Driven by DCKAP (DCKAP)

On this episode of the Driven by DCKAP podcast, Derrick Murdock, CEO at IPS Packaging joins our host, Karthik Chidambaram, to discuss their strategy in distribution, why it’s important to hire and support veterans, why veterans make amazing employees, how innovation in B2B marketing leads to even greater success, and more.

IPS Packaging & Automation is one of the leaders in industrial packaging, and they have been in business for over 45 years. IPS Packaging is also service-disabled veteran owned, and Derrick is uniquely suited to advocate on behalf of veterans with his background in the military. Alongside the innovative practices that they are executing in B2B marketing and the strategy they hold for the future, this conversation highlights some of the best practices in the industry.

Veterans Resource mentioned - https://upstatewarriorsolution.org/

According to research by Fortune Business Insights, the furniture market size in the US will reach an estimated value of 130 billion dollars by 2032. What is it about the industry that drives this kind of demand? How does a successful furniture designer and distributor like Zuo Mod weigh in on the market, or the manufacturing? How do they approach things such as identifying successful trends, navigating supply chain challenges, and improving customer satisfaction? 

While sitting down with Karthik for this discussion at their headquarters, Luis Ruesga, the Co-Founder and CEO of Zuo Modern Contemporary, dives into the origins of the company, explaining what they specialize in and how they thrive in the industry. He shares his view on the importance of quality furniture and what he envisions for the future of the industry. Check out the full episode to learn more about the industry from his insider’s perspective.

In this episode of Driven by DCKAP, Karthik Chidambaram speaks candidly with Muliadi Jeo, Chief Technology Officer at Sirclo, to find out more about his decades long journey in eCommerce, his motivations, and what drives him to succeed.  

During their conversation, we learn more about Muliadi’s career journey, building a successful business, the e-commerce market in Indonesia, his love of gadgets and vision on future technology, and much more.

Kevin Kalish is the Vice President of Business Development at Sunrise Electric Supply. With a strong background in data-driven software development, he oversees sales management and digital solutions that help support their customers in electrical distribution.

In this insightful interview with Karthik Chidambaram, Founder & CEO of DCKAP, Kevin talks about the journey he’s taken in his career, the importance of data in distribution, and how tech plays a critical role in ecommerce, helping to improve sales and elevate customer success.

In this special Chicago episode of the Driven by DCKAP podcast, our host Karthik Chidambaram, Founder and CEO of DCKAP, has the opportunity to sit down and speak with Mark Brohan, Senior Vice President of B2B and Market Research at Digital Commerce 360. Originally founded as Internet Retailer, Digital Commerce 360 is an industry pioneer and global leader in e-commerce research and media, producing products and events like Internet Retailer magazine, the Top 500 Guide, and the Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition (IRCE).

They discuss Mark’s background, his training in journalism, how it has helped to bolster his passion and elevate his in-depth research into digital commerce, and his dedication to research, sharing knowledge, and helping shape the conversation for industry experts. During their conversation, we also learn what his insights and predictions are for B2B digital commerce in the coming decade.

This week, our special guests open up about the sometimes difficult to navigate dynamics of running a family business in the distribution industry. While so many companies are going through mergers and acquisitions, as new generations move away from the traditional takeover of the business, some companies like Spruce Industries are doubling down, as the newer generations are taking the reins and leading the company into the future successfully. 

In this episode of Driven by DCKAP, Karthik Chidambaram, Founder & CEO of DCKAP, speaks with Hank Josephs and his two sons, Daniel Josephs and Michael Josephs - respectively the President, CEO and CFO of Spruce Industries. They discuss the challenges and advantages of running a family business, what to do and what not to do, including how to successfully navigate the difficult roads, the importance of keeping open communication, and the best way to steer the company into the future.

The National Association of Wholesaler Distributors (NAW) is a top American trade association that represents dynamic companies in the wholesale distribution industry. In this compelling conversation, President & CEO of NAW, Eric Hoplin, sits down with the Founder & CEO of DCKAP, Karthik Chidambaram, to discuss his role in leadership and how exactly his organization helps support and improve the distribution industry. 

From his primary goal of ​​building the next generation trade association, to his loaded travel schedule meeting with members, and his lobbying for governmental support and legislative actions that will help the distribution industry thrive, Eric provides deep insights that give a clear picture of just how pertinent an organization like NAW is for the industry. Distributors are building great companies that keep the supply chain moving and the economy growing, and having this kind of representation is vital to ensuring they continue to thrive and succeed.

This episode of the DRIVEN Podcast features great insights into the National Association of Electronic Distribution: an over hundred-year effort towards the continued success of the industry. Hear from Edward Orlet, Interim CEO, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs & Strategic Projects, and Satya Sanivarapu, Technology Director, Digital Distribution Supply Chain as they share more about the association's purpose, its mission for the near future and how NAED helps distributors better navigate the technology best suited for their challenges.

Success is the main objective for many business owners, careers climbers, and even in our personal lives. But what does strategizing for success in business look like? What is the purpose of having a well defined strategy, and why do we need it?

In this episode of Driven by DCKAP, Karthik Chidambaram, Founder & CEO of DCKAP, sits down with Ian Heller, Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer of Distribution Strategy Group to talk about the importance and effectiveness of strategy, and how execution is even more important than having a well defined strategy.

Tune in to find out more about Ian’s business model, how he defines strategy and helps distribution businesses navigate the road to the future, how his background helps fuel his drive for success, and more.

In his previous life, Roy Rubin co-founded and held the reins as CEO of Magento, a globally successful open source ecommerce platform that skyrocketed and soared across the world from its inception to its ultimate acquisition by the tech giant, Adobe. In his recent conversation with Karthik Chidambaram, Founder and CEO of DCKAP, we learn all about Roy’s amazing journey, his standout vision and strategy for ultimate success, and what he’s doing now.

There are a lot of lessons to be learned, from feeling things out during their starting steps, to the largely organic growth that surrounded the product, to the rapidly changing environment of ecommerce throughout the entire journey of building Magento, and what he did to help forge the path ahead. While his hard work and leadership was no doubt vital to catapulting the success of the brand and bolstering the creation of the world-renowned platform it has become today, Roy humbly refers to the robust community and the ultimate power of organic growth as its number one driving force. 

Today, as the founding partner of R-Squared Ventures, Roy utilizes all the passion and knowledge that he’s gained working in the industry to offer advice and invest in various up-and-coming companies. He continues to inspire with his ongoing mission to take risks and support strong and creative teams in a wide variety of fields that are ready to rise up and disrupt the industry.

Books mentioned in this podcast:

Destined for War by Graham Allison

The Escape Artist by Jonathan Freedland

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma

In the latest episode of the Driven by DCKAP podcast, Karthik speaks with Scott Sinning, the Founder and CEO of Pricing for Distributors. Scott was formerly the VP of Pricing Strategy at Graybar Electric, has over 30 years of experience working in wholesale distribution, and he is a frequent speaker and writer on distributor industry pricing topics.

During this in depth conversation, Karthik and Scott explore the difficult topic of pricing in distribution, where we learn about the importance of cultivating an effective pricing strategy, how to improve sales and increase the bottom line, and much more.

In the premiere episode of the 2025 season of the Driven by DCKAP podcast, Founder and CEO of DCKAP, Karthik Chidambaram, sits down with Kathryn Poehling Seymour, the President and CEO of First Supply. As a longstanding family-owned leader in the industry, First Supply serves as a comprehensive supplier for plumbing, HVAC, municipal needs, waterworks, well and septic systems, building PVF, and industrial supplies.

With over 125 years of family business legacy behind her, Kathryn is at the forefront of steering the business into the future. In this insightful conversation, she discusses her journey within the business, their comprehensive succession planning, the significance of preserving family legacy, the vital role of community engagement, job creation alongside automation and emerging technologies in the industry, and more.

Joining us in this week’s episode, Nishit Asnani, the Co-Founder of Sybill, a Generative AI tool that takes sales calls to the next level, sits down to talk about what it takes to build AI software and where it’s all headed. As one of the inspiring leaders behind the innovative business, Nishit brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the conversation.

During the interview, they discuss what a sales intelligence tool is, the areas where AI can be most beneficial, how AI has the ability to revolutionize day-to-day operations, the challenges of building an AI product, and more. Watch the full episode to hear from our visionary guest and learn more about developing the next generation of technology.

Jim Derry, the CEO of Field Fastener joins this episode to share his journey in distribution, to discuss key leadership insights and explore essential personal development strategies. We learn how an industry pioneer turned a company with humble beginnings into a great success, while continuing to see amazing growth and becoming a touchstone to the community.

Through knowledge management practices and professional development approaches, we hear how a successful leader navigates challenges and fosters growth. Listen in on their conversation to hear more about some of these transformative methods that drive organizational success, inspire lifelong learning and sustainable business evolution.

In this episode, our guest Mark Lavelle joins Karthik Chidambaram for a conversation that spans a wide breadth of the e-commerce world, as they dive deep into Mark’s background and break down the formation of his successful leadership style, the challenges Magento faced when Mark first came on board as CEO, and the question of its sustained significance in the industry. While there were many hurdles that Magento had to face that may have caused some uncertainty in its future, Mark led a heartfelt crusade that helped to solidify its success and a path that ultimately led to its acquisition by Adobe.

Today, along with many other investments and projects he heads with the group DeepLake Capital, Mark has taken on the role of CEO at Maegro, a fast growing company that connects shippers and brands of any size to a large network of carriers that helps them compete with the illusive Amazon model of providing 2-3 day delivery times in the direct to consumer market. 

What drives Mark Lavelle in his career, who does he take inspiration from, and what led him to be the great leader that he is today? Why did he feel so passionately about the Magento project, what was his vision for its future, what were some of the barriers to overcome, and how did he ultimately help the company accomplish the goals for success that were set forth? Listen to this episode to find out the answers to these questions, and more!

Joining the Driven by DCKAP podcast this week is Frank Heenan - Group Vice President, Distribution and LBM at Epicor - to talk about the evolution of ERP systems, the importance of using tools like this to their full extent to grow your business, the role of AI within distribution, some of the best strategies to ensure success, how to best execute those strategies, and much more.

With over 25 years of experience working with Epicor and within distribution, Frank has seen the ups and downs of the industry. Having been at the company from its early days of growth to where it stands today as a leader in enterprise resource planning, manufacturing execution system, and distribution software, he has invaluable insights to share on what it takes to lead the industry forward. Tune in and enjoy!

In this episode of the Driven by DCKAP podcast, Jim Hansen, the Chief Product Officer at Advantive, joins Karthik Chidambaram, CEO of DCKAP, to discuss all the ins and outs of successful product management, including when to know a product works and when it doesn’t, the right things to do and the right things not to do, how to ensure you’re providing value to customers, and everything in between.

In this compelling conversation, we learn more about what it’s like being in the position of a Chief Product Officer, how Jim’s career began, some of the many lessons that he learned along the way, and some great advice for those looking to better understand how effective product leadership can help lead your company to success. Make sure you tune in and watch this new episode!

In this episode of Driven by DCKAP, we’re excited to have Brendan Breen, the CEO of ISA (Industrial Supply Association) as our guest, where we learn about his in-depth experience and dedication to educating and supporting the industrial distribution industry. 

Karthik Chidambaram, Founder & CEO of DCKAP, speaks one on one with Brendan about his work-life experience and career journey, how he came to lead ISA, what this organization stands for, and why it’s important for distributors to be members. 

Tune in to better understand how to be driven in leadership, the importance of partnership and strategy, and the great value in what a leading channel association can bring to the table.

Eric Hoplin, the President and CEO of the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW), sits down with Karthik Chidambaram while in Washington DC at the NAW Executive Summit for an insightful discussion on the conference, the organization and their dedication to the betterment of distribution, as well as his positive future outlook on the industry.

Small businesses are said to be the heart of our communities. They are what laid the groundwork for the kind of massive success now seen by the likes of companies such as Amazon and Walmart. Yet, today, many small businesses are waning under their shadow and continuing to struggle in order to stay relevant, growing, and successful amongst these giants. So what’s a small family-owned wholesale supplier to do? 

To dive into this question and gain the perspective of a small business looking to compete in this environment, Karthik sits down with Tighe Greenhalgh, the President of Central Components. In their discussion, Tighe shares his journey in the family businesses, what his goals are today as a small business leader, and what their plans are for upgrading technology and competing with bigger corporations. Watch the full episode for this insider’s perspective on how small businesses can utilize advancements in technology to help eliminate the ‘big boy’ advantage. 

Anne Vranicic, the President of Valin Corporation, joins the Driven by DCKAP podcast this week to speak with Karthik Chidambaram about her 22 year journey with Valin, what she’s learned during her time at the company, how the company navigated the dot com crisis, their strategy with mergers and acquisitions over the years, what they’re doing to stay ahead of the curve in digital transformation, and much more.

With her extensive experience having worked at all levels in distribution, as well as her driving passion for the industry, Anne has taken the reins to help guide the company even further into the future as technology continues to rapidly advance, and to further Valin’s long standing reputation as the leading provider of technical solutions for the technology, energy, life sciences, natural resources, and transportation industries.

This week on the Driven by DCKAP podcast, we’re joined by Clint Oram - Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at SugarCRM. He sits down with our host, Karthik Chidambaram, to discuss the significance of CRM systems, how to increase sales, the effectiveness of data analysis, how emerging technologies will impact the future, and more.

Clint has over 20 years of experience in the enterprise software industry, with over 15 years designing and building award-winning CRM software solutions. As one of the original architects and developers, he helped found SugarCRM in 2004, going on to work in a variety of executive roles, and today he leads strategy and acquisitions. His invaluable insights shared in this interview provide a key understanding of how strategy and effective leadership greatly contribute to a company’s growth and success. 

Danny Silverman is the Vice President of Strategy and Innovation at Maintex, and he recently sat down with DCKAP’s Founder and CEO, Karthik Chidambaram, for a conversation that goes back over the history of the company itself, up into their most recent use of software and technology to amplify their online sales through integration with Cloras and the revolutionary process of digital transformation.

From the continuous growth and success of Maintex, to how he envisions the future of the JanSan industry itself, their conversation offers many insights to those seeking similar success. They touch upon how important technology really is for future growth and why it’s so important that B2B distributors adapt to e-commerce in order to thrive.

Guest Bio

Danny Silverman is the VP of Strategy and Innovation at Maintex, a third-generation family-owned janitorial distributor and cleaning chemical manufacturer headquartered in Los Angeles.  In this role, Danny leads the company’s technology and digital efforts among other responsibilities. Prior to Maintex, Danny worked as a systems engineer in both academia and industry.  Danny holds a BA in American Studies from Brandeis University.

Show Links and References

• Read more about the work we did with Maintex through Cloras here.

Erin Griffin is the V.P. of Marketing & Communications at Riddell, and she recently sat down with DCKAP’s Founder and CEO, Karthik Chidambaram, for a conversation that touches upon the history of the company and their most recent evolution into the world of online sales through digital transformation.

From the importance of women in sports and leadership roles, to the support of brand ambassadors like Peyton Manning, and effective marketing and communications between departments that helped Riddell to remain competitive and continue to innovate, their conversation helps bring the story of football and technology to life.

Show Notes and References:

• Read more about the work we did with Riddell for their website here.
• Erin's bio.

In this episode, we review “Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World” by Cal Newport. In this book, Newport argues that those who perform ‘deep work’ are more productive and are able to produce more efficiently than those who do not. In a distracted world, those who are able to resist distraction and work with the right amount of intensity and focus will be better situated to achieve success and find true satisfaction.

What is ‘deep work’, how does it improve your ability to compete and succeed in such a competitive world, and what does it mean for personal accomplishment? Why do we struggle with so much distraction in the modern age, and how can we overcome those distractions to be more focused and productive? Who is this book meant for, and why should you read it? We answer these questions and more in this episode, so be sure to tune in!

On this very special episode of the Driven by DCKAP podcast, Karthik visits the Kundinger Fluid Power distribution facility in Neenah, Wisconsin. There he takes a tour of their facilities while speaking with Paul Kundinger, a third generation entrepreneur who took over the Wisconsin business as President and currently co-runs operations of the company along with his extended family. 

While touring the facility and gaining a deeper understanding of what Kundinger does, we learn more about how their in-house services help to support their customers, why the evolution of expanding beyond just products is so important, how the family business operates and runs, and how they look at the process of continuing its generational future. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to peek behind the scenes and learn the ins and outs of a successful distribution business.

Chris Brackett is the Vice President of Operations & General Manager at C.W. Hayden, and he recently sat down with DCKAP’s Founder and CEO, Karthik Chidambaram. Their conversation spans through the incredible journey Chris has had within the company, into the mindset they hold on early adoption of technology, their most recent integration with Cloras to help connect their 3M Marketplace with Epicor P21, and more!

With their long standing experience in the distribution space, Chris explains how each decision they’ve made in order to continue to grow, and to not only follow the growth of technology but to stay ahead of it, signifies one of their greatest pillars of strength. The discussion epitomizes the benefits of digital transformation and highlights how important technology really is for future growth and why it’s so important that B2B distributors adapt to e-commerce in order to not get left behind.

Bio:

Chris Brackett is the VP of Operations at C.W. Hayden, a third-generation family-owned Marine, Industrial and Safety Distributor based out of New England. In his current role, Chris runs the company’s day to day operations and is also leading the way in the company’s technology and digital transformations projects, including bringing on their first CRM (Salesforce), integrating it to their ERP system, going completely cloud base with Epicor P21, and upgrading their Magento website.

Show Links:

Read more about the work we did with C.W. Hayden through Cloras here: https://cloras.com/customer-stories/c-w-hayden/

In this new series on the Driven by DCKAP podcast, we turn the spotlight on the books that have inspired us, as well as undoubtedly thousands of readers, many of which have come up during past interviews with guests here on this podcast. Each month, Founder & CEO of DCKAP and the host of the Driven podcast, Karthik Chidambaram, will highlight an important text in his own library that has the profound ability to help shape your business growth strategy, stoke your entrepreneurial spirit, or inspire your personal journey. 

In this episode, we review “10x Is Easier Than 2x: How World-Class Entrepreneurs Achieve More by Doing Less” written by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy. This book offers tips and strategies for entrepreneurs who want to achieve more by doing less, with the proposition that working harder and longer can help you achieve more by focusing on the unique strengths you have and focusing on the best ways to amplify your impact.

Why is it more important to focus on strengths instead of trying to improve weaknesses? How does celebrating your accomplishments, big or small, and taking the time to reflect on how far you’ve come help to increase your growth? Who is this book really for, and why should you read it? We answer these questions and more in this episode, so be sure to tune in!

For our first episode, we’ve brought in Ben Bohannon this week. Ben runs one of the finest fashion brands in Portland – Sseko Designs – uses fashion to create opportunities for women across the globe.An excellent and first reason for me to start our...

It’s equally important to offer an uninterrupted user experience for your differently-abled customer base as well. If you’re running an e-commerce store digital accessibility is really important which makes it easy for someone with disabilities to...

Liz is an Emmy-Award winner, and the Co-Founder and CEO of Soona, the same day photo, and video production studio. While Soona was just recently launched this past year, Mighteor is her first entrepreneurial venture, one of the world’s first internet...

The foodservice distribution is an interesting industry that demonstrates great advancements over the past couple of years. With over 16,500 companies, this industry is generating $280 Billion in annual revenue. With the top 8, foodservice distributors...

Like every other technology company, DCKAP (pronounced D-C-KAP) started in 2005 was an Information Technology service provider. Until 2008, we never realized that eCommerce is what we’re going to do for the rest of our life. Karthik is the Founder and CEO of DCKAP. For today’s episode, I sat down with him to talk about how we evolved into the digital commerce community over the past few years.

When David Hieatt spend 80% of his time on social media, he got 20% of the results. While that was completely opposite in the case of email newsletters, he just had to spend 20% of his time and almost got 80% of results which is way better than his typical social media marketing activities. So he ends up spending more time on the newsletters and now the "Scrapbook Chronicles" is a cult from the company with the best in class open rates. I sat down with him to talk about how he grew his brand 25% YoY through the newsletters and what were some of the entrepreneurial lessons he learned so far.

B2B Distributors has quite a lot of challenging things to handle compared to that of a B2C business owner. Starting from expanding the product portfolio, it goes way beyond than we could even imagine. So, to make your job easier, we wanted to cover some of the topics that are essential to your B2B business. This week's episode is a conversation with Jason Hein. He is an experienced digital strategist with a background in industrial distribution and digital commerce industries. He is specialized in product knowledge to build digital merchandising strategies for technical products. There is no better person than him to build a conversation on B2B Distribution. He covered so many topics from product categorization to merchandising strategies and B2B marketplaces. Go check ‘em out.

As a manufacturer, one of the best decisions you can take for the benefit of your business is launching a direct-to-consumer product. With the typical workflow, you have a wholesale distributor and retailer in between your consumers. So, essentially you don’t have direct access to them. Being a DTC brand will now help you to earn a high margin profit and direct access to your consumers. In this episode, he covered some interesting topics from product photos, content marketing, email list, personalization, and more.

Phuong Mai, Founder of P.MAI wanted to create something versatile that combines luxury and utility for today’s modern women. Featured in TechCrunch, Inc., BuzzFeed, and more, P.MAI ranked one of the most “Wished for” laptop backpack on Amazon. So, I brought here for our episode today, to learn more about what worked for her business and what isn't.

PunchOut Catalog: If you’re in B2B DISTRIBUTION this is not a new term. As a supplier, ever wondered why buyers keep asking you about PunchOut Catalog? Buyers use their own eProcurement application and punchout helps them to enter the supplier’s website within their browser through a web-based catalog without leaving the actual procurement application. In this episode, we covered some interesting topics including punchout catalog, eProcurement, order to invoice - purchase order automation, eInvoicing, and more. Go check ‘em out.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is one of the most overlooked department/team in the organization. Sometimes the question even goes like this - I already have a marketer, why would I have to hire an SEO person. So, we wanted to pitch in some insights from our learnings and why SEO plays a key role in the marketing department.

Product Information Management (PIM) solution helps to create an enriching product experience by integrating it with your eCommerce platforms like Magento, BigCommerce, and Shopify. Pretty much you can manage everything on PIM - Product data, technical...

Building an email list is one of the hardest things, more than of course converting a website visitors into a lead. I’m talking about building a true 100 or 1000 fans that can buy whatever you sell. Up until now, email marketing is one of the finest...

Email marketing is one of the oldest marketing channels that always gets the highest return on investment and better conversion than any other channel. But are we all using it correctly? Added, once we have a clear understanding of what email marketing...

With the technologies keep growing everywhere and companies like Shopify and BigCommerce are making it easier for the startups to go online in a couple of hours, it’s becoming easier than ever before to launch an online business in 2020.Due to the...

With state of the art 30,000 sq.ft facility space in Frisco, Texas, ICON Meals is offering one of the finest ready-made meals (breakfast and lunch) in the USA. Unlike other meal-kit companies, one of the key advantages and specialty of ICON Meals is, it...

It’s an eCommerce era and as the brands evolve we start implementing new applications into the business processes. But, will that solve our problem?The practical answer is yes and no.How do you handle the data when you want them to move between...

Texting is the simplest form of communication. Even though there are so many marketing channels including email, text messaging still delivers the best open rate and conversion rate.So, how does the texting for businesses works, is it complicated?In...

The Google Merchant Center is one place where your eCommerce businesses can manage their Google eCommerce products’ appearance and update the listings. The main purpose is to manage the product information you want your visitors to see on the Google...

Alan Kent is an eCommerce Developer Advocate at Google. He is been with Google for the past 2 years and his previous roles include VP of Architecture at Magento and VP of Search Engine Engineering at eBay.This is Part 2 of the episode where I sat down...

Inventory sharing is a solution that helps you to collaborate with manufacturers and wholesale distributors to solve one of the biggest pain points in B2B Distribution - Inventory management.By partnering with the inventory sharing communities you can...

Not very often you see companies investing in a customer experience team. But, more than anything else, if you’re looking for exponential growth this is where you should begin first.But like all of you, I do have this question, where to begin and what...

Magento Masters Virtual Series is a bi-weekly event from DCKAP. This past week we wrapped up the season 1 with an interesting guest in the Magento community.I had a great conversation with Ben Marks, Magento Evangelist at Adobe and we discussed:How are...

Distributors can’t simply carry on with their day-to-day operations like how they were doing a decade ago. Every distributor is digitally evolving and we have to focus both on the business and operations side of things. Digital transformation is...

I had a chance to moderate a panel discussion this week with some interesting people in the B2B space. Hope you will learn too.Panelists on this session:Ryan Van Hoozer, VP of Operations, Marysville Marine OperationsKenn Glenn, Marketing Director,...

Moody Price based out of Baton Rouge, LA is one of the largest providers of instrumentation & high-pressure products in the United States. With over $6 million of inventory, Moody Price offers on-site inventory management trailers that can be...

Don’t bring the consumers to your place, instead go visit the channels where your consumers are. That’s where the power of marketing comes in.Conversational marketing is a way of how you initiate those conversations and create a rapport with your...

Tony Guarnaccia grew up in a small business.With a passion for marketing, he found the company “Big Fish Results” in a mission to Democratize Marketing.His experience includes a $400 million ad spends on Google and working with companies like Ford, ADP,...

Marketing was simply all about bringing in leads - MQL, a couple of years ago.But things have tremendously changed, marketing is not just about leads. It is even not even about building the pipeline or revenue generation, Marketing is something more...

Building an eCommerce business from scratch is always a great experience to have in your lifetime.Starting from the manufacturing and distribution of the product to getting that to the actual customer, you will enjoy every phase of your customer...

Videos are the future.While sending emails after every new signup will help increase the customer engagement, do you know converting that to a personalized video will increase it by 2x?A personalized video can be triggered for any customer relationship...

With its ability to analyze vast amounts of data and identify important trends and patterns, to allow the most informed decisions and personalize the customer experience, artificial intelligence has the potential to transform the entire B2B sales process, making it more efficient and effective, leading to increased sales and profits.

Innovation greatly drives success in today’s business world, and the use of AI is revolutionizing the way companies approach distribution. In this episode of Driven by DCKAP, Karthik is joined by Mike Marks, Founding Partner of Indian River Consulting Group, Senior Research Fellow at NAW, and faculty member at Purdue's University of Innovative Distribution. Their engaging conversation spans the topics of transformative AI innovations, how AI can help increase sales opportunities, where distributors should invest in the future, and much more.

On this episode of Driven, our very special guest knows what it takes to drive success, having led their company to becoming the 2023 Top Rated Ecommerce Platform. Brent Bellm, CEO of BigCommerce, joins the Founder & CEO of DCKAP, Karthik Chidambaram, for a fascinating deep dive into what it takes to compete, lead, and succeed in the often saturated world of eCommerce technology. 

From his humble background and learned experiences, to his business savvy and forward thinking strategies, Brent shares how he targets competitors, manages evolution, and the position BigCommerce takes in the market. His insights will show that, while many companies might execute well or have a great culture as a pillar of their success, alone it is not as effective, and strategy is one of the most important things that helped BigCommerce to really thrive.

Brian Gardner, the Founder of SalesProcess360, joins our host Karthik Chidambaram, Founder and CEO of DCKAP, on the latest episode of the Driven by DCKAP podcast to discuss the importance of customer relationship management, why it’s often a misunderstood or neglected system for the sales process, and how to get more ROI from CRM. 

From their conversation, we learn about Brian’s background and how he came to specialize in CRM systems, what the significance of a CRM system is and what it really means for a business, as well as insights on how to leverage your CRM and how to improve your sales process, and more. Be sure to tune in and learn some of the best insider tips that will help to improve your sales process.

On this extra special episode of the Driven by DCKAP podcast, our host Karthik Chidambaram sits down with Robert C. Wolcott - Co-Founder of TWIN Global, adjunct professor and esteemed author - to discuss his latest book, “Proximity: How Coming Breakthroughs in Just-in-Time Transform Business, Society, and Daily Life” which explores the radical shifts in production and service delivery driven by AI, 3D printing, and more.

From his background as an entrepreneur to some of the most impactful moments in his spanning career, Robert shares what led him to write his latest book, and why it’s so vital for businesses across industries to recognize the transformative effects of burgeoning technologies and how it impacts the future. You won’t want to miss this episode!

Matt Johnson is the Marketing Manager & IT Admin at Jendco Safety, and he recently sat down with DCKAP’s Founder and CEO, Karthik Chidambaram, for a conversation that spans the inception of the company itself, up to their most recent digital transformation to amplify their online sales through integration with Cloras and the 3M Marketplace.

From the path of success Jendco Safety has experienced in distributing safety supplies over the years, to sharing insights on the future of the industry and the advent of online marketplaces, their conversation offers many insights to those seeking the next step on their growth path. They touch upon insights in marketing with manufacturers and distributors and why it’s so important to build and solidify an e-commerce presence in order to compete in the market and succeed.

Read more about the work we did with Jendco Safety through Cloras here:

https://cloras.com/customer-stories/jendco-safety-supply/

Bio:

Matt Johnson is the Marketing Manager and IT Admin at Jendco Safety, a second-generation family owned and operated distributor of PPE and industrial supplies in Columbus, Ohio. In this role, Matt oversees and implements all marketing and IT initiatives among other responsibilities. Prior to Jendco, Matt has served in digital marketing roles for over 12 years and over 15 in IT. Matt is a self-taught professional and professed Geek.

It’s that time of year once again, where we reflect back on the 2024 season of the Driven by DCKAP podcast. This year has been full of many great conversations, with outstanding guests that we’ve been honored to speak with and to have the opportunity to dive into important topics and share their experiences and expertise.  

We’re excited for the new year ahead and our plan to continue featuring industry experts and inspiring leaders who share their journeys, offer the secrets of what they’ve learned along the way, and inspire others to pave their own way to success. Subscribe and follow along as the stories continue to unfold! 

From all of us here at the Driven by DCKAP podcast, we wish everyone a Happy Holidays and a very Happy New Year!

For the last episode of the year, we turn back time to review the 2023 season of the Driven by DCKAP podcast. We’ve had some great conversations with amazing guests that we’ve been privileged to share with our followers, and we’re honored to have had them all on the show to share their experiences and expertise.  

In this special episode, Karthik Chidambaram, Driven podcast host and the Founder & CEO of DCKAP, narrates his personal experience with hosting these interviews, while taking a look back and reflecting on the journey of the podcast, sharing some of the standout moments he experienced while interviewing our guests, as he laments on the new year to come.

We’re excited to continue the Driven podcast well into 2024, with a great lineup of industry experts and inspiring leaders who will share their stories, offer insights on what they’ve learned along their journey, and inspire others who might learn from them to pave their own way to success. Subscribe and follow along as we elevate the podcast into a brand new year ahead.

From all of us here at the Driven by DCKAP podcast, we wish everyone a Happy Holidays and a very Happy New Year!

In the 2024 premiere episode of the Driven by DCKAP podcast, we welcome a very special guest – Tammy Miller, the Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota. With a well established background as a highly successful leader in the distribution industry, having been the CEO of the sixth-largest electrical distributor in the US, Border States, Tammy has carved out a unique path in her career as she has transitioned into working in the public sector. It is an inspirational journey that allows her to make an impact and influence others who may not only seek to improve the distribution industry but to take part in helping make the world a better place.

Join us, as podcast host, Karthik Chidambaram, the Founder & CEO of DCKAP, engages in this stimulating conversation with the venerable Tammy Miller. We learn more about her humble roots, her upbringing and early aspirations, the longevity of her transitional career path, from accounting, to leadership in distribution, and her many accomplishments while in government, and we gain key insights into her success, growth and drive. Today, she takes all she has learned throughout her amazing journey in order to serve the people in her state with purpose, to guide the advancement of North Dakota, and to help lead our country into the future.

In the latest episode of Driven by DCKAP, Karthik is joined by Mark Dancer, CEO at Network for Business Innovation and a distinguished NAW Fellow. They discuss Mark’s background, including his influence through Mark Dancer on Flourishing Business, his partnership with NAW, his vision for Innovate to Dominate, the process of writing, how to gain influence, and the growing need for innovation in distribution.

Tune in to gain valuable insights on the importance of innovation as a tool for growth, the impact of influential writing and more.

Kicking off the new season of Driven is our special guest, Lisa Pope, President at Epicor, to join us for a deep dive into her career and the focus and strategy that drives her success. Before her role at Epicor, Lisa’s impressive background also included holding strategic leadership roles at Infor, QAD, and Oracle, driving growth and the shift to SaaS. In this exclusive interview with Karthik Chidambaram, Founder & CEO of DCKAP, Lisa reveals what she is most passionate about, what goes into developing high-performing sales teams, how she sees the future of the distribution industry, and much more.

Tom Gale, MDM’s lead researcher and industry analyst for more than 25 years on independent distribution channel trends, consolidation, technology and competitive landscape, and the current CEO of MDM, is our guest this week. He joins host, Karthik Chidambaram, CEO of DCKAP, on this special Chicago episode of the Driven by DCKAP podcast to discuss the story of MDM, what it provides as an educational resource, the benefit of long term thinking, how digital innovation has helped manufacturers and distributors grow, and much more.

In this interview, we learn more about the impact of competition, the importance of research and strategy, the different stages on the journey of digital transformation, and how digital innovation has completely changed the landscape for manufacturers and distributors. Be sure to listen to the full interview, and subscribe!

On this episode of the Driven by DCKAP podcast, Karthik sits down with Brad Feakes, President of EstesGroup - a leader in combining Private Cloud, Hybrid Cloud, and Managed IT solutions with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). Brad has more than 25 years of experience in manufacturing, construction management, supply chain, and ERP systems, and in their conversation he shares his wealth of knowledge.

From strategies of implementation, how to ensure there's synchronicity with all systems, the role of integration and AI tools, as well as the role of business culture and managing teams, this conversation covers everything ERP, and much more. Be sure to watch the full episode to gain all the invaluable insights our latest guest shares!

The special guest in this episode is known for the art of speaking and storytelling, being a highly sought after public speaker and having hosted dozens of in depth discussions through his traveling platform, We Supply America. As a well-known figure in the distribution world, an entrepreneur, researcher, author, and the Founder of UnleashedWD, Dirk Beveridge understands and embraces this industry, and he is driven to support and spotlight distributors. 

In this episode of the Driven by DCKAP podcast, Dirk sits down with Karthik Chidambaram, Founder & CEO of DCKAP, to talk about his mission in life, the importance of distribution and why it’s necessary to utilize innovative strategies in the digital age, taking a look into his own personal journey and the upward trajectory of his career. We learn more about the driving force behind Dirk’s efforts and why he feels so passionately about working in the distribution industry. 

Through We Supply America, a program which began to hit the road soon after Dirk’s napkin-scrawled idea was formed in 2020, this heartfelt mission was created - to highlight relevant stories and the amazing people behind hundreds of inspiring distribution companies. Now, after its third season, Dirk has many stories to share and even more motivation to continue to bring the human aspect of distribution businesses to the forefront, to share moments of great innovation and success, and to help others be led by purpose.