Innovate For The Future: Recent Episodes
Dirk Beveridge
Dirk Beveridge sits with some of the most brilliant leaders and innovators from within distribution and beyond. We go deep with innovators, leaders, and disrupters you want to learn from. Each guest is innovating and changing the way business is done. They have chosen to be the disrupter rather than the disrupted.
Over the last five episodes you have learned a success path for securing your life s work. First you must define your purpose by leveraging a compelling set of values and beliefs to inspire hunger for meaningful contribution. Next, align your team around
On February 14, 1924, the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company changed its name. International Business Machines Corporation was born that day. IBM. Big Blue. Was here to stay. From that point on with big dreams, strong principals, and a belief in
How far will 30 steps take you? If your steps are linear, you ll travel 30 meters. But set your sites on 30 exponential steps you know, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128 and you will travel over 1 billion meters (1,073,741,824 meters to be exact). That s 26
Can you think of a business that has drifted with no meaningful disciplines? How about Enron? Or a business that drifted with no vision? Blockbuster comes to mind. How about a business with no clear path forward? Sears. Enough said, right? On the othe
Define Your Purpose Business and life always come back to purpose. Leaders are purpose driven. Estee Lauder, Walt Disney, Sam Walton, and David Packard, for example. It is your purpose that secures your life s work. To achieve your life s work you nee
Tom Brady, in the 4th quarter of his career is getting stronger and keeps delivering championships. Warren Buffet turned 89 this summer and continues to bring it having amassed 99% of his wealth after his 50th birthday. And, no matter what the prior deca
Today we are going to look at the fifth component part of The Innovative Distributor model, transformative leadership with Chuck Salewsky and Dave Anttila, partners with ibeauthentic. In this conversation we are going to hear their views on why and how w
Today we are going to look at the fourth component part of The Innovative Distributor model, business model innovation with Chuck Salewsky and Dave Anttila, partners with ibeauthentic. We begin by getting their input as to why they believe 85% of distrib
Today is the third of five inspiring and informative episodes with two partners of Menominee, Michigan based IBeauthentic. Chuck Salewsky, operating manager and partner along with Dave Anttila, director of business development and partner share their wisd
Today is the second of five inspiring and informative episodes with two partners of Menominee, Michigan based IBeauthentic. Chuck Salewsky, operating manager and partner along with Dave Anttila, director of business development and partner share their wis
Today is the first of five inspiring and informative episodes with two partners of Menominee, Michigan based IBeauthentic. Chuck Salewsky, operating manager and partner and Dave Anttila, director of business development and partner share their wisdom with
Today s guest, returning for our third conversation is Ken Salyer, the founder and CEO of wall covering distributor Tri-Kes. Today Ken shares his insight on the importance of creating a value proposition that allows you to break through the marketplace c
Today s guest, Ken Salyer the founder and CEO of wall covering distributor Tri-Kes has peered into the future and sees a world where instantaneous is too slow. Technology has changed customer s expectations to having access to information before they eve
Today s guest is Ken Salyer, Founder and CEO of wall covering distributor Tri-Kes. Ken and I explore the importance of culture and how they have intentionally nurtured a culture based on a joint set of beliefs the organization lives everyday. Ken describ
As Don McNeeley looks at the dysfunction in Washington, our school systems, and even industry today he sees the greatest gap in the history of our nation between the need for leadership and the supply of it. This is one reason he is so committed to growin
Don McNeeley, is the President and CEO of Chicago Tube and Iron (CTI) which celebrated 100 years of consecutive profitability earlier this year. In this fourth of five conversations I have with Don, he explains the CTI business model and its evolution ove
Has the term commodity ever been used to describe what it is you sell? Have your customers said in no uncertain terms I get get the same thing down the street for less? Or how about your sales team, have they come to believe that the only way they ca
I m naturally drawn to Don Mcneeley, president and CEO of Chicago Tube and Iron (CTI). I love his story and the story of CTI. 100 years of profitability doesn t happen by accident. The culture that allows for 100 years of profitability doesn t happen by a
Our guest is Don McNeeley, the president and CEO of Chicago Tube and Iron one of the largest specialty steel service centers in the United States with ten branches throughout the Midwest and in Monterrey, Mexico. The company recently celebrated it 100 yea
You know in this age of disruption, in this VUCA world … Those of you that listen understand what VUCA means, V-U-C-A. Right? Velocity, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. That’s the world in which we find ourselves. How do we lead change, transfor
Steve Riddell is the Chief Sales Officer – Telesales with Sprint. In this episode we explore Steve s insights regarding the fourth component part of The Innovative Distributor – business model innovation. Steve has been an innovator his entire caree
Steve Riddell is the Chief Sales Officer – Telesales with Sprint. In this episode we explore Steve s insights regarding the third component part of The Innovative Distributor – value proposition. Now I got to tell you, what you and I know after list
Steve Riddell is the Chief Sales Officer – Telesales with Sprint. In this episode we explore Steve s insights regarding the second component part of The Innovative Distributor – culture. What you and I know is that if we’re going to lead change, t
Steve Riddell is the Chief Sales Officer – Telesales with Sprint. In this episode we explore Steve s insights regarding the living and working in the age of disruption. We find ourselves managing our careers, our futures, our organizations in the age o
Steve Riddell is the Chief Sales Officer – Telesales with Sprint. In this episode we explore Steve s insights regarding the first component part of The Innovative Distributor – vision. As Steve frames vision he describes the imperative nature of cra
Following my first conversation on vision with Scott Weaver, president and CEO of APR Supply – the microphones were off but our conversation continued. So I turned the microphones back on and captured another gem from Scott as it relates to using vision
Are you a better leader than you were five years ago? Scott Weaver, president and CEO of APR Supply certainly is. And it s not by accident. As we learned in our first episode with Scott APR s vision is to double sales every five years. Well in order to do
Schaelder Yesco, APR Supply and Industrial Piping three distributors in three different lines of trade have created a new model of partnering that we explore in this episode with Schaedler Yesco Distribution CEO Jim Schaedler and Greg Schaedler, branch ma
APR Supply found themselves in the middle of a recession that as all economic downturns do, impacted their ability to grow. And then as if in the midst of a perfect storm one of their top ten manufacturers declared bankruptcy, and another choose a dis
Following my conversation on Monday s episode Customer Centricity Without Fail with Scott Weaver, president and CEO of APR Supply – the microphones were off but our conversation continued. So I turned the microphones back on and captured another gem fro
The average business out there is stuck in a world of sameness. So what do you do when your a business, a supply house, a distributor that has the same products, the same widgets, the same pipe, valves, and fittings as the guy down the street? Defining th
The culture of APR Supply can be summed up by president and CEO Scott Weaver s response to the company receptionist when she asked Scott, how is day was going. Scott s reply: One north of fantastic. This mindset has embedded itself deep into the culture o
At APR Supply, their visioning process begins with a goal to double the size of the business every five years. As I talk with APR president and CEO, Scott Weaver he explains both the why and the how of achieving the goal. They use a five-year time horizon
Rod Fallow, president of Swagelok Northern California believes his primary responsibility as a leader is to create a relevant and compelling future that every employee can rally around. In our first episode with Rod, we spoke about that future he envision
Swagelok, a $1.8 billion company with 20 manufacturing facilities around the world operates under the One Swagelok business model which includes an exclusive relationship with it s distributors – authorized sales and service centers. In this episode I
When many distributors struggle in defining their real value, Rod Fallow, president of Swagelok Northern California believes that it is a real, intense, and deep focus on the customer where significant value and innovation begins. While their product cata
While there are many unique and innovative aspects of Swagelok Northern California s, culture, one jumps out at you very soon after arriving at this Fremont California based industrial distributor. You go into most organizations, and if there are portrait
What would it take to become your customer s favorite story? At Swagelok Northern California, Becoming Our Customer s Favorite Story is not only their stated vision, it has become embedded into the day to day actions of every employee. As Rod Fallow, Pr
Let s start with the end. In the end, what makes the difference between a good company and a great company is leadership. The ultimate success of a department, a region, an operations the success of your company comes down to you. It s leader. Leadershi
So what do you think about value engineering? It s just one topic that Todd Talbot, president of Fluidmaster and I explore as we dig into this innovative company s business model. You see, we both agree that too many use the term value engineering as code
If you are like most, your customers have accused you of selling commodities. Am I right? In this episode, Todd Talbot president of Fluidmaster reminds us that commodities are created by industry leading firms who elect to compete on price, rather than to
As Todd Talbot took over as President at Fluidmaster, turnover was peaking at about 30% per year. At best an average company to be a part of. Within four years, and a intention transformation of the culture, that turnover has been slashed to around 7% and
How do innovative organizations achieve great things? Some believe that innovation is the result of one masterful stroke. In reality, as Todd Talbot, president of Fluidmaster describes,the boldness of innovation occurs through disciplined progress towards
Mike Smith, the President and CEO of OneSource believes that leadership is very personal. The human side of leadership involves the deep rooted caring and even love of those on your team. Not just wanting the best for each, but having a mutual respect f
This is the fourth in our series with Mike Smith president and CEO of OneSource Distributors, and other leaders on his team, as we explore how they lead to insure they are creating a relevant, sustainable, and profitable future. In this episode we explore
Digital transformation and becoming a digital organization is often mentioned, without much description of what that means. In this episode, we explore OneSource s journey to become a digital organization. What does that mean .. at OneSource that means th
On Monday s episode, Mike Smith, president and CEO of OneSource talked about the importance of injecting youth into the organization. Following that discussion, Mike suggested I sit down with three of his millennials to get their take on the business, the
Culture is talked about more and more. But what is culture and how do leaders foster the desired culture? This is the essence of this dynamic conversation that I have with Mike Smith, president and CEO of OneSource Distributors. Mike knows that fostering
In this bonus episode, Mike Smith and I explore the need for distributors – all sales organizations actually to redefine value beyond product and services. Mike Smith is the president and CEO of OneSource distributors. He is passionate about creating ta
When Mike Smith joined OneSource Distributors as their Chief Operation Officer in 2005, the owner of the company gave him a one line job description – Make technology a differentiator. Today as the president and CEO of OneSource he continues down that
Those that have been in one of my keynote presentations know that I believe we as leaders have been called at this special moment in time in this age of disruption to lead our organizations into an unknown future. But how do we do that. This is at the
I think it s fair to say that we all want to control our own destiny. Leaders do not want somebody else to dictate their future. We don t want the future thrust upon us. Yet at the same time there are many forces outside of our control that have the po
In this third of five episodes with Kathy Mazzarella he chairman, president and CEO of $6 billion Graybar, a Fortune 500 distributor of high-quality components, equipment and materials for a number of industries we explore the third component of The Innov
Kathy Mazzarella is the chairman, president and CEO of Graybar, a Fortune 500 company that specializes in supply chain management services and is a leading North American distributor of high-quality components, equipment and materials for a number of indu
Kathy Mazzarella is the chairman, president and CEO of Graybar, a Fortune 500 company that specializes in supply chain management services and is a leading North American distributor of high-quality components, equipment and materials for a number of indu
Chuck Cohen, managing director of Benco Dental believes every business needs to reinvent itself every generation or so. Yet, he acknowledges that this is very difficult for many businesses especially family owned businesses. He reminds us that being com
Several years ago a competitor of Benco Dental began to disrupt the market with their introduction of a digital dentistry solution. When the innovation first came to market the execution didn’t quite live up to the hype and promise of the vision. So, Be
What could the first woman to receive her doctorate in dentistry, back in 1866 teach you about innovation and value propositions? Well, Lucy Hobbs was a woman who broke down barriers she had a passion and a drive that led women to be empowered to strive
When people ask Chuck Cohen, managing director of Benco Dental what keeps him up at night, it’s always the same answer. It’s the culture. Chuck is a firm believer that if you get the culture right then people will do the right thing because they’r
78% of distributors believe they get trapped in the tyranny of the urgent and don t focus enough on creating the company s future. In this age of disruption when our markets, customers, and businesses are changing at a faster pace than ever before, it s
Joe Nettemeyer believes the very nature of leadership throughout distribution is changing .. and must change. Joe explains that there has been a seduction to easy as a result of the long history of growth our economy, markets, industries, and businesses
We ve heard about how the introduction of Apple s iPhone changed the business model of Apple (again) and how this one product represented 60% of the company s revenues before the iPhone was four years old. Apple is certainly one company that continues to
As Joe Nettemeyer, president and CEO of Valin Corporation migrates the company to the future, he begins with two questions: “What do we stand for? What is our purpose?” In a world where most distributors are trapped by sameness and commoditization, Va
Joe Nettemeyer, the president and CEO of industrial distributor Valin Corporation believes that culture is the great differentiator in business today. But beyond platitudes he works to nurture the needed culture everyday. And what is that needed culture?
We live in the age of disruption. There is this perfect storm of geo political movement, economic uncertainty, government influence, demographic shifts, and of course the technology revolution. Joe Nettemeyer is the president and CEO of industrial distrib
US LBM, the billion dollar plus distributor of building products moves fast. Their motto is moving forward at the speed of us. So how does L.T. Gibson, US LBM s transformative CEO, lead the organization so that it moves forward (fast) at the speed of it
12 L.T. Gibson and his leadership team have developed a business model with a foundation to remain relevant and sustainable in this age of disruption. While for many the fog of uncertainty leads to paralysis, this uncertainty is viewed by the CEO of US LB
So what makes you different? I begin my third discussion with LT Gibson, CEO of building material distributor US LBM exploring this very question. He quickly points out that most distributors can t articulate their difference beyond a superficial Service
How do you get better? How do you create a culture where continuous improvement is built into everything you do. And, how do you create a culture where everybody looks beyond their functional responsibilities to understand the holistic nature of the busin
L.T. Gibson is out to change and industry. And to change an industry you need a vision. As CEO of U.S. LBM, a six year old, billion dollar distributor of building materials, L.T. dreamt of a business, not rooted in the past, but one that leads customers,
How does one create a juggernaut? In an earlier post/episode we share how the transformative leadership of Andrew Berlin grew a traditional, non differentiated distributor of bottles and rigid packaging, into a $1.43 billion business. Into a juggernaut. S
Andrew Berlin On Transformative Leadership Andrew Berlin is a creative, hard-charging leader who redefines the status quo to achieve amazing outcomes. His belief that anything is possible is evident in everything he undertakes. In this fifth and final e
Andrew Berlin On Business Model Innovation Andrew Berlin often reminds people that Anyone who has taken a shower, has had a good idea. The point. It s all about taking those ideas an acting, building something new and innovative that delivers real val
Andrew Berlin On Value Proposition Most distributors, most businesses are viewed as commodities being stuck in a world of sameness. They have a me too strategy rather than a value proposition that says follow me. Berlin Packaging is different. Berli
Andrew Berlin On Culture In this second discussion with Andrew Berlin and Jeremy Lagomarsino we focus on the importance of and the power of culture. How does a company in distribution – which I have been told numerous times is not a sexy business –
Andrew Berlin On Vision I sat down with Andrew Berlin, Chairman and CEO of Berlin Packaging to learn about vision and as always happens when I sit down with Andrew, I learned so much more. I visited Andrew in his offices for this first interview and his
Kathy Mazzarella is the chairman, president and CEO of Graybar, a Fortune 500 company that specializes in supply chain management services and is a leading North American distributor of high-quality components, equipment and materials for a number of industries. With $6 billion in revenue (2014), Graybar employs thousands of men and women at more than […] The post Creating A Culture Of Success For The Next 100 Years with Kathy Mazzarella CEO of Graybar [Re-Broadcast] appeared first on Dirk Beveridge.
Kathy Mazzarella is the chairman, president and CEO of Graybar, a Fortune 500 company that specializes in supply chain management services and is a leading North American distributor of high-quality components, equipment and materials for a number of industries. With $6 billion in revenue (2014), Graybar employs thousands of men and women at more than […] The post Creating The Vision To Disrupt Yourself with Kathy Mazzarella CEO of Graybar [Re-Broadcast] appeared first on Dirk Beveridge.
I think it s fair to say that we all want to control our own destiny. Leaders do not want somebody else to dictate their future. We don t want the future thrust upon us. Yet at the same time there are many forces outside of our control that have the potential to impact our businesses long […] The post A Call To Arms: Business Model Innovation With Graybar CEO Kathy Mazzarella [Re-Broadcast] appeared first on Dirk Beveridge.
Today s guest is Ranga Bodla, head of industry marketing for NetSuite. At NetSuite, they understand that all distributors must be focused on next ready businesses. As we deal with a vast degree of different and disruptive threats, as well as opportunities we must be thinking about what s next for our customers, for our industry, and of […] The post Full Speed To Next with Ranga Bodla of NetSuite appeared first on Dirk Beveridge.
Today, I have a chance to sit down with Jon Adkins Director of Market Research and Analytics for ISSA. Everywhere we look today, analytics are changing the way leaders in business strategize and make decision about their business. Jon shares with us how analytics will be impacting our business in the very near future and […] The post Developing Your Growth Engine Using Analytics appeared first on Dirk Beveridge.
In this episode I sit down with Greg Satell the author of the new book Mapping Innovation: A Playbook For Navigating A Disruptive Age. Today, managers are often told that they must innovate or die, but are given little useful guidance on how to go about it. Sure, there are many books and articles that […] The post Mapping Innovation With Greg Satell appeared first on Dirk Beveridge.
Today s guest is John Barrett the Executive Director of ISSA. Every time I have a chance to get around John Barrett, he inspires me. He challenges my thinking. He asks just amazing, great, in-depth questions to get you thinking. And as the leader of ISSA, he and his team understand the disruptive forces that are […] The post Why You Should Be Leading With Self-Inflicted Paranoia with John Barrett of ISSA appeared first on Dirk Beveridge.
Today s guest, Brant Insero is the Director of Education, Certification and Standards at ISSA. ISSA is the the leading trade association for the cleaning industry worldwide, ISSA has a membership that includes more than 7,000 distributor, manufacturer representative, building service contractor, in-house provider, and associated service members.. Brant is rethinking education. He believes there is […] The post Re-Thinking Employee Education With Brant Insero of ISSA appeared first on Dirk Beveridge.
I’m thrilled to introduce to you today s guest Dave DeJonge, VP and CFO of Behler-Young Company. I met Dave first at our UnleashWD Innovation Summit and then as I prepared to speak at Behler-Young s company wide meeting. What Dave stood for pulled me in. He understands what leadership is all about. There is a trend […] The post Leadership At The Moment Your People Know You Care With Dave DeJonge of Behler-Young appeared first on Dirk Beveridge.
Today s guest Carl Hall is the founder and president of Datalliance a provider of Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) solutions. Datalliance has specialized helping companies implement and operate successful VMI programs since 1991. They were a pioneer in offering VMI as an Internet-based On Demand service using Software as a Service (SaaS) approach, and have more […] The post Collaboration Is Your Key To Partnering with Carl Hall, President of Datalliance appeared first on Dirk Beveridge.
UnleashWD Is A Remarkable Event That Inspires Both Professional and Business Transformation. Our 6th annual UnleashWD Innovation Summit will be held November 2 – 3, 2017 in Chicago, IL. Early bird registration opened today. All the details can be found at www.unleashwd.com. UnleashWD’s purpose is to provide the inspiration, education, and connections your need to […] The post Two Strategic Days To Transform Your Company’s Future appeared first on Dirk Beveridge.
In recent industry research we discovered that over 85% of distributors and manufacturers believe there is a need to re-imagine their partnerships. Today s guest, Kevin Otero, Partner with consulting firm Simpactful has years of experience working with Procter and Gamble and other organizations developing joint business plans with their partners. In our conversation, Kevin outlines […] The post Next Generation Joint Business Planning With Kevin Otero appeared first on Dirk Beveridge.
Today s guest is Scott Costa, publisher of tED Magazine. tED Magazine is the voice of top electrical distributors in North America. As a monthly textbook for the channel, the publication is known for addressing the tough issues within the channel. Scott understands the changing environment that distributors must navigate and as a thought leader in […] The post The Year 2027: What Will Distribution Look Like With Scott Costa, Publisher of tED Magazine appeared first on Dirk Beveridge.
When Mike Smith joined OneSource Distributors as their Chief Operation Officer in 2005, the owner of the company gave him a one line job description – Make technology a differentiator. Today as the president and CEO of OneSource he continues down that