In the Mind of a Distributor

Benj sits down with his grandfather, Benco's second-generation owner and chief customer advocate, to find out how Larry grew Benco from $200K to $100M.

Larry recalls the price comparison that won him an argument and lost him a customer, and the day after the 1972 flood wiped out Benco's office and inventory, when his employees asked him what to do next.

He also explains his decision to hand off his own customers so the company could grow. Larry once outsold Benco's other three reps combined, but one salesman can only cover so much ground. He hired six salespeople to take over the route he'd been driving alone, and kept one territory so he'd still hear from dentists directly.

Larry grew Benco by reinvesting in it. If he made $30,000, he'd take home less than half of it. 

"Everything in inventory, all the time," he says. 

With that work ethic and reinvestment, Larry grew Benco to $100 million. When his son Chuck took over and said he'd run it differently, Larry agreed. Chuck and his brother Rick took Benco to about $1 billion.

Listen if you're building a sales team that doesn't depend on you for every decision, or preparing to hand the business to someone who'll change it.

About the guest

Larry Cohen is Benco Dental's chief customer advocate and second-generation owner. He started in the company's tooth department, moved into outside sales, and later ran Benco as president before passing it to his sons, Chuck and Rick. He's also the grandfather of Proton founder and CEO Benj Cohen.

In this episode

• How Larry closed a sale a competitor spent 20 minutes pitching
• The friend's advice that helped build Benco's sales team
• The lower price that cost him a customer for good
• Why he gave away his best territory, and the one he kept for years
• The 1972 flood, and the 1% loan that put Benco back in business
• "I'm the budget": what changed when his sons took over
• The buyer who lost the deal by closing a branch without asking

In the Mind of a Distributor is a podcast by Proton.ai.

Send us Fan Mail

Connect with Benj on LinkedIn
Visit Proton's website

In this special episode, the tables are turned: Benj Cohen, founder and CEO of Proton.ai, is interviewed by VP of marketing Dasha Shakov about growing up in his family’s dental distribution business and how that experience led him to build an AI platform for distributors.

Benj explains why many are missing the larger opportunity with AI. The payoff comes when you redesign a complete workflow, give agents access to the right data, and keep a person in control of the result.

They discuss:

• The four profit levers every distributor can pull, and why its essential to unify them into a single platform
• Why AI projects should start with one small, measurable use case
• How agents changed Proton’s software-development process
• Why seasoned reps may become your strongest AI users
• What will stay the same in distribution over the next 10 years

The conversation ends on a more personal question: if making more money doesn’t create lasting satisfaction, what does?

Send us Fan Mail

Connect with Benj on LinkedIn
Visit Proton's website

In this episode, Benj sits down with Kevin Weadick, CEO and President at TricorBraun, whose career runs through Grainger, Zoro, FleetPride, and more.

Kevin shares how he settled the oldest argument in distribution marketing: does any of it actually help the branches and the reps? At FleetPride he ran geo-paired market tests, shutting marketing off in one market and leaving it on in a matched one, then watched what happened to local sales. What he found gave the team the confidence to spend a lot more aggressively.

He also gets into why centralizing inventory and pricing has less to do with whether corporate can do it better and more to do with which branch manager you pick for your first pilot. If you're trying to figure out what your marketing is really doing for your sellers, where to do market tests, or how much autonomy to leave with your branches, this one's worth your time.

Send us Fan Mail

Connect with Benj on LinkedIn
Visit Proton's website

In this episode, Benj sits down with Kevin Short, CEO of ORS Nasco, to talk about life as a master distributor, their four acquisitions in the last two years, and what 30+ years in chemicals, plastics, and industrial distribution have taught him about running a resilient business.

Kevin makes the case for rethinking how distributors and manufacturers allocate capital. He argues the old advice to "spend your last dollar on inventory" no longer holds, and explains why he's on a mission to unblur the lines across the supply chain so every player in it can focus on what they do best. 

He also walks through ORS Nasco's PE journey including what he looks for in a sponsor and his "first do no harm" approach to integrating new acquisitions. If you're running a distribution business that's thinking about PE, considering acquisitions, or just trying to sharpen your value prop, this one's worth your time.

Send us Fan Mail

Connect with Benj on LinkedIn
Visit Proton's website

In this episode, Benj sits down with Erik Gershwind, Vice Chair of the Board at MSC Industrial, to unpack 30 years at one of the largest industrial distributors in the U.S. and the strategic shifts that defined his 13 years as CEO.

Erik walks through repositioning MSC from a "spot buy" supplier known for its catalog and next-day delivery into a mission-critical partner on the plant floor of North American manufacturing. He also explains how MSC leaned into technical product lines, digital, and an implant program that's grown from 1% of sales pre-COVID to 20% today.

He also shares his view on AI across the distribution value chain and why data is now a distributor's biggest asset alongside its people. 

Send us Fan Mail

Connect with Benj on LinkedIn
Visit Proton's website

Chuck Cohen is back on In the Mind of a Distributor. This time, he's pulling back the curtain on the biggest structural bet in Benco Dental's nearly 100-year history: reorganizing the entire company into three distinct divisions under a new holding company.

Chuck breaks down why they made the move, how it's designed to unlock faster growth and higher margins, and what it took to get there, including the lessons learned from years of early experiments in services before solutions became a core part of the business.

Send us Fan Mail

Connect with Benj on LinkedIn
Visit Proton's website

In this episode, Benj talks with Doug and Jack York of Ewing Outdoor Supply about what it really takes to run a successful family-owned distribution business across generations.

Doug shares how he scaled Ewing to 250+ locations by betting big on growth while staying true to the company’s roots. Jack brings a next-gen perspective: showing how they’re layering in data, financial discipline, and tech to stay competitive without losing what makes the business special.

They get real about succession planning, balancing family dynamics, and making sure future leaders earn their seat. If you’re part of a family-run distributor (or thinking about how to build one that lasts) this is a must-listen.

Send us Fan Mail

Connect with Benj on LinkedIn
Visit Proton's website

In this episode, Benj talks with Paul Kennedy, CEO of DSG, about cracking the code on multi-vertical distribution. Paul reveals how DSG profitably serves towns of 10,000 people by selling electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and waterworks all under one roof—a model that lets them win in markets where focused competitors simply can't make the math work.

He breaks down the strategy behind spreading costs across verticals, then dives into the real operational challenges: structuring sales teams for focus without sacrificing breadth, leveraging back-of-house efficiency that most distributors overlook, and deciding when to go local versus regional with your resources.

Paul also tackles the digital side: why contractors care more about knowing what's in stock than finding the lowest price, how e-commerce fits into a broader digital ecosystem, and the one thing that makes or breaks technology adoption (hint: it's not the technology itself).

Send us Fan Mail

Connect with Benj on LinkedIn
Visit Proton's website

In this episode, Benj talks with Ali Hasham, CEO and Founder of Revenue Optics, about what it takes to build high-performing inside sales teams in distribution. With nearly 25 years in the industry, Ali shares how he built inside sales organizations from scratch three separate times, scaling teams from a single person to as many as 90 reps.

Ali breaks down the playbook he's refined across electrical, automotive, and industrial distribution: from identifying the right talent and proving the model's value, to navigating the tricky handoffs between inside and outside sales teams. The conversation also explores how AI is transforming inside sales and why distributors who aren't leveraging these tools are "donating EBITDA to competitors." 

Whether you're building a new inside sales team or looking to improve an existing one, Ali shares helpful tips for making a profitable inside sales engine that captures the revenue hiding in plain sight.

Send us Fan Mail

Connect with Benj on LinkedIn
Visit Proton's website

In this episode of In the Mind of a Distributor, Benj sits down with Gary Corless, former CEO of PSS World Medical (now McKesson Medical-Surgical), to unpack how the company scaled from a $15M startup pulling orders in shopping carts to a $2B industry leader.

The key to that growth was a rich company-wide culture where everyone (not just sales) owned the number.

Gary walks through how PSS built a true growth culture that aligned teams from the warehouse to the C-suite, turning everyday roles into expansion engines. He also breaks down:

• Why hungry college grads often outperform seasoned industry vets
• How to push reps hard without burning them out
• Why most reps hate CRMs and how to build systems they want to use

This conversation is packed with practical insights for distribution leaders looking to scale sustainably. If you’re trying to reignite growth, build real accountability, or figure out what’s getting in your team’s way — this episode is for you.

Send us Fan Mail

Connect with Benj on LinkedIn
Visit Proton's website