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4 episodes with RFQ
4 episodes with RFQ
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3 episodes with RFQ
2 episodes with RFQ
2 episodes with RFQ
2 episodes with RFQ
2 episodes with RFQ
2 episodes with RFQ
Today we're joined by Katia Banina, CEO of Bebop, to unpack one of the most misunderstood emerging trading primitives in DeFi: PropAMMs.We discuss: What Bebop does and its evolution Why PropAMMs aren't actually AMMs RFQs vs streaming quotes The concept of Request for Stream (RFS) How PropAMMs work on Ethereum Market maker incentives and quote signing Toxic flow and execution quality Block builders and sidecar quote streams Ethereum vs Solana PropAMM designs Oracle updates and onchain execution RFQ vs PropAMM tradeoffs Adoption across aggregators The future of onchain market structure And much more—enjoy! — Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (01:35) What is Bebop? (02:25) Bebop's evolution (07:41) Why PropAMMs aren't AMMs (10:20) RFQs vs streaming quotes (12:35) Request for Stream explained (26:39) Ethereum vs Solana designs (32:05) Signed quotes and incentives (39:11) Block builders and sidecars (47:06) RFQ vs PropAMM execution (55:03) Oracle-traded markets (56:24) Adoption and market share (1:02:15) Future of onchain trading (1:03:16) Outro —Content links:https://pamm.wtf/ https://docs.titanbuilder.xyz/propammshttps://x.com/bebop_dex/status/2049867261662347594?s=20—Follow the guest:https://x.com/katiabaninaFollow the co-hosts:https://x.com/hildobby https://x.com/0xBoxer https://x.com/sui414Follow the Indexed Podcast:https://x.com/indexed_pod — The Indexed Podcast discusses hot topics, trendy metrics and chart crimes in the crypto industry, with a new episode every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month, brought to you by wizards @hildobby @0xBoxer @sui414.Subscribe/follow the show and leave a comment to help us grow the show! —DISCLAIMER: All information presented here should not be relied upon as legal, financial, investment, tax or even life advice. The views expressed in the podcast are not representative of hosts' employers views. We are acting independently of our respective professional roles.
Almost every shop owner I talk to wants to grow. Far fewer build something that can survive a real downturn. That's the thread running through my whole conversation with Chris Welch of Swissomation, and it's why I wanted him on after we met at Machining on the Summit. Chris runs a high-mix Swiss machining operation, two locations and around 120 spindles, and just about everything he does comes back to one idea: build a business durable enough to ride out whatever the market does next. We get into the moves that kept him standing when other shops folded. The 2001 telecom crash nearly took him out, and he came out of it refusing to let any single customer pass 20% of sales. He advertises hardest when he's slammed, which is why he was up 35% in 2009 while friends were calling him looking for work. He buys used machines with cash, adds his own live tooling and indexing, and stays out of debt so he never has to lay anyone off. In 29 years, he hasn't. Chris is a systems guy too. We talk through his sales-based bonus program and why he steers clear of profit-sharing, the twice-daily blueprint checks that make quality everyone's job, the quarantine-and-lot-ticket process running on an ERP he wrote himself, and how a fleet that size lets him slip short-run tech jobs in between the longer ones. He doesn't dodge the hard parts either: the Google AdWords money pit, the rough jump from owner to CEO, the training program he admits he's behind on. If one line sums up the episode, it's how Chris describes the shops that don't make it: everybody wants to milk the cow, nobody wants to feed it. Watch your debt, save your money, invest in your people, find your niche. Coming from someone who's lived all four, it's worth the hour. What's Covered in this Episode (0:00) Meet Chris Welch and Swissomation, two shops with around 120 spindles (3:08) From a 1997 start to launching Swissomation Virginia with his parents (7:49) The product side: firearms, dive gear, Peak Fishing, and AIQ Manufacturing (10:07) SMW Autoblock and the seven habits of workholding (RASRAM) (10:54) Diversifying away from telecom and surviving the 2001 crash with no layoffs (12:09) The 20% rule after losing a customer worth half his sales (13:36) Why he advertises hardest when busy, and was up 35% in 2009 (19:53) Staying debt-free: used machines bought with cash and live tooling added in-house (23:31) Riches in the niches and why handling tiny parts is the real challenge (26:04) The most effective types of trade shows for Swissomation (27:20) The Google AdWords trap and why carpet-bomb RFQ buyers stay disloyal (30:24) The $16,000 UPS theft and choosing the long game (32:38) Increase your spindle uptime with the Hennig WorkFlow Automation System (33:31) On the floor: short-run systems, twice-daily blueprint checks, in-house ERP (39:54) Cutting setup time with tooling strategy and job grouping (43:37) Get a free report of sales opportunities in your area from FacturMFG.com/chips (44:44) The bonus program: sales-based, not profit-sharing, with rejections counted twice (50:02) Boosting throughput through hiring, training, and tools he built himself (52:19) The best decision: staying debt-free and feeding the cow (54:48) The owner-to-CEO transition and knowing when to add leadership (59:04) Best advice for newer shops: watch debt, save, invest in people, find a niche (1:02:30) Where to connect with Chris and Swissomation Resources Mentioned SMW Autoblock and the seven habits of workholding (RASRAM) Increase your spindle uptime with the Hennig WorkFlow Automation System Get a free report of sales opportunities in your area from FacturMFG.com/chips Connect with Chris Welch Connect with Chris on LinkedIn Swissomation Instagram
Vladimir Novakovski sits down with Andy & Robbie to break down the Lighter bull thesis from The Tokenization Tower in NYC. We discuss Lighter's escape hatch design that lets every participant exit through Ethereum even if the protocol fails, why the RFQ model is the key to bootstrapping liquidity for pre-IPO and RWA perps, and why getting Citadel and US institutional capital on chain is the biggest unlock the perp market hasn't hit yet. He's working with the CFTC to make that happen.Vladimir Novakovski is CEO of Lighter, a decentralized perp exchange built on top of Ethereum with an institutional-grade security-first architecture.The Rollup is where the leaders of digital assets and finance converge. Live from the financial capital of the world.Timestamps00:00 Intro01:37 Perp Market Awareness Today03:26 Pitching Institutions On Lighter05:28 Ethereum Security And Escape Hatch07:54 How Market Makers Stay Comfortable11:17 How Lighter Bootstraps Liquidity12:35 Pre-IPO Perp Durability15:37 Build In-House Or Composable19:29 US Regulatory Path For Perps23:29 CFTC Innovation Council Insights26:39 Questions For Commissioner Hester Peirce28:07 Team Culture And Miami Office32:26 Founder Decision Making Framework34:46 AI Agents And Lighter's Stack37:30 Perps Market Structure Long View41:21 Power Law Or Distributed Market?Guest Socials:Vladimir Novakovski X: https://x.com/vnovakovskiLighter X: https://x.com/Lighter_xyzLighter Website: https://lighter.xyz/Partners:Better than Banks. Transparent capital efficiency earning the highest yields in DeFi. Learn more here: https://infinifi.xyz/---Dinari - Over 230 1:1 backed tokenized stocks, ETFs & more with dividends. US-based SEC transfer agent. Available on 5+ chains & via API. https://dinari.com/---Relay is the fastest and most reliable way to swap any token on any chain. Learn more here: https://relay.link/bridge---Zama is an open source cryptography company that builds state-of-the-art Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) solutions for blockchain.Learn more here: https://www.zama.org/---Trezor is the creator of the first-ever hardware wallet. Securing crypto for 2M+ users worldwide. 100% open source. Learn more here: https://affil.trezor.io/aff_c?offer_id=133&aff_id=36664---
Government contracting business development is about more than watching SAM.gov every day it's about positioning your company so the right opportunities find you first. In this episode, govcon BD strategist Randie Ward walks through how she helped a small business client become the prime contractor on a $5 million university construction project without ever scrambling for an RFQ. What you'll learn in this episode: Why the tactical vs. strategic split in govcon BD determines whether you're always reacting or always ready — and how to do both without burning out How to identify and track government opportunities weeks or months before they hit any bid platform using relationship-based market intelligence The exact steps Randie used to build a winning team from scratch — securing a $685M large prime as a subcontractor and an architect engineering firm as the design partner while her client held the prime seat Why showing up at industry events and maintaining persistent follow-up with project managers gave her team an insider edge during the two-phase procurement process How coaching your teaming partners through a 30-minute interview presentation — including scripting key language evaluators want to hear — can be the difference between shortlisted and selected EPISODE CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Introduction and Mindy AI govcon research tool overview 0:30 - Eric Coffie introduces the Federal Help Center podcast 1:00 - Tactical vs. strategic business development in federal contracting 2:05 - Client background: local contracts, healthcare and diversifying into federal 3:34 - How finding opportunities before the bid platform begins 4:01 - Building the key relationship with the large prime program manager 5:38 - Tracking the University of North Texas construction project 6:20 - Connecting with the project manager and asking the right questions 7:50 - Assembling the teaming partners: pitching two large primes 8:58 - Bringing in Spa Glass and architect firm PGA to form the team 10:47 - RFQ drops and building the proposal submission package 11:37 - Phase one shortlisting and preparing for phase two interview 12:21 - Scripting and coaching the team for the 30-minute presentation 13:36 - Winning as the small business prime with large prime support Mindy gives you the federal opportunities, agency signals, recompete intel, and pursuit briefs that tell you not just what contracts exist, but which ones to chase and how to win them. Sign up for free Daily Alerts and get opportunities delivered to your inbox before the day starts.
Mary Casillo & Patrick Noone of Pallet Alliance talk about people, process, partnership & performance, & how their unique approach drives results for customers. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [03.22] An introduction to Patrick and Mary, their backgrounds, and roles at Pallet Alliance. [04.42] An overview of Pallet Alliance, and the importance of using fit for purpose pallets. [07.20] What this year's MODEX theme, 'From Every Angle,' means to Pallet Alliance and supply chain optimization. "If you look at something from every angle, you're able to optimize it to the best it can be… And you're able to fix it from every angle." "It's the opportunity to tear something apart and say: 'How do we put this back together for you?'" [09.18] Why designing custom pallet programs is like playing Tetris, or being a detective. "Every customer is different, you have to figure out what fits where… And you're factfinding along the way." [10.37] A closer look at the journey to developing a new pallet program, from sourcing and testing through to suppliers and transportation, exactly why that process is so challenging, and Pallet Alliance's approach to problem-solving. "The amount of work is monumental. We're so successful because we do all of it for them with our pallet management program… We want to make people in procurement look good." [14.38] What makes Pallet Alliance's process different from traditional sourcing approaches. [17.00] In a landscape increasingly defined by AI, why Pallet Alliance strive to find the balance between people and technology, and why AI is only as good as the data you feed it. "Part of the challenge we have now is that people understand that the data is wrong, but they don't want to invest the time to allow us to fix it for them. Or, it's that automatic RFQ, without thinking about bad data in, bad analysis out." [24.19] The kind of impact Pallet Alliance customers typically see, and how they can continue to uncover substantial savings across locations even with long-term customers. "We can save millions year over year through cost savings, more efficiency, and education in general." "We're all pallet heads!!" [26.04] What results can look like for Pallet Alliance customers, and how to measure them. "We don't have a crystal ball, but we can see where things are going. And if we can see that, we can be proactive instead of reactive, and that's something our customers really appreciate." [28.19] A selection of case studies exploring how Pallet Alliance have helped customers avoid fines, improve customer experience, meet high demand, and utilize improved materials to boost resilience and drive huge cost savings. [33.46] Where teams should start when approaching a new pallet program, and the small steps they can take towards making meaningful change. [36.00] What Mary and Patrick want listeners to take away from today's discussion. "Pallets and crates are way more complicated than you think!!" RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED: Head over to Pallet Alliance's website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Pallet Alliance and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook or X (Twitter) or you can connect with Mary or Patrick on LinkedIn. If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more from Pallet Alliance, check out epsidoes: 501: Uncover Hidden Inefficiencies and Opportunities, with Pallet Alliance 482: Transform the Way Your Business Moves, with Pallet Alliance 146: A Holistic Approach to Pallets Check out our other podcasts HERE.
Most of us are playing with AI; a few are putting it to work. The gap between the two is the difference between curiosity and a competitive edge.Jan Griffiths and Tom Roberts sit down with Cheryl Thompson, founder of the Cheryl Thompson AI Adoption Advisory Practice and one of the most practical voices in AI adoption today. With over 1,400 hours of hands-on learning, Cheryl has gone deep on what works, what doesn't, and where most people get stuck.This conversation is for the supply chain and IT professional who has dabbled in ChatGPT, gotten frustrated, and walked away. Cheryl breaks down the real difference between an AI assistant, a specialist, and an AI employee in plain English. She shares the prompt structure she uses every day, the mindset shift that separates the curious from the capable, and three things every supply chain professional should do this week to move from playing around to producing results.Themes Discussed in This EpisodeWhy AI isn't going to take your job, but someone who knows AI willThe RCRQ prompt structure: Role, Context, Request, QuestionsAI assistant vs. specialist vs. AI employee, explained The Custom GPT, Claude project, and Gemini Gem comparison in plain EnglishWhy AI will lie to you confidently if you don't push backThe Parkinson's law trap: what to do with the time AI gives backPractical use cases for procurement: RFQ documentation, supplier evaluation, negotiation prepWhy human relationships still matter more than ever in supplier developmentThree things to do this week to move from playing with AI to using itThis podcast is powered by QAD RedZone.Featured GuestName: Cheryl ThompsonTitle: Founder, Cheryl Thompson AI Adoption Advisory PracticeAbout: Cheryl is on a mission to help small business owners and corporate professionals stop playing with AI and start getting real value from it. With more than 1,400 hours of dedicated AI learning and three rounds through an intensive 12-week training program, she has built a practice focused on practical adoption, not hype. Cheryl runs workshops and learning labs tailored by function, including supply chain and procurement, helping professionals build prompts, specialists, and AI workflows that fit how they actually work.Connect: LinkedInAbout Your HostsJan GriffithsJan is the host and producer of the Auto Supply Chain Champions Podcast and The Automotive Leaders Podcast. A former automotive manufacturing and supply chain executive, Jan is recognized as a Champion for Culture Change in the automotive industry. She brings direct, grounded conversations to leaders navigating execution, disruption, and transformation across the global automotive ecosystem.Tom Roberts (Co-host)Tom is Co-host of the Auto Supply Chain Champions Podcast and Vice President of Strategic Industry Development at QAD. He works closely with automotive and industrial manufacturers to close the gap between insight and execution, helping leaders move from visibility to systems of action that drive real operational outcomes.Mentioned in this Episode:Henry Cloud, BoundariesDavid Allen, Getting Things DoneThe Eisenhower MatrixCheryl's upcoming Learning Lab for supply chain and procurement professionalsEpisode Highlights[03:11] The 1,400-Hour Rabbit Hole: How Cheryl's curiosity about AI turned into an obsession and a full-scale commitment to helping people adopt AI with confidence.[08:20] The RCRQ Prompt Structure That Actually Works: Cheryl breaks down her practical framework for prompting AI effectively using role, context, request, and clarifying questions.[09:15] Custom GPT, Claude Project, Gemini Gem: Different platforms. Same concept. Cheryl explains how AI specialists and agents work behind the scenes.[12:57] AI Is the Loud, Confident Colleague Who Sometimes Makes Things Up: Why AI hallucinations happen, how people misuse AI like a search engine, and the importance of pushing back on outputs.[14:05] Parkinson's Law Meets AI: Tom explores the real challenge companies face once AI gives employees back hours of productive time.[17:29] Only 27% of the Workday Is Real Work: Cheryl shares Asana research showing how administrative overload prevents professionals from focusing on high-value work.[18:20] Negotiation Prep Is an Ideal AI Use Case: From supplier negotiations to procurement strategy, Cheryl explains how AI can sharpen preparation and confidence.[19:37] Why Human Skills Matter More Than Ever: Jan reflects on how AI creates space for relationship-building, supplier collaboration, and the human side of supply chain leadership.[21:50] Three Practical Ways to Start Using AI This Week: Cheryl gives supply chain and IT professionals a simple roadmap for moving beyond experimentation into real AI adoption.Top Quotes[13:34] Cheryl Thompson: “AI is not going to take your job. Someone that knows AI is going to take your job.”[14:32] Tom Roberts: “Are people ready to say, okay, I've saved all this time, great. Now, what do I do?”[19:43] Cheryl Thompson: “Yeah, and I'm so glad you said that because we have to remember the human in this AI world.”Connect With Cheryl ThompsonFind Cheryl on LinkedIn and learn more about her workshops and learning labs at her website (link in show notes).Connect With UsWe want to hear from you. What are your biggest supply chain challenges right now? What conversations do you want to hear on this podcast? Drop us a comment on the podcast website. The link is in the show notes.Follow the Auto Supply Chain Champions Podcast for real conversations with leaders who are making hard choices, focusing their bets, and leading with intent.
What happens behind the scenes before a project bid is even accepted? The delivery outcome component of major programmes is fascinating, but a lot occurs long before procurement, design, and development get underway. Taking a step back, and behind the curtain, Riccardo, Shormila, and special co-host Evgenia Jilina, Colliers' Transit Regional Sector Director, dive deep into what happens before the Request for Proposal is published. The three infrastructure professionals explore the competitive, resource-intensive work that happens upstream: strategic positioning, RFQs and RFPs, partnership decisions, and the internal calculus of whether a proposal is worth the investment of pursuing at all. They break down why “winning” a project is rarely about a single submission moment. Preparing a proposal can cost millions, pull top talent off active work for months, and take months or even years—a lengthy span of time where assumptions, teams, and even the market can change. They make the case that capture planning is so much more than paperwork—it's the training plan behind the goal: the structure that helps organizations choose which opportunities to chase and show up with the right partners and narrative when it counts. Together, the panel tackles the uncomfortable tension at the heart of public procurement. It's a system designed to prevent influence, yet meaningful early interactions help clients clarify needs and bidders understand the real problem. In the end, a strategic but authentic engagement approach inevitably weighs into the final decision. Real success is so much more than a lucrative “win”: it's a mutually beneficial relationship where client, bidder, and the public recipients of the infrastructure all triumph. Key Takeaways: Why capture planning is essential to success, not a waste of time and money;How organizations decide which pursuits are worth prep that costs millions, months, and their best players;What successful early engagement looks like before an RFQ or RFP is issued;Why early conversations should be reframed as “engagement” rather than “influencing”;How to build bid teams around strengths and gaps instead of searching for a unicorn.Quote:“The stakes are high…you're expected from day one to start on a project that's bigger than the GDP of some small countries.” - Shormila CharterjeeThe conversation doesn't stop here—connect and converse with our community via LinkedIn:Follow Navigating Major Programmes: https://www.linkedin.com/company/navigating-major-programmes/Read Riccardo's latest at www.riccardocosentino.comFollow Riccardo Cosentino: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cosentinoriccardo/Follow Shormila Chatterjee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shormilac/Follow Evgenia Jilina: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ejilina/
Small Cap Breaking News You Can't Miss!Here's a quick rundown of the latest updates from standout small-cap companies making big moves today:Brixton Metals Corporation (TSX-V: BBB) (OTCQX: BBBXF)Brixton Metals drilled 13.0 metres grading 594 g/t silver — including a 0.5m interval at 7,900 g/t — at the Shaft 6-Southeast target of its Langis Silver Project in Cobalt, Ontario. This zone has limited historic workings, pointing to strong potential for a new high-grade silver discovery beyond the known mineralized system. Management plans to add a second drill in mid-May as part of a 60,000-metre campaign aimed at a maiden resource estimate.Cheelcare Incorporated (TSX-V: CHER) (OTC: CHCRF)Cheelcare posted its second consecutive month of record Companion power-assist bookings for April 2026, up 147% year-over-year and 38.5% compared to March, while RFQ activity jumped approximately 64% month-over-month. U.S. Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement eligibility, secured in January 2026, has expanded insurance-funded access to the product. Management views the accelerating numbers as early signs of a new growth curve for the Companion platform.Galiano Gold Incorporated (TSX: GAU) (NYSE American: GAU)Galiano Gold's Abore Program at the Asanko Gold Mine in Ghana returned highlights including 53m at 3.9 g/t gold and 32m at 4.7 g/t gold, extending mineralization approximately 95m below the current underground Mineral Resource. A new high-grade zone has been identified beneath the Main Pit and remains open along strike and at depth. With 14,500 of a planned 30,000-metre program complete, additional assay results are expected in Q2 2026.Bottom Line: Exceptional silver drill grades in Ontario's historic Cobalt camp, back-to-back record bookings for a Canadian mobility tech company, and expanding gold mineralization in Ghana defined today's most compelling small-cap stories.Stay ahead of the market — follow AGORACOM for more breaking small-cap news and insights.And don't forget to check out our podcast for deeper dives: https://open.spotify.com/show/74mVPkfalaWXFYY65A2XLM
PlastiFab/LEED Plastics has launched an online RFQ system, giving engineers and procurement teams a faster path to custom U.S.-made plastic parts. Submit CAD files, specs, and timelines in one place at plastifabonline.com — no back-and-forth required. PlastiFab/LEED Plastics City: La Verne Address: 1425 Palomares Ave Website: http://plastifabonline.com/ Phone: 1800-842-4593 Email: info@pflv.biz
This week on Amtower Off Center, host Mark Amtower interviews Katie Helwig, self-proclaimed OASIS+ nerd and founder/president of Mild Red LLC.The discussion focuses on the multiple changes on the proposal and bidding side of the market. Topics includeLPTA and HTRO methods of procurement, where each fits and why/when you need one of the otherUnderstanding that you need to influence before the RFQ goes outThe need for differentiated visibility, defining your area of expertise in terms that resonate with the customerOperating in an environment with 40% fewer contracting officers and why that makes visibility, being known, more importantSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode SummaryIn this EDUCAUSE episode, Dr. Vanessa Kenon from UTSA, Tonya Bennett from the University of Pennsylvania, and Tim Boltz from Carahsoft get into the tension every higher ed IT leader is sitting with right now - when to move on AI, when to wait for policy, and how to keep curiosity alive before the feds rewrite the rulebook.FeaturingDr. Vanessa Kenon is Associate Vice President for Information Technology at the University of Texas at San Antonio - leading IT through a major university merger while keeping innovation and compliance from pulling the institution in opposite directions.Tonya Bennett is Director of Educational Technology at the University of Pennsylvania - managing the LMS-centered EdTech ecosystem across 12 schools and bringing a master's in law to every AI governance conversation she's in.Tim Boltz leads the Education Vertical at Carahsoft - 17 years in, representing 1,500 manufacturers, and building the cooperative purchasing infrastructure that lets institutions stop waiting on 12-18 month RFQ cycles.Timestamps(1:00) Bold Careers & ServiceNow University - 400+ students served and 150 chasing 25 spots(8:00) TASSCC - how Texas built its own version of EDUCAUSE and why vendor partnerships made it work(11:00) Financial pressures in higher ed - why leaning into IT investment beats pulling back(15:00) Frictionless EdTech at UPenn - one credential, every platform, zero manual steps(20:00) UTSA's experiential learning engine - DoD contractors, RackSpace, Dell & eSports(26:00) Carahsoft's easy button - cooperative purchasing vehicles already live across all 50 states(29:00) AI's legal wild west - agentic AI, IP liability & who's responsible when the agent acts(35:00) Curiosity vs. compliance at UTSA -keeping innovation alive without losing governance(39:00) Closing trends - community over commodity, workforce readiness & what's next for Higher EdListen now: YouTube x Apple x SpotifyWhenever you're ready, there are 3 ways you can connect with TechTables:1.
Felix Group Holdings Limited (ASX:FLX) interim CEO & CFO James Frayne talked with Proactive at the ASX Small and Mid-Caps Conference about the company's cloud-based procurement platform and how it is transforming supply chain management through digitisation and automation. Frayne explained that Felix's mission is to replace fragmented and paper-based systems with a unified platform that improves transparency, governance, and risk management across contractor and vendor networks. The platform acts as a central hub for vendor pre-qualification, enabling businesses to assess compliance, ESG factors, and operational risks more effectively. He highlighted the growing importance of data in managing supply chains, noting that Felix's system allows customers to interrogate vendor information and ensure higher standards across projects. As Frayne put it, “the supply chain needs to be digitised and is in the process of being digitised,” underlining the structural shift the company is targeting. Looking ahead, artificial intelligence is a key focus. With millions of compliance documents, RFQ responses, and vendor data points collected over more than a decade, the company sees significant potential to automate decision-making and reduce administrative burdens for clients. Frayne also pointed to growth opportunities through international expansion and the acquisition of NextYear, which adds over 120,000 subcontractors to its ecosystem. Combined with a large domestic market opportunity, these initiatives position the company for further scale. For more insights, visit Proactive's YouTube channel, like this video, subscribe, and enable notifications for future updates. #FelixGroup #SaaS #SupplyChain #Procurement #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #ASX #TechStocks #EnterpriseSoftware #DigitalTransformation #ESG #ConstructionTech #InvestorNews #GrowthStocks #CloudSoftware
Nick Forster, CEO of Derive joins us to talk about his journey from trading equity options at SIG to building the leading decentralized options platform. Nick talks the shift from AMMs to app chains and why institutional liquidity is moving on-chain. Nick explains Derive's strategy of 'exporting' complex derivatives to 7+ chains and why on-chain transparency is the only fix for centralized OTC risks. Subscribe to the newsletter! https://newsletter.blockspacemedia.com Notes: * Captured 90% of on-chain options market share. * Traditional AMMs yielded 5-10% annually initially. * RFQ for institutional liquidity. Timestamps: 00:00 Start 00:19 Nick's background 01:20 History of Options 04:15 The journey toward an L2 App-chain 07:11 The "aggregation of liquidity" thesis 09:40 OTC desks & competitors 13:47 Roadblocks to institutional involvement 16:11 Hyperliquid integration 17:09 HLP 22:09 Perps 27:17 Tap trading vs dice rolls 30:52 Value capture 34:38 EFT options 36:05 Why have perps on Derive? 38:36 Current decentralized trading tech vs tradfi 43:14 Regulations 46:16 RWAs 48:30 Bridging to other chains 50:41 Derive token 52:24 Token holders The Gwart Show is sponsored by Ellipsis Labs. Ellipsis Labs builds the most efficient on-chain markets. Their orderbook and Prop AMM products have delivered price improvement to hundreds of billions of dollars in retail volume. Now, they are bringing their expertise to build Phoenix, the best on-chain perpetuals platform. Ellipsis Labs is hiring New York-based engineers. If you're an engineer looking to work with a proven team in making DeFi better, go to ellipsislabs dot xyz slash careers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode of Crazy Wisdom, Stewart Alsop sits down with Andre Oliveira, founder of Splash N Color, a bootstrapped 3D printing e-commerce business selling consumer goods on Amazon. The two cover a lot of ground — from how Andre went from running 40 FDM printers out of South Florida to offshoring manufacturing to China, to how he's using Claude Code to automate inventory management and generate supplier RFQs across 200+ SKUs. The conversation stretches into bigger territory too: the San Francisco AI scene, the rise of AI agents and what they mean for the future of the internet, whether local on-device AI will eventually replace cloud-based tools, and why building physical products will stay hard long after software becomes easy. It's a candid, wide-ranging conversation between two self-taught builders figuring things out in real time. Follow Andre on X: @AndreBaach.Timestamps00:00 — Andre introduces Splash N Color, his Amazon-based 3D printing e-commerce business and explains the grind of running 40 FDM machines in South Florida.05:00 — The conversation shifts to Claude Code and how Andre built an inventory automation system to manage sales velocity and RFQs across 200+ SKUs.10:00 — Stewart and Andre compare notes on Opus 4.6, debate Codex vs Claude, and Andre breaks down the new Agent Teams feature in Claude Code.15:00 — Discussion turns to the San Francisco AI scene, the viral OpenClaw launch event that drew 700 people, and what's capturing the city's imagination right now.20:00 — The pair wrestle with data privacy, the illusion of it since 2000, and whether full transparency of personal data might actually serve people better.25:00 — Stewart pitches his vision of local on-device AI replacing cloud tools entirely, and they debate the 10–15 year timeline for mainstream societal adoption.30:00 — Andre traces his origin story: a high school dropout from Brazil who spotted a 3D printing opportunity on Facebook Marketplace and got lucky timing with COVID.35:00 — They explore whether AI-generated 3D models and DfAM will automate physical manufacturing, and why proprietary specs keep the space stubbornly hard.Key InsightsLifestyle businesses deserve more respect. Andre spent months feeling inadequate scrolling through Twitter watching founders announce funding rounds, before realizing his cash-flowing, location-independent business was already the goal. The social media version of entrepreneurial success warped his perception of what he actually had built.Claude Code is becoming an operating system. Stewart describes running Claude Code as having a second OS on top of MacOS — one that makes the underlying machine legible in ways it never was before. Both guests use it not just for coding but as a primary interface for understanding and operating their businesses.Agent Teams changes how work gets done. Andre explains that Claude's new multi-agent feature lets you assign a team lead and specialized roles that communicate with each other in parallel, essentially running an autonomous task force inside your terminal — a meaningful leap beyond single-instance prompting.Physical manufacturing will stay hard. Even as AI-generated 3D models improve, tolerances of 0.5 millimeters can mean the difference between a product working or not. Design for manufacturing is a separate discipline from design itself, and proprietary specs mean open source models rarely hit commercial quality.The internet is heading toward agents. Both guests agree that AI agents will increasingly handle tasks humans currently do manually online — booking services, making payments, coordinating logistics — with the human internet potentially becoming secondary to a machine-to-machine layer.Iteration is the real value of 3D printing. Andre pushes back on 3D printing as a business unto itself, framing it instead as a prototyping tool. The true value is rapid iteration on housing, tolerances, and fit — not the printer, but the speed of the feedback loop it enables.Technology compounds in layers. Andre closes with a tech-tree analogy: each generation normalizes the tools of the previous one and builds the next layer on top. Agentic coding today is what the internet was in the 90s — the foundation for something we can't yet fully see.
Today we have on college junior & top prediction market trader Eric (Egzee). Egzee started on OddsJam and quickly worked his way up to the top of Kalshi leaderboards as one of the biggest RFQ market makers in sports. He defends his decision to take an internship at a respected quant firm, and walks us through how he manages one of the biggest Kalshi MM operations as a solo-operator in college. Really mind blowing stuff here - must listen, we learned a lot from Eric.0:00 Intro & Sports Betting Start18:00 Transition to Kalshi55:00 RFQs and Advanced Automation1:21:00 School & Deciding to do an Internship1:38:00 Q&AWelcome to The Risk Takers Podcast, hosted by professional sports bettor John Shilling (GoldenPants13) and SportsProjections. This podcast is the best betting education available - PERIOD. And it's free - please share and subscribe if you like it.Follow SportsProjections on Twitter: https://x.com/Sports__ProjFollow GP on Twitter: https://x.com/goldenpants013Welcome to The Risk Takers Podcast, hosted by professional sports bettor John Shilling (GoldenPants13) and SportsProjections. This podcast is the best betting education available - PERIOD. And it's free - please share and subscribe if you like it. Follow SportsProjections on Twitter: https://x.com/Sports__ProjFollow GP on Twitter: https://x.com/goldenpants013
Seeing Machines Ltd (AIM:SEE, OTC:SEEMF) CEO Paul McGlone talked with Proactive's Stephen Gunnion about second-quarter KPIs, highlighting growth in automotive royalties, Guardian hardware sales, and increasing annual recurring revenue as regulatory tailwinds build toward the July 2026 General Safety Regulation (GSR) deadline. McGlone said he was “really pleased to see a positive growth number in this quarter,” noting confidence that regulatory drivers would translate into rising volumes. While the timing of step-change growth remains uncertain, he emphasised that OEM compliance preparations for GSR are well underway, with all required integration work already completed for the 2026 deadline. The discussion addressed RFQ delays across the automotive market, which McGlone attributed to broader industry uncertainty. However, he clarified that these delays have no impact on GSR-related production volumes, as current RFQs would not affect revenue until 2028 at the earliest. A key focus was Seeing Machines' guaranteed volume arrangements, which underpin cash flow. McGlone explained that these agreements set a revenue floor, ensuring minimum payments regardless of production variability. In Q2, actual volumes exceeded minimum guarantees for the first time under the arrangement, strengthening confidence for Q3 and Q4. He added that incumbency advantages in Europe position the company strongly ahead of GSR enforcement, and reaffirmed expectations of cash flow breakeven in Q3 and profitability in the second half. For more interviews like this, visit Proactive's YouTube channel, give this video a like, subscribe to the channel, and enable notifications so you never miss future updates. #SeeingMachines #PaulMcGlone #AutomotiveTech #GSR2026 #DriverMonitoring #AutomotiveRoyalties #VehicleSafety #OEM #GuardianSystem #RecurringRevenue #AutoIndustry #InvestorUpdate #RoadSafetyTech
In this episode of the Federal Help Center Podcast, Eric Coffey explains why winning contracts isn't about showing up when the bid is posted — it's about being discovered before the solicitation ever hits the street. Eric shares how relationship-building helped his team win a $2 million university Job Order Contract (JOC) by staying close to the project manager, showing up at events, and learning exactly what needed to be in the proposal long before submission day. Eric also breaks down the unfair advantage of engaging early: contracting personnel can talk to you freely before the RFQ drops — but once it's released, communication stops. From maintaining long-term relationships with FAA decision-makers to leveraging forecasts and pre-solicitations, Eric reinforces the core lesson: complex contracts aren't won last-minute. They're won through upfront strategy, visibility, and consistent conversations. Key Takeaways: Contractors who build relationships early get found before bids go public Pre-solicitations and forecasting are where the real advantage begins Long-term agency connections (like FAA) can open doors for years to come If you want to learn more about the community and to join the webinars go to: https://federalhelpcenter.com/ Website: https://govcongiants.org/ Connect with Encore Funding: http://govcongiants.org/funding Join 2026 Surge Bootcamp Starting January 31: https://govcongiants.org/surge
In this episode of the Federal Help Center Podcast, Randie Ward shares a powerful real-world breakdown of how relationship-building and strategic teaming led to a major $5 million contract win. Instead of chasing bids last-minute, Randie explains how early conversations with the right program managers revealed what the customer actually wanted: a capable small business prime supported by the right partners—not a massive prime contractor takeover. Randie walks through how the winning team came together by aligning a strong construction prime, a reputable design partner, and a prepared small business lead. When the RFQ finally dropped, they were already ahead—ready with resumes, key personnel, and a complete package. After being shortlisted, Randie coached the team through a high-stakes Phase Two interview with scripts, rehearsals, and precision timing… and they ultimately won. Key Takeaways: Relationships uncover what customers want before the RFQ ever hits Winning teams are built early through smart partnering (prime + design + support) Phase Two interviews are where preparation separates finalists from winners If you want to learn more about the community and to join the webinars go to: https://federalhelpcenter.com/ Website: https://govcongiants.org/ Connect with Encore Funding: http://govcongiants.org/funding Join 2026 Surge Bootcamp Starting January 31: https://govcongiants.org/surge
Andrew and Jay walk through a situation a lot of shop owners have faced: a brutally tight print that can be machined but can't be verified with confidence. At least not without the right metrology, systems, and alignment with the customer.Instead of rushing a quote or ghosting the RFQ, this is the kind of situation you have to handle like an owner. In other words, slow down, ask uncomfortable questions, protect the relationship, refuse to roll the dice on quality.Andrew and Jay dig into that and a lot more, from CMM alignment war stories to probing macros, SMED, automation vs. operator error, and why a shop full of green lights doesn't always mean things are healthy. The thread running through all of it is simple: speed, precision, and profit are decided long before the spindle starts turning.
When demand is high, the real advantage isn't doing more - it's choosing better. This episode explores a consultative selling approach and how disciplined sales leaders improve performance by focusing on the sales funnel they already have. In this episode, Harry Kendlbacher sits down with Hans van der Eijk, SVP Commercial Western Europe at DP World, to unpack how modern sales leaders navigate high inbound demand without sacrificing focus, margins, or credibility. You'll hear how consultative selling replaces activity-driven selling, why not every RFQ deserves pursuit, and how disciplined sales strategy leads to stronger win rates in complex B2B environments.
As we close out 2025, we're wrapping up more than just a year. This episode marks the conclusion of the Machine Shop MBA series, a collaboration with CLA and Modern Machine Shop built around insights from the Top Shops benchmarking program. What started as a practical exploration of shop metrics ends with a much bigger question: what truly separates shops that survive from shops that endure? For this final chapter, we're joined again by Brent Donaldson of Modern Machine Shop, who helped kick off the series earlier in the year. Drawing from hundreds of shop visits and years of benchmarking data, Brent helps us connect the dots across operations, finance, leadership, and strategy. Together, we reflect on a clear shift happening across manufacturing: moving away from pure "rise and grind" thinking and toward intentionally designed systems. Throughout the episode, we revisit five deceptively simple questions pulled directly from the Top Shops survey. These questions challenge assumptions and expose where real opportunity lives. From RFQ response time and revenue per employee to reinvestment discipline, standardized scheduling, and succession planning, each one reinforces a central theme we've explored all year. Rather than chasing the next machine or relying on one big customer, the most resilient shops we see are building repeatable processes, measuring what matters, and reducing dependence on tribal knowledge. This conversation serves as both a reflection on what we've learned through the Machine Shop MBA series and a call to action as we head into 2026. If there's one takeaway we hope sticks, it's this: the shops that last aren't just collections of people and equipment. They are systems. Designed on purpose. Improved on purpose. And built to outlast any one individual. Segments (0:00) Wrapping up 2025 and closing out the Machine Shop MBA series (0:36) Why we created the series and partnered with CLA and Modern Machine Shop (2:25) Why you need to head to the 2026 IMTS Exhibitor Workshop (4:34) The shift from viewing shops as machines and people to viewing them as systems (7:52) Moving from survival mode to disciplined, systems-based thinking (12:33) Top Shops Question #1: RFQ response time as a competitive advantage (15:55) Top Shops Question #2: Revenue per employee as a true efficiency metric (17:15) What's Your Method? The unique financing process with Methods Machine Tools (26:47) Grow your top and bottom line with CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA) (27:37) How automation, workholding, and systems increase output per person (32:16) Top Shops Question #3: Reinvesting in equipment, software, and training (36:50) Why consistent reinvestment beats sporadic big spending (37:51) Top Shops Question #4: Standardized scheduling versus tribal knowledge (40:22) How poor systems create stress and constant firefighting (43:05) Top Shops Question #5: Leadership and ownership transition planning (46:01) The Top Shops 2026 Benchmarking survey opens February 1st, 2026 (47:27) How benchmarking accelerates maturity and reveals real gaps (48:19) How we use the Top Shops survey as part of annual strategic planning (49:19) Looking ahead to 2026 and continued collaboration (50:00) Why we love the SMW Autoblok catalog and quality (51:11) Final call to action and why benchmarking matters Resources mentioned on this episode Why you need to head to the 2026 IMTS Exhibitor Workshop What's Your Method? The financing process with Methods Machine Tools The Top Shops 2026 Benchmarking survey opens February 1st, 2026 Check out the SMW Autoblok catalog and quality Connect With MakingChips www.MakingChips.com On Facebook On LinkedIn On Instagram On Twitter On YouTube
Solving the Unstructured Data Challenge: Preparing Manufacturing for the AI Revolution Industry 4.0 has illuminated the transformative impact of real-time shop floor data. However, vast repositories of historical engineering and supply chain data, traditionally confined to back-office systems, continue to be underutilized. To fully leverage the capabilities of AI, integration of these disparate data sources is imperative. This includes critical information residing in various forms, such as sensor readings, machine logs, customer feedback, and especially legacy 2D drawings, handwritten notes, and "tribal knowledge" trapped within the minds of experienced professionals. Traditional data processing methods often struggle to make sense of this hidden treasure, leading to inefficiencies, missed opportunities, and a hindrance to true digital transformation. American manufacturers are facing immense pressure, from intensifying global competition and economic uncertainty to skilled labor shortages and the impending retirement of senior engineers who hold decades of undocumented institutional knowledge. To thrive, manufacturers must unlock the full potential of their data and embrace the AI revolution. This webinar will delve into how manufacturing companies can overcome these pervasive unstructured data challenges and strategically prepare for an AI-driven future. Join us to discover how to transform fragmented data into actionable insights, enhance cross-functional collaboration, and drive unprecedented efficiency and innovation. What You'll Learn: The Criticality of Unstructured Data: Understand why traditional data processing methods fail to extract valuable insights from diverse unstructured sources, from drawings to machine logs. AI as a Game-Changer: Explore how Artificial Intelligence (AI), including machine learning and natural language processing (NLP), is emerging as a key enabler for structuring and utilizing unstructured data, augmenting human capabilities, and driving manufacturing evolution. Building a Data Foundation for AI: Discover how to digitize your entire archive of drawings, including old hand-drafted and scanned documents, and link them with crucial supply chain, quality, and procurement data to create a comprehensive "data lake". Democratizing Knowledge with AI-Powered Insights: Learn how advanced search capabilities, including patented similarity search (based on part shape) and keyword search, can empower all employees, from new hires to seasoned veterans, to instantly find relevant designs, pricing history, and supplier information, reducing reliance on individual memory or tedious manual searching. Achieving Tangible Business Outcomes: See how solving the unstructured data challenge directly leads to reduced costs, optimized supplier relationships, faster RFQ responses, improved design quality, accelerated time-to-market, and enhanced decision-making across procurement, engineering, and sales. Navigating the Future of Manufacturing: Gain insights into how embracing AI and a data-driven culture can position your organization at the forefront of the industrial revolution, fostering continuous improvement and sustainable growth. This webinar will provide practical strategies and real-world examples, demonstrating how transforming your data assets can create new value and drive long-term success. Meet Your Presenters: Chris Cope, VP of Engineering at CADDi: As VP of Engineering at CADDi, Chris will highlight strategies for leveraging AI to transform unstructured data and illuminate pathways for enhanced collaboration across engineering, procurement, and manufacturing teams. Aaron Lober, VP of Marketing at CADDi: Bringing deep expertise in the transformative power of manufacturing intelligence platforms, Aaron will highlight how cutting-edge technology directly addresses industry pain points and unlocks competitive advantages. Philip Carpenito, Former Chief Procurement Officer at L3Harris: As a leader in procurement for a major industrial organization, Philip will share invaluable insights into the strategic challenges and opportunities within complex supply chains, emphasizing the critical role of data-driven decision-making in optimizing procurement processes and supplier relationships. Don't miss this opportunity to revolutionize your approach to data and prepare your manufacturing operations for the AI revolution. Speakers: Chris Cope: VP of Engineering, CADDi | Aaron Lober: Vice President of Marketing, CADDi | Philip Carpenito: Former Chief Procurement Officer, L3Harris Sponsored by: CADDi Visit https://advancedmanufacturing.org/webinars for more webinars and an interactive experience with visuals.
Future Tech Enterprise fed 29 years of procurement responses into an AI model and cut an RFQ team from seven people to one. Federal News Network's Eric White spoke with CEO Bob Venero to understand why he believes the Defense Department should use the same technology to evaluate bids faster and cheaper. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Len Testa, Jim Hill, and veteran Imagineer Jim Shull hit the IAAPA Expo show floor in Orlando, exploring the newest ride systems, vendor innovations, and behind-the-scenes stories fueling the future of themed entertainment. NEWS A look at how IAAPA blends professional showcase, industry reunion, and pop-up amusement park—complete with traffic, parking challenges, and surprises at every booth. Zamperla's full-size demo of its new interactive “flap-to-fly” ride, where sensors track arm movements to lift riders higher. The stacked-track, heart-shaped family coaster concept designed to fit high-capacity thrills into a tiny footprint. Mack Rides' water-coaster hybrid for Dollywood: a tracked boat that transitions between basins, rapids, and coaster moments. The debut of brand-new industry tech, including an AI park-operations platform launched just two weeks earlier—so new the vendor couldn't answer most questions yet. Why Imagineers were quietly examining faux-fossil rockwork in a small booth—possible clues to future projects. A vendor's dramatic countdown-clock presentation that fell apart when no one realized the microphone was dead. The team's ongoing quest for pickle-flavored cotton candy and other baffling IAAPA food innovations. Len's impromptu pitch to Doppelmayr about Universal's transportation RFQ—and the unexpectedly enthusiastic response. Why IAAPA acts as “old home week” for themed entertainment pros, with surprise run-ins, backstage conversations, and stories that won't be public for years. Full show notes available here: Show Notes Hosts Len Testa — BlueSky: @lentesta.bsky.social | Instagram: @len.testa | Website: touringplans.comJim Hill — X/Twitter: @JimHillMedia | Instagram: @JimHillMedia | Website: jimhillmedia.comJim Shull (Veteran Imagineer) — X/Twitter: @JimShull | YouTube: @jimhshull | Website: jimhshull.com Patreon Support the Disney Dish and get exclusive content, early episodes, and behind-the-scenes stories. Join us at:https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia/ Follow Us Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews YouTube: @jimhillmedia TikTok: @jimhillmedia Producer Credits Edited by Dave Grey Produced by Eric Hersey — Strong Minded Agencyhttps://strongmindedagency.com Sponsor This episode is brought to you by Unlocked Magic, from the team at DVC Rental Store — offering discounted Disney theme park tickets, including special events. Save on your next trip with Unlocked Magic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Len Testa, Jim Hill, and veteran Imagineer Jim Shull hit the IAAPA Expo show floor in Orlando, exploring the newest ride systems, vendor innovations, and behind-the-scenes stories fueling the future of themed entertainment. NEWS A look at how IAAPA blends professional showcase, industry reunion, and pop-up amusement park—complete with traffic, parking challenges, and surprises at every booth. Zamperla's full-size demo of its new interactive “flap-to-fly” ride, where sensors track arm movements to lift riders higher. The stacked-track, heart-shaped family coaster concept designed to fit high-capacity thrills into a tiny footprint. Mack Rides' water-coaster hybrid for Dollywood: a tracked boat that transitions between basins, rapids, and coaster moments. The debut of brand-new industry tech, including an AI park-operations platform launched just two weeks earlier—so new the vendor couldn't answer most questions yet. Why Imagineers were quietly examining faux-fossil rockwork in a small booth—possible clues to future projects. A vendor's dramatic countdown-clock presentation that fell apart when no one realized the microphone was dead. The team's ongoing quest for pickle-flavored cotton candy and other baffling IAAPA food innovations. Len's impromptu pitch to Doppelmayr about Universal's transportation RFQ—and the unexpectedly enthusiastic response. Why IAAPA acts as “old home week” for themed entertainment pros, with surprise run-ins, backstage conversations, and stories that won't be public for years. Full show notes available here: Show Notes Hosts Len Testa — BlueSky: @lentesta.bsky.social | Instagram: @len.testa | Website: touringplans.comJim Hill — X/Twitter: @JimHillMedia | Instagram: @JimHillMedia | Website: jimhillmedia.comJim Shull (Veteran Imagineer) — X/Twitter: @JimShull | YouTube: @jimhshull | Website: jimhshull.com Patreon Support the Disney Dish and get exclusive content, early episodes, and behind-the-scenes stories. Join us at:https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia/ Follow Us Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews YouTube: @jimhillmedia TikTok: @jimhillmedia Producer Credits Edited by Dave Grey Produced by Eric Hersey — Strong Minded Agencyhttps://strongmindedagency.com Sponsor This episode is brought to you by Unlocked Magic, from the team at DVC Rental Store — offering discounted Disney theme park tickets, including special events. Save on your next trip with Unlocked Magic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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 Quoting might sound like routine paperwork, but in today's automotive supply chain, it's becoming one of the biggest pressure points.Behind every new program sits an RFQ process that's overworked, outdated, and dangerously dependent on a few people who know how to make it run.That's where Ted Mabley, Director at UHY and co-author of a new white paper with the Center for Automotive Research (CAR), steps in. His study compares how suppliers manage RFQs today versus in 2002, and the numbers tell the story.The average supplier now handles approximately 800 RFQs per year, up from 495 two decades ago; yet, the tools and processes remain largely the same. Most companies are still managing quotes through emails, spreadsheets, and manual coordination, leaving room for costly errors and missed opportunities.Ted explains that while technology in other areas has advanced, the RFQ process is stuck. It relies heavily on “sticky knowledge,” the experience locked inside a handful of veterans who know which levers to pull and whom to call. As those experts retire, companies are left scrambling without proper succession or mentoring plans in place. The result is confusion, inconsistent data, and at times, quotes submitted with zero profit margins.Some suppliers are making progress by utilizing supplier relationship management tools to track and compare quotes; however, Ted notes that the gap between leaders and laggards remains wide. The bigger issue, he adds, is cultural. Siloed departments, poor communication, and a lack of accountability slow everything down.Ted believes the way forward starts with people, not technology. Building mentoring and training programs, or “farm clubs,” ensures new talent learns the process before stepping into key roles.From there, automation and AI can take on repetitive tasks, such as comparing supplier data, reconciling quotes with production performance, and even auditing PPAP documentation. But the key isn't just automation; it's connecting people, process, and systems so data actually works for the business.To fix the system, Ted recommends documenting every step of the RFQ process, identifying leaks and inefficiencies, and modernizing with lightweight digital tools that integrate existing data. He also calls on OEMs and suppliers to collaborate more closely, not just commercially, but to standardize and strengthen the systems that power their shared supply chain.The message is clear: the RFQ process might seem routine paperwork, but it's the foundation of every program launch. How suppliers manage it will determine their ability to compete and deliver in an industry that's moving faster than ever.Themes discussed in this episode:The growing complexity of the RFQ process and how it impacts supplier performance in automotive manufacturingHow the lack of automation and standard systems slows down the quoting process for suppliersThe problem of “sticky knowledge” and the risk of losing critical expertise as experienced employees retireWhy mentoring and structured training programs are essential to preserving quoting knowledge in the supply chainThe benefits of using supplier relationship management (SRM) tools to improve accuracy and speed in RFQ handlingHow siloed departments and disconnected systems cause costly errors in quote preparation and reviewThe need for suppliers to document, analyze, and streamline their end-to-end RFQ workflow for better resultsHow stronger collaboration between OEMs and suppliers can create a more consistent and efficient quoting process across the...
If you've ever lost sleep wondering whether you missed a critical detail in a quote—or felt the adrenaline of winning a job only to realize you underpriced it—this MakingChips episode is for you. Recorded live at FABTECH 2025, Nick sits down with Jason Ray, founder of Paperless Parts, to unveil a breakthrough tool that promises to transform how shops handle complex RFQs, drawings, and bills of materials. Over the past decade, Paperless Parts has become synonymous with solving bottlenecks in estimating and quoting. Their mission has been clear: empower people—not replace them—with software designed to make quoting faster, smarter, and less risky. In this conversation, Jason shares how their latest release takes that vision even further by surfacing critical requirements buried inside complex drawings and bills of materials. This episode is full of relatable stories and practical lessons. Jason explains how the new “Requirements Review” functionality captures tribal knowledge, accelerates mentoring, and helps shops avoid underpricing jobs while improving their RFQ triage process. Nick and Jason also dig into the big picture: the hype cycle of AI in manufacturing, the importance of trust and customer retention, and the future of Paperless Parts—including “historical intelligence” and next-level shop insights. Whether you're a shop owner, estimator, or manufacturing leader, you'll leave this episode with actionable takeaways for quoting more accurately, prioritizing the right work, and scaling your business intelligently. Segments (0:53) “I Love Big BOMs”: How Paperless Parts tackles large bills of materials= (2:27) Bottlenecks in quoting and estimating—and why Paperless Parts was built (6:05) AI hype vs. reality in manufacturing software (7:39) Quote faster, smarter, and more consistently with Paperless Parts (9:20) “AI makes recommendations, humans make decisions” (12:38) Introducing “Requirements Review” to surface critical details in drawings (14:41) Capturing tribal knowledge and accelerating mentoring before retirements (17:13) Why missing something on a print leads to underpricing and margin compression (18:45) Using AI to read complex drawing packages and trigger shop-specific rules (20:22) Solving simpler problems first: best practices for adopting AI in manufacturing (22:14) Why you should join us at MTForecast 2025 (23:42) Quoting faster without over-engineering or missing key details (25:02) RFQs are getting larger—how to triage and prioritize the right work (26:47) Building an “ideal part profile” and learning to say no to non-fit work (29:54) Safety, flow state, and the hidden costs of taking on bad-fit jobs (30:53) Cash flow realities of contract manufacturing and avoiding high-risk mistakes (32:32) Aligning Paperless Parts' incentives with customer success and retention (34:38) Value-based sales process and proving ROI before the sale (38:00) Emotional ROI for shop leaders and software founders alike (40:08) Why customer success is tied to clear ROI targets and ongoing support (42:27) Selling change management, not just a tool—how Paperless implements software (45:32) Looking ahead: Paperless Parts' upcoming user conference and “historical intelligence” (49:32) Resources mentioned on this episode Quote faster, smarter, and more consistently with Paperless Parts Join us at MTForecast 2025 Achieve the 7 Habits of Successful Workholding with SMW Autobook Requirements Review Press Release Connect With MakingChips www.MakingChips.com On Facebook On LinkedIn On Instagram On Twitter On YouTube
Unity isn't just a buzzword. It's the foundation for business growth and community impact. In this episode of Building Texas Business, I sit down with Jeff Williams, president of Graham Associates, to talk about how bringing people together drives both engineering success and civic transformation. Working with his firm who design iconic Texas projects including AT&T Stadium and Southlake Town Square, and during his three terms as Arlington mayor, he demonstrats how unity principles scale from boardroom to city hall. Jeff shares his approach to bridging generational divides through Friday "High Five" meetings that transformed skeptical baby boomers and millennials into collaborative teammates. His engineering firm rebuilt their office culture post-COVID by creating collaboration spaces and displaying core values throughout their workspace, showing employees they're not just designing roads but contributing to state-of-the-art hospitals. When people understand their larger purpose, engagement naturally follows. His upcoming book "The Unity Blueprint" captures lessons from leading Arlington through the pandemic faster than any other U.S. city, according to NYU research, and emphasizes that modern leadership requires teaching over commanding, with trust and value as non-negotiables for today's workforce. Success comes from transforming "my plan" into "our plan" through genuine input and buy-in, whether you're managing engineers or running a city. This conversation reveals how Texas businesses thrive by embracing partnerships over politics, with Jeff's $8 million citywide rideshare solution versus $50 million per mile for light rail proving that innovation beats tradition when unity guides decisions. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS Discover how weekly "High Five" meetings turned skeptical senior engineers into collaboration champions, bridging baby boomers and millennials Jeff details how Arlington saved millions by implementing $8 million annual autonomous rideshare instead of $50 million per mile light rail Learn why being the first U.S. city to run autonomous shuttles attracted Uber, Lyft, and Via to compete for Arlington's contract Hear how post-COVID office renovations with collaboration spaces and visible core values brought remote workers back to rebuild culture Jeff shares how a devastating referendum loss taught him that expertise means nothing if political consultants silence your voice Understand why the Medal of Honor Museum chose Arlington over Washington D.C.—Texas builds in years what takes decades elsewhere LINKSShow Notes Previous Episodes About BoyarMiller About Graham Associates GUESTS Jeff WilliamsAbout Jeff TRANSCRIPT (AI transcript provided as supporting material and may contain errors) Chris: In this episode, you'll meet Jeff Williams, CEO of Graham Associates and former mayor of Arlington, Texas. Jeff stresses the power of creating unity within a company to foster a strong culture and how training and developing your people it's critical to success. Jeff, I want to thank you for taking the time and welcome to Building Texas Business. It's great to be here. Jeff: Chris, it's always great to talk about Texas and especially business. Chris: Yes. So let's start with just introducing yourself and tell us what it is you do. What's your company known for? Jeff: Well, I own a civil engineering firm and we build communities. We design public infrastructure, highways, roads, utilities, but we also do sports facilities, churches, schools there. We've done a lot of different things. Some of our projects you might recognize in at and t Stadium, we were the civil engineers for it. And yes, we did work with the Jones family and we also also know Chris: Is Jerry World, right? Jeff: Absolutely. And it was an exciting project to work on and then it's amazing how well it's aged and still the top special event center here in the country. But then we've had South Lake Town Square, which was kind of the granddaddy of all of the town centers that's here and a really special place. Nebraska Furniture Mark. We got to work for Warren Buffett there and doing his grand scape development here in the Metroplex. But then we've also, we have Prestonwood Baptist Church, which one of the largest churches in the Southwest. So rewarding to be able to do that. And then we've got Westlake Academy, actually Westlake, Texas. We actually got to start from scratch there. It was a town that we got in on the very beginning. They had one subdivision and now they've got Fidelity's headquarters. Schwab is there, Deloitte, and then Viro, one of the most upscale developments in the state of Texas. So those are some of the fun projects that we've gotten to do. I think it's very rewarding. Chris: Yeah, no, I mean it sounds not just fun but impactful and kind of be able to look around and see how you've changed the landscape of your community, Jeff: Chris. That is so, so true. There's nothing better than to be able to take your family and friends to be able to show them what you've done, but even more importantly, to actually be at one of your projects and see people coming together and families enjoying a special place that we created. And of course that moves to unity and that's one of the things that I have grown to value more than anything else is bringing people together to make a difference. That's great. Well, Chris: We have the benefit here at Warrior Miller represent a lot of very successful real estate developers. And so I think I know our real estate team feels the same way is right working with the client to bring projects like that together and being able to, the benefit of doing the legal work for that and just see to go by years later and go, we worked on that project or that park or that building or that community center is really rewarding stuff. Jeff: Really is the mission of our company is to be an integral partner in building communities. Chris: I like that. So let's talk a little, I mean, what was the inspiration? Obviously you're engineer I guess by education, but what's been the inspiration for you to stay in this industry and build the company that you've Jeff: Built? Well, we just hit it. I feel like it's such an important part of being able to build these communities for people to live, work and play in. And then that actually led me to being actually recruited to run for mayor here in Arlington and to serve there. I served three terms as mayor. That's very unusual for engineers to move into that. I didn't realize it until after I was elected and there aren't many engineers that do that. But however, as an engineer, we have designed public infrastructure. We have to sell our projects to the citizens so many times we also understand schedules and budgets and being able to work through that. And so it really was a great fit for me there, although it's very challenging and people go, well, why would you do that? Well, the reason we'd do it, it's rewarding. It's the most rewarding job I've ever had. But it also is the hardest because you're working with so many different people. But it really increased my awareness that the last thing we need to be doing is to be having dissension and conflict all the time. Instead, we need to be bringing people together to make a difference and actually work on projects that can actually, people can get behind and have passion and discover their purpose. And then of course, the results of that have been actually to forge friendships. Chris: So I guess, how have you taken some of those lessons and lessons along the way and incorporated them into the company at Graham Associates to kind of build the team there? Jeff: Well, as I came out of serving as mayor, I ended my last term in 2021. We'd come out of the pandemic. There still were the lingering effects of it. People wanted to work from home. So however, in our business, in so many businesses, teamwork is a big part of what we need. Chris: Absolutely. Jeff: I read everything I could get ahold of because we are at the beginning of a technology revolution, but we also have societal changes that happen every few months or perhaps even sometimes monthly. So I needed to understand the young people, but also needed to figure out how to create an atmosphere to where our people wanted to be. So literally our offices, we redid everything in the way of so that we could be a very inviting place that our employees could be proud of, but also that our clients would want to come because those face-to-face meetings are still important. And then part of that impact too was that we try to create special places for collaboration and we have several collaboration rooms there. And so that was a key. But also in our Collins areas, we wanted to be uplifting. So in our kitchens we have those stocked, but we also put up positive phrases there that really epitomize our core values and we have our core values that our employees actually fed into. They're displayed everywhere. But then I ran into a roadblock because our older engineers said, Hey, why are we doing all of this? And then we started in on doing a Friday staff meeting where everyone came together and we call it our high five meeting, an opportunity for us to encourage each other and to be able to share some of the stories that happened that week. And man, my older engineer said, man, that's a whole hour of billable time that we could be having. And they didn't like it at all for the first couple of months. And then magic started happening. They started getting to know each other better. And so I had millennials getting along with the older baby boomers, they're an understanding each other and now they all look forward to it. And we do soft skill training and IT team building there also. But it is a time that we all look forward to and it built that camaraderie because we need teamwork and it helps to get them there. And so then I still allow my people to work one day a week at all. But then our project managers actually make the decision on how much more if someone wants to work from home more because it depends on the project and what we've got going, but yet our team understands now that they've got to be able to build those relationships. Well, I like what you pointed Chris: Out there is it's not a one size fits all game. You got to be flexible and listen. And I think as leaders, if you can communicate that so that your employees understand that they'll understand when you can't be as flexible as maybe they would like because the circumstances don't warrant that. But then when you can, you allow it, Jeff: Chris. That is so true, and you've got to value people and be able to listen to them. No longer can a manager when they ask you, why are we doing something? Because you can't say because I said so. Chris: No, Jeff: It's Chris: Because it's the way we've always done it. Jeff: Oh yes, that's another great line. That is a dinosaur that can't act more. But it's actually exciting to be able to share with our people why we're doing things and to be able to understand the big picture of that, Hey, this isn't that You're just designing a roadway to a hospital. You are contributing to the overall wellbeing of actually being a part of the team that constructs a state-of-the-art hospital that, Chris: Well, I think the other thing you've discovered, we see it here. It was certainly part of our culture before COVID and it's become an important part post COVID to regain connection. And that's getting people together in community, in the office, lunches, happy hours, breakfast, whatever, because then you use the word magic started to happen. I think that's right, that as we gain connection with our coworkers, that helps with retention, it helps with collaboration because we get to know each other a little better. Especially important I think not just in a post COVID world, but in the multi-generational office that we're dealing with. Right? Four and five generations in one office together don't necessarily see things eye to eye, but if you get to know somebody, you can break those barriers. Jeff: That's right. And that leads to something else that I've discovered. Even if you're an introvert and you think you don't need other people, it is amazing because God made us to live in community. And when you're coming together and aligning people with a purpose and you are working together, suddenly those barriers get broken down. And it doesn't matter the age difference, the color of your skin, all of those differences disappear because you're working together to make a difference. And suddenly, again, I'll mention you end up with friendships that are forged. In fact, if you think about it, probably your best friends are the ones that you worked on a project with. It might be for school, for church or in your work. And certainly it's awesome to be able to forge great friendships at your workplace. Chris: I love it. We haven't used the word really much, but it sounds like you're defining the culture that you're trying to build and nurture there. How would you describe the culture and anything else other than these kind of high five meetings and such that you're doing to try to help nurture the culture? Jeff: Well, I think the other part to round it out is that we have got to be focused on teaching and training. I think the culture has really got to be a teaching atmosphere. People don't respond to that type A manager that is forceful and raises their voice and all of that. It's more they've got to see that you value them, each one of these employees do. But then also it's not just in how you truth them. You need to take action in teaching and training them and show them how they are going to be able to help themselves and help the team overall by learning. And then of course, we also have to create that accountability because we aren't professional teachers. In fact, no matter what business we're in, most of us are not professional teachers. So we need our employees to be willing to ask questions and to be willing to be vulnerable, say, I really don't understand this. I need help on this. And that's where it's got to be a two-way street, but yet you cannot. You got to really foster that culture where they are willing to ask questions and to let you know that they don't know it there. But then we have the ability to focus in on what do they not understand and be able to get that training to help fill in that hole. Chris: Yeah, that's so important. So true. Let's just talk a little bit about technology and innovation. What are some of the things that you see and that you've tried to incorporate there from an innovative way of doing your work or how technology's changing the trends of how you go about your work? Jeff: Well, Chris, this is one of my favorite topics, and of course no surprise with me being an engineer, but we are really at the beginning of a technology revolution. In fact, I'll never forget, a few years ago I heard the head of IBM technology that was actually out of Belgium, and he said exactly that We are at the beginning of a technology revolution like the world has never seen, and we are going to see more change than we have ever experienced. Well, there is a little bit of a problem because most people don't like change. And yet we have got to be willing to adapt to that. And I challenge our engineers throughout when I'm speaking to engineering groups. So you guys have got to take the lead in that we, engineers are typically very conservative. They find a great way to do something or they want to stick with it. But however, because of new technology, we've got to be researching that technology. We've got to be looking to see what technology is good, what is not. We even need to be helping in the regulation of it. And so consequently, I'll say this, we have got to be researching AI and software that is coming out constantly. I have two people dedicated to that. Larger firms probably have whole departments that are dedicated because we have an opportunity to be able to do things better faster, but we've got to be able to be competitive. I don't want to wake up one day and all my competitors are being able to do things 30% cheaper than I can and beating my price point and actually able to serve the clients better. And I do equate it to when computers really came online in the eighties, we were all worried about, well, are we going to have a job? Oh, well. And then others would say, well, we're only going to work three days a week now because of computers. No, we saw ourselves become more productive and we will become more productive with AI and other technologies, but also even with the technology being able to incorporate how you use it. I'll give you an example of that. When I was serving as mayor, we were the first city in America to run an autonomous shuttle, a driverless shuttle there on a public streets. And it was amazing at work that we were all scared of it, but we actually challenged our city staff to be looking at new technologies that we could use to be able for transportation. And we said, Hey, let's open up our city as a laboratory. And so consequently, our staff came up with the idea that we really could have Uber and Lyft type process and actually have driverless shuttles that are seven passenger vans that could be going out throughout our city in a very cost effective way. That'd be much cheaper than high speed rail or light rail there. Of course, high speed rail is still a ways off. But anyway, long story short, we went out and did an RFQ, Uber, Lyft and a accompanied by the name of Via all proposed on it. And we ended up being the first city in America to implement technology rideshare and then added the autonomous vehicle to it. And now cities across America are doing that. And instead of paying 50 million a mile for light rail, we are end up calling actually covering our whole city 99 square miles for $8 million a year. It's an amazing thing and very cost effective. Everybody's business. We've got to look at how can we do things different and more cost effective utilizing the technology. Chris: Let's talk about a corollary to that. What are some of the trends you're seeing in your industry that we should be prepared for and maybe how is being based in Texas influencing those trends? Jeff: Well, it's growth, Chris. The growth is a big change in our business there because in growth is so big and so consequently the biggest resource we need or people, it's not, we can all buy our software, we can all buy our computers, but it's really about people. Every business I talk to, it's all about finding those people and then yet we've got to be willing to train them up there. And of course, really when you're hiring experienced people, many times that's just a stop gap because they don't quite fit what you need. So I think the big change that we're seeing trend that businesses are needing to train their workforce up and do that as fast as you can because we need more people to be able to fill those positions. So again, we've got to become teachers, we've got to be able to be efficient. And then I still think one of the biggest challenges in business and really in fact in America is that we have so much dissension. People have a tough time getting along with each other. Arguments come up and then suddenly that cancel culture comes and there's no forgiveness. It's I'm done with you. And that is a poison for business there. And none of us as managers want to spend all our time in conflict resolution. So to that, right? Chris: One of the things I talk about a lot is that if we can remember to give grace in the business world, we do have a personal life a lot, but for some reason we get into, then we think we switch and put the corporate hat on or business hat on and we kind of forget that. I think that is an important aspect to remember, to your point, it helps diffuse conflict. We're imperfect human beings. And so learning to have accountability but also with a touch of grace can help resolve conflict, avoid conflict mitigated in the workplace. Jeff: That's so true. Chris. I had an interesting thing happen along these same lines as New York University actually studied Arlington when I was mayor, and they got attracted initially that we had become the sports capital of the nation, but yet they looked at how we did things. And I needed help as a mayor, so I sought out people. I needed experts, I needed people that would work. I needed input from our citizens. And so we ended up working together to accomplish a lot of things. We had to work to keep the Texas Rangers here in town. There were a lot of other cities that wanted to move them out of our community. We also had not been bringing in jobs there. And in 2014, the year before I came in, the big headlines read that the DFW Metropolitan area had created more jobs in any other metropolitan area in the country, and Arlington was not doing that. And so we had to jumpstart that economy and then yet I needed to unite our leaders and we did that. And throughout the pandemic and so forth, New York University studied us and they believed we came out of the pandemic quicker than any other city in America, both physically and economically. And so they encouraged me to write a book on Unity and how you did it. And they also then took it a step further and they went to Forbes and I ended up signing a book contract with Forbes and were releasing the Unity Blueprint on September the ninth. That really is that plan. Therefore being able to bring people together in both your personal life, your life, and then even our civic involvement and so forth there. And that has been a big change for me really since I came into office. I always valued people, but now getting it, taking it to the next step of unity because how much time is wasted there when your employees are fighting with each other or arguing and then it's a lasting effect. They never work together as well. And so working and creating that culture and actually adding forgiveness to your core value I think is a very important thing. But then also getting people to adopt character values themselves, to have a foundation that they can work with. And when you see people working to be a person of character, there can be forgiveness, but there's not much room for forgiveness when it's constantly on the other person. It's a tough deal. Right. Well, Chris: I didn't realize about the book. That sounds, I'm excited to see it and read it, and I don't know if there's anything that kind of comes out of that as a tidbit that you might be able to share with us now the listeners about maybe obviously the lessons you've learned along the way, kind of that something that you've incorporated into your kind of leadership style that has helped foster unity within the organizations you've run. Jeff: Always amazed when a person gets appointed president of his company or gets elected to a position and many times they don't have a plan. And then in addition to that, if they do have a plan, many times they didn't get any input on it. They literally concocted a plan of their own versus the opportunity for you to work on a vision and a plan after you have researched it, and then you take it to your employees and get feedback from them. And suddenly that plan transforms from your plan to our plan. And it's amazing when you get that buy-in, how it can really work together, and you're not having to sell your plan all the time. They're doing it for you, and it makes all the difference. I'm very excited about being able to move out there around the country and pushing towards unity as a matter of fact, and our book has already reached the number one new release by Amazon. They're in both business and Christian leadership, so I'm pumped about that. That's awesome. Congratulations. But we're not perfect people. We all need the space, but if you're employees can see that you're working towards it, if your fellow employees can see you are working towards being that person of character and wanting to do it. Now, we landed in the middle of honor museum here in Arlington there. We were in a 20 city competition for that, and it's probably one of the greatest things I've ever been involved in. We had a six month journey there and competing against the other cities and it was a national museum. And you go, well, why didn't they go to Washington dc? Well, the reason they didn't is going to take 20 years to get it built. And we in Texas here, can get things built quick, can't we? Right. You've got great contractors, architects, engineers to make that happen. And real estate people, Chris real estate people, government. Chris: That wants to get stuff done, right? That's right. Yeah. Rather than being an impediment to getting stuff done. Jeff: Well, the middle of honor museum or the Medal of Honor recipients that were leading that recognize that very thing, they also saw that we are the center of patriotism and we can get things done. We have a track record do it. Chris: I had there's, we could do a whole episode I think just on that museum. I had the privilege, Texas Capital Bank did a little Texas tour and they hosted something here in Houston that I was invited to all about the museum, what it is, how it came about. Very unique, very special, very proud that it's going to be in Texas and hopefully more people will take time to get to know what this is all about and then go visit it once it opens. Jeff: Well, the thing that surprised me is when I actually visited with these Living Medal of Honor recipients, and each one of them has pledged to spend the rest of their life making more of a difference there. And what they're doing is they are pushing character values, integrity, sacrifice, courage, commitment, citizenship and patriotism. Well, that's what all of us need. And currently the state board of education here in Texas has adopted a two week curriculum that our students will study in school and then they'll be able to take a field trip to the museum or a virtual field trip. And I think that's gotten everybody excited that that is happening. And then of course, it's not just the youth, our adults too. So there are adult programs that are going on, but it had me reassess my core values. It had me to, I really wanted to reassess my character values and so forth. And in business it always starts with you got to do what you say you're going to do. But then I had an interesting thing happen and I pretty well knew the answer when I asked it, but I was speaking to 20 Chick-fil-A managers, and of course Chick-fil-A is number one in service, aren't they? Chris: Right? Jeff: I asked them, I said, guys, what are you looking for and you're leader? And they immediately spoke up and they said, we are looking for a leader that we can trust, and then we're looking for a leader that values us. I think that's where it starts for us then in Texas. We know that we get that right and we believe in partnerships and collaboration, and I think that separates us from so many other places in the country. Chris: So kind of tagging on with leadership, lots of theories and about how to become a leader, how to grow as a leader. I think you hit it on the nail on the head when you said you got to be a man of your word or a person of your word. Do what you say you're going to do when you say you're going to do it. It's kind of a foundational element, but I know from my own personal experience and talking to others, we learn a lot as leaders from mistakes we've made. And I'm just curious to know if you could share one of those rather than a mistake. I call it a learning moment where it didn't go as planned, but you learned from that and from that it actually probably accelerated your leadership skills because of it. Jeff: Yes, no doubt about it. That's very easy for me to say because one of the biggest disappointments I had in my career is we had worked on a Johnson Creek Greenway here in Arlington. It was a nine mile creek beautiful creek, and we also were going to be doing a river walk in the entertainment district around those stadiums and so forth. And we had done all the preliminary planning there. It got through the core of engineers, and we also had held major charettes. We were winning awards from all over the country. I was actually traveling and speaking on that. I had an incredible partner with me, a guy by the name of Jim Richards. I loved working with our team and I thought, this is what I'm going to be doing the next 10 years. But however, the city had to pass a sales tax selection to fund the project, and they hired a political consultant that came in and said, Hey, I think you guys ought to attach an arts referendum on this. The Johnson Creek project is so popular, the Riverwalk will go, let's attach that to it. And then there was one other thing that came in that was so unique, and that was that some of our people had actually gotten a agreement with Smithsonian to build a branch museum on this Johnson Creek river wall. And so they put that on the agenda there for an election, but the political consultants said, we don't want anybody doing anything. They said, we do not want Jeff Williams and my other partner going out and speaking, what if you make a mistake and you say the wrong thing or you stir people up? And then they also did not really realize that our refer referendum was very popular. We lost that election by a few hundred loaves. It was one of the most devastating things. And it's taken 20 years. A lot of it's been And it changed my whole career there because I had to study why did this happen? How did it happen? And I said, I have got to learn about how to handle sales tax and bond elections. And so I studied hard and in fact, I learned a lot on the Cowboys sales tax election because we had that coming up a few years after that. And we were prepared when we got into the Cowboys sales tax election. And I ran several school and city bond elections after that. There's times when you have to learn more and to be able to take control. And little did I know that it's going to prepare me for serving as mayor later on too. But I'll never forget, in 2008, we had a recession and y'all may recall that. And we had a bond program going on for public works and parks, and I was not mayor then of just engineer. And we were in trouble because if we didn't get these road projects through, and actually some of these parts projects, we had buildings that were in badly needed repair wreck centers, so forth, we had to again, engage more people and raise more money. And we went ahead with that sales tax or I should say bond program, and we were able to get it passed in the midst of that. And again, I think unity and learning about knowledge there played a huge pull. I'm a big researcher. I love to, and there are so many books out there, but also generally we never come up. We think that we come up with some creative idea that no one has ever done well, especially in business. Somebody has done it. Find them, find and you can learn from their mistakes and hopefully not make your own, but also learn from their successes. But great question, Chris. Chris: Yeah, no, you're so right. I mean, I tell people never stop learning. Be curious. We learn from our mistakes. We can learn from others and we can learn from our successes because sometimes we're successful despite ourselves or despite the plan. Lots of people will tell you it's good to be lucky every now and again. So sometimes that happens. But if you take the time to learn the why behind the success or the failure you will have learning and then that learning you will grow from Jeff: You just spur the thought that I think is so important as you are a success as you grow in your success in business. There, the ego definitely comes up. And then we all know that we've got to be careful and be humble, but I want to create a definition for humbleness because so many times when we hear humble, it goes, oh, well, you need to be modest. You never to don't need to show that confidence and so forth are really, I think the important thing about humbleness is that you need to realize that you are vulnerable and that we need other people. And you can't do it alone and you don't need to do it alone because you'll not really succeed as well. So as a leader, you walk along a cliff every day and we need people to be able to keep us from falling off. And I think you've got to continue to remember that every step of the way and there's always somebody that has a better idea. Let's go find it. Chris: Yeah, that's great. Jeff, this has been a great conversation. Just love your insights and your input. Can't wait to see the book. Unity. I want to turn just a little before we wrap up, is there a favorite spot in Texas that enjoy visiting or just kind of think about when are not doing all the engineering work and planning communities? Jeff: I love Texas. There are so many rural areas and cities, but I've got to share with you about three quick ones right here. One, Arlington, Texas has become the destination between Orlando and Vegas. And it is amazing how you can come now to the metroplex and you can see all kinds of events that are taking place there in our stadiums. And it may not be sporting, it may be concerts, it may be wrestling, who knows what it may be there going on. But then also we have the premier park in the state of Texas, I believe in River Legacy Parks, 1300 acres on the Trinity River bottoms and all of the tree growth and everything is still there. Amazing place with a world-class nature center there in it. But then you can go to Fort Worth and experience the Texas experience, the Stockyards, and then the world-class museum. And so we do staycations here because we don't want to take advantage of that. But then I'll hit two others real quick. Lubbock, Texas, I know you're going to go what in the world? Check out that restaurant scene and check out the music scene that is out there. And then Tex always got things going on, but of course we love Austin, San Antonio there in particular, Fredericksburg, east Texas and Tyler is awesome, but we have found a great beach in Port Aransas, har cinnamon chores for sure. We love it Chris: A lot to offer, right? Big state. A lot to offer. We accommodate all types and tastes. Right. Well that's one of the things I love about the state of Texas is if you can kind of find anything that any interest you have, we can satisfied. Jeff: That's right. That's Chris: Maybe not snow skiing. We hadn't figured that one out yet. But other than that, I think we got you covered. Jeff: Yeah, that's right. And of course Colorado's worried Texans are going to take over Colorado. We do head up there to do our skiing Chris: For sure. Okay, last question. Do you prefer Tex-Mex or barbecue? Jeff: Oh my goodness. I hate to make this choice, but I've got to talk barbecue. We have a really neat story here in Arlington with Harto Barbecue. This was a guy that was a backyard barbecue or Brandon, he's Texas monthly now has him in the top 50. But it was really neat. We had the first neutral World Series here in Arlington. You remember during the pandemic they picked us to in the LA Dodgers in Tampa came to town. The LA Dodgers found the small little barbecue spot of Hertado here in downtown Arlington and it went viral. They put it on social media. Everybody found Brandon Hertado, including Taylor Sheridan and Taylor Sheridan with Ellison started having him out to his parties and now he signed an agreement with four six's ranch that Taylor owns to supply the beef. And he's now got several restaurants. It's just a really neat story. And how many times is it so fun for us in Texas to discover that next new barbecue spot? Got 'em all over the place. It's awesome. That is a cool Chris: Story. I've not heard of that, but now I'm going to have to go try some, so love it. Well, Jeff, this has been great. I really appreciate you taking the time, love your story and just congratulations for all the success you've had, and I know you'll continue to that into the future. Jeff: Thank you, Chris, and look forward to continuing this relationship. And thank you for what you're doing here on the podcast. Chris: Absolutely. Jeff: And remember, let's build Unity and the Unity blueprint. Special Guest: Jeff Williams.
In Part 2 of our conversation with certified lead auditor Jess Teasdake, we dig deeper into what it really takes to build an efficient, audit-ready quality management system (QMS). If you caught Part 1, you heard us talk through the big picture: certifications, audits, and what separates a good QMS from a bad one. This time, we're getting tactical. We're not just talking about passing an audit—we're talking about building a system that supports your team, reduces risk, and eliminates waste across your business. From risk registers and RPN scoring to digitizing your paperwork and planning with cross-functional teams, we cover the actual tools and habits that make quality real on the shop floor. Along the way, we share stories from our own shops—what's worked, what hasn't, and how integrated technology has changed the game. We've lived the paper-chasing, binder-filled chaos that too many shops call a QMS. And we've seen what happens when you replace it with a connected system that actually reflects how your shop runs day to day. If you're working toward certification—or just want to build a culture of quality that doesn't require heroics to maintain—this episode is your blueprint. Segments (0:26) Grow your top and bottom line with CLA (2:53) Recap of Part 1 + why efficient QMS design matters in regulated industries (3:33) Defining and mapping core processes from RFQ to shipment (6:23) Risk-based thinking: risk registers, RPN scoring, and real-world examples (9:11) Tracking and improving risk scores over time with team input (11:33) Cross-functional planning: involving machinists, programmers, and QA early (12:57) Ballooned drawings, IPCs, and quality planning before the job hits the floor (14:01) Integrated quality checkpoints: from receiving to signoffs and inspection (16:20) Why going paperless saves time and improves accuracy (17:56) Join us at Top Shops 2025! (18:51) Quality as a company-wide responsibility—not a department (21:12) Digital documentation strategy and collaboration tips (23:26) How to implement QMS step by step (26:55) Linking vs. integrating: what real QMS tech should do (29:50) Before & after ProShop: how integrated QMS changed our audit process (33:46) Certification myths: ISO, AS9100, and audit readiness every day (35:53) Why QMS should be built into your tech stack and team culture (38:07) Use Hire MFG Leaders to recruit the next level of talent Resources mentioned on this episode Machine Shop MBA: Planning for Precision Register for Top Shops 2025 now: Get 20% off with code: MAK20 Connect With MakingChips www.MakingChips.com On Facebook On LinkedIn On Instagram On Twitter On YouTube
Brandon Acker is CEO of Titan Abrasive Systems. Bio: I acquired Titan Abrasive from my uncle in 2013, after working with him for years learning the industry. I had two main goals in the early days. One was to keep costs low for customers by selling direct to them versus through a huge distributor network. I had seen the challenges – including the long lead times and meeting quotas versus providing the best system. Second, I wanted to solve some of the legacy industry challenges, such as blast cabinet legs that crumbled at the mere bump of a fork-lift and energy inefficient equipment. I wanted Titan blast equipment to meet the rigorous demands of companies blasting on a daily or even 24/7 basis – while providing unmatched performance benefits. The Titan team has achieved all this and more. Today, the Titan name is synonymous with rugged, high performance blast equipment that's custom engineered to solve tough application challenges. What's in our future? Like you, we're navigating supply chain challenges and rising costs. We're redesigning our media reclaim system, and want to take another look at our dust collector. We've begun our move into more complex application challenges in the nuclear, aerospace, and energy industries. And, we want to expand our team. But one thing will never change: You deal with us. No reps, no middlemen, no waiting weeks for an RFQ. You get intelligent engineering, product advice, and friendly customer service that can't be beat. That's the Titan difference.
Let's be real—every shop says they make quality parts. But doing it consistently? That's a whole different game. In this episode of the MakingChips Machine Shop MBA series, we break down what it actually takes to build—and sustain—excellence in quality control. From quoting parts you can actually make, to in-process inspections, to how your shipping paperwork could delay your cash flow, this episode covers the full spectrum. We dive into real-world strategies for building quality into every step of the process—from the first RFQ to the final shipment. We talk about ownership, team structure, risk-based IPC strategies, final inspections, and how a simple $100 reward created a culture of accountability on the shop floor. Whether you're building your first quality system or tightening up an already dialed-in process, this conversation will challenge you to think beyond just tolerances and calipers. You'll hear how quality isn't just about measuring—it's about quoting smarter, communicating across departments, and building a shop culture where excellence is everyone's job. This episode is packed with sharp insights and real-world stories from three shop leaders who know what it takes to deliver consistent, swit-level quality. Segments (0:50) Get excited for Top Shops 2025! (1:14) Why listening to MakingChips is SWIT (2:40) Why quality starts in quoting—before a chip is ever made (4:36) Aligning your manufacturing plan with your quality plan (6:35) Why you should track which tool cuts which feature (7:23) Probing vs. offline inspection: finding the right balance (8:27) Should quality report to operations? (Organizational insights) (11:41) Why balloon drawings still matter—and the tools to make it easier (14:30) Incoming and outgoing inspections for outside processing (16:48) When (and why) to keep quality in-house (17:41) First articles, first parts, and final inspection clarity (20:18) Grow your top and bottom line with CLA (20:57) Should machines sit idle during inspection? Risk vs. throughput (22:47) Calibration musts: Why you can't trust dropped tools (24:08) Catching bad tolerances before they hit the floor (26:00) Deviation requests: When it's worth asking (27:00) Rotating inspection plans and in-process strategies (29:53) Building inspection frequency around quantity and value (30:35) Peer checks and the $100 bill that changed everything (32:05) What “final inspection” really means at Hill Manufacturing (36:02) When paperwork mistakes delay payment—and damage quality ratings (37:37) Systematizing delivery to meet each customer's expectations (39:16) The bottom line? Quality is everyone's job (40:21) 3 reasons to check out Buy the Numbers Resources mentioned on this episode Get excited for Top Shops 2025! Grow your top and bottom line with CLA High QA Lights Out Automation Trap Series Connect With MakingChips www.MakingChips.com On Facebook On LinkedIn On Instagram On Twitter On YouTube
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.
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...
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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