Episode Summary
Dry ice is bigger than Halloween, and Stephanie Vaughan explains why it matters. Stephanie shares how she went from a communications degree and a COVID-era job search into sales at CMC, a dry ice manufacturing startup. She breaks down where dry ice shows up in the real economy, from cold shipping to essential manufacturing steps like dry ice blasting that keeps production lines moving. She also explains why customer service and reliability can outweigh price when a missed delivery can shut down a plant, plus what makes the industry hard to enter, including sourcing liquid CO2 and facility requirements. The conversation closes with what CMC is building next and how Stephanie approaches learning and staying motivated.

Key Takeaways
Dry ice is used across far more industries than most people realize, and many applications are invisible to end consumers.

In manufacturing, dry ice blasting functions like power washing with dry ice pellets, cleaning molds and equipment in ways that can be critical to keeping production running.

In a niche market, customer service and delivery reliability can be a real differentiator, especially when downtime costs customers far more than the price difference.

Entering dry ice manufacturing is constrained by access to dependable liquid CO2 supply, along with infrastructure and permitting requirements.

Speaking at industry conferences can create credibility fast and generate inbound opportunities, especially in specialized B2B markets.

Building relationships through referrals, multi-site customers, and face-to-face meetings can reduce reliance on cold outreach over time.

Timeline
Early
00:00:00 Brian introduces Stephanie Vaughan and CMC, and sets up the dry ice theme
00:01:00 Stephanie shares how she found the industry after graduating during COVID
00:03:00 What “used everywhere but seen nowhere” means, and where dry ice shows up
00:04:00 Dry ice blasting explained through a power washing analogy
00:06:00 Working in a family business and separating personal from business communication

Middle
00:07:00 How Stephanie built confidence selling in a technical, specialized market
00:10:00 How CMC grew from an existing network and cold calling into referrals
00:12:00 Why availability matters when customers lose money during shutdowns
00:13:00 Standing out with in-person meetings and product knowledge in male-dominated facilities
00:14:00 Why more companies do not easily enter the space, including CO2 supply constraints

Late
00:17:00 How CMC thinks about expansion and replicating service in new regions
00:18:00 The second facility in Wilmington, Delaware and what the footprint looks like
00:21:00 Sales motion today, mostly referrals plus conferences and speaking
00:23:00 Why speaking roles create authority and accelerate relationship building
00:25:00 What Stephanie is focused on in 2026, including expansion and the CO2 summit
00:27:00 How she learns and stays motivated, including an active lifestyle
00:28:00 How to contact Stephanie and closing remarks

Links and Resources

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