LBM Talks

The social media algorithms are constantly changing, giving them the mystique of being unknowable. But the fact is, they are understandable, and despite their changing nature, their purpose generally remains the same. Tune into this solo episode for information on what algorithms are, how they operate on different platforms, and how you can harness them. Leave a comment with your thoughts or conta...

This week's guest on LBM Talks Credit is  Kelly Franklin . Kelly is a former Credit Manager and the current President of  Building Material Suppliers Association  (BMSA). This episode explores Kelly's journey as a Credit Manager, the challenges and lessons she learned in that role, her opportunity to pivot with BMSA, and how her skills as a Credit Manager apply to her new role. Wherever yo...

Dave Ables is the Owner and President of  Tri-County Lumber Company , located in Clearwater, MN. Dave has nearly 30 years of experience in the trucking industry, 10 in hardware stores, and he is a consistent user of LinkedIn. Dave believes LinkedIn is a tool that can expand and improve his business through his network of connections. In this episode, Dave shares how he got his start on LinkedIn; i...

This episode of LBM Talks Credit is all about Credit Insurance. Thea is joined by Joe Ketzner, Regional Vice President, and Bobby Williams, Vice President of Business Information Sales, from  Coface , a global credit insurance company. This episode includes information about what credit insurance is, how it works, and implementation mistakes to avoid. Reach out to Joe at joseph.ketzner@coface.com/...

In this episode, Sally is joined by Zach O'Brien, a fellow content marketer and social media manager. Zach is the Founder of Active NorCal , Northern California's Outdoor Magazine, providing news and features on outdoor lifestyles. In addition to growing Active NorCal's social media following to 200,000+ since its founding, Zach is the Head of Content for  Niche Media ; coordinates social media co...

This episode of LBM Talks Credit features Amy Wallace and Alex Petrin from Wallace Building Center . After outsourcing their Credit Management for several years, Alex and Amy took this department in-house two years ago. In this episode, they share why they made the change; how they did it; and how it's going two years later. Tune in to hear their story. Reach out to Amy at amy@wallacebuildingc...

In this episode of LBM Talks Social Media,  Amy Smiley , VP of Marketing & PR at  84 Lumber , shared the mentality and tactics that took them from their small social media presence in 2016 to roughly 700,000 followers on all their platforms combined in 2025. Key points Amy shared include the Super Bowl ad that skyrocketed their brand awareness, how innovation and remaining digitally current co...

In this episode of LBM Talks Credit, Thea shares multiples ways to act when a customer ghosts you. There's persistence, mechanics liens, Little Miller Act, small claims court, and more. If you've ever gotten ghosted by a customer right when you need them the most, you're not alone. Learn some new strategies in this episode then leave us a comment about a time you got ghosted. Contact Thea with any...

Beth PopNikolov  is the CEO of  Venveo , a digital marketing agency that serves the LBM industry. In this episode, Beth discusses the importance of social media in our digital age, which content formats perform best on different platforms, content ideas for LBM dealers, and why individuals in your company should be utilizing LinkedIn. Tune in to this episode if you want to a better understanding o...

In this episode, Thea Dudley and Maureen Brennan break down the content of a recent article by  CreditSafe  titled  "Why Tariffs Require CFOs to Reshape Working Capital Strategies."  Thea and Maureen discuss how current tariffs could affect your business and how to be proactive in protecting your company. Please send all podcast inquiries to thea@creditoverlord.com. Get in touch with Mau...

In this episode, Sally is joined by TJ Shaheen, Executive VP of Builders' General, who shared his executive level perspective on the value of social media for LBM dealers. TJ discussed how social media is a great tool to affordably increase brand awareness and it's potential for LBM dealers to connect with each other. He also shared information about their recent video series that served both thei...

The LBM industry has been described as an "underserved industry" by technology companies who are now flooding to the scene. Today, there are several options to choose from when shopping for a software to help streamline your operations. In this episode, Thea shares her own experiences with the different options and what it takes to successfully choose one. Let us know what you think in the comment...

Samantha Post, Co-Owner of T and M Hardware, was invited to be on LBM Talks Social Media because of her personable and transparent approach to running her company's Instagram account. It's not often you see the individuals of a business take to their company's social media, which is the reason Samantha stood out. By using social media to communicate, Samantha has built trust with her c...

Succession planning is for more than just the Owner of a company, it's essential to the well being of all departments. Thea is joined by Sam Brownell, Founder and CEO of Stratus Business Advisors, to discuss why departmental succession planning can fall through the cracks, how individuals can be empowered during the retirement process, what steps the individual and owner need to take to achiev...

This week, LBM Talks Social Media welcomes Ryan McAnally, Marketing and Communications Manager, and Sallie Keene Denton, Marketing Specialist, from Wilson Lumber Company, LBM Journal's 2025 Dealer of the Year (category: $100MM+). The insights shared in this episode include how social media fits into their digital marketing strategy, how marketers can measure social ROI, the content creation proces...

Thea Dudley, also known as the Credit Overlord, writes a monthly Credit Q&A column for LBM Journal. Because she receives multiple questions every month, many are not featured in the magazine. LBM Talks Social Media is now the place where these additional questions get answered. Enjoy another episode of The Column Comes Alive. Thea's monthly column: https://lbmjournal.com/author/theadudley/...

Thom Cafaro is the Director of Marketing and Sales at Arnold Lumber Company. Arnold Lumber Company was named a 2025 Dealer of the Year by LBM Journal for many reasons, one being their knack for innovation. Take for example their latest YouTube series "Breaking Ground," a show that marries their builders and suppliers by documenting different stages of the homebuilding process. Sally and Thom discu...

If you have ever found yourself in a cycle of burnout, this podcast is for you. Nicole Hicks was a credit manager in the LBM industry for approximately 20 years. Last November, she made a change and is now a Career Ownership Coach at The Entrepreneur's Source. In this episode, Thea and Nicole discuss how stressful the credit manager profession can be, Nicole's journey out of the industry, how to m...

Patrick Kenefick, Marketing Coordinator at Cape Cod Lumber, joins this episode of LBM Talks Social Media. Sally and Patrick discuss how CCL uses TikTok, the chaos that comes with creating and managing content, ways to get more organized, Instagram's collaboration feature, and more. If you're interested in learning how social media is useful for businesses, check out this short episode. Dur...

There are many factors to consider when making a new hire. Do they understand the job? Do they fit our culture? Are they here to stay or just gain experience? Rodney Schwab is the Regional Vice President at Professional Alternatives, the nation’s largest recruitment and consulting firm specializing exclusively in commercial credit, collections and risk management. In this episode, Rodney and Thea...

Caitlin Stone and Chris Roelandts work together to create content for and manage Big C Lumber's social media accounts. Both have full time jobs with the company, but recognized the opportunity to do more with social media and took on the effort together.  With 16 locations, these two cover a lot of ground when highlighting their Big C Lumber online. By focusing on their employees, company culture,...

In this episode, Thea urges you to ask yourself what your breaking point is when it comes to filing liens. Tune into this short episode to get Thea's advice on when and how to go about this process. For all podcast related inquiries, contact thea@creditoverlord.com.

Today, Sally is joined by John Perna, President/CEO, and Jon Jacob, VP of Business Development, from Hamilton Building Supply. Odds are you've seen Hamilton Building Supply on social media through their humorous vertical videos, which is why we needed to chat with them. In this episode, John and Jon share when and why Hamilton started utilizing social media, the decisions they made that led them t...

In this episode, Thea is joined by Janet Hammel. Janet and Thea met at LBM Strategies 2024 where she was accompanying her husband who works for Morsches Builders Mart. With Janet's unique connections to both credit and the LBM industry, Thea insisted she join her on the podcast. Janet shares advice on protecting your business from fraud. She shares that there is not one action you can take, bu...

In this episode, Sadie Hoyt, Marketing Specialist at Dakota County Lumber located in Farmington MN, shares the story of when and why her company decided to hire someone new to manage their presence on social media. Sadie also shares who her company targets on social media, what kind of content they make and why, and advice for LBM dealers aspiring to get started. We hope you enjoy this episode. Be...