Podcasts about RFQ

Mounir Benchemled is the founder of Velora, an intent-based crosschain trading protocol that makes complex trading strategies simple and accessible for users.  Why you should listen Mounir's deep expertise in DEX aggregation and intent-based trading has positioned Velora as a leader in the DeFi space. As the platform evolves, Mounir is steering the next stage of growth by focusing on crosschain interoperability and agent-based execution, ensuring the best possible user experience with reduced gas costs, slippage, and revert protection.  Velora's core mission is to simplify access to DeFi by breaking down liquidity fragmentation—aggregating over 160 integrated protocols across Ethereum, BSC, Avalanche, Polygon, Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, zkEVM, and more. One of Velora's standout features is Delta, a trading layer that shields you from MEV (miner extractable value) issues and rids you of gas costs. Delta uses "Portikus Infrastructure" and a fleet of competing settlement agents to secure best‑execution swaps—without upfront gas fees. On top of swaps, Velora offers on‑chain RFQ (request‑for‑quotes) from vetted market makers, yield optimization tools, and a public API/SDK for advanced integrations—making it a go‑to for DeFi devs and institutional teams. Velora is carving out the middle‑layer of DeFi—powering fast, secure, cross‑chain trades with gasless UX and plug‑and‑play tools for developers and institutions. Supporting links Stabull Finance Velora Andy on Twitter  Brave New Coin on Twitter Brave New Coin If you enjoyed the show please subscribe to the Crypto Conversation and give us a 5-star rating and a positive review in whatever podcast app you are using.    

Ahmad fills in for ryan on RFQ! Website

In high-stakes, complex sales, success often hinges on what happens before the RFQ ever goes out. In this episode of B2B Sales Trends, Harry Kendlbacher sits down with Shari Begun — VP of Global Sales — to unpack what it really takes to win large deals in today's environment. From account planning and roadmap conversations to stakeholder mapping and value defense, Shari shares practical strategies sales teams can use to shape buying decisions early, avoid competing on price alone, and close bigger deals with more predictability. Whether you're managing a long enterprise cycle or just looking to sharpen your RFQ approach, this one's packed with takeaways you can use right now.

Aujourd'hui dans le podcast, on reçoit en entrevue Alexandra Houle, présidente du Réseau Féministe Québécois, avec qui on explore ses luttes et perspectives par rapport aux enjeux qui touchent les femmes, qui sont mentionnés ou non dans la présente campagne électorale fédérale. Avec elle on parle de féminisme intersectionnel, de l'exploitation sexuelle des femmes, du financement des mouvements féministes et bien d'autres choses.DANS LA PARTIE PATREON, on commence en parlant de l'annonce des conservateurs de vouloir imposer des peines plus sévères pour les responsables de crimes graves, suivis de la réaction de Frank, Ian et Joey à l'annonce de la CAQ de vouloir abolir le prix plancher sur l'essence. Ensuite, on écoute une vidéo malaisante du premier ministre du Québec François Legault et on termine avec Joey qui nous présente quelques extraits audio du chroniqueur politique Vincent Bégin ainsi que des questions posées à Olivier Primeau lors de son récent passage à Radio-Canada.0:00 Intro  0:42 Le Réseau féministe québécois  4:39 L'avortement sélectif et l'horloge biologique  9:08 Un schisme dans le mouvement féministe  14:06 Des criminels qui s'identifient comme femme  20:51 Les relations avec les autres mouvements féministes  24:25 La position a changé sur l'exploitation sexuelle  28:54 Subventions et 700 peines Netflix au Qc  34:48 L'écart du vote entre les hommes et les femmes  39:07 Les papas et l'injustice envers les femmes  49:16 Comment rejoindre le RFQ ?  50:23 Conclusion

At the heart of The Prophets' vision are “The 24 Essential Supply Chain Processes.” What are they? Find out, and see the future yourself. Click here In this episode, we get real about a topic that doesn't get nearly enough attention in automotive: the strain on supplier relationships. With tariffs, lead time cuts, and constant disruptions, the old “just send the RFQ and hope for the best” approach simply doesn't hold up anymore.That's where Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) comes in—and not just as a tool. We're talking about SRM as part of the procurement strategy.Our guest, Achim Gatternig, Senior Manager for Procurement Projects at Magna, knows exactly what that looks like. He walks us through how Magna approaches Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) in a way that's built for today's supply chain challenges — and tomorrow's.And it all starts early. Before the first quote request goes out, Magna teams are already narrowing down a fit-for-purpose list of suppliers. They're not just matching parts but aligning capabilities, volumes, and timelines to strategy. The goal? Fewer surprises, better results, and stronger long-term relationships.But it's not just about smart planning—it's about real-time visibility. Achim shares how Magna gives suppliers monthly scorecards tracking quality, logistics, and delivery accuracy. It's not about policing—it's about creating conversations based on facts, not feelings.And when crisis hits? That data becomes gold. Whether it's a tariff shift or a plant fire, SRM gives procurement leaders the clarity they need to act fast. Achim walks us through possible scenarios of how the right information at the right time could help companies avoid cost hits, move tooling, and re-strategize without chaos.Of course, not everyone's on board. Achim gets candid about the challenges of pitching SRM to skeptical execs. His take? Show them what it costs to make decisions in the dark and then what's possible when you don't.From pushing ESG requirements down the chain to spotting supplier risk with external data to using AI to manage information no human team could handle alone—Achim shows us what modern procurement leadership really looks like.And his advice for anyone thinking about SRM? Don't overthink it. Just start. Pick the right system, make it fit your world, and give your team the clarity they'll need for whatever comes next.Themes discussed in this episode:Why supplier relationship management is the hidden driver of procurement strategyHow Magna leverages SRM to reduce risk and improve sourcing decisionsWhy SRM is no longer optional in automotive procurementHow SRM tools help teams respond faster during supply chain disruptionsWhy early supplier alignment is more valuable than late-stage negotiationThe real cost of not having supplier data when a crisis hitThe need for a single, shared view of supplier data across teamsFeatured on this episode: Name: Achim GatternigTitle: Senior Manager of Procurement at Magna InternationalAbout: Achim is Senior Manager of Procurement at Magna International, leading global procurement teams for complete vehicle manufacturing projects. With over 18 years at Magna, he's held several key roles across the supply chain and procurement space, including Global Strategic Commodity Manager and Head of Tools and Data Management. Today, he oversees both project-based procurement teams and system administration for critical SCM applications like SRM. Achim is passionate about enabling supply chain teams to succeed—by guiding them...

In this episode, we unpack the IRS's ambitious efforts to modernize its enterprise infrastructure in support of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). We explore the Statement of Objectives (SOO) for RFQ 8500, which focuses on enhancing user experience through improved program management, operational execution, and performance monitoring.From redesigning helpdesk operations to integrating AI with ServiceNow, we dive into how the IRS aims to become a user-first, tech-forward agency. Whether you're in federal IT, digital transformation, or project management—this is a blueprint worth studying.Contact ProposalHelper at sales@proposalhelper.com to find similar opportunities and help you build a realistic and winning pipeline.

In this raw and unfiltered episode of The Friday Sessions, the boys cut through the BS about making real money. They reveal how one Australian turned $150K into a $1.5 million profit on a property development, shared the exact steps to launch an ecommerce business in just 60 days, and explained their "RFQ hack" that gets Chinese suppliers fighting to work with you. The boys from Unemployable then debate whether your family home might be better off sold and invested in high-growth assets, challenging the "work harder" mindset with some mind-blowing compound interest calculations.

Strategic marketing investments can transform small AEC firms into industry leaders.Katie Cash kicks off the SmartWin 2025 Speaker Spotlight Series with guest Erica Wozniak Fisher, Director of Marketing and Business Development at The Arkitex Studio. Erica shares her journey from managing major projects at Texas A&M University to driving strategic growth for a small Texas-based architecture firm. The discussion highlights how smart, modest marketing moves can lead to big wins. Erica emphasizes the essentials of branding, targeted networking, and leveraging the right tools and partnerships.  Even small steps, like refining RFQ templates or attending key conferences can deliver impressive and measurable results.Don't miss Erica's practical tips for small firms striving to stand out in the AEC world. Tune in to the new SmartWIN25 Speaker Spotlight series for a sneak peek of what's to come this February.Topics discussed in this episode:SmartWIN25strategic investmentsarchitectureArkitexAEC GrowthTexas A&M UniversityMarketing and business developmentsmall firmsFollow Erica Wozniak Fisher: https://arkitex.com/Connect with Katiehttps://smartegies.com/

The Singular DEX whitepaper outlines a new decentralized derivatives exchange aiming to rival centralized giants like GMX and dYdX.  Its competitive advantages include a strong team with a proven track record, a live product with superior liquidity, and innovative offerings like securities-backed tokens.  The paper emphasizes the growing need for decentralized alternatives due to recent centralized exchange failures and highlights the potential for significant growth in the decentralized derivatives market.  Singular's technology incorporates AMM and RFQ systems for optimal pricing and liquidity, while also focusing on security, anonymity, and user control.  The whitepaper concludes by presenting a vision for Singular's future and its potential to capture a large market share in the rapidly expanding decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem.

Charlie Pyle is the Founder of Hourglass, Mike Silagadze is the CoFounder of ether.fi, and Maksym Repa is the DeFi Lead at Lombard. In this episode of Yield Talks, we dive deep into Hourglass, a protocol growing sticky liquidity for protocols through time-bound staking. We explore how Hourglass markets provide new leverage and liquidity for assets like eBTC, eETH, and LBTC through Hourglass Boost, along with deeper liquidity for leveraged airdrop farming thanks to Hourglass RFQ. If you're a Pendle degen, you're going to want to learn more about how Hourglass works. ------

Send us a textUnlock the secrets to precise ICT project estimation and revolutionize your approach to competitive bidding with our latest episode. Discover how microestimating can transform your project management strategies and drive profitability. We break down the intricate process of estimating ICT projects into a clear, structured approach, from initiation to presentation. By mastering the art of crafting accurate bids, you position your company for consistent project wins and stronger client relationships. Our discussion provides clarity on vital industry documents such as RFB, RFP, and RFQ, ensuring you're equipped with the knowledge to excel in the procurement landscape.Join us as we delve into effective techniques for preparing estimates, emphasizing the importance of understanding the client's needs, budget constraints, and competitive landscape. We share insights on the power of clear communication and documentation in preventing costly misunderstandings. Learn how to critically analyze client-provided designs to identify potential flaws, building trust and credibility along the way. Explore the distinction between direct and indirect project costs, and the critical need to track these for project success. Finally, we highlight the symbiotic relationship between microestimating and project management tasks, setting the foundation for successful ICT project execution.Support the showKnowledge is power! Make sure to stop by the webpage to buy me a cup of coffee or support the show at https://linktr.ee/letstalkcabling . Also if you would like to be a guest on the show or have a topic for discussion send me an email at chuck@letstalkcabling.com Chuck Bowser RCDD TECH#CBRCDD #RCDD

Will we have a new champ for RFQ or will Ahmad repeat? Website

Main Differences Between RFP and RFQ for Federal Government ContractsWhen do federal buyers use an RFP vs RFQ when buying products or services? Knowing this will help you understand whether your response is more about price or technical approach. ✅ In this Training, GovCon Chamber president Neil McDonnell discuss:How the federal government buys products and servicesKey differences between an RFP vs RFQHow to find RFP vs RFQ opportunities✅ Join us on LinkedIn to build your network and engaging other in the largest Government Contracting community online.https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/government-contracting-success-6895009566325907456/–––––––––––––––––––––––––

In this episode of the Translation Company Talk podcast, we speak with Silja Korkko from Semantix about RFPs and proposals for LSPs. While most of us are used to traditional sales methods, the structured government and enterprise procurement heavily relies on the concept of outreach through RFPs, RFI, RFQ, RSOs and other forms solicitation mechanisms. Silja is an experienced language industry veteran and an experienced bid manager with extensive experience and impressive credentials. She shares her thoughts and opinions on way that bidders can gain an advantage through the procurement process. Make sure to subscribe to the Translation Company Talk podcast on Apple Podcasts, iTunes, Spotify, Audible or your platform of choice and give this episode a five star rating. This episode of the Translation Company Talk podcast is sponsored by Hybrid Lynx.

This session shares the audio of the Police Station Building Committee (PSBC) meeting on Wednesday, Oct 30, 2024. All 10 members were present. This is the start of the real work on the station. The Owner Project Manager (OPM), Joseph (Joe) Sullivan is in place and leading the effort per Mass General Law for projects of this size.Quick recap:Committee voted to approve minutes of 3 prior meetings (1 as amended to correct attendance status of one person)Joe provided an overview of the project steps7 architects submitted to the RFQ from which 3 firms were selected for interviews at the next meeting Nov 14 (a long session, 30min presentations, 15 Q&A, 15 mins briefing between sessions, and then after the scoring, it will take 2-3 weeks to settle the contract. Once contracted, then evaluation begins, what today's needs are, and then layer in flexibility for future requirementsSite selection will be a key component, usually requires 4-6 acres to allow for security and proper public access, includes traffic studies to determine proper fit Conceptual design, lay the building on the site to see how it works Committee vote on key steps along the way, no Taj Mahal, just what you need Min of 3 cost estimates Preliminary budget after conceptual design, let committee feel comfortable with the design and the associated costs. Design contingency is used for those next level details beyond the overall building structure costs, i.e. sprinkler, technology, outfitting the building, etc. Additional items of the recap can be found -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2024/11/police-station-building-comte-gets.html The recording run about 58 minutes--------------Franklin TV video of the meeting -> https://www.youtube.com/live/EriYvnsyTO0?si=0TSXC0OswbrnnCT6&t=195 Meeting agenda -> https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/agendas/2024-10-30_police_station_building_committee_packet.pdf My notes in on PDF -> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ri3wYEfziwIAA31Ch4AVfCZAszny_kV7/view?usp=drive_link -------------We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial. This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.How can you help?If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighborsIf you don't like something here, please let me knowAnd if you have interest in reporting on meetings or events, please reach. We'll share and show you what and how we do what we doThrough this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/ or

SUBSCRIBE TO WATCH THE VIDEOS FIRST https://www.youtube.com/@dodcontractacademy/?sub_confirmation=1  GET CERTIFIED: Earn up to $400K a year as a freelance GOVERNMENT CONTRACT CONSULTANT: https://www.govclose.com/sales-certification FREE BOOK: Download the "Government Contract Planner" For Free at https://www.dodcontract.com   Retired Colonel Lewis Orndorff, an expert in government contracts with over 30 years of experience walks through  reading and understanding Requests for Proposal (RFPs) and Requests for Quote (RFQs) for government contracts. Colonel Orndorff provides crucial advice on often-overlooked elements in these documents, such as FAR clauses, cost structures, and compliance requirements, that can significantly impact a company's obligations and costs. The session includes practical examples and advice on identifying and understanding key contract details, ensuring companies make informed bidding decisions. Additionally, the episode discusses negotiation possibilities and the importance of understanding contract clauses to avoid potential pitfalls. I Ideal for those interested in government contracting, the discussion also highlights the benefits of joining the GovClose certification program for specialized training in this field. 00:00 Introduction to Government Contracting 00:00 Introduction to Reading an RFP 00:16 Understanding the Documents: RFQ vs. RFP 00:39 Key Considerations in Proposals 01:42 Detailed Examination of Solicitation Sections 03:59 Contract Types and Their Implications 06:39 Importance of Reading Clauses 08:40 Tools and Strategies for Cost Estimation 10:26 Navigating the Proposal Submission Process 11:49 Highlighting Important Clauses 16:21 Practical Examples and Case Studies 30:02 Q&A Session

In this episode, I hand over the reins to my sales guys, Sebastian and Alex! They break down the critical steps to take when you receive a request for quote (RFQ) to ensure you not only deliver a standout proposal but also maximize your chances of closing the deal. We will explore how to understand your client's needs and pain points, personalize follow-ups, highlight your unique value proposition, and present a clear, compelling proposal.Whether you're new to sales or a seasoned pro, this episode is packed with actionable tips to help you elevate your sales process, build client trust, and win more business. If you've ever wondered how to stand out in the RFQ stage, this episode is a must. __________Subscribe For More Video Content :https://www.youtube.com/kylemilan__________Say Hi on Social:LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylemilan/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kylejmilanFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/KyleJMilan/__________Connect For Business:MFG Tribe: https://mfgtribe.comMFG Tribe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mfgtribe/Technical Sales University: https://training.technicalsalesu.com/enroll

WE ARE SO BACK! Would THS survive in a post hurricane apocalyptic world?? Who is contributing what and how do we survive? Jojo Binkies is moving?! RFQ's are back? We hope this makes your Hurricane Day a little bit better...or not, all good lol.

Frank Starkey and his family are one of those rare breeds of Floridians that actually have deep roots in the Sunshine State. We talk about how they sought to owner their grand-dad's wishes as they ultimately developed the family cattle ranch in New Port Richey. A big part of their work was the Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) called Longleaf. And later, the Starkey Ranch project.Here's a funny real estate video about Longleaf: (funny to me, anyway)If you listen to Frank, you'll learn how an architect has a whole different perspective on the present and the future, and why he thinks he has a luxurious lifestyle now in downtown New Port Richey. You can see some of his current efforts at this link to his website.This is episode number 50 of The Messy City podcast - thanks so much for listening. If you're new to this, welcome! I look forward to the next 50, as we explore the issues and people who love traditional human settlements, and are trying to create them. I love talking to the do-ers, to the creators, and everyone who has skin in the game that's trying to build a more humane world.Find more content on The Messy City on Kevin's Substack page.Music notes: all songs by low standards, ca. 2010. Videos here. If you'd like a CD for low standards, message me and you can have one for only $5.Intro: “Why Be Friends”Outro: “Fairweather Friend”Transcript: Kevin K (00:01.18) Welcome back to the Messy City podcast. This is Kevin Klinkenberg. I'm happy today to be joined by my friend and fellow new urbanist, long time participant, Frank Starkey, joining us from Florida. Frank, how you doing today? Frank Starkey (00:20.337) Howdy, Kevin. Doing great. Happy to be with you. I've been... Kevin K (00:22.908) I didn't even check. I assume you're in Florida at home, but you could really be anywhere. Okay. Frank Starkey (00:25.617) Yeah, I am. Yeah. Yep, I'm in our we recently moved into a townhouse that Andy McCloskey, who used to work for me, built in town here and we just bought one and we're very happy here. It's really nice. Kevin K (00:40.348) Cool, cool. And you're in New Port Richey? Frank Starkey (00:45.169) Yes, Newport Richey is on the northwest side of the Tampa Bay region. It's part of the region. We're in that suburban sprawl miasma that characterizes all Florida cities. And we're about 25 miles as the crow flies from Tampa, basically from downtown Tampa, and probably 15 to 20 miles from Clearwater and 30 miles from St. Pete. So we're And we're right on the Gulf. We have a river that runs right through town that river miles from where we are out to the Gulf is maybe five river miles. So you could easily kayak and paddle board right out there or upstream pretty quickly you're into the Cypress freshwater wetlands. So we've got a lot of good nature around. Kevin K (01:39.516) Do you ever do that? Do you ever get out on a kayak or whatever and get out there on the river? Frank Starkey (01:43.089) Yeah, it's been a while. But if you go up to there's a preserve that the city owns that's up in the freshwater area. And if you're in there, you think you're in the Tarzan. A lot of the Tarzan movies and shows were filmed in Florida swamps and you feel like you're in a Tarzan movie. You can't see that you're in the middle of town. And if you go out to the coast, the barrier island and right where we are. They really start and go south from here. So from here on up through the big bend of the Panhandle in Florida, the coastline is all marshes and salt flats and grass wetlands. It's a much prettier coastline in my opinion than the more built -up barrier islands. But you can go out and kayak for days and days out in the coastal areas and see all kinds of wildlife and water life. So it's pretty cool. Kevin K (02:40.124) That's cool. That's really cool. Well, Frank and I have been talking about trying to do this for a while. We'd hoped to hook up in Cincinnati, but schedules just got in the way, as is typical for that event. But I really wanted to talk with you today, Frank, because you hit on a couple of my hot points, which is that you're an architect and a developer. Frank Starkey (02:51.313) you Kevin K (03:06.332) And I know as a designer that you also care a lot about the kind of issues that we talk about routinely within the world of new urbanism and urban design, which is, you know, creating beautiful walkable places. So I just think it'd be interesting. You know, I talked to a lot of people who come into the world of trying to be developers. You and I probably both talked to a lot of fellow architects who we try to encourage to be developers. Frank Starkey (03:06.481) Mm -hmm. Kevin K (03:33.948) And so it's fascinating to me how people come to that. So I wonder if we could start just a little bit by talking about like your path and where, you know, how you got to this point. You, did you grow up in Florida or were you in Texas? Is that right? Frank Starkey (03:51.761) Now I grew up in Florida. I went to college in Texas, but I grew up on a cattle ranch just east of here, in an area that's now called Odessa. It was a 16 ,000 acre, beef cattle ranch that our grandfather had bought in the 1930s. And we were about 20, 20 miles from downtown Tampa and Newport, Richie was our hometown because of the county we're in Pasco County. And so we came to, you know, church school. shopping was in Newport, Ritchie. But I also kind of had an orientation towards Tampa because we were sort of closer that direction. And then my extended family all lived in St. Petersburg. My parents had grown up there and then my dad grew up in Largo on a branch down there that his dad had before the one in Odessa. I... Kevin K (04:41.564) So it's like the rare species of old Florida people, right? So. Frank Starkey (04:45.361) Yeah. Yeah, but man, I have a weird, I've always come from a very mixed, I mean, just a very much kind of background, culturally, geographically, economically. My great grandparents were from, mostly from the upper Midwest. And so we kind of, and my great grandfather on my dad's side. was William Straub, who was the publisher of the St. Petersburg Times. But I later found out that he was instrumental in getting the city to hire John Nolan to do a plan for the remainder of St. Petersburg. He was instrumental in getting the city to buy up a mile of its waterfront to create a continuous waterfront park along the bay in downtown St. Petersburg, which is the crown jewel of the city in terms of civic space. So I kind of grew up and then that that kind of orientation towards parks. He also helped the County, Pinellas County establish a park system, which was one of the earliest ones in the country. And so I kind of this park orientation and public space and civic life and civic engagement was a strain through my whole childhood. You know, my whole is kind of a generational thing in our family. And so that's one thread and. Living in the country, we didn't have much in the way of neighbors. The area of Odessa in those days was pretty poor. So I rode the school bus with kids that had virtually nothing and went to school in the suburbs of Western Pasco, which was where the kids were mostly from the Midwest. Their grandparents had worked for Ford or GM or Chrysler and then they... moved to Florida and the grandkids, you know, the kids moved with them. And so those were the kids I grew up with. And so I, you know, I didn't feel like I grew up in the deep south. People, but I, but I was close enough to it that I understand it, but I don't consider myself a, you know, capital S southerner, my accent notwithstanding to the degree that a good friend of mine, Frank Starkey (07:07.793) I grew up in Plant City on the east side of Tampa, which is much more in the farming world part of Hillsborough County. And he was much more deep south than I was, even though we grew up, you know, 40 miles apart. So it's just a very different cultural setting. So I grew up with, you know, upper Midwest heritage who had been in St. Petersburg since 1899. And then, you know, poor kids, middle -class kids, and then eventually wealthier folks. So I just kind of had this really all over the place cultural background that's not nearly as simple as, I mean, all of Florida has a tapestry of, a patchwork of different kinds of cultural influences. South of I -10, north of I -10, you're in South Georgia or Alabama, but. the peninsula of Florida is very culturally mixed up. Kevin K (08:11.228) So the old canard, I guess, was that the west coast of Florida was populated by people who came from the Midwest and the east coast was from the Northeast. Does that hold true in your experience? Frank Starkey (08:22.129) Yeah, that does hold true, although there were a lot of New Yorkers in Boston, not so much New England, but still a lot of New Yorkers found their way across. So I grew up around a lot of New York Italian descent folks, as well as Midwesterners. So I, you know, it's a wonder I don't have a New York accent or a Michigan accent or a Southern accent, because those were the kind of the three, more about more, you know, Northern accents than. than Southern accents from immediately where I grew up. But yeah, I -75 goes to Detroit and that I -95 on the East Coast goes to New York. And so that means that has an impact. Kevin K (09:06.844) Did you ever know about the Kansas City connection to St. Pete then with J .C. Nichols down there in downtown St. Pete? Frank Starkey (09:17.329) And tell me about it. I mean, I, because Bruce Stevenson's book, I think touched on that because they, they had an APA convention down here back in the 1920s. Kevin K (09:20.54) Well, that's it. Kevin K (09:28.54) Yeah, J .C. Nichols who developed the Country Club Plaza here, starting really in the 19 -teens, later in his life, he was asked to, or he bought property in St. Petersburg, in or near the downtown area. And the whole concept was they were going to essentially build like another version of Country Club Plaza there in downtown St. Pete. Yeah. And so I think like a small portion of it got built down there. Frank Starkey (09:32.785) All right. Frank Starkey (09:51.665) Really? Kevin K (09:57.564) And then maybe the real estate deal fell apart or something like that. But there was, yeah, that was a big push at some point. Yeah. Yeah. Frank Starkey (10:03.633) or the Depression hit. Interesting. Now, I wasn't aware of that. I didn't know that he had bought and had plans to develop here. That's interesting. The other, St. Petersburg's, well, the Florida Land Bus was in 1926. So Florida real estate speculation really ended then, and then it didn't pick up again until after World War II. So that might have been the death of it. Kevin K (10:13.084) Yeah. Yeah. Kevin K (10:27.164) Yeah. Yeah. So you find yourself growing up on a ranch then, pretty much in Florida. What takes you to architecture? What takes you to architecture and then to Texas to go to architecture school? Frank Starkey (10:35.505) I'd have been becoming an architect. Frank Starkey (10:42.289) For whatever combination of reasons, one evening when I was in about fourth grade, I, dad recollected this years later. I asked dad at the dinner table, what do you call a person, what do you call a person who designs buildings? Not as a riddle, just, and he said, it's called an architect. And I said, well, that's what I want to be when I grow up. And I never had the sense to question that decision again. So. Kevin K (11:00.54) Yeah. Kevin K (11:09.276) That's how it sounds vaguely familiar. Frank Starkey (11:11.853) you So, you know, whether it was Legos and Lincoln Logs and the Brady Bunch. And when I was a kid, we had a cabin in North Carolina that dad had the shell built by this guy who had a lumber mill up there and he would build a shell for you for $5 ,000 or something. He built that out of green poplar wood. The whole thing was immediately warped and racked and sagged and did everything that. green wood will do, and we immediately put it in a building. But dad spent all of our vacation times up there finishing out the interior of that. So I was just around that construction. And dad was also being a counter rancher, and he knew welding. And he was always tinkering. And in addition to fixing things, he was also inventing implements to use on the ranch and things like that. So he just had a hand building. ethic that, you know, he just kind of had. So whatever made me decide I wanted to design buildings, as I grew up from that point on, I just was all about it. And so by the time I got to high school, I couldn't wait to get into working for an architect. And I was an intern for an architect in Newport, Ritchie, when I was in high school. And then I went to Rice University in Houston to go to architecture school. So after I, and I did my internship here, which is part of the program at Rice for the professional degree. I did that in New York City for Pay Cop, Read and Partners. And another ironic thing was I learned, I had a really great classical architecture history professor in college at Rice who in his summers led, he and his partner who was a art history professor also, a fine arts. Frank Starkey (13:10.289) They led an archaeological excavation outside Rome of a villa from the dated that basically dated a time period of about 600 years straddling the time of Christ. And I've spent the summer after my freshman year on that dig. So I had a had a really strong exposure to classical architecture and urbanism throughout my school. And when I worked for PAY, I worked on James Freed's projects. At that time, we were working on what became the Ronald Reagan building in Washington, D .C. It's the last big building in the federal triangle. And so it's a neoclassical exterior with a very modern interior. It's kind of like a spaceship wrapped inside a federal building. And the other project I worked on a little bit that year was the San Francisco Main Library, which is in the Civic Center right down in the Civic Center of Francisco with the City Hall and the old library. The new library is a mirror of it that's a neoclassical facade on, well, two wings of a neoclassical facade that face the Civic Center side. And then on the backside, which faces Market Street, there's a much more modern interpretation of that commercial core district facing along Market Street. So I worked on these buildings with Sirius that took, you know, this was at the end of the Pomo era of the 80s when everybody was making fun of classical architecture in, the architects were having fun with it or making fun of it, however you look at it. And Fried was taking it more seriously. It was still a updated take on neoclassical architecture. in some of the details, but it was really a fascinating exposure to the actual practice of designing classical buildings, working for one of the most famously modernist firms in the world. So. Kevin K (15:21.628) Yeah, no doubt. No doubt. Yeah. That's pretty wild. Was rice, I mean, we're about the same age, was rice kind of like most architecture schools, generally speaking, in their emphasis on looking at modernist design as the holy grail that you must pursue? Frank Starkey (15:28.433) Mm -hmm. Frank Starkey (15:38.769) Yeah, interestingly, like my childhood and the cultural mix that I described earlier, Rice was sort of in this period at that time where it was between deans. There was a series of, it's too long a story to explain here, but the previous dean who had been there for 15 years or something, O. Jack Mitchell, announced his retirement the day I started classes. And... So he was a lame duck. And then it was, you know, we basically went through a series of searches, deans, dean passed away, interim dean search, a new dean, and then he resigned. So the whole time I was in college, we really didn't have a dean. And the faculty that Mitchell had built was very, I'd say ecumenical. They kind of, we had some diehard theoretical postmodernists and we had. At the other end of the spectrum, we had a guy who did a lot of real estate development who was super practical and we always made fun of him for caring about mundane things like budgets. And I know he was, I made him a laughing stock, which I wish I'd taken more of his classes. But anyway, and then a really good core faculty who had a real sense of, and real care about urban design and. Kevin K (16:46.428) Well, yeah, exactly. Frank Starkey (17:04.401) My sophomore class field trip was to Paris and we did studies of, you know, in groups, each of us studied at Urban Plus. So I really had a strong urban design and contextual sensibility through my architecture class, all my architecture classes. In the background, there was this whole drum beat of postmodernist, post structuralism and deconstructivism. that was going on. I never caught into that. It always just seemed like anything that requires that much intellectual gymnastics is probably just kind of b******t. And it also, I was involved with campus ministries and fellowship of Christian athletes and church. And so I had a sense of mission and doing good in the world. And it also just, it just didn't work with that either. So I didn't really go in for that stuff, but the urban design stuff really did stick with me. And then the classical architecture and Vignoli, which I mentioned to you the other day, that really did kind of stick to me as a methodology. Kevin K (18:29.436) Man, I went for it hook line and sinker, man. It was, yeah. Yeah. I mean, I thought deconstructivism was like the coolest thing at that time period. And I bought the whole program for some period of time. And frankly, until I ran across some of Andreas's writings and then started learning about seaside. And that's really what kind of broke it open for me that I started to. Frank Starkey (18:32.433) Really? Frank Starkey (18:40.465) -huh. Frank Starkey (18:52.273) Mm -hmm. Kevin K (18:58.556) see things a little bit differently and all, but I, yeah, I was, I was in deconstructivism was funny because you could just kind of do anything and you know, you could call anything a building basically. Yeah. Frank Starkey (19:07.537) Yeah. Yeah, yeah, the author is dead long live the text was the, and so you could just, yeah. And to me, it was just pulling, it was just pulling stuff out of your butt and I just. Kevin K (19:22.636) totally. Yeah. Yeah. It was all b******t, but it was, I guess, fun for a 19 or 20 year old for a little while. So, all right. So fast forward then, did you come back to Florida then pretty much right after school or? Yeah. Frank Starkey (19:25.809) Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Frank Starkey (19:38.929) Yeah, I did a gap year after college and then ended up in Austin for another year and then came back to work with my brother. So by that time, we had seen, because of where the ranch is situated, it's sort of in the crosshairs of growth patterns coming from Tampa to the south and Clearwater to the southwest. and Newport -Ritchie from the west. So it was, the growth was coming from, at us from two directions. Granddad and you know, this 16 ,000 acres that's 20 miles from downtown Tampa, as you can imagine in the 20th century is going up in value pretty dramatically from 1937 to 19, you know, to the late century. And in the early seventies, he started selling and donating land to the state for preservation. Kevin K (20:24.22) Mm -hmm. Frank Starkey (20:36.177) and so we had, you know, again, that whole park ethic, and the, so we were selling, kind of selling the Northern parts that were away from the development pattern, off. And it was partly for the state tax planning purposes and also just, but primarily to put the land into conservation. So there would be something left of native Florida for people to see in future generations. That was his. His goal. My brother had my brother six years older than me and had gone to University of Florida and gotten a finance degree. And he came back after college, which was when I was like my senior year in high school and started working for the granddad was still alive and he was working for the estate, helping with that planning. And granddad passed away while I was in college and we had the estate tax to deal with. And we ended up selling some more land to the state for conservation. And he also started learning the development. process. We knew that as much land as we could sell to the state as possible, we were not going to be able to sell at all and we were going to have to develop. Somebody was going to develop land on the ranch. And our family wanted to see that it was done in a way that was, you know, that we would be proud of that, that put together our, you know, our family goals for civic engagement, environmental preservation, and, you know, and also. It was the whole family's sole asset. So it's everybody's retirement fund and principally our parents and our cousins. So we have cousins who are half generation older than us. So we were accepting that development was inevitable and wanted to be more in control of it. So Trae had been talking to me for a while about coming back and working with him on the development stuff in the ranch. So that's what I decided to do in 1995. And the decision point for me, Kevin K (22:09.468) Yeah. Frank Starkey (22:34.449) was, you know, I had set up my career trajectory to become a consulting architect and design buildings for other people. And I realized that I had this opportunity to, you know, have a bigger imprint on developing a neighborhood that could perhaps set a pattern. By that time, I had become knowledgeable about new urbanism and what was going on at Seaside. And And at that point, I think some of the other projects were starting to come out of the ground. So this was 1995. So I was like, well, I, you know, I've got too much opportunity here. And, and with what, what I know and what I have to bring to the table, it just seems like the thing I'd need to do. So I came back and we started working on development on the southwestern corner of the ranch, which was sort of the direction that was the frontline for development. So in 1997, we held our charrette for what became Longleaf, which is a 568 acre traditional neighborhood development that we broke ground on in 1999. Our first residents moved in in 2000. And that was the first TND in Pasco County. And in my opinion, it was the last TND in Pasco County. Because the county loved it so much that they... Kevin K (24:00.38) You Frank Starkey (24:04.721) passed the TND standards ordinance, which it would never comply with and that no other developers ever wanted to do. And so nobody really has. They've kind of just, it's been compromised with, right? That's a whole other story. Kevin K (24:20.14) Yeah. Well, that sounds, I mean, we may need to get into that at some point, but, so you started this in 2000 and really in earnest 2001 or so. And obviously there was a little, little bump in the economy right then, but I guess kind of more of a bump compared to what came later. So talk about like those first, maybe that first decade then, like what all did you build and how much of this were you actively involved in the design of? Frank Starkey (24:24.529) Okay. Frank Starkey (24:39.377) Yeah. Frank Starkey (24:49.425) It's fascinating looking back on it how compressed that time frame was because we sold we we developed the first of four neighborhoods In the first neighborhood we did in As I said 99 2000 and then we built the second neighborhood in 2002 2003 we sold the third and fourth neighborhoods in 2004 which You know, six years later, we look like geniuses. If we would have been, if we'd been real geniuses, we would have waited until 2006 to sell them. But we got out before the crash, obviously. So we did well there. We were, I was, you know, Trey and I, because we had a view of building a career in real estate development, we thought we should do everything. We should touch every aspect of the process ourselves at least once. So we knew how everything worked. But then we never scaled up our operation big enough to hire people to fill in those specialties for us. So we really both kind of ended up doing a whole lot of the work ourselves. So our master, our designer was Jeffrey Farrell, who did the the overall plan for Longleaf. And he wrote the design code, but we collaborated on all that very closely, because I knew enough about what urbanism was and architecture. And so I administered that design code with our builders. He detailed out the first neighborhood. He and I detailed out the second neighborhood. collaboratively or sort of a 50 -50. And you know what I mean by detailed out, just, you know, you take a schematic plan and then you have to put it into CAD and get it, get to real dimensions and deal with wetland lines and drainage and all that stuff. You get, s**t gets real about, you know, curbs and things like that. So that kind of, those details. And the third neighborhood I detailed out, but we sold it, but the developer who bought it built it out according to what I had done. So I was... Frank Starkey (27:15.281) very involved with the planning side of it. And of course I had been involved with the entitlements and then I administered the design code with all of our builders. So I was dealing with there and we had, we didn't have sophisticated builders. We didn't have custom, we weren't a custom home builder project. We were small local production builders. So these were builders who built 300 houses a year. We weren't dealing with. David weekly, you know, a national home builder who was doing nice stuff. Nor were we dealing with the 12, you know, you know, a year custom builders. So we didn't have much sophistication on the design side coming from our builders. So I did a lot of hand holding on the design of that. I always tell if you're a architect who's going to be your. Kevin K (27:46.716) Mm -hmm. Frank Starkey (28:13.169) is going to develop a T and D. I will tell you under no circumstances do what I did. Always hire somebody else to be the bad guy because as the developer you just can't look the home builder in the eye and say let this customer go. And so even though they're asking you to do something you shouldn't. So you need somebody who can be your heavy for that and it's not going to be you as the developer. But anyway, so I did that and And then I designed some of the common buildings and then had them. I wasn't licensed yet. And so I had those CDs done by somebody with a stamp. So I always said that I, you know, between the larger planning of the ranch and the strategy there, and I also got involved in community, you know, regional and county wide planning efforts and committees and things like that and planning council. So I kind of worked at the scale from the region to the doorknob. Which, you know, is fabulous as an architect because I've found all of those levels, I still do, I find all of those levels of design and planning fascinating. Kevin K (29:17.084) hehe Kevin K (29:30.78) So let's talk about the mechanics of being a land developer for a minute and how you did it. So you obviously own the land, and then you came up with the master plan. So then how many steps did you take? You took on the burden of entitling probably the whole project in phase by phase. And then were you also financing and building infrastructure as well, and then basically selling off finished land? Frank Starkey (29:36.433) Mm -hmm. Kevin K (29:59.26) finished parcels or finished lots to other developers or builders. Frank Starkey (30:04.177) Yeah, what we, so dad on the land free and clear, he contracted the land to us under a purchase and sale agreement whereby we would pay a release price when we sold a lot. So, you know, it's favorable inside family deal. We paid him a fair price, but it was a very favorable structure that allowed it, and he subordinated it to. to lending for, we had to borrow, we don't have cash as a family, we didn't, none of us have cashflow from, you know, we don't have some other operating company that spits off cashflow. So we had asset value, but no cashflow. So we had to borrow money to pay for infrastructure, I mean, for planning and entitlement costs and engineering. And so that was our first loan. And then we had, We set up a community development district, which is a special purpose taxing district that a lot of states have different versions of them in Florida. It's called a CDD. It's basically like a quasi -municipality that a developer can establish with permission from the county and state government to establish a district, which is then able to sell tax -free government -style bonds to finance infrastructure. So it's an expensive entity to create and then to maintain. But if you're financing a big enough chunk, which in those days was like $10 million, it became efficient to have the care and feeding of the district in order to get the cheaper money. So you could get cheaper bond money for financing infrastructure. You could not finance marketing or... specific lot specific things you could for example, you could finance drainage, but you couldn't finance still so some of the Terminology was a little bit You kind of had to do some creative workarounds, but basically our so but we it also meant you had to still have a source of capital for those things that the district would not finance so we had an outside Frank Starkey (32:28.497) Loan structure in addition to the CDD financing and that was how we financed the construction of the development and then sold the lots to individual home builders We had three builders under contract in our first phase and each of them was committed to a certain number of lots and they had enough capital access on their own to finance their the construction of their houses a lot of them would use their buyers financing and use do construction permanent loans to finance the vertical construction of the houses. But the builders had the ability to take down the lots. So that was the deal. I don't know if that structure is still done very much or if there were many builders in that scale that still do that in Florida or in this area. It seems like most of those builders got just crushed. in a great recession and never came back. I'm not really aware of any builders that are in that scale, in that size range anymore. I mean, if there are, there's maybe a dozen where there used to be 100. Kevin K (33:40.86) Yeah, so they either got smaller or a lot bigger basically. Frank Starkey (33:45.681) No, they mostly just flat got killed and just went out of business. And they may have resurrected themselves. Yeah, they may have resurrected a smaller or gone to work for somebody else or retired because a lot of them were older. Of the builders that we had, yeah, I think they probably did get smaller in fairness, but they were gone. And we were out of, as I said earlier, we were long out of long leaps. And the... Kevin K (33:47.836) Yeah. Frank Starkey (34:13.969) Crosland was the developer that bought the third and fourth neighborhoods and they didn't they brought in all new builders. So they brought in David weekly and inland, which was a larger regional builder. And then Morrison, I think one of the other large, larger builders who did rear loaded T and D project product. Kevin K (34:38.108) So how much heartburn was that for you and your family to go from this position where you're like asset rich but cash poor to and then all of a sudden you're taking on pretty large debt to do this development piece? I mean, what was that like? Frank Starkey (34:54.801) Well, you know, you just you don't know what you don't know when you're young and ambitious. So it was it was there. I did. There were some real Rolade's cheering moments. I think, as I recall, the most stressful times for us were before we started construction. And it was it was frankly, it was harder on Trey because he was he was starting a family at that time. So he had. He had literally more mouths to feed than I did. I was still single and so, and I didn't have the stresses on me that he did. And once we got under development, we weren't so much, you know, the stress level shifted to different, you know, kind of a different complexion. And, you know, fortunately when the recession hit, We were done with long, we didn't have, you know, we weren't sitting with longleaf hanging on us. So that was good. but we were in the midst of entitlements for the Starkey Ranch project, which was the remainder of the land that the family still had that had not been sold to the state. And we were taking that, there was about 2 ,500 acres. We were taking that through entitlements starting in 90, in 2005. And I would say that we got our, our entitlements. not our zoning, but we got our entitlements package approved, in essence, the day before the recession hit. So, so we had borrowed again, borrowed a lot of money to relatively a lot more money to pay for that. And that also involved the whole family, because that was the rest of the ranch that that the part that long leaf is on dad had owned individually, free and clear. The remainder of it. had been in granddad's estate and that went down to children and grandchildren. And so there were seven different owners of that. And we had spent some time in the early 2000s putting that together into a partnership, into one joint venture where everybody owned a pro rata share of the whole, but we had other shareholders to answer to. And so that was a whole other level of stress. Frank Starkey (37:16.913) due to the recession because our bank went, you know, did what all banks do and they called the loan even though we hadn't gone, we hadn't defaulted. We would have defaulted if they'd waited six months, but they blanked first and they sued us and we spanked them in essence, but we, at the end of the day, but it was two years of grinding through a lawsuit that was hideous and that was really the most unpleasant. Kevin K (37:29.82) Hahaha! Frank Starkey (37:46.257) level of stress, not because we were going to lose our houses, but because we were, it was just was acrimonious and not what we wanted to be doing. Plus you had the background of the whole world having ground to a halt. So fighting that out through the dark days of the recession was, that was pretty lousy way to spend a couple of years. Kevin K (38:12.284) Yeah, so then how did you all come out of that situation then? Frank Starkey (38:17.009) We ended in a settlement. The settlement, the worst part of the settlement to me was that we had to, long story, but some of the, we had retained ownership of downtown Longleaf with the commercial core, mixed use core of Longleaf. And that wasn't completed development yet. And because we had that collateralized on another loan with the same bank, we ended up having to cut that off as part of the settlement. So. we, you know, we had to, we amputated a finger, not a hand, but still it was, it was, you know, it was our pointer finger. So that was, that was hard, but, but we lived to fight another day, which again, you know, fortunately it's better to be lucky than good, right? We were, that makes us look like, you know, we did pretty well coming out of the recession. So after the recession and after getting that settled out, and there was a couple of other small pieces of land that we had, Kevin K (38:52.124) hehe Frank Starkey (39:15.121) collateralized to the bank that we handed over, but basically got them to walk away from pursuing us further. We got that worked out and then we had to then figure out how to sell the land. Our joint venture partner, which was to have been Crosland on developing the ranch, they had gone to pieces during the recession, so they weren't there anymore. And the only buyers at those coming out of that were big hedge funds and equity funds. And they were only, their only buyers were national home builders and the national home builders, even the ones like Pulte who had tiptoed into traditional neighborhood development product before the recession. They were like, nope, nope, nope, backing up, never doing that again. They're. Kevin K (40:10.46) Yeah. Yeah. Frank Starkey (40:12.593) So everything that we had about TND and our entitlements, they're like, get that s**t out of there. TND is a four letter word. We will not do that. So we kind of de -entitled a lot of our entitlements and cut it back to just a rudimentary neighborhood structure and interconnected streets and some mix of uses and negotiated to sell it to one of these hedge funds or investment funds. who developed it with a merchant developer and sold it to national home builders. And they pretty quickly undid what was left of our neighborhood structure and developed it in a pretty conventional fashion. They did a really nice job on it and it soldered a premium to everything around it. They did a really great job with their common area landscaping, but they gutted the town center. They didn't even do a good strip center in lieu of it. They just did a freestanding public and a bunch of out parcel pieces. They squandered any opportunity to create a real there out of the commercial areas. They did beautiful parks and trails and amenities centers, but they just didn't get doing a commercial town center. Kevin K (41:36.444) What years was that when they developed that piece? Frank Starkey (41:40.337) We sold it to them in 2012 and I guess they started construction in 13 or so and it was really selling out through 2020. They still got some commercial that they're building on. I don't know if they've got any residential that they're still, I mean, it's kind of, its peak was in the 17, 18, 19 range and it was one of the top projects in the country and certainly in the Bay Area. and got a lot of awards. And yeah, so I don't, I can't complain too much about it because it sounds like sour grapes, but basically they didn't, I always just tell people I'll take neither blame nor credit for what they did because it's just not at all what we, there's very little of it that is what we laid out. So because that, so we, having sold that in 2012, that left me and Trey to go do what we wanted to do. All of the, you know, the rest of the family for that matter. And, Trey was ready to hang it up on development for a while. So he kept a piece out of the blue out of the ranch and settlements and started the blueberry farm. And I went and decided to do in town, small scale development. Ultimately ended up in Newport, Ritchie back in my own hometown. And then and that's that's what I've been doing since basically since 2015. Kevin K (43:06.844) Yeah. So I'm curious about a couple of things. So with the completion of the sale of all that and the development of both Longleaf and Starkey Ranch, I guess I'm curious how your family felt about the results of all those. Were people happy, not happy with the results? Was there... I'm just kind of curious about that dynamic because it's an interesting thing with a family property. And then... I guess secondly, with you being somebody who carried more a certain set of ideals for development, what did you take away from that whole process, especially with Starkey Ranch and anything, any useful lessons for the future for others relative to an experience like that? Frank Starkey (43:38.321) Mm -hmm. Frank Starkey (43:56.209) Couple of thoughts. As far as the whole family goes, we were, well, our cousins don't live here and they were less engaged in it intellectually and just personally. The four of us kids had grown up here and this was our backyard. They had grown up in St. Pete and one of them lived in North Georgia. And so it was, they just weren't as... emotionally invested in it. Not to say they didn't care, but it just didn't, it wasn't their backyard that had been developed. And you know, and we all are proud that three quarters of the ranch of the 16 ,000 acres, over 13, almost 13 ,000 of it is in conservation land that will always be the way it was when we were kids. Except there are no fences, which is very disorienting, but anyway. It's still, you know, that's the way granddad saw it when he was young and it will always be that way. So that's, we're all excited about that. And we pay attention to that more than we do to what happened on development. I think even long leave the, what, you know, the, the people in the surrounding area think we're sellouts and, people who have lived here. for five years or 10 years or 15 years are still just shocked and dismayed by the rapid pace of development. Well, it was a rapid pace of development, but we've been seeing it coming for 130 years now as a family. And I mean, it's why we put land into conservation going back to the early 70s when granddad started selling that. What people can see is the part along State Road 54, which is the visible stuff. which 10 years ago was a lot of pastors with long views and pleasant looking cattle who were money losing proposition as a agricultural business. But people don't see that. They just thought, it's a pretty pasture land. And how can you turn that into houses? It's so, you greedy b******s. So yeah, we get a lot of flak still to this day. I mean, and I've got a. Kevin K (46:12.092) Yeah. Frank Starkey (46:17.425) Trey's wife is a county commissioner and she gets all kinds of grief for being corrupt because people see our names on everything and they're like, well, they must be corrupt. No, you've never met any less corrupt people. And so there's kind of public blowback to it. I've said what I've said, what I just told you about how the development of the ranch did not comport with what we envisioned for it. And I don't, I don't shy away from saying that. I don't go around banging a drum about it. cause what's, what's the point of that? And a lot of people might think I just sound like sour grapes, but it, you know, it's, we, I think we all had our ugly cry about the ranch at some point. I mean, I remember when we were, we, the first closings of the ranch were in 2012 and it was a phased state down, but you know, they, they take a chunk at a time. So we stayed in our office, which was the house that we had grown up in at the ranch headquarters, right where the cattle pens and the horse barn, the truck barn and the shop and all of the ranch operations were. And the day that, eventually we had to move everything out and all that, almost all of that got torn, all of it got torn down. I remember having, I went out and stood by a tree and cried my face off for a while. Kevin K (47:46.044) Yeah. Frank Starkey (47:46.673) You know, it still chokes me up to think about it. And we all did that. I mean, but it wasn't an overnight thing to us. Whereas if you lived in a subdivision in the area that, by the way, had been a cattle ranch 20 years ago, you didn't, you know, you're not building, you're not living in a land that was settled by the other colonists. It seemed shockingly fast, just like overnight. my God, all of a sudden they're, they're. They're scraping the dirt the grass off of that and you know three weeks later. There's houses going up It's just shocking and and really disorienting we'd said we had seen it coming literally our whole lives We always knew that was going to be the case. So it was there was going to be something there our Feelings about the what what what it was compared to what we would like it to have been or another You know, that's what we have to wrestle with but the fact that it's developed We always saw that coming and people don't really understand that until because you just, you know, because it just it's perceived so differently. If you just drive by and see it developed one day when it wasn't, then if you grow up with an aerial photograph on the wall of dad's office and you know, we just know that that's not always going to be that way. Kevin K (49:05.82) Yeah. Yeah. Well, let's talk for a minute about what you're doing now then with the stuff in Newport Ritchie and the smaller scale infill stuff. What was like the first one, after shifting gears and doing that, what was like the first project you took on on your own? Frank Starkey (49:25.561) Much more much more fun topic. Thank you for shifting gears. I should have let you do that sooner Kevin K (49:30.204) Yeah. Frank Starkey (49:33.617) The, so Newport Richey is a pre -war town that was laid out in 1911 by Wayne Stiles, who I'm starting to learn more about was a pretty cool town, kind of B -list town planner who worked with people like John Nolan and the Olmsted brothers and was contemporary to them. Got a very competent little city plan for a small town and it has building stock in the downtown. the main street and Grand Boulevard downtown that dates to the 1920s and to the 1950s and 60s, kind of about half and half. And so it always had these good urban bones, some decent building stock, nothing great. It was never a wealthy town, so it doesn't have big grand Victorian houses down at Boulevard or anything, but it's got some good characteristics. But it had economically just cratered, just for years and really decades of disinvestment. moving out to the suburbs. It wasn't white flight in the traditional sense, but it was economically, it was the same just reallocation of wealth from the historic city into the suburbs and leaving the city behind. So in 2015, there was a, so downtown Newport, which he has a little lake, a about a five acre really lovely little. city park, a riverfront, and the central business district is right next to it. And then there's a pink Mediterranean revival hotel building from 1926 in that park. It kind of ties it all together. It's all the same ingredients that downtown St. Petersburg has, just in miniature and in bad shape. And St. Petersburg, believe it or not, which is now the best city in Florida, was really down in heels for most of my childhood. The Vanoi Hotel, which is their big pink hotel, was a hulking, you know, it looked like something out of Detroit when I was a kid, broken out windows and chain link fence around it and weeds and looked like a haunted hotel. So the Hacienda was kind of in that shape almost. And Downtown was doing, was, you know, just kind of sitting there with some honky tonk bars and a lot of, you know, just kind of moribund. Frank Starkey (51:54.705) commercial space. The city had bought out the First Baptist Church, which overlooked that lake right downtown when the church decamped out to the suburbs like all the other capitals in town. Even God's capital moved out to the suburbs. And the city bought it and tore down the church buildings and put a for sale sign on it, put it out for RFP a couple times, got crickets in response. Because no self -respecting developer would look at downtown New Port Richey as a place to develop. And I looked at it and as Robert Davis and Andres 20 will point out, we developers and architects and urbanists, we live in the future. You know, our brains are in what can be, not what is here now. And you've heard Andres say that the present is a distortion field. So I wasn't bothered by the fact that the neighborhoods around it weren't the greatest neighborhoods. They weren't terrible. Kevin K (52:39.8) Yeah. Yeah. Frank Starkey (52:48.177) And I looked at it and said, well, this is a pretty good gas piece of property. You got through overlooking this nice lake. There's a park. There's a downtown right there. We can work with this. So I asked the city to put it out for an RFQ, which they did. And Eric Brown, your buddy and mine, and one of your former guests on the podcast recently, was the architect for the buildings. And Mike Watkins, whom you also know, was the planner. I had them come in and do a Charette to develop a design for an apartment project on that former church property. And we negotiated a deal with the city to buy that property and we were off and running. So that was the first project. Just announcing that and showing, you know, as people were, some people were rightly skeptical that it would just end up being another low income housing thing because. This is Newport Richey. It's an economic shithole. Why would anybody put anything nice here? And surely, surely, even if you think it's going to be luxury, or if you're just saying it, it's obviously just going to, there's no way it can end up being anything but low income housing. And, but a lot of other people were excited to see that somebody was putting some investment in town. And it just kind of started to change people's thinking. Then we took on a commercial building downtown that when I was a kid had been a, IGA grocery store where we did our grocery shopping and it had, fallen into, you know, another moribund state as an antique mall that just needed to be fixed up and, and refreshing them live and up or something new. So we bought that and, did a severe gut job on it. divided it up into five tenant spaces, brought in a natural grocery store that was in town, but in a much terrible location. And a new microbrewery, the first microbrewery in town, and a taco place, and a kayak paddleboard outfitter, and a CrossFit gym. Kind of a dream lineup of revitalizing. Yeah. The kayak place didn't last very long. Kevin K (55:04.636) It's like the perfect mix. Frank Starkey (55:11.665) They were pretty much pretty ahead of the market and also just work. It wasn't their core business. They just didn't really know how to do it right. And then the taco place ended up getting replaced. The CrossFit gym outgrew the box and went to a much bigger location. And then we replaced them with an axe throwing business, which is killing it. So no joke, no pun intended. And then the microbrewery is still there. natural food store is still there. And then in the paddle boarding space, we now have a makers, a craft market that is multiple vendors that are, you know, like cottage industry makers selling under one roof. And we have a new bar and hamburger place and the former chocolate place. And they're also doing really well. And so between those two projects, it really, and then, you know, it's other, businesses started opening, new businesses opened downtown that just kind of had a new approach. They weren't honky tonks, they weren't just kind of appealing to a kind of a has -been demographic. And I just started changing the attitude. And the most remarkable occurrence was at one point, and this was around 2018, I just noticed that the online chatter in the general discussion among locals about Newport Richey kind of flipped from overwhelmingly negative people just running down the town, just saying this place is terrible. You know, get out while you can. There's nothing but crack heads and, and prostitutes and you know, it's just terrible. And to, Hey, this place is pretty cool. It's getting better. There's, it's got a lot of potential. And the naysayers started getting shattered down by the people who were more optimistic and positive about the town. And it just kind of hit that Malcolm Gladwell tipping point pretty quickly. And the attitude of the town and the self -image of people in town just has been significantly different ever since then. And then that's, of course, paid dividends and more investment coming to downtown. Now you can't find a place to rent for retail downtown. Frank Starkey (57:38.641) We actually have the problem now that there's too much food and beverage and the market isn't growing enough because we've got to bring in customers from outside of the immediate area because it's just not densely populated enough town yet. But that's so that's kind of where things started in New Port Richey. Kevin K (57:56.604) That's really, that's a great story. It's kind of, it's so indicative of also like what Marty Anderson has talked about. Let's sort of like finding your farm and a place that you care about and working there and making it better. And that's really cool. When it came to all this, were you self -financing? Were you working with investors? How was that process? Frank Starkey (58:13.169) Yeah. Frank Starkey (58:22.321) On the central, which is our apartment and on the 5800 main, which is the project that had been the IGA store, I have a financial partner on that. Who's another local who had made done well for himself in banking and lived away and moved back and was wanting to invest, but also to do some invest locally in a way that helps, you know, give something back to his own town. And that was my attitude as well. So our, our. Capital has been him and me on those two projects. And then I've got two other buildings that, one other building that I have a co -owner on and then another building I own solely by myself. So I've got a total of four projects. And all of the projects that I have are within one, two, three blocks, four blocks of each other. I was, you know, you mentioned the farm. I was very intentional about farm. I said, okay, my farm is New Port Richey. My farm yard is downtown and my barn is our office, which was right in the middle of all that. And the so that's, you know, and then now Mike and I live three blocks from all of that stuff. So we have we our new townhouse is three blocks east of downtown. Since 2018, we lived in a house that was four blocks south of downtown. So all of it was walkable. And even when downtown had just a couple of restaurants that were mostly just diners, one place that was pretty decent for lunch and salads and things, and a couple of pretty mediocre to crappy bars. I have a lot of friends here now and my office is here. And I immediately realized this is the most luxurious lifestyle I have had since college because the ability to walk everywhere and just live your life on foot is luxurious. It's just delightful. And my best friend now lives well in our old house, lives a block away. And we got to be friends living in town here and living a block from each other. And we would just ride bikes. And there was a whole other crew of Kevin K (01:00:24.284) You Frank Starkey (01:00:49.041) the people we'd ride bikes up the river in the evenings and maybe stop for a beer or maybe not and just enjoy the town. He really showed me just kind of, I smacked myself in the forehead one day when he talked about how nice it is to ride up the river during the sunset. I was like, wow, you mean you can just enjoy living in these walkable places? Because I'd always spent so much time trying to build them that I didn't spend much time just... f*****g enjoyment. Kevin K (01:01:19.676) I know, I know. It's a crazy thing. It's like it shouldn't be like a rarity or anything like that. We wish it was available to everybody, but it's wild. That was the thing about living in Savannah and that was like the hard part about leaving Savannah was, I think for a lot of us who have our ideals about walkability and everything, you kind of go back and forth about, do I want to spend my time? Frank Starkey (01:01:30.257) Yeah. Frank Starkey (01:01:37.489) Yeah, I bet. Kevin K (01:01:48.38) you know, working real hard and trying to create this as much as, as I can and, and live in a certain place where I, I guess have the economic opportunity to do that. Or do you also maybe just say, yeah, at a certain point, screw it. I just want to live somewhere where I can be, you know, do the things that I talk about all the time. So. Frank Starkey (01:02:06.513) Yeah, exactly. And it is hard to live in a place that's already kicking butt and do the things to make a place kick butt. So. Kevin K (01:02:20.124) Yeah, and in so many of these places, the places that we admire, and if you didn't get in early, you can't afford it at a certain point anymore anyway. So it's kind of a crazy deal. So as an architect, then would the infill projects, I mean, I know you worked with Eric and Mike and some others, but do you do any sketching or work on any of these sort of, is it a collaborative deal or do you at this point just be like, well, Frank Starkey (01:02:28.369) Right. Kevin K (01:02:46.268) I'm going to be a good client and be kind of hands off and just help direct my architects. Frank Starkey (01:02:50.865) I try to, I'm trying very hard to just be a good client and direct my architects. I'll let you ask Eric on whether I'm a good client or not, but that's probably been the project where I have been the most, I've left the most to the architects to on the design side. On the, the one of the commercial building that I owned by myself was a, building that didn't have any windows, two stories right on one of our main streets on a corner. So two full facades with essentially no windows. And it needed new windows storefront and upstairs. So it basically just needed a whole facade because there was just a big windowless bunker. But it had existing structural columns or structural considerations for where I could put windows. And it ended up being a interesting, challenging facade composition project. Anyway, I designed that building. And also it was a double high space where the second floor was just a mezzanine. And we closed in the second floor to make it into a mixed use building. So that because it had always been a nightclub or restaurant and it was too big as being a story and a half to for that, for this market to support because the upstairs are just kind of. You know, just sucked. So I was like, this needs to just be a regular size restaurant on the ground floor and then offices above. So I did the architecture on that, including the build out for the restaurant. I had some help on that on the layout, but I did the design, interior design stuff on that. I wish I had, I love the facade design process. And that was a really fun project. And the result was, you know, it's, it's unusual because of the constraints that it had. So, but it's, I think it's a fun, it's a good result. but if I were doing more projects, I mean, I really feel like I don't do architecture every day. So I'm not, yeah, certainly I'm not going to do construction drawings because I don't have that, capability just cause I don't, I mean, I have the technical ability to do it. Frank Starkey (01:05:15.249) and I am now licensed, I could sign and seal it, but I don't want to. And I haven't signed and sealed anything yet. So my goal is to be more of a client than I am an architect. Kevin K (01:05:27.868) So in all this stuff and going back to even your initial work with Longleaf and others, you've obviously tried to create well -designed places and beautiful places. I know you said you had some thoughts kind of based on one of the other podcasts I had where we were going back and forth and talking about beauty in buildings and the value of that versus sort of utilitarian values as well. How have you tried to balance all that and really create? beauty and do you find it at conflict with also making real estate work? Frank Starkey (01:06:04.753) I don't find beauty in conflict with making real estate work at all. I think it's critical. I don't think that things have to be built expensively in order to be beautiful. And my comment to you in my email was about y 'all had had a discussion on this, your podcast before last. about and you had said you can't legislate beauty no code in the no amount of code in the world is going to result in beauty and I've always thought about that because I agree with you that codes by their nature don't result in beauty that that human love results in beauty I mean that's you know because that's a it's a it's a spiritual outcome not a I mean, it's an outcome of the spirit. I don't mean that metaphysical terms, just, but it's something that comes from a level of care that's not, that doesn't happen from just conformance. Kevin K (01:07:10.94) Yeah, it's a value you bring to a project basically. It's something you really care to do. Yeah. Frank Starkey (01:07:16.529) Yes, that said, the American Vignoli and other handbooks that were used by builders, not by architects, but by people who were just building buildings and designing them, designing and building buildings by hand in the 1800s and early 1900s. resulted in scads of what we consider beautiful buildings with a capital B because it codified, maybe not in a sense of regulation, but in a sense of aspiration and guidance. It codified a way to arrive at competence with beautiful principles underlying it. And I wonder, it's... It's a hypothesis. I've not proved it or even set out to prove it. But if you could require that people follow the American Vignole as an example, or something else like that, where the principles of proportion are codified and they're followable, then I think you probably would still have to have some coaching. But I think you would get a whole lot closer than you can in the, because it's more like a playbook than it is a rule book for producing a competent design. Competent in the classical sense. Kevin K (01:08:54.556) Yeah. Yeah. Kevin K (01:09:02.236) Yeah, I think that's fair. It's more like coaching people about people who care. If you want to do good things, here are simple rules and patterns to follow that are not going to get you the Parthenon necessarily, but they're going to get you certainly at a minimum like a B building, like a B or a B minus building if you follow these rules. And if you do them really well and execute the details well, you could end up with an A plus building. Yeah. Frank Starkey (01:09:34.641) Yeah. Yeah, and it's something that McKim, Mead, and White can follow that and come up with something spectacular. But the same underlying principles are in every garden variety inline building on a street. Because individual urban buildings and places that we love are individually not spectacular. It's the accumulation of be buildings that are singing in the same key that makes a good chorus. Not everything can be a soloist anyway. Kevin K (01:10:11.996) And certainly, a lot of the people who produced the buildings in that era that you described, late 19th, early 20th century, I mean, there were a whole lot of just illiterate immigrants to the United States, ones who were building all that. And they didn't need 200 pages of construction drawings to follow it, but they did have patterns and illustrations and guides that they could follow. Frank Starkey (01:10:25.041) Yeah. Kevin K (01:10:42.46) and just some kind of basic standards. Yeah. Frank Starkey (01:10:43.217) And also a general cultural agreement on what looks good and what doesn't. And that's what I think you can't recreate from start, I mean, from scratch, because it's got to, that culture builds up and accumulates over decades and generations of practice. Kevin K (01:11:09.148) No doubt. Have you seen with the buildings that you have done in Newport, Richey, has there been other people who've looked at what you've done and tried to essentially say, kind of continue to raise the bar with good looking buildings? Frank Starkey (01:11:24.209) Unfortunately, I can't say that has happened yet. There hasn't been that much new construction in New Port Richey. And I don't, I can't think of any off the top of my head that have been done since we built the central, for example, which is really the only new ground up build. There's another apartment project and apartments and mixed use downtown, but it was designed in 2006 and then it was stalled and it finished about the same time we did, but it has nothing. you know, didn't follow others at all. We did have a lot of people. And this is something I would recommend, which I did accidentally. I didn't put really good drawings of the buildings into the public before they were built. I made a real now here's a blunder. There's a my blunder was I allowed the elevations of the buildings. to be the first thing that got into the public view because they were required as part of the permitting process. And an elevation drawing of a building is the architectural equivalent of a mugshot. It's representative and it's accurate, but it's accurate, but it's not representative. So it doesn't show you what a person looks like. It shows you just facts about their face. And so it shows you facts about a building, but not what it's gonna look like. So people saw the elevations. of what Eric could design, which were intentionally very simple rectangular boxes with regular, very competent, beautiful classical facades, but they looked really flat, they looked really boxy, and they looked terrible. They couldn't be at elevation, there's no depth on it. So people were like, holy s**t, of course he's building, I mean, they look like barracks. And so people lost their minds. I'm like, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. So we quickly put together some 3D renderings. based on a quick sketchup model, we illustrated the hell out of them with landscaping and showed what a view down the street would look like. And it was a much better view. And that's really how you perceive the buildings. And so people were like, OK, well, if it looks like that, I guess I won't oppose it so much. But they were still rightfully skeptical. And so I s

  Do you want to streamline your RFP response process and win more contracts? Imagine a more efficient and effective way to handle RFPs, ensuring your responses stand out. We'll be sharing a solution to help you achieve that result. Uncover the unexpected way AI can help you win more RFPs with a powerful tool. It's not just about streamlining responses; it's about gaining a competitive edge and uncovering hidden insights. Find out the surprising truth that's transforming the RFP game and putting you ahead of the pack. Ready to discover the game-changing tool that's making waves in the industry? Stay tuned for this groundbreaking reveal. This is Mark Shriner's story: Mark Shriner, a seasoned business development and growth specialist, shares his journey from an adventurous trip to Asia with only $117 in his pocket to leading a consulting company in Japan. Through a chance encounter, he found himself in the sales track after securing a job with a Taiwanese computer magazine publisher, which fueled his career in sales. Mark's experience in business expansion and his tenure with Memoq, a software provider, led him to co-found Memoq RFP, a company focused on streamlining RFP responses for small and medium-sized businesses. His story of resilience and adaptability serves as an inspiration, demonstrating the unexpected paths that can lead to success. Mark's unique journey showcases the unpredictable nature of life and how seizing opportunities, even with limited resources, can lead to remarkable achievements. In this episode of The Modern Selling Podcast, Mario Martinez Jr. interviews Mark Shriner, the CEO and co-founder of Memoq RFP, diving into the challenges of responding to RFPs, RFIs, and RFQs. Mark shares his personal journey, including an adventurous stint in Asia with minimal funds, which eventually led him to a career in sales. The episode sheds light on the complexities of document requests in the sales process, emphasizing the significance of strategic decision-making, collaboration with subject matter experts, and the impact of AI tools in streamlining the response process. Mark's insights into the frustrations faced by subject matter experts and the potential for AI tools to alleviate these challenges offer practical takeaways for sales professionals. His emphasis on the importance of relationship-building and the value of informed competitive positioning in responding to RFPs and RFQs make this episode a must-listen for those seeking to enhance their approach to document requests. Mark's personal anecdotes and experiences add depth to the conversation, making it relatable and insightful for sales professionals navigating the complexities of RFPs and RFQs. You found a problem and then figured out a solution, and people buy that. You go in and help them fix something that's broken. - Mark Shriner My special guest is Mark Shriner Mark Shriner, hailing from Seattle, is the CEO and co-founder of Memoq RfP. With a career spanning over 20 years in leadership positions, including country manager, regional sales manager, and CEO in Asia Pacific, Mark has garnered extensive expertise in business development and growth. His involvement in assisting companies with market expansion led to his foray into RFP technology, driven by the need for enhanced response processes for small and medium-sized businesses. Mark's profound industry experience equips him to provide valuable insights into the integration of AI to streamline RFP responses, making him a knowledgeable and credible guest for the audience to glean insights from. In this episode, you will be able to: Mastering Winning Strategies: Learn how to craft winning strategies for RFPs and RFQs to stand out from the competition and win more business. Boosting Sales Efficiency: Discover how to streamline and improve sales with optimized RFP response processes for greater success and faster turnaround times. Harnessing AI for Optimization: Explore the power of leveraging AI in RFP response optimization to enhance efficiency and accuracy in the sales process. Nurturing Effective Relationships: Unlock the secrets to building effective sales relationships pre-RFP to foster trust and increase win rates. Small Business RFP Success: Uncover essential tips tailored for small businesses to achieve RFP success and compete effectively in the marketplace.   The key moments in this episode are: 00:00:08 - Introducing FlyMSG 00:01:11 - Mark Shriner's Background 00:04:38 - RFP Challenges for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses 00:06:28 - Mario's Experience with RFPs 00:11:37 - Mark's Journey to Asia 00:12:55 - Understanding RFPs and Document Requests 00:15:31 - Challenges in Responding to Document Requests 00:18:11 - Communicating During RFPs 00:19:42 - Helping Create RFPs 00:24:39 - Process Tweaks for RFP Response 00:25:48 - Go/No-Go Decision-making Process 00:26:44 - Subject Matter Expert Collaboration 00:29:24 - AI Tools for Efficiency 00:36:28 - Relationship-building in RFPs 00:39:01 - Strategic Pricing in RFPs 00:39:18 - Understanding Key Requirements in RFPs 00:41:50 - Asking Critical Questions 00:44:06 - Reconsideration and Reevaluation 00:47:23 - Finding Solutions to Problems 00:49:45 - Competitive Intelligence in RFPs 00:51:53 - Connecting with Mark Shriner 00:52:28 - Grow Fast Podcast 00:52:44 - Favorite Movies 00:54:28 - Wrapping Up Timestamped summary of this episode: 00:00:08 - Introducing FlyMSG Mario Martinez Jr. introduces FlyMSG.IO, a free personal writing assistant and text expander application, and sets the stage for the podcast's focus on sales growth techniques. 00:01:11 - Mark Shriner's Background Mark Shriner shares his background and experience in business development and growth, including his time living and working in Asia, which ultimately led him to start his career in sales. 00:04:38 - RFP Challenges for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses Mark discusses the challenges small and medium-sized businesses face in responding to RFPs, highlighting the resource limitations and opportunity costs involved in the decision-making process. 00:06:28 - Mario's Experience with RFPs Mario Martinez Jr. shares his past experience with RFPs and the challenges he faced, emphasizing the importance of relationship building in winning RFPs and RFQs, despite his dislike for the process. 00:11:37 - Mark's Journey to Asia Mark Shriner shares a personal story of his spontaneous trip to Asia with minimal resources, leading to a four-year adventure that ultimately shaped his career in business and sales. 00:12:55 - Understanding RFPs and Document Requests Mark explains the differences between RFI, RFQ, and RFP and the challenges organizations face when responding to these document requests. He highlights the time-consuming nature of the process and the need for involvement from various subject matter experts. 00:15:31 - Challenges in Responding to Document Requests Mark discusses the challenges organizations face in deciding whether to respond to an RFP, including understanding and meeting the requirements, as well as the repetitive nature of the work. He emphasizes the importance of developing a relationship with the customer during the process. 00:18:11 - Communicating During RFPs Mark and Mario explore the issue of communication during RFPs, particularly when organizations are instructed not to communicate with anyone other than procurement. They share insights on how sales organizations can navigate this challenge and potentially leverage existing relationships. 00:19:42 - Helping Create RFPs Mark highlights the strategic advantage of helping organizations create their RFPs, as it allows vendors to influence the content and requirements in their favor. He also discusses the importance of understanding the customer's real intentions behind issuing an RFP. 00:24:39 - Process Tweaks for RFP Response Mark emphasizes the need for small and medium-sized businesses to establish a clear process for making go/no-go decisions when responding to RFPs. He underscores the importance of setting criteria and following a structured approach to managing the RFP response process. 00:25:48 - Go/No-Go Decision-making Process Mark discusses the importance of making a go/no-go decision based on key factors and requirements, potential workarounds, and customer acceptance of workarounds. 00:26:44 - Subject Matter Expert Collaboration Mark emphasizes the need for a pool of subject matter experts and a collaborative platform for efficient RFP response. He highlights the frustration of repeating tasks and the importance of setting clear expectations to gain SME support. 00:29:24 - AI Tools for Efficiency Mark discusses the use of AI tools like Breeze for storing and accessing previously used responses, searching through reference documents, and even drafting responses. He emphasizes the efficiency and effectiveness of these tools in RFP response. 00:36:28 - Relationship-building in RFPs Mario shares his experience with maintaining relationships and winning RFPs. He mentions the significance of building relationships early and leveraging past collaborations to secure contracts, even after losing an initial RFP. 00:39:01 - Strategic Pricing in RFPs Mario describes a strategic approach to pricing in RFPs, highlighting the importance of understanding the true cost and value of services instead of solely meeting price reduction demands. He shares a successful example of re-evaluating pricing to secure a lucrative contract. 00:39:18 - Understanding Key Requirements in RFPs Mark discusses the importance of understanding key requirements in RFPs and how failure to meet those requirements can result in losing the deal. 00:41:50 - Asking Critical Questions Mark shares how he asked critical questions to the CIO, leading to a realization that the competition had not considered key integration and cost factors. 00:44:06 - Reconsideration and Reevaluation The CPO admits they did not consider the integration factor, leading to a reevaluation of the RFP and potential reconsideration of the decision. 00:47:23 - Finding Solutions to Problems Mark discusses identifying a problem with manual wireless orders and finding a solution through an integration with Ariba, resulting in a significant contract and business growth. 00:49:45 - Competitive Intelligence in RFPs Lisa Reheark's advice on understanding competition's pricing and obtaining competitive intelligence through FOIA requests, highlighting the importance of understanding competition in RFP responses. 00:51:53 - Connecting with Mark Shriner Mario asks Mark how to get in touch with him to discuss Breeze's technology and Mark suggests reaching out to him on LinkedIn or Twitter to schedule a demo or meeting. 00:52:28 - Grow Fast Podcast Mark recommends listening to the Grow Fast Podcast to hear from industry experts like Mario and gain valuable knowledge and wisdom. 00:52:44 - Favorite Movies Mark shares that his favorite movies are the Godfather I and II, and Lord of the Rings trilogy, while Mario reveals that his favorite movie is The Goonies due to its themes of aspiration and problem-solving. 00:54:28 - Wrapping Up Mario and Mark continue to discuss their favorite movies and wrap up the conversation by encouraging listeners to rate and review the Modern Selling Podcast and to download FlyMSG for increased productivity. Mastering Winning Strategies Mark Shriner shares valuable insights on mastering winning strategies when responding to RFPs, RFIs, and RFQs, emphasizing the importance of understanding competition pricing and tailoring responses effectively. His personal anecdotes highlight the significance of problem-solving approaches and aligning offerings to meet clients' specific needs, contributing to successful responses. Boosting Sales Efficiency Shriner discusses how embracing AI technology, like Breeze, can boost sales efficiency by streamlining the RFP response process. By harnessing AI tools for knowledge retrieval, response drafting, and collaboration, sales professionals can optimize their responses to document requests and enhance their chances of success in competitive bidding scenarios. Harnessing AI for Optimization The conversation between Mario and Shriner reveals the transformative power of harnessing AI for optimization in the sales process. By leveraging AI tools like Breeze to simplify RFP responses, sales professionals can enhance their efficiency, decision-making, and competitiveness in the market. This strategic approach enables businesses to stay ahead of the curve and drive success in their sales endeavors. The resources mentioned in this episode are: Connect with Mark Shriner on LinkedIn to learn more about Breeze Docs AI and how it can help streamline the RFP process. Check out the Grow Fast Podcast to gain insights from sales and marketing experts, including tips on winning more RFPs. Download FlyMSG for free to save 20 hours or more in a month and increase your productivity with a text expander and personal writing assistant. Consider reaching out to Lisa Rehark at RFP Success Company for expert guidance on winning more RFPs and RFQs. Watch The Godfather and The Godfather Part II for a classic movie experience, or indulge in the Lord of the Rings trilogy for an epic adventure.

Meina Zhou is co-founder and CEO at Native. Native's mission is to improve the web3 user experience by solving fragmented liquidity and capital inefficiency in DeFi. They've built a unified, cross-chain liquidity layer combining on and off-chain liquidity sources using RFQ architecture. Why you should listen Native Labs is building Web3's Liquidity Layer, a protocol built to unify crypto's fragmented liquidity and radically enhance capital efficiency for PMMs. Via their RFQ System, Native's platform aggregates and connects order flow to PMMs for efficient off-chain pricing and on-chain execution. Since launching in April 2023, Native has onboarded over $100M in PMM liquidity and executed $2.2B+ in trading volume. Supporting links Native Andy on Twitter  Brave New Coin on Twitter Brave New Coin If you enjoyed the show please subscribe to the Crypto Conversation and give us a 5-star rating and a positive review in whatever podcast app you are using.  

Send us a Text Message.In this episode, Blythe and Yikun Shao, Head of North America Supply Chain at Alibaba.com, discuss how the platform helps small and medium businesses with global sourcing and logistics. Shao highlights Alibaba's AI tools like language translation, image generation for product design, and logistics marketplace. He also details educational resources on trade compliance, managing cross-border shipping challenges, and navigating customs regulations.LINKS:Yikun's LinkedInAlibaba.comQUOTES:"Nearly two thirds of businesses they plan on increasing their reliance on online sourcing, and including those bigger and more established businesses." - Yikun Shao"Using AI capability can also handle real time inquiries from multiple areas and provide even in some instances provide some industry insights, so that our business buyers and sellers can make more informed decisions." - Yikun Shao"We recently launched a smart assistant tool to help facilitate RFQ transaction and communication aspects on our platform. One of the functions is real-time language translation when buyers and sellers are communicating through a video chat, it helps provide translation services in real-time to at least 17 different languages. Since this new RFQ feature has been introduced, it has driven a 29% increase in quotes from suppliers for small businesses." - Yikun ShaoWATCH THE FULL EPISODE HERE---------------------------------------------THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!Are you experienced in freight sales or already an independent freight agent? Listen to our Freight Agent Trenches interview series powered by SPI Logistics to hear directly from the company's agents on how they took the leap and found a home with SPI freight agent program. Tai TMS is designed to streamline your brokerage operations and propel growth for both FTL and LTL shipment cycles. Book a demo with the Tai team today and tell them Everything is Logistics sent you. Maximize your website's performance as a sales tool with Digital Dispatch's website management.

RFQ on 100 W and BIG football game, with Michele Randall full News Talk KDXU 2313 Thu, 04 Apr 2024 18:56:38 +0000 itKSEQ5QN9bieA6dl4a0QxtHwXBILfCK The Andy Griffin Show news news RFQ on 100 W and BIG football game, with Michele Randall Join Andy Griffin for The Andy Griffin Show on Southern Utah's News Talk KDXU in St. George and listen to parts of the shows that you may have missed or just want to listen to again. 2022

It's a rare day that veteran cold-header Mr. Charlie Kerr of Kerr-Lakeside doesn't serve up some tasty industry commentary, and his latest appearance is no exception (1:32:27). More on the medium rare side, Southwestern Fastener Association president Brad Burel of Advance Components previews the upcoming  SFA spring conference and a trip to the stock yards (16:04). On the Fastener News Report, Fastenal CFO Holden Lewis and threaded newsman Mike McNulty put the sauce on the latest FDI, and Marco Rodriguez of Mohr Partners reports on commercial leasing trends (46:07). Plus, Carmen Vertullo provides three recipes for checking bolted assembly tightness on the Fastener Training Minute (1:25:34). Brian and Eric need to grill the industry for ideas on the perfect RFQ, but instead linger predominantly on BBQ.  Run time: 02:29:23

Don't miss our new episode! On this occasion, we are honored to have the presence of Scarlett Zhang, a product operations expert from the Alibaba.com RFQ team.Scarlett will be joining us to talk about a must-have tool for all Amazon sellers: Alibaba's new feature to find the best manufacturers for your brand on Amazon! Discover key tips and strategies to optimize your searches and ensure the quality of your products.Get ready to take your business to the next level with the best insights straight from an expert in the field! Don't miss out and join us in this exciting conversation!#ecomcy #Amazon #amazonfba #amazonseller #amazonbusiness #amazonfbaseller #amazonppc #amazonadvertising #amazonsellercentral #amazonppctips #amazonprivatelabel #amazonselling #amazonseoe

In this episode of The Action and Ambition Podcast! Joining us today is Rhonda Dibachi, the CEO of HeyScottie, an AI-enabled, cloud-based marketplace for manufacturing as a service. HeyScottie compresses the RFQ process from months to minutes: a manufacturer can tell HeyScottie to “go fetch!” (submit an RFQ in as little as 60 seconds), and HeyScottie will immediately come back with the highest quality service at the lowest cost, complete with estimated turnaround time. Rhonda likes bringing tech innovation to real-world operations, she co-founded multiple startups in tech and manufacturing. Co-founded Noribachi, a US lighting manufacturer, and Niku Corporation (NASDAQ:NIKU), a Silicon Valley Professional Services Automation (PSA) software provider that created the first comprehensive suite of enterprise management applications for project and human resource. Don't miss a thing on this. Tune in to learn more!

Show Notes: Barry Saunders, a digital expert at McKinsey, discusses his background in the firm and his experience in AI-related projects. He worked in the LEAP practice, which built platforms for video streaming, preventative maintenance, and optimization tools. He left McKinsey to become Chief Product Officer at an Australian fashion company and recently joined MXA, a strategic digital technology company in Australia. Barry suggests a two-by-two typology classification scheme for AI-related projects. The first quadrant focuses on understanding patterns of behavior, while the second quadrant focuses on predictive behavioral modeling, third is more about text orientated and understanding meaning. The fourth quadrant focuses on regenerative AI and content creation. Barry believes that combining these quadrants can lead to personalized content for different customers and valuable insights and can unlock interesting value.  AI Use Case Study Barry and his partner have been working on an AI toolkit to automate time-consuming work for management consultants. They developed a startup called First Things, which uses Gen AI to create classic McKinsey storylines from unstructured data. This tool has helped executives work through their strategies and report outcomes. They have also worked with clients on the AI journey, especially regulated industries. They have found that some tasks can be done more effectively with AI. One project they did was analyzing insurance policies for large-scale agricultural businesses, which are often complex and drift in meaning as language is updated. They created a tool that would analyze these policies, extract semantic meaning, and identify where drift took place, allowing them to align documents and simplify policies. One of the projects they are currently working on is simplifying lending policies for banks. In Australia, many lenders do home lending as their primary base, but the technical platforms used by banks and non-bank lenders are ancient and difficult to navigate. They are working on simplifying policies and offering home loans more simply. Building AI Tools The level of effort required to build a tool like this is not limited to building it. Many of the tools available are free, and there are many software as a service tools available that can perform similar tasks. To build a tool like this, one should be clear on what they are trying to do, such as simplifying a policy or comparing two different policies. The AI toolkit has proven to be effective in automating time-consuming work for management consultants and other clients. It is essential to be familiar with the tools and their capabilities to effectively utilize AI in various aspects of business operations. The legal space offers a vast array of tools for generating and analyzing contracts, including software as a service tools. To use these tools effectively, it is essential to be familiar with the large language model and the tool being used. Tuning these tools to get the desired response requires understanding the chain of logic and the outputs. To build a production-oriented tool, consider using large language model operations (LLM ops) or large language model operations (LLM ops) in a broader software architecture or workflow. Google, AWS, and Microsoft offer guides on how to integrate these tools into their software stack. It is crucial to be clear about the tasks and outputs of these tools, and to work with teams who are familiar with these systems.  Using AI Applications Barry discusses his work on AI applications, specifically RF cues and analyzing large documents. He built a proof of concept using a tool called mem.ai. He talks about a template he built to analyze questions in RFQs, which are often templated and consistent across government agencies. The system is particularly useful for handling open-ended questions and generating text about your company's services, processes, etc. This speeds the process of applications, and the system can be used to set the tone for the next step in a project. Timestamps: 00:03 AI projects and experience at McKinsey with Barry Saunders 01:57 Using AI to analyze text data and create personalized content 05:23 Simplifying complex insurance policies using AI 09:06 Building a tool for analyzing and comparing legal documents 12:31 Using AI to automate RFQ response generation Links: Whitepapers: https://www.mxa.com.au/whitepapers Company Website: https://mxa.com.au/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrysaunders/ Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com.

Mostafa Al-Mashita, is co-founder, and Yacine Ouldchikh is a Senior Trader at Secure Digital Markets (SDM), a digital asset brokerage firm that offers institutional, high net worth, and corporate clients access to spot trading, derivatives, and lending services. Why you should listen Mostafa and Yacine from Secure Digital Markets discuss the market structure and deeper trends driving the crypto markets in 2024. They analyze the impact of the spot Bitcoin ETFs and the potential for an Ethereum ETF. They highlight the growing interest from institutional investors and financial advisors in cryptocurrencies. They mention their focus on building a global financial services ecosystem at Secure Digital Markets, with plans to release a mobile app and expand their presence internationally. SDM offers comprehensive liquidity and settlement solutions that generate efficient crypto asset exposure. SDM bridges the gap between institutional balance sheets and Web3 by offering highly liquid onramps into the digital currency market. SDM accommodates the unique execution needs of its clients through multiple technology solutions including GUI (SDM.Live), API, and RFQ. Supporting links Bitget Bitget Academy Bitget Research Bitget Wallet Secure Digital Markets SDM Crypto Report SDM Twitter Andy on Twitter  Brave New Coin on Twitter Brave New Coin If you enjoyed the show please subscribe to the Crypto Conversation and give us a 5-star rating and a positive review in whatever podcast app you are using.  

The risks of outsourcing to a 3PL and the importance of in-house fulfillment for brand control and customer experience. In this episode, Jordan West and Jared Ward, Founder and CEO of Luminous, delve into the world of e-commerce fulfillment and scaling. From funny parenting stories to the nitty-gritty of supply chain management, they cover it all. Jared shares insights into the challenges of forecasting and purchasing decisions for e-commerce companies, emphasizing Luminous expertise in multi-warehouse replenishment forecasting, wholesale, and EDI. Listen and learn in this episode!Key takeaways from this episode:Focusing on top-of-funnel spending rather than excessive spending on branded keywords, emphasizing the need to understand consumer behavior and the discovery process.A shift in advertising spend from Google to Amazon due to Amazon's effectiveness in driving incremental revenue.The "why" method and first principles thinking as essential for deeply understanding and solving customer problems in software and for overall problem-solving and growth.The importance of having an analytics platform for multichannel e-commerce, particularly for tracking the performance of a 3PL provider, and the specific inventory-related metrics to track.Today's Guest:Jared Ward, CEO and Founder of Luminous, started his first e-commerce company when he was 23. Years later, after helping countless DTC brand optimize their supply chain by running Made-in-China's sourcing division, he noticed major issues in the way e-commerce companies used software in operations. He built and sold an RFQ management system that helped DTC brands optimize their purchasing. Then, moved on and became the CEO of a DTC brand at 28. His experience running Qualtry showed even more the gap in the market of software solutions in e-commerce that address the entire supply chain.Connect and learn more about Jared and Luminous:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-luminous/Website: https://www.joinluminous.com/Growth Plan: www.upgrowthcommerce.com/growMillion Dollar Offers: www.upgrowthcommerce.com/growThis episode's sponsor is Motion App- they bridge the gap between media buyers and creative teams with fast, visual reporting for your Meta, TikTok, and YouTube ads. If you're ready to learn how the best DTC and e-commerce brands use Motion to ship winning Meta, TikTok, and YouTube ads, book a demo today, or start a free trial at Motionapp.com. Get 50% off your first month when mention UpGrowth Commerce or Jordan West. Learn more here: Motion App Get 5 Offers for 2 Products (10 in total) along with 10 highly engaging tried and true creatives, 30 captivating headlines, descriptions, and ad texts sent to you for only $99. Go to https://www.upgrowthcommerce.com/offer and order now - this offer is only available for a limited time. We love our podcast community and listeners so much that we have decided to offer a free e-commerce Growth Plan for your brand! To learn more and how we can help, click here: upgrowthcommerce.com/grow

This is my conversation with Hart Lambur. We talk about Hart's path in building UMA (an oracle using schelling points to bring data onchain), Across (an intents-based bridge connecting ETH/L2s), and now Oval (MEV capture for oracle price updates).Timestamps:00:00:00 Intro00:01:29 Sponsor: Privy (privy.io)00:02:50 The idea maze, Goldman Sachs, RFQ systems, legal vs smart contracts00:11:03 UMA, schelling point and optimistic oracle00:16:41 Raising the seed round00:19:38 Across, intent-based bridging architecture00:30:42 Sponsor: Optimism (optimism.io)00:31:52 Oval00:46:15 MEV capture for protocols01:01:22 OutroInto the Bytecode: More episodes - https://intothebytecode.com Twitter - https://twitter.com/sinahabThank you to our sponsors for making this podcast possible: Optimism - https://optimism.io Privy - https://privy.io

Join me in a captivating conversation with the superhero of interactive media, Renee Mancino, as they unravel the mysteries of Request for Proposal (RFP) responses in the nonprofit realm. From superhero origins to battling the nuances of RFI, RFQ, and RFP, this episode is your guide to navigating the nonprofit proposal universe.Topics We Cover:Renee Mancino's journey from a family business to the world of interactive media.The superhero approach to RFPs: A transparent and equal playing field for all vendors.Tips for standing out: Tailoring responses, understanding project objectives, and embracing creativity.Crafting compelling narratives and personalized videosTransparent RFP processes: Sharing budgets and streamlining selection with anticipation and preparationFuture trends in RFP proposalsTo Learn More and Connect with Renee:Email RenMancino@gmail.comSupport the show

Discover the best practices for Amazon product sourcing excellence as we welcome back Kian Golzari, the Amazon product sourcing sage, for his fifth appearance to impart his vast knowledge on mastering the Chinese manufacturing labyrinth. Kian's guidance takes you through the crucial steps from selecting the right manufacturers on Alibaba to conducting effective factory visits, ensuring you return home with more than just souvenirs – but strategies to boost your product quality and cost-efficiency. Venture with us into his secrets of product differentiation and learn how to stand out in a saturated market by uniquely combining various components and embracing innovative packaging solutions. We dissect the art of transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary, from deluxe packaging to strategic bundling. Furthermore, Kian reveals the underestimated power of packaging in offline sales, sharing insights on making a product pop on the Amazon website and attracting crucial impulse buys. To wrap up, we get into the strategic intricacies of forging long-lasting relationships with suppliers and the nuances of communication that can make or break a deal. We dissect how to scrutinize supplier profiles and the vital role that understanding your supplier's capabilities plays in aligning with your business goals. Kian and Bradley also uncover the best practices for sample evaluation, navigating the norms of sample payments, and why investing time in personalizing your interactions with suppliers can pay dividends in the long run. This episode isn't just about finding the right supplier; it's about creating partnerships that will sustain your Amazon business growth and success.   In episode 524 of the Serious Sellers Podcast, Bradley and Kian discuss: 00:00 - Guide to Factory Sourcing and Visiting  02:52 - Insights From Visiting a Factory  11:40 - Sourcing and Differentiating Products in Manufacturing 13:22 - Revamping Coffin Shelf Market Strategy 16:29 - Importance of Packaging in Offline Sales  18:20 - Clarity and Importance of Product Filters  18:44 - Finding & Evaluating Manufacturers on Alibaba 21:53 - Filtering for Top Factory Products 25:48 - Importance of Trade Background and Markets 28:31 - Selecting Suppliers and Communicating Effectively 31:40 - Price and Quality Selection Process  33:48 - Strategies for Sourcing and Product Defensibility 36:38 - Benefits of Attending the Canton Fair ► Instagram: instagram.com/serioussellerspodcast ► Free Amazon Seller Chrome Extension: https://h10.me/extension ► Sign Up For Helium 10: https://h10.me/signup  (Use SSP10 To Save 10% For Life) ► Learn How To Sell on Amazon: https://h10.me/ft ► Watch The Podcasts On Youtube: youtube.com/@Helium10/videos Transcript Bradley Sutton: Today we've got the world's foremost expert on sourcing, Kian, back on the show and he's going to give us step-by-step guides on how to source on Alibaba.com and an SOP for visiting factories in China. How cool is that? Pretty cool, I think. Are you afraid of running out of inventory before your next shipment comes in? Or maybe you're on the other side and you worry about having too much inventory, which could cap you out at the Amazon warehouses or even cost you storage fees? Stay on top of your inventory by using our robust inventory management tool. You can take advantage of our advanced forecasting algorithms, manage your 3PL inventory, create PO's for your suppliers, create replenishment shipments and more all from inside inventory management by Helium 10. For more information, go to h10.me forward slash inventory management. And don't forget you can sign up for a free Helium 10 account from there, or you can get 10% off for life by using our special podcast code, SSP10.   Bradley Sutton: Hello everybody and welcome to another episode of the Serious Sellers podcast by Helium 10. I am your host, Bradley Sutton, and this is the show. That's a completely BS-free, unscripted and unrehearsed organic conversation about serious strategies for serious sellers of any level in the e-commerce world. We're going to the other side of the world to Dubai right now for a record breaking fifth time. That's how long this this, this show, has been out there. Guys, like we only have people on there, if they're really good, we'll invite them back. And if they are really good and we invite them back, it's only one time per year. The very first time ever in the history of Serious Sellers podcast, somebody's on the fifth time is the one and only Kian. Kian. How's it going? Welcome back.   Kian: Oh man, thanks so much. It's a great intro man. It's an honor to be the only speaker to be on here five times and wow, I mean that must mean you've done a lot of episodes as well. So congrats to you to be plugging away. Like, how many episodes have you put out now?   Bradley Sutton: We're like in the mid-500, like we're about 520 now, like we're in the mid the the five teens around there, yeah amazing, yeah, incredible man. Yeah great to be back and, yeah, really looking forward to sort of diving in and we're going to talk a lot about Alibaba, but before we get into that, I'm actually visiting, for the first time, Chinese factories. Like it's been years since I've even been to China and I've never visited the factories where we make the Project X, project 5K products. So what's some advice you can give me? You know like, hey, should I bring some gifts? You know like maybe some chocolates or something to the factory owners? Should I negotiate? Should I just, you know, talk away, ask about their family, like I usually deal with a sourcing agent? Yeah, and she's going to come with me, my sourcing agent who found these factories, and translate a little bit. But what should I do.   Kian: Yeah, I mean, first of all, I think your mind is going to be blown Like I think everyone experiences this like the first time you go into a factory and actually see how your goods are made, because you have this idea and you have this perception in your head of, like how you think goods are made. But once you go in and you see the production line and like you know, let's say this is for the, for the coffin items, right? So like you'll see, like the wood, like arriving, you'll see the wood getting dried. You'll see, like the woods, like the bad pieces getting rejected. You'll see it getting sanded and filed down. You'll see it getting sprayed and painted. You'll see it getting cut to size and you'll see it getting assembled. You'll see it getting screwed, like you'll just see in some of the different compartments, and then your head will be like, wow, here's like 20 different processes and steps that this product went through to get made, whereas when I just see it in a store, I just see it like in a shelf or, like you know, online. I didn't think about it in this way. But why that really helps you is that, like you know, if you've got cost challenges and you're like right, I've got this like $8 product and I need to get it down to 6.5, you've got like 20 different places you can go to in your head because you've seen it on the production line, right?   Kian: You're like well, was that spring really necessary? Are we cutting it in the most efficient way? Can we just do straight edges rather than these curved edges? Was it necessary to have that coating? Like? There's so many different things you can now think about. And then, on the reverse, if you want to improve the quality, you're like here's things that we could do better, based on what I saw and how this product is actually assembled. But you're going there for the first time, right? So, in terms of gifts, I would say it's nice. They'll probably provide a gift for you. If you've been doing business together for like a number of years, then by all means, maybe take something nice. I would say something that represents your hometown, so you could take them your favorite team, like a Lakers hat or something like that.   Bradley Sutton: Okay, those are fighting words. All right, guys. The fifth and last time that Keen will ever be on the podcast.   Kian: So you can always and, by the way, Bradley's the clipper's friend for anyone who didn't catch that but yeah, like you know, anything that represents your hometown where it could be like a hot sauce, it could be like a local tea or whatever like that. Just it doesn't have to be anything expensive. Like for me, I always used to take like a personalized bottle of whiskey because I was coming from Scotland. Suppliers, like really, really appreciated that and just a nice gesture to do. And if you have, like a sales assistant that you've been working with, I would get one for the sales assistant that you talk to and then one for the factory boss as well. Very, very important to get a gift for the factory boss and also to get a photo with the factory boss, because there's always going to be time where you're going to need to ask for a favor, right, and there's going to be a time when, like you know, chinese New Year is coming up and, like you know, your, your goods are getting rushed out and maybe they won't make it shipment before Chinese New Year. And then you say like, hey, please, can you just ask the boss, please can you rush this, please can you push this to the front of the production schedule. Please can you get this out before Chinese New Year? And you're like, who's asking? Again? Bradley's asking which one's? Bradley again, oh, he's the guy that brought you that Lakers jersey. Oh, yeah, I love that jersey. Cool, all right, get the items to the front of the line. So it's always something to like for them to remember you if you get a nice little gift.   Kian: Now, talking about, like, actually arriving at the factory, I think a lot of people, maybe, if you're going to China for the first time, they have this like fear of like well, you know, google Maps doesn't work out there Like how do I get there? Like your factory will arrange everything for you in terms of transport, and like you've got a sourcing agent there. So so they'll definitely help you out, but you don't need to figure out anything by yourself. Like you can just tell your factory hey, I'm arriving at this airport, I'm flying into Hong Kong, I'm flying into Shanghai, I'll be there on the 19th of March. I'm going to come and visit you on the 20th. They'll just say, cool, what's your hotel? We'll come pick you up. Driver will be there outside 10 o'clock and, like, literally, driver comes out with your name, they'll have a Starbucks waiting for you. Like they really, really take care of you, right.   Kian: And if you're like, hey, I need to get a train to where you are, I don't quite know how to get there. Like they'll book the train ticket for you, like they're so hospitable, like if you have any issues of like how to get there, or even like you know, when I go visit a factory, I tend to visit like two or three at the same time, like of a similar competing product, similar competing category, and I say, hey, look after you. After a visit your factory, I'm going to see this other factory, can you help me get there? And they're like, yeah, no problem, give us the address, we'll drop you off. Like, even if it's a competitor, if there's there very, very, very hospitable. So, in terms of getting there nice and easy, in terms of like what you're, what you'll learn, in terms of their product development, it'll blow your mind. But in terms of being prepared for your factory visit, like I always before any China trip, whether I'm going to the Canton Fair, whether I'm going to visit a factory, I always have to have a plan for my visit Right, like what is the main outcome I want to achieve from this?   Kian: Right, do I want to learn how the goods are made? Cool, I'll spend a little bit of time on the production line. Do I need a better price? Because I'm getting price pressure? Well, I'm going to do my research in advance to see. Well, what were other suppliers pricing me? So, like you know, you could get a specification sheet for your product. You could but I'm sure we'll talk about this shortly reach out to the top three, top five suppliers on Alibaba.com, get pricing from them and you can go back to your existing supplier to say hey look, I don't want to move production, but just to let you know this is a pricing I'm getting offered somewhere else. I need you to match it. So, is it better pricing that we need? Are you getting a few too many returns? Or the quality concerns? Is there something? Is there chipping off the wood on the coffin box? Is that something we need to talk about? Then, like, we have the products right there in front of us, like here, let's address these quality concerns. Are you not doing the quality control? Let's check the end of the production line. Let's see who checks it. Let's see who boxes it. Let's see why they aren't picking up on these things.   Kian: So there's many, many different outcomes that you could have. It could also be we want to develop new products for 2024. Please prepare for us some additional new samples and we can review them together or let's discuss together. So I wouldn't necessarily go into a factory without knowing what I wanted to achieve and like no lie. I've been in factories where I've been there for 10 hours sitting opposite the boss and we're just negotiating, because I'm like I'm not leaving until we figure this out and like, literally Some of the factory bosses like to smoke and I remember like the guy went through two packs of cigarettes while we were talking it. Like I'm not saying that's going to be the case right For everyone, but I knew I had an outcome that I wanted to achieve on that trip, right.   Kian: Certain times I was doing production for the Olympics and they required certain certifications for the factory and I went to visit factories and didn't have those certificates. So I was training them. This is what this is. A certificate needs to comply with. This is what we need to fix. We were looking at, you know, lighting, fire extinguishers, dormitories, all that stuff. I was like you're the factory I want to work with. I need you to be compliant of this. I'm not leaving until I know you can do this. So there's so many different outcomes that we can have for visiting a factory and like. Those are just some of the things that we need to be prepared for, but, honestly, it's going to be so much fun for you. Like, I'm actually excited for you and I can't wait to see your stories on Instagram to see what it looks like.   Bradley Sutton: Thank you, thank you Now, right now, let's just say, you know, for that, a lot of people you definitely know suggest, hey, you should go visit the factory. But for a lot of other people you know, they might not have the way to go to China or they might not be able to go to Canton Fair or Iwu or other places, and so obviously the easiest place to to find suppliers would be Alibaba.com. So we're going to try something different today. I didn't 100 percent have this plan, but now I just like thought of it right now I just went to Alibaba, but or I went to Amazon and let's just, we're going to do a pretend thing where I'm which is halfway real, and that is, you know, one of the project X brands we do is not the coffin shell, but we also do egg trays. We have this brand called Geese Chicken Coops.   I just like threw in a keyword to Amazon right now egg storage for countertop. This actually used to be one of our main keywords, but now it's not anymore. And then I'm like trying to find something that looks interesting and these like this, this egg basket that has like a ceramic lid. Here let's just pretend that I'm like, hey, I want to have. I want to go source this from China. I want to look. So first step is what? Just go to Alibaba.com and try and figure out what keyword it might be like something similar to this. So you've got a couple of options here.   Kian: Right, because, like you have the traditional egg trays, which could be, you know, wood and plastic, acrylic, whatever, and you could just type in egg tray and you could find it right. But for that particular one, for those who aren't viewing, with like a video, like Bradley, how would you describe this? It's like the shape of a chicken.   Bradley Sutton: Yeah, it's really like the bottom part is this wire mesh like a basket looking thing. And then the like it has, this lid that shape like a, like a, like a chicken or rooster or something like that.   Kian: here this is a really good example because, like here's a classic example of if you type in like egg tray or whatever on Alibaba, like this product probably won't come up, like we can have a look, but it probably won't come up the way that we're looking at this one, right, but like for you to have more defensibility in your brand, which is really, really important for 2024, you might need to go to another manufacturer which doesn't make egg trays. So you're looking at eggs right now and we don't see that particular product. Right, there's nothing like that. Yep, we could type in like caged basket for you know, holding fruit or holding vegetables or whatever it may, be right, and we could find the bottom part, but for the top part it was like a toy chicken, like on the top right, which is kind of serving as like the protector or the top of the basket, right, and so for that I would go to a toy supplier to be like different materials, right, it could be silicone, it could be plastic, it could be rubber, like I would say like rubber chicken toy or rubber animal toys, right, and you might be able to find this for, let's just say, 50 cent or 30 cent or 75 cent, and we could buy those separately and we could send it to the egg tray suppliers, or we could send it to the basket suppliers, right, and anyone wanting to copy that product wouldn't necessarily be able to, because they didn't know that they have to go to two different suppliers. Right, they didn't know that you could, just because if they type it in, they won't find it and they're not thinking.   Kian: Right, I'm going to get an egg tray from a toy supplier. So this is something that gives you like, really, really good defensibility. And this is applicable to anyone like, not even people which are looking for egg trays, but, like, whenever I'm looking at a new product, I'm like, well, what other purpose does this product have? Like, for example, right now I'm using a podcast microphone, right With a boom arm or whatever, right, but like, I could also go to a supplier which makes selfie sticks and take the technology of the telescopic pole and use that right, and anyone who's looking to get like a microphone stand or a podcast mic stand is not looking at like telescopic poles. So there's so many different ways that we can look at other manufacturers to fit the purpose of the product that we want to manufacture.   Bradley Sutton: I like that and that's something that's similar to what I'm actually doing. That's what I'm going to be going to the factory and talking to or, you know, checking out one of the first orders. So, like, what happened with the coffin shelf was that it got kind of saturated. You know, like you know, because everybody watched Project X and everybody started launching, you know, coffin shelves and now there's a million coffin shelves and I didn't want to do, I didn't want to play the race to the bottom price wars. You know, like, there's people now I used to sell the coffin shelf for like 32 bucks and now there's people selling it for like 19. I'm not going to try and compete with that price. So I'm like I'm going to go opposite, I'm going to raise the price back. Like I was selling for like 25. Now I'm going to raise it back to 30. But what I'm going to do is two things. Number one I'm going to buy a really fancy box and it's a box shaped like a coffin, like. So somebody would actually gift it to somebody in this coffin shaped box, and the box itself is almost a product. You can use that as a sock storage or something like that, because it's a really high quality. I mean, it's crazy. It's like almost 60% of the cost of the coffin shelf, you know by itself, but we're still only talking like two bucks.   Bradley Sutton: And then I noticed in the customer reviews that a lot of people are putting like these little LED spooky little trinkets and figurines right. And so what I did was I also sourced like a pumpkin shaped LED candle and then a skull, like a, just a mini skull, because these are what people are using to display anyways. And so now I'm relaunching the coffin shelf at a higher price point with this box that's super hard to get custom made and from another, a third factory, these LED stuff. And so, like you know, these people who are just trying to make a quick buck and sell coffin shelves, you know, from China for $19, they're not going to take the time or effort to go and source three different things from three different factories. And so now I'm kind of like building this moat around and trying to dominate, redominate the coffin shelf market.   Kian: I guess you could say that's mega and I'm glad you mentioned that as well because, like so, I was at this show called like global sources, just like last month or wherever, and I was filming a YouTube video, actually just posted it yesterday on like the highlights of that show, and I walked, assembled, into this guy's booth. His name was like Matthew and he had like he was just doing packaging, like really, really deluxe packaging, right. And I go in and I'm like, hey and? But the packaging was like super nice, like it was like magnetic boxes that folded flat, like he was doing it for a Sephora. He was doing like Pokemon boxes, like just high end stuff, right.   Kian: And I was like picking up different bits of packaging and we were talking about like online versus offline and you know different styles of packaging and one color boxes. And then I was like you know how much is this box? And it was like a really small, flimsy one and he was like you know, less than 0.1. I was like, wait, less than 10 cents. He was like, yeah, it's around like 8 cents. I was like no way. And I was like, all right, what about this one? I picked up this like magnetic one. He's like that's around $1. I'm expecting the dude to say like three. He's like wow. I was like I was like these prices seem a little too good to be true. I was like where's your factory? He's like for Shan. I'm like okay, cool, so it's narrow way. I was like what are you doing this weekend? I was like I'm at the factory. I was like I'm going to come visit you this weekend. I was like cool, so rock up. And then I filmed a YouTube video in his factory. I showed the packaging process end to end, start to finish. All the like he had like machines which cost over a million dollars, like everything, like map finishing, gloss finishing, like everything. So the entire process, start to finish. And talking about like 2024 and differentiating and just what you just talked about. That's key. That's so key to being ahead.   Kian: Whether you're selling online or offline, you want to win the click. Online, sometimes you show your packaging in the main image, sometimes you don't. But if you're selling it in retail, it's on a shelf. You have to catch people's attention. So if you're selling offline, you really, really have to catch people's attention. If and that's through the packaging, that's the first touch point and it can be catch for attention by color. It can be by innovative design. So packaging is going to play a super, super important role. So I'll definitely connect you with Matthew.   Bradley Sutton: Awesome, Awesome Thanks, Appreciate it. All right. Going back to our olive oil, let's go to something more traditional, All right, so that's a great way for differentiation. Let's just say I picked something else while you were talking right now, Something that's kind of like all right, this is not something that you necessarily differentiate, Like we always. I think you should always differentiate, but maybe not let's not go to the effect where, like, hey, let's try and get stuff from three or two different factories and let's do fancy packages, Because you know, sometimes when people are just getting started, they want to get their feet wet. You know that might be a little bit too difficult. So then I pick again in the same niche. I hit this keyword egg dispenser on Alibaba, and so you know, for those watching on YouTube, you guys can see this. For those listening on podcast, we'll try and describe it here. But now let's just say that this, this kind of egg dispenser that has this like row, it looks like like a row on the top of eggs and it rolls down to the bottom row. I guess you just pick one and then it rolls down. So let's just say that, for whatever reason, this is the kind of product I'm getting. I just did my very first search on Alibaba. This is definitely the keyword. Next step would be so I start doing using some of these filters and then, if so, what would you suggest?   Kian: Yeah, yeah. So I'm so glad you're showing this visually online as well, right, because you can look at that image. Right, see the second image. This says $2.50. The second one says, yes, 88 cents. It's the same image, right? So, yeah, this is what. This is where we need to get really, really clear on the filters. Right, because it looks like the exact same product. One is well, the one's three X the price of the other one, and you could see that I'm like, oh, okay, well, I'll go for the cheapest one. But you haven't necessarily done the research to know what already different materials or different sizes or different specifications. Does one hold more eggs? Does one have deluxe packaging? So we don't really know that, right? So you went to Alibaba.com and you typed in egg dispenser, and this is the first thing that came up. So the first point right, I would select verified manufacturers. So that's the first point that you see in the list right. Why this is so important, is that, yeah, perfect. This is where we need to be. The purpose of using Alibaba.com correctly is not to find the cheapest price. It's to find the best manufacturers. Once we find the best manufacturers, then we can start to negotiate the price. So the purpose right now we're just looking for the best manufacturers.   Kian: So the first thing you did was you selected verified manufacturers. And what's that for? It means any information that they provide on their listing, whether it be number of years in business, how many staff they have, what certificates they have, what patents they have, what products they have, what does their production line look like, the images of videos in the factory. That's all been verified by a third party, meaning intertech, SGS, tuv. One of these very reputable companies have gone in and verified all the information is true, whereas if we didn't work with verified suppliers, then whatever information they want to put there, we just have to sort of take their word for it. So verified is the most important thing to search for first. Then on the left hand side of the page, you'll see trade assurance right. I would always click that as well, and trade assurance just means that your payment is protected. So if you've ordered an egg dispenser which holds 20 eggs and you do the production and you receive one which only holds 10 eggs, then the trade assurance will protect you and it will refund your order because you've selected that right. That's just a little bit of a safety net, important for, like you know, new sellers, right. And then as you scroll down on the left hand side of the page, you'll see something that says management certification, right. And if you scroll down a little bit more, yeah, so you see like BSEI, and you see sedx, you see ISO. I always like to select BSEI and ISO. So BSEI is your business social compliance initiative and ISO is just a really high quality standard and this just basically means these are factory certificates that they have. So BSEI will go in and they'll check, like you know, how many years have you been in business? Do you have, like, fire extinguishers? Do you have adequate lighting, do you have safety exits? Like we've checked the dormitories, we've checked like the canteen where the workers eat. So it's kind of like gives you confidence that you're working for a very, very good factory, right. So now, if we go back to the top of the list, right, we've now we've searched by manufacturers, we've got verified manufacturers, we've got trade assurance and we've got factories which have you know, bsei and ISO certification.   Kian: So now, as I'm scrolling down the list, like if you zoom in on the company names, like the first word in the company name is always the city or the province in which that factory is located. So sometimes, like the factories like electronics are made in Shenzhen, backpacks are normally made in like Chenzhou. Like furniture, like steel tubing for furniture, chairs is made like Yongkang. So I'm just trying to get familiar Is there an area which specializes in egg dispensers? Maybe not, because it's such a niche product, right, that maybe you could make it anywhere. But as I scroll down, I'm trying to see, like, is there one name that pops up more frequent than others and in that interesting, the area which specializes in that product? But I see Ningbo has probably popped up a few times, right? So yeah, but anyway, doesn't matter. If Ningbo had popped out like eight out of nine times, I would say, right, well, that's the region we need to be ordering from, interesting. Then, as you scroll down as well, I would be like looking at the images as well, to see, like, do I find something similar to what I was looking for, like when we search by products like your first look somebody is specializing in that one crazy basket, one that we looked up earlier, that's crazy.   Kian: But you know what's wild, though, right, I'm not surprised we found it because we had searched, like the highest level certification, so like that product would have required, like you know, some sort of standard. So it like the purpose of this filtering process is to align you with top factories, and top factories make top products right. And as you scroll down as well, I saw the main image. That was the one we were looking for the white one here, yeah, yeah, right here, that particular one, right. So now if you click on like view profile, we can just there's a couple of like boxes I need to tick of the supplier before deciding is this someone I want to work with? Right? So you see first on the left right Well, actually on the right where you were looking right, If you scroll through those like, you'll see videos of the factory. You'll see like images of the production line and you've seen the top left it says verified. So all these photos and videos have been verified. So like if you know that as the actual factory, because the third party has gone in and verified that's a factory, so you can actually see inside the factory and know that's them right. So we know exactly who we're dealing with.   Bradley Sutton: They didn't just pull this, you know, like video or something like from stock video or something like that.   Kian: Yeah exactly Right. So now, like before, without even going to China, I've got eyes and ears inside the factory that I can see what they actually look like. So if on their Alibaba listing they say, oh, we've got 200 workers in our factory, you're like, well, I can see the images that shows you've got 200 workers, right. Or if they said they had 200, but we see a production line with five workers and you're not verified, then we know that you know something isn't right there. So on the left side of that, you see where you have all those blue ticks. So it says, yes, all verified capabilities. So if you click on the bottom where it says, see all verified capabilities, this is everything the factory is verified for. So it says certifications, sedex, bsci. It will say, like you know, material trace. It says like quality traceability, things like that. So if you were like look, I need to know. Like, do these egg dispenser trays come from a sustainable source? We want to use like recycled materials, we want to use eco-friendly materials, then they can tell you yep, cool, we have traceability of our raw materials. We can find that out for you. So just by clicking that, we can find out what are the capabilities which are verified of this factory. And then, as we scroll down, like the main things which are really really important, see that where it says profile right, if you keep scrolling down, right, it's got right. See here so it says established yeah, years in industry 16. That means that they've got like 16 years worth of experience, right, so they've got the. See the audit there under certifications, where it says SMETA. That's part of the SEDEX audit and I know this so well because I was a board member for SEDEX in 2013,. After we did the production for the Olympics, every factory which made Olympic merchandise had to have a SMETA audit, right, and that was like they checked all the smallest details of the factory, right. So that's a really really good sign if they have that right. And then they've got the BSCI certificate. You can see that Now, as you scroll down, we're going to look at their production capabilities.   Kian: See there it says production lines. They've got three production lines and they've got 18 production machines right Now. This is so important. This is so, so important, right, Because you are, let's say, doing this product for the first time. So they have three production lines means they're like relatively small company, right, so that's good for you because that means that they'll probably do a low MOQ. Let's say you wanted to do 500 pieces trial order, but let's say that production line. Let's say it said they had 250 production lines. You're like this company would never want to work for me. Like, why would like? I just want to do a small order, 300 pieces. They've got 250 production lines. We're not a good fit for each other. But on the flip side, if you're a big brand, if you're doing, you know, 10,000 units a month, then you want that factory which has got 250 production lines. So this kind of sizes you up to be like am I aligning with the manufacturer which is fit for purpose, right?   Kian: And then the other really important thing to look at where it says trade background and main markets, it says North America 38%. Western Europe 35%. That is so crucial because 70% of their, more than 70% of their exports are going to the US market and it's going to the European market. And what does that mean? That means they're compliant with the latest FDA regulations in America, compliant with the latest like food standard regulations in Europe. Otherwise we wouldn't be able to sell to those markets if they weren't compliant with those standards. So if you're ordering this product for the first time and you know your factory has already got the certification or compliance needed to sell food products in the US market, because they're already selling in the US market. But if we looked at the trade background and it said, you know, 40% South America, 40% Africa and 20% domestic market, meaning China you're like well, you've never explored this product to America. So how do I know that you're capable of passing for FDA standards? So, but this factory, this is like one of the first ones we clicked on right, it's got everything we need right.   Kian: But it was because of that filtering process. It's because we selected verified, we selected trade assurance, we selected ISO, we selected BSCI, so like it was in touch with the top manufacturer and then, like I'm pretty sure that if you go to the other manufacturers on that list as well, we'll find similar information that is a good fit for us. So that was kind of like the initial research to be like right, let's find a good factory. That's part one, right. Part two is now how do you read, how do you talk to that factory for your first message? Right, Because this is where I feel like a lot of sellers like stumble. They're like right, found a good factory. We followed your process. But, like, right now, what do we say? Like, most sellers go, hey, what's your best price? What's your MLQ? Can? I just heard this podcast? Can I get customized packaging Right? And then, yeah, so, supplier, bear in mind these suppliers are probably getting 50 to 100 inquiries a week, probably more, right, and my purpose with the original message is how do I get my inquiry to jump out at the top? How do I get the supplier reads my message and be like oh, I want to work with this guy, right? So I kind of write my opening message as like a three part.   Kian: Like it first, introduction about myself hey, this is me. I'm passionate about eggs. I've been farming for 10 years and I want to start my own brand. Right, oh, cool, someone who really, really likes eggs. Right, they'll be a good person for this product. And then you can say, hey, we work with the biggest like influencers in the food space. Because I'm a beginner, right, I'm selling this, I'm ordering this product for the first time. So I don't want to say, hey, I'm a beginner. I want to say like, hey, I'm just ordering this, but here's my leverage. Like, I've got connections with the biggest influencers in the home and kitchen space. I've got connections with retailers that I've done business with before. I'm very, very skilled at selling on Amazon. I've exited a previous business before. I want to say something that gets them excited for them to work with me, not just, hey, what's your price, right?   Kian: Second, I want to say why I chose that supplier, because all the things we just looked at, like a number of production lines you know 70% exports going to Europe, right, you having this meta audit. So I would say, look, quality standards are very, very important for our company. It's great to see you have this meta audit. I'm so, so happy that you also place a high importance on quality standards. I see that 38% of your exports go to North America. That's amazing because we'll be selling in America as well, and I'm glad to know you're compliant with the latest certifications. That's just me telling the supplier. I've actually read your company profile and I've selected you based on these reasons. I've not just gone into Alibaba, I've not just typed in egg dispenser and just selected the first 10 companies and copy and pasted the same message. I've actually had to read your company listing and I've actually had to write a customized message to send you this so they'll understand that. And then then you're like okay, this is a product that we're looking at. Here's the picture, here's the specification sheet, this is the materials. What would be your best price for this product?   Kian: Suppliers now thinking I want to work with this customer because they have the ability to sell the product through their experience, through the influencers they have access to. They seem to understand quite a bit about manufacturing because they've told us what they've selected us. This is a customer which I think will go far because previously we've received messages asking for price in MLQ. We supply that and we never hear from those guys again. But this one seems serious. So we've gone through that process and we've found who are the top suppliers and then we've actually crafted a message that makes them want to reply to us. Because suppliers not thinking these are just egg-tracing, these are 80 cent. Maybe you order like a thousand pieces, right, a thousand dollar order. Suppliers not thinking they're going to get rich on this first order. They're thinking how much money am I going to make with this customer over the next three, five, ten years? So as long as you state look, business, partnership long term and this, together we want to grow this big business. You're saying the right things that get them interested to make your trial order first. Even at a break-even, they probably won't make money on the first order because of all the time and effort they have to put into sampling and things like that. They know that and they just want to work for you because you seem like a serious customer which you'll build with over the long term. So those are two really important things finding the best supplier and then communicating correctly with those suppliers as well.   Bradley Sutton: At what point are you submitting like a RFQ request for a quote?   Kian: So that's a really good point, right? So you can also do a request for a quotation. And I'm hesitating before I say this, right, because that process we just went through. We selected two of our best suppliers that we want to work with, right, we filtered out the bad ones. But when we go RFQ, we just submit our information one time and then the suppliers receive that request for a quotation and then they write to us. So now I have to do that filtering process again, but I have to filter the ones that write to us, right? So, because you might get an unverified supplier that writes to you or things like that. So you can also do RFQ because you think it saves you time, but realistically you have to go through all those applications of people which write back to you. And another thing I'd be cautious of as well and I'm not saying don't do it, I would just say that it might imply more work. It looks like it's going to save you time, but now you have to filter through every single manufacturer. But we just filtered through those suppliers really, really quickly.   Kian: But ultimately the main selection criteria that we have to decide is what's the price of the sample and what's the quality of the sample. So once we get that information back, we have to then decide right. Am I happy with the price, does it fit within my target? And am I happy with the quality of sample? Because, as we saw, we might get a price for 80 cent and we might get a price for $3. I have to see the sample right. But by doing this exercise we're going to get a good idea of what is the market price for this product, because we went through that selection process to identify the top manufacturers and now we've got pricing from who we think are the five top manufacturers. So if our pricing is 95 cent, $1.05, 88 cent, like 112, we're like okay, we know it's around that $1 mark. But if I get pricing of like $3.50, $0.62, $4, I'm like this pricing is all over the place.   Kian: Like I haven't. It's my fault I've not told them the specifications of which I require. I wouldn't just click on their image and say what's the price of that. I would send them a specification sheet of here's a picture of the product, here's the dimensions, here's the material, here's any testing that I need. And they like give me your best price. So they've all received the same information. So you're comparing apples with apples and then, once you see the price that you're happy with, you've compared it to the rest of the market. You see someone that you like communicating with. They have the right certification. You get maybe two or three samples from different suppliers. You compare them right. This is the one. Then here we go, let's place the order, let's go for it.   Bradley Sutton: Normally? What's the standard as these days as far as factories and samples Like do you always need to pay for the sample 50% of the time? Do you need to pay for the shipping? 50% of the time? 25% of the time? What's your?   Kian: experience lately? Yeah, so great question. And I would say that it depends on the leverage that you build, right. So, for example, that reach out message like if they think you're sort of wasting time, then they're like right, $100 for a sample, $100 for a freight, paid us $200 invoice and you'll get a sample, right. But if they're like I want to work for this guy, like I think he's capable of building a really, really big business and they'll do all right, cool, we'll just send a sample to you, no problem. Some people might say, right, we'll cover the cost of the sample, you just covered the cost of the freight. So, cool, right, fair. I always say, look, I've got no problem, I'll pay for the sample, but if I place the order, I'm going to deduct the sample cost from the first purchase order. That's always what I go with, right. And they're like fine, because I'm not trying to get free samples, right, that's something suppliers are fearful of. They're like but no one really wants a free sample of an egg tray, right. But if we took an example like a massage gun, you know, when massage guns got popular, everyone wrote to Alibaba manufacturers and said, hey, I want to order 10,000 massage guns, but I need a sample. They send the sample and then they never hear from them again. But that guy just got a free massage gun, right. So that's what they want to avoid. So I always offer to pay.   Kian: I say, look, I'll pay for the sample, but I'm going to deduct the sample and freight costs from the first purchase order. And that is music to their ears. They're happy to hear that because they know that first of all, you're paying for the sample up front and then if the supplier ends up having to pay for it, will they go and order as a result of it, which is what they wanted all along, right. So that's normally the way I go. Sometimes they just send it for free. I'm like cool, very nice of you, and sometimes, if they charge me, I just always have that in writing. That will deduct that from the first purchase order.   Bradley Sutton: Are you doing any like other website price matching or looking at like you know? Like maybe going to 1688 or something you know? That was a you know kind of like always suggested back in the day because there's a lot of price differences there and sometimes the Alibaba people, Alibaba factories, would be like, okay, yeah, we can probably go lower or that's not as much of a technique anymore and to be honest, I've always advised against that because, yes, you can.   Kian: So 1688, for anyone who doesn't know, is like the domestic. It also owned by Alibaba and it's the domestic Chinese website. It's where, like, Chinese businesses buy from Chinese factories, everything's in Chinese. And then I think some people announced that it was a hack, that you could go to 1688 and get cheaper prices. And yes, there are cheaper prices, but that's because those products aren't being exported. So you know the things that we just looked at in terms of like, okay, is this egg tray FDA approved? Well, it doesn't need to be FDA approved because that's not a regulation in China, so they can use it with a different chemical. Therefore, it's a cheaper price. So if you go to 1688 and look for your products, yeah, you probably will find them cheaper, but then if you need them to match regulations of your market, then that's when it's going to make it more expensive.   Kian: So I don't necessarily look at other websites, like I think you know you could go to globalsources.com, you can go to madeinchina.com. There's also sort of different websites as well, but generally enough, like, there's so many good factories on alibabacom and that definitely improved after COVID as well, because I never used to use alibabacom, like I was just used to go to China. I used to live in China. I used to go to the Canton Fair twice a year and that's where I'd find all my factories. And then, because Canton Fair was out for three years, that's when a lot of those factories started going online and Alibaba was like the first place that they would go. So I would suggest you're absolutely fine with alibaba.com. You can also, if you want to find the manufacturers of your competitors, you can look at importyeti.com, and I would say the best thing you can do for your business is really visit China as well. Go to the Canton Fair, and really because, yes, there's a cost in terms of a flight ticket in hotels to go to China, but I always say that cost more than pace for itself, because you are essentially fast tracking your product development.   Kian: You're seeing products there for the first time that you'll see them in real life before you see them online from other brands, and now you have to make your own version. You'll be able to negotiate better prices. You'll be able to get better quality products. You'll be able to build better relationships with your factory. You'll be able to get samples very quickly If you're like Bradley actually. So you're going to the factory. I guarantee you, if you ask for a new product and you wanted that sample, that sample will be ready in two or three days and you can take it home with you right? They'll send it to your hotel by the time you leave. But if you reach out to these guys online, you're like, hey, we're working on this new product, we're going to take them two weeks to make it. We can have to send it. It'll take a month. So you can massively and imagine you've got multiple products across multiple brands. You've got a month edge on anyone in the market just by being there. So I would highly recommend. But you know, canton Faire is only April and October every year, so you can visit China anytime you want, but all year round. I would be visiting websites like alibabacom to get an idea of right, who are the best suppliers and what are the best prices, and are there any new products that we just found as well? And then I'd be going to China as well, on top of that as well.   Bradley Sutton: All right, before we get into your last strategy of the day, how can people reach you if they want to, you know, see your videos or maybe reach out to you for some advice?   Kian: Yeah, sure, so I'm putting a lot of work into the YouTube stuff. So if you just type in Sourcing with Kian on YouTube, you'll see a lot of cool videos there. I started making a bunch of different videos on this China trip. I went into factories, I went into packaging factories, product factories and filmed videos of like. So actually, brad, I'll try and send one to you before you go as well, just so you could get a little bit of an insight. But, yeah, Instagram as well @kian_jg. I've got a Facebook group of the same name Sourcing with Kian and yeah, it's probably the best way to reach out to me. But I've got some cool stuff planned in the coming year in regards to, like, trips to China and stuff. So, yeah, definitely look out for that.   Bradley Sutton: All right, what's your last strategy of the day? Maybe a 60 second strategy or around there for that you can share with the audience.   Kian: I would say like, okay, 2024. Something you want to focus on would be product defensibility, right, Because you know, as you mentioned, with the shelf, like you know, a lot of people copied it. It raised at the bottom in terms of price and we have to innovate on top. So just like sort of three actionable tips. In terms of product defensibility, there's three main things you can focus on An act's getting exclusivity on your product, it's having a particular mold on your product and it's also getting patents on your product right. So exclusivity you can like if we go into a factory and we see a product that we like we didn't innovate it, factory did right, I can still order that product. But I can say, look, I want exclusivity on that. And you can get exclusivity by time. To be like, give me three months, we sell it to me and no one else. You can get exclusivity by region. To say, right, give me exclusivity for Germany or give me exclusivity for USA. Like we can pick a market, not just the whole world, and get exclusivity by that. Or we can also get exclusivity by quantity. To say, I've forecast I will order 10,000 units over the course of the year. If I don't order those 10,000 units, then you can sell it to everyone. So we just got exclusivity on a new product and I did this countless times at Alaska Anton Fair. That's a great form of defensibility.   Kian: Then, like patents, you know you can patent the product. Supplier might have a patent on the product, but the more. And then oh, by the way, this is such a sick hack, right, there was a particular product that we've been selling for a while. Factory has got the patent on it and then a lot of US brands were copying and infringing Chinese factory, trying to go after those US brands. They write to them and they're like hey, yeah, we're this company, we have the patent. The US brands just ignored it. They're like oh, it's a Chinese company, they're never going to sue us. I said to them look, make our company the co-patent, so we have our US brand. I was like make us the co-patent owner and then we'll go after them. Done Like, we now own the patent of that and then us, as a US brand, using US lawyers, are going after those US brands and are getting shut down left, right and center. So if you have a factory which is patented the product, that's a huge key if you can get co-patent on that as well. And then I mentioned molds as well. Like, molds are expensive. If you're developing a mold on a product, definitely get your logos embossed on the mold as well, so that they can't use that for anyone else as well. So, yeah, those are the key things defensibility, exclusivity, patents and molds.   Bradley Sutton: All right. Well, Kian, thank you so much for joining us. I'm sure 2024 will be great for you and hopefully we get to hang out at an event or here locally. I've got to get you on my Helium 10 basketball court here. We've been trying to do that for a while, so, hey, I'm ready, we'll anytime we'll settle at once and for all Lakers versus Clippers. I'll wear my Clippers jersey, you can wear your Lakers and we'll see. We'll see who comes out on top.   Kian: Let's do it, let's do it. Good to see you, bro, and thanks very much for having me and congrats on the 500 plus episodes.

Before we begin… I just wanted to let you know that TODAY is the start of our 31-Day Challenge aka January Paint Challenge, whatever you wanna call it: 31 paintings and 31 days!You can paint like me, or redirect it to whatever your business needs most. 31 social media posts, 31 drawings, 31 photos/videos… 31 whatever! Sign up: 31-Day Challenge Commit by ANNOUNCING it to your audience today! (There's no better motivation than other ppl expecting it from you) Post [daily] using #January31DayChallenge Now onto this week's episode: My strategy to making $200k in 2024 while working only 30 hours per week. In a nutshell, I'm going to be focusing on: VIDEO- I'll be setting time aside to get even more creative with video this year by exploring more long form face to camera techniques. Podcasting- I'll be pitching to get bigger names on the podcast and promoting it to a wider audience in a variety of ways (more video). Applying for bigger mural projects that require an RFQ (request for qualifications). Sticking to my higher pricing strategy and not taking any small jobs. Posting to social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) consistently. Listen to this week's episode of the Artist Academy Podcast for descriptions and reasons behind why I'm focusing on these things to hit my highest earning income goal yet. This year's January 31 Day Challenge is sponsored by Mural Co Products. Enter to win the Mural Essentials Kit which includes all the supplies to start a muralist's journey! Along with having all the essential tools needed to begin, this kit serves as a full cleaning system to extend the life of your materials. This curated product has been created by a muralist, for other muralists with the ultimate goal of saving you money and time. Use code ANDREA for $30 off at www.MuralCoProducts.com Here's the link to How AI is Making My Art Business More Efficient

Love them or hate them, procurement is part of your customer's process. In today's episode, we get ideas and insights from Mark Raffan from Negotiations Ninja. Mark emphasizes the value of engaging with procurement early on. By doing so, ensures a smooth process and prevents issues down the line.  And if you find yourself confused by RFI, RFQ, and RFP...why don't you give us a call. What You'll Learn: What should salespeople know about procurement. Why you should engage procurement early in the conversation. How best to submit a “request for…” to procurement. Best practices for RFIs, RFQs, and RFPs. How best to structure RFP proposals. How to properly engage procurement professionals. Different between for RFTs and RFPs. Resources: What Every BODY is Saying: An Ex-FBI Agent's Guide to Speed-Reading People - by Joe Navarro and Marvin Karlins The Ziglar Show, with Kevin Miller Make it Happen Mondays with John Barrows Negotiations Ninja Mark Raffan on LinkedIn  

Paul Noble and Joe Lynch discuss modernizing MRO using AI. Paul is the Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Verusen, a supply chain intelligence platform, purpose-built to help manufacturers streamline their MRO supply and materials management. About Paul Noble As Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Verusen, Paul Noble oversees the company's vision and strategic direction. He has extensive experience in the industrial supply chain and distribution space, as he was recognized as a Supply Chain Pros to Know by Supply and Demand Chain Executive in 2021, 2022, & 2023. Prior to founding Verusen, Noble spent over a decade with The Sherwin-Williams Company, where he specialized in supply chain/manufacturing and led its Eastern U.S. Industrial Distribution business unit. Noble graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in management and marketing from Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee. About Verusen Verusen is a leading MRO Materials Intelligence provider focused on helping global manufacturers streamline their MRO supply and materials management strategy. Verusen utilizes advanced data science and artificial intelligence to harmonize disparate material data across multiple enterprise systems to provide complex supply chains with material truth for supply and inventory planning and procurement intelligence. This helps organizations reduce risk and tail spend, optimize working capital, and ensure production uptime to meet customer needs. The result is a foundation that organizations can trust to fuel digital transformation and support supply chain maturity initiatives. Headquartered in Atlanta, Verusen has been named one of Georgia's Top 10 Innovative Technology Companies. Key Takeaways: Modernizing MRO using AI Verusen is a leading provider of materials intelligence solutions that help companies improve their supply chain resilience and efficiency. Verusen is the leader in materials intelligence for the digitalization of the supply ecosystem. The company utilizes AI, data harmonization, and decision support to help companies achieve supply chain resiliency and improve bottom lines. Verusen provides configurable, scalable, and sustainable supply optimization for MRO, spare parts, and indirect materials. For manufacturers: Optimizes inventory and harmonizes data to reduce costs, improve visibility, and make better sourcing decisions. Minimizes unplanned production downtime by ensuring the right materials are in the right place at the right time. Reduces duplicate materials and centralizes inventory to improve efficiency and reduce costs. For suppliers and industrial distributors: Improves efficiency and accuracy by automating manual processes and addressing data variability. Increases sales and order volumes by reducing RFQ response time and identifying material candidates for VMI solutions. Grows market share by helping suppliers preemptively avoid RFQs and increase their share of wallet with customers. Learn More About Modernizing MRO using AI Paul on LinkedIn Verusen on LinkedIn Verusen website Twitter: @Verusen_AI Episode Sponsor: Wreaths Across America Wreaths Across America Radio - Wreaths Across America Episode Sponsor: Greenscreens.ai Greenscreens.ai's dynamic pricing infrastructure built to grow and protect margins. The Greenscreens.ai solution combines aggregated market data and customer data with advanced machine learning techniques to deliver short-term predictive freight market pricing specific to a company's individual buy and sell behavior. 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

CTL Script/ Top Stories of August 29 Publish Date: Aug. 28   Henssler :15 From the Ingles Studio Welcome to the Award Winning Cherokee Tribune Ledger Podcast    Today is Tuesday, August 29th, and happy heavenly birthday to the King of Pop Michael Jackson ***Jackson*** I'm Brian Giffin and here are the stories Cherokee is talking about, presented by Credit Union of Georgia Canton man charged with sexual exploitation of children Cherokee County students named statewide Youth Heart Ambassadors And Brian Borden provides updates on Woodstock's Little River Park   Plus, Leah McGrath of Ingles Markets is here to talk with Bruce Jenkins about cross contact and contamination   We'll have all this and more coming up on the Cherokee Tribune-Ledger Podcast, and if you're looking for Community news we encourage you to listen and subscribe!    Commercial:  CU of GA   Story 1 charged   Thaddeus Anderson, a 34-year-old man from Canton, has been arrested and charged with five counts of sexual exploitation of children after authorities discovered he possessed child pornography. Anderson allegedly downloaded multiple images of child abuse material between March 1 and July 31. A search warrant executed by Cherokee Sheriff's Office investigators and Homeland Security Investigations Sexual Exploitation Unit at Anderson's residence uncovered a significant amount of child abuse material on his computer. Anderson admitted to downloading this material. He remains in custody without bond at the Cherokee County jail.                                                   ....……… Read more on this story at tribuneledgernews.com   STORY 2: heart   Two Cherokee County School District students, Jack Bauer and Edith Benson, have been selected as Youth Heart Ambassadors for the American Heart Association. Both first-grader Jack Bauer and second-grader Edith Benson will raise awareness about the association's role in cardiovascular disease research, public health advocacy, and healthy lifestyle resources. They will also encourage fellow children to participate in association activities promoting healthy habits. Bauer, who has survived congenital heart defects, and Benson, who has undergone multiple surgeries and lives with a pacemaker, were chosen from nominations of young people affected by heart disease or stroke. The school district has long supported the American Heart Association, and Superintendent Brian Hightower expressed pride in Bauer and Benson for their important role in inspiring others through service.   Story 3: borden   Woodstock's Parks and Recreation Director, Brian Borden, provided updates on the progress of the future Little River Park and other department projects during an IN WDSTK Morning INfluence meeting. The engineering and construction drawings for Little River Park are being worked on, with the aim of starting construction next summer for Phase I. The first phase will be funded by the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, with a budget of $8 million. The park's master plan includes a pond, treehouse trail, boardwalk, dog park, and more across its 100-acre area. Borden also discussed other projects, such as the Noonday Creek Trail Extension, and highlighted the success of the Woodstock Summer Concert Series and other events. The Woodstock Parks and Recreation department is responsible for maintaining multiple parks, trails, and recreational programs in the community.   We have opportunities for sponsors to get great engagement on these shows. Call 770.874.3200 for more info.   Back in a moment   Break:  ESOG  - Elon -Dayco   STORY 4: cafeteria   Clayton Elementary School near Canton has been honored with the School Nutrition Cafeteria of Excellence Award, a new statewide award presented by the Georgia Department of Education's School Nutrition division. The school's cafeteria team, comprised of Manager Crystal Smith, Barbara Krupa, and Emily Sims, was recognized for their exceptional attention to serving quality meals, providing excellent customer service, and maintaining program integrity. The award considers health inspection scores, menu quality and variety, use of local produce, promotion of nutrition programs, and student engagement. The award will be officially presented at an annual luncheon, and Clayton Elementary's achievement highlights their commitment to providing nutritious meals for students and promoting their success.         Story 5: hay   The Georgia Farm Bureau is hosting the 2023 GFB Quality Hay Contest, accepting entries of bermudagrass hay until October 31st. Hay submitted will undergo nutritional value analysis using the Relative Forage Quality Test at a University of Georgia lab. Winners will be determined based on RFQ analysis and announced at the GFB convention in December. Prizes will be awarded to the top five producers, with the first-place winner receiving the use of a Vermeer mid-sized trailed mower for a year. Contestants must be Georgia Farm Bureau members and pay a $20 entry fee per sample. Additionally, GFB is accepting listings for its online hay directory, which includes both hay for sale and custom services.   Story 6: swann   Vanderbilt's quarterback AJ Swann led the team to a 35-28 victory over Hawaii with 258 passing yards and three touchdowns. Safety De'Rickey Wright made two interceptions. Hawaii's Brayden Schager had a standout performance with 351 passing yards and three touchdowns, connecting well with debut receivers Steven McBride and Pofele Ashlock. Despite Hawaii's efforts, turnovers and special teams mistakes hurt their chances. Vanderbilt's lead was sealed by Swann's touchdown passes to Sheppard and Humphreys. The game was initially delayed due to lightning. Last year, Vanderbilt had beaten Hawaii 63-10 in a similar matchup.   Back with more after this   Commercial: Powers – Drake - Heller Story 7: LEAH   And now, Leah McGrath of Ingles Markets talks with Bruce Jenkins about cross contact and contamination   ***LEAH***     We'll have closing comments after this   Dayco – Ingles 10- Henssler 60   Thanks again for listening to today's Cherokee Tribune Ledger podcast. . If you enjoy these shows, we encourage you to check out our other offerings, like the Marietta Daily Journal Podcast, the Gwinnett Daily Post, the Community Podcast for Rockdale Newton and Morgan Counties, or the Paulding County News Podcast. Get more on these stories and other great content at tribune ledger news.com. Giving you important information about our community and telling great stories are what we do. Did you know over 50% of Americans listen to podcasts weekly? Make sure you join us for our next episode and be sure to share this podcast on social media with your friends and family. Add us to your Alexa Flash Briefing or your Google Home Briefing and be sure to like, follow, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.   www.henssler.com  www.ingles-markets.com  www.esogrepair.com  www.daycosystems.com  www.powerselectricga.com  www.elonsalon.com  www.jeffhellerlaw.com  www.drakerealty.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

https://specright.com/The amazing Laura Foti explains what Specright is and how it can improve your sustainability. Packaging Specs are so critical and being able to manage them with this incredible software system is changing the way this industry works. What if you could do an LCA in 10 minutes instead of 10 months? How can you setup an RFQ in a half hour? What is the future of packaging? https://www.linkedin.com/in/lefoti/https://ororapackagingsolutions.com/Looking to improve the sustainability of your packaging today? Check out: https://www.landsberg.com/The views and opinions expressed on the "Sustainable Packaging with Cory Connors" podcast are solely those of the author and guests and should not be attributed to any other individual or entity. https://specright.com/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/1329820053/ref=as_sl_pc_qf_sp_asin_til?tag=corygathttps://www.linkedin.com/in/cory-connors/I'm here to help you make your packaging more sustainable! Reach out today and I'll get back to you asap. This podcast is an independent production and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2022.

In episode five of Navigating Major Programmes, Riccardo sits down with Shormila Chatterjee, Acting Director at Government of Canada Infrastructure on the high-speed rail project. With 14 years of Canada-wide expertise in large-scale public private partnership (PPP) projects, Shormila has led various aspects of several high profile P3 pursuits and design engineering projects in Canada. She also actively contributes to Women in Infrastructure Network's Ottawa Chapter and serves as a board member of PAL Ottawa. In today's conversation, Riccardo and Shormila go beyond the resume to speak about the adversity (and highlights) of Shormila's career in infrastructure, including meeting ageism and gender bias at the decision making tables.   Key Takeaways:Why diverse voices in infrastructure are required to better serve the communities major programmes are designed forHow to navigating explicit acts of gender bias and Shormila's experience of her competency being questioned based on assumptions over education/experienceAvoiding analysis paralysis and finding your voice in moments of uncertaintyHow motherhood and personal life interconnects with a career in infrastructureWhy projects are people and how adoption of behaviour will propel the industry forward  If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox. The conversation doesn't stop here—connect and converse with our community: Riccardo Cosentino on LinkedInShormila Chatterjee on LinkedInUse this link to find advice, guidance, and sponsorship at the Women's Infrastructure Network (WIN) Canada websiteWIN on LinkedIn  Transcript:Riccardo Cosentino  00:05You're listening to navigate major problems, the podcast that aims to elevate the conversations happening in the infrastructure industry and inspire you to have a more efficient approach within it. I'm your host Riccardo Cosentino I bring over 20 years of major product management experience. Most recently, I graduated from Oxford University's a business school, which shook my belief when it comes to navigating major problems. Now it's time to shake yours. Join me in each episode as a press the industry experts about the complexity of major program management, emerging digital trends and the critical leadership required to approach these multibillion dollar projects. Let's see what the conversation takes us. Shormila Chatterjee, the acting director of infrastructure Canada, is an ally accomplished infrastructure professional with 14 years of experience in both the public and private sectors focused on social and public infrastructure is evident in our work on the high frequency rail project, a major initiative in Canada. Prior to her current role, she served as primary contact for prominent clients like the City of Ottawa, and Public Services and Procurement Canada, while at SNC Lavalin Shormila. The ability to establish strong relations with public sector counterparts enabled her to effectively address challenges throughout the project lifecycle achieving favorable outcomes. In addition to a professional achievements Shormila actively contributes to the woman and infrastructure network Ottawa chapter, and serves as a board member of the Powell Ottawa. Air involvement with this organization reflects our dedication to supporting undeserved communities, particularly senior arts workers. In other words, show millas commitment to delivery and inclusivity is evident in our effort to create equal opportunities and cultivate inclusive work environments. Hello, welcome to another episode of navigating major programs. Today I'm here with Shormila. Are you doing? Sure Mila, Shormila Chatterjee  02:15I'm good. Thanks, Ricardo. How are you? Riccardo Cosentino  02:17Not too bad, not too bad. Thank you for joining us. It's a pleasure to have you on the program. You and I go back a few years. So why don't we get right into it? You know, I think the audience has heard your bio. So why don't we just start with what what is your current role in infrastructure? Shormila Chatterjee  02:36Sure. Thanks. Thanks so much for having me Riccardo. So I'm currently actually currently right now I'm on maternity leave. But I'm essentially an acting director at infrastructure Canada on the high frequency rail project, which he had mentioned is one of the largest infrastructure projects in Canada, the in that's going to connect Toronto to Quebec City in the in the next couple of years, which is really exciting. Riccardo Cosentino  02:59I guess it's on point. I mean, this is a podcast about women in infrastructure. So I think it's really important that you're actually on maternity leave. These are the things that happen. So I'm glad that I'm actually having a guest that is taking taking a leave of absence in order to take care of a newborn baby think it's very important. So how did you first get into the industry? Shormila Chatterjee  03:24Well, I think like most people, it's by accident. But I started in mining and metallurgy at SNC levelin, when I'm fresh out of school, and the infrastructure division was based out of Vancouver at the time, and they wanted to set up a Toronto office to respond to, you know, the creation of Metrolinx and restructure Ontario, kind of this new Ontario business. So they created a group and we're just looking for people and I happen to hear about it and wanted to join because it sounded really interesting. The projects that I was working on, while interesting, were in very remote places. So I was looking for something that had this mix of being able to apply my technical skills, but also be in more urban environments. So then I was one of the first few employees and the infrastructure that was called transportation at the time, but the infrastructure group in essence is the Toronto office. Riccardo Cosentino  04:16And was it always your plan to build a career in infrastructure? Or did you stumble upon it? Shormila Chatterjee  04:22Yeah, so I sort of stumbled upon it I think for me i i did civil engineering in school and that's quite a wide like you I guess ready Riccardo but like it's a wide pretty wide of things that you can do with civil engineering. I wanted to actually eventually move back to India because I had went to high school in India and moved back to India and and work there but then I had stumbled on infrastructure here in Canada and ended up wanting to stay and such an active industry. So I Yeah, sort of fell in love with it by accident. Riccardo Cosentino  04:54You fell in love during your undergraduate degree or as you started your career. And Shormila Chatterjee  05:02yeah, I would say as I sit here, what what I love, I think of engineering and has, which is what I continue to love in my job now is that engineering and also infrastructure and particularly projects is a team sport. And for me, that's what gets me up in the morning. Like, I'm not a sort of dog eat dog type of person. Like, I like that we're all in this together, and we're all trying to achieve a common goal. And I love working with people who, you know, have that same sort of drive to, to move the needle forward every day. And that's what I really love about sort of engineering is, you know, we're all writing the bell curve together. And now in projects, we're all trying to, to, to build something meaningful together. And that's what i i Like I said, that's, that's the thing that makes me most excited about my job. Riccardo Cosentino  05:53And how do you choose SNC Lavell? And as an employer? Shormila Chatterjee  05:56That's a good question. I it was they had, I think I had applied to them as a summer student between third and fourth year and got a job. And then they actually called me the week before my finals in my fourth year and offered me a job right into school. So I didn't look anywhere else. I have to say, so it kind of relieved that stress. And it was great, you know, working in mining, especially, I think if I had not stayed in infrastructure mining was a great career for a young engineer. It was very autonomous. I got to work in a gold mine in Nevada and work in projects in Madagascar, and Pakistan. So like, it was really interesting. But like I said, you know, very remote locations, but a good good start to my career for sure. Riccardo Cosentino  06:44The Madagascar that's good project is one that I touched. Yeah. touched on i My early mind in my early days, and I see. Yeah, a bit of a marquee project. He was a nickel mine Shormila Chatterjee  06:57was a nickel mine. Yeah, yeah. Riccardo Cosentino  06:59Very interesting. Very interesting project. Yeah. Okay. So that's a good segue into the next question, which is, what were the some of the highlights of your career so far?  Shormila Chatterjee  07:11Yeah, I've been quite lucky. I mean, for me, I think it's obviously the Confederation Line project is one that stands out, I was lucky to be from, you know, the bid phase where it's was was where we met over 10 years ago now, but the bid all the way to the first few years of execution. You know, I remember being in city council when the mayor announced us to prepare for proponent and he was quite emotional when he did that. And just, you know, like, seeing people move their families from across the world to work on this project was really exciting. So, you know, say what you will about Confederation Line, but it's definitely changed the city's makeup and I think, created the sense of, you know, this, you know, this desire for an expansive LRT network in Ottawa, which is exciting. So, I really liked working on that project. And then also, like, I've learned a lot from the ones that we, we didn't always win. So some of the, you know, the Close, but no cigar projects we I learned a lot from as well. So but yeah, the Confederation Line definitely stands out. Riccardo Cosentino  08:16Yeah, I mean, we both we've both worked on that you worked on it a bit longer than me. But yeah, I don't think you were involved in the, in the public inquiry. Shormila Chatterjee  08:26I was not, I got to take my daughter, I'm the first day that the train opened the mascot, so that was me. Riccardo Cosentino  08:37Right. Yeah, I think I think that project is actually it's a very interesting one. Because even though there were a few things that went wrong, you can learn a lot from things that go wrong. And for me, you know, it's been a very, very interesting journey. See it from really from RFQ to today, we've been engaging through the public inquiry, and really learning how complex major projects are. And sometimes it's easy to criticize them without actually understanding what the challenges are. And it's not that simple. And so, yeah, I think I think, yeah, the could, we could write a book about Confederation Line and hopefully one day we will.  Shormila Chatterjee  09:21Yeah, no, absolutely. Really interesting experience. Riccardo Cosentino  09:26So okay, let's let's jump into the into the part of the conversation that is related to working in a male dominated environment. I know you I've known you for many years. I know that you know, on the surface you fit right in. But the interesting to know what what, what has been your experience and challenges in working in such an industry? Shormila Chatterjee  09:50Yeah, so I was kind of thinking about that. And I realized that I feel like I faced more resistance later, as I progress later on in my career than when I did when I was a junior, I think when I was a junior engineer, I had, I've always had great managers, I have to say, but I never really felt the the sort of apprehension of being in a room or unwelcome in a room as I did. Oh, I think pretty much when I started around the time when I actually started working with you, is when I realized because I was in the same at the same table as decision makers, and I think the challenge with projects is, you start usually with a new team. And not everybody knows each other. And, you know, on day one, I was sort of doing a bit of a Rolodex in my head that almost pretty much on day one without fail, at least one man who is probably 10 to 15 years older than me, was I was like, What is she doing and through and sort of met me with some resistance, but and then, by the end of the project, we're sending each other Christmas cards. So it was like, but I, I would say that that was my challenge is sort of, I mean, I don't think I even wore my iron ring until, you know, pretty much seven, eight years into my career, because I didn't really need it before. But I felt like I needed that as like a sort of at least the minimum ticket to entry. Well, I must have done something right to, you know, have that or it's it was really a token. But I felt that, you know, it's been more in my recent history that I had felt that at that sort of leadership or decision making tables where the resistance was called, and then, you know, I don't consider myself usually the smartest person in the room. But I'm definitely probably one of the hardest working and hopefully you can attest to that. But so eventually realizing that, you know, we're all in it. And you know, trying to reach the same goal. Like I said before, it was what got us through it. But that's really what I feel like when I faced a lot of resistance. Riccardo Cosentino  11:57Do you recall or do you? Do you mind sharing? If you do recall some other examples where that how that resistance manifested? Shormila Chatterjee  12:08Yeah, I mean, I think I've I've had, you know, one person explicitly asked for me to be removed from a project because they didn't know if I was capable or competent, without having actually asked or known about my history. And I think especially being on the kind of commercial financial side, dealing with engineers or construction folks, they sometimes there's a feeling like, I'm out to get them or I don't necessarily understand their point of view. So I have had, yeah, some pretty explicit acts of rebellion against me on the team. And like I said, luckily, we sort of rode through it and got through the other side, but because I'm not, you know, I'm not a wallflower. Like, you have said, like, I will express my opinion, I'm there for a reason. So yeah, so it's been there's been some some rocky roads. Riccardo Cosentino  13:13But nevertheless, you succeeded. I mean, you've had a pretty, pretty interesting career so far, with lots of opportunities ahead. And so what what do you think has helped you succeed? I mean, your hard work, obviously. Shormila Chatterjee  13:26Yeah, I think for me, you know, I A Well, one thing, too, that I've I tried to maybe do consciously in the beginning of a project as well, especially, is to be vocal about when I don't know something, you know, working with a lot of technical people, I think they get what, what I've heard this term before, and I use it a lot is analysis paralysis, like nobody wants to say anything unless they know everything. And, you know, when you're, especially when you're in a, in a, in a bidding environment, where there's very little information, and you have to make very consequential decisions based on very little information, you sort of have to go with your gut. And it's okay not to know, and sort of being the one that's very vocal about like, I don't know the answer to this, but let's try to sort of risk assess the situation and move things forward. I think being vocal about that is important in the beginning, and I think that that's helped me and then also being decisive. I think we work with a lot of people who are, you know, you're expected the pieces, kind of incredible of what you're expected to do in, you know, six to eight months of a bid opportunity. And so people who are not used to that and they're used to kind of five to 10 year long projects, they don't, they're not used to kind of moving things forward at that type of pace. So, you know, I'm happy to take the fall if something goes wrong, but you know, I just want to move things forward. So being decisive, especially early on in a project opportunity I think is really important. I try to try to be that the, you know, the sort of the buck stops with me attitude, I think helps Riccardo Cosentino  15:10that's probably why you and I get along. Yeah, Shormila Chatterjee  15:13yeah, exactly. Like, I think you just, you know, it's, it might be the wrong decision six months from now, but you have to make a decision, you know, Riccardo Cosentino  15:22and, you know, other guests in the previous episode that she talked about the challenges of being, you know, one of the few women in the room, if not the only woman in the room, and the challenge was, you know, do I do I modify my behavior to be accepted, or be more myself that your experience in the past, and you find yourself having to modify you, your behavior, or who you are in order to fit in? Is it something that you, you felt you had to do in order to be accepted in a male dominated environment, you or you didn't care? Shormila Chatterjee  16:00I think I, I don't think it's modified. But I do compartmentalize myself quite a bit. I mean, like, you and I have a lot of conversations about sort of Shop Talk, like, I like talking. And I think that's the thing, like, I like talking about the industry and work, and I don't naturally sort of lead my personal life with my I sort of like to compartmentalize those parts of my life. So I don't think I'm sort of censoring or, or altering who I am at all. But it's just like, a different facet of my life is at work. And then a different facet of my life is at home. And so I that's, that's what I just I'm, I don't think it's being in a male dominated, I'm just sort of that type of person. And that's just how I am, but I don't think I've changed myself. And I would say it would be less about being in a male dominated as, when I was younger, I felt that I was very young, like in a, you know, that was more of a thing. I'm that's caught up to me now. But But before I've generally worked with, like I said, just really great managers and mentors, but I never felt I had to diminish myself in anyway.  Riccardo Cosentino  17:20Well, I guess that's a perfect segue to my next question, you know, how important is mentorship for for professional success? Have you had any, any particular mentor and female mentor in this industry?  Shormila Chatterjee  17:34Yes, I've been very lucky to have, I would say, not just mentors, but champions in my career, like they've really all pushed me. And we've had this sort of common thread of stretch goals, like trying to push me further than I think I could go. And that's really, is what propelled my own kind of confidence and like stepping into my own light, which I wish I didn't do kind of when I was younger in my career. And so my mentors have been really instrumental in that. And I think it's important to that I've had both female and male mentors, and I would also suggest that women, mentor men and men, mentor women, just so everybody sort of can see the challenges that everybody else goes through. But I've had great female mentors as well. And I think what they taught me is, you know, you can have it all, just not all at once. And that is what I sort of believe, anyways, is that, you know, there's kind of a season for when to sort of, like, really accelerate your career and sort of, then if you want to focus on the family, if that's what you choose to do, you know, you can always kind of still be very fulfilled in your career, but then have this whole other sort of aspect to your career and hit your stride. You know, when your kids are older, and sort of seeing that ebb and flow of people's progression has been really inspiring for me for you know, seeing these women doing amazing things in their, you know, 50s and 60s, is something that I really, like it gives me this, this, this excitement for the future rather than, that's when people slow down, you know, and that's not the case at all. So that's what I've learned a lot from, from my female mentors, and I'm lucky now that I'm in the at the point in my career where I'm mentoring men and women and so like, I find that really exciting as well. Riccardo Cosentino  19:34Interesting. Very interesting. Okay, so we talked about your past, we talked about your experiences, what are your hopes for the industry as a whole? Like, Shormila Chatterjee  19:47I mean, that's a loaded question. But I think for me, I, I mean, and you will probably remember this as well, and maybe better than me, but, you know, I see a lot of rhetoric around sort of collaborative modeling and and working on a project that has that as well. But like, I think projects are people. And you know, a lot of what we are talking about now how a lot of these models will solve all our problems is a lot of similar rhetoric of what was said when p3 is first became really popular. And so I don't think that models are here to solve all our problems, it's, we really have to sort of look at behavior. And so as an industry, I hope we take these tenants that are coming out of collaborative models and apply them just as an industry as a whole. Because we can collaborate in any in data, like you, but it did, you don't need a model to tell you to do that. So I hope that we take this time to sort of can reflect, and then particularly now that I'm on the public sector side, like what does that mean, as an owner, you know, you we are have to be a sophisticated buyer now. And it's not just to be a contract administrator anymore. So, you know, it's that third P in in in p3 is to be a partner. And it's the same now in a collaborative contract, there's this expectation of an active participant from an owner. So what does that mean? And, and how can we be sort of better partners to each other moving forward? And, you know, I hope that we can just move the behavioral piece forward, regardless of the model. Riccardo Cosentino  21:29Yeah, that's a good aspiration for the industry. I have to say that the, ultimately, the collaboration, you do need a framework around the collaboration, like it's not it's, it's not just the People. Obviously, you need the people, you need the culture, you need the leadership. Yeah. But you also need the legal and commercial framework to incentivize that. Because ultimately, I think that's, that's the problem with PPPs is that although the name has been deceiving, called a partnership. But when you actually look at the commercial, legal framework of a PPP, it's everything back collaborative is a zero sum game,  Shormila Chatterjee  22:12right  Riccardo Cosentino  22:13And so, you know, sure, you can achieve the collaboration. But that's by chance, not by design, because the model is not designed commercially, legally, to incentivize collaborations as zero sum game. But hopefully, yeah, I agree with you. Like, it's more than just the rhetoric, and it does start with people in leadership. I completely agree with you. I mean, ultimately, you need a capable owner, you need, you need trained individuals. And eventually, though, you also need the legal and commercial framework to support the leadership and the people.  Shormila Chatterjee  22:54Right. Yeah,  Riccardo Cosentino  22:55yeah. My Yeah. Another guest Mariska said the same thing, because she's working on a lot of claims. And even though I'm talking myself out of a job, it would be good if it was less, less adversarial. Shormila Chatterjee  23:09Yeah, absolutely.  Riccardo Cosentino  23:11Would you help encourage more women to pursue a career in infrastructure? And as your experience being positive enough? Shormila Chatterjee  23:19I would absolutely. And I think one thing that I love, too, about the industry is how small it is, surprisingly, and I, it hit me again, when I moved to Ottawa, you know, five years ago, and thought I didn't have a network here. And you realize infrastructures, not even six degrees of separation, it's probably three. And so there's this real kind of sort of camaraderie amongst people, at least in Canada. And so I think it's very everybody's sort of, there's just a, just a really kind of great sense of connection and community. Exactly. And so I really, I really appreciate that and, and, you know, like, talking about maternity leave, like, making your kids like my older daughter calls it, her. It's her mom's train, you know, every time she sees it, and for better or for worse, but those things are really it's it is like, sort of exciting, is it to be able to see the legacy building that you do is is something that you can really be proud of. So absolutely, I would definitely recommend it.  Riccardo Cosentino  24:29What would you say to these women that you're encouraging? If you if somebody one of your mentor were to come to you and say, why should they join? Why should they join this industry? Shormila Chatterjee  24:39I think because there's a lot to learn, but also a lot of people need to hear diverse voices. And so to be able to just, you know, give because, you know, these these projects are supposed to be for communities and for the public. So how can we better serve people if there's more people that were being represented? Did in house you know, so the more people that we can have, and so women or people of color or indigenous people, like really, everybody who feels like they don't see themselves in these projects, or they feel like it doesn't really resonate with them, and then come work here, you know, there, I think there's just so much opportunity and you know, projects like high frequency rail, which is, you know, could be such a huge change to how passenger rail service is delivered over 1000 kilometers. Like that's something that we should have as many diverse voices on the on the project side, I think as we can so yeah, I think if to better serve our communities, we need as many voices at the table as we can. Riccardo Cosentino  25:49Yeah, I agree. Some of these projects are defined as nation building, right. So I do want everybody to help build a nation. Absolutely. Especially because I feel like Canada. Yeah. Well, thank you very much for the conversation. Shormila this this was entertaining and interesting, as usual. glad that you joined be Shormila Chatterjee  26:10it really appreciate being here. Yeah, we usually don't talk like this without a beer. But so this is new. But Riccardo Cosentino  26:20you don't know if I have one you can see for the screen right? Say well, you probably have a scotch.  Shormila Chatterjee  26:27Yeah. Okay,  Riccardo Cosentino  26:32well, thank you again, and have a good evening. We'll talk soon. Thank you so much. Bye now. That's it for this episode on navigating major problems. I hope you found today's conversation as informative and thought provoking as I did. If you enjoyed this conversation, please consider subscribing and leaving a review. I would also like to personally invite you to continue the conversation by joining me on my personal LinkedIn at Riccardo Cosentino. Listening to the next episode, where we will continue to explore the latest trends and challenges in major program management. Our next in depth conversation promises to continue to dive into topics such as leadership, risk management, and the impact of emerging technology in infrastructure. It's a conversation you're not going to want to miss. Thanks for listening to navigate the major problems and I look forward to keeping the conversation going Music: "A New Tomorrow" by Chordial Music. Licensed through PremiumBeat.DISCLAIMER: The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed by the hosts and guests on this podcast do not necessarily represent or reflect the official policy, opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of Disenyo.co LLC and its employees.

On this episode of the Construction Record Podcast, digital media editor Warren Frey speaks with SNC-Lavalin lead BIM manager Jean-Pierre Rivard and local and provincial public sector director Mathieu Latouche talk about using digital twins to design health infrastructure and not only address that sector's unique needs but also maintain health facilities by catching potential equipment problems before they occur. Daily Commercial News daily editor Lindsey Cole joins Warren for the news segment starting the show, featuring a Vaughan gondola project that's ‘speculative', a new amphitheater design for the Pacific National Exhibition in Vancouver and an RFQ has been issued for the contentious George Massey Tunnel replacement project.   Our final segment of the pod is an interview with Ayers Saint Gross principal Glen Birx about the ongoing investigations into the tragic Champlain Towers South condo collapse in Surfside, FL on June 24, 2021. Birx moderated a session about the collapse at the American Institute of Architects conference held recently in San Francisco and gave insights as to the timeline of the collapse and what elementsof the building's structure could have contributed to the disaster.  You can listen to The Construction Record on the Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce websites as well as on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music's podcast section. Our previous episode featuring an interview with Deltek director of product marketing Megan Miller about the company's 44th annual Clarity Architecture and Engineering Industry Study is here. Thanks for listening. DCN-JOC News Services   Gondola plans for Vaughan are ‘conceptual only,' city makes clear Illinois drywall tapers among the ‘Best-Paying Jobs in Homebuilding' RFQ goes out for $4 billion George Massey Tunnel replacement PNE Amphitheatre design contains the largest free-span timber roof in the world

In this episode of Navigating Major Programmes, Riccardo sits down with Hannelie Stockenstrom, Senior Vice President Legal Major Projects & Canada Legal Centre Of Excellence at SNC Lavalin, for a in-depth conversation on her experience as a woman in in the male-dominated industry and her hope for the industry as a whole.  Key Takeaways: Why diverse participants in infrastructure is the only way forward to solve problems effectivelyHow focusing on education in Third World countries can catapult the industry's sustainability efforts in First World countriesThe art of networking your dream career If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox. The conversation doesn't stop here—connect and converse with our community via LinkedIn: Riccardo CosentinoHannelie Stockenstrom Transcript:Riccardo Cosentino 00:05You're listening to navigate major problems, the podcast that aims to elevate the conversationshappening in the infrastructure industry and inspire you to have a more efficient approach within it. I'myour host Riccardo Cosentino I bring over 20 years of major product management experience. Mostrecently, I graduated from Oxford University's a business school, which shook my belief when it comesto navigating major problems. Now it's time to shake yours. Join me in each episode as a press theindustry experts about the complexity of major program management, emerging digital trends and thecritical leadership required to approach these multibillion dollar projects. Let's see where theconversation takes us. And Ally stockin strong is an accomplished legal professional, and currentlyholds the position of Senior Vice President of legal for SNC Lavell ins major project division, and she'salso a member of Canada Legal Center of Excellence of SNC Lavell. And in that capacity Annaleeprovides senior management and project team with advice in a wide variety of legal matters, includingclaims dispute and transactions. Anna Lee has extensive experience in major projects, national andinternational joint ventures, p3, and alternative contracting, and elite monitors and advises managementand operations on legal trends and changes in the law and design implement a compliance program formanaging risk. And the Lee was chair of SNC Lavell in Canada Edna committee from 2020 to 2022.And she's currently a member and pasture or the steering committee. Hello, welcome back tonavigating major programs. And welcome back to the miniseries of building bridges. Today, I'm herewith Hannelie, I've had the pleasure of working with Hannelie over the last 13 years, while SNC Lavell.And I'm really excited to ever hear and to ever review on the topic that we covered in building bridgeswith money Anna Lee, how you doing today?Hannelie Stokenstrom 02:14Hi, Riccardo. I'm great. Thank you. And thank you so much for having me.Riccardo Cosentino 02:18It's my pleasure. My pleasure. We talked about ED&I, we talked about diversity. And so I felt you be agreat guest on this podcast, because I think you're a bit passionate about the topic.Hannelie Stokenstrom 02:29I think that I am overly passionate sometimes about the topic, Ricardo, and when you get me talkingabout it, I can't stop talking about it as you know.Riccardo Cosentino 02:38That's great. That's great. So why don't we why don't we just jump into the conversation? This is gonnabe a conversation. And you know, let's maybe just introduce yourself a little bit, we heard your bio, butyou know, what, what's your current role in infrastructure.Hannelie Stokenstrom 02:54I'm on the services side, I'm a lawyer, as you know, from my bio, and being with SNC Lavalin, and forthe last 15 years, and always as a lawyer, and currently lead the major projects legal team globally, andthe Canadian regional legal team. And what we do is, we involved on the project side, we are involvedfrom the RFQ stage, through the RFP, through the negotiation of the contracts, the putting into beingthe sub contracts, the joint venture agreement, and then once we get awarded the project, we are thelegal resource and support during the execution of the project. And then, of course, if there are issuesdisputes during the course of the project, or subsequently, as the project lawyers, we remain involved intrying to resolve these disputes. But we are not the litigators, we actually have different lawyers whodeal with the actual dispute resolution. So we project lawyers in the true sense of the word.Riccardo Cosentino 04:10Okay, so you're covering, as you said, the service service component or the infrastructure industry,which is the legal services to these two projects and major projects? Did you as a lawyer, were youalways an infrastructure lawyer, or do you start in a different practice?Hannelie Stokenstrom 04:28Now I joined the law firm, both in South Africa where I qualified. And when I emigrated to Canada, Iagain went to a law firm, where I've always been involved in construction law, and at least the last 20years I've been involved in construction law, but a very wide variety on the construction law side. Andthe early part of my career. I was actually working in litigation, but I quickly learned that I am Muchmore passionate about the front end work and making the deals happen and getting the projects builtrather than dealing with disputes.Riccardo Cosentino 05:11And so when you join the law firm, or you're always envisioning that stream, or you just joinedprograms, and you ended up following a construction stream, or were you deliberately looking forConstruction Law,Hannelie Stokenstrom 05:26I've always been passionate about construction and infrastructure. I love breaches, I think they aresome of the most beautiful things in the world. And coming from South Africa, and having grown up inAfrica, and seen third world countries, and the effect that either good infrastructure or bad infrastructurehave on societies, infrastructure has always been a passion to me. But as I mentioned to you, I lovebridges. And I originally thought that I was going to be an engineer. But I realized that it's not going tobe my my future. So I actually did study a year of engineering at university. And then after that, Itransferred to a commerce degree and after my Commerce degree transferred to low, so I have a littlebit of that passion for engineering in me, but ultimately decided it will be on the service side as opposedto be on the engineering side.Riccardo Cosentino 06:29That's fascinating. I've known you for 13 years, and I'm just learning about this passion of yours alreadycomes through, but it's good to actually pinpoint that now. It comes from the day to day. So obviously,you knew you wanted to do so you knew you would end up in this something similar to this industry inthis industry? And and so once you join this industry is anything What was the thing that surprised youthe most about the industry?Hannelie Stokenstrom 06:57I think some of the work from from a gender perspective, I knew that it was a male dominated industry.And it wasn't a surprise how many senior executives are still males in this industry. But the one thingthat that I think probably the most surprised me, is when you look at universities, and how many womengraduate in the in programs aren't whether it's on the commerce side, on the engineering side, on thearchitecture side. On the finance side, how low our representation still is. And it's interesting, when youlook at the lower levels, the entry levels, it is we don't have so much of a problem at the entry level withrespect to gender equality. But we do have we see a fall off at the mid levels. And that keeps surprisingme is why do we continue to see that fall off. And the same thing with respect to other minorities andpeople with disabilities, we still see mostly people who are looking the same in our infrastructureindustry. And that is something that it surprised me in the beginning. And it continues to surprise methat we are this such a big gap of so many talented people that we can bring into the industry, and thatsomehow we are still not managing to do that.Riccardo Cosentino 08:37It's interesting about the university the the comment is, you're right nowadays, because I've seen thestats nowadays, we can actually at the entry level, we can almost have a 50/50 representation, which isphenomenal, because I actually don't believe that the universities, breakdown of male versus female isactually 50/50. So that's still a big issue. I remember even 20 years ago I was involved in a program aregoing to talk to high school and the kids children's school because I think that's where that's where thegender bias starts. And so as the Institution of Civil Engineers in the UK was having a big push to tryand attract or diversify, you know, to explain to young kids that engineering is for everybody is not justfor boys is for boys and girls. Well, I'm glad to see that we finally started to overcome that bias thatideally agesHannelie Stokenstrom 09:35100% and I'm reading a lot about the programs and that we are doing at schools and at universities,about why to pursue a career in STEM and how STEM careers are not just for the a certain a certaintype of person So now, you don't have to look in this specific way in order to pursue a career in STEM.But I also think it's on the services side, it's really important for people to understand that there's lots ofother positions within infrastructure that that you can do, you don't have to be an engineer. There's thepositions in construction, in sub contracting, in the trades, in finance, in law in HR. And we need all ofthese in order for a program to come together, right? On a project management. Even today, in projectmanagement and project directors, we still see people more or less looking the same way, as opposedto, you know, sort of having a true diversity in there. And I'm obviously passionate about genderdiversity. But for me, diversity goes much further than that. And we need to expand our minds and thinkabout diversity everywhere. Because when when kids look at who's who they see on television, or instories, about infrastructure, and about construction or engineering, they see somebody that looks in acertain way. So if they don't relate to that person, that's not the career choice that they're going tomake.Riccardo Cosentino 11:22Yeah, absolutely. That's so important to have representation so that people can identify with leadership,you said something very interesting earlier about how, you know, now we have almost equalrepresentation at the entry level, but then, as the years go by, you know, there's more attrition on formore, you know, for females than there is for for male and so, I, I'd like to explore that a little bit in yourmind. I mean, is it the, the environment that is basically pushing out mid level manager or female midlevel managers? Or is it more your mind or more societal situation that is forcing that and isexacerbated in our industry, because the percentages are different than our representations arealready skewed towards towards men keeping those positionsHannelie Stokenstrom 12:19in our record, so I actually hope that somebody has given you and the people that you've done yourprogram with will do a study around this, because it's something that that I think about a lot is, whetherit is the environment. And whether women and other minorities feel that it's not a comfortableenvironment within which to work, whether it is that, for whatever reason, women are not giving thesame opportunities, whether it is because they people think that that women don't want to do the samethings, you know, the travel for work, or go and work in remote places, or different places in order to dothese big programs in order to get a variety or varied experience, or whether it is because we don'tpromote them within these programs and projects. And therefore they feel there's not opportunities, andthey therefore go elsewhere. I'd love to know what the real reasons are. I mean, people speculate a lotabout it. And a lot of the speculation really, actually irritates me, because what you most often hear isthat's the time when women decide to leave the industry in order to have a family, and then they don'tcome back. I think that is a very outdated way of thinking, because there's no reason for women not tohave a career and a family. And we need to accommodate just as we need to accommodate a lot ofother things. We need to accommodate that. And there's absolutely no reason why we can't do that. SoI think that's outdated thinking, repeating myself, but I think it would be great to do a study and to betterunderstand why. At that mid level, the you see that fall off?Riccardo Cosentino 14:19Yeah, the biases are certainly there because I, I have caught myself. I mean, I'm at the end of the day,I'm a middle aged white man can't help it. And I have caught myself I would find myself having thebiases, we all have them. And I think the point is, when he was pointed out to me, I immediatelyrealized that that mistake, but yeah, I had the bias, like oh, you know, is that person that woman reallyjust just had a second kid or is she really going to travel? And it was actually my wife that said, wouldyou ask that question about a man with two children? And isn't that a woman husband at home? Whywhy why is he the one that has to give up? So immediately I was like was pointed out to me and Irealize very bias very biased. So you know, the biases are there. And yeah, I think there is somethingthat I think you're right. I mean, there are pushing women artists. And because it's a male dominatedindustry, these biases are prevalent. Yeah, IHannelie Stokenstrom 15:15think what you just said is very important. But it's also, we all have biases, right. And I, what is reallygreat is once we come to terms with those biases, and we understand what our unconscious biasesare, and we then aware of it that we can deal with it. That's why these unconscious bias testings andexercises that you can do is so important, so you can better understand I have biases, we all havebiases. So but now I know what they are, and I can actually address them. But one of the other things Iwas reading or listening to a podcast a while ago, from a woman who's a civil engineer, and thepodcast was about getting more women into civil engineering, and why it really is an exciting career forfor anybody. And people think that a it could be boring, or people think it's absolutely just for men. Andshe was talking about the fact that women are not given the opportunities to grow within civilengineering, and within big projects that may be in remote areas, or you have to travel for them. Andthe misconception that women are not interested in traveling, and that or it may not be safe for them. Orthey may be a distraction on a project that I've heard that, you know, they may that's a male dominatedenvironment. So this woman is going to be a distraction. So these are all uphill battles that we have tofight, but it goes back to the unconscious bias. And if there is an issue, and if it's not a safeenvironment, or if there's going to be other issues on the project, that's the cause that we have that wehave to deal with that at the root of the problem, as opposed to not giving woman the opportunity to goand do it. Right. That's not the solution.Riccardo Cosentino 17:13No, absolutely. Absolutely. Let me let me just switch gears a little bit. And I think I know I know you'vebeen involved with with women networks. So how important is in your mind mentorship for professionalsuccess. And you personally haven't been able to find a female female mentor within the industry.Hannelie Stokenstrom 17:34I think mentorship is fundamentally important. In some instances, sponsorship is fundamentallyimportant. I've been very fortunate in that I've had amazing mentors in my career, and amazingsponsors in my career. Unfortunately, none of my mentors were female, in when I grew up, both inSouth Africa and when I immigrated here, there weren't a lot of women that were in the infrastructureindustry. And the people that most supported me were middle aged white men. And I have to give themcredit, they were very supportive of me, very supportive of my career. And I was also very lucky to haveparents who were very supportive and who told me, and that I could do and be anything andeverywhere that I want to be. So I did have that advantage that I grew up with probably too healthy, asense of confidence that I can do anything. And then I found the right people to support me. Women'snetworks are fantastic, because we get the support there from each other. And there's a there's not justwomen in these some of these women's networks. We have allies that join us. And those allies areequally important to the women that are in those women's networks and the support that we get fromthe industry in the sponsorships to do the things that we do. But within these women's networks, wehave mentorship programs. And for me personally, it's not just something that I do, because I have apassion for it. But I think it is a duty that I have as women to act as mentors for young women. And Ihonestly I don't think they are the only ones that get a benefit from it. I get an equal benefit andsatisfaction from doing it. And the reverse mentoring is incredible. Because learning from youngerwomen and the next generation and the next generations after me is is so important because societyhas changed so much we need to understand how the Next Generations think we know that they havedifferent thoughts about institutions and society and trust. So learning from them and how they think.Riccardo Cosentino 20:12So obviously, you're passionate about infrastructure, you're passionate about construction, it is ajourney that you started voluntarily. So obviously, you would encourage, I'm assuming other women topursue a career. And I think you you cover that. But, you know, as you're thinking about futuregeneration entering the industry, what are your hopes? What are your hopes for the industry as awhole? From a diversity standpoint? And even if you want to explore in general, what will work? Whatdo you hope for the industry,Hannelie Stokenstrom 20:44it's such an exciting industry, right. And it affects everything of what we do every day, how we move,how we live, from a social perspective, from every perspective of what we do, and when you look at athow infrastructure changes cities and communities, I hope that with a with a huge deficit ofinfrastructure that we have in the first world and in the third world, that we will truly have a diversegroup of participants in the infrastructure industry, and that the money that we are contributing toinfrastructure or over the world will, as part of that infrastructure funding, have infrastructure diversity,as as a goal. And that once again, that we don't just focus on on gender equality, but that we focus onequality as a whole. And that we, we, when we look at, again, the first world, I think we have a betterchance of doing that. But that we also think of our roles in developing infrastructure in in the third world.And obviously, I'm passionate about Africa, because that is where I'm from. And you look at the deficitof infrastructure there. And not not just roads and transport, but energy, etc. is invest money ineducation, and education, again, diverse education, and that we can create a better future for allobviously, we have to think about sustainability, we have to think about climate change, and we focusso much of our our efforts in the first world, but I'm concerned that we'll never gonna get there, if wedon't start putting some emphasis and focus in the third world, because that's where so much of thecarbon comes from, and that's so so heavily reliant on coal, and other non clean energy sources. So Idream of a future that has a that has diverse participants. Creating a better future for the worldRiccardo Cosentino 23:23is a very noble ambition. And yeah, we shouldn't leave anybody's behind. We shouldn't leave anybody'sbehind. Holly, I wholeheartedly agree with that. Okay, I think we are coming to an end, I have one finalquestion, one that I pose to all my guests on these mini series. The question is, what would you say towomen who are considering a career in infrastructure,Hannelie Stokenstrom 23:47I would say to them, absolutely. Go for it, run after it. It's an incredibly exciting career. Be confident thatyou can reach your dreams in it, find mentors, and qualify yourself as well as you can. But find yourselfmentors, join networks where you can meet other women and go after it with every fiber of your being.Because it's such an incredibly rewarding career.Riccardo Cosentino 24:23I can vouch for that, having had a career in this industry. And yeah, I'm I hope this message will beheard and we'll push it out to as many people as we can. Well, Hannelie, thank you very much forjoining me today has been a pleasure as I've learned something new about you today. More moreinteresting. And yeah, again, thank you very much for joining me today.Hannelie Stokenstrom 24:47I look forward to listening to all of your podcasts. Perfect.Riccardo Cosentino 24:51Thank you. That's it for this episode on navigating major problems. I hope you found today'sconversation as informative and fun provoking as I did. If you enjoyed this conversation please considersubscribing and leaving a review. I would also like to personally invite you to continue the conversationby joining me on my personal LinkedIn at Riccardo Cosentino. Listening to the next episode, we willcontinue to explore the latest trends and challenges in major program management. Our next in depthconversation promises to continue to dive into topics such as leadership, risk management, and theimpact of emerging technology in infrastructure. It's a conversation you're not going to want to miss.Thanks for listening to navigate the major programs. And I look forward to keeping the conversationgoing Music: "A New Tomorrow" by Chordial Music. Licensed through PremiumBeat.DISCLAIMER: The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed by the hosts and guests on this podcast do not necessarily represent or reflect the official policy, opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of Disenyo.co LLC and its employees.

Gary could win every Carly Rae Jepsen question in Jeopardy, Booray finds out he is not a fan of hobo-tainment. The fellas take on Mondays, relinquish "stupid things you should have known" stories, discuss RFQ's and why they are the recipe for movie success, all while crushing their enemies and making the family proud. In Photography News, RIP photography gear lost to the SpaceX launch, Leica ZM1 & ZM2 watch, EU law for AI imagers, a camera that prints a receipt instead of the photo, and ethical edits. Check out Gary's YouTube channel HERE.Check out Booray's YouTube channel HERE.Join our Facebook Group, the Bombardiers Lounge

In this episode Mike explains what an RFP or RFQ is and why they are often used as well as the good, the bad, and the ugly about RFPs. What is an RFP?Inviting to tenderWhere to find an RFPRFIRFQThe reasons why Mike does not like RFPsis it common for the vendor to be pre-selected in the RFP process?Pros of using an RFPCons of using an RFPExpectations of RFPsAlternatives to RFPs Show Links RFP.ca How much does a website cost? Website 101 Podcast YouTube Channel More Website 101 Podcast Email the Podcast! Twitter Sean on LinkedIn Mike on LinkedIn Amanda on LinkedIn

In Zero RFQs, the need to request a quote is completely removed thanks to seamless integration between procurement and suppliers.

2022's Biggest Ag Stories Controlling Bush Honeysuckle and Preparing for Winter Weather Measuring Energy Content More Accurately   00:01:03  — 2022's Biggest Ag Stories:  A very special guest kicks off this Tuesday's program… that's right, long time voice of Agriculture Today, Eric Atkinson joins us for a year in review of 2022's biggest agricultural stories.   00:12:05 — Controlling Bush Honeysuckle and Preparing for Winter Weather: K-State horticulturist Ward Upham discusses control methods to combat the spread of bush honeysuckle – an invasive shrub that can be a problem for homeowners and native habitats, especially in the eastern third of the state.   Also, Kansas State University meteorologist Chip Redmond passes along some winter weather safety tips – including protecting yourself from the cold, having a safety kit in your vehicle and understanding the stress that shoveling wet, heavy snow can put on your body.      00:23:05 —Measuring Energy Content More Accurately: We end with the year's final edition of Milk Lines with K-State dairy specialist, Mike Brouk. He discusses the difference between the two measurements for energy content in grassy hays, alfalfa and other legumes – RFV and RFQ. He says RFV, Relative Feed Value, which has been used for decades, assumes all fiber digestibility is the same – which just isn't the case. RFQ, Relative Forage Quality, is a newer, more accurate fiber digestibility lab technique that uses actual digestion values.     Send comments, questions, or requests for copies of past programs to ksrenews@ksu.edu. Agriculture Today is a daily program featuring Kansas State University agricultural specialists and other experts examining ag issues facing Kansas and the nation. It is hosted by Samantha Bennett and distributed to radio stations throughout Kansas and as a daily podcast.   K‑State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well‑being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K‑State campus in Manhattan.

El mercado digital chino es uno de los más potentes a nivel internacional, caracterizado por sus masivas importaciones en productos de cualquier sector. Actualmente, existen varias plataformas donde los usuarios pueden encontrar multitud de proveedores y fábricas a las que realizar sus compras, y una de ellas es Alibaba, cuyo objetivo principal consiste en ofrecer un portal diseñado para encontrar proveedores, facilitando la internacionalización y el comercio de productos. Para saber un poco más acerca de este sitio de compra y venta, en este episodio contamos con Antony Rodriguez, quien tiene una comunidad de más de 10k personas alrededor del e-Commerce y asesora a los emprendedores para manejar correctamente la plataforma de Alibaba. Además es fundador de PineThree Agency, una agencia que impulsa a las empresas en el sector culinario para posicionarlas en el mercado. “Alibaba es una plataforma que se creó en su momento para apuntar a proveedores que venden al mayor en China. En China había un mercado y lo que se hizo al fundar esta plataforma fue juntarlos a todos ellos para que sea mucho más fácil contactarlos. Se enfoca en venderles a negocios en todas partes del mundo”, cuenta Antony, y agrega: “Es como Amazon, buscas cualquier producto que quieras vender en tu país, te van a salir las diferentes opciones, pero no está el botón de comprar, sino el botón de contactar al proveedor, porque hay detalles que sí o sí tienes que hablar con él”. Comprar a proveedores en Alibaba es seguro gracias a su propia pasarela de pagos que se llama Trade Assurance: “Te dan la seguridad de que si pagas por allí ellos van a estar atentos a tu transacción y a tu orden. Aunque pagues un fee extra, puedes estar seguro de que si compras algo siempre puedes reclamar”, afirma Antony. Sin embargo, debemos prestar atención a ciertos factores antes de invertir en esta plataforma. Sobre todo si vamos a adquirir grandes cantidades de productos. Un detalle a tener en cuenta es que en Alibaba muchos proveedores ofrecen productos de gama alta a precios muy bajos, afirmando que son modelos originales. En estos casos, conviene tener precaución y verificar la integridad del vendedor, ya que es posible que se trate de una réplica barata. “Si compras a un vendedor que no es el oficial y hace una copia es ilegal, te lo retienen en la aduana porque revisaron tu producto y vieron que no tienes los permisos para importarlo y perdiste tu dinero”, advierte nuestro invitado. “Alibaba es una excelente plataforma, pero también tienes que saber qué comprar”, asegura Antony, porque “a veces las marcas no son de la mejor calidad porque son chinas”. Además debemos considerar el volumen y el peso del producto, porque el costo de envío se incrementa de una manera increíble cuando estos dos ítems son mayores. “Lo que siempre recomiendo es que sean productos que no pesen mucho. Hablar con el proveedor y reducir la capacidad y el volumen para traer la mayor cantidad posible y que te cobren menos el envío”, enseña Antony. Asimismo, tenemos que tener en cuenta que el producto a veces puede salir barato, pero su envío se encarece a tal manera que no nos conviene comprarlo. Un tip que nos da Antony es contactar a muchos proveedores y verificar si son revendedores o productores. “Si veo que el proveedor vende de todo me doy cuenta que es una persona que sencillamente compra y revende. Si vende un solo tipo de producto y a gran cantidad, puedo analizar que es una fábrica”, describe nuestro invitado. Luego debemos “analizar cómo hablan contigo, si te dan la información que requieres, si son atentos, etc., porque cuando tienes un problema son cosas que debes tener en cuenta”, remarca nuestro especialista. “Después analizo los reviews y que tan rápido te dan la atención”, añade. La ventaja que nos ofrece Alibaba para encontrar proveedores es la opción que se llama RFQ, que lo que hace es que “el presupuesto o mensaje que le envíes a un proveedor ellos lo exponen a los otros proveedores que venden el mismo producto y así tengas un abanico de opciones para elegir”, resalta Antony. Como últimos consejos, nuestro invitado sostiene que conviene “hacer las búsquedas en inglés, ya que Alibaba es una plataforma que vende a todas partes del mundo y la mayoría intenta posicionarse en inglés”. “Lo otro es que filtres por Trade Assurance para que contactes a proveedores que tengan esta pasarela de pago habilitada”, finaliza. Página web: pinethree.com Instagram: @tonyrodriz

Varun Kumar is the Co-Founder and CEO of Hashflow, a decentralized exchange designed for users to trade seamlessly across chains while offering zero slippage, improved pricing, and MEV-protection. Varun Kumar is the brains behind Hashflow, having previously served as an aerospace engineer.Founded in 2019, Hashflow aims to connect institutional market makers to traders using a request-for-quote (RFQ) model as opposed to automated market makers (AMM). In turn, traders and liquidity providers gain enhanced efficiency, security, valuation and products previously impossible in DeFi.In this conversation, we discuss:- AI censorship- Current state of crypto- Bad actors leaving the industry- Making DEXs look like CEXs- User Experience is paramount to success- NO KYC = huge value prop for DEXs- HashFlow - a decentralized exchange with less slippage- Sandwich attacks- Story telling; less is more- Building beautiful websites- ETH - what's next? was the merge successful?HashflowWebsite: hashflow.comTwitter: @hashflowDiscord: discord.gg/hashflowVarun KumarTwitter: @GandalfTheBr0wnLinkedIn: Varun Kumar  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This episode is brought to you by PrimeXBT.  PrimeXBT offers a robust trading system for both beginners and professional traders that demand highly reliable market data and performance. Traders of all experience levels can easily design and customize layouts and widgets to best fit their trading style. PrimeXBT is always offering innovative products and professional trading conditions to all customers.  PrimeXBT is running an exclusive promotion for listeners of the podcast. After making your first deposit, 50% of that first deposit will be credited to your account as a bonus that can be used as additional collateral to open positions.  Code: CRYPTONEWS50  This promotion is available for a month after activation. Click the link below:  PrimeXBT x CRYPTONEWS50

Ready to learn the art of making the perfect pitch and winning the sale? Kyle Milan, industrial sales expert with over 20+ years of experience, is here to tell you the tactics and strategy of pitching!When looking at the purpose of your pitch, you have to look beyond just the close and to the next step. It's common knowledge that you are trying to sell something, but you must keep that in mind. Your potential client has expressed interest in buying your service and product and needs final assurance that this is the right step for them. Your goal is to take them to that next step of confidence. Always think about your ideal goal, and focus your pitch on hitting that goal. The initial pitch is an information-gathering session to make your client your partner; your job is to move them to the next stage of the pipeline from where they are now.Your material is auxiliary to your pitch. This includes your website, brochure, print material, pitch deck, and anything that works in your favor. Make sure your material looks presentable, is prepared, and isn't too overwhelming. More often than not, sales reps will “show up and throw up” all their material at a pitch - in other words, inundate the potential client with slides, after page, after statistics of their product or service, and never let the client get a word in! This takes away from the true purpose of the pitch, which is having a conversation and building a relationship between you and the client - getting their attention and focus on you.Deliver a solution, not sell a product. We reiterate that a pitch is a fact-finding session about your client's needs, wants, and goals. It should be a conversation where you ask questions and listen and understand what your client is saying - they should be talking 50% of the time. Then, pay attention to the answers so you can pitch the solutions tailored to their specific needs.If you want to dive deeper into pitching and how to win a client, among other skills that will boost your performance in technical sales, consider enrolling at Technical Sales University https://technicalsalesu.com/The same rules still apply, whether by phone, in-person, or video call. The pitch aims to get your potential customers to the next step. If you're on a phone call, the ideal would be to bring them to a sales pitch either in person or, at the very least, on video so they can see your face and you can show them some material. The pitch is still following the same process, handling objections and moving the client forward.Always be thinking and moving toward the next steps in the process, and carry your client along as well. Before closing the current stage, ask the client about the next relevant stage and set the following steps and meeting date. You can't close someone without pricing or a quote, and hopefully, you have listened well enough to your client to know what product/service they'll need for the price. You don't know if they'll need to bring in another decision-maker for an RFQ, so it's always important not to surprise them suddenly with it. One of your questions in the fact-finding process should be what their decision-making process looks like as a company. __________Subscribe For More Video Content :https://www.youtube.com/kylemilan__________Say Hi on Social:LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylemilan/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kylejmilanFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/KyleJMilan/__________Connect For Business:MFG Tribe: https://mfgtribe.comMFG Tribe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mfgtribe/Technical Sales University: https://training.technicalsalesu.com/enroll

In this episode, Uddhav Marwaha, co-founder and CEO of Friktion Labs, joins us to discuss Friktion's approach to a full stack portfolio management platform in defi. We cover a plethora of topics, including: The opacity surrounding defi yields and distinguishing fleeting opportunities from sustainable sources of income Using options overwriting and basis strategies to generate more durable returns and provide portfolio protection across market conditions In-housing core tooling such as Friktion's RFQ system (Channel RFQ) and an exotic options DEX (Entropy) to unlock time and cost efficiencies   Friktion's emphasis on demystifying complex products and deconstructing sources of risk and yield in crypto differentiate it from the pack. To complement the data and analytics within the application, the team frequently publishes research breaking down complex topics.  

This episode comes from the trenches of freight brokerage. Every day, freight brokers send and receive hundreds of emails each week from customers and carriers.  In this episode we have a story of a freight broker, "T" was attempting to help a shipper sending their daily RFQ's to their list of brokers that their rates weren't keeping up with the current market.  So we called him! You'll him retell his experience and explain his perspective as Aaron and Michael share theirs as we all navigate the competitive freight broker market and work to find quality loads for quality carriers. 

Last week we discussed what it takes to be a good estimator. This week we discuss the mechanics of estimating.  We cover ITB, RFQ, RFP, RFI. We also cover the types of bids, direct costs, indirect costs, averaging cable runs and more!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/letstalkcabling)