Want to know a hiring secret? A self-directed development strategy can help you attract and retain top-notch talent in today's transient employment climate. 

J Carlton Harwood, a consultant and 30-year vet of Ferguson Enterprises, believes that staff success isn’t acquired through mandatory coursework. Instead, he champions a “hands-off,” self-directed model. Give employees autonomy and an environment where they can create unique improvement plans. Jason welcomes Carlton to share talent development lessons learned throughout his enviable career. They also discuss strategies for turning challenging company assignments into golden career opportunities.

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth, and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios 

Special thanks to our sponsors for this episode: Profit2, helping distributors charge the right price, and INxSQL Distribution Software, an integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

The future of HVACR distribution is already here. But if your company is solely focused on the impending changeover to more eco-friendly components, it’s missing out on future-proofing the industry’s workforce. Rhonda Wight is miles ahead on both fronts. As CEO of Ohio-based Refrigeration Sales Corporation (RSC), she believes that developing next-gen talent is everyone’s job. 

Jason chats with Rhonda about her commitment to mentorship and why it’s beneficial to the entire HVACR ecosystem. The pair also discuss RSC’s systematic approach to budget planning and how it pays off in the long run.

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth, and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited by The Creative Impostor Studios 

Special thanks to our sponsors for this episode: Moblico, helping businesses do more business on mobile devices, and INxSQL Distribution Software, an integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry. 

If your C-suite isn’t entertaining conversations about artificial intelligence, is it interested in profitability? Perhaps that’s not a fair assessment. Maybe the C-Suite just needs a crash course in what the technology can do for distribution. 

Justin J. Johnson, founder and CEO of Motivate AI, is the perfect spokesperson for the job. Jason caught up with Justin to learn more about Motivate AI’s purpose-built automated solutions for distribution and how they boost sales team performance, enhance customer engagement, and streamline the quote and order process.

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth, and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited by The Creative Impostor Studios 

Special thanks to our sponsors for this episode: Connected Peers, providing virtual communities for wholesale distributors, and INxSQL Distribution Software, an integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

It’s the one hot topic in business that never seems to go away… PRICING.

If you haven’t addressed your company’s pricing plan in a while, Dave Roller says you’re leaving good money on the table. As president of Profit2, Dave has built his career helping distributors optimize their strategy - even against e-conn’s biggest names. 

Though this conversion was recorded in 2020, it’s as relevant as ever today. Jason and Dave break down about the art and science of pricing as well as overcoming pricing challenges - even in challenging times. 

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth, and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsors for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, an integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry; and Profit2, helping distributors charge the right price.

Conventional business wisdom holds that everyone wants to join the marketing team; no one wants to work in sales anymore. 

Dr. Lee Allison rejects this defeatist attitude and the generational stereotypes that often accompany it. As Professor of Engineering Technology & Industrial Distribution at Texas A&M University, she has a literal front row seat to the rise of GenZ and Gen Alpha––and all reports from campus are good!  

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth, and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsors for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, an integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry; and Moblico, helping businesses do more business on mobile devices.

Selling your company is one of the most challenging aspects of owning a business. Longtime colleague and Distribution Team Senior Advisor, Marshall Jones knows the mental, emotional, and procedural challenges well. Those experiences put him in a unique position to assist other sellers through the process. 

Jason and Marshall review a client case study highlighting critical aspects of securing a successful (and profitable!) sale and tips for avoiding deal-breaking pitfalls. 

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, an integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry. 

Returns, warranties, and repairs are a headache for distribution. Much of that pain stems from the antiquated systems that most companies still rely on to process their returns. Alex Witcpalek, founder and CEO of Continuum.ai, recognized the optimization potential of this largely overlooked in-house activity and created the first B2B returns network for distributors and manufacturers. 

Jason caught up with Alex during a recent conference in Chicago to find out what drew this ex-college footballer to distribution (and podcasting!), why Continuum.ai’s platform is a perfect match for a niche operation with so many variables, and how it boosts the user’s overall profitability. The pair also discuss the role that Continuum.ai’s quality culture plays in attracting and keeping a top-tier workforce. 

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth, and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, an integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry. 

Welcome back for part 2 with the Bader boys, Jason’s in-depth look at his family’s distribution business with patriarch and founder of Acme Construction Supply Co, Inc., Dick Bader, and younger brother Jordan, the company’s current president and CEO. As they wrap up their visit, Dick and Jordan reveal the fundamental principles that have supported Acme’s thriving culture and growth initiatives. They also share the rewards of trade organization participation in this “revisited” episode. 

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth, and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

Jason corrals family patriarch and founder of Acme Construction Supply Co, Inc., Dick Bader, and little brother Jordan, current president and CEO, for an insider’s look at the family business. Like all epic tales, this one comes complete with plot twists, sibling rivalry (of the genial kind), and a cliffhanger.

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***

For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth, and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited by The Creative Impostor Studios. 

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

If entrepreneurs are known for marching to a different beat, then Jeff Peterson is an improvisational maestro. DT fans may remember Jason’s conversation with the CEO of Geneva Supply in episode 21, in which the two discussed growing and expanding that company’s footprint. And did he ever! Just as that business started to get predictable, Jeff stumbled upon his next entrepreneurial challenge: Interstate Music.

This week, we're revisiting Jeff's second appearance on Distribution Talk: The One Where Jeff Went All In to Turn Around a 75-Year-Old Music Retailer (even though the company languished in bankruptcy and the world paused for a pandemic). He applied his extensive e-com knowledge and a lifelong affinity for live music to a new entrepreneurial challenge and has never once regretted taking on that challenge.

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, an integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry. 

Buzzwords can shut down conversations quicker than their end users care to admit. But, when Edward Kuo employs terms like “collaborate” and “innovate” to describe his role as executive director of the Commercial Vehicle Solutions Network (CVSN), he can back them up with decades of association experience and a successful track record of advocating for an entire industry, not just the members of his organization. 

Jason and Edward chat about the value associations provide businesses beyond their membership, the challenges of attracting younger workers to a career in distribution, and the art of bringing industry competitors together for the good of all. 

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***

For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth, and achieve personal goals.   

This episode was edited by The Creative Impostor Studios.

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: Connected Peers, providing virtual communities for wholesale distributors.