to Coburn after ten years in education. That time out in the “real world” bolstered his affinity for processes and pure data. “I guess I am a nerd,” he laughs. It’s a badge he can wear proudly, having successfully overseen the company’s transition from pen-and-paper orders to POS back in 1992.  

As Coburn has expanded (53 locations!), the scaling, integrating, and upgrading have continued. With growth, however, comes pain; the trick is to keep it to a minimum. A recent overhaul of the company’s warehouse management system proved trickier than AJ had hoped. “It’s worked well for us, [but] it was a difficult transition into it,” he admits. “The wheels came off the bus.”

Having clarity of vision and regional specialists in place made the difference; that upgrade transformed Coburn. AJ says any transition is a learning process; there are always tasks you wish you’d approached differently or challenges you wish you’d anticipated. Ultimately, he advises others to pick the system that works for their business rather than the flashiest tech because, once installed, “you have to get to a point where your employees trust the system.”

Coburn operates a vast network of sites, including multiple showrooms, distribution centers, and pipe yards. Setting an example for the next generation who’ll take over that large enterprise is important. AJ joined the American Supply Association’s advisory side to be of service to his fellow members and those rising in the ranks. He cites ASA as having helped broaden the experience of those in the industry, especially with programs geared toward emerging leaders. “I think they’ve done a great job of developing it and continuing to emphasize it.”  

Coburn’s future is in excellent hands thanks to the foundational values of its not-so-distant past.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

DT: Gordon Graham On Distribution Inventory, Speaking from the Stage, and Maintaining Integrity 

CONNECT WITH COBURN SUPPLY:

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CONNECT WITH JASON BADER:

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***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

http://www.distributionteam.com

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: HMI Performance Incentives, providing innovative, data-driven B2B incentive solutions.

“One of my clients put it in a really great way. He said, ‘Get your arms around the day before it gets its arms around you.’” -Jason Bader

Want to sleep better tonight? Sure, it’s an odd opener  - until you think about all the nagging issues that keep managers (especially new ones) up at night. In this episode, Jason flies solo, sharing his favorite tips for building a solid day-end routine regardless of industry.

Think of this episode as a coaching session with tangible action items. Anyone can finish their day implementing Jason’s foundational steps. He advises setting aside a solid 30 minutes and promises that no special tools are required except pen and paper, which, admittedly, might feel special if you’re someone who’s a committed notes app user. “There’s something phenomenally magical about putting pen to paper,” Jason says of the old-school approach.

So what to put on that blank slate? Lists, of course - in a decidedly different format. Jason advises listeners to shift focus from a general brain dump in favor of detailed reflection. The questions that prompt this part of the day-end routine provide answers to spark the next. 

The second exercise borrows from Stephen Covey’s advice: sharpen that saw. In other words, take time for self-development. Jason recommends reading a trade article, watching a YouTube video, or listening to a podcast (*ahem*) that informs or teaches. From five-minute reads to quick episodes, you can learn and retain a lot of information at the end of the day. 

The final step is the one we’re all most familiar with - creating a list. Here again, Jason refers to one of his favorite authors for guidance. Brian Tracy advocates for eating that frog! It’s a phrase that refers to prioritizing the biggest thing first. Jason agrees, recommending that listeners create a task list with built-in punch. 

Not sure where or how to begin? “I want you to go back and actually find a way to prioritize it,” Jason says, revealing that the best lists follow a simple ABC plan.

The goal here isn’t perfection. Even Jason admits to missing the mark on his day-end routine and reaping the results. “When I wing it, man, things are all over the place!” When he takes that time-out at the end of his day to reflect, invest in his personal development, and plan? “I think I earned my keep today.”

CONNECT WITH JASON BADER:

LinkedIn

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

7 Habits Of Highly Effective People - Stephen Covey

Eat That Frog! 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time - Brian Tracy

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

http://www.distributionteam.com

“We’re always learning. Our customers are teaching us. They are tremendous professors.” -Patricia Bible

Throughout the pandemic, restaurants have received much of the press. But what about the suppliers behind the pizza joints, Thai carry-outs, and doughnut shops? How are the distributors fairing? Well, at least one of them is thriving through tough times. Patricia Bible, owner and CEO of KaTom Restaurant Supply in Kodak, TN, joins Jason to discuss the other side of the hospitality industry. The company’s success is rooted in its dynamic leadership and service-oriented culture.

“It’s been a very different last twelve months. We’ve seen lots of things change, and we have had to dig deep within ourselves to become better and to look at the world through a different set of eyes.” In speaking with Patricia, one feels that she doesn’t spend too much time dwelling on the past. Since KaTom’s inception, the company has strived to meet the future earlier than everyone else. 

That philosophy might have spelled doom for any husband and wife team with little distribution experience. For Patricia and her late husband Tim, it just meant they had to work a little smarter than their competitors. They even worked smarter than the supply chain expert they hired to help with KaTom’s first big warehouse set-up. The big shot didn’t survive. KaTom, on the other hand, continues to thrive.

Although talk of expansion is a perennial KaTom conversation, Patricia prefers everyone - including her grown children - under the same 160,000 roof for now. “I can get up from my desk, be in the distribution center in six to seven minutes [and] walk the entire distribution center several times a day, see what the pain-points are.” That accessibility fosters trust and long-term loyalty in the trenches as well as in the C-suite. 

But she’s not counting exclusively on the old guard for the next new ideas. Instead, Patricia’s actively courting Millennials into the restaurant distribution industry through internship programs with local universities and outreach via KaTom’s retail facility. “I think [Millennials] are the most brilliant individuals because they’re not afraid of anything,” she explains. “It’s really refreshing. We have enjoyed it immensely.” 

Patricia is as passionate an advocate for the industry that has provided her family with its livelihood. She’s participated in FITA - The Federation of International Trade Associations - leadership activities and programs for many years. She credits FITA speakers with teaching her more about supply chain management than anyone else. “[FITA] has revolutionized KaTom,” she says. Smart money says KaTom’s achievements are 70/30 due to Patricia’s exceptional guidance.

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Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

http://www.distributionteam.com

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: HMI Performance Incentives, providing innovative, data-driven B2B incentive solutions.