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Sandra Oh Lin walked away from running eBay's fashion business in 2011 to pack craft boxes in her garage. She raised just $11 million in total - and never needed another dollar. KiwiCo has now shipped over 50 million crates, crossed $1 billion in lifetime revenue, runs profitably since 2016, and operates with a team of under 150. The standard DTC playbook says outsource fulfillment, buy every customer with paid ads, and burn cash until you exit. Sandra broke all three rules and built one of the most capital-efficient consumer subscription businesses ever created. In this interview, the founder and CEO of KiwiCo breaks down the two-word churn survey answer that unlocked profitability, why she's run her own warehouse for 14 years instead of using a 3PL, and how 70% of her traffic costs almost nothing. What you'll learn in this interview: • How she went from 19 crates taking five people all day - to 50 million shipped • Why she ran her own warehouse for 14 years instead of outsourcing - and why it crushed competitors every Christmas • The two words buried in churn surveys that led to launching three new subscription lines at once • How all three new lines sold out at the 2014 holiday launch - and drew a direct line to their first profitable month • Why 70% of KiwiCo's traffic costs almost nothing - and what those channels actually are • How a website going horribly wrong led her to recruit the first engineer at YouTube as co-founder • The motivation spreadsheet: why every team member distributes 100 points across what actually drives them • How the "graduation" mechanic turns developmental churn into a moment of delight • Why she raised less than $11 million total while building a nine-figure business • How she's revamping four subscription lines, expanding into retail, and launching internationally for the first time If you're building a subscription brand, trying to grow a capital-efficient DTC business without burning through VC cash, or looking for the playbook behind what 14 years of relentless operational discipline actually looks like, this conversation will fundamentally change how you think about retention, fulfillment, and what it means to build a business that doesn't need to be sold. SAVE 50% ON OMNISEND FOR 3 MONTHS Get 50% off your first 3 months of email and SMS marketing with Omnisend with the code FOUNDR50. Just head to https://your.omnisend.com/foundr to get started. WANT TO GROW YOUR BRAND WITH META ADS? Join the Foundr Operators Waitlist → https://foundr.com/operators HOW WE CAN HELP YOU SCALE YOUR BUSINESS FASTER Learn directly from 7, 8 & 9-figure founders inside Foundr+ Start your $1 trial → https://www.foundr.com/startdollartrial PREFER A CUSTOM ROADMAP AND 1-ON-1 COACHING? → Starting from scratch? Apply here → https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-start-application → Already have a store? Apply here → https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-growth-application CONNECT WITH NATHAN CHAN Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/nathanchan LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanhchan/ CONNECT WITH SANDRA OH LIN Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/kiwico_inc/ LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandralin/ Website → https://www.kiwico.com/ FOLLOW FOUNDR FOR MORE BUSINESS GROWTH STRATEGIES YouTube → https://bit.ly/2uyvzdt Website → https://www.foundr.com Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/foundr/ Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/foundr Twitter → https://www.twitter.com/foundr LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/foundr/ Podcast → https://www.foundr.com/podcast
Today's conversation is for anyone who has ever looked around their home, their studio, or their storage unit and thought: “we officially have too much inventory and we are running out of space.” Today we're talking about what happens when your business starts to outgrow your space and how to know when it might be time to make a move. Whether you're currently packing orders from your dining room table, juggling multiple storage units, or debating if a warehouse or even a 3PL is the step for your business, then this episode is going to highlight some options for you. I'm joined by two guests, returning guest Jodi Kostelnik of The Neighborgoods, who shares candidly about her experience moving from a multiple floor studio space into a warehouse space that was much better suited for supporting her team, her inventory and her business's growth. Jodi is a longtime Proof to Product member and a Paper Camp alum, and she shares generously in this episode like she has before.We're also joined by Samantha Rubenstein of WareSpace, a company creating flexible warehouse solutions that are specifically designed for small businesses and specifically designed for product brands that are shipping and storing inventory. We talk about the operational bottlenecks that happen as a product brand grows, the shifts in mindset that come with investing more money in space and logistics, and the practical considerations around things like cost, logistics, staffing, and general scale. One of the things I really appreciate about this conversation is that it highlights something I talk about a lot here on the podcast, that there is no one specific way to grow your business. There's no one specific roadmap to follow for success. Different businesses need different solutions and have different challenges. Today's episode highlights what has worked for Jodi as she has grown.I love that she's sharing the different things that she's done along the way to help her business grow even faster. If you have been feeling squeezed by your current setup or you're wondering what's next in your stage of growth, what that might look like for your brand, then I think today's episode will give you a lot to think about. If you would like to set up a tour of WareSpace locations in your city, head to http://prooftoproduct.com/warespace. Proof to Product listeners can get 2 months free rent when they sign a 12 month lease agreement if you use our link. Today's episode is brought to you by our Is Wholesale Right for You workshop! This free 25 minute workshop will help you decide whether wholesale is a good next step for your specific business. After listening, two things will be true. You'll know whether you want to pursue wholesale for your product business, and you'll have the confidence and action steps to get started with wholesale. Sign up for the workshop today!SIGN UPYou can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/448This episode contains affiliate links. You can view our affiliate disclaimer here.Quick Links:Free Wholesale Audio SeriesFree Resources LibraryFree Email Marketing for Product MakersPTP LABSPaper Camp
Retailers quietly deduct three to five percent of a brand's invoice for compliance mistakes that have nothing to do with the product itself: a label an inch out of place, a carton that breaks the routing guide, a shipping notice the retailer's scanner can't read. Across the US that's roughly $40 billion a year, and it comes off the top line, not the cost line. You made the product, you shipped it, and you simply don't get paid for part of it.Rick Watson sits down with Elle Smyth, cofounder and CEO of RetailReady, and Art Nimbley, IT Director at Pierre Fabre USA, to work the chargeback problem from both sides. Ellie built an AI-native compliance platform that ingests the 399-page Walmart routing guide so warehouse operators don't have to memorize it. Art rolled it out during a 3PL switch and watched technical chargebacks fall to near zero on the very first order.They get into what a routing guide actually is, why an ASN transmitted at 12:55 and 55 seconds still isn't always enough, how one Pierre Fabre employee was losing 40 hours a month building shipping notices by hand, and why Art keeps challenging billion-dollar retailers when he's convinced they're wrong. He's three for three so far. If you sell into retail and you've been writing off chargebacks as the cost of doing business, this conversation is worth your time.The Watson Weekly interview is sponsored by Radial and Avalara.
Building an Art-Led eCommerce Fashion Brand: Kyall & Maku Fenaroli on Maku The LabelIn this episode, Ryan sits down with Kyall and Maku Fenaroli, the husband-and-wife team behind Maku The Label, an art-centric fashion brand that's gone from Maku painting designs on blank t-shirts to landing David Jones as a stockist, all in under 18 months.Maku spent over a decade in finance before turning her lifelong passion for art into a business. Kyall left a career as a plumber and general manager in construction to run the operations side full-time. Together they've built a brand defined by original artwork, rapid organic growth, and a willingness to make big, fast calls, including ripping up their entire fulfilment model mid-flight.This one's a masterclass in scrappy growth, knowing when to change your model, and what it actually takes to go from side hustle to major retail partner.From side hustle to Style Runner in four monthsMaku started printing her art on blank tees with zero branding, just a decision to stop buying t-shirts she didn't love. Four months later they landed Style Runner, their first major stockist, before either of them had heard of an SSCC barcode.Why they walked away from print-on-demandPrint-on-demand gave Maku total creative flexibility (paint today, sell tomorrow), but it was killing customer experience with two-week delivery windows and mispicked orders. After a rough Black Friday period exposed the gap, they moved to a 3PL and in-stock model in a matter of months.The real cost of switching to held stockKyall breaks down what changes when you go from print-on-demand to holding inventory: deposits on stock six months out, a five-to-nine month cash conversion cycle, and having to plan collections over a year in advance. Maku is already painting for August 2027.Contribution margin over vanity revenueKyall's biggest lesson from the last 18 months: understanding gross margin, delivered margin, and contribution profit, not just top-line revenue. He talks candidly about how much of the "guru" advice in eCommerce ignores what it actually costs to get a sale to break-even.Wholesale lessons from Style Runner and David JonesMaku credits Style Runner for patiently teaching them the basics of wholesale (barcodes, dispatch windows, systems) before they stepped up to David Jones, where the same requirements come with far less flexibility.Personalised influencer gifting that actually gets sharedMaku's approach to influencer seeding isn't a mail-merge, it's DM'ing people directly, matching values and aesthetic, and adding a genuinely personal touch (a hand-painted portrait for Alana Hadid, a custom tee tied to Celeste Barber's own brand). The result: organic shares from influencers with audiences in the hundreds of thousands to over a million.Pulling back from paid ads toward organic and IRLAfter ramping up Meta and Google ads over the past year, the pair are consciously shifting back toward the organic-first strategy that built the brand, including real-world events they say outperform equivalent ad spend.New York Fashion Week, twiceMaku The Label is heading back to New York in September for NYFW, running a gifting suite with PR agency Kate & Co. and exploring a possible pop-up retail space alongside other Australian brands.What's next: the Australian designer categoryMaku's goal is to move the brand firmly into ready-to-wear and the Australian designer space, with the US identified as the next major growth market for both DTC and wholesale.Links & MentionsMaku The LabelStyle RunnerDavid JonesKate & Co. PRNew York Fashion Week (September)Yotpo: Amazing Women in eCommerce retreatHumble Brag's retreat
If you've ever felt like you're working yourself into the ground and still going backwards, this episode is going to hit home. Andrea York runs Catch the Fire Worship Flags — a completely handmade, hyper-niche business — and just one year ago she was having her lowest revenue quarter ever, emotionally done, and seriously questioning her life choices. By the end of that same year, she had her highest revenue quarter ever, outsourced manufacturing, and moved to a 3PL… all things she thought were impossible. Listen in and learn: How to stop flying blind and get brutally honest about your numbers The difference between a strategic plan and a to-do list (hint – only one of them will move the needle) Why outside feedback was key to getting the clarity she needed to move onward and upward In the end, Andrea had built a business that's easy to run, or…if she chooses, easy to sell. RELATED LINKS: Get on the Inner Circle waitlist here: https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/inner-circle-membership From stressed to confident. An inside look at a 2 year transformation https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/from-stressed-to-confident-an-inside-look-at-a-2-year-transformation-episode-227 The one thing even smart Business owners continue to get wrong https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/the-one-thing-even-smart-business-owners-continue-to-get-wrong-episode-174 Strategies from my Mastermind [part 1] https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/growth-strategies-from-my-mastermind-part-1-episode-151 Strategies from my Mastermind [part 2] https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/growth-strategies-from-my-mastermind-part-2-episode-152 ------------------- Stop wondering if you're "doing it right" and learn how to grow your sales in a consistent, predictable way. Spend 40 minutes with me in this eye opening workshop, and you'll leave with a few simple steps that will grow your sales next month. Find a time that works for you, and register here: https://watch.thesocialsalesgirls.com/s/77wKvQ "Insightful, actionable and engaging! I learn so much every single time I listen. I can't believe this information is free" - If you feel like this too, I'd love it if you would leave us a review. Reviewing the show will help us reach even more store owners, so we can help the grow their sales. Click here, scroll down, tap to rate with 5 stars and select "Write a review". Let us know what you find most helpful about the podcast!
This is not a growth hack. It is not going to go viral on a Twitter thread. But I genuinely believe it is one of the highest leverage things you can do for your brand right now, and most founders never do it properly because it is not exciting. Here is what a mentor told me years ago that I keep coming back to: a dollar saved is a dollar earned. And depending on your margins, that dollar saved is probably worth $1.30 or $1.40 on the bottom line. In this episode, I walk you through a full line by line expense audit covering every major cost area in a typical e-commerce business, the same process we have run at Foundr that has saved us tens of thousands of dollars a month. Here's what you'll take away: Why the average growing Shopify store is paying for 15 to 30 apps but actively using only eight of them, and how to fix that fast How to negotiate your SaaS tools, 3PL rates, merchant fees, and supplier costs in ways most founders never think to try Why agency retainers are one of the most expensive line items you can cut, and what to build in-house instead How to use AI and Claude Code to replace tools and creative spend that is quietly draining your budget every month The Meta ads Net 30 arrangement that can make a significant difference to your cash flow if you are spending at scale Why businesses waste an average of 26% of their marketing budget on campaigns that are not performing, and where to redirect it If your margins are tighter than they should be or you have not done a proper audit in the last six months, this episode will show you exactly where to look and what to do about it. If you're loving this solo series, I'd love to hear your feedback. Email me directly at nathan@foundr.com — I read every reply. Hope you enjoy it. WANT TO GROW YOUR BRAND WITH META ADS? Join the Foundr Operators Waitlist → https://foundr.com/operators HOW WE CAN HELP YOU SCALE YOUR BUSINESS FASTER Learn directly from 7, 8 & 9-figure founders inside Foundr+ Start your $1 trial → https://www.foundr.com/startdollartrial PREFER A CUSTOM ROADMAP AND 1-ON-1 COACHING? → Starting from scratch? Apply here → https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-start-application → Already have a store? Apply here → https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-growth-application CONNECT WITH NATHAN CHAN Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/nathanchan LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanhchan/ FOLLOW FOUNDR FOR MORE BUSINESS GROWTH STRATEGIES YouTube → https://bit.ly/2uyvzdt Website → https://www.foundr.com Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/foundr/ Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/foundr Twitter → https://www.twitter.com/foundr LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/foundr/ Podcast → https://www.foundr.com/podcast
Building a successful real estate investment firm takes more than finding great deals. Axel Monsaingeon sits down with Mickaël Chaput, Co-Founder of MassMagna, to discuss how the company grew to more than $100 million in assets under management in just over three years. They explore value creation, refinancing strategies, investing outside major cities, industrial development, and Mas Magna's expansion into the Dominican Republic. This episode is sponsored by ClickSpace. Click Space is redefining the future of office space in Montreal with turnkey offices, storage, 3PL, conference rooms, lounges, and niche communities for ecommerce entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurs, and AI-focused businesses. Spaces start at just $550/month, and paid referral partnerships are available for brokers. Learn more: https://clickspace.ca/ Get in touch: margaux@avenirproperties.ca Topics and timestamps
In this episode of Everything is Logistics, Blythe talks with Sarit Tamir, CEO and co-founder of Seeteria, about how computer vision is helping warehouse teams find lost time inside their operations.SeeTeria is a software-only company that connects to existing CCTV cameras inside warehouses, distribution centers, fulfillment centers, and 3PL facilities. The platform watches floor activity, detects operational friction, and sends real-time alerts to teams before small problems turn into bigger delays.They cover:Why warehouse teams still miss what happens between system scansHow existing CCTV cameras can become an operational visibility toolWhat dock queues, idle doors, dwell time, staging congestion, and near-misses revealWhy the “messy middle” of warehouse operations adds up quicklyHow real-time alerts help floor teams act fasterHow managers can use shift summaries to find recurring patternsWhy the goal is to support warehouse workers, not replace themThis conversation is part of the CargoRex AI Use Cases in Logistics guide, featuring real examples of how logistics companies are using AI across freight, warehousing, procurement, visibility, and operations.Read the full guide here:https://cargorex.io/research/ai-use-cases-in-logistics/LINKS:SeeTeria:https://seeteria.comCargoRex AI Use Cases in Logistics Guide:https://cargorex.io/research/ai-use-cases-in-logistics/ -----------------------------------------THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!SPI Logistics has been a Day 1 supporter of this podcast which is why we're proud to promote them in every episode. During that time, we've gotten to know the team and their agents to confidently say they are the best home for freight agents in North America for 40 years and counting. Listen to past episodes to hear why.CargoRex is the search engine for the logistics industry—connecting LSPs with the right tools, services, events, and creators to explore, discover, and evolve.Digital Dispatch maximizes and manages your #1 sales tool with a website that establishes trust and builds rock-solid relationships with your leads and customers.
Welcome to this episode of The New Warehouse Podcast! In this episode, Kevin welcomes Mark Healy, Vice President of Customer Solutions at Barrett Distribution Centers, Inc., to discuss the dynamic world of third-party logistics. Barrett Distribution Centers is a privately held, third-generation, omni-channel fulfillment and managed transportation provider founded in the early 1940s. Operating 19 strategic facilities across the United States, Barrett specializes in scaling alongside emerging and established brands across retail, wholesale, and direct-to-consumer channels. Healy shares his extensive 30-year industry perspective on why brands leave 3PL providers, the critical importance of proactive communication, and how to operationally align warehouse teams to ensure long-term client retention.Learn more about Big Joe's AP44 here. Follow us on LinkedIn and YouTube.Support the show
Finding a great business is only half the battle. The harder part? Convincing a lender that you're the person who should own it. That's where most acquisitions quietly fall apart. In this episode, Jaryd is joined by Jared W. Johnson, the top individual SBA loan producer in the United States, who's helped fund more than $800 million worth of business acquisitions. But this isn't just another conversation about lending. Jared has been on both sides of the table. He recently acquired a $600,000 eCommerce business himself. What caught his attention wasn't perfect systems or polished financials. It was the opposite. A business with outdated processes, inventory tracked entirely from memory, and obvious operational gaps that most buyers would see as red flags. He saw upside. Together, Jaryd and Jared unpack how the deal came together, why the business was relocated across states, how a 3PL simplified operations, and why keeping one long-term employee became one of the smartest decisions they made after the acquisition. They also pull back the curtain on how lenders really think. Why do buyers with strong incomes still get declined? What makes someone trustworthy in the eyes of a bank? Does your personal spending matter? And when a business has valuable assets like an email list, loyal customers, strong SEO, or a large social following, how much weight do lenders actually give them? Whether you're preparing to buy your first business or looking to finance your next acquisition, this episode gives you a clearer picture of what separates buyers who get approved from those who don't. The best deals don't always go to the highest bidder. They usually go to the buyer who's prepared.
Nu är det dags att lägga ner podden efter 112 avsnitt Men, innan jag stänger så kör jag en sista inspelning med Jacob Wibom Westerberg och vi betar av några ämnen som vi inte hunnit beta av tidigare i vår lilla "Ehandels-serie" Vi snackar bl.a om - 3PL vs eget lager - Returer - Kundklubbar - Rabattkoder och Reor - Prissättning - CRM - Vilka rollbesättningar saknar Ehandlare generellt Hoppas ni uppskattat podden! Det har varit oerhört roligt att få spela in den, och fantastiskt att få ha med så många grymma entreprenörer!
In "Private Fleets Rescue Freight Brokers in 2026", Joe Lynch and Russell Jones, CEO & Co-founder of Private Fleet Net Zero, discuss how unlocking empty private backhauls provides brokers with discounted, high-quality capacity to combat fraud and skyrocketing liability. About Russ Jones Russell Jones co-founded Private Fleet Net Zero to help the 45% of trucks that are in Private Fleets with usually empty backhauls find loads from $50B+ of 3PL freight spend, leveraging his leadership of Cargo Chief, which enables 1,200+ 3PL buyers with $8B+ of spend to buy transportation capacity more profitably. Previously, Mr. Jones co-founded and led two cloud-based physical security firms. He was also the founding CEO of Clearvox Communications, which pioneered the market for cellular phone headsets, which he sold to Plantronics. Beforehand at Adaptec, Mr. Jones doubled a $50M channel products business to $100M. Mr. Jones has been awarded 10 patents, and holds a BSBA with highest honors from Boston University and an MBA from the Harvard Business School. About Private Fleet Net Zero Private Fleet Net Zero, PFNZ, is uniquely aggregating 10,000s of trucks with 1,000s of lanes of underutilized, underpriced, theft-free and superior private and dedicated fleet trucking capacity and matching via multi patent-pending technologies and artificial intelligence to $10Bs of freight spend registered on our cloud-based platform, while generating a compelling client ROI. Our network is quickly and efficiently growing both fleets and 3PLs on PFNZ, which is on a path to save 30M+ tree equivalents. Key Takeaways: Private Fleets Rescue Freight Brokers in 2026 In "Private Fleets Rescue Freight Brokers in 2026", Joe Lynch and Russell Jones, CEO & Co-founder of Private Fleet Net Zero, discuss how unlocking empty private backhauls provides brokers with discounted, high-quality capacity to combat fraud and skyrocketing liability. Massive Fleet Scale: Private Fleet Net Zero (PFNZ) has rapidly aggregated 80,000 trucks and 40,000 lanes of coverage, using patent-pending AI to match this massive pool of underutilized capacity with tens of billions of dollars in registered freight spend. The $150B Backhaul Waste: Private fleets (where the cargo owner owns the asset, like Walmart or Sherwin-Williams) make up 45% of all trucks on the highway, yet they run empty 80% of the time on their backhauls, leaving a $150 billion pool of premium capacity sitting idle. Pure Profit for Fleets: Because the primary "front haul" already covers the driver's salary, equipment, insurance, and core fuel costs, any backhaul revenue captured through PFNZ represents a 95% pure profit margin for the fleet owner. Quadrupled Broker Margins: Brokers can secure this premium capacity at a 25% discount to the market rate. In a tight market where a typical gross profit might only be $150 on an $1,150 load, cutting carrier costs from $1,000 to $750 can effectively triple or quadruple a broker's net margins. Eliminating Fraud and Liability: Shifting to private fleets bypasses the modern plague of cargo theft, cyber fraud, and "chameleon carriers" who hide bad histories under new DOT numbers. Furthermore, because private fleets have newer equipment and a third less accidents, they shield brokers from catastrophic multi-million dollar "nuclear verdicts" tied to carrier safety under the recent Montgomery ruling. Combating the 2026 Capacity Crunch: Massive federal enforcement of English language proficiency rules is projected to strip 25% of for-hire drivers (400,000 to 600,000 drivers) off the road. PFNZ rescues brokers by giving them an automated "outsourced recruiting team" to tap into stable private capacity that was previously heavily monopolized by the top 10 mega-brokerages. Seamless Integration & Sustainability: PFNZ connects to a broker's TMS within weeks via APIs, reports, or an AI bot to automatically map buying patterns. By eliminating empty miles, the platform is on track to save over 45 million tree equivalents in CO2, giving public companies and shippers a verifiable decarbonization story for SEC and board reporting. Learn More About Private Fleets Rescue Freight Brokers in 2026 Russ Jones | Linkedin Private Fleet Net Zero | Linkedin Private Fleet Net Zero Private Fleet Net Zero: The Deadhead is Dead with Russ Jones The Broken Safety System Threatening Shippers and Brokers with Chris Burroughs What is Blue Ocean Strategy | About Blue Ocean Strategy The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: Google, Apple, Castbox, Spotify, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Tunein, Podbean, Owltail, Libsyn, Overcast Check out The Logistics of Logistics on Youtube
SEASON: 6 EPISODE: 34Episode Overview:Welcome back to Becoming Preferred, the podcast for entrepreneurs and business leaders who want to grow their business, level up their game and become preferred in the markets they serve.Let's be honest: in today's market, growing your revenue is only half the battle. The real danger? Growing so fast that you break your own business. When your logistics fracture, your software stacks multiply, and your profit margins start bleeding cash, marketing success can quickly turn into an operational nightmare.Our guest today is the man who steps in when guesswork fails. Michael Kleinmann is a seasoned D2C operator, founder, and fractional C-suite executive who has built and scaled multiple businesses to the mid-eight-figure mark. He is a master at turning back-end infrastructure, fulfillment, and supply chains away from boring cost centers and into lethal competitive advantages.Whether you are running an e-commerce giant, scaling a subscription model, or just trying to protect your margins in a shifting economy, today's conversation is a blueprint for logic-driven execution. Please join me for my conversation with Michael Kleinmann.Guest Bio: Michael Kleinmann is a seasoned direct-to-consumer (D2C) operator, founder, and executive advisor with more than two decades of experience building, scaling, and modernizing seven- and eight-figure e-commerce and subscription brands. A true pioneer in the digital retail space, Michael launched Freshpair from his New York City apartment in 2001, transforming it into a category leader with over 30,000 SKUs and even founding "National Underwear Day" before its successful acquisition. In 2012, he repeated his success by launching Underwear Expert, growing it from a massive content marketing platform into a high-performing subscription powerhouse driven by proprietary curation technology.Today, Michael steps into organizations as a fractional C-suite executive, transforming logistics, fulfillment, and operational infrastructure into true strategic assets. He brings deep, end-to-end expertise across product, tech stacks, marketing, and supply chain management, replacing guesswork with practical, logic-driven execution. Throughout his career, he has built a reputation for engineering creative solutions to complex operational bottlenecks—delivering massive freight cost savings, optimizing 3PL partnerships, and turning around struggling business processes.Michael is far from your typical, surface-level consultant. Having worn every imaginable hat over 25 years of hands-on business building, he knows exactly how to align infrastructure with rapid revenue growth while ruthlessly protecting profit margins. He joins us to share his proven systems for navigating the realities of scaling and removing the friction from modern e-commerce operations.Resource Links:Website: https://www.mkinc.com/Product Link: https://www.mkinc.com/servicesInsight Gold Timestamps:02:40 I gravitated towards technology and business04:41 We had just about every hurdle you can think of06:12 I created National Underwear Day08:20 How do you get from zero to 100 with next to nothing or maybe fumes?10:38 I want to hear the problem from their perspective; that doesn't mean that that's what the problem is15:11 There's a lot of analytics that you can get about different things to try to see if B2C makes sense17:03 I was reading this morning that there's 73,000 3PLs in the United States20:35 By moving to a 3PL, you can get your costs lower than if you did it yourself21:48 Amazon is a shipping carrier that you can use separate from selling on Amazon24:42 If you want to pick something easy to do, don't have a direct-to-consumer brand28:40 I think asking for help is difficult33:20 I just went through the whole entire business and tried to simplify everything38:53 I think there's a lot more opportunity, but it's different40:00 mkinc.comConnect Socially:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelkleinmann/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@poweredbymkInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/poweredbymkEmail: mk@mkinc.comSponsors: Rainmaker LeadGen Platform Demo: https://calendar.summit-learning.com/widget/booking/JKItVP7WErmCBjU2cCIxRainmaker Digital Solutions: https://www.rainmakerdigitalsolutions.com/
What does it take to modernize a landmark without losing what makes it special? In this episode, Axel Monsaingeon sits down with Frederick Lizotte, Vice President of Leasing at Avenir Properties, to discuss the acquisition of Montreal's iconic Belgo Building. They explore long term ownership, tenant relationships, value add investing, and how creating specialized communities can generate lasting value while preserving a property's cultural identity. This episode is sponsored by ClickSpace. Click Space is redefining the future of office space in Montreal with turnkey offices, storage, 3PL, conference rooms, lounges, and niche communities for ecommerce entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurs, and AI-focused businesses. Spaces start at just $550/month, and paid referral partnerships are available for brokers. Learn more: https://clickspace.ca/ Get in touch: margaux@avenirproperties.ca Topics and timestamps
In "The Broken Safety System Threatening Shippers and Brokers," Joe Lynch and Chris Burroughs, President and CEO of the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA), discuss the fallout from a landmark Supreme Court ruling and rising freight fraud are reshaping the logistics liability landscape. About Chris Burroughs Chris Burroughs is the President and CEO of the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA), a position he assumed in November 2024. With over 14 years at TIA, he previously served as Vice President of Government Affairs, overseeing legislative and regulatory efforts before Congress and federal agencies. Before joining TIA, Burroughs gained valuable experience on Capitol Hill, working for the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee. He also served as Director of Government Affairs at the Twenty-First Century Group, advocating for clients in transportation, telecommunications, health care, and defense. Burroughs holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. About TIA The Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) is the professional organization of the $343 billion third-party logistics industry. TIA is the only organization exclusively representing transportation intermediaries of all disciplines doing business in domestic and international commerce. TIA is the voice of transportation intermediaries to shippers, carriers, government officials, and international organizations. Learn more about TIA at www.tianet.org Key Takeaways: The Broken Safety System Threatening Shippers and Brokers In "The Broken Safety System Threatening Shippers and Brokers," Joe Lynch and Chris Burroughs, President and CEO of the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA), discuss ow the fallout from a landmark Supreme Court ruling and rising freight fraud are reshaping the logistics liability landscape. The Montgomery Decision Resets the Liability Landscape: The Supreme Court's recent 9-0 ruling in the Montgomery case (involving C.H. Robinson) eliminated the long-standing F4A federal preemption defense for brokers regarding carrier safety selection. While 31 states had already rejected this defense prior to the ruling, the decision officially shifts safety and negligent selection liability standards back to a patchwork of differing state regulations. TIA Petitions the FMCSA for a National Carrier Selection Standard: In response to the confusion caused by the Montgomery decision, the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) filed a petition for rulemaking with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). TIA is pushing for a clear, national federal standard to dictate exactly what checks a shipper or broker must perform when vetting and selecting a trucking company, eliminating state-by-state confusion. The Core Elements of TIA's Proposed Vetting Standard: TIA outlines three baseline data points that the federal government should mandate for a secure carrier selection process: operating authority (ensuring full compliance with the FMCSA), valid insurance (confirming active, legitimate coverage to combat marketplace fraud), and safety status (verifying the carrier has not been placed out of service for safety violations or paperwork compliance issues). A Broken Data System Leaves 94% of Carriers Unrated: A major hurdle in carrier vetting is that 94% of trucking companies remain "unrated" by the federal government. Because the FMCSA relies on strenuous, physical audits and suffers from limited inspector resources (drastically worsened during the pandemic), they only audit carriers that trigger red flags. TIA strongly advocates shifting from this outdated physical audit system to an absolute, data-driven safety rating algorithm. TIA Demands the Release of the "High-Risk Carrier List": The FMCSA maintains an internal database of approximately 3,000 to 4,000 trucking companies categorized as "high-risk," based on their Safety Measurement System data. As a key part of their petition, TIA is demanding that the government publicize this list so brokers and shippers have the transparency needed to actively avoid dangerous carriers. The Sophistication and Rise of Strategic Freight Fraud: Freight fraud and cargo theft have evolved past opportunistic crimes into highly organized, international cyber syndicates. Strategic theft has skyrocketed by 1,500% since 2020. Bad actors are shifting tactics—moving away from registering new fraudulent entities to buying up clean, legitimate, 2-year-old authorities on online marketplaces, executing massive "heists," and then vanishing. Industry Consolidation and the Value of Trusted Associations: The compounding costs of increased insurance premiums, tighter vetting processes, and necessary technology stacks are expected to drive significant market consolidation, forcing smaller players out. Because of this complex environment, shippers are increasingly looking to work with brokers tied to professional organizations like TIA, which enforces a strict code of ethics, offers ongoing education, and acts as the exclusive advocacy voice for the $343 billion 3PL industry on Capitol Hill. Learn More About The Broken Safety System Threatening Shippers and Brokers Chris Burroughs | Linkedin TIA | Linkedin TIA TIA Technovations TIA Technovations with Tom Curee Trucking Through Trouble with TIA & Anne Reinke TIA Unpacks Freight: Tariffs, Trust, and the Fight Against Fraud with Chris Burroughs FMCSA Petitions for Rulemaking (Open Petitions) The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: Google, Apple, Castbox, Spotify, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Tunein, Podbean, Owltail, Libsyn, Overcast Check out The Logistics of Logistics on Youtube
Start building a sustainable and resilient freight business in this episode with our guest, Steve Gabrick of MVP Logistics! Steve shares the real strategies for choosing your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and dominating the mid-market shipper space! We're moving past the social media clickbait and empty spray-and-pray methodologies to discuss how specialization, intentionality, and data analysis can streamline your sales pipeline and insulate your operations from market volatility. From predicting the upcoming 18 to 24-month upscale cycle to humanizing your customer outreach through consultative partnerships, Steve and I deliver a straightforward look at what it takes to drive longevity, conquer operational bottlenecks, and achieve true profitability in today's shifting transportation market! About Steve Gabrick Steve Gabrick is the Chief Revenue Officer at MVP Logistics, a Minneapolis-based 3PL designing supply chain solutions for mid-market food, beverage, and manufacturing companies across the lower 48. Steve owns growth and brand at MVP, and he has built the commercial engine to deliver on Solutions Made Simple®, the company's trademark and guiding principle for turning complex supply chain problems into simple, value-creating solutions. Under Steve's leadership, MVP is enabling customers who want enterprise-grade supply chain capability paired with the agility of a partner that can move with them. Connect with Steve Website: https://mvpship.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-gabrick-6922a061/
Benjamin Joanis, nouveau président d'ImmoHEC Montréal, s'assoit avec Axel Monsaingeon pour expliquer comment l'association prépare la prochaine génération de professionnels de l'immobilier commercial. Ensemble, ils discutent du rôle des études de cas réelles, du développement du réseau professionnel, de la collaboration entre les étudiants et l'industrie, ainsi que des compétences qui permettent aux jeunes talents de se démarquer. Un épisode incontournable pour les étudiants, les employeurs et tous ceux qui s'intéressent à l'avenir de l'immobilier au Québec. This episode is sponsored by ClickSpace. Click Space is redefining the future of office space in Montreal with turnkey offices, storage, 3PL, conference rooms, lounges, and niche communities for ecommerce entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurs, and AI-focused businesses. Spaces start at just $550/month, and paid referral partnerships are available for brokers. Learn more: https://clickspace.ca/ Get in touch: margaux@avenirproperties.ca Sujets et horodatages
In this episode, hosts Ted Stank and Tom Goldsby welcome Wally Shaw, CEO of Red Stag Fulfillment, to explore how a purpose-built 3PL is carving out a competitive edge by focusing on what others avoid.Shaw shares how Red Stag built its model around big, bulky products—an overlooked segment of the fulfillment market—and why that specialization enables stronger service performance, tighter quality control, and meaningful differentiation. He also discusses the company's distinctive approach to service guarantees, including zero tolerance for shrinkage and financial accountability when service levels are missed.The conversation spans how leading 3PLs are navigating today's most pressing challenges: AI adoption and automation readiness, geopolitical uncertainty, tariffs, and shifting global sourcing patterns. Shaw also offers perspective on why customer selectivity and long-term decision making can lead to better outcomes for both providers and brands.The episode was recorded virtually on June 9, 2026.Related links:Complete the Annual 3PL Study survey for 2027Register for virtual SCM Academies in Leadership, Finance, Procurement, and TechnologySave the date for the Fall Supply Chain Forum, Nov. 10–12 Download free white papers from UT experts Become a GSCI partner to learn, network, and recruit with the top supply chain education institution in North America Join the Advanced Supply Chain Collaborative to explore advanced concepts in SCM with top industry experts and scholars Fill out Tom Goldsby's survey on warehouse automationFollow GSCI on LinkedIn Subscribe to GSCI's monthly newsletter Read the latest news and insights from GSCI Text the Tennessee on Supply Chain Management team!
Welcome to this episode of The New Warehouse Podcast, where Kevin chats with Rodney Galeano, Founder and CEO of Loki 3PL. Loki 3PL helps importers distribute and fulfill products across the United States, supporting both B2B and e-commerce operations. Since launching the company just a year and a half ago, Rodney has grown the business into a new 100,000-square-foot facility in East Brunswick, New Jersey. In this conversation, he shares down-to-earth lessons from scaling a 3PL, what brands should look for in a logistics partner, and why customer service remains the most important differentiator in a crowded market.Learn more about our sponsor Dexory's Storage Health here. Follow us on LinkedIn and YouTube.Support the show
Ben Hartman is back for his third visit to the PricePlow Podcast in Episode #221, and Morphogen Nutrition has never been in a stronger position. Ben walks through everything: the second rebrand’s full backstory, a never-before-told story about a failed acquisition that nearly sold the company, the financial reckoning that followed, and how selling the building and moving to a 3PL model finally cleared the slate. He calls this the best formula work Morphogen has ever done, at the healthiest margins in company history. The conversation covers AlphaGEN’s return to 10g L-Tyrosine, why PRIME is the anchor of the entire health line, details like how he navigates AstraGin® and BioPerine® across a multi-product stack, and the surprising origin of CALM. Then comes the main event: the Nick Walker equity partnership, explained in full, including some of the financial structure the internet has been speculating about. The episode closes with a frank look at the longevity wave ahead, the natural-vs.-enhanced debate, and a nostalgic look back at the golden age of stimulants. Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast on your favorite platform and sign up for Morphogen Nutrition news alerts before diving in. https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/ben-hartman-morphogen-nutrition-221 Video: Morphogen’s Second Rebrand, Nick Walker Equity, and the 10g Tyrosine Return https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1avyjD3spOk Detailed Show Notes: Ben Hartman on Morphogen’s Rebrand, the Nick Walker Deal, and Where Supplements Are Heading (0:00) – Introductions (0:45) – The Second Rebrand: What Triggered It (3:00) – The Failed Acquisition: First Public Account (5:00) – David DeMesquita: The Missing Third Partner (8:45) – Business Lessons: Termites at the Foundation (12:30) – Best Formulas Ever, Healthiest Margins Ever (13:15) – Hero vs. Backup Ingredients: Supply Chain and Formula Thinking (18:30) – Diminishing Returns: “Racing to the Bottom” (20:30) – Breaking the Debt Cycle: PO Discipline and the Move to 3PL (27:45) – ALPHAGEN Reborn: The 10g L-Tyrosine Decision (30:15) – Eria Jarensis, Manufacturing Partners, and Label Honesty (35:15) – PRIME: Origin Story and the Anchor Health Product (40:30) – AstraGin® and BioPerine®: Choosing Absorption Enhancers Wisely (46:30) – CALM: From Bodybuilding Contest Prep to Gen Pop (51:15) – “I Don’t Listen to My Customers” (54:45) – Blood Work, Hormones, and Realistic Self-Assessment (1:01:30) – The Nick Walker Partnership: How It Actually Happened (1:04:30) – Equity, Not a Paycheck: “We Gave It to Him” (1:11:30) – Nick’s Feedback, Carb Fuel, and PROTEGEN on the Way (1:16:45) – From Bodybuilding Brand to Health and Wellness (1:21:30) – The Longevity Wave: NMN, Urolithin A, and Mitochondrial Health (1:27:00) – Natural vs. Enhanced: An Honest Reassessment (1:35:00) – The Supplements That Actually Moved the Needle (1:38:00) – Stimulant Nostalgia: DMAA, Ephedrine, and What’s Still Available (1:40:45) – Dedra Hartman (CFO) and Closing Thoughts Where to Follow and Learn … Read more on the PricePlow Blog
In this episode of Retail War Games, I sat down with Gary Mac Herring, owner of Mary Mack's Inc., for a conversation rooted in pure entrepreneurial grit. Starting with a 19-year-old's payphone-operated snow cone stand, Gary explains how the lawless freedom of a 1980s childhood shaped his business philosophy: giving teams the room to make mistakes, get messy, and hustle is the only way to build resilience. Gary pulls back the curtain on cutting out middlemen, sharing the wild story of flying blind to the 2008 Canton Fair to secure direct, handshake-driven relationships with suppliers that established their 20-year manufacturing moat. We also break down a massive retail achievement: how Mary Mack's vertically integrated team successfully launched two entirely separate CPG brands into Target nationwide and a third of Walmart within a single two-week window. From the stark logistical realities of managing national 3PL fulfillment to the humbling "crickets" that often follow a seemingly perfect major industry trade show, Gary drops a phenomenal, low-key masterclass on what it truly takes to sell fun in a box and build an indestructible commercial brand.
Is owning your own warehouse worth the headache? Or is it a siren song that will slow your growth? Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case and Lomi), Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern), and Curtis Matsko (CEO, Portland Leather Goods) dig into two of the most expensive decisions in ecommerce. Should you own your warehouse or outsource fulfillment to a 3PL? Can a founder ever truly step back from the company they built? They break down the owned warehouse versus 3PL debate, covering when flexibility beats cost savings, and why high-growth brands get burned by leases. From there, the conversation shifts to founder identity and succession, what Tim Cook's Apple exit and Doug McMillon's Walmart departure reveal about leadership transitions, and why the skills that built your company can quietly become the thing holding it back. Powered ByFulfilhttps://9ops.co/fulfil Saras Analyticshttps://bit.ly/4a3gzVvPostscripthttps://9ops.co/postscriptRichpanelhttps://9ops.co/richpanelNorthbeamhttps://www.northbeam.io/Aftersellhttps://9ops.co/4i3bb5Operators Newsletterhttps://9operators.com/
How can transportation professionals sustain success and maintain clear visibility when the threat of operational risk looms large? Let's hear today's returning guest, Cheema Freightlines' CEO, Harman Cheema, talking about the critical shift toward higher standards in the trucking industry, and his unfiltered look at the major challenges defining today's market, including the FMCSA's registration system overhauls and the operational risks surrounding the high-stakes practice of buying and transferring authorities. We also discuss why the digital transformation of freight transactions must not completely replace the fundamental human connection required to prevent fraud and cross-border vulnerabilities. For modern brokerages and asset-based carriers trying to master risk mitigation and avoid the pitfalls of "broker math," this episode provides indispensable strategies for aligning lane pricing, managing customer expectations during rate volatility, and safeguarding cash flow while investing back into driver retention and aging fleet equipment! About Harman Cheema With over 20 years of experience in the logistics industry, Harman Cheema has been at the helm of Cheema's growth, transforming the company into one of the nation's premier providers of Asset and 3PL solutions. Under his leadership, Cheema Freightlines LLC and Cheema Logistics LLC offer a comprehensive range of services, including dry and temperature-controlled truckload, intermodal, and LTL solutions, catering to clients of all sizes across diverse industries. As an accomplished leader in the transportation sector, Harman has forged and nurtured long-term relationships with customers, partners, and stakeholders, ensuring their sustained satisfaction and loyalty. His deep expertise in marketing, business development, and operations has enabled him to craft and execute strategic transportation plans that drive profitability, optimize equipment utilization, and enhance team productivity. In addition to his leadership role at Cheema, Harman can be found at many of the industry events including and also serves on the board of the Trucking Profitability Strategies Conference, where he advocates for the advancement of the trucking industry and supports initiatives that promote its growth and sustainability. Connect with Harman Website: https://cheemafreightlines.com/ / https://www.teamcheema.com/
NFI's 3PL Growth, Real Estate Strategy, and Tech Adoption with Michael Landsburg (IAMC Little Rock) Live from the IAMC conference in Little Rock, the Industrial Advisors podcast interviews Michael Landsburg of NFI about the company's scale and strategy in the 3PL world. Landsburg explains NFI is a 94-year-old, privately held, family-owned supply chain company operating primarily in the US and Canada, with about 80 million square feet in its portfolio (about 17 million owned), roughly 18,000 employees, 5,000 trucks, and 14,000 trailers, serving shipments from Asian ports to home delivery. He discusses how NFI decides between customer-held leases, NFI-held leases, and owning facilities for control, speed, flexibility, and family investment diversification. This includes a shift after the global financial crisis toward leasing more space to third parties. He touches on submarket-by-submarket leasing conditions, NFI's strong performance versus the industry since 2022, a reduced risk posture in matching leases to contracts, ongoing data centralization to enable AI, warehouse automation with fully autonomous robots, and uncertainty over whether Asian-based 3PL growth represents net-new demand or market-share shift. 0:00 Intro and NFI overview 2:10 The history of the 94-year-old family business 4:15 Strategy behind owning vs leasing assets 6:30 Diversifying the portfolio after 2008 8:45 Current industrial market trends and softness 11:00 Leveraging data and AI in logistics 13:15 Autonomous robots in the warehouse 14:50 The impact of Asian 3PL growth 16:00 Closing thoughts and wrap up
Kate Assaraf is the CEO and founder of dip sustainable, a plastic-free haircare brand she launched in 2021 that hit seven figures within 18 months without running a single paid ad. Before starting dip, she spent 20 years inside the beauty industry, long enough to see the deceptive marketing practices that eventually pushed her to build something completely different.Most DTC beauty brands launch with paid social, influencer seeding, and a race to acquire customers fast. Kate did the opposite. She cold-called refill stores, traveled across the country to meet sustainable retailers face to face, and built distribution through brick-and-mortar before she ever thought about digital advertising. Today, dip is carried in all 50 states and has sold over 300,000 bars by word of mouth alone.The conversation covers why Kate chose physical retail over digital-first, how she thinks about authentic customer marketing in a category overrun by sponsored content and AI-generated testimonials, and why she built her own factory after her contract manufacturer went bankrupt. That last decision, vertically integrating manufacturing and fulfillment under one roof, turned out to be the most consequential call she made as a founder.Kate also takes on the sustainability conversation directly, pushing back on the moralizing that she believes drives people away from the movement rather than toward it. Her version of sustainability is inclusive, economics-driven, and grounded in saving customers money, not lecturing them. She explains why the dip conditioner bar, at $32 and lasting close to a year, is a stronger pitch than the environmental argument alone.Founders in CPG, beauty, and retail will come away with a rare perspective: what it actually looks like to build a consumer brand slowly, deliberately, and without the typical playbook.Website: https://www.vimmi.netEmail us: info@vimmi.netPodcast website: https://vimmi.net/commerce-untold/Eitan Koter's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eitankoter/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VimmiVideoCommerce/featuredGuest: Kate Assaraf, CEO & Founder, dip sustainableKate Assaraf's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-assaraf-b25a741a7dip sustainable: https://dipalready.comWatch the full Youtube video here:https://youtu.be/c9hCsejvcX8Key Takeaways:• Seven figures in 18 months, zero paid ads. If the product solves a real problem and you understand the customer from the inside, distribution follows• Real paying customers outperform influencers in haircare and skincare because results are too easy to fake• Moralizing drives people away from sustainability. Framing it as inclusive and economically smart converts more people than shame ever will• The $32 conditioner bar saves customers up to $500 a year. The environmental pitch is secondary to the financial one• Gifting product builds a hollow first wave. Real retention only comes from people who spent their own money• When her contract manufacturer went bankrupt, Kate built her own factory. It removed 3PL costs, protected the formula, and became the best decision she ever made• Returns largely end up in landfills. Local retail reduces return rates and creates accountability that e-commerce cannot replicateChapters:00:00 Seven figures, zero ads00:16 Introducing Kate Assaraf00:54 Values beyond work03:09 Why Kate left the beauty industry04:22 Dip's marketing: real customers only07:59 Fast beauty, sustainability, and unlearning consumerism14:24 Seven figures without a single ad15:36 How Dip launched: refill stores and road trips21:51 Giving back and reinvesting profits25:41 When the contract manufacturer went bankrupt27:51 Advice for founders29:54 Where to find Dip
In this episode, Luciano sits down with Axel Monsaingeon to discuss what separates successful projects from costly failures. They explore the importance of being involved early in the planning process, the value of boots-on-the-ground project management, and how value engineering can create significant savings without compromising quality. Luciano also shares lessons learned from major projects, including large-scale developments involving Walmart, Decathlon, and Lufa Farms, while explaining why strong relationships, experienced teams, and hands-on leadership remain essential despite the rise of AI and technology. This episode is sponsored by ClickSpace. Click Space is redefining the future of office space in Montreal with turnkey offices, storage, 3PL, conference rooms, lounges, and niche communities for ecommerce entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurs, and AI-focused businesses. Spaces start at just $550/month, and paid referral partnerships are available for brokers. Learn more: https://clickspace.ca/ Topics
2026 Industrial Outlook: Market Rebalancing, Big Box Demand & Nearshoring Live at the IAMC conference in Little Rock, hosts interview Stephanie Rodriguez, who leads Colliers' industrial platform, about her people-focused approach to client and team relationships and her extensive travel (over 300,000 American Airlines miles last year). She discusses Colliers' positioning and performance, noting an uptick after Q1 in industrial deal and revenue counts and a stronger start to 2026, plus continued talent recruitment. Rodriguez highlights regional market dynamics: low-vacancy, conservative development and steady rent growth in the central region; strong Southeast demand driven by population growth and onshoring/nearshoring; and West Coast stabilization tied to ports. Growth drivers include steady e-commerce, dominant 3PL leasing activity, reshored advanced manufacturing (chips, pharmaceuticals), and capital-intensive data centers. Institutional owners remain focused on build-to-suit, with selective return to speculative development in low-vacancy markets and renewed big-box demand, including increased Amazon activity. 0:00 Intro and Guest Introduction 2:15 Colliers Platform and Regional Trends 5:10 Growth Sectors: 3PLs and Manufacturing 7:00 Institutional Perspectives and Spec Development 8:20 Big Box Trends and Upcoming Conferences
What does it take to crack down on cargo theft, chameleon carriers, and unregulated dispatch services? In this episode, Chris Burroughs from the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) is back to discuss the real cost of silence on Capitol Hill and why your voice matters now more than ever! We're diving straight into the Build America 250 Act, what the Supreme Court's Montgomery v. Caribe ruling actually means for broker liability, and how the FMCSA's new MOTUS registration system is set to purge fraudulent entities from the marketplace. If you want to protect your freight business, stay ahead of tightening carrier vetting standards, and learn how to manage risk in a shifting legal landscape proactively, you can't afford to miss this conversation on why the brokerage community must band together and control the narrative About Chris Burroughs Chris Burroughs is the President and CEO for the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA). He brings over 18 years of Congressional affairs experience to TIA. As the former Vice President of Government Affairs for TIA, he led the Government Relations department including the legislative, regulatory, PAC, and internal policy committee functions. Chris served as the staff liaison for the Highway Logistics Conference, the Intermodal Logistics Conference, and several other policy committees within TIA. Chris additionally served on the Board of Directors for the Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) as the Subcommittee Chairman of Industry Advisory Subcommittee and sole representative of the 3PL industry. During his time on Capitol Hill, Chris gained invaluable knowledge of the legislative process. He began his career working on the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee in 2006 and then later the House Natural Resources Committee. In 2009, Chris joined the Twenty-First Century Group, a bipartisan government affairs firm, as their Director of Government Affairs. In this position, Chris advocated on behalf of multiple clients involved in the transportation, telecommunications, health care, tax, and defense arenas. Additionally, he represented TIA on their issues of interest on Capitol Hill. Chris lives in Gainesville, Virginia with his wife Stacey and children Kelly, Christopher, and Connor. Chris earned a BS degree in Political Science from Shepherd University located in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.
In "From Strategy to Scale: The ODW Logistics Approach to Growth" Joe Lynch and Phil Schmidbauer, Vice President of Solution Design at ODW Logistics, discuss how middle-market brands can scale by optimizing their entire supply chain network rather than just chasing low freight rates. About Phil Schmidbauer Phil Schmidbauer is the Vice President of Solution Design at ODW Logistics, where he specializes in creating optimized transportation and integrated supply chain strategies. A dynamic and innovative leader, Phil brings extensive industry experience focused on driving process efficiencies, eliminating waste, and delivering significant value to clients. Recognized as a top industry innovator—including being named a "Pros to Know" award winner—he excels at building strategic bridges across complex supply chain networks. Phil works closely with businesses to align their comprehensive logistics frameworks with overarching financial and operational goals. His expertise spans advanced supply chain analytics, cargo security, and network optimization studies, making him a trusted authority in helping growth-minded brands design custom-engineered solutions that reduce complexity and successfully position their businesses to scale. About ODW Logistics ODW Logistics is a top-tier, integrated third-party logistics (3PL) provider dedicated to enabling collective growth for its clients, associates, and the industry. With over 50 years of experience, ODW Logistics delivers end-to-end supply chain solutions that combine strategic warehousing, distribution, and advanced transportation management. The company serves a diverse range of industries, including food and beverage, consumer packaged goods, health and beauty, and industrial manufacturing. As an approved consolidator for major retail networks, ODW specializes in retail consolidation, strategic inventory load planning, and automated workflows that control costs and improve on-time delivery. Driven by core values of respect, trust, team, and opportunity, ODW Logistics operates as a seamless extension of its customers' businesses, providing the technology, infrastructure, and continuous innovation necessary to scale operations effectively. Key Takeaways: From Strategy to Scale: The ODW Logistics Approach to Growth In "From Strategy to Scale: The ODW Logistics Approach to Growth" Joe Lynch and Phil Schmidbauer, Vice President of Solution Design at ODW Logistics, discuss how middle-market brands can scale by optimizing their entire supply chain network rather than just chasing low freight rates. Integrated 3PL Solutions for Middle-Market Growth: ODW Logistics leverages over 50 years of experience to provide end-to-end warehousing, distribution, and managed transportation solutions, operating as a seamless extension for middle-market companies that lack the internal resources to manage complex supply chains alone. A Consultative, Total-Network Focus: Rather than just chasing the lowest transaction rate on a truck lane, Phil Schmidbauer emphasizes a consultative approach that designs and optimizes the entire supply chain, aligning warehousing and transportation around each other to reduce hidden costs, fines, and lead times. High-Frequency Retail Consolidation: ODW specializes in retail consolidation (serving major networks like Walmart and Target) by combining smaller multi-pallet shipments into full truckloads. This ensures high-frequency deliveries, which reduces lot sizes, minimizes inventory requirements, and drives better overall service. Mitigating the Cost of Stockouts: Keeping products on shelves is critical to brand survival. Stockouts cause severe financial penalties and permanent brand-loyalty loss when consumers switch to competitors—making consistent supply chain execution vital for sales growth. Managing the Hidden Costs of Excess Inventory: Influenced by his background with Toyota's world-class manufacturing processes, Schmidbauer highlights that excess inventory carries heavy hidden liabilities, including high warehousing fees, multiple touchpoints, and obsolescence or shelf-life expiration risks. The Power of a Dual-Node Network: ODW operates 27 facilities nationwide, utilizing a highly efficient dual-node setup between Southern California and Columbus, Ohio. This center-of-gravity strategy allows brands to easily meet next-day delivery demands for a massive portion of the U.S. population. Bridging the Omni-channel Divide: As retail and ecommerce models increasingly blend, ODW supports brands navigating both channels, helping companies scale and transition their operational structures from online-only to brick-and-mortar retail fulfillment seamlessly. Learn More About From Strategy to Scale: The ODW Logistics Approach to Growth Phil Schmidbauer | Linkedin ODW Logistics | Linkedin ODW Logistics The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: Google, Apple, Castbox, Spotify, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Tunein, Podbean, Owltail, Libsyn, Overcast Check out The Logistics of Logistics on Youtube
In this episode, Donna and Tom welcome Jay Strother, president & CEO of the International Warehouse Logistics Association (IWLA), and J.C. Capron, director of strategic initiatives for IWLA, to discuss a groundbreaking research initiative that will quantify the economic and workforce impact of 3PL warehouses across North America. Jay and J.C. explain how IWLA serves its diverse membership, from household names like UPS and FedEx to multi-generational family-owned operations, through education, advocacy, and industry-leading resources like their popular podcast. The conversation centers on the ongoing 3PL Warehouse Impact Study, a collaborative effort with Penn State Smeal's Center for Supply Chain Research designed to provide credible, aggregate data that tells the industry's story with authority. Takeaways: IWLA's mission to support 3PL warehouse operators through education, advocacy, and research The importance of the 3PL Warehouse Impact Study in benchmarking industry contributions How the Warehouse Advocacy Fund supports critical industry initiatives Why participation from companies of all sizes matters for credible, protected data Stay connected with CSCR on LinkedIn (Center for Supply Chain Research) and Instagram (@pennstatesupplychain), and be sure to follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you are tuning into Unpacked: Insights hosted by the Penn State Smeal Center for Supply Chain Research™. Thank you for joining us! Visit our website: https://www.smeal.psu.edu/cscr Guest Bios: Jay Strother serves as president & CEO of the International Warehouse Logistics Association (IWLA), a position he has held since 2023. Strother joined IWLA in 2011 as vice president and executive director of IWLA Canada before assuming his current role. Strother brings decades of association management, communications, and marketing experience to the position. Prior to IWLA, Strother held senior roles at SmithBucklin and the Association of Legal Administrators, where he oversaw editorial, advertising, and design functions and helped shape the association's digital presence. He also served as director of communications at the United States Junior Chamber of Commerce early in his career. He holds a bachelor's degree with honors in English and communications from the University of Tulsa. Jay Capron (J.C.) serves as the director of strategic initiatives for the International Warehouse Logistics Association (IWLA) where he provides leadership in advocacy, marketing and communications, and strategic planning to advance the association's growth initiatives. Capron brings more than 20 years of experience as a professional broadcaster in the radio industry, along with extensive leadership experience in the manufacturing and nonprofit sectors. Prior to joining IWLA, Capron served as director of communications and government affairs for ND Paper, the U.S. subsidiary of Nine Dragons, one of the world's largest containerboard manufacturers. In this role, he developed and strengthened relationships with key government stakeholders while leading the execution of a comprehensive strategic communications program.
In this episode, Josh interviews Nathan Resnick, founder of Y-Combinator a sourcing platform. Nathan shares expert advice on negotiating with manufacturers, building strong supplier relationships, and managing payment terms. He discusses the importance of understanding your value to factories, balancing primary and backup suppliers, and regularly re-evaluating product costs. Nathan also offers practical tips on warehousing outside the U.S. to save on tariffs and improve cash flow. The episode wraps up with actionable takeaways for business owners looking to optimize their supply chain and sourcing strategies.Chapters:Introduction to Nathan Resnick and Sourcing (00:00:00)Josh introduces Nathan Resnick, his background, and the Sourcing platform's mission and achievements.Negotiation Tactics and Understanding Factory Value (00:01:00)Nathan explains how to assess your business's value to a factory and leverage it for better payment terms.Factory Cash Flow and Forecasting (00:02:01)Discussion on factory cash flow challenges, importance of forecasting, and mutual understanding in negotiations.Choosing the Right Factory and Negotiation Leverage (00:02:58)Advice on evaluating if you're the right customer for a factory and when to consider switching.How to Find Out Your Importance to a Factory (00:03:55)Nathan shares practical ways to determine your share of a factory's business and the value of building relationships.Building Relationships and Guanxi (00:05:27)The importance of personal, transparent relationships with manufacturers, especially in Chinese business culture.Balancing Primary and Backup Suppliers (00:06:19)Strategies for maintaining a primary manufacturer while having backup options and when switching is worthwhile.Re-evaluating Product Costs and Sourcing Quotes (00:08:31)How to revisit product pricing, get competitive quotes, and the realities of sourcing platforms like Alibaba.Three Actionable Takeaways (00:10:42)Josh summarizes key takeaways: building relationships, revisiting unit costs, and warehousing outside the US.Warehousing and Tariff Strategies (00:13:43)Advice on warehousing in Mexico to save on tariffs and improve cash flow, including 3PL recommendations.Closing and Contact Information (00:14:30)Nathan shares how listeners can connect with him and learn more about Sourcing.Links and Mentions:Tools and Websites "Sourcify": "00:08:47" "Alibaba": "00:10:23" "Global Sources": "00:10:23" Key Concepts "Guanxi": "00:05:35" Actionable Takeaways "Build a Relationship with Your Manufacturer": "00:11:29" "Revisit Product Unit Costs Regularly": "00:12:33" "Start Warehousing Products Outside the U.S.": "00:13:43" Contact Information "Nathan Resnick" on LinkedIn: "00:14:44"Transcript:Josh 00:00:00 Today I am super excited to introduce you all to Nathan Resnick. Nathan is the founder of Sourcify, the fastest growing sourcing platform backed by Y Combinator that helps hundreds of companies manufacture products around the world. In the past, Nathan has brought dozens of products to market, ran three e-commerce companies. He's even sold one of them and has been part of projects on Kickstarter, raising over seven figures. He writes for media outlets like entrepreneur, The Next Web Business. Com, and can frequently be seen on CNBC. Nathan also used to live in China and he speaks Mandarin fluently. So with that introduction, welcome to the show, Nathan.Nathan 00:00:41 Josh, thanks so much for having me on.Josh 00:00:43 I'm sure with your experience you have probably some good negotiation tactics. you've probably have a few case studies of people that you've helped, navigate getting better payment terms with their manufacturer. So would you mind just kind of diving in and sharing more there?Nathan 00:01:00 Yeah, totally. I mean, I think first off, you got to understand how valuable your business is to your factory.Nathan 00:01:06 Right. So I would do that by really trying to understand, you know, you make up most of their production output, you know, of all the factories, production volume that you work with, what percentage are you? Is it 30%, 10%, 50%, 80%. You know what? What is it? And then you kind of understand where you're at from a negotiation position, right? Because if you're a brand that makes up the majority of a factory's output, obviously you have a much stronger lever to pull if you're a kind of minority customer for them or a smaller customer for them, then, you know, maybe that's not even the right factory for you to be working with because you don't have a strong lever to pull. So I think, you know, number one, you've got to see eye to eye to eye with them in terms of forecasting and helping them better understand. Well, hey, you know, this year, this is how many units I'm planning to produce. And I think there's a big disconnect between supply chain teams and factories when it comes to forecasting, because a lot of supply chain team members don't understand.Nathan 00:02:01 There are a lot of brand owners don't understand. You know, that factory has to go purchase raw materials to produce your products as well, so they have their own cash flow challenges when it comes to, you know, making sure they have enough factory workers to produce your product, making sure they have the raw materials to produce your product, and then they aren't getting paid, you know, for 30 or 60 days to produce your product if you're negotiating your terms. Well. And so you've got to understand it from their standpoint as well of, you know, hey, how is this going to help their factory grow? Because it can also put them in a cash flow position, which is challenging. And so that's something you need to be aware of when you go into your negotiations. So I think number one, I would just make sure you're seeing eye to eye with that factory that you're working with to understand, you know, how big of a customer am I for them? You know, what does their cash flow look like? And have I done a good job making sure they understand my forecast? And that's when I would go into the negotiation of saying, hey, you know, we're trying to grow and to grow.Nathan 00:02:58 We need more, you know, cash flow to scale up our ads, to get more customers right. And so that's how I would approach it. I think if you're a brand that is, you know, a smaller customer like sub 10% of a factory's output, it's going to be really hard for you to negotiate that. And honestly, in that position, I might actually, you know, kind of take my option to of, you know, trying to ask yourself, am I the best customer for this factory? And can I find a factory where I'm, you know, a much larger customer that I can grow with more? so that's that's another kind of question that I would ask of, trying to understand, like if you already know your small customer for this factory, are they even the right factory for you? and then, you know, it's just.Josh 00:03:41 Real quick, before you continue on that, my question would be on that. How do you have that conversation to say, hey, by the way, how much of your business do I make up, right? Like, that could be an awkward conversat...
Host, Eitan Koter is joined by Leo Rodriguez, Vice President at River Plate Inc., a fulfillment company with over 33 years of experience helping brands ship smarter. River Plate works with everyone from beauty and toy brands to influencer-led lifestyle companies, so Leo has seen pretty much everything. In this episode, Leo talks about why your 3PL should feel like a partner, not just a vendor, how to spot when something is going wrong before it becomes a bigger problem, and what fast growing brands usually get wrong when they start scaling. He also gets into how bundling, returns, and data dashboards all connect back to keeping customers coming back.If your fulfillment partner feels more like a vendor than a partner, this episode will tell you exactly why that's costing you.Website: https://www.vimmi.net Email us: info@vimmi.net Podcast website: https://vimmi.net/mastering-ecommerce-marketing/ Talk to us on Social:Eitan Koter's LinkedIn | Vimmi LinkedIn | YouTube Guest: Leo Rodriguez, Vice President, River Plate, Inc.Leo Rodriguez's LinkedIn | River Plate, Inc.Watch the full Youtube video here:https://youtu.be/U3NQCo3KvakTakeaways:Price is the worst reason to pick a 3PLGet your 3PL involved before you're ready to shipMulti-carrier shipping saves real money at scaleYour fulfillment data is a goldmine, start using itSlow returns processing loses you customersTrack speed, accuracy and chargebacks, everything else is noiseProactive beats reactive every single timeChapters:00:00 Introduction to River Plate and Logistics02:00 Choosing the Right 3PL: Common Mistakes06:25 Optimizing Shipping Costs and Customer Experience12:03 Creating High-Performing Fulfillment Operations14:37 Scaling Operations for Fast-Growing Brands17:41 The Role of 3PLs in Customer Retention20:09 Key Performance Indicators for Logistics22:12 Identifying Red Flags in 3PL Performance25:30 Future Trends in Logistics and E-commerce27:32 Target Customers for River Plate30:46 How to Connect with River Plate
Jensen Cipriano Brehm is the co-founder of Ombraz Sunglasses — the armless, cord-based eyewear brand that started with a broken pair on a camel safari in India and turned into one of the more distinctive product stories in the outdoor industry. In this conversation, Jensen walks through the founding journey, how Ombraz found their first customers in the ultralight backpacking and bikepacking worlds, their approach to building in-house content and media, raising a small round of funding while retaining equity, and how he and co-founder Nikolai run the whole operation remotely.TopicsOrigin story: broken sunglasses on a camel safari in India, four years of wearing a MacGyver'd pair, then building the companyFinding initial traction in ultralight backpacking and then exploding into bikepackingKeeping all content creation in-house — why agencies produce soulless, interchangeable outdoor contentRaising a Series A in 2020 — retaining equity while gaining runway for inventory and hiringDelegating early: 3PL, customer service, and letting go of egoOmbraz's 9 core brand pillars as a decision-making filterCo-founder dynamics with Nikolai — complementary skill sets, business coaching, and the Positive Intelligence frameworkRunning the business fully remote via Slack and monday.comDefining success as low stress, staying creative, and having funLinksOmbraz websiteSarah Swallow on InstagramRonnie Romance on InstagramGOSO CookwarePositive Intelligence by Shirzad ChamineFor more about the KORE Outdoors Podcast, visit https://koreoutdoors.org/podcast/The KORE Outdoors Podcast is supported by the Province of British Columbia.
Welcome to the eCommerce Lab Podcast! In this episode, we feature a special guest: Krushna Patel, CEO of Awesome Solutions. We'll be discussing the importance of partnering with a 3PL (Third-Party Logistics) provider to efficiently scale your business.During the conversation, Krushna shares his experience leading logistics operations and explains how a 3PL can help you optimize costs, improve delivery times, and focus on growing your brand without the burden of managing inventory and shipping.If you are building or scaling an eCommerce business, this episode will provide a clear perspective on why integrating a logistics partner can make all the difference in your operations.#ecomcy #Amazon #amazonfba #amazonseller #amazonbusiness #amazonfbaseller #amazonppc #amazonadvertising #amazonsellercentral #amazonppctips #amazonprivatelabel #amazonselling #amazonseo
CMPC moves pulp, lumber, plywood, and industrial and consumer packaging from 16 manufacturing sites across South America into North America. Roughly 10,000 TEUs and 300,000 tons of breakbulk annually, touching every Incoterm. Charlie sat down to break down what it actually feels like to run that supply chain through live tariff uncertainty, legacy system inertia, and a Manifest conference floor full of vendors asking for 25 minutes to understand how he procures freight.This conversation was originally recorded on March 11th 2026Connect with Charlie and CMPCCharlie's LinkedInCMPC WebsiteCMPC LinkedInWatch this episode on YouTubeOther episodes mentioned: Charlie's visibility panel at Manifest, which Blythe moderatedEiL's Shipper POV series Happy Robot Series B Raise and their founder Pablo Falafox on EiL -----------------------------------------THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!SPI Logistics has been a Day 1 supporter of this podcast which is why we're proud to promote them in every episode. During that time, we've gotten to know the team and their agents to confidently say they are the best home for freight agents in North America for 40 years and counting. Listen to past episodes to hear why.CargoRex is the search engine for the logistics industry—connecting LSPs with the right tools, services, events, and creators to explore, discover, and evolve.Digital Dispatch maximizes and manages your #1 sales tool with a website that establishes trust and builds rock-solid relationships with your leads and customers.
Most e-commerce founders see the fuel crisis in the news and think it's someone else's problem. But if you're shipping products right now, it's already showing up in your bills — and if you're still running last year's shipping model, you're bleeding margin without realising it. Here's the problem: this isn't one cost squeeze. It's three hitting at the same time — carrier rate hikes, fuel surcharges, and geopolitical disruption — and the effective rate increase for most e-com brands right now is sitting between 8 and 12%. In this episode, I walk you through the four moves I'd make right now to protect your margins, from rebuilding your AOV strategy around your new shipping threshold to the packaging audit most founders never think to run. Here's what you'll take away: The actual numbers: what USPS, UPS, FedEx, Amazon, and Australia Post surcharges mean for your cost per order right now How to use the threshold gap strategy to raise your free shipping threshold without killing conversion Why product bundling done right can lift AOV by 30 to 70% — and the real-world example of how a sleep tape brand is doing it with digital add-ons When to seriously consider switching to a 3PL — and the volume crossover point that makes it a no-brainer The dim weight formula and why most brands are literally paying to ship air Why nearly 50% of cart abandonment comes down to surprise shipping costs — and how radical transparency fixes it If you're absorbing these cost increases without a plan, this episode will show you exactly where to start — and how the brands that come out ahead during downturns are already thinking about this differently. If you're loving this solo series, I'd love to hear your feedback. Email me directly at nathan@foundr.com — I read every reply. Hope you enjoy it. WANT TO GROW YOUR BRAND WITH META ADS? Join the Foundr Operators Waitlist → https://foundr.com/operators HOW WE CAN HELP YOU SCALE YOUR BUSINESS FASTER Learn directly from 7, 8 & 9-figure founders inside Foundr+ Start your $1 trial → https://www.foundr.com/startdollartrial PREFER A CUSTOM ROADMAP AND 1-ON-1 COACHING? → Starting from scratch? Apply here → https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-start-application → Already have a store? Apply here → https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-growth-application CONNECT WITH NATHAN CHAN Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/nathanchan LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanhchan/ FOLLOW FOUNDR FOR MORE BUSINESS GROWTH STRATEGIES YouTube → https://bit.ly/2uyvzdt Website → https://www.foundr.com Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/foundr/ Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/foundr Twitter → https://www.twitter.com/foundr LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/foundr/ Podcast → https://www.foundr.com/podcast
This week, we're bringing you a Best of the past 3 Months! A curated mix of standout moments, insights, and conversations from recent episodes.From AI's growing impact on email and brand strategy to the realities of scaling eCommerce businesses, this episode pulls together the most valuable snippets, lessons, and debates you won't want to miss.If you're short on time or new to the podcast, this is the perfect place to start.⏱️ Highlights:0:00 - How to get 50,000 4.9 reviews!03:04 – Cookie banner compliance: what's changed and why it matters06:08 – The evolving subscription space: trends shaping the future07:39 – How AI is transforming email marketing09:37 – Is your email being filtered by AI? What to watch for13:08 – AI brand insights: smarter ways to understand your audience14:40 – In the elevator with Padded Apparel: quickfire insights19:06 – The reality of 3PL costs when scaling a business21:43 – Kickstarter: launching and funding your next ideaExpect practical takeaways, honest conversations, and a snapshot of what's been shaping the industry over the past few months.Which moment stood out to you most? Let us know below.Our Guests:https://www.missionmercantile.com/https://www.dma.org.uk/https://www.seguno.com/winning-with-shopify-podcasthttps://lastobject.co.uk/https://ridecased.com/https://subsummit.com/Follow us on socials: https://www.instagram.com/winningwithshopifypodcast/ https://www.tiktok.com/@winningwithshopify https://www.youtube.com/@winningwithshopifyJoin our newsletter: https://wwspodcast.com/Proudly powered by Spec Digital, a world class SEO Agency and PPC AgencyBecome a sponsor: https://wwspodcast.com/pages/sponsorship
Check out the TIES Sales Showdown at www.tx.ag/TIES Visit The Sales Lab at https://thesaleslab.org and check out all our guests' recommended readings at https://thesaleslab.org/reading-list To listen to The Sales Lab Podcast on your favorite apps, visit https://thesaleslab.simplecast.com/ and select your preferred method of listening. Connect with us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/saleslabpodcast Connect with us on Linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/company/thesaleslab Subscribe to The Sales Lab channel on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp703YWbD3-KO73NXUTBI-Q
In this episode of The New Warehouse Podcast, Kevin chats with Dave Harriger, CEO and Founder of Swifthouse, about the evolution of his 3PL business and the journey to implementing a new WMS. Based just outside Philadelphia, Swifthouse supports e-commerce brands with fulfillment services from pick and pack to shipping and tracking. Dave shares how early growth, major client shifts, and operational challenges forced him to rethink his strategy. The conversation explores why defining your niche, building strong processes, and saying no to the wrong clients can ultimately drive better, more sustainable growth.Learn more about our sponsors here: Ocado Intelligent Automation, MPC & IFS Softeon Follow us on LinkedIn and YouTube.Support the show
This episode is sponsored by eFulfillment Service, a family-owned 3PL that has been in the business for over 25 years. They handle everything from FBA prep and Amazon overflow warehousing to direct-to-consumer fulfilment, and have built their entire model around making things simple for growing sellers.In this episode, we explore the art and psychology behind the unboxing experience. From first impressions to lasting brand impact, we'll dive into why thoughtful packaging and presentation matter more than ever. Join us as we uncover how a great unboxing moment can turn customers into loyal fans.
This week's episode dives into the massive ripple effects of the Strait of Hormuz closure, which has resulted in Asia-US West Coast ocean spot rates surging by 29%. We explore how shippers are reacting to severe port congestion in Asian transshipment hubs by aggressively paying premium rates to secure desperately needed capacity for the future. Next, we discuss the recent financial boost for Echo Global Logistics, as debt rating agencies Moody's and S&P Global upgraded the 3PL's outlook from stable to positive. This upgraded outlook follows their acquisition of ITS Logistics, which analysts project will significantly improve Echo's free cash flow and boost its EBITDA by over $114 million. Finally, we cover the staggering $4 billion investment by Mercedes-Benz to upgrade its historic assembly plant in Vance, Alabama by 2030. This massive manufacturing expansion will lock in a vital, long-term pipeline of finished vehicle freight for Norfolk Southern, which handles the plant's inbound and outbound logistics. Follow the FreightWaves NOW Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A 3PL moving 5,000 containers a year can bleed about $120,000 in avoidable detention and demurrage. Tyler Hughes says the fix is not another pretty dashboard. It is cleaner data, better reconciliation, and fewer blind spots when the container hits drayage.In this episodeWhy ocean visibility still breaks even when everyone says they have dataHow Vizion cleans carrier, vessel, terminal, rail, and truck events into something usableWhy standards matter less than the ugly backend work of mapping bad source dataThe real cost of dirty ETA data, including avoidable detention and demurrageWhat Tyler sees in the 2026 container trade outlook, from China to Southeast AsiaWhy drayage is still the biggest black box in end-to-end visibilityHow predictive ETA helps teams move from reactive updates to proactive planningWatch the episode on YouTubeLinksLearn more about Vizion: https://www.vizionapi.com/Follow Tyler Hughes on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerlh/Feedback? Ideas for a future episode? Shoot us a text here to let us know. -----------------------------------------THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!SPI Logistics has been a Day 1 supporter of this podcast which is why we're proud to promote them in every episode. During that time, we've gotten to know the team and their agents to confidently say they are the best home for freight agents in North America for 40 years and counting. Listen to past episodes to hear why.CargoRex is the search engine for the logistics industry—connecting LSPs with the right tools, services, events, and creators to explore, discover, and evolve.Digital Dispatch maximizes and manages your #1 sales tool with a website that establishes trust and builds rock-solid relationships with your leads and customers.
What does it actually take to grow a product business to eight figures? In this episode, Kareem Raslan, Co-Founder of BrainGain, shares how he built an adjustable dumbbell company into an eight-figure business in just five years. The secret? Focusing on supply chain optimization, conversion rates, profitability, and doing the hard things most founders avoid. Listen in to learn how Kareem balanced building a business while working in banking, why making the first order profitable is critical, how to increase conversion rates, and how to expand into international markets like the UK and Europe. We also discuss finding your competitive advantage, choosing the right 3PL partner, using customer surveys to improve your business, and why focusing on the highest-impact activities is one of the most important skills a business owner can develop. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://tinyurl.com/mu697n6h Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here. Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.
Kevin chats with Vincent Fletcher of Carton Cloud, alongside Shaun Hagen, live from Manifest 2026 in Las Vegas. Carton Cloud offers a combined warehouse and transport management system built from real 3PL operations. The conversation centers on how 3PLs are navigating rising volumes, labor constraints, and shifting customer demands. Fletcher and Hagen share how Carton Cloud is helping operators stay flexible and scale effectively, especially as workflows evolve from traditional B2B models to high-volume e-commerce fulfillment.Learn more about sponsors here: EPG, iAutomate, Big Joe Forklifts, Surgere, Ocado Intelligent Automation Follow us on LinkedIn and YouTube.Support the show
In this session from the Retail Collective Summit, founders and CEOs from Rags, &Collar, Beard Club, Caddis Sports, 47G and Spreetail dissect the shifting balance between D2C and marketplaces like Amazon and TikTok Shop. The conversation reveals the raw reality of channel profitability, comparing high D2C gross margins against the lower acquisition costs and fulfillment efficiencies found on Amazon.The panel explores tactical "Trojan Horse" plays—using marketplaces for demand capture and customer acquisition, then driving that traffic back to branded sites for premium experiences and long-term loyalty. From navigating the "nerves" of TikTok Shop to the importance of "lean and mean" operations, these leaders share why being where the consumer already exists is the ultimate competitive advantage. Finally, the group discusses the future of retail operations, including the strategic use of 3PL partners and the role of AI in streamlining creative testing and SEO. Whether you're building a brand moat or optimizing for higher LTV, this episode provides a masterclass in staying nimble in a volatile market.
In this “hump day” edition of WHAT THE TRUCK, host Malcolm Harris takes the wheel solo while co-host Michael Vincent is on vacation. The episode dives deep into the “black hole” of the supply chain—the yard—and explores the evolving landscape of logistics recruiting and company culture.KEY TOPICS & SEGMENTS:• Modernizing Yard Logistics: Darin Brannan, CEO of Terminal Industries, discusses the shift from traditional Yard Management Systems (YMS) to advanced Yard Operating Systems. He explains how Terminal Industries uses AI and computer vision to eliminate paperwork and streamline processes, aiming to solve the “gate math” problem that often leads to massive traffic jams and wasted time for truckers.• The Future of Logistics Talent: Ryan Paul, President of Logitalent joins the show to discuss the past, present, and future of logistics recruiting. The conversation covers the importance of people and culture in the 3PL and brokerage space, as well as how companies are navigating a changing workforce. Watch on YouTube Visit our sponsor - JJ KELLER Subscribe to the WTT newsletter Apple Podcasts Spotify More FreightWaves Podcasts #WHATTHETRUCK #FreightNews #supplychain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Allison Lee, founder and CEO of Revive, chats with Jenny Fielding, GP of Everywhere VenturesIn episode 112 of Venture Everywhere, Jenny Fielding, managing partner at Everywhere Ventures, talks with Allison Lee, co-founder and CEO of Revive — a turnkey virtual tailoring solution that helps fashion brands reduce returns and dead stock by refurbishing and reselling garments. Allison shares how a pandemic-forced pivot exposed a damages problem every brand was quietly absorbing but no one was solving. She discusses how Revive challenges the industry consensus that damaged inventory is a write-off, instead unifying item-level inspection, refurbishment, and resale into one system that recovers value brands didn't know they had.In this episode, you will hear:Replacing SKU-level inventory systems with item-level inspection and decisioning.Bridging the gap between brand needs and 3PL capabilities.Refurbishment as a higher-recovery alternative to donation and liquidation.Live commerce as the resale channel for Gen Z shoppers.Human-in-the-loop operations where AI augments rather than replaces physical inspection.Learn more about Allison Lee | ReviveLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonhyeinleeWebsite: https://www.byrevive.com/Learn more about Jenny Fielding | Everywhere VCLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennyfieldingWebsite: https://everywhere.vc/
Most people see a Ryder truck on the highway and think "trucking company." That's not wrong — but it's missing 100 million square feet of warehouse space and 2,000 autonomous robots.Gary Allen is the VP of Supply Chain Excellence at Ryder, and he stopped by the Everything is Logistics podcast booth at Manifest to talk tech selection, the build vs. buy debate, and what it actually takes to navigate a market with thousands of freight tech vendors when you're operating at this scale.Spoiler: it takes a team of 90 data engineers, a VC fund, and a willingness to evaluate 400+ companies before you commit to anything.——————————————IN THIS EPISODE——————————————□ Why asset ownership doesn't change the fundamental tech questions you need to answer first□ How Ryder evaluated 400+ warehouse automation companies in 3 years (and what makes the cut)□ Why Ryder runs ~30 different WMS systems across its network — and why that's a problem they're actively solving□ The Baton acquisition, Ryder Ventures VC fund, and why they decided to build what the market couldn't provide□ The "product mindset vs. project mindset" shift that changes everything about how you deploy tech□ Agentic AI real talk: what's actually working (call centers, document extraction, labor planning) vs. what's still early□ The warehouse automation ladder: AMRs → autonomous forklifts → storage/retrieval systems → humanoids□ What the timeline on lights-out warehouses might actually look likeWatch this episode on YouTube——————————————LINKS & RESOURCES——————————————□ Connect with Gary Allen on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/grallen1/□ Learn more about Ryder: ryder.com□ Ryder Ventures: https://www.ryder.com/en-us/ryderventuresPrevious Ryder episodes: □ VP of Supply Chain Ops Kristy Killingbeck□ Baton's Nate RobertFeedback? Ideas for a future episode? Shoot us a text here to let us know. -----------------------------------------THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!SPI Logistics has been a Day 1 supporter of this podcast which is why we're proud to promote them in every episode. During that time, we've gotten to know the team and their agents to confidently say they are the best home for freight agents in North America for 40 years and counting. Listen to past episodes to hear why.CargoRex is the search engine for the logistics industry—connecting LSPs with the right tools, services, events, and creators to explore, discover, and evolve.Digital Dispatch maximizes and manages your #1 sales tool with a website that establishes trust and builds rock-solid relationships with your leads and customers.
In this episode of The New Warehouse Podcast, Kevin chats with Abby Nawrocki, CEO and Founder of Stock. Abby brings deep experience in operations and logistics, having worked with companies like DHL, Radial, Shopify, and Flexport. Her company, Stock, focuses on solving a growing supply chain problem: excess 3PL inventory. Through a marketplace model, Stock connects warehouses and brands with nonprofit organizations that can use surplus goods. The conversation explores how excess 3PL inventory builds up, why traditional liquidation often fails, and how alternative channels, such as donation, can create both financial and social value for modern warehouse operators.Learn more about sponsors here: EPG, iAutomate, Big Joe Forklifts, Surgere, Ocado Intelligent Automation Follow us on LinkedIn and YouTube.Support the show
Sustainability became his unfair advantage on Amazon. A veteran textile designer reveals the data-first moves, fee-saving AWD shifts, and the tester story behind the explosive growth.