“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: 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.

“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. CONNECT WITH PATRICIA BIBLE: 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.

“Now you're able to offer your customers something that will financially protect them from what you know is a potential expense, but they view as a non-expense down the road.” -Rich Danchisin If you’ve listened to the podcast for a while, you know that distributors who can teach a contractor how to make more money foster loyalty for life. The challenge is finding opportunities that don’t squeeze already tight distributor margins. Enter Rich Danchisin of Trinity Warranty. His company offers creative extended warranty solutions across multiple verticals. These customizable programs on residential, commercial, industrial products might be the edge your company needs to boost its bottom line.  “We design programs to fit the needs of the distributors that we work with.” That’s Rich with a Cliff’s Notes version of Trinity’s focus, but his swift delivery doesn’t do the products justice. Trinity provides comprehensive warranty programs to contractors who install and maintain heavy equipment - think HVAC, refrigeration, LED lighting, and even pool equipment. The offering can provide wholesale distributors with a good income source without the pesky burden of cash tied up in depreciating physical inventory. For the contractor, Trinity’s warranties remove the friction associated with so many service calls, allowing them to repair equipment and receive payment aligned with their market and business model while not costing the consumer anything at the service time. So, how do warranties help the distributor side of the relationship? Coverage is the perfect tie-in for what they’re already doing, and, as Rich points out, with Trinity, distributors can select one warranty company to cover everything, regardless of manufacturer. “I like to say we are brand agnostic,” he laughs. It’s profitable peace of mind any way you look at it.  Trinity also provides extensive training to distributors who want to provide comprehensive educational support to contractors as part of their value-add. Alternatively, these warranty programs can simply provide passive revenue streams, depending on a distributor’s goals. Finally  - and crucially - Trinity’s ability to customize private label coverage is yet another reason to consider adding warranty options to the menu. A company-branded program can differentiate distributors in tight marketplaces by going above and beyond a manufacturer’s primary offering. As Rich says, it’s a great way to become known as a more innovative distributor than your competitors.   CONNECT WITH RICH DANCHISIN Trinity Warranty [email protected] CONNECT WITH JASON BADER Jason Bader on LinkedIn Join Jason’s professionally moderated, industry-specific peer-to-peer forums at Connected Peers. *** 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

"It's very hard to get them to go along with it, to try the new idea, the new way of doing it. Now, once they try it, generally, they'll say, gosh, this is good!" -Gordon Graham After years of using Gordon Graham’s methodology to power The Distribution Team, Jason finally sits down for a one-on-one with the man who revolutionized an industry.  Known for his integrity and easy-to-understand logic, Gordon is the undisputed dean of distribution inventory management, having written the book on the subject in the late 80s. This conversation is as much a treat for fans of Gordon’s work for those who’re unfamiliar with his revolutionary approach.  It seems ridiculous now, in an age of specialized systems, but, back in the dark ages of inventory management software packages, distributors struggled to make standard manufacturing programs work within their own verticals. You can thank Gordon for solving the issue.  “One of the things that I developed was the way to handle the line-buying problem.” He drew on his previous trials-and-errors to write a common-sense approach entitled Distribution Inventory Management For The 1990s. Gordon’s appeal spread with the book’s publication. Software companies that incorporated his methodology received his endorsement, a gold standard that distributors sought when installing or upgrading their management systems. Those that didn’t receive Gordon’s seal of approval got angry and tried to get even. Gordon refused to cave to the economic blackmail. As a result, he’s still the trusted voice of authority and reason three decades later.  Gordon saw the value in simplification. “That was one of the reasons I never did care much for the real high math approaches to inventory control,” he says, “because, not that they don't get good answers, it's just that the people using the system generally will not understand how that computer got an answer.”  Still, as broadly appealing as his ideas were, and as much as he wanted to share them, Gordon knew when to bow out. “I had to admit that a lot of my stuff didn't work everywhere. And one of the things I had to be real careful was not trying to force it into where it didn't go.” That speaks to Gordon’s integrity and ability to remain humble enough to learn from his encounters with new systems or formats. Now 87, Gordon trades conference speaking war stories with Jason and remains keenly aware of how important it is to live life by your word and aligned with your faith. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE UID - University of Innovative Distribution CONNECT WITH JASON BADER: Jason Bader on LinkedIn Join Jason’s professionally moderated, industry-specific peer-to-peer forums at Connected Peers. *** 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.

“I think there's plenty of conversations that can be had with competitors that are valuable and are productive - just not pricing.” -John Kelly Oh, the allure of those big government contracts! Not so fast… John Kelly, Chief Corporate Officer of Jo-Kell, a shipboard electrical and industrial automation specialist, sits down with Jason to discuss the great and the not-so-good aspects of working with the federal government. Jo-Kell has undoubtedly carved out a profitable niche for themselves with the US Navy. Still, as Jason learns, a lot of John’s success within the company is due to his participation in AHTD - the Association for High Technology Distribution.  “Early on, I decided on Marty and Suzy because it was something that would make me stand out less,” John says, recalling the mundane but tricky situation every kid who’s grown up in the family business has had to address. “If I called them mom and dad, I'd be the different one.” Choosing to stand out at holiday family gatherings rather than at the office has worked out well for John. Although Jo-Kell deal primarily in circuit breakers, they’re known extensively for an ability to source everything from sand to altars. Non-stock procurement is an underrated part of distribution but, as John points out, “There's a reason why [your customers] go to you for that, and there's a value to that.” Before the Navy can ask for anything, their suppliers must meet layers of requisite processes and certifications. “Getting that set up and then, going through the audits every year and having not just our company's approved, [but] we have individual people that are approved to be these inspectors...it's a lot of work,” John says. Contrary to popular opinion, that $500 toilet seat earmarked for a Navy destroyer isn’t the same as a $10 item at the local home store. Testing and traceability make up the cost differential - a lead most news stories miss in favor of a headline denouncing the high price tag.  Over the years, however, John’s learned to take news cycle and government budgets in stride. No matter who’s in control in Washington there’s always s level of consternation when it comes to when and how much the Navy can spend. John says his energy is better spent on meeting performance benchmarks and overseeing an upcoming acquisition, his first-ever. He’s grateful to his fellow AHTD members - his competitors - for their wisdom and support. “Everybody wants to see other people succeed,” he says, busting the myth that competitors can’t share best practices or help each other out. CONNECT WITH JOHN KELLY: John Kelly on LinkedIn CONNECT WITH JASON BADER: Jason Bader on LinkedIn Join Jason’s professionally moderated, industry-specific peer-to-peer forums at Connected Peers. *** 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 try to live by the golden rule, not only in every day dealing with customers and vendors, but also in our acquisition processes.” -Mark Patton Want to know the secret to talent development, mergers and acquisitions, or working with private equity partners? It’s not classified information; it’s culture. In this episode, Jason speaks with Mark Patton, CEO of Colony Hardware, about managing the myriad relationships that fuel his company’s multi-territory success.  “What we've really focused on is growing the business, and in order to grow and scale a distribution business like ours, I think you really need to focus on expanding the footprint.” Since joining the company ten years ago as (COO and CFO), that’s precisely what Colony has done: 40 locations in close to a dozen states, all east of the Mississippi except for their Texas outposts. The company’s success has a lot to do with Mark’s keen financial acumen. Earlier in his career, he completed GE’s financial management training program and, later, his MBA. He’s quick to cite a robust talent development track as another reason for the organization’s success. “When we're interviewing for the training program, we kind of use a panel approach; it's just so important to get that good cultural fit.” The importance of good cultural fit extends to every aspect of Colony’s operation, including newly-merged entities. “We always do a fairly significant onboarding event [for ERP migration, for example] when we have a new group.” That transparency eases fear of the unknown amongst new members and fosters goodwill throughout the acquired organization. And when it comes to acquisitions, Mark prefers them to greenfield startups, even though he’s enjoyed success at Colony with both. “I love doing acquisitions,” he says, adding, “we probably pass on as many acquisitions as we actually consummate because it has to be a really good cultural fit.” In fact, a company’s culture - not necessarily its price - can mean the difference between proceeding with an acquisition or establishing a start-up instead. As for private equity relationships, here too, Mark aims for the right fit. “I think 15 % or more of the US economy now is controlled by private equity,” he says, “so, there, our relationship is they are a shareholder.” Good financial partners bring a valuable perspective to the company. They also hold management accountable. While that may sour some owners against private equity, Mark speaks the truth: capital ultimately drives expansion. “You got to borrow it, you got to invest it yourself, you got to earn it, or you have to go get other partners and shareholders.” MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Predictive Index CONNECT WITH MARK PATTON: Mark Patton on LinkedIn CONNECT WITH JASON BADER: Jason Bader on LinkedIn Join Jason’s professionally moderated, industry-specific peer-to-peer forums at Connected Peers. *** 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.

"And I'm in there -- the hat on backwards, t-shirt, and jeans ripped. I've got no job, but I'm keeping my word, right? That I was going to take care of this person no matter what." -Ward Bassett Ward Bassett understands how quickly one’s luck can run out -- and what it takes to persevere when everything goes sideways. Ward’s early life played out like a classic teen adventure film befitting someone born grasping a silver spoon. Then tragedy struck, leaving him to make sense of life. Today, Bassett Salon Solutions' CEO credits a crash course in humility and enviable timing for his second chance at success. Jason chats with Ward about his unusual origin story, what he’s learned about acquisitions from the school of life, and the mantra that’s fueled his entrepreneurial spirit from day one. “Help people get what they want, and you will always have what you need,” Ward says, reciting his father’s oft-repeated advice. “I just never forgot that.” His dad knew of what he spoke. The senior Bassett founded Bassett Racing. At age 19, Ward’s future in the high-octane sport of motocross was bright. Then, his father’s untimely death set Ward adrift. “Any money left behind, I blew,” he admits. Broke and carrying a massive chip on his shoulder, Ward found himself in a karate dojo, far from college-bound but somehow on the right path. The circuitous journey from hair model to successful salon products distributor has a lot in common with Ward’s early days in motocross. He applied himself to both pursuits and took advantage of his access to the industry’s smartest people. Those connections provided him with a better education than any college program. To this day, he recommends owners surround themselves with people outside their business and even their industry, like a CFO coach, to provide unbiased support.  Still, no matter how much he’d learned on that job, life teaches new lessons—case in point, Bassett’s one and, so far, only industry acquisition. Before setting up his own operation, Ward had sat in on multiple buyouts, but it wasn’t until he drove the entire process from the owner’s that he realized all the little things he didn’t know. “We certainly had some ego going in,” he admits. No regrets, though. He’d do it all over again, only wiser about it next time. Humility and an uncomplicated approach—what some might still call luck—are the critical ingredients of Ward’s success. Now, he’s paying it forward by supporting causes near to his heart. Check out his motocross-themed video for ChildHelp USA, then visit the foundation’s page for more information. CONNECT WITH WARD BASSETT Bassett Salon Solutions LinkedIn CONNECT WITH JASON BADER: Connect with Jason Bader on LinkedIn. Join Jason’s professionally moderated, industry-specific peer-to-peer forums at Connected Peers. *** 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.

“My theory is that “status quo” kills the future.” -Paul Glover In a rush to put distance between this year and the last, what opportunities have you left behind?  Paul Glover, the “no BS” work performance coach, is back, with a new webinar and an urgent directive: stop referring to 2020 as the worst year ever!* He sits down with Jason to discuss keys to building more robust, engaged environments that will thrive in the next normal.  “Well, obviously everybody is happy to see 2020 in the rearview mirror. But, after having lived it and taking some time to reflect, I'm calling b***s*** on considering 2020 as a throw-away year!”  If you caught Paul’s last appearance on this podcast, then you already know he’s the definition of dynamic. He’s also knowledgeable, and he’s watched the status quo kill bottom lines more thoroughly than any pandemic. “In the times of good, we develop really bad habits,” he says - as individuals and organizations.  Cast your memory back a decade or so. Although not without their hardships, the last 8-10 years have corrected much of the subprime crisis of 2008. Sure, innovation remained a big-picture buzzword, but the day-to-day? We’ve all gotten comfortable with our processes, as humans are wont to do after such a massive collapse. And then... 2020 served up a once-in-a-lifetime disruption with vast potential - and a limited shelf-life. “The chaos is yours to take advantage of,” Paul says, referencing the title of his latest webinar.   Thanks to the pandemic, most companies already have a head start at an organizational renaissance. From the warehouse to the C-suite, employees have proven their adaptability. Even those steadfastly reluctant to change in the past have mastered new tech and rigorous safety regulations. “How about if we build on that by saying you've shown me that you have the ability to do more,” Paul says. “And...reward that! Help them grow!”   Now the big question: How?  Paul suggests crafting a thoughtful plan that considers ground-level processes as well as sky-high wishes. Just remember that the status quo is always lurking, ready to derail best intentions with bad habits. The next normal, he says, requires both forward-thinking and hindsight. “We have such a tendency to want to rush to the future. But you can't leave that experience behind.” Bring those lessons with you and pay 2020 the respect it deserves. Two ways to get ahead of the next normal: Join Paul’s next webinar The COVID Crisis Would Be A Terrible Thing To Waste and Jason’s professionally moderated, industry-specific peer-to-peer forums at Connected Peers. *All points of view are relative, of course. Our intent is not to diminish anyone’s personal suffering or disregard genuine struggles that business owners have faced since the pandemic began. We wish only to provide some positive context.   CONNECT WITH PAUL GLOVER The No BS Work Performance Coach LinkedIn Twitter Facebook CONNECT WITH JASON BADER: Connect with Jason Bader on LinkedIn. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: DT041 - Paul Glover DT013- Martha Brooke DT054 - Martha Brooke Herb Kelleher *** 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

"By working together, you can really improve the quality of the solutions that you bring to bear against, you know, the problems that you deal with day in, day out." - Marshall Jones As years go, 2020 didn't leave much behind to recommend it...or did it? Amidst the difficult aspects of the last ten months, distributors managed to string together small but mighty bright spots. In this episode, Jason is joined by business partner Marshall Jones to discuss their favorite takeaways from the last year.  The pair also debut an exciting new leadership forum focused on peer support. If you're ready to commit to 2021's promise or simply looking to banish a few overexposed phrases, Marshall and Jason have you covered. Last year's silver lining is easy to find - if you know how to look. Instead of searching for a considerable gain, Marshall urges owners and management to add up their small wins instead, then build upon them. "Everyone that survived this [2020] walks away with a really strong sense of accomplishment. They've learned a lot about themselves and their teams and their strengths and what they're capable of doing." But what should leaders do with that information? How do they transform 2020 hindsight into 2021 insight? And who can they turn to address the challenges that lay ahead? Peers.  Connected Peers, to be precise, our professionally moderated, industry-specific peer-to-peer forums. Our new concept fosters growth for members and their companies by harnessing the power of experience sharing. "These peer to peer networks have been fantastic," Marshall says. "They really create an opportunity for professionals within the distribution industry that really are often alone in their companies."  With Connected Peers, leaders can interact with their counterparts in other companies and even in different verticals to share best practices, exchange ideas, and fend off stagnation in an environment of inclusive collaboration Thanks to last year, members of Connected Peers forums have an entirely new catalog of professional experiences from which to share and learn. Masterful pivots, tech triumphs, quick-changes. The pandemic hastened in months transformations that, historically, have taken years to complete. "In the past, for us to find these innovations," Marshall says, "we've had to have a recession or a depression to get us to make these changes." Not this time. Distribution adapted to incredible pressures in months or, in some instances, weeks.  That's the kind of in-the-trenches expertise Connected Peers aims to harness. Listen in to learn more about this incredible forum as well as the words Jason hopes to banish in 2021. CONNECTED PEERS  *** 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.  Connect with Jason Bader on LinkedIn. Connect with Marshall Jones on LinkedIn. http://www.distributionteam.com

“The old sales process is dead and, frankly, good riddance. ” ~Jason Bader Can a decade-old film about baseball provide fresh ideas for distribution? In this rare solo episode, Jason talks with you about driving company growth using the intelligence you already have at hand. As a self-professed data junkie, it’s no great leap for Jason to pull cues from Moneyball while discussing the lessons he’s learned at his day job as a consultant. The 2011 true story follows Billy Beane, the general manager of a middling baseball team, as he becomes first in the major leagues to embrace economic algorithms as a tool for uncovering value - in his case, underrated and, therefore, underpriced players. The gut instincts of seasoned field scouts couldn’t override empirical evidence: intelligent analysis saves money and wins games.  In baseball, the data begins with an analysis of past performance. In distribution, past transactional data provides the foundation upon which to build new customer avatars and expand current client profiles. T his data allows businesses to grow sales by understanding what people are currently doing versus what they could be doing in the future. Business intelligence prompts smarter questions and provides more precise answers. That information translates into more efficient and more profitable sales teams. If COVID has taught us anything, it’s that the old ways of courting and calling on customers are dead. And good riddance, too. The worldwide reset has forced companies to address wasted time and energy, own up to mediocrity in their sales process, and get serious about their survival. All distributors have to do is extract (and use!) the data they’ve already collected.  Just like Beane did with his 2002 Oakland A’s. *** 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.    http://www.distributionteam.com This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.  Connect with Jason Bader on LinkedIn. If you need any help out there in your distribution business, reach out to Jason.  Thank you for helping drive this podcast over the year. Have a safe and happy holiday. And, hey, let's look forward to 2021. Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

“Your best customers are subsidizing your worst customers.” ~Franke Hurtte Talking shop with Frank Hurtte is akin to auditing a masterclass in distribution longevity: no matter the vertical, he’s always ready with a personal anecdote and answers to some of today’s most challenging problems. Frank has successfully parlayed 28 years in direct distribution into a consultancy, as well as a byline on multiple books and hundreds of industry articles. He shares some of that expertise with DT listeners for free - a tactic he says distributors themselves should abandon now before it costs them their entire business. “The people I work with are people that add some value to everything that they sell.” Frank dubs these clients knowledge-based distributors, men and women who trade in more than just boxes of stuff. They’re product specialists, and it’s beyond time to stop giving away that knowledge for free, in essence, devaluing the customer service they bring to the table.  *** 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.    http://www.distributionteam.com This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.  Connect with Jason Bader on LinkedIn. Connect with Franke Hurtte on LinkedIn. *** “The small guys got to do something to differentiate themselves,” Frank says. He suggests the best way to survive amidst the big players in the industry is through product information and customer service - two benefits Amazon isn’t interested in providing. The trick, of course, is to know when, how, and who to extend the value to - and at what cost.  Frank counters pushback from those who balk at charging for expertise with trademark earnestness. “Unless you get a handle on that, you’re going to be a former, really-popular-but-out-of-business distributor.” Far less controversial a topic, but equally important to a company’s success, is participation in distribution associations. Frank champions active membership, citing engagement as one of the best ways to cultivate resilience in yourself and the industry as a whole.  “Somebody’s [within the group] going to have a solution out there, and it’s good to build that network of friends that can help you through those situations.” Frank sees the knowledge shared among members as a real difference-maker to a company’s culture and its bottom line. “That’s the trade secret.” Listen in for more of Frank’s trade secrets, including his favorite resources: Value-Added Selling by Tom Reilly and Paul Reilly; and Dr. Albert D. Bates of Distribution Performance Project   CONNECT WITH FRANK HURTTE: The Distribution Channel The Distributor’s Fee Based Services Manifesto on Amazon [email protected]

“You just have to play the niche and work with what you can and take the good with the bad.” Ed Flemmons  Ed Flemmons takes poolside particulars seriously. As president of Pool Contractors Supply, Inc. headquartered in Memphis, TN, he maintains a firm grip on the company’s financials as well as its future.  Not one to lounge around, Ed’s responsibilities extend to his buying group, where he heads the largest cooperative of independent pool and spa distributors in North America. Jason and Ed discuss changes to the industry (hint: the faces are getting younger); and promoting value at both ends of the supply chain. “There's a variety of components that add value to the distribution chain.” Ed works every component, twice. First, from his post as president of both PCS, Inc., the family business he married into over thirty years ago. Second, on behalf of WINDO Group, Inc, the Wholesale Independent National Distributors Organization of which he is also president. Each position benefits significantly from his master’s degree in finance - an ace in the hole where bankers are concerned.  *** 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.    http://www.distributionteam.com This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.  Connect with Jason Bader on LinkedIn. Connect with Ed Flemmons on LinkedIn. *** Ultimately, Ed says real satisfaction comes from fostering relationships, whether with contractor clients, manufacturers, or group members. “I'm generally concerned about our group members, and I think that shows to them too. It's something that I just take personally because I feel like I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure everybody's successful and make sure the group’s successful.”  Family businesses like PCS often stand (or fall) on the relationships forged between generations. With his brother-in-law’s recent retirement, Ed found himself a new partner: his nephew. “I had to back off and do some real soul searching because anytime I'm in a partnership, I want somebody that is the polar opposite of myself.”  The “opposites” idea didn’t go precisely according to Ed’s plan, however. “It's difficult when you...we didn't get to choose each other; we were family first and business partner second.” The pair have since settled into their complimentary C-suite roles, underscoring Ed’s commitment to strengthening relationships across the board.

"I've always been about time management and efficiencies and finding ways to do the right thing quickly. ~Greg "In your career, there's 5% of your time in service to your industry. Period. End of the story. And people need to hear that. ~Mike How do two affable guys with several successful businesses between them find time to record three podcasts a week and run a leading trade organization?  For Michael Colligan and Greg Ehrich, the duo behind Get A Grip On Lighting podcast, their secret sauce is a commitment to serving the lighting industry. It’s been a while since I appeared as guest number one on their show; now, Mike and Greg are here to return the favor, shedding light on how they keep these interconnected parts running smoothly.  “I have a couple of different angles. I love distribution, I love contracting, and all these things dovetail together,” says Mike of the businesses he runs when not behind the mic - although he’s often managing business even while recording. The show he created and that he and Greg now co-host, is the official podcast of The National Association of Innovative Lighting Distributors (NAILD). It’s a great fit, not least because Mike and Greg embody what it means to innovate in all areas.  *** 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.    http://www.distributionteam.com This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.  Connect with Jason Bader on LinkedIn. Connect with Michael Colligan on LinkedIn. Connect with Greg Ehrich on LinkedIn. *** Through their individual companies, each had championed advanced lighting technologies like CFL and LED, getting on board when cool lighting was just getting hot, paving the way for their collectively bright future endeavors. “It's kind of like your card in the door everywhere because everybody needs lighting,” Greg says.  Even during the pandemic, the pair continue to innovate. Connection is key for both men. Separately, each is driven to find the best fit for their customers and the planet. Together, Mike and Greg have committed to giving back to an industry that has provided an abundance of opportunity to forge relationships.  Podcasting and live streaming trade show events (remember those?) are two of their activities. The other is participation in the industry’s trade organization. Participation is probably too soft a word for what Mike and Greg do. Rather than stopping at board participation, they signed on to oversee the organization’s interests and advance its standing. And they created an entire management company to tackle the job.  “We wanted to bring it to the next level,” Greg says, and they’ve done just that, with enhanced education options and a fresh appeal to the next generation of industry leaders. With all they’ve accomplished to date, it’s hard to believe that Mike and Greg have the same twenty-four hours in a day as the rest of us. It’s not magic; it’s time-management.    MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Distribution Talk e17 - Commodity vs Consultation w/ Brenda Puckett Get A Grip On Lighting e1 - w/ Jason Bader Get A Grip On Lighting e45 - Women In Lighting w/ Brenda Puckett Get A Grip On Lighting e132 - Disrupt Or Die w/ Brenda Pucket   CONNECT WITH MICHAEL COLLIGAN & GREG EHRICH: Atlas Lighting Premier Lighting Get A Grip Studios Podcasts Get A Grip On Lighting  NAILD Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

"Clients are looking for meaningful information from their customers about what they expect and what they perceive and what’s going on in the world." ~Martha Brooke Martha Brooke is back with more sage advice for survey-wary CEOs. A lot has changed in the world since I last chatted with the founder of Interaction Metrics way back in 2019. This time, she’s sharing valuable insights around pandemic-era company reviews and translating data into actionable improvements.   “[COVID19 is] just such a sea-change that will affect us forevermore. Some things, we’re not going back to and, so, this is just a great time to find out: how do we set new strategies that continue to raise the bar on sales and on employee performance?” While some businesses are suffering through pandemic fatigue, Martha and her team are busy compiling data-driven answers for companies willing to ask the correct questions. She, like her clients, is after evidence; details not spilt over cordial lunches (remember those?) or friendly customer service calls. No one’s going to provide the intel your business needs to thrive in today’s climate over lunch, no matter how honest the conversation.  *** 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.    http://www.distributionteam.com This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.  Connect with Jason Bader on LinkedIn. Connect with Martha Brooke on LinkedIn. *** Candor comes from open-ended inquiries and double-blind collection instead; well crafted, expertly analyzed information, organized by an unbiased third party. “One of the reasons to work with a customer experience research company like mine is, we don’t give a damn,” says Martha. “We’re just there to report the evidence.” Too often, owners shy away from the kind of evidence Martha uncovers. They fear answers that require complicated solutions. Sure, customers do come back with pie-in-the-sky requests (“create an app!” “open a branch closer to me!”). More often, Martha says the feedback leads to small tweaks companies can undertake in hours, not months. Additionally, she points out that customers will only continue wanting more from you, a byproduct of the information-rich times in which we live. Best to implement low-hanging changes and get ahead of the curve while planning for those long-term improvements. Owners looking at this year’s bottom line for excuses to delay customer intelligence-gathering might want to rethink that game plan. Martha suggests repurposing survey information to extend the cost benefits. The data, she says, has myriad uses: on marketing collateral, your website, and social media channels. “Not all data is worth gathering but... surveys are not expensive.” And the investment can establish essential baselines for post-COVID strategies.   Listen in to Martha’s first appearance on Distribution Talk here. Get Interaction Metric’s Five Standards For Excellent Customer Listening here.   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Peter Drucker Five Standards for Excellent Customer Listening   CONNECT WITH MARTHA BROOKE: Interaction Metrics [email protected] LinkedIn

"I think it’s just an apt message for this time, to share with our team, with each other that, hey, we're counting on you to just continue to grow.” ~Mason Greene Few industries have weathered more storms during the pandemic than foodservice. From restaurants to suppliers, the pressure on this vibrant vertical to provide will not ease any time soon. Jason chats with Mason Greene, third-generation president of Hotel & Restaurant Supply, about how he’s fostering responsibility and encouraging innovation amidst challenges. “When I stop and think about it...it's a great opportunity in the space we have,” says Mason about distribution in general and the foodservice vertical specifically. *** 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.    http://www.distributionteam.com This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.  Connect with Jason Bader on LinkedIn. Connect with Mason Greene. Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry. *** Throughout the conversation, Mason routinely circles back to the relational aspect, how much the business has given him and how much he enjoys paying that forward. In addition to overseeing a multi-showroom company known for quality service in sales, warehousing, and design-build, Mason currently serves as chairman of FEDA. He credits the industry organization afforded him space to gather intel and make long-lasting connections.  “It’s definitely a phenomenal experience and I’m thankful to be able to serve in that way and grow in that way.” He’s incredibly proud of FEDA’s young leaders program, with its mission to develop talent and engage the next wave of professionals. Creating an environment in which young talent feels welcome is a win-win for the future of distribution. That said, attracting accomplished recruits requires commitment from leadership. Mason points out that generations often maligned as “job-hoppers” are merely looking for environments that value their tech-forward approach. “A young person can really come in and make an impact, you know when they bring in those skills and ideas.”  Mason recently tapped new tech to streamline protocols from the office to the showroom, but he’s quick to point out that the systems upgrade was more than just a software improvement. “[It’s] an investment in our people.” Providing first-rate tools signaled to Mason’s team that they can continue to count on his support of their long-range goals, even now. That’s created a ripple effect. “I hear our customers saying we're counting on you,” Mason says. Vendors, too. He’s doing everything he can to strengthen relationships all along the chain and ensure mutual success as everyone in the industry rides out the storm together.    

“Wherever you're coming into a new place, look for opportunities to get curious, to ask questions, to be a learner - maybe even before you're a contributor.” ~Katie Munro Powell Curiosity is the catalyst for Katie Powell. As president of Munro Companies, Inc. in Grand Junction, CO, she approaches leadership with an inquisitive attitude. Jason and Katie discuss the finer points of running both a distribution and a manufacturing division; as well her commitment to service, whether she’s in the C-suite or leading the Girl Scout troop.  “The more time that I spent with the team, and the more time that I understood the value that a business like ours brings to our community and our customers and our employees, I got hooked on wanting to make the business better.” Katie’s appreciation for the company her father and grandfather started in 1965 comes with a caveat: she didn’t get hooked immediately.  Instead, she struck out to find success on her terms, away from Grand Junction. Twenty years later, her marketing career at a crossroad, Katie dialed up her dad to offer her services - if he’d have her. Or, she’d chart a new course elsewhere. “He was silent,” she laughs. “I want to say it was [for] two traffic lights.” Not only was he thrilled to have her but, from day one on the job, he introduced his daughter as the future head of Munro.  *** 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.    http://www.distributionteam.com This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.  Connect with Jason Bader on LinkedIn. Connect with Katie Munro Powell on LinkedIn. *** His faith in Katie paid off. Her career achievements outside the company, coupled with her willingness to onboard so thoroughly upon her return to the family fold, has propelled Munro into the 21st century. She set ambitious goals, prompting employees to challenge their limiting beliefs and punch above their weight. Then she identified the key differentiators of each business and honed in on the needs of their distinct customers.  Although the divisions complement each other, as separate entities, they offer Katie a unique perspective. “When I have my distributor hat on, it helps me to talk to my manufacturing partners in a different way because I also understand what they're after.” Double the business, double the challenges. As the market shifts away from natural gas and coal production, Munro’s distribution side has had to reevaluate. Still, Katie’s not about to abandon the rewards of leading with a learner’s mind. “Wherever you're coming into a new place, look for opportunities to get curious.”

“I learned early on just being nice and kind to the customer can go a long way.” ~Dale Hahs Dale Hahs has initiated dozens of innovations throughout his career at AIS Industrial & Construction Supply in Denver - from system upgrades to expanded product lines. And while technology has allowed him to implement cool features such as 360º virtual warehouse views, Dale attributes his company’s success to strong customer relationships and peer networks. Jason chats with Dale about responding to the marketplace during COVID-19 and collaborating with Affiliated Distributors. “It's nice because we are so diverse and we sell into so many different marketplaces that when one thing is down, we can look at other avenues where we can sell that same product to a different vertical.” That’s the case with AIS’ foray into eBay, a marketplace that has served the company well, especially during the pandemic. With eBay, AIS has found a way to move closeout items, overstock, and niche products. The endeavor allows AIS to gather instant feedback which doesn’t happen on their general eComm site. That line of communication sits well with Dale, who believes that customer kindness promotes customer loyalty. To that end, when his customers began clamoring for hard hats, gloves, and vests AIS responded quickly, adding safety supplies to their extensive inventory of industrial and construction goods. “It’s probably the fastest-growing category of anything that we sell.” *** 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.    http://www.distributionteam.com This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.  Connect with Jason Bader on LinkedIn. Connect with Dale Hahs on LinkedIn. *** Pivoting to new product lines or managing sales expectations are daunting tasks even without a pandemic adding pressure to every decision. In times like these, Dale’s grateful for the camaraderie and peer knowledge he’s benefited from as a member of Affiliated Distributors. He credits the network for creating an arena where peers can support and challenge each other, where they can innovate and educate together. Dale urges others to get off the sidelines to reap maximum rewards of membership in groups like AD. “The best way that I learned was being able to be part of the executive committee,” Dale says of his stint as chairman of the network. These days, Dale’s excited to watch his son work his way through the ranks at AIS. Eventually, he says, things will open up enough for father and son to attend AD events, reestablishing in real life those peer relationships that make a career in distribution so rewarding. 

“So the agents are becoming more and more important within the manufacturer sales funnel… We have seen agents… do more marketing, do their own videos about the product, do much more in newsletters, do podcasts, do outdoor counter days, do tailgates.” ~David Gordon, Channel Marketing Group  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. The conversation concludes with a look at trends tracked by Channel Marketing’s recent rep of the future study. “My first job was with a company in the performance marketing and incentive industry...and a good chunk of our business was in distribution.” David parlayed early-career successes into a vice presidency. But his straightforward trajectory took a turn when the dotcom boom went bust.  “The mother of necessity is invention,” he laughs, recalling the events that prompted him to open his consultancy. Twenty years later, Channel Marketing’s primary focus is on industrial construction trades, but insights in the areas of market engagement and strategic planning are applicable across many verticals. “Anything that can help companies gain information and develop strategies to help them accelerate profitable sales.” To that end, David’s expertise is readily available via Electrical Trends, a collaborative blog featuring over 1200 industry-related articles.  *** 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.    http://www.distributionteam.com This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.  Connect with Jason Bader on LinkedIn. Connect with David Gordon on LinkedIn. *** David has a lot of data at his disposal and a keen sense of how to interpret it. Take the growing number of COVD-related, or at least COVID-adjacent, retirements. He notes a rash of first-generation owners or senior leaders who’ve decided to bow out in 2020. The pandemic has hastened the ascent of many next-wave decision makers. Alternatively, this year has also prompted a lot of owners to try their hand at attracting buyers. “We've talked to a number of private equity companies who have all sorts of money who are looking for acquisitions.” But David cautions owners counting on that golden parachute. “It’s got to be something worthwhile for them to fund.” As for Channel Marketing’s rep of the future study, while the data was produced on behalf of NEMRA, the characteristics identified can impact a rep’s survival regardless of industry.  “A very high percentage of companies and a slightly lower percentage of sales actually go through third-party sales organizations, manufacturer reps, whatever you want to term them.” You’ll have to listen in to catch David’s thorough explanation of each trait, however, and strategies to implement them. Want To Read What David Wrote? Start here: Make Sure You Don't Waste A Good Pandemic from the Electrical Trends blog. CONNECT WITH DAVID GORDON: Channel Marketing Group [email protected] LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

“The best advice I can give you is that you can't compete with them on their strengths. You have to compete on your strengths and until you identify and figure out what those are, I mean, you're going to take a beating. ~PJ Slauson PJ Slauson, president and CEO of CLK Supplies, LLC and Aero Lock, LLC, has grown his business from promising side hustle to profitable distributorship on his own terms. Jason chats with the 35-year-old entrepreneur about the value of a self-guided education, the art of asking for help, and the power of social media.   Early on in PJ’s college career, he had to make the difficult choice. Should he stay the course and complete his structured education, or tend to the growing number of business calls interrupting his day?  He chose the latter, pouring all of his energy, time, and money into a lock parts distributorship. In hindsight, the decision made perfect sense. After all, PJ started cutting keys in his father’s shop at six years old and sold his first business by age 12. He’s a hands-on kind of guy who collects (and implements!) suggestions from myriad sources to support his professional and personal improvement.  “That's what I've tried to do is, just take the different knowledge and information,” he says. “I'm like, okay, how do I apply this to my life as an operating system to help keep my business and me personally, keep growing and going down the road?”  Even the most voracious reader can’t post 20% growth per year on average with advice gleaned from books alone. For real-life strategic planning, PJ leans into a key management strength: vulnerability. PJ got the answers his earliest asks from other small business owners. They readily shared with him their knowledge on everything from website development to warehousing set-up, all for little more than the cost of breakfast.  *** 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.    http://www.distributionteam.com This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.  Connect with Jason Bader on LinkedIn. Connect with PJ Slauson on LinkedIn. *** As you might expect from someone in his age bracket, PJ’s an expert at leveraging his social media presence, a relatively foreign concept in the world of distribution. “To me as a whole, you know...it's a transactional business, but that's not necessarily very fun, right?”  With a robust library of how-to videos on YouTube and fun locksmith tips via Instagram, PJ is returning the favor to fellow entrepreneurs, offering his vast knowledge for free. At a time when the pandemic has sidelined tradeshows and limited face-to-face interaction, PJs authentic online customer connection is as strategic as it is fun. Interested in reading what PJ reads? Here are his suggestions from the episode: The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey, The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley, and The E-Myth: Why Most Small Businesses Fail And What To Do About It by Michael E. Gerber. Interested in reading what PJ wrote? Lock Rekeying Made Simple CONNECT WITH PJ SLAUSON: CLK Supplies, LLC Aero Lock, LL YouTube Instagram LinkedIn

“One of the most important assets any distributor owns is their transaction data and it could make them a lot more money.” ~Dave Roller, Profit2 If you haven’t addressed your company’s pricing plan in a while, Dave Roller says you’re leaving good money on the table. As president of Profit2, Dave has built his career helping distributors optimize their strategy - even against e-conn’s biggest names. Jason chats with Dave about the art and science of pricing as well as overcoming pricing challenges - even in challenging times. It’s an episode dense with profitable information.   There’s little wonder as to why distributors avoid picking through their pricing. “There are very few businesses that have the scale [or] the challenge we have.” To prove his point, Dave contrasts a restaurant’s few hundred pricing decisions or a manufacturer’s several thousand items against Profit2’s average distributor client who makes upwards of 300,000 pricing decisions annually.  For many family-owned wholesalers, even those with shaky margins, the task seems too overwhelming to bother. *** 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.    http://www.distributionteam.com This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.  Connect with Jason Bader on LinkedIn, Connect with Dave Roller on LinkedIn. *** Much of the pushback is steeped in long-standing, first-generation traditions and ancient client relationships. But Dave sees a tidal shift happening as second- and third-generations take over decision-making duties. “When we start talking to the younger executives in distribution...there's a little bit different sensibility and a greater comfort with the concept of data mining and utilization.”  That robust ERP data presents opportunities for distributors to sort out their chaotic pricing methodology and make solid gains. Dave points to client stratification as an example. “You can use transaction data and a few other metrics to be able to enrich your customer stratification for pricing that allows you to differentiate what you charge, one customer versus another.” Segmenting customers into groups based on various factors (such as profitability, revenue, loyalty, and cost-to-serve) minimizes the rote renewal of underperforming contracts.  As for the importance of maintaining customer rapport, Dave says, “I think we all value the relationship, sure. but you have to also step back and take the bigger picture.”  Ultimately, Profit2 sees their role as helping distributors utilize data tools to break out of the cookie cutter pricing approach. A more potent pricing model - one that fits seamlessly into a company’s culture - ultimately leads to better customer service. “That creates a profit annuity over time. It stays around. It keeps bringing you more over time.” And that’s a win-win on both sides of the sales counter. CONNECT WITH DAVE ROLLER: Profit2 [email protected]

“This industry is built on relationships and being able to help foster that makes a much better strengthening of best practices with all of the salons versus seeing each other as competitors.” ~Sydney Berry, Salon Services Pro  As with many distribution verticals, COVID-19 has altered the high-contact beauty supply industry seemingly overnight. But Sydney Berry sees possibilities in pivoting. In this episode, Jason chats with the founder and CEO of Salon Services Pro about her commitment to service and the company’s strategies for translating an exceptional in real life reputation to the virtual marketplace. Whether it's teaming up with a competitor or her self-described over-communicating, Sydney Berry has built a successful, multi-state business on the strength of her relationships. “We've done a lot of outreach,” she says, explaining Salon Pro’s pandemic response.  Doubling down on virtual sales calls is only part of the plan for this hands-on distribution vertical. *** 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.    http://www.distributionteam.com This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.  Connect with Jason Bader on LinkedIn, Connect with Sydney Berry on LinkedIn. *** While stylists are inventing unique scenarios to safely interact with their clients, Sydney and her team are amplifying the company’s online offerings to meet these hardworking entrepreneurs where they are. In addition to exploring avenues beyond B2B, Salon Pro is experimenting with coffee chats and happy hours, virtual connections to bridge the social distance gap.  This unwavering dedication has made Salon Pro the go-to source for supplies, education, and business needs since 1997. Since taking over, Sydney has grown the company into 23 stores and two distribution sites across nine states.  Gaining trust in new salon territories is not an easy task. The notoriously insular market requires the willingness and fortitude to learn local business customs. “You just think that you have an imprint and a reputation and people will understand that you are there for this purpose,” she says. Embedding senior Salon Pro talent into the areas of expansion has made all the difference in gaining client trust. As an added benefit, that hyper-local knowledge has informed the company’s COVID response. “It is amazing to watch because each and every state is unique in how they are as businesses.” Service doesn’t stop at the salon. Sydney is an avid, active member of professional organizations, having participated in programs with BBSI. As the recently elected chairwoman of the PBA, Sydney has found another way to continue her commitment. “I love our industry and I really want to see it thrive and I believe thriving can occur when we do connect in this way, because I've seen it. So that's why I stay involved.”

“I saw very clearly that this industry was the last bastion of this non-digitized space. I wanted to be the one that brought us into the new technological era.” ~Lisa Fiore, Landscape Hub Lisa Fiore left the family business behind to transform an industry. In this episode, Jason speaks with Lisa, founder and CEO of Landscape Hub, about 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. *** 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.    http://www.distributionteam.com This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. Find out if creating a podcast is right for your business at their upcoming Launch Your Podcast online class: http://www.thecreativeimpostor.com/DTLaunch Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbader Connect with Lisa Fiore on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-fiore-69a6752a *** 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.” *** Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software.  

“Which is more important: do you want to be successful or do you want to be right?” ~Mike Marks Mike Marks has spent a lifetime in distribution and he’s got the battle scars to prove it. In this episode, Jason chats with Mike about lessons he's learned at the helm of Indian River Consulting Group. Mike also offers suggestions to proactive leaders keen to close out 2020 on solid footing even as the ground continues to shift around them. "People are being much more cautious now. It's a complex process but look at it this way, what's happening is a lot of folks that basically just did the turtle strategy." Cutting costs, Mike says, is a wise strategy if performed with long-view intention in mind rather than quick-fix desperation. Middling distributorships default to the latter position rather than put forth the effort required by the former.  *** 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.    http://www.distributionteam.com This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. Find out if creating a podcast is right for your business at their upcoming Launch Your Podcast online class: http://www.thecreativeimpostor.com/DTLaunch Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbader Connect with Mike Marks on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-marks-46a7081 *** Mike doesn't restrict his straight talk to the softly-managed, however. Companies with their eye on the ball should use this time to reinforce foundations and build market shares by asking themselves, which is more important: being successful or being right? These days, either answer leads to a bumpy road, but only one provides an onramp to effective change.  A self-described distributor geek, Mike was involved with several different verticals before setting up his own consultancy in 1987. Since then, he's weathered crippling recessions, internet expansion, frenzied acquisition sprees, and, now a global pandemic. Through it all, he's seen wholesale distributors around the world meet and exceed growth expectations. He's doing his best to spread the word about this "giant secret" of a career option to young talent.  That said, Mike is impressed by the agility and flexibility that industry veterans have shown over the last few months. Experience has led the way with innovative solutions. "They had the trust of their customers. They could do some very different things, and people would let him, and that's where all these new practices are coming out."  Businesses positioning themselves for acquisition will enjoy Mike's insights, as will anyone seeking solid advice to carry their company through this new normal. If you're looking to come out stronger than before, this episode features tips and entertaining allegories as only Mike can share. 

"I've made some business cases that were absolute just flops. So... I'm here to tell you, past mistakes are good, you know, if you can get unentangled from them and move on and don't let it scare you from getting back up to bat." ~Blair Franklin Twenty-five years after receiving an MBA from Pepperdine University, Blair Franklin, president and CEO of AmeriPipe Supply, Inc. headquartered in Dallas, TX, is picking up where he left off, returning to Pepperdine to complete his applied doctorate in workplace behaviors. Beyond the satisfaction of personal achievement, Blair hopes his post-graduate work will guide executives to make better decisions and enhance their leadership skills. "Can we do a better job of not only deciding who we bring into our family culture but, once they are there, how do we do the very best job we can at encouraging good behavior or mitigating bad behavior?" As head of a family-owned pipe, valve, and fittings distributor, Blair asks those questions in real-time, ever mindful that his answers directly affect the bottom line as well as the company's legacy.  *** 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.    http://www.distributionteam.com This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. Find out if creating a podcast is right for your business at their upcoming Launch Your Podcast online class: http://www.thecreativeimpostor.com/DTLaunch Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbader Connect with Blair on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sbf44 *** As a doctoral candidate in the field of workplace deviance with 20+ years in distribution leadership, he's got a wealth of personal experience from which to draw. Ultimately, his role in the C-suite and his role as a researcher are two sides of the same coin; both involve observation and analysis of personality traits. "The thing that really fascinated me the most about our environment, at the end of the day, is understanding how people behave in the workplace."  In the quest for hiring excellence, many inexpensive evaluation tools already exist. Taken on their own, however, these tests often provide limited information. "They just haven't been combined and analyzed in the way that we're going to do," Blair says of his research. He's striving for a more thorough assessment to find out how a candidate's personality - their moral identity, ethics, and views on workplace justice, etc. - impact their likelihood for deviance? And, how can employers use this robust data to better staff their organizations for the future?  This inquisitiveness extends to his company and his personal life as well, with Blair seeking new hires with a hunger for knowledge and instilling an ethos of life-long learning in his children. CONNECT WITH AMERIPIPE SUPPLY, INC AmeriPipe Supply, Inc. LinkedIn

"I love wrecking things. I think when you get down to it... I love disruption. I love being the disruptor and I really don't like being disrupted. So I'd love to go help somebody go disrupt some stuff." ~Andrew Johnson In this episode, I catch up with Andrew Johnson, CEO of ShelfAware VMI, a system that monitors inventory consumption in real-time via RFID technology. His affinity for disrupting the family distributorship’s systems led to a spin-off career at the helm of a virtually no-touch inventory solution. Andrew shares his company’s fascinating origins story as well as its mission to provide an efficient, remote data reporting method with a low-cost point of entry. “We knew our data and our systems and our processes inside out and that hard, rough experience - really getting our hands dirty, it changed us.” But prior to tackling a massive data migration project at the family’s rubber and plastics distributorship in 2012, Andrew and his brothers-in-law weren’t exactly systems engineers.  Over the course of several months, however, the trio of self-taught technologists became intimately acquainted with the company’s infrastructure. So much so that they followed up their successful data project with a massive systems overhaul, taking a match to every process they could get their hands on. “We would walk in, tear something down, burn it to the ground sometimes before we even really knew what we were going to put in place.” No department was left unscathed - or improved.  *** 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.    http://www.distributionteam.com This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbader Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-johnson-supply-chain-innovator-5015b612/ *** “Inside distribution and small business in general, I think incremental innovation is the way to go,” says Andrew of the three years the boys spent disrupting his father’s rubber and plastics distributorship.  That philosophy, coupled with a drive to design bespoke systems inside the family business, culminated in 2015 with the creation of an external innovation: the vendor managed inventory solution now known as ShelfAware VMI. The hardware/software combination takes inventory reporting out of the hands of the consumer and the customer service field rep, replacing barcode scanners and clipboards with an elegant, old tech-based solution.  ShelfAware VMI uses RFID (radio frequency identification), the same system found in hotel key cards, to remotely track and collect all sorts of inventory data via intelligent packaging tags. That feedback has allowed distributors to greatly improve efficiencies with an added benefit of limiting field rep visits in the era of COVID. “It’s been a wild ride,” says Andrew and he’s enthusiastic about ShelfAware VMI’s growth across multiple distribution verticals as well as the future of socially-distanced managed inventory. CONNECT WITH SHELFAWARE VMI ShelfAwareVMI ShelfAware VMI YouTube

Katie Parris, CEO of The Part Works in Seattle, WA, is a second-generation owner who’s managing her commercial plumbing supply company from the intersection of old-school knowledge and innovative thinking. I caught up with Katie to discuss her path to the C-suite and find out why her company’s culture can top Amazon’s low prices any day of the week. “Anybody can be the cheapest when the part’s not on the shelf.” But when a hospital risks losing $15,000 a day in revenue because a broken faucet prohibits the use of an entire patient room, they don’t price check with the giant online retailers. More often than not, facilities managers ring up The Part Works’ knowledgeable, responsive team and gets that part in hand within hours.  With its single location, The Part Works doesn’t bother paying too close attention to Amazon. Instead, they’re focused on the value they bring to their own counter. Beyond the relationships they’ve built with customers, Katie’s most proud of the connection and commitment flourishing behind the scenes.  *** 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.    http://www.distributionteam.com This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbader Connect with Katie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katieparris *** “My first, biggest challenge was shifting the company culture,” she says. Initially, her collaborative methods caused some growing pains in opposition to her father’s command and control style, even prompting some old-guard employees to exit. “I wasn't going to become my dad. I needed to build the future of the business around my own leadership style,” she says.   Today, the 25-employee company is a blend of long-time staff and newer recruits. The culture combined with Katie’s ability to manage for the future helped The Part Works recently navigate a much-needed tech upgrade.  “I would say 18 months of hell - but totally worth it,” she laughs, secure in the knowledge that her self-inflicted headache has yielded the company over 50% growth in two years - with zero additional headcount. Katie’s success points to a big generational shift coming not only to her industry but as across multiple distribution verticals. She has a tip for those looking for career advice. “I think distribution is very ripe for opportunity.”

"I don't believe that a coach can be a good coach without being curious. I don't believe I have the only answer. Now, I may think I've got the right answer, but that doesn't matter. I'm curious enough to hear what somebody else has to say and have a conversation” ~Paul Glover Workforce development coach Paul Glover is no stranger to adversity. For 30 years, he suited up to do court-side battle as a labor employment lawyer. Then, in 1995, he was convicted of a variety of white-collar crimes. He served five years in federal prison for those missteps. Today, Paul’s an expert in organizational resilience, a topic that’s crash-landed onto the business landscape in the wake of COVID-19.  “My moniker that I use is the no BS workplace performance coach.” If Paul’s bluntness doesn’t immediately win you over, his origin story might not do the trick either - and he’s okay with that. “I have an opinion. I have a recommendation. It’s based on experience,” says the self-described “recovering lawyer” and ex-felon. There’s a knee jerk instinct by some C-suites to write off Paul’s expertise based on his bio. The manufacturing and distribution organizations that he has had the pleasure of working with have benefited greatly from his no-nonsense coaching. Now, he’s setting his sights on post-pandemic resilience, guiding privately-held, family-owned companies through this wildly unstable period. It’s a population niche that he greatly admires, noting that his pragmatic candor and action-oriented style align with his clientele; both coach and client understand that “if you don't act that way, you don't succeed.” *** 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.    http://www.distributionteam.com This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbader Connect with Paul on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulglovercoaching/ *** With Resilience Edge Workshop, Paul’s expertise has gone virtual. He’s put his program through a rigorous personal test, building a successful nationwide practice by melding lessons learned at the top with those from his time spent at the bottom. “I took that experience and believe me, five and a half years in federal prison’s an experience, and I first did a lot of reflection and made some determinations that I needed to understand my strong points but also my blind spots.” His keen understanding of organizational psychology has propelled businesses like Ewing Irrigation from a $60 million West Coast distributorship to a nationwide powerhouse. With his winning combination of substance and showmanship, Paul’s coaching clients through adversity by proving that shrewd actions and substantive words speak louder together. CONNECT WITH PAUL Paul Glover https://paulglovercoaching.com LinkedIn Facebook Twitter YouTube Amazon  

“I think one of the common denominators to me for the successful people out there… is the word curiosity. The word curiosity means, to me, that you care...that you ask questions and you want to learn and you're still thirsty for growing each and every day.” ~Greg Drouillard, Target Building Materials, LTD. If you’re searching for a prime example of “a body in motion stays in motion,” look no further than Greg Drouillard. As the owner of Target Building Materials, LTD. in Windsor, Ontario, he likes to be part of the action - in the office, on the trails, and out in his community.  I had the chance to catch up with Greg to discuss some familiar Distribution Talk themes and look ahead at the business landscape, post-pandemic. I also discover what’s at the literal heart of Greg’s commitment to physical fitness and his motivation to stay curious, enthused, and grateful. “I never wanted to be a bleacher creature. I wanted to be involved and be on the playing field or on the ice... I didn't want to be a bench sitter and I've always put my hand up to say yes. I like to be involved.” *** 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.    http://www.distributionteam.com This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbader Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-drouillard-48b82112/ *** The desire to contribute has kept Greg in the game since he first climbed into the seat of a forklift as a teenager. As fun as those hours in his family’s warehouse were, Greg had aspirations elsewhere. Up in the air, to be exact. Administrative opportunities and advancement at Air Canada followed but the family business eventually came calling so Greg went back - on his terms. “I said, I will enter into your business, based on the condition...I start from the rock bottom and I want to learn the business. I want no favors. I want no stripes on my shoulder until I earn them.”  That was over forty years ago. It’s safe to say that Greg has since earned his stripes, leading by example from the field rather than the sidelines. He’s participated in multiple organizations including ACDI/VOCA and STAFDA, for which he served as president). He’s also served four tours of duty as head of TORBSA, the organization of independent Canadian building supply owners. Greg’s a serious advocate for membership, pointing to organizations as encouraging spaces in which to build confidence, make connections, and gain access to elite minds in the business. Outside of his professional and civic engagements, Greg leans on his love of physical activity and learning to stay sharp. The current pandemic mirrors a health crisis he suffered several years ago in that the experience taught him to fully appreciate all he has and to seek out new avenues for strengthening overall wellbeing for the long haul. “The three words that I try to live my life by is balance, variety, and moderation.” But he’s not about to take a seat in the bleachers anytime soon. Greg knows that post-pandemic business will require marathoners, not sprinters. CONNECT WITH GREG Target Building Materials, LTD  https://targetsupply.com/

“It’s all about endurance. We're in this for the long haul and we're going to need the grit, we're going to need to know that what we do is important enough that what we do contributes to so many lives and to society...  We owe it to ourselves to dig deep and find that grit that gets us over that finish line.” ~Dirk Beveridge Dirk Beveridge first appeared on DT episode 022, sharing his formidable insight into the steps distributorships could take to successfully navigate rapid changes. A prescient conversation in light of COVID-19. In this latest conversation, Dirk offers insight into what leaders can do now so their companies thrive in the brave new world of post-pandemic commerce. He also unveils Shift To Tomorrow, his latest program designed specifically for leaders managing through this (or any other) crisis. “I elect to create the future and I think that's what we have the opportunity to do.” Dirk’s irrepressible optimism is balanced by levelheaded foresight. He’s under no illusions that post-pandemic transformation will take a lot of elbow grease, a commodity that’s already in limited supply for even the most successful distributors.  Shelter-in-place orders have obliterated some long-range plans while accelerating others and, suddenly, the future is a lot closer than we ever realized. “We know the world's going to change,” says Dirk. “We got to identify those opportunities...we're going to have to seize an opportunity that's out there.”  *** 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.    http://www.distributionteam.com This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbader Connect with Dirk on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dirkbeveridge *** Not one for perpetuating ‘do as I say, not as I do’ dogma, he’s identified a need for community and solidarity in the midst of the pandemic and made a quick pivot of his own. Shift To Tomorrow was born out of his tremendous sense of service to the industry and the people he loves. “We said, ‘What are we going to do?’ And before we said [that], we said, ‘What does our tribe need?’ They need to be hugged. They need to be inspired. They need insight. And, they need connection.”  The virtual program, which began with his open letter to the industry, guides decision-makers through crisis management and future-proofing by reassessing five core points of their business: vision, culture, value proposition, business model, and transformative leadership.  Dirk believes companies can effectively come out of crisis stronger than they went in by reinforcing that five-point foundation. ”I think each of those five things are going to require change and in some cases, transformation,” he says, but the C-suite couldn’t ask for a better cheerleader. "The weight of responsibility they have, in good times and bad times, the risk they take, the vision they create for the future, what they create out of thin air…,” he says, equally awed and inspired by their contributions, “I believe we take that entrepreneurialism for granted.” It’ll take renewed endurance and recalibrated plan but Dirk’s in distribution’s corner. BONUS! Check out the resources Dirk mentioned here:  Innovate! How Successful Distributors Lead Change In Disruptive Times Conversation with Saul Kaplan: Using The Pandemic As A Launchpad For Business Innovation UnleashWD Shift to Tomorrow

“I've told our people over the years say, we're not just selling pipe valves...we're actually helping build automobiles and airplanes and chemicals that are used in just about everything in the country and I tried to paint a bigger picture of, you know, how important we really are.” -Kip Miller Kip Miller, president and CEO of Eastern Industrial Supply Inc. out of Greenville, SC, shares with us some of the lessons he’s learned about managing - and growing - through challenges. Our conversation touches on Kip’s initial trial by fire and the question anyone who wants to become a better leader and a happier person should ask themselves: How do you want to live? “The only place where real, true learning takes place is trial and error through making mistakes.” And, with that, Kip busts the myth that exemplary leaders are infallible from day one on the job.  His story, and that of his company, is one with peaks and valleys to rival any great novel. The fresh-faced college grad lands a great job just before recession hits the early 80s and stays on through a buyout, loyal to the man who originally hired him.  But his good fortune is followed by bittersweet opportunity when his boss is struck by illness and a massive heart attack, leaving the company in his hands. Kip was just 29 years old when he inherited Eastern Supply’s 12 employees and debt load. “I certainly didn't have the leadership or the business experience I needed. But, I certainly went through a quick business education.”  The original dozen stuck by him, forging on and slowly paying down the debt. “Then we picked up a huge... project of a new textile mill being built. We were off and running and we've not looked back since.” *** 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.    http://www.distributionteam.com This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbader/ Connect with Kip on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kip-miller/ *** The company may not be looking back, but Kip has. As an introspective thought-leader, his posts are refreshingly transparent. He’s not shy of detailing his struggles or discussing the changes he’s put into practice on his way to becoming the leader - the person - he’s always wanted to be.  “I used to be a person that played their cards really close to the vest and didn't want anybody to see you sweat,” he says about his earlier management persona, the silent intimidator. “So, I had to learn about who I was, what my personality type was, where I was challenged in those areas, and what steps I needed to take to overcome those.”  He credits his original employees for bringing some of those early management shortcomings to his attention and for helping him create a company culture that remains, to this day, steadfastly aligned with its five core values: caring, honesty, integrity, self-responsibility, and positivity. Kip views those principles as the bedrock of Eastern Industrial Supply’s service to the country, painting the bigger picture as he reminds his staff that they’re not just selling plumbing parts, they’re actually helping to build all the industries that keep the country running.  Kip’s message is doubly important as the world ventures into the uncharted territory of a global pandemic. And now is the perfect time for leaders at every level to ask themselves his simple question: “How do I want to live? I think that's a tremendously important question.” Listen in to find out how Kip’s planning to live his answer.   BONUS BOOK CLUB: Recommendations from Kip’s own reading.  The Man In The Mirror - by Patrick Morley Halftime: Moving From Success To Significance - by Bob Buford 

“We oftentimes say it's not the incentive why people buy from you, it's the cherry on top of the cheesecake. But the incentive, if designed properly, puts a spotlight on the value that you bring.” -Lincoln Smith With everything you’ve got going on, here’s a topic you might not have considered: loyalty programs. Business has been thrown an unprecedented curveball over the last few weeks. Lincoln Smith, chief strategy officer at HMI Performance Incentive, 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. “At the end of the day, distributors are looking for opportunities to differentiate themselves, to create a stronger relationship with their customers and then drive behaviors that are in the  interest of both the contractor [and] the customer.” That desire to foster long-lasting connections has been with Lincoln since he began working with HMI 20+ years ago. And he’s not just paying lip-service to our industry. He and HMI have serious street cred, having participated in NAW and HARDI. Originally the domain of consumer transactions - about 97% of us are passively or actively enrolled in some sort of loyalty plan - participation has expanded to include B2B incentivizing. This adoption rate makes sense given that HMI’s data shows a direct link between good loyalty programs and overall margin enhancement. It’s a behavioral economics win-win.  *** 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.    http://www.distributionteam.com This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbader/ Connect with Lincoln on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lincolnsmith/ *** Amplifying value-added services is another incentive program win-win, especially in situations where a company’s natural humility gets in the way of communicating their full worth. “I think that a lot of wholesalers discount that value,” says Lincoln. “I think that they could do a better job of highlighting it in a myriad of different ways.” To that end, HMI takes an agency approach to their consulting, devising strategies for companies to enhance their messaging, maybe through something as simple as adding a services tab to their website. “These are just communication and engagement tactics to deliver that message on a more consistent or maybe a more meaningful way.” 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. “These programs can really be designed to drive certain behaviors,” says Lincoln. “As an example, it's now no longer just do this, get that. Here we are in April of 2020 and the world looks a little bit different, this month than it did just six weeks ago now.” The drastic changes 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. 

“We want to come out of this stronger, we absolutely do. And we want to, if we can, come out of this more connected, sharing of similar values, sharing of similar thoughts, and direction. I think that we do have a tremendous opportunity to change the paradigm going forward here.” -Jason Bader “There's so much trust that is required to have an effective buyer-seller relationship. It's still an open question mark. Can you develop that kind of trust virtually as opposed to physically?” -Marshall Jones There’s no question that a distributorship faces challenges from time to time. What happens to the industry landscape when the entire world is hit with the same crisis?  As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to pass grim milestones, it’s impossible to answer that question definitively. Only time can tell which practices our community will return to and which will give way to innovation.  As my business partner Marshall Jones and I continue to watch events unfold, one thing has become clear to us: business has been forever altered in the span of only a few short weeks. In this episode, we assess the positive and negative impact of those changes. *** 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.    http://www.distributionteam.com This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbader/ Connect with Marshall on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marshall-jones-89933240/ *** “I think it's very early to determine whether or not it's going to have a long-standing effect on how we communicate in distribution,” says Marshall. The pandemic-related ubiquity of online meeting platforms like Zoom has become a lifeline in the age of social distancing, a tool for company survival.  While not ideal for some companies, staff meetings are conducted remotely. But what about those clients with whom in-person contact was the norm? How does an outside salesperson’s value translate via the screen? Has the pandemic brought us to an inevitable tipping point?  “You know, the extinction of the outside salesperson has been predicted many, many times in the last, 50, 60 years. And they're resilient creatures. They keep coming back.” Customer relationships aren’t the only connections managers should be taking a close look at right now. How are team members handling remote work? While some may thrive on the noise and camaraderie of a typical office bullpen, I’m hearing that others - often those without children at home - are more productive at home, away from distractions.  How will businesses reintegrate staff once shelter-in-place orders are lifted?  And what does post-pandemic service look like will-call and walk-up windows? Are there deficiencies in your procedures that the crisis has exploited?   Whether companies were looking to make changes or not, changes are coming.  “Leadership really needs to spend a lot of time as people start to come back, listening to what went well during the quarantine, during the stay at home time, and what they struggled with.” The environment we're facing now, the way that we’re trying to connect right now and communicate right now, will have an impact. It's going to put a dent in tradition. When the current crisis is over, who will be satisfied going back to business as usual?  As owners and managers, we want what’s best for our customers and our employees. Take time now to ask yourself, what does our service look like in the future?

"You don't build consensus around what people think. You build consensus around why they think it." ~Terrence Metz Chances are good that you’ve got a meeting scheduled today. Assuming that it starts on time, how many of Terrence Metz’s eight meeting killers will your team slay before agendas are abandoned, egos bruised, and goals sidelined? As managing director of MG Rush Facilitation Training and Coaching, Terrence has built a career helping businesses and organizations conduct faster, more productive meetings. His insights could revolutionize your next meeting and promote higher-quality outcomes.   “We would be better off running more workshops and having fewer meetings,” says Terrence of the stagnation prevalent in meeting culture today. He notes that once-productive sessions have devolved into little more than discussions. “The problem is most people can't get prepared well enough to know what they would do in a workshop environment. They use meetings to lift the fog high enough that they can figure out what they should do until the next meeting, and that's quite dastardly.” It’s no wonder that businesses and organizations waste precious energy trying to reach consensus when a majority of the decision-makers don’t even have time to adequately prepare. Things rapidly disintegrate from there, often at the expense of the end goal which, in Terrence’s view, is the only reason to have a meeting in the first place. “Know what done looks like,” he says and work backward from there. *** 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.    http://www.distributionteam.com This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbader/ Connect with Terrence on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terrencemetz/ *** Touching on the idea of consensus again, Terrence is clear about the difference between a kumbaya group hug and a workable agreement. “Yes, everybody has to agree. But they don't have to agree it's their favorite [decision]. They have to agree the resolution is robust enough that they will personally support it, that they will not fault it and try to unravel it.” It’s a level of understanding born from years of observing group dynamics and successfully coaching participants toward a common goal. And, yes, he’s facilitated consensus-building across the great generational working divide. The key, he says, is for facilitators to acknowledge the diversity in the room. That’s where younger decision-makers have the edge, Terrence says. Gens Y and Z are generally more willing to accept a broader range of individual working styles within the confines of a team goal than their older counterparts. So, what about Terrence’s remaining meeting killers? You’ll have to listen in! Then head over to the MG Rush blog for free facilitator resources and additional tips. Bonus book club recommendations mentioned in this episode: Harvard University’s Howard Gardner PhD, and an old favorite The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. 

“We don’t have a warehouse. We have a distribution center. Warehouses [are where] things go in and they don’t come out...So, again, that’s another thing you don’t say here.” ~Paul Neustadt As a master distributor of HVAC controls, Neuco, Inc. stakes its reputation on two guiding principles: efficiency and effectiveness. I sat down with the company’s president Paul Neustadt to find out how this third-generation family business manages to innovate while honoring tradition.  “Our family has been in business consistently since 1907,” says Paul. What started over a century ago as horse-drawn fuel, grain, and hay business in Chicago is now one of North America’s largest master distributors, operating out of a brand new 145,000 sq ft facility in Bollingbrook, IL.  What is a master distributor? “Neuco’s model is to fill in the holes.” Say you’ve sold seven items to a job but you’ve only got six and the manufacturer is quoting you four weeks until deliver? Neuco has you covered without you having to look to other brands for fulfilment.  That level of supply chain management takes an investment in customer service and automation. Neuco has always doubled-down on both, taking the time to learn what they don’t know and invest in technology.  *** 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.    http://www.distributionteam.com This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbader/ Connect with Paul on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-neustadt-0571b719/ *** “As a company, we are very hard on ourselves. Our feeling is, just because we’re doing something one way does not mean that’s the right way to do it.” Paul says the worst thing anyone can say in a meeting is, “Well, that’s because we’ve always done it that way!” That spirit of always striving, never getting too comfortable with where they’re at, is part of Neuco’s DNA. “The people that came before us challenged themselves when they changed industries. And we challenge ourselves to say: How can we do better? What can we do better? How can we do more?” More for the manufacturer; more for the customer.  For Paul, these aren’t mere transactions Neuco is making on both ends; they’re relationships. Maintaining loyalty means everything from providing knowledgeable technical support across their brand catalog to seamlessly filling an oddball request. To that end, the company’s new facility is state of the art. “The amount of automation that we do...we don’t have robots but we have the picklist,” says Paul. “And, the way we do inventory and the logic that goes into how we inventory, it’s incredible!” Listen in to find out more about Neuco’s incredible automation and the team-building magic of moving into a new facility.

If you think inventory-sharing is the silver bullet to your overstock woes, you’re missing a vital aspect of its potential. Mark Tomalonis, president of WarehouseTWO, says the platform performs best as a collaborative space, one in which the power of peer inventories helps members source non-stock, difficult-to-purchase items. I sat down with Mark to uncover how inventory-sharing works and why it’s good for business. “We help distributors of any size act as if he owns all the inventory in his catalog,” says Mark, of the business he started on a whim back in 2005. The WarehouseTWO model doesn’t just provide a second life for unproductive inventory or deadstock. Instead, it connects buyers with sellers, allowing both to defend against backorder delays, high-quantity minimums, and disappointed customers, all without having to keep the actual product in hand.  “Inventory sharing increases asset efficiency and operational efficiency for a network of pure wholesale distributors.”  *** 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.    http://www.distributionteam.com This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbader/ Connect with Mark on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marktomalonis/ *** While not the first company to come up with the idea, WarehouseTWO is one of the prime players in this small niche, managing to grow even as big names like IBM bow out of the market. In an age when it seems like everyone’s out to shake up an industry, Mark credits his company’s staying power to his philosophy of supporting authorized regional distributors. “WarehouseTWO exists to defend and support a manufacturer’s assigned distribution channel,” he says. “We don’t exist to disrupt it.” Nor does WarehouseTWO exist to solve inventory management problems in a vertical fashion akin to ERP models. He wants clients to think horizontally by exposing their inventory to tens of thousands of additional end customers, taking what’s in stock and making it available to dozens of pure distributors in other parts of the country.  Besides, to his way of thinking, there’s only three ways to rectify surplus issues. “Number one: prevent it.” Mark urges listeners to put systems, policies, and resources or talent into place so that you don’t end up with the extra stock in the first place. “Number two: rent the dumpster.” And his number three tip for avoiding inventory overload? “There is no number three,” he laughs. “Nobody wants your purchasing mistakes.” Listen in for more inventory insight from Mark and find out how WarehouseTWO can take the sting out of number three. 

"In retrospect, of course, I didn't realize it then when he said, ‘Son, I don't give positions. I give opportunities. We'll see what you can do.’ But you know, now I sit here as the owner of the company, some 30 years later, and I've worked every position getting up to here, so I know how the company runs." ~Jim Henderson Faith and fasteners may not seem like an obvious fit. For Jim Henderson, president of Dynamic Sales Company, Inc out of St. Louis, his beliefs and his business couldn’t be more compatible. Jim shares his levelheaded business advice as well as some refreshingly honest insight into the role religion plays in his Christian-based company. “The four points of our star logo are service, quality, commitment, and integrity. And those all line up with those principles that we gather from our faith.” Jim isn’t shy about his relationship with God. His religion is a tool for creating opportunities and maintaining an inclusive, successful family-run company.  From tithing on behalf of the company to incorporating two scripture passages into the Dynamic logo, Jim’s spiritual values are woven throughout the fabric of his life.  The value of deep connections informs Jim’s recruiting style as well. He’s a master at finding the right people for the right positions through seemingly unconventional relationships, finding candidates in unlikely places: a car dealership and a newspaper route. “One of the things I try to find is what my brother and I used to term a servant's heart, someone's who is willing to serve the customer and put the customer's needs before their own.” Jim still uses traditional resources like LinkedIn and Indeed but he’s always on the lookout in his day-to-day interactions for fresh, forward-thinking talent.  *** 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.    http://www.distributionteam.com This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbader/ Connect with Jim on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-henderson-83280312/ *** The value Jim places on service and relationship-building is also evident when he speaks about STAFDA, the trade organization his father helped start. He’s baffled by members who pay their dues but sit on the sidelines. “Being able to use my network - and I have used that from coast to coast, North, South, East and West - and being able to connect with people,” he says, “they're always willing to help a fellow STAFDA member out.”  Likewise, Jim’s commitment to customer service has seen the industrial sector of Dynamic’s business grow considerably. That success is a credit to his expertise at pursuing relationships as avenues for growth, making sales calls instead of micro-managing from behind a desk. “I work on the big picture stuff,” he laughs. “I don't worry about the minutia of everything. That's handled by everybody here and I just focus on customers and I enjoy it.” If you’re interested in the scriptures Jim quotes, they are John 14:6 and Matthew 6:33. He also mentions the following books: Business By The Book by Larry Burkett and Talk The Walk: How To Be Right Without Being Insufferable by Steve Brown.

"The gift is in the giving. And I will tell business people that when you give to a good cause...you give the gift in the giving." ~Steven Lazar Can surplus commodities become a driver for change? If you ask Steven Lazar, president of Lazco Corporation, the answer is a resounding “yes!”. We began our conversation discussing the business of buying and selling surplus HVAC equipment but quickly expanded our focus to include family dynamics, getting young people involved in entrepreneurship, and the importance of personal altruistic pursuits.  “I think once we recognize the value of community, even in the heating and air conditioning industry, that we have to be able to help each other, you know, and do things.” But Steven isn’t satisfied with just unloading a client’s product for the best price - although that certainly is chief among his considerations when organizing a sale. What truly motivates him is the role he plays in his client’s future - be it the buyers who get good products at great prices or sellers who would otherwise take a hit on a warehouse full of unused goods. “This is why my passion, to help distributors and manufacturers turn their surplus inventories into working capital.”  *** 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.    http://www.distributionteam.com This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbader/ Connect with Steven: Lazco Corporation 480-265-9980 [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/Lazco/ Yeshua Messiah Ministries Send Prayer Requests to [email protected] Distributor Trends article: http://digital.bnpmedia.com/publication/?m=&l=1&i=627750&p=42&ver=html5 *** One thing that can upset a carefully crafted Lazco sale is emotionality. Ego often prevents sellers from accepting bids which have been coordinated with their best interests in mind. As Steven sees it, there’s no reason not to consider a 70-cents-on-a-dollar deal when it could mean the difference between moving on to greener pastures or standing still -- watching your equipment depreciate. “Logistically, it doesn’t make sense!”  What does make sense is his ability to put sellers together with buyers and even renters. “This is perfectly good equipment that we can use to help save people money that don’t have a budget to buy.”  Steven’s commitment to his customers is matched only by the concern he has for his community. Veterans affairs are close to his heart. To that end, he’s working to create his first subdivision of homes outfitted to serve veterans (and veteran families) in need. In partnership with Legacy Manufactured Homes, Steven hopes to open the first of these villages in Arizona in 2020. It’s a footprint that features 30 modular units of various-sized dwellings with additional onsite support for personal and professional growth through community gardening, job training, and social services. If all works as he envisions it will, the goal is to set up additional communities to repay those who have given so much to their country. “One of the important things is the attitude of gratitude,” Steven says. It’s this philosophy that he applies to his business and philanthropic endeavors. Listen in to find out more about how Lazco might be of service to your business or how you can get involved with his homes-for-veterans project.   

“The greatest thing to do, the best thing to do, is to be prepared… But if you’re not prepared, it’s going to bring down your business.” ~Tom Held If you haven’t given IT security much of a thought, this episode will change your mind about doing so...immediately! I got the chance to speak with Tom Held, Senior Consultant of Cyber Security and IT Risk Management with The Oakland Group, about intellectual property theft and why your business - yes, even a “small” nuts-and-bolts kind of distributorship - is ripe for ransoming. “The thing about ransomware that you don’t hear about it because it’s happening on these small scales,” says Tom about the day-to-day business of hacking. Once the domain of basement-dwelling malcontents, the industry is now a profitable, illegitimate revenue stream. At one extreme are the organized crime syndicates from countries like Russia and China making big news by targeting large corporations and institutions. But a more likely threat to your business is posed by the 9-to-5 job con men. These criminals hit multiple small marks in a day, racking up millions of dollars a year with dozens of daily low-ransom hits - all from the relative safety of the internet.  In addition to jamming company laptops, phishing tactics - those “help a Nigerian prince reclaim his kingdom” emails - have also become more sophisticated. Think you’re too savvy to fall for a fraudulent bank notice, tax documentation request, or accounts payable issue? Think again. “We’re vulnerable to our daily routines, right? We’ve got other things to worry about…,” says Tom. Those day-to-day responsibilities can overpower our better judgement, especially when we’re in a hurry. “That email comes in and, okay, fine. I’ll click on this thing...” By the time you’ve realized what you’ve done, the damage is done and it will cost you not only money but lost time to repair your business. It’s difficult to persuade small businesses they need cybersecurity but Tom has seen hacking’s devastating consequences. He recommends three key actions for getting a handle on your exposure. *** 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.    http://www.distributionteam.com This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbader/ Connect with Tom on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-held-0776a7126/ Phish testing strengthens employee susceptibility to socially engineered scams. A data inventory and risk assessment narrow down potential access points for hackers. Where’s your going? Where’s it being stored? Who’s sending it? And creating policy ensures that protocols are in place before your company is forced to address a breach.  Still not convinced? You may find yourself scrambling for Bitcoin and taking ransom instructions from a hacker’s hotline. “In some cases, the customer service is so great that you’re almost reassured that you will [regain access to your data] because they want future business,” Tom says. “What’s odd is, in this industry of ransomware, the big players want people to know that they will get their stuff back because then they’re more likely to pay the ransom.”  That’s a level of dark web client care we can all do without.

“I’m such a believer that my kids need to do something different, at least for a period of their life. Go apply for your own job. Negotiate your own salary. Negotiate your own working conditions and work hard and impress your own boss. Find out if that’s right for you or if that’s maybe not as easy as it appeared to be.” ~Bryan Keen A century is a long time to be in business. While Bryan Keen, president of Keen Compressed Gas Co., takes those hundred years in stride, he doesn’t take anything for granted.  He’s capitalizing on new markets and broadening the company’s reach with 15 locations throughout the Mid-Atlantic. I got to chat with Bryan about family history, creating a knowledgeable workforce, and planning for Keen’s future. “Managing through the changes every year is fun,” says Bryan. “You look back on what you accomplished and where you were two years ago or three years ago, or even last year and you just ...you know, you’ve got to be proud of what you accomplished.”  Keen has succeeded where other companies have failed. A family-run operation whose first location opened in 1919 doesn’t flourish into the 21st century without managing through challenges and proactively seeking areas in which to expand.  *** 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. Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbader/ Connect with Bryan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-keen-178b7511/ *** And they don’t grow without a commitment to their people. Keen has a long history of supporting its employees for success through training and premiums. “You can’t just be happy with what you sold yesterday. You’ve got to keep them fresh...you’ve got to get them excited about [new products], and you’ve got to compensate them for selling it.”  If you’ve listened to Distribution Talk in the past, or you’re part of a legacy business yourself, you already know how Bryan’s story goes. An adolescence spent watching his grandfather, his father, and extended family grow the business. Summer vacations in the warehouse while high school buddies were at the pool. And then a break from the familiar company confines he’d grown up in.  “I went to work for the company that bought [the propane] segment of our business and I was challenged with the conversion, basically transitioning that business and those employees ...and I had to get them on board with the new corporate structure.” Bryan says he learned a lot of incredible lessons from his three years away: negotiation strategies, leadership styles, purchasing plans--so much so that should his own children want to follow him into the business, he’ll urge them to try something different before opting back into Keen. Bryan went “all in” on the family business early on. “I realized the opportunity that was in front of me,” he says. He has a knack for sussing out market options and choosing the ones that will work the best for Keen. So, while the auto plants and steel mills slowly left the industrial Northeast, the company got busy aligning with new tech: pharmaceutical businesses, university research and development departments, convenience food packaging operations. Keen also just completed a major plant investment which has the company poised to reach new heights.  After 20 years at the helm, does Bryan see an endpoint for himself yet? “You got to keep it fresh and keep having fun running the business and the day that you don’t have fun running the business today, you really need to start looking at your options,” he adds, “but I’m nowhere near that.”

“We’re focused on delivering what our members are asking us to do. And what our members are asking us to do is train their people and help develop relationships between themselves and the manufacturers.” ~Kevin Higginbotham Imagine running a company and having to answer to 58 bosses. As CEO of Evergreen Marketing Group, that’s Kevin Higgenbotham’s daily reality. I sat down with Kevin to find out how this cooperative of independent distributors works and what strategies Evergreen uses to promote long-term member success. You get the feeling that Kevin's heard this question before: Why would a contractor come to an Evergreen distributor member versus anybody else?  As someone who started with the Texas-based cooperative twenty-five years ago, he’s quick with the answer. “Because of the quality of the people. So as you walk into an Evergreen location, a branch, the people behind the counter know what they’re talking about.”  That’s on-brand for the group.  Unlike other collectives, Evergreen’s focus isn’t on buying product; it’s motivated by a desire to foster professional growth amongst members. Their approach is all-encompassing. Training and education, business development, and manufacturer partnerships. Evergreen delivers with product knowledge sessions and their Planning For Profit program.  “[Planning For Profit] gets the distributors at the local level and the manufacturers’ reps at the local and national levels together to honestly talk through, “how do we work together to grow the business?”  Does the program meet member expectations? Kevin says Evergreen’s data doesn’t lie. “I’ve been able to demonstrate over time...hey, this is worth your time.’” *** 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. Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbader/ Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-higginbotham-3807a84/ *** Kevin shared a few tips from the Planning for Profit playbook.  The first is simple: Always do what you say you’re going to do -- on both the distributor and the manufacturer side.  Second: Write everything down. Whatever that looks like to you -- pen and paper or a notes app -- just jot it down because you’re more likely to get it done.  His third tip is for manufacturers: Understand the nuances between clients. Even in a collective, customer A is not the same as customer B.  Lastly: Set aside time in October or November for a thorough year ahead planning session -- then check in with your progress the first week of April. “The worst thing to do is continue to execute a plan that’s not working and then to not know that it’s not working until the third quarter.” Wise words whether you’re a large distributor or a small one.  Want an in depth look at how Evergreen’s model works? Listen in as Kevin and I break down the details and get dig deeper into Planning For Profit.  Bonus reading suggestion for your management bookshelf: Working At Cross Purposes by Mike Marks.

30 episodes. Thousands of unique downloads. Dozens of interesting guests. Listeners in upwards of 30 different countries. It’s been an amazing first year for Distribution Talk. I’m genuinely grateful for your support and your continued interest. Thank you! As for this installment, I’ve opted to go solo with a question: do you own a business or a job? As the year, the decade, draws to a close, there’s no better time to see how you score. So, what’s the difference between the two? A job requires you to be there (physically as well as mentally) in order for the operation to run smoothly -- or at all. You’re the engine that drives every aspect of the day-to-day, from sales to administration. If you were to take a few weeks off to travel the world, your company would flounder or worse. A business, on the other hand, is set up to run efficiently and effectively should you step away for a month on a well-earned sabbatical. If the latter sounds impossible, hear me out. Not only does adopting a business mindset allow you to enjoy what you’ve built but doing so also prepares your company for a profitable sale (if or when that time comes).  *** 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. Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbader *** Experience has shown me that the litmus test for business vs job holds true whether we’re talking about small family companies or organizations operating in the millions of dollars range. And the essential element for both is the same: build a great team.  If there’s one piece of advice I’ve heard over and over again from DT guests it’s surround yourself with knowledgeable people. Ask yourself if you’re merely filling a vacancy or recruiting talent for your company’s future. Recruiting talent is an ongoing process, one that’s conducted even when there’s no position to fill...yet. If you’ve recruited the talent but still find yourself with a job, ask yourself if you’re training them with an eye toward the future or directing them into stagnation and complacency.  Critically assess your style. Path-centric micromanaging exhausts your attention and is a poor use of employee resources. Adopting a more goal-focused approach and ceding absolute control allows your team to grow in confidence and skill, ultimately creating the sustainability that supports time away and attracts interested buyers. So how and where do you start? If you’ve listened for a while, you’ve come to rely on this podcast as a genuine resource for practical ideas; 30 episodes worth of conversations with thought leaders, consultants, and distribution business owners just like you. If you need guidance, I hope you consider reaching out to me. Assisting distribution clients get there is both my profession and my passion. Here’s to a bright, self-sustainable 2020! Have a wonderful holiday. http://www.distributiontalk.com

“Well, I think it’s the author Jim Collins that talks about two business models: the genius with a thousand helpers model versus a solid management team. And, you know, when you’re a genius with a thousand helpers, you have nothing to sell because when you walk out the door, the business is worthless.” ~Jim Sobeck Jim Sobeck, CEO of New South Construction Supply out of Greenville, South Carolina, is a long-range thinker whose ideas have consistently placed him well ahead of the market. And, he’s got a way with words! We had the kind of conversation that makes you want to lean in and take notes. “I was kicked off allowance at age 12 and had to start working in the warehouse sweeping.” So begins the story of how Jim got his start in the business, sweeping, loading trucks, and doing anything and everything a boy could do in his father’s construction company.  After college, he made his way to Chicago and eventually Dallas. “I had the sales and marketing responsibility over six branches of Owens Corning, about $125 million of P-and-L responsibility at age 23. You know, you either grow or die when you’re thrown into the deep end of the pool at that age.”  Grow he did. At 29, he got into the computer software business for lumberyards and contractors. He went on to grow that company into a $30 million business which he sold fifteen years later during the height of the internet bubble for a “ridiculous” amount.  Today, his company New South Construction Supply has nine outlets, most with rebar fabrication shops in house, with locations in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. “What I love about it the most,” he says about the business, “[is] we all learned in school there were only three needs: food, clothing, and shelter. Everything else is a want. And so, it’s not a fad business. It’s not a hula hoop. It’s not a pet rock. People will always need shelter, so it’s never going to go out of style. And I love that.”  *** 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. Connect with Jason on LinkedIn. Connect with Jim on LinkedIn. *** He also loves finding new ways to sell smarter, often years ahead of his competition. In once instance, Jim championed an app rollout that his son was less keen on. “I said, I don’t care if anyone uses the app... I don’t want to be late to the party.” Last year, New South reached a goal of 22,000 orders via their mobile app. Jim is equally canny in his ability to successfully manage acquisition outcomes. By his count, he’s purchased eight companies on his own and several more in his days with the software firm.  “Most acquisitions that fail failed due to a poor cultural fit,” he says, recalling a study which marked the failure rate as high as 72%. “The most important thing by far is the cultural fit. That’s the thing I always look for. You know, do we mesh?”  Beyond culture, he’s unwavering in his stance that audited financials are the only financials worth reviewing in an acquisition. “I was schooled by one of my early mentors: Run it like you’re going to sell it.”  To that end, he also advises companies worth more than $5 million to put together a board -- and to pay attention to their advice. “Why not surround yourself with five other people that are smarter than you and shut up and listen!” That’s my cue to step aside so you can listen in. Jim is one of the smarter people in the business. In fact, he wrote the book on it: The Real Business 101: Lessons From The Trenches.   If you’re in need of tips for successfully navigating a branch expansion, an acquisition, or a generational transition, Jim’s the man with well-tested plans.

“At some point, we have to have a real assessment of whether these [social media] platforms are giving us what we want. And, the truth is, the more time you spend on them, the less happy people are.” ~Curt Steinhorst Can I have your attention? You’ve probably got a million things (besides this episode of DT) vying for your notice. And I’ll bet you’re trying to devote fragments of time to all of them -- often all at once.  Curt Steinhorst is a coach, speaker, and author who’s literally wrote the book on how the infinite distractions of a fast-paced world are harming our psyche as well as our productivity. He offers simple, thoughtful strategies for regaining our focus - without ditching our tech. “What you pay attention to, you become.” That’s especially astute commentary coming from someone who was diagnosed with ADD as a child. It’s no wonder that corporations and individuals seek Curt’s positive, practical assistance to help them curtail attention deficits.  Rather than wholesale dismantling of social media feeds or strict adherence to inbox zero, he’s developed methods to minimize distractions and promote the natural human tendency toward inquisitiveness. “We are wired for curiosity,” he says. “The base system of attention in our brain is that we’re wired to seek out and explore new things. Uncover something that’s interesting. Focus on it until something else comes about. So, we’re not really made to just zoom in and focus efficiently, perfectly all the time.” *** 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. Connect with Jason on LinkedIn. Connect with Curt on LinkedIn. *** As we bounce from checking email to reading an influencer’s piece on LinkedIn to hopping on Slack for the latest project update and back again to that inbox, we’re constantly circling, never landing.  “We’re consuming about 500% the amount of information as someone in 1990 was. We simply can’t process that. No one can process that. So we react by filtering arbitrarily.”  The key to meaningful filtering, says Curt, is personal (or organizational) assessment. “It’s critical that we step back and ask the question how can I put the things in place that will support me focusing on what it is that I actually care about?”  Curt relies on three effective filters to help him sort through the day’s never ending data. The first is space -- setting up the physical places that are for particular work. “If you can literally say there’s certain places that I’m going to do only certain things [in], then we call that sacred places in various forms.”  The second, and rather obvious, filter is technology itself -- but Curt points out that many of us fail to set even the simplest notification or inbox parameters.  The third is people -- utilizing your admin, your co-workers, your boss to minimize distractions, making you more productive as a result.  Ultimately, productivity thrives when humans are aware of their limitations and set boundaries to harness what is valuable..“I think we just have to realize technology is different than us and give ourselves a chance to just be very limited but excellent as a function of that.”  Easier said than done? Not if you listen in and you’ll learn more about Curt’s favorite filters, his book Can I Have Your Attention, and his company, FocusWise Inc. 

“I never thought that I would be here 36 years later having worked in this industry as a woman, but I love it. I feel totally blessed. I love everybody I work with. Not every day is a great day or an easy day, but it's worked... it's been so good for my family. ” ~Michelle Shearer-Rodriguez If you’ve listened to this show for a while (and, I know you have!)you've no doubt heard many guests reminisce on their formative years in the family business. My guest Michelle Shearer-Rodriguez, president of Shearer Supply, can relate; she’s held every job at the company her father started in the mid-80s. That insight has proven valuable as she preps the next generation for success with her servant-style leadership -- whether they’re blood relatives or not. Michelle’s enthusiasm for the multi-generation company she heads extends well beyond the 13 family members currently working at Shearer. She’s passionate about getting people into roles where they can succeed -- for their own good as well as that of the business. She’s fervently commitment to staff education and takes advantage of support from HARDI, among others, to expand on the company’s own in-house training.  *** 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. Connect with Jason on LinkedIn. Connect with Michelle on LinkedIn. *** Michelle genuinely enjoys encouraging her team and creating space for them to grow. “Half of having your own business is putting the right person on the right seat on the right bus.” She’s noticed a lot of companies focusing all of their right person/right place spotlight on outside sales. She’d like to see more attention paid to branch managers and the job (or, rather, jobs) they do to support success. “You know, we hear a lot from our outside sales people...every single one of them would tell you that they can work for years on a customer, get a customer, and they can lose that customer overnight if that branch loads the wrong piece of equipment or you know, delivers short, something like that,” she says. “My philosophy is: there's inside [sales], there's outside sales and no one trumps the other.” There’s also a dozen blood relatives working alongside the hundreds of employees who want to be a part of the Shearer Supply family because of the company’s commitment to its people. As for the future, Michelle’s thrilled that her three children have taken on roles in the family business. They’ve brought with them fresh knowledge and experiences as well as an enthusiasm for the business which is rubbing off on their friends. “The people that we've been hiring, they’re people they went to college with. They never heard of heating and air conditioning and their coming into our industry. So I'm excited about that part. I think that is so cool!” Listen in to find out what else Millennials are bringing to the business, learn which character traits Michelle has dubbed the 3Es, and get a bonus book recommendation Ego Is The Enemy.

“Friends in the rep business are very important. I mean, from acquiring lines to sharing best practices, it's not just one guy and in one territory. There's a bunch of people that know each other and work together.” ~Dave Wright This episode is 30 years in the making. That’s how long I’ve known Dave Wright, president of WG Wright & Associates. In that time, the company has transformed from a manufacturer’s rep to a wholesale distributor and private label. Having covered the business from so many angles over the decades, you can bet this show ticks a bunch of boxes--past, present, and future. “We started as a manufacturer’s rep, solely working out of my dad’s garage.” It’s a common origin story: a garage, a guy, and a desire to build something good. But, unlike so many failed or consolidated shops, WG Wright has defied the odds, adding new chapters by differentiating itself from the competition, then diversifying to outlast them. *** 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. Connect with Jason on LinkedIn. Connect with Dave on LinkedIn. *** “It was through our processes of understanding what’s needed in the market and do what we could to fill it,” Dave says of the company’s early decision to move from manufacturer’s rep to stocking inventory. Today, the company has, in his words, a whole bunch of different things happening within their menu of services.  The cost of keeping inventory on hand is a hot topic. Customers get used to finding certain items on you shelves so when a manufacturer decides they’re no longer interested in consigned inventory, you’ve got to punt. “They came to us and said, ‘Hey...we need you to become a wholesaler. Put a program together.’ So, we did.”  They followed that decision up with Mighty Tie cable tie line, their foray into manufacturing a USA-made branded product. “It’s been a fun little product line,” says Dave. Price, performance, inside sales, taxes. We unpack a lot in this episode. One of the most interesting was high emotion, low margin sales. Take cable ties for example.. “It’s a thing you have, you know? No one cares about it…,” Dave says. “It’s a pretty easy thing to sell. It’s a good commodity item...and most importantly, it’s not emotional. If you try and sell a job box or a ladder, oh my gosh! You know how emotional those things get?”  Taxes are another emotional subject -- and getting more so, from what Dave’s witnessed. “States like Washington are coming back and taxing companies that ship into Washington. California is notorious for it.’ He’s not blinking yet. WG Wright has weathered storms since 1977. Want to know how they’ve done it? Listen in for Dave’s insight on specification work, consolidation, Millennial buyers, and more.

“Ninety-nine percent of distribution sales people are going to tell me their purpose is to make a sale, right? I think they're wrong. The purpose of the world’s top-producing sales organizations is to identify and then satisfy our customer’s needs profitably.” ~Dirk Beveridge By definition, innovate means to make advantageous changes to something established. My guest Dirk Beveridge, founder of UnleashWD and president of Beveridge Consulting Group (aka Leadership Today), wrote the book (literally) on how distributors can create new methods and drive success even in challenging times. Our conversation is packed with must listen material, the kind of anecdotes, tips, and resources for which Dirk receives hefty retainers as a sought-after keynote speaker. *** 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. Connect with Jason on LinkedIn. Connect with Dirk on LinkedIn.  *** “I did it absolutely wrong,” Dirk says of his path to becoming one of the foremost authorities on innovation. He created his first UnleashedWD Innovation Summit without any idea of what truly innovation meant. “If I would’ve done it right, I would’ve done the research and wrote the book first and then [held] the summit.”  Happy accidents aside, Innovate! How Successful Distributors Lead Change In Disruptive Times, is a must-read as it lays out a model for remaining sustainable and profitable. He urges readers to focus on vision, culture, value proposition, business model, and leadership with a beginner’s mindset, the theory that by setting aside years (decades...generations) of preconceptions, your business can thrive while others are still running their distributorships the same way they did years (decades...generations) ago.  “I’m your guy to get people in the room to rethink what it means to break that same mousetrap” He’s also the guy  to get teams acquainted with what sets their business apart from the competition. “It comes down to product, service and relationships. [But] all three of those things have become commoditized.”  It’s not just sameness that’s threatening growth. It’s the fear surrounding succession planning and the inertia that breeds. “I think the number one disruptive force that distribution is going to be facing...is this tsunami of presidents, owners, CEOs who are going to be transitioning the business to the next generation in the next three to ten years.”  He’s observed aging companies firsthand and understands how improper planning affects their chances for survival. That’s why Dirk’s passionate about his new program. My Life’s Work is an executive coaching system created specifically to guide businesses through this major leadership change. “We’ve developed a success path,” he says of his three-year curriculum. Members meet quarterly to work on all aspects of their plan. When they graduate, they take with them a unique formula for their company. “If the business is going to be prepared for that transition, we have to focus on purpose. We have to focus on aligning around a strategic plan. We have to focus on growth of capabilities personally and the company. And we have to focus on making long-term decisions and investments.”  Ultimately, Dirk’s goal is for participants to approach their company’s next chapter with a beginner’s mindset, to be open to new ideas, and engage in transparent conversations. That’s how you leave a meaningful, lasting legacy. That’s how we set the next generation up to lead change in disruptive times.  Ready to launch your legacy, check out the inaugural My Life’s Work session on January 16, 2020. Ready to for more great insight from Dirk? Listen in as we discuss ways to add more value to your business and find out about his work with National Association of Wholesale Distributors.    

“You can’t chase every single need, but when there’s a consistency from one contractor or one customer to the other, that becomes an opportunity. And if there’s a trust that you have built, the opportunity turns into profitability.” ~Jeff Peterson, Geneva Supply, Inc. How does an affable guy who started out in the liquor industry become a leader in e-commerce strategy and fulfillment? When you meet Jeff Peterson, CEO and co-founder of Geneva Supply, Inc. out of Delavan, WI, the answer is clear: How could he not?!   “I always wanted to own a sports bar…” And with that, Jeff’s deep into the story of his unorthodox route into distribution. Although the twists and turns are many, the common throughline is his undeniable skill at building relationships.  After selling the bar, Jeff went searching for his next challenge when the opportunity found him. “One of the guys that I knew, I was helping manage his band and he was the Greenlee Textron rep for Wisconsin…” That connection lead to a sales job with a family-owned tool distributorship and Jeff soon found himself driving to job sites in a company pickup truck selling items to contractors that he himself had no idea how to use. “Within six months, I ended up being the number two outside salesperson for this company.”   Jeff’s ability to balance his inexperience with honesty in those early years made all the difference in his career. “I think the reason was because I went in there and asked a ton of questions and when they [contractors] asked me questions, I was honest with them. When I didn’t have an answer, I followed up with them.” It’s a simple but crucial effort he credits with his success. “You don’t have to be the smartest person in the room...but you’ve got to be the smartest person knowing they need an answer.” He became so adept at finding answers that the family-owned distributorship he helped grow had no choice but to fire him and his future business partner. Once again, however, the relationships he nurtured while working for someone else came through to form the foundation for what is now Geneva Supply.  These days, Jeff’s still the guy finding answers and providing strategies for his clients e-commerce distribution challenges. Geneva has flourished as a one-stop shop for building brand strategy and supply chain infrastructure. “I was just telling our team this morning...Geneva Supply is a marketing company that does logistics.” The company’s gearing up to expand beyond the coasts, giving Jeff more opportunities to cultivate relationships internationally.  Listen in to find out how Jeff got Geneva Supply up and running in a day (there’s an airplane hanger involved!) and what’s next for e-commerce. *** 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. Connect with Jason on LinkedIn. Connect with Jeff on LinkedIn.