Distribution Talk

"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 wi...

"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...

"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 someon...

"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 environment...

"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, Jaso...

"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...

"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 m...

"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...

"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...

"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-...

"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...

"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 di...

"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...

"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 d...

"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...

"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 name...

"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 t...

"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...

"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 th...

"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,...

"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 t...

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...

"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...

"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 furth...

"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...