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eCom Insights for Sellers on Amazon, Shopify, eBay and Walmart
In this episode, host Josh interviews Pradeep, a scientist-turned-entrepreneur who built a seven-figure Amazon business in under a year. They discuss advanced strategies for Amazon sellers, focusing on negotiating cost of goods sold, building strong supplier partnerships, optimizing inventory and cash flow, and avoiding the pitfalls of launching too many products at once. Pradeep shares actionable tips on supplier negotiations, payment terms, and expense management, emphasizing the need for a sophisticated, business-minded approach to succeed in today's competitive Amazon marketplace.Chapters:Introduction to Pradeep and His Background (00:00:00)Josh introduces Pradeep, his scientific background, and transition to Amazon e-commerce and asset acquisition.Beyond Basic Amazon Strategies (00:00:37)Discussion on moving past common optimization tactics to focus on COGS, supplier negotiation, logistics, and inventory.COGS Negotiation and Supplier Relationships (00:01:45)Pradeep explains the importance of negotiating COGS, exclusive agreements, and sophisticated supplier relationships.COGS Tracking and Unit Economics (00:04:19)Emphasis on tracking COGS, using software, and managing multiple brands and inventories.Inventory Management Pitfalls (00:05:44)Analysis of overstocking, poor forecasting, and leveraging inventory in distressed asset acquisitions.Amazon Warehousing Changes and Cash Flow (00:06:53)Transition to how Amazon's warehousing changes impact cash flow and inventory strategies.Cash Flow Mistakes and Overspending (00:07:13)Discussion on unnecessary spending on consultants, poor HR choices, and excessive conference expenses.Negotiating Payment Terms for Cash Flow (00:09:42)Advice on negotiating 30-120 day payment terms with suppliers to improve cash flow and acquisition leverage.Launching Multiple Brands: Cautionary Advice (00:11:50)Warning against launching multiple brands/products without sufficient cash flow and the risks of overextending.Key Takeaways and Action Steps (00:13:04)Josh summarizes actionable steps: focus on supplier partnerships, negotiate terms, and improve cash flow management.Expense Management and Exit Planning (00:15:08)Highlighting the impact of recurring expenses on business valuation and the importance of efficient spending.Closing Remarks (00:15:57)Final thanks and acknowledgments as the episode concludes.Links and Mentions:Tools and Websites "Jungle Scout": "00:12:30" "Helium 10": "00:12:30" Key Takeaways "Supplier Partnership": "00:13:45" "Negotiation with Suppliers": "00:14:10" "Cash Flow Management": "00:15:08"Transcript:Josh 00:00:00 Today I am excited to introduce you to Pradeep. He is trained as a scientist at Oxford University and Harvard University, and then he became the vice president of Global Business development for a biotech company. During the pandemic, he found himself in a unique situation which led him to start his Amazon e-commerce business. He became a seven figure seller in just 11 months and now has a new business model of acquiring distressed assets, and he also owns a boutique Amazon account and launch management agency. So welcome to the podcast, Pradeep.Pradeep 00:00:36 Thank you so much.Josh 00:00:37 I love that you made the mention of when we go to conferences. And as you listen to speakers speak on stage or even listening to podcasts time and time again, we hear the same optimization strategies and the same keyword strategies, and it's just a new tool that people are using. But instead what you're saying is like, the hard stuff is what people aren't necessarily talking about. People aren't getting into the weeds of cogs and negotiating with suppliers and renegotiating on an ongoing basis, and the finer details of logistics and where you're warehousing things.Josh 00:01:14 And with Amazon, you know, reducing inventory limits across the board for people. What are people doing now to kind of prepare themselves for a world where Amazon does limit you completely and with maybe 1 or 2 months worth of inventory and that's it. And how are you staging your inventory and still winning on Amazon in that environment and then cash flow? I mean, all of these things are such great topics. So yes, let's do a deep dive into each of these. Let's start with the cogs first.Pradeep 00:01:45 Yeah, sure. so what we see is quite interesting with cogs. the cog numbers to start off with, sometimes a minimum, we say 3 to 5, but as Amazon and e-commerce goes more expensive, I think it's about 8 to 10. So if you're buying something for $1, you should be above 8 to 10 in terms of selling prices, if not more, right? What we see is again and again people are saying, hey, we have particularly beginners, hey, we have this 3 to 4, but with inventory, PPC, shipping and all these things, it's just the profits are gone.Pradeep 00:02:21 Before the pandemic or during the pandemic is very profitable. And this is, by the way, experienced. This sounds stupid. I find I find myself finding myself stupid explaining this to someone, but we actually see it every day. Seven, eight, nine figure sellers saying you want this brand because the cogs have gone too expensive because they haven't worked out. Fundamentally, the multiples and the multiples have to be really strong now and the bigger multiple margin to sell. So those cogs are fundamentally negotiable, and you have to have the right product and the cogs are cheap. Price number one. It sounds stupid, but that's what we see. Number two is the negotiation. Hey, we bought 100,000 units. Next time we're going to have three 400,000 units. But you're still selling for the same price. Why? Your your factory should be giving you a note or, you know, handle cash flow or a cheaper price because they're getting raw material cheaper. And what we see is, you know, I sign NDAs, but what we see is some of these aggregators and others who are famous when they go back and some of these factories are quite savvy, say, hey, you raise X amount of money.Pradeep 00:03:29 All of a sudden your cogs are gone up. So, you know. So I think that's again how you negotiate and how you have exclusive agreements for a period of time, particularly on your best selling products. We do this in pharma and other business tools all around the world. You want it for five years. This is the price. If the if if inflation goes down or if the market changes, this is going to be a price. We have the power to change it not you. So it might be having exclusive agreements. And that's how sophisticated you guys we have to get in e-commerce. Because this is no longer a, a mom and pop kind of operation. This has to be sophisticated. Even if your mom and pop or a guy in a basement. That's how you should be thinking. you know, solar. It could be a corporate on your own, but you've got to think like that. So, cogs and how you define the first cogs, the renegotiate the cost is very important.Pradeep 00:04:19 Then thirdly, how are you people storing cogs, right. How are you doing unit economics and how are you storing Excel sheet or software and so forth. And that has to be updated on a daily basis. we see fundamental mistakes and we see fundamental errors as well. You can pick it out straight away from, profit and loss statements as well. so that's something people have to be aware of. And it gets really hard because if you have multiple brands, multiple products, multiple inventory, you know, it's all over the place.
It's the second time it's run such a review and the Commission says it needs to be anonymous due to supplier hesitation.
Enterprise Minister Peter Burke later today will meet energy industry representatives and suppliers over allegations of price-gouging One of those representatives is Kevin McPartland, Chief Executive of Fuels for Ireland and Kevin spoke to Anton ahead of this meeting.
Enterprise Minister Peter Burke later today will meet energy industry representatives and suppliers over allegations of price-gouging One of those representatives is Kevin McPartland, Chief Executive of Fuels for Ireland and Kevin spoke to Anton ahead of this meeting.
We are live at kbb Birmingham 2026!And this is the perfect environment to talk about…. suppliers. In particular, what retailers look for in new suppliers, what questions are they asking, what are the deal breakers, is it all about product or all about terms?Also when you see existing suppliers in environments like this, how important is that face-to-face and is it a chance to renegotiate or simply complain?Live and in person, we have regulars Liz Pantling Jones from Lima Kitchen in Milton Keynes and Nick Warrington from Stuart J Warrington in Macclesfield. We're also joined by Darren Taylor from Searle & Taylor in Winchester.... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
replacement parts What Happens When Replacement Parts Disappear? | Episode 599 Good morning, this is James from SurvivalPunk.com. Today we're talking about something that most people don't think about until it's too late. What happens when something breaks… and you can't get the replacement part anymore? Planned obsolescence. And what you can actually do about it. Planned Obsolescence When I first learned about planned obsolescence, it pissed me off. The idea that companies intentionally design products to fail after a few years so you have to buy another one. Your phone getting slower after a couple years. Appliances dying earlier than they should. Meanwhile your grandparents had a refrigerator from the 1950s that ran forever. The difference? It wasn't designed to die. Modern products often are. The Repair Problem Even if something can be repaired, that doesn't mean you'll be able to. Repairmen aren't nearly as common as they used to be. And a lot of things aren't built to be repaired anymore. Cars are a perfect example. Older vehicles were simple. You could practically climb inside the engine bay and remove parts comfortably. Newer cars? To replace a starter in one car I worked on, I had to remove the front wheel and drop the part out through the wheel well. Ridiculous. And then you've got sensors everywhere. A tiny sensor fails and suddenly the whole car refuses to run. The Real Problem: Parts Disappear Even if you know how to fix something, there's another issue. Replacement parts eventually stop being made. Say you have a washer — the JamesCo Washer 2000. For years, replacement parts exist. OEM parts. Aftermarket parts. Repair manuals. But eventually the manufacturer stops making them. Suppliers stop stocking them. And suddenly your washer becomes unrepairable — not because the repair is impossible, but because the part doesn't exist anymore. Strategy #1: Stock Common Failure Parts If you've got the space and money, this is a powerful strategy. Find out what parts fail most often. Examples: Ignition coils Fuel pumps Sensors Belts Filters Control boards You don't need to stock every part. Just the ones most likely to fail. I once suspected my fuel pump might go bad, so I ordered a replacement ahead of time. Turned out the issue was something else… so the pump sat in my garage for months. Then one day the fuel pump actually died. And I already had the part sitting there. Problem solved. Strategy #2: Learn Workarounds Sometimes you don't need the part. You just need a workaround. Example: catalytic converters. A friend once told me two tricks: One — cut it open and clean it out. Two — if you live somewhere without emissions testing, cut it out and straight pipe it. Not always legal everywhere — but the point is there are often solutions people have discovered that extend the life of equipment. Another time I ran over a rock that punctured my transmission pan. Fluid leaked out everywhere. Instead of replacing the entire pan, I used steel epoxy putty and sealed the hole. Worked perfectly. Sometimes the “temporary fix” lasts forever. Strategy #3: Make Your Own Parts This is where things get really interesting. With modern tools, individuals can manufacture small parts. Two powerful options: 3D printers Small CNC machines These can produce: brackets clips plastic connectors housings mounts small mechanical parts And many of these designs are already shared online. Someone else might have already solved the exact problem you’re facing. Download the file. Print the part. Fix the machine. There's Also a Business Opportunity Think about this. If a product has a common failure point… And replacement parts are no longer available… Whoever figures out how to make that part can sell it. People do this already. They reproduce discontinued parts for: vehicles appliances electronics tools Sometimes a simple plastic part that costs 50 cents to print can sell for $20 because it solves a real problem. Preparedness Angle From a preparedness standpoint, this matters a lot. If supply chains break down, replacement parts will become extremely hard to find. You won't be able to just order them online. Being able to: stock parts repair equipment improvise fixes manufacture replacements …is a massive resilience advantage. Final Thoughts Everything breaks eventually. And the modern world is not designed to help you repair things. It's designed to make you replace them. But if you think ahead… Stock a few parts. Learn some workarounds. And maybe even learn to manufacture simple components. You can keep things running long after everyone else has given up. This is James from SurvivalPunk.com. DIY to survive. Amazon Item of the Day Steel Reinforced Epoxy Putty Stick Steel Epoxy Putty Repair StickPerfect for sealing cracks, holes, and emergency repairs on metal equipment. J-B Weld SteelStik, 1 Hour Cure, Steel Reinforced Epoxy Putty Stick – 2 Pack, Dark Grey (8267-2) Think this post was worth 20 cents? Consider joining The Survivalpunk Army and get access to exclusive content and discounts! Don't forget to join in on the road to 1k! Help James Survivalpunk Beat Couch Potato Mike to 1k subscribers on Youtube Want To help make sure there is a podcast Each and every week? Join us on Patreon Subscribe to the Survival Punk Survival Podcast. The most electrifying podcast on survival entertainment. Itunes Pandora RSS Spotify Like this post? Consider signing up for my email list here > Subscribe Join Our Exciting Facebook Group and get involved Survival Punk Punk's The post What Happens When Replacement Parts Disappear? | Episode 599 appeared first on Survivalpunk.
- Will Gas Prices Push Buyers Toward Hybrids? - Geely Overtakes BYD In Chinese Auto Market - Hidden Destination Fees Cost Car Buyers Billions - European Suppliers Warn of Massive Job Cuts - Experts Skeptical of Donut Lab Battery Claims - Rare Earth Production Lags Behind EV Growth - Lithium Demand Set to Grow 25% - Automakers Use Clever Tactics to Cut Tariffs
- Will Gas Prices Push Buyers Toward Hybrids? - Geely Overtakes BYD In Chinese Auto Market - Hidden Destination Fees Cost Car Buyers Billions - European Suppliers Warn of Massive Job Cuts - Experts Skeptical of Donut Lab Battery Claims - Rare Earth Production Lags Behind EV Growth - Lithium Demand Set to Grow 25% - Automakers Use Clever Tactics to Cut Tariffs
This Omni Talk Retail Fast Five segment, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, Quorso, and Veloq, examines Walmart's launch of Scintilla In Store, giving suppliers real time store level data. Chris and Anne explain why this move could redefine supplier collaboration and unlock faster store execution at scale. ⏩ Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/2_dIsTGWqJQ #Walmart #RetailData #RetailAI #SupplyChain #OmniTalk
Danny Wirtz, Co-Chairman of Breakthru Beverage Group, discusses how brands are rethinking national agreements and what success looks like when performance, not footprint, are the primary concern for suppliers' route-to-market strategy. Themes from the episode: How did Breakthru shift strategy after a planned merger with Republic National Distributing Company was terminated in 2019? What does geographic expansion look like in the current market? What is driving decisions about footprint? Are suppliers deprioritizing a national footprint? Are there still benefits from those national partnerships? How is the push from beer wholesalers and Reyes Beverage Group changing the strategies of wine and spirits wholesalers? What are Danny's thoughts, as CEO of the Chicago Blackhawks, about the boost his sport has received from the international phenomenon Heated Rivalry? Have a question, qualm or story to tell, reach out via email: Bourcard.Nesin@rabobank.com Sign up to access our written research: RaboResearch sign-up Note: The content and opinions presented within this podcast are not intended as investment advice, and the opinions rendered are that of the individuals and not Rabobank or its affiliates and should not be considered a solicitation or offer to sell or provide services. Disclaimer: Please refer to our global RaboResearch disclaimer at https://www.rabobank.com/knowledge/disclaimer/011417027/disclaimer for information about the scope and limitations of the material published on the podcast.
The Death of the Middleman: How AI and Data are Revolutionizing Global Supply ChainsFor years, the world of global manufacturing has been an "old boys' club"—an opaque, relationship-driven industry where finding a reliable supplier outside of China required expensive consultants, plane tickets to trade shows, and endless cold calls. If you were a small business owner, you were often priced out or left in the dark. But the landscape of international trade is shifting rapidly due to rising tariffs and the need for supply chain diversification.In this episode, R. Kenner French sits down with Ricky Ho, the 27-year-old founder of Source Ready. Ricky shares his journey from a manufacturing family to dropping out of UC Berkeley to digitize the global supply chain. He explains how his platform leverages massive datasets—including US Customs records—and specialized AI to help small businesses find alternative suppliers in minutes rather than months. If you've ever felt held hostage by high tariffs or a single-source supplier, this conversation is a blueprint for building a more resilient, data-driven business.What You'll Learn
One day, Rob was browsing Instagram for pictures of lady Amherst feathers when he stumbled upon the Schuman Feathers account. The feathers were absolutely gorgeous, every single one of them, yet none were shown being utilized in fly tying. Rob reached out to ask if the dye would bleed when the feathers became wet, as he planned to use them for tying flies. He was reassured that they were indeed waterproof. Afterward, Rob contacted the company to ask about a podcast—specifically, a podcast about feathers, not one related to fly fishing. Eventually, Rob ordered ostrich plumes for his damsel nymphs. When they arrived, they were even more stunning and luxurious than the feathers he had bought from fly shops. He was convinced. Rob's latest unboxing of additional feathers can be found here. It was clear that Rob needed to have Schuman Feathers featured on the show. Paul Schuman is a multi-generational feather supplier located in Miami. His family has been involved in the feather industry for more than a hundred years. In this episode, Paul talks about everything related to feathers, from how they are sourced to the regulations governing the feather trade. They delve into topics like steaming feathers, the various industries that utilize feathers, feather anatomy, and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Another video which we said we'd never do. Except this is audio only.They're on TikTok and YouTube in full glorious video.Will your supplier ever walk away?Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/procurement-says-no--5886102/support.
It's The Ranch It Up Radio Show! Join Jeff Tigger Erhardt, Rebecca Wanner AKA BEC and their crew as they hear about a seedstock supplying partnership that works and works well. Plus updates on beef imported from Argentina, market recaps, the ranch channel sales calendar and lots more all wrapped into this brand new episode of The Ranch It Up Radio Show. Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcasting app or on the Ranch It Up Radio Show YouTube Channel. Industry Associations React To Beef Imported From Argentina President Trump issued a proclamation titled “Ensuring Affordable Beef for the American Consumer,” increasing the in-quota import of lean beef trimmings from Argentina by 80,000 metric tons in 2026 to help lower ground beef prices. U.S. Cattlemen's Association (USCA) President Justin Tupper said the group has been engaged with the Administration since expanded imports were first proposed in October 2025. While USCA supports efforts to stabilize supply, Tupper emphasized that a strong domestic cattle industry is essential and warned that trade agreements must not undermine U.S. producers or supply integrity. Tupper expressed concern over the scale and origin of the imports, noting Argentina faces tight cattle supplies similar to the U.S. He said the roughly 400% increase should be treated as a one-time exception, not a precedent, and urged stronger rules of origin and labeling so consumers know where their beef comes from. R-CALF echoed these concerns, stating that past increases in beef imports from countries such as Argentina and Brazil failed to reduce consumer prices. Instead, they correlated with a shrinking U.S. cattle herd, fewer domestic producers, and ultimately higher beef prices. USCA Press Release HERE R-CALF USA Press Release HERE Seedstock Partnership Between Schnabel Ranch Simmentals & Lazy J Bar Ranch Premium Simmental, SimAngus & Red Angus Bulls Genomically Enhanced EPDs | The Right Choice Production Sale The Right Choice Production Sale features elite Simmental, SimAngus, and Red Angus bulls backed by genomically enhanced EPDs. Every bull has been genetically tested through Neogen Igenity® Beef Genomics to increase EPD accuracy, verify parentage, and, for Simmentals, confirm polled status and coat color—giving buyers confidence in predictable performance and genetic integrity. Two Proven Ranches. One Powerful Bull Sale. Schnabel Ranch Simmentals & Lazy J Bar Ranch Schnabel Ranch Simmentals and Lazy J Bar Ranch bring decades of experience in the Simmental, SimAngus, and Red Angus seedstock business. With disciplined selection, strict herd health protocols, and a focus on profit-driven cattle, these bulls have consistently outperformed their contemporary mates. Our shared goal is simple: deliver reliable, efficient genetics that improve commercial cattle profitability today and sustain premium seedstock for future generations. Schnabel Ranch Simmentals - Eureka, South Dakota Owners: Tom & Meghan Schnabel Genetic Focus: Strong maternal cow families Functional, marketable cattle Longevity and efficiency Expected Performance: Cattle designed to grow, perform, and excel on milk and grass alone, building a solid foundation for low-input, high-return cowherds. Lazy J Bar Ranch - Mina, South Dakota Owners: John & Stephanie Jung Breeding Philosophy: Pound-driven, profit-focused genetics Balanced traits for carcass merit and maternal retention Lazy J Bar Ranch produces cattle that perform on the rail while maintaining the kind of genetics commercial producers want when keeping replacement heifers. Featured Experts in the Cattle Industry Tom Schnabel - Schnabel Ranch Simmentals https://srsimms.com/ Follow On Facebook: @schnabelranch John Jung - Lazy J Bar Ranch https://www.lazyjbarranch.com/ Follow on Facebook: @lazyjbar Kirk Donsbach – Financial Analyst at StoneX https://www.stonex.com/ Follow on Facebook: @StoneXGroupInc Shaye Wanner – Host of Casual Cattle Conversation https://www.casualcattleconversations.com/ Follow on Facebook: @cattleconvos Contact Us with Questions or Concerns Have questions or feedback? Feel free to reach out via: Call/Text: 707-RANCH20 or 707-726-2420 Email: RanchItUpShow@gmail.com Follow us: Facebook/Instagram: @RanchItUpShow YouTube: Subscribe to Ranch It Up Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/RanchItUp Catch all episodes of the Ranch It Up Podcast available on all major podcasting platforms. Discover the Heart of Rural America with Tigger & BEC Ranching, farming, and the Western lifestyle are at the heart of everything we do. Tigger & BEC bring you exclusive insights from the world of working ranches, cattle farming, and sustainable beef production. Learn more about Jeff 'Tigger' Erhardt & Rebecca Wanner (BEC) and their mission to promote the Western way of life at Tigger and BEC. https://tiggerandbec.com/ Industry References, Partners and Resources For additional information on industry trends, products, and services, check out these trusted resources: Allied Genetic Resources: https://alliedgeneticresources.com/ American Gelbvieh Association: https://gelbvieh.org/ Axiota Animal Health: https://axiota.com/multimin-campaign-landing-page/ Imogene Ingredients: https://www.imogeneingredients.com/ Jorgensen Land & Cattle: https://jorgensenfarms.com/#/?ranchchannel=view Medora Boot: https://medoraboot.com/ RFD-TV: https://www.rfdtv.com/ Rural Radio Network: https://www.ruralradio147.com/ Superior Livestock Auctions: https://superiorlivestock.com/ Transova Genetics: https://transova.com/ Westway Feed Products: https://westwayfeed.com/ Wrangler: https://www.wrangler.com/ Wulf Cattle: https://www.wulfcattle.com/
Cosmetic ingredient companies commonly develop starter formulas as inspiration for brand leaders and contract manufacturers. Some suppliers are taking product development a step further and partnering with brands to execute market-ready product briefs. This week on the CosmoFactory podcast, we hear about cosmetic ingredient makers providing product formulation services to brands. Our guest is Catherine Slish, Innovation Marketing Manager at Symrise. In 2022, the Germany-based ingredient supplier launched a program called Beauty Activations for its customers in North America; and the global company has similar initiatives in other regions. Finished product formulation and scale-up are tasks that might otherwise be outsourced to formulation consultants or contract manufacturers. Instead, Beauty Activations is a direct link between Symrise ingredient experts and a brand's in-house product developers (as well as R&D and marketing pros). If you enjoy this episode, SHARE it with a friend, FOLLOW the CosmoFactory podcast & please LEAVE A REVIEW today. With your help, even more cosmetic industry professionals can discover the inspiring interviews we share on CosmoFactory! ABOUT CosmoFactoryBeauty industry stakeholders listen to the CosmoFactory podcast for inspiration and for up-to-date information on concepts, tactics, and solutions that move business forward. CosmoFactory – Ideas to Innovation is a weekly interview series for cosmetics and personal care suppliers, finished product brand leaders, retailers, buyers, importers, and distributors. Each Tuesday, CosmoFactory guests share experiences, insights, and exclusive behind-the-scenes details—which makes this not only a must-listen B2B podcast but an ongoing case study of our dynamic industry. Guests are actively working in hands-on innovation roles along the beauty industry supply chain; they specialize in raw materials, ingredients, manufacturing, packaging, and more. They are designers, R&D or R&I pros, technical experts, product developers, key decision makers, visionary executives. HOST Deanna UtroskeCosmetics and personal care industry observer Deanna Utroske hosts the CosmoFactory podcast. She brings an editorial perspective and over a decade of industry expertise to every interview. Deanna is also Editor of the Beauty Insights newsletter and a supply-side consultant. She previously wrote the Global Perspectives column for EuroCosmetics magazine, is a former Editor of CosmeticsDesign, and is known globally for her ability to identify emerging trends, novel technologies, and true innovation in beauty. A PRODUCTION OF Cosmoprof Worldwide BolognaCosmoFactory is the first podcast from Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna, taking its place among the best B2B podcasts serving the global beauty industry. Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna is the most important beauty trade show in the world. Dedicated to all sectors of the industry, Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna welcomes over 250,000 visitors from 150 countries and regions and nearly 3,000 exhibitors to Bologna, Italy, each year. It's where our diverse and international industry comes together to build business relationships and to discover the best brands and newest innovations across consumer beauty, professional beauty, and the entire supply chain. The trade show includes a robust program of exclusive educational content, featuring executives and key opinion leaders from every sector of the cosmetics, fragrance, and personal care industry. Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna is the most important event of the Cosmoprof international network, with exhibitions in Asia (Hong Kong), the US (Las Vegas and Miami), India (Mumbai) and Thailand (Bangkok). Thanks to its global exhibitions Cosmoprof connects a community of more than 500,000 beauty stakeholders and 10,000 companies from 190 countries and regions. Learn more today at Cosmoprof.com
Allen covers Vestas CEO Henrik Andersen’s optimism on European auction reforms and bilateral CfDs, Australia’s Warradarge wind farm expansion paired with major grid upgrades, New Zealand’s wind-to-hydrogen project, South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean building a new installation vessel, and Siemens Energy’s debate over spinning off Gamesa. Sign up now for Uptime Tech News, our weekly newsletter on all things wind technology. This episode is sponsored by Weather Guard Lightning Tech. Learn more about Weather Guard’s StrikeTape Wind Turbine LPS retrofit. Follow the show on YouTube, Linkedin and visit Weather Guard on the web. And subscribe to Rosemary’s “Engineering with Rosie” YouTube channel here. Have a question we can answer on the show? Email us! Happy Monday everyone Henrik Andersen has seen a lot of failed auctions. The Vestas chief executive watched subsidy-free tenders collapse in Germany… France… the Netherlands… even his home country of Denmark. Developers wouldn’t bid. The risk was too high. But this week… Andersen stood before investors with different news. The UK’s AR7 delivered eight point four gigawatts. A record. Eight projects approved… including two floaters. Denmark and eight North Sea nations committed to one hundred gigawatts. And Germany’s onshore auction pipeline… is finally moving. Andersen sent thanks directly to Ed Miliband… Britain’s Energy Minister. “Now it’s starting to work.” … The difference? Bilateral CfDs. After watching zero-subsidy models fail across Europe… governments returned to revenue stabilization. Strike prices developers can actually finance. Andersen believes the industry should learn from these auction designs… before repeating old mistakes. Steen Brødbæk at Semco Maritime agrees. Projects are maturing. Suppliers… can finally earn a living. … Vestas identified three priority markets in their annual report. Germany for onshore. North America. And Australia. The drivers? Energy security concerns. Data center load growth. And the AI electricity surge that every grid operator is scrambling to model. As for Chinese OEMs entering European tenders? Andersen would be surprised. “You should never be surprised by anything these days,” he said. “But in this case… I would actually be surprised.” … Down in Western Australia… Warradarge is proving his point about mature markets. Four of thirty additional turbines are now vertical. When the expansion completes… eighty-one machines will generate two hundred eighty-three megawatts. The state’s largest wind farm. Owned by Bright Energy Investments… a joint venture between Synergy and Potentia. One hundred twenty workers at peak construction. And critically… the state is building transmission to match. Clean Energy Link North… the largest grid upgrade in Western Australia in more than a decade… will unlock capacity in the South West Interconnected System. Generation AND grid… moving together. That’s how you hit a 2030 coal exit. … Meanwhile in Taranaki… New Zealand… Vestas secured a twenty-six megawatt order with a twenty-year service agreement. Hiringa Energy is integrating wind with green hydrogen production at scale… serving transport… industry… and agriculture. Turbine delivery begins Q1 this year. Commissioning… Q2 twenty-twenty-seven. One of New Zealand’s first large-scale wind-to-hydrogen projects. The electrolyzer economics are finally penciling. … But you can’t install offshore turbines without vessels. And South Korea just solved a bottleneck. Hanwha Ocean won a three hundred eighty-five million pound contract… to build a WTIV capable of fifteen-megawatt class installations. Korea’s first vessel at that scale. Delivery… early twenty-twenty-eight. Korea expects twenty-five gigawatts of offshore capacity by 2035. They’re not waiting for European vessel contractors. They’re building their own supply chain. Hanwha has now delivered four WTIVs globally. … Not everyone is celebrating. At Siemens Energy… activist investor Ananym Capital is pushing to spin off Siemens Gamesa. CEO Christian Bruch calls the idea reasonable. But timing matters. The wind division must stabilize first. Bruch believes offshore wind can follow the same recovery path as the grid business… which went from crisis… to profitability. Turnaround before transaction. … So, last week we had: CfDs reviving European auctions. Australia building generation AND transmission together. New Zealand coupling wind with hydrogen. Korea investing in installation vessel capacity. And Siemens… working to fix its turbine business before any restructuring. Different geographies. Same lesson. The projects that succeed… are the ones where policy… supply chain… and capital… finally align. … And that is the state of the wind industry for the 9th of February 2026. Join us tomorrow for the Uptime wind energy podcast.
Today's guest is Dean Alms, Chief Product Officer at Aravo. Aravo is an enterprise software company focused on third-party risk management and compliance platforms that help organizations manage vendor, supplier, and partner ecosystems across regulatory, operational, and reputational risk domains. Dean joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to examine how third-party risk has evolved into a data and AI-driven, board-level visibility and resilience challenge, and how automation is reshaping the way enterprises identify, remediate, and monitor risk at scale. Dean also shares practical workflow changes, including using AI to automate document ingestion and survey validation, generate corrective actions, and enable natural language access to risk data. The discussion highlights how these approaches reduce operational cost, improve data integrity, support continuous monitoring models, and help enterprise leaders protect revenue, reputation, and regulatory posture across complex supplier networks. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the 'AI in Business' podcast! This episode is sponsored by Aravo. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.
On this episode of the Predictable Revenue Podcast, Collin Stewart interviews Imants Zudans, ex-CEO and cofounder of Molport. Imants shares his origin story, how he went from zero to product-market fit, and what it took to scale Molport to $8M and 35 people, plus the brutally honest lessons he learned about sales, leadership, and keeping founders sane. Highlighst include: Building the Marketplace: From Idea to Execution (06:00), Establishing Trust with Suppliers (08:51), Innovative Marketing Strategies for Growth (11:57), Transitioning to a Scalable Business Model (18:02), And more... Stay updated with our podcast and the latest insights on Outbound Sales and Go-to-Market Strategies!
The arrival of a special, 460-Mbbl shipment of U.S.-sourced naphtha in Venezuela a few days ago underscored a critically important fact, namely that production of Venezuelan heavy sour crude requires steady inflows of imported diluent. Today, we'll discuss Venezuela's need for diluent and how it's likely to be met.
Sunil Agrawal, Co-owner of NOLA Throws, joins Scoot to discuss if suppliers are seeing increased costs on throws and beads for Mardi Gras.
Is AI the property market's silver bullet or just another shiny distraction? Oli Sherlock from Goodlord cuts through the hype, exploring how agents should assess tech, prioritise customer readiness, and focus on real solutions rather than flashy features or empty promises.
WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports Congress wants technology in cars to keep people who are drunk from driving, but auto suppliers are worried about reliability and unintended consequences. (Photo: Getty Images)
The salient focus of our discourse today revolves around the substantial evolution of sustainability initiatives within the furniture industry, exemplified by Ikea's expansive buyback and resale program, which now encompasses over 2,800 items. This strategic maneuver not only signifies a commitment to environmental stewardship but also illustrates a burgeoning trend where resale and circular economy principles are increasingly integrated into the operational frameworks of major industry players. As we delve into the current landscape, we will also address the prevailing uncertainties in global trade, particularly the ramifications of fluctuating tariffs that continue to disrupt sourcing strategies and pricing models. Concurrently, we will explore the perspectives of construction and design professionals, who exhibit a cautiously optimistic outlook amidst labor shortages and escalating material costs. Ultimately, this episode seeks to elucidate the intricate interplay between sustainability efforts and the unpredictable nature of trade policies, as we navigate the complexities of the furniture industry in 2026. The examination of the furniture industry as we embark upon 2026 unveils a landscape rich with both opportunity and uncertainty, characterized by significant advancements in sustainability practices and a complex international trade environment. A salient feature of this discussion is the notable expansion of Ikea's buyback and resale program, which has now incorporated an additional 700 products, culminating in a total of over 2,800 items eligible for return and resale. This strategic initiative epitomizes a broader trend within the industry, where sustainability is not merely an ideal but is increasingly becoming an operational imperative. Ikea's commitment to reducing waste and promoting the longevity of its products reflects a profound shift in consumer expectations and corporate responsibility. As the dialogue progresses, it becomes evident that such resale strategies are being integrated into the core operational frameworks of major retailers, indicating that a paradigm shift towards a circular economy is underway. Furthermore, the conversation transitions to the international sourcing challenges that remain a significant concern for the industry, particularly as highlighted by the recent Heim textile show in Frankfurt. The atmosphere at the event was permeated by discussions of tariffs and trade pressures, overshadowing any sense of optimism regarding future trends. Suppliers expressed apprehension regarding potential tariff repercussions, particularly in light of the geopolitical tensions that have characterized recent years. The overarching sentiment among industry participants is one of caution; businesses are compelled to remain agile and responsive to the rapidly changing trade policies that could impact their sourcing strategies. This sense of uncertainty necessitates a recalibration of how companies approach market entry and product pricing, as stakeholders navigate the complexities of a volatile global trade environment. As the episode culminates, attention shifts to the outlook of construction and design professionals, who exhibit a tempered optimism as they anticipate the challenges and opportunities that 2026 may present. Recent data from Houzz indicates that while many professionals harbor a positive outlook for the year ahead, they remain acutely aware of the labor shortages and rising material costs that could impede progress. This duality of hope and realism underscores the intricate balancing act that industry stakeholders must perform—investing in growth while remaining cognizant of the economic signals that may herald challenges. Collectively, these insights delineate a nuanced portrait of the furniture industry, illustrating a sector in transition, where the integration of sustainability practices and the navigation of trade uncertainties will be pivotal in shaping its future...
Volatility in pricing, lead times and material availability isn't going away – but the way builders and suppliers partner can determine whether projects stay on schedule and client experience can evolve. In this episode of “The Building Code”, guest host Scott Hale is joined by: Thom Black (VP of Purchasing, CBUSA) Jon Showalter (COO/VP, Homes by Dickerson) Brian Humphreys (Director – Builder Channel Sales, Kohler) Together, they break down what trust between builders and suppliers looks like in practice, including using analytics to reduce uncertainty, building discipline around selections, collaborating across the supply chain to forecast demand and why face-to-face relationships still matter in a digital-first industry. What you'll learn: How trust and transparency stabilize pricing and schedules during volatile market conditions Why solving root causes (not symptoms) leads to better long-term supply chain outcomes Where technology improves forecasting and visibility and where relationships still matter most A builder-centric blog that breaks down key procurement lessons and how CBUSA's network and strategies help builders avoid costly mistakes. Subscribe here, and never miss an episode. Got podcast topic suggestions? Reach out to us at podcast@buildertrend.com. Links and more Find Homes by Dickerson here Learn more about Kohler and CBUSA Follow CBUSA on social: Instagram | Facebook Watch The Building Code on YouTube Join The Building Code Crew fan page on Facebook to connect with fellow listeners and keep the conversation going #TheBuildingCode #Buildertrend #CBUSA #HomeBuilding #ConstructionIndustry #SupplyChain #BuilderSupplier #Procurement #ConstructionLeadership #CustomHomeBuilder #Forecasting #Transparency #ClientExperience #Kohler
Episode SummaryHappy New Year! In this episode, Kelli and Cyndi dig into the worst advice travel advisors hear online — and why it's so dangerous when you're trying to build a real business.They break down three big myths that keep advisors stuck:“Don't charge fees.”“Suppliers will train you on everything you need.”“Just post on social media and clients will come.”You'll also hear practical truth bombs about what luxury clients actually expect, why systems matter more than hustle, how to think about marketing like a real machine (not a hope-and-pray strategy), and the mindset shift that helps you move faster without crumbling later.They wrap with the best advice to start your year strong: get crystal clear on your goals, make decisive moves, and allow yourself to win or learn.Why “free” marketing language can quietly destroy your valueHow fees protect your time, revenue, and client experienceWhy supplier training ≠ business training (and what's missing)The “Lego” analogy that explains why piecing random advice together failsWhy posts don't equal bookings, and what actually creates salesThe importance of a conversion path + multi-channel marketingThe fastest-scaling advisors aren't always the smartest — they're decisiveHow to set goals that are measurable, actionable, and aligned00:00 – Welcome to 202600:48 – The problem with “loud” advice from people without results04:40 – Bad advice #1: “Don't charge fees”07:30 – Please stop marketing your services as “free”10:02 – Why vacations aren't a $24.99 impulse buy12:05 – Deal-of-the-day marketing attracts the wrong clients16:41 – Bad advice #2: “Suppliers will teach you everything”18:05 – The Lego box analogy: why you need instructions22:15 – Fast, cheap, quality: you only get two29:45 – Bad advice #3: “Just post on social media”33:29 – Marketing is multi-channel, and it requires testing36:28 – The conversion path question: “Where do they go?”42:29 – The best advice for 2026: clarity + decisive action44:50 – Join the Goal Mapping Workshop + Open House46:00 – WLC upgrades, alumni updates, and what's new for 2026Open House: https://wanderlust-ceo.com/open-houses/Goal Mapping Call: https://wanderlust-ceo.com/goalmapping/Free WLC Account: https://wanderlust-ceo.com
WOW! We've reached the 400th episode of this podcast. I'd like to thank all of you for being here with me on this incredible journey. And now, let us begin. Links: Email Me | Twitter | Fac ebook | Website | Linkedin Join the Time And Life Mastery Programme here. Use the coupon code: codisgreat to get 50% off. Download the Areas of Focus Workbook for free here Get Your Copy Of Your Time, Your Way: Time Well Managed, Life Well Lived The Working With… Weekly Newsletter Carl Pullein Learning Centre Carl's YouTube Channel Carl Pullein Coaching Programmes Subscribe to my Substack The Working With… Podcast Previous episodes page Script | 399 Hello, and welcome to episode 400 of the Your Time, Your Way Podcast. A podcast to answer all your questions about productivity, time management, self-development, and goal planning. My name is Carl Pullein, and I am your host of this show. 15 years ago, I remember being excited to find Ian Fleming's explanation of how to write a thriller. I saved the text of that article from the Internet directly into Evernote. As I look back, I think that is probably my favourite piece of text that I've saved in my notes over the years. This morning I did a little experiment. I asked Gemini what Ian Fleming‘s advice is for writing a thriller. Within seconds, Gemini gave me not only the original text but also a summary and bullet points of the main points. Does this mean that many of the things we have traditionally saved in our digital notes today are no longer needed? I'm not so sure. It's this and many similar uses of our digital note-taking applications that may no longer be necessary And that nicely brings me on to this week's topic, and that means it's time for me to hand you over to the Mystery Podcast Voice for this week's question. This week's question comes from Ricardo. Ricardo asks, Could you discuss more about note-taking in your podcast, as I have difficulties regarding how to collect and store what's important? Hi Ricardo. Thank you for your question. When digital note-taking apps began appearing on our mobile phones around 2009, they were a revelation. Prior to this innovation, we carried around notebooks and collected our thoughts, meeting notes and plans in them. Yet, given our human frailties, most of these notebooks were lost, and even if they were not, it was difficult to find the right notebook with the right notes. Some people were good at storing these. Many journalists and scientists were excellent at keeping these records organised. As were many artists. And we are very lucky that they did because many years later, those notebooks are still available to us. You can see Charles Darwin's and Isaac Newton's notebooks today. Many of which are kept at the Athenaeum Club in London, and others are in museums around the world. It was important in the days before the Internet to keep these notebooks safe. They contained original thoughts, scientific processes and information that, as in Charles Darwin's and Isaac Newton's case, would later form part of a massive scientific breakthrough. Darwin's journey on HMS Beagle was a defining moment in scientific history. It provided the raw data and observations that would eventually lead to his theory of evolution by natural selection. That was published some twenty years after his journey in his book On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection. During Darwin's five-year journey around the world, he filled 15 field notebooks with observations and sketches—these were roughly the same size as the iconic Field Notes pocket notebooks you can buy today. Additionally, he kept several Geological Specimen Notebooks. These were slightly larger than his field notes notebooks. He used these primarily to catalogue the fossils and rocks he collected Darwin also kept a large journal during his travels, which he used to record data and incidents. These were all original thoughts and observations. Today, all that information is freely available on the internet and, of course, in books. What's more, with AI tools such as Gemini and ChatGPT, finding this information today is easy. I, like many people today, rarely use internet searches for information. I simply ask Gemini. This means there's no point in saving this information in my digital notes. All my searches are saved within the Gemini app, as they are in ChatGPT and Claude. But your original thoughts, ideas and project notes are unique. It's these you want to keep in your digital notes. Much like Charles Darwin and Isaac Newton wrote down their thoughts and observations, your thoughts, observations and ideas should be collected and stored. When Darwin travelled on the Beagle, he was 22 years old. When he published The Origin of Species, he was 45. And perhaps, like Darwin, not all your ideas today will have an immediate practical purpose. But if you don't keep them, they never will. This is why it's important to keep them where you can find them later. And that's where our digital tools today are so much better than the paper notebooks we kept. We can find anything, any time, from any digital device we have on hand. I remember reading Leonardo Da Vinci's biography, and he often travelled to other parts of Italy. If he needed to reference a note he had made—and he made copious notes—and he did not have the right notebook with him on his travels, it would have taken him days to retrieve the information. We don't have that problem today. So, when it comes to collecting, be ruthless in what you keep. I have a notebook in my notes app called “Suppliers”. This is where I store the names of the companies I regularly buy things from. For example, I get my clothing from several preferred retailers. I buy my woollen jumpers (sweaters) from Cordings of Piccadilly. In the note I have for Cordings, are my sizes and the website address. This makes it easy for me to find what I am looking for and order. I use Apple's Password app to store my login details, so once I have found what I want, I can order it very quickly. Amazon makes this even easier with a “Buy It Again” section, so if I am running low on Yorkshire Tea, I go to Amazon, click Buy It Again, and within a few seconds, I see Yorkshire Tea and can order straight away. Ten years ago, I kept all that information in my notes. Today, I don't bother as it's faster to go directly to Amazon. Another use I have for my digital notes is to keep all my client meeting notes. Each week, I will have around fifteen to twenty calls with clients, and I keep notes for each call as I write feedback, which I send to the client after the call. These are unique notes, and each one will be different, so using the Darwin/Newton principle—keeping thoughts, ideas and observations in your notes—they will be kept in my notes in a notebook called “clients”. What's great about this is I have over eight years' worth of client notes in Evernote, which feed ideas for future content as they're directly relatable to real experiences and difficulties. Another useful note to have in your notes is something called an “Anchor Note”. This is a note where you keep critical information you may need at any particular time. For example, I keep all the subscriber links to my various websites there, which can be quickly copied and pasted whenever needed. I also have the Korean Immigration office website there, since it's not easy to find, and I only need it every 3 or 4 years. Depending on how security-conscious you are, you can also keep your Social Security and driving license numbers there, too. How you organise your notes depends on you and how your brain works. However, the more complex your organisational system, the slower you will be at finding what you need. Now this is where computers come into their own. Whether you use Apple, Google or Microsoft, all these companies have built incredible search functionality into the core of their systems. This means as long as you give your note a title that means something to you, you will be able to find it in five or ten years' time. I remember once my wife asked me for a password to a Korean website I had not used in ten years or more. I couldn't remember it, and I didn't have the password stored in my old password manager, 1Password. As a long shot, I typed the name of the website into Evernote—the note-taking app I've been using for almost fifteen years—and within a second, the website with my login details was on my screen. If I'd tried to find that information by going through my notebooks and tags, I would never have found it. I let Evernote handle the hard work, and it did so superbly. However, that said, there is something about having some basic structure to your notes. I use a structure I call GAPRA. GAPRA stands for Goals, Areas of Focus, Projects, Resources and Archive. It's loosely based on Tiago Forte's PARA method. I find having separate places for my goals, areas of focus and projects makes it easier for me to navigate things when I am creating a note. My goals section is for tracking data. For instance, if I were losing weight, I would record my weight each week there. My areas of focus notebook is where I keep my definitions of my areas and what they mean to me, and it gives me a single place to review these every six months. My project notebook is where I keep all my notes for my current projects. The biggest notebook I have, though, is my resources notebook. This is a catch-all for everything else. My supplier's notebook is there, as is information about different cities I travel to or may travel to in the future. As I look at that notebook now, Paris is the note that has the most information. (Although Osaka in Japan is getting close to it) I also have places to visit in Korea that I keep for when my mother visits—which she does every year—so I can build a different itinerary for her each year. The archive is for old notes. I'm not by nature a hoarder, but I do find it reassuring that anything I have created is still there and still searchable. And that's it, Ricardo. You don't need to keep anything that is findable on the internet or in AI; that's duplication. But what I would highly recommend you keep are your original ideas, thoughts, and meeting notes (even if they are being summarised by AI. How AI interprets what's been said is not always what was meant) And if, like me, you prefer to take handwritten notes, you can scan them into your digital notes app so you have a quick reference even if you don't have your paper notebook with you. I hope that helps, and thank you for your question, Ricardo. And thank you to you, too, for listening. It just remains for me now to wish you all a very, very productive week.
Why are so many estate agency suppliers poor at marketing themselves? In this episode, Simon King offers insight from both sides of the industry, exploring why some brands connect while others fall flat. He discusses humanising a company, keeping clients engaged after the sale, and the pitfalls suppliers still face across the UK property market.
In this episode, Mike Babbitt from Synovus is on the podcast to talk about the inherent risks associated with importing goods, and how you can reduce that risk especially when starting with new suppliers. He shares various strategies to illustrate these challenges, and the importance of understanding the international trade landscape. Mike Babbitt, Synovus's Head of Trade and Supply Chain Finance Origination, is on the podcast today to talk about the various risks that importers (and exporters) are facing in 2025 and 2026 and how you as an importer can protect yourself when importing. Mike also talks about the various trends he's observed over the years and how we're slowly moving to a "just right" inventory model. If you're looking to expand your product portfolio with new suppliers, this episode may be for you. Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction to International Trade and Sonovus Bank 02:56 - Understanding Risks in Importing and Exporting 05:55 - Mitigating Risks with Letters of Credit 09:02 - Practical Scenarios for Using Letters of Credit 11:55 - Exploring Trade Financing Mechanisms 14:57 - Current Trends in Importing and Exporting 17:54 - Reconfiguring Supply Chains and Reshoring 21:06 - Economic Outlook and Consumer Confidence 24:01 - Conclusion and Contact Information Mike, thanks for coming on the podcast. If you'd like to reach out to Mike, you can check him out on his LinkedIn page here. As always, if you have any questions or anything that you need help with, leave a comment down below if you're interested. Don't forget to leave us a review on iTunes if you enjoy our content. Thanks for listening! Until next time, happy selling!
- Audi Sells Italdesign - EU Could Delay ICE Ban To 2040 - VW To Add EREVs To U.S. and EU Lineups - Dongfeng Hits +48% Efficiency with Turbo-Four - Ford Suppliers Get China Rare Earths - China Takes Lead in Hot-Stamped Steel - Nissan Undercuts Tesla FSD By $4,000 - JLR IP Crossbar Cuts CO2
- Audi Sells Italdesign - EU Could Delay ICE Ban To 2040 - VW To Add EREVs To U.S. and EU Lineups - Dongfeng Hits +48% Efficiency with Turbo-Four - Ford Suppliers Get China Rare Earths - China Takes Lead in Hot-Stamped Steel - Nissan Undercuts Tesla FSD By $4,000 - JLR IP Crossbar Cuts CO2
This week at NSTA: The Bus Stop - Executive Director Curt Macysyn welcomes first-time guest Lee Edwards, Vice President and Territory Manager for Wells Fargo Equipment Finance, Co-Chair of NSTA's Manufacturers, Suppliers and Technology (MST) Committee. Lee and Wells Fargo Equipment Finance won the 2025 NSTA Vendor Partner of the Year at the NSTA Annual Meeting & Convention in Boston this past July. The duo start the conversation by tracing Lee's path from an early sales background to his current role in supporting the school transportation industry with Wells Fargo. Lee gives Curt an inside look at Wells Fargo Equipment Finance and the role of the Commercial Vehicle Group, while he and Curt discuss evolving trends, post-COVID market dynamics, and key developments shaping student transportation today. The pair highlight the NSTA MST Committee, and it's priorities as they head into the new year. The duo shift gears by talking all things SEC football, and cover everything from coaching rumors, to the outlook for UT, and the growing rivalry feel in the Volunteer State between Tennessee and Vanderbilt. The episode closes as Lee shares how listeners can stay connected with Wells Fargo Equipment Finance. Become a podcast subscriber and don't miss an episode of NSTA: The Bus Stop- NSTA Vendor Partners can take advantage of our comprehensive advertising package that will help you reach your target audience - private school bus operators!Support the show
This episode explores a powerful but often overlooked truth in construction: your performance is only as strong as the partners and suppliers who support you. Jason shares insights from Toyota and examples from modern construction teams to show how great companies don't just demand excellence from their vendors, they help create it. By training, supporting, and collaborating with partners, leaders build a unified system where everyone wins together. If you want a healthier, more reliable, and more predictable project environment, this episode will reshape how you view your supply chain relationships. What you'll learn in this episode: Why the most effective companies invest time developing their partners and suppliers, not just monitoring them. How Toyota's approach to vendor collaboration creates high reliability, consistent quality, and predictable delivery. Why construction leaders should train, support, and educate trade partners just as intentionally as their internal teams. How open-door collaboration builds unity and eliminates the "us versus them" mentality on projects. What it looks like when owners and GCs truly work shoulder to shoulder with trade partners to elevate performance. If your success depends on your partners, what would change if you treated their growth and stability as a direct extension of your own? If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two
The Today in Manufacturing Podcast is brought to you by the editors of Manufacturing.net and Industrial Equipment News (IEN).This week's episode is brought to you by Blumira. Watch this short new video, "Manufacturing's Most Concerning Cybersecurity Trends," to learn about the latest hacking trends, like how supply chains and logistics services are coming under fire, and how you can negate these vulnerabilities.Every week, we cover the five biggest stories in manufacturing, and the implications they have on the industry moving forward. This week:- GE Appliances Bolsters Ties with U.S. Suppliers; Moves Production from China to Kentucky- Critical Auto Supplier Catches Fire for Third Time in Two Months- Baltimore Bridge Collapse Blamed on Single Loose WireIn Case You Missed It- Tesla Recalls 10,500 Powerwalls After Fires- Volkswagen Debuts Restored Vintage Blue Bus That Survived California Wildfire- Military Vets Embrace New BattlefieldPlease make sure to like, subscribe and share the podcast. You could also help us out a lot by giving the podcast a positive review. Finally, to email the podcast, you can reach any of us at David, Jeff, or Anna [at] ien.com, with “Email the Podcast” in the subject line.
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 Brand loyalty at Nissan isn't earned during a sale. It's earned later, when a driver needs a repair, and the part they need is already there. That moment shapes Darrin Lucas's work. He leads after-sales supply chain operations across the Americas, making sure vehicles stay in service instead of sitting in a bay waiting for parts.His team manages warranty support, service parts, and dealer inventory with one goal in mind: a repair should feel routine to the customer. The planning beneath it, however, is anything but routine. Instead of reacting to dealer requests, they work ahead of demand and stock items based on what they expect will be needed weeks from now.To make those decisions earlier and with more accuracy, Nissan is moving past traditional forecasting habits. The company utilizes AI-driven predictions, real-time performance dashboards, and automation in its distribution centers to prepare the correct parts before customers arrive for service. With better insight comes a different kind of supply chain partnership. Suppliers aren't just shipping parts; they're sharing data, adapting quickly, and helping Nissan support both production and service without sacrificing one for the other.Dealers are also part of the strategy. Darrin talks about advisory boards where dealers give feedback, test ideas, and influence how inventory gets planned. This helps Nissan prevent shortages before they occur, and it provides a clearer picture of what customers are actually experiencing in service bays, not just what spreadsheets predict.Darrin's own career mirrors the way Nissan wants the organization to work. He joined Nissan as a packaging engineer and moved into logistics, quality, and operations because leaders encouraged him to learn beyond his role. That gave him the perspective he uses today. Now, he leads by giving his team the same space to grow, allowing people to learn, think independently, and solve problems without being controlled by every metric. When people understand the business, the KPIs follow.Nissan views after-sales as an ongoing promise to customers who have already chosen the brand. It isn't a backup to manufacturing or a response to breakdowns. It's part of the relationship that continues long after the car leaves the showroom, earning loyalty through every mile the vehicle stays on the road.Themes discussed in this episode:How stocking service parts weeks in advance prevents vehicles from sitting idle at the dealershipThe shift from outdated forecasting methods to AI-driven demand planning in automotive after-salesHow automation in distribution centers speeds up service part delivery and reduces wait timesWhy suppliers must support both production and after-sales to meet customer repair expectationsThe increasing demand for OEM parts through e-commerce and how it disrupts traditional delivery modelsHow proactive parts planning turns after-sales into a strategic advantage instead of a reaction to breakdownsThe value of cross-functional experience in building leaders who understand the entire parts lifecycleThe responsibility of after-sales supply chain teams to maintain customer confidence after the saleFeatured on this episode:Name: Darrin LucasTitle: Director, Aftersales Supply Chain Operations Americas at Nissan North AmericaAbout: Darrin is the Director of Aftersales Supply Chain Operations for the
WWJ auto analyst John McElroy says General Motors has dropped a bombshell on suppliers telling them not to source anything from China.
Rare Earths, Global Conflicts, and Reimagining Democracy. Gregory Copley analyzes China's rare earth monopoly, noting it was achieved through low pricing and unsafe practices but is now eroding as global suppliers ramp up production. He reviews current global conflicts, viewing the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford battle group near Venezuela as a test of brinkmanship, and citing Kyiv's admission of losses in Ukraine. Copley also argues that democracy is "dead," advocating for a return to defining the spirit of a social contract rather than relying on mutable laws. 1914 MELBOURNE
Rare Earths, Global Conflicts, and Reimagining Democracy. Gregory Copley analyzes China's rare earth monopoly, noting it was achieved through low pricing and unsafe practices but is now eroding as global suppliers ramp up production. He reviews current global conflicts, viewing the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford battle group near Venezuela as a test of brinkmanship, and citing Kyiv's admission of losses in Ukraine. Copley also argues that democracy is "dead," advocating for a return to defining the spirit of a social contract rather than relying on mutable laws. 1862 PLATO SYMPOSIUM VIA MUNICH
Rare Earths, Global Conflicts, and Reimagining Democracy. Gregory Copley analyzes China's rare earth monopoly, noting it was achieved through low pricing and unsafe practices but is now eroding as global suppliers ramp up production. He reviews current global conflicts, viewing the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford battle group near Venezuela as a test of brinkmanship, and citing Kyiv's admission of losses in Ukraine. Copley also argues that democracy is "dead," advocating for a return to defining the spirit of a social contract rather than relying on mutable laws.
Rare Earths, Global Conflicts, and Reimagining Democracy. Gregory Copley analyzes China's rare earth monopoly, noting it was achieved through low pricing and unsafe practices but is now eroding as global suppliers ramp up production. He reviews current global conflicts, viewing the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford battle group near Venezuela as a test of brinkmanship, and citing Kyiv's admission of losses in Ukraine. Copley also argues that democracy is "dead," advocating for a return to defining the spirit of a social contract rather than relying on mutable laws. 1955
- U.S. SAAR Drops To 15.3 Million - Porsche SE Profits Plummet - Polestar Struggles to Stay Listed - Tesla Supercharger Availability on Google Maps - GM Makes Management Moves - GM to Suppliers: Get Out of China - Hesai Lidar Sales Up 230% - Peugeot Reimagines Compact Cars - Mercedes GLB's Massive Screens
- U.S. SAAR Drops To 15.3 Million - Porsche SE Profits Plummet - Polestar Struggles to Stay Listed - Tesla Supercharger Availability on Google Maps - GM Makes Management Moves - GM to Suppliers: Get Out of China - Hesai Lidar Sales Up 230% - Peugeot Reimagines Compact Cars - Mercedes GLB's Massive Screens
Text us a pool question!Lee's back on home turf (and grand-dad duty) and Shane's in the chair from New Zealand for a lively episode that starts with a wild Guy Fawkes blackout story and lands on a pressing industry issue: two major distributors have exited the NZ market, leaving pros scrambling for parts, warranties, and sensible logistics.In this episodeCold open: A powder-monkey grandad, one huge bang, and parts of Melbourne go dark
The Cybercrime Magazine Podcast brings you daily cybercrime news on WCYB Digital Radio, the first and only 7x24x365 internet radio station devoted to cybersecurity. Stay updated on the latest cyberattacks, hacks, data breaches, and more with our host. Don't miss an episode, airing every half-hour on WCYB Digital Radio and daily on our podcast. Listen to today's news at https://soundcloud.com/cybercrimemagazine/sets/cybercrime-daily-news. Brought to you by our Partner, Evolution Equity Partners, an international venture capital investor partnering with exceptional entrepreneurs to develop market leading cyber-security and enterprise software companies. Learn more at https://evolutionequity.com
What if we stopped investing like bystanders and started investing like owners and “neighbors” in the story of our finances?When you invest like an owner, our portfolios can reflect faithful stewardship and create real-world impact. Robin John joins us today to share practical ways to move from passive investing to purposeful ownership.Robin John is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at Eventide Asset Management, an underwriter of Faith & Finance. He's also the author of the book, The Good Investor: How Your Work Can Confront Injustice, Love Your Neighbor, and Bring Healing to the World.Investing vs. SpeculatingMany people confuse investing with speculating. Speculating—like day trading—is often no different than gambling. It's focused on short-term gains, trying to predict what the market will do tomorrow. But investing is about ownership. When you buy a stock, you're buying a piece of a company. You become a co-owner.That means your money is participating in real work—serving customers, employing people, and creating products that impact lives. As Christians, we should invest in companies we believe are doing good for the world, not just generating profits.Speculation is reactive and anxious. Investing, when done faithfully, allows us to rest in the knowledge that our capital is working toward purposes aligned with God's design for flourishing.The Responsibility of OwnershipOwnership changes everything. It confers ethical responsibility.If you owned a neighborhood store, you'd care deeply about how it serves your community, treats employees, and impacts the environment. In the same way, being a shareholder means you share in both the profits and the moral implications of what that company does.That's why Eventide Asset Management believes that Christians must think like owners, not traders. Ownership means engaging thoughtfully with the companies we invest in—voting proxies, engaging in dialogue with management, and ensuring that our capital is stewarded with integrity. Our investing isn't just about earning; it's about embodying our faith in the marketplace.Why Passive Investing Deserves a Closer LookIn recent years, many investors have turned to index funds or “passive” strategies. While these offer simplicity and diversification, I believe we should pause and ask: What are we actually owning?As Christians, we can't do anything passively—not even investing. Romans 12:2 calls us to avoid conforming to the patterns of this world, to renew our minds, and to discern what is good. That means we can't blindly invest in every company just because it's part of a market index.Do we really want to profit from industries like pornography, abortion, gambling, or tobacco? Our calling is to pursue good profits—profits that come from serving others and honoring God.To meet that need, Eventide has created systematic ETFs—investment funds that provide broad market exposure while intentionally excluding harmful industries. They're designed for believers who want to participate in the market without compromising biblical conviction.The Neighbor Map: Loving People Through InvestingIn his book, The Good Investor, Robin shares something he calls the Neighbor Map—a framework that helps us see all the “neighbors” affected by a business.God's command to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19) isn't abstract. It applies to the business world. At Eventide, they have identified six key neighbors every company should serve:Customers – Are the company's products truly good for those who use them?Employees – Are they treated with dignity, fairness, and care?Suppliers – Are business relationships ethical and respectful?Communities – Does the company create meaningful jobs and contribute positively to local life?The Environment – Is creation being stewarded well? Caring for creation is one of the most direct ways to love the poor, because it's the poor who suffer most from pollution and neglect.Society – Is the company contributing to the flourishing of the broader culture?Faithful investing isn't only about avoiding harm—it's also about embracing good. When we invest in companies that love their neighbors well, we participate in God's ongoing work of restoration.As investors, we're not distant spectators. We're partners. At Eventide, they engage directly with the companies we invest in—raising concerns, asking hard questions, and encouraging leadership to act with wisdom and compassion.Their goal isn't confrontation—it's collaboration. Whether it's addressing supply chain ethics, employee safety, or corporate philanthropy, we approach these conversations as co-owners who want to see good companies become even better.Clarity for Every Christian InvestorMany believers are unaware of what their money supports. That's why the team at Eventide created GoodInvestor.com—a free tool that allows you to screen your portfolio and see exactly what you're investing in. You can also connect with advisors who understand faith-based investing and can help you align your portfolio with your convictions.We hope that Christians everywhere would invest with joy, clarity, and confidence—knowing that their capital is serving God's purposes in the world. When we invest, we're not just moving money—we're shaping the world. Every dollar we deploy carries moral and spiritual weight.Our prayer is that more believers would see investing as a form of worship—a way to love God and neighbor through the stewardship of capital. Together, we can build a world that rejoices, where profits are good, people are valued, and creation is honored.On Today's Program, Rob Answers Listener Questions:Back in 2010, my parents set up a life estate warranty deed for their home, adding my siblings and me to the deed. My mom passed away eight years ago, and my dad passed in December 2024. We're preparing to sell the house now, but I keep hearing that we need to use a “life expectancy table” to calculate the home's value for capital gains or losses. Can you explain how that works and what steps we'll need to take for the taxes?I've saved up three months' worth of income—about $2,300 in total—and I still owe around $500 on a HELOC and another $500 on a credit card with interest rates of about 7% and 8.9%. My question is: Should I treat my savings separately from my three-month emergency fund? For example, if something unexpected happens—like a car repair—I don't want to touch my emergency fund. Is there a certain percentage or guideline for how much should be in an emergency fund versus regular savings?Resources Mentioned:Faithful Steward: FaithFi's New Quarterly Magazine (Become a FaithFi Partner)The Good Investor: How Your Work Can Confront Injustice, Love Your Neighbor, and Bring Healing to the World by Robin C. JohnEventide Asset ManagementGoodInvestor.com (Investment Screening Tool and Advisor Search)Wisdom Over Wealth: 12 Lessons from Ecclesiastes on MoneyLook At The Sparrows: A 21-Day Devotional on Financial Fear and AnxietyRich Toward God: A Study on the Parable of the Rich FoolFind a Certified Kingdom Advisor (CKA) or Certified Christian Financial Counselor (CertCFC)FaithFi App Remember, you can call in to ask your questions every workday at (800) 525-7000. Faith & Finance is also available on Moody Radio Network and American Family Radio. You can also visit FaithFi.com to connect with our online community and partner with us as we help more people live as faithful stewards of God's resources. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Traditional AR and AP finance is no longer enough. With evolving disclosure requirements, tariff pressures, and increasing supplier expectations, treasurers must deliver liquidity and visibility with fewer resources while managing heavier supplier demands. In this episode, Sean VanGundy and Jeremy Reedus join Craig Jeffery from Strategic Treasurer and Michel Abranches from Monkey Tech (Money is Key) to explore how working capital 2.0 helps treasurers move beyond one-size-fits-all programs. They discuss how hybrid approaches, such as auction-based supplier financing for lower rates alongside automated dynamic discounting, can optimize AR and AP, strengthen supplier adoption, and deliver measurable EBITDA impact. The conversation also highlights how real-time visibility gives treasurers a true decision cockpit and how removing the lift of supplier onboarding and support enables higher participation and improved governance. https://www.monkeytech.com/
Episode 266Sponsor:Maker CampOctober 10-13, 2025Join us for a weekend of making, crafting, and fun in the Catskills Mountains!A gathering of artisans, educators, do-it-yourselfers, hobbyists, engineers, writers, artists, students and commercial exhibitors. Get hands on with tools and learn some new crafts! From Leatherworking to Blacksmithing. They have it all!https://catskillmountainmakerscamp.com/ Sign up for Patreon for Early access, and special Patreon-only content:https://www.patreon.com/anotherwoodshoppodcastPATREON GIVEAWAY!Donate to Maker's For St. JudeEvery $5 earns you an extra entry in the Patreon Giveaway (Paid Patrons Only)http://fundraising.stjude.org/goto/anotherwoodshoppodcast You can send in your question to get answered on the podcast! Record your question or comment on your phones voice memo app and email it to anotherwoodshoppodcast@gmail.comYou can follow us all and the podcast on Instagram and YouTube!Whats on our bench:
In this week's episode, we preview "America's largest RV Show" in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and discuss the relevance of RV shows today. We dive into safety concerns and a response from Love's Truck Stops regarding their RV stops and tornado shelter preparedness. We also share feedback on the podcast format and updates about upcoming events. Plus, headlamps, the invasion of big spiders, and more. *Become an RV Miles Mile Marker member and get your first month for $3 *Get your FREE weekly Road Signs Newsletter at https://rvmiles.com/mailinglist/ *Get all the details about Homecoming 2025 here: https://rvmiles.com/homecoming/ Support our Sponsors: *https://liquifiedrv.com/RVMilesRVGiveaway * Harvest Hosts: Save 15% on a Harvest Hosts membership with MILES at https://harvesthosts.com *Check out all Blue Ox has to offer at https://BlueOx.com *Get 30% off your new RV mattress at https://rvmattress.com/rvmiles with code RVMILES Track SSTK_MUSIC_ID 437726– Monetization ID MONETIZATION_ID AMXDXB4BX5FLHUYE 00:00 Introduction 01:24 Podcast Format and Listener Feedback 02:03 News and Industry Updates 07:45 Controversial Speed Record at Grand Teton 15:12 Love's RV Stops and Tornado Preparedness 21:40 Sponsorship Break 23:05 Hershey RV Show Overview 36:50 RV Show Insights and Supplier Importance 37:52 Unique Aspects of Different RV Shows 38:52 The Value of Suppliers and Vendors 44:39 Fresh Tank - Black Tank 01:02:36 Conclusion and Farewell