PODCAST Episode #45

Billy Malady has been a leader in distribution operations for over 15 years and at all levels; from the boardroom to the warehouse break room.  Always cool to chat with folks who have that full end to end perspective.  He's "fixed" a lot of operations but not in the ways you may think.  Check out his new book today "Nobody Told Me It Would Be Like This: 100 Stories from the Frontline of Operations & Customer Care."

-Why is there such a perceived gap between where execs think their ops teams should be vs. where the ops team sees themselves?

-In articles you've been in you state "the foundation and the fixes to problems in distribution are always the same."  Why is this?

Lots of Shop Talk in this episode about operations!

 PODCAST Episode #40

Leroy Pinckney Jr. has seen it all.  Raised in Harlem.  Deployed to Iraq in the Army.  A distribution career in multiple organizations (including Amazon.)  He was recently laid off and is now navigating the world of networking, job applications, interviews and ultimately continually putting himself out there to find the new right spot for him.  And it can be tough out there.  BUT he's all over it (see his most recent viral LinkedIn posts.)  We talk about his background and more:

What it really means to lead people when the stakes are high and the margin for error is zero.  He sees himself as a lion.  What happens when the lion gets laid off?  No quit.  Just finds a new hunt. 🦁

If you're in the same boat, Leroy can be an inspiration and guide for you!  Check out his new book!

 PODCAST Episode #33

Loved chatting with Carlos Cody on this episode.  He's walking the walk in the world of fulfillment as an Executive Operations Leader (scaling systems, developing leaders & driving profitable growth) and he's doing this the right way: by growing, mentoring, and championing all of the talented people he leads.  We chat about the realities of fulfillment center operations, how people can best set themselves up for career success, and how to become a true genuine and authentic leader.  This episode is packed with incredible advice for anyone, but especially emerging leaders in this industry.  P.S. Learn more in his fantastic book I've linked below!

 PODCAST Episode #32

I couldn't have Mack on the podcast without also featuring an episode with Ria Story too!  She is the founder of Top Story Leadership and has trained thousands of leaders across the country & internationally for more than 13 years and has helped them in the development needed to climb The Ladder of Influence®.  A published author of 21 books, her own story of resilience is truly inspiring not only to me but to the many others who hear her message.   When you listen to her, you will understand why so many others find her so engaging and immediately grasp how impactful her message can be!   

 PODCAST Episode #31

Mack Story, the creator of Blue-Collar Leadership®, joined me for a great show that speaks directly to the heart of the blue-collar world but also those who lead in it on both sides.  The majority of people working in distribution today are front line employees!  Blue-Collar Leadership® is designed to help you strengthen your team, increase workforce engagement, and build a high-impact culture that retains and attracts top talent. They specialize in Helping Leaders Engage the Front Line to Improve the Bottom Line.® Such a great and insightful show with incredible wisdom that you can only get from living it just like Mack has!  Check out his books, courses, speaking events, or podcast today (you won't regret it!)

 PODCAST Episode #30

In a world where metrics, efficiencies, KPIs rule the day, it was great chatting with Dr. Vernard Jenkins (also a fellow 2003 graduate of the Air Force Academy) about the massive importance of soft skills for leaders in the distribution industry.  He's the VP of Operations at Knight-Swift Warehousing & Fulfillment, a 3PL with sites nationwide.  While he himself has had success at every level during his career climb, he is a big-time champion and model for what it means to give back and mentor the next generation of leaders.  Check out all of his awesome articles on LinkedIn and his new video series "Dinner Conversations with Doctor V."  It is some of the most honest, heartfelt, genuine and frankly spot on advice that anyone in the industry could benefit from! 

 PODCAST Episode #29

"Manager Methods" episode!  Great chat with Devin Galloway, an Operations Leadership Expert & Corporate Trainer, about development of new managers in fulfillment centers and the challenges this environment can bring.  He should know.  He has 12+ years of experience inside of Amazon FCs starting out as a front-line associate, managing hundreds of employees across multiple departments then ultimately, he progressed to designing and delivering leadership development workshops to managers across more than 80 Amazon sites throughout the US and Canada.  Now he is giving back to all and helping the next wave with Leadership Lessons (link below) where he's published 300+ articles providing practical leadership guidance for operations managers.  Check out his stuff and you'll see like I did that it's the gritty truth.  Use it to help transform leaders of all levels!

 PODCAST Episode #22

Dana Harris, a 15-year veteran in the industry and now the General Manager of a large site in the mid-west USA, dropped by for a chat as part of our "Manager Methods" Series.  It's great to shine a spotlight on ACTUAL managers in the facilities on the front lines getting it done!  He's doing such a great job with his teams inside the 4 walls of the facility but follow him on LinkedIn and you'll see that he has opened a window for all to see the TRUTH about what is going on there.  He doesn't hesitate to reveal the wins, the losses, the triumphs, the challenges and how they overcome them (which anyone who works in operations will tell you is much more the reality of life inside a DC.)  Oh, be sure to watch until the end for some "Prime Time Points!"

 PODCAST Episode #21

Will Quinn, aka The Distribution Guy, joined me for this episode to talk all things warehousing, distribution, AI, career growth and much more!  Such great insights on this episode from Will!  The contributions he has made to the world of distribution are immense including 25+ years leading at all levels of well-known companies, operating his own consulting firm, publishing nearly 100 articles, speaking at many distribution events both in person and online, and now working as a professor sharing wisdom to the next wave of leaders.  I could have gone on for hours chatting with him.  If you are an up-and-coming leader in the industry this is the show for you and if you are not following Will or reaching out to him as a resource somehow you are missing out!

 PODCAST Episode #19

I've been trying to get this guy on the podcast for a while now.  The one and only Tyrell A. Morris joined me for this episode.  If you follow him on LinkedIn like I do, you will see a steady stream of incredible insightful and heartfelt content, and it's all genuine.  Not only is he a Senior Operations Manager at Maersk but he is also a published author (his book is still selling copies 5 years later) and he is starting up his own consulting firm.  Why?  People from all walks of life are constantly coming to him looking for mentorship; he's just one of those people that attracts that.  Listen to the episode to hear his takes on leadership, mentorship, connecting with and getting the most out of employees, inspirational moments from his past life, and oh also some of his rules of thumb for running effective operations.  Great stuff here!

 PODCAST Episode #18

Michael Pierce is a new shipping manager who came up through the ranks starting as an associate.  He contacted me saying he was a fan of the podcast and wanted to come on & talk about his journey from associate to manager, lessons he's learned along the way, challenges he faced in a new manager role, & what he was doing to tackle them.  I immediately said yes & was thrilled to talk about some of the REAL stuff that happens in the world of managing a warehouse.  Online today it often seems as if warehousing posts are either 1) grainy video of a forklift accident 2) a burger burn or some other type of morale event in a warehouse or 3) (Distant third) a choreographed dance with the warehouse employees.  All good, but it was nice to have a chat about the real stuff that's 99% of a warehouse leader's time!

PODCAST Episode #2

In this episode I chat with Kasey McCormick Lyding who is the founder of ManagerStreet.  Even though we are from different industries we had a great chat about first time managers/supervisors, the lack of training they sometimes get in their new roles, and ways she can help in their growth by teaching, coaching, and mentoring.  Platforms like hers are a GOLDMINE for anyone wanting to better themselves as a new manager!