Today I'm joined by BlackBerry Radar, a logistics technology brand that delivers asset monitoring, engineered for intelligence, and designed to solve for your most common transportation challenges.

Launched in 2016, BlackBerry Radar is an intelligent, secure and user-friendly asset tracking and monitoring solution. It provides reliable industry-leading visibility into a range of fleet assets, including trailers, flatbeds, chassis and intermodal containers, utilizing device hardware, a secure communications network, and a dynamic cloud platform.

Today Shannon Hamilton, Vice President of Blackberry Radar Sales, joins me to chat all about the brand and what they do; pioneering the future of hyperconnectivity; making the complex simple; and leveraging real-time insights to deliver better, and faster, customer service.

[06.03] How the transportation industry's challenges have evolved, the landscape of the industry in a post-pandemic environment, and the key focus areas for logistics businesses.

"Coming out of the pandemic we've seen a bit of a slowdown, so now it's really about assessing and right-sizing your fleet, and making better financial decisions about where you're investing in those assets."

[07.36] An overview of Blackberry Radar – what they do and how they help their customers.

"Everybody knew Blackberry, back when it was their favorite handset, but most people don't know what we're doing today… We've been using all of our Intellectual Property, and including all of the design capabilities of building handset software, but now we're building devices for the transportation industry."

[09.21] A closer look at the Radar device itself, what it does, and how and where it can be installed.

"Marrying both the physical location with the inside of that piece of equipment is really enabling next-level efficiency."

[12.12] From helping to reduce empty miles to improved maintenance efficiency, the benefits of installing BlackBerry Radar in your trailers.

[16.49] The most efficient ways to mitigate risk, the importance of good data, and how Blackberry Radar can help.

"Mitigating risk is really about having the information in a usable way, that can improve the way you make decisions. The quality of your decisions is really based on the data that you have – if you have good data, you make good decisions."

[18.59] The challenges within intermodal and how Blackberry Radar can help with a range of issues from displacement and theft to next-level visibility.

[23.43] A closer look at what reporting, data and customization looks like with Blackberry Radar.

"Every business has different business rules and different logic that they're working towards. So all of those events can be customized so you're making use of that information in the best possible way."

[25.42] The ideal client for Blackberry Radar.

[26.19] A case study showing how Blackberry Radar helped a key client to better utilize existing equipment instead of regularly invest in new assets, ultimately resulting in a vast reduction of capital investment, reduction in maintenance, creation of new revenue streams and enhanced customer experience.

[30.11] The future for BlackBerry Raday.

Head over to Blackberry Radar's website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Blackberry Radar and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, or you can connect with Shannon on LinkedIn.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more from Shannon, check out her blog for our Women In Supply Chain series, where she shares more about her career journey, who inspires her and her experience as a woman in a historically male-dominated industry.

This episode was filmed onsite at Manifest. Look out for more incredible content from the show - coming soon!

Check out our other podcasts HERE.

In today's episode of Women In Supply Chain, I'm joined by multi-award-winning supply chain leader Darcy MacClaren.

Darcy MacClaren is a strategic global leader who has spent 30 years growing, differentiating, and improving businesses through technology transformation with a focus on supply chain. She has held various leadership roles at SAP over the last ten years and currently serves as the Senior Vice President of Digital Supply Chain and Industry 4.0 for SAP North America. Darcy is passionate about collaboration, and committed to guiding organizations in their digital transformation journey through innovative technology and next-generation business processes.

Today Darcy will be talking to us about her career so far; the role of sponsors, as well as mentors; building a support network for women; and putting a focus on helping companies build resilient, agile, and sustainable supply chains. Plus, she'll be sharing her experiences as a woman in supply chain, as well as her words of advice for all of the women following in her footsteps.

Women fuel the success of some of the world's most successful businesses, yet barriers still exist. SAP is committed to supporting and elevating a new generation of women to profoundly lead and impact global supply chains and are proud to support the Women in Supply Chain Series and its efforts.

Supply chains need to evolve from low-cost and optimized to risk-resilient and sustainable and SAP can help.

SAP Digital Supply Chain solutions connect the entire process — design, planning, manufacturing, logistics, maintenance, and service; connecting your supply chains to the rest of your business and all your contextual data; supporting your efforts in alleviating risk in your supply chains.

SAP is the market leader in enterprise application software and for the last 50 years has been helping companies to run better. Find out more at sap.com/scm

[06.53] Darcy's ambition as a young person, and how a role at Hewlett Packard in the early days of her career set Darcy on a path to success.

"Right from a young age, I knew I wanted to be successful, I knew I wanted to be powerful – but I didn't know what that meant."

[09.18] How Darcy found supply chain, why her strengths were such a good match, and why she really fell in love with the industry.

[13.02] Why Darcy found her voice early on in her career, and how she came to appreciate the magnitude of supply chain and the impact it had on people's lives.

"I do a lot of mentoring for folks entering the field and I always let them know: 'you know more than you think you know. You just don't have the confidence yet.'"

[16.59] Why Darcy joined SAP, her journey at the brand over the past 11 years and why she's so passionate about it.

"When you work at a smaller niche company, many times you look around the room and you're the most experienced person there. I wanted to learn from senior executives, the best in the world, and really grow myself as a leader."

[20.33] Darcy's current role as Senior VP of Digital Supply Chain and Manufacturing for North America, the increasing importance of digital transformation, and what she sees from her perspective at SAP.

"It's a journey. But the good news is that digital transformation is finally starting… you don't transform overnight but you have to have a plan, and you have to start now."

[25.34] The importance of tackling sustainability in supply chain, alongside risk, agility and resilience.

"We all know it's the right thing to do… but if you want the best people, they want to work for sustainable companies; if you want customers, they want to buy from sustainable companies – so it makes good business sense."

[29.06] Darcy's experience as a woman in a male-dominated industry across her 30-year career.

"It has changed, but not to the extent that I thought it would have, by the time my daughter came into the industry."

[34.23] Why Darcy established the award-winning Women in Supply Chain Network, and the impact it's having on the community.

"It's great for the career path if you have aspirations to be in the C Suite – supply chain is a great background to have, because of the visibility you get across different industries."

[36.43] The difference between mentors and sponsors, and Darcy's advice for making the most of both of them.

[40.25] Darcy's reflections on why women should dive into supply chain, and why they're so well-suited to the industry.

"There was a study that actually said, statistically, women are better suited to supply chain – and it had to do with empathy."

[43.12] Darcy's advice for girls and women looking to follow in her footsteps.

You can connect with Darcy over on LinkedIn.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear from another incredible woman from SAP, check out 283: Blended – The Rise of Asian Discrimination featuring Gale, Director of Global Influencer Marketing at the leading brand.

Check out our other podcasts HERE.

Today we're putting the spotlight on one of our incredible live shows, LogTech Live With Eric Johnson.

Eric is Senior Editor of Technology at the Journal Of Commerce and a long-time friend of the show, and he brings us his unrivaled industry insights – and Dad jokes! – on the first and third Friday of every month at 10am EST.

In this episode, Eric is joined by special guest Anthony Miller, SaaS, Tech, Logistics and Supply Chain Consultant, to talk about the hottest news from the biggest brands in logistics right now.

[08.22] From C.H. Robinson CEO Bob Biesterfeld's shock exit to a new collaboration between an early-stage tech provider and freight forwarders, Eric explores the news of the week.

[15.01] An introduction to Eric's guest, Anthony Miller, his experience at WiseTech, and his love for logistics.

"Logistics is so exciting and ever-changing… some people would say it's still stuck in the past, but I don't see that. It's a mixture of both – you have the great people and the processes, and then you have the tech, and they're all just trying to come together."

[19.56] How and why Anthony became a provocative logistics voice on LinkedIn.

"I want people to read something and think about it, go and do some research, talk to people and form your own opinions."

[27.53] Anthony and Eric discuss CargoWise - its position in the market, why the organization has come under recent scrutiny, how businesses like GoFreight are breaking through to serve the SMB market, and the downside of aggressive acquisition strategies.

[41.20] Anthony's thoughts on the future for CH Robinson and Flexport.

"Our industry is about consolidation. And as soon as you show some weakness, that's it – sharks are circling."

[47.51] Eric ends with his favorite question: 'what's your favorite band and why?'

Discover more breaking news over on Journal of Commerce, and connect with Anthony on LinkedIn.

If you enjoyed the show, there are plenty more episodes of LogTech Live to explore. And if you want to hear even more from the super-knowledgeable Eric Johnson, you can also catch him on episode 238 and episode 300.

Check out our other podcasts HERE.

Today I'm joined by Nipendo, a forward-thinking software brand that is on a mission to improve how buyers and suppliers work together to combat Source-to-Pay inefficiencies and costs.

The Nipendo platform is an intelligent intermediator between buyers and suppliers, using technologies like Robotic Process Automation, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, to streamline interactions and benefit all trading partners. The Nipendo platform is used by cross-vertical medium-sized and large companies across the globe, helping them reduce costs and improve procurement and supply chain efficiencies, as well as supporting their competitive strength.

Today Paul Noel, Chief Revenue Officer at Nipendo, joins me to chat all about the company and what they do; their recent acquisition by Amex; changing the game in a flooded SaaS market; helping brands to embrace digital transformation processes; and the importance of bringing buyers and suppliers together in mutually beneficial partnerships.

[06.38] How and why Nipendo was founded, and what attracted Paul to the brand.

"It was that approach – much more additive than disruptive – that really intrigued me as the new age of spend management."

[10.34] An overview of Nipendo – what they do and how they help their customers.

[12.55] Buyers: their key challenges, how the Nipendo platform works for them, and the benefits it delivers.

[15.02] Suppliers: their unique set of obstacles, and what the Nipendo platform looks like from a seller's perspective.

"As buyers get their act together more, it forces more requirements on the suppliers… the big saving for suppliers is having one place where they can work with multiple customers."

[17.45] The impact of facilitating buyers and suppliers to work more successfully together, at a business and industry level.

"People stop doing tedious things!... The pandemic gave everyone a shot in the arm - people started thinking 'what am I doing that's value add, what am I doing that can be automated?'"

[21.15] Paul's thoughts on digitization and what he thinks organizations have been doing wrong, and right.

[23.56] What integration and onboarding look like with Nipendo.

"The availability of your IT can be a block, but when you've figured that out, the rest of is pretty easy. We're going to do the heavy lifting, because we'll make sure that message is going to flow through whatever pipe you open up, it's just a matter of opening that pipe."

[27.44] The ideal client for Nipendo.

[29.46] Several case studies showing how Nipendo helped key clients improve efficiency, collaboration and communication, ultimately supporting overall business growth, optimization and cost reduction.

[34.06] The future for Nipendo.

"2023 you'll see our name out there for a more holistic approach that a mid-market company can use, so they can leverage technology to walk and talk like a big guy, without having to be a big guy."

Head over to Nipendo's website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Nipendo and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter, or you can connect with Paul on LinkedIn.

If you're in the mood for a good read, check out our Women In Supply Chain blog interview with good friend of the show Sarah Scudder - she talks all about how, in the early days of her career, learning that procurement and marketing weren't collaborating led to her breakthrough moment.

Check out our other podcasts HERE.

Today I'm joined by Aera Technology, a forward-thinking company that is on a mission to drive beyond digital transformation and make businesses smarter, dynamic, digital, and wildly successful.

Aera Technology is the Decision Intelligence Company that makes business agility happen. Their innovative cloud platform integrates with your existing systems to digitize, augment, and automate decision-making in real-time. In the era of digital acceleration, Aera helps enterprises around the world transform how they respond to the ever-changing environment.

Today Fred Laluyaux, CEO at Aera Technology, joins me to chat all about the company: what they do; using AI to reimagine how organizations operate; the rise of citizen data scientists; and harnessing the power of Decision Intelligence.

[06.40] Fred's background and exciting career journey as a tech entrepreneur.

"I've spent the last 25 years of my life building technology that helps large organizations manage their performance... (and) modeling complex problems – I feel like I've been trying to solve a giant puzzle for the last 25 years!"

[09.17] From cycle speed to increasing complexity, the key changes and challenges faced by today's supply chains.

"All this new technology is allowing us to move the envelope. But the complexity of the problems that we have to resolve is also increasing exponentially. So you have this race between a goal post that's moving very fast, and technology that's trying to catch up... The problem goes beyond supply chain. "

[13.10] An overview of Aera – what they do, how they help their customers and their vision for customers, and for the industry.

"The vision we had is simple… building a technology that would allow the thinking to be connected to the doing."

[16.40] Decision Intelligence: what it means, why Gartner has recognized it as a top industry trend for this year, and how it works with Aera.

[25.45] A closer look at Aera's four key product areas: Aera Understands, Aera Recommends, Aera Predicts and Aera Acts.

[35.00] Fred's reflections on the balance between people and technology, the importance of collaboration and why Aera is embracing a new era of citizen data scientists.

"The operationalization of data science is really the next frontier."

[38.04] The ideal client for Aera, a closer look at onboarding and integration, and the importance of finding the balance between time to go live and time to value.

"Its not a competition between the human operator and the system – it's a collaboration."

[44.03] A case study showing how Aera helped a key client increase their accuracy and response rate, leading to an increase in customer satisfaction, a decrease in order cancellations and, ultimately, higher profit.

"What excites me about this adventure is that we're deploying a technology that's new to enable companies to do things that were not happening before."

Head over to Aera Technology's website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Aera and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn or Twitter, or you can connect with Fred on LinkedIn.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear from another brand that is embracing the power of AI and machine learning, why not check out episode 290, Tomorrow's Insights Delivered Today: Enabling Operational Automation, featuring Caleb Nelson of Sifted.

And if you were intrigued by Gartner's top trend, Decision Intelligence, and are keen to discover some of the other trends you need to know about for 2023, make sure to dive into Logtech Live With Eric Johnson. Eric is Senior Editor of Technology at the Journal Of Commerce, so if something's going down in supply chain, he's the first to know!

Check out our other podcasts HERE.

Today I'm joined by TraceGains, the world's only networked ingredients marketplace.

Founded in 2008, TraceGains connects people and information so teams can work smarter. As a global technology company, they provide networked innovation, quality, and compliance solutions to consumer brands that want to reduce supply chain risk, innovate faster, speed up business processes, and take control of data.

Today Gary Nowacki, Founder and CEO at TraceGains, joins me to chat all about the company: what they do; achieving visibility and productivity through collaboration; overcoming today's supply chain challenges; and bringing people and ingredient data together in new ways to achieve business agility.

[06.31] Gary's background and how, and why, it led him to founding TraceGains.

"When we founded TraceGains, I think we used the same trick that I would recommend for anybody founding a tech or software company: find a real pain, and then make sure it's not being serviced well."

[08.37] A closer look at some of the biggest challenges in the food industry right now, why those challenges are forcing companies to re-evaluate their supply chains, and how TraceGains are helping their customers to conquer disruption.

"The food industry, like almost all industries, really focused on cost… Now, everything is sky rocketed through inflation and new drivers have come along…"

[13.36] An overview of TraceGains – what they do and how they help their customers.

"This is an incredibly fragmented supply chain… it was using a hub and spoke methodology… and that's a really bad way to do things! … So we stole a page from the playbook of social media companies, and said: "Forget the hub and spoke. Let's just get all these companies to connect."

[15.34] A deeper dive into TraceGains Gather, a marketplace that invites customers to "experience sourcing nirvana."

[19.56] A closer look at TraceGains' configurable solutions for product development, which support customers in creating new formulas and finished goods.

[24.02] TraceGains' compliance solutions, and the benefit of having a range of complimentary solutions all under one roof.

[26.28] Why ingredient agility equals brand agility, and why mastering ingredient data is key to evolving your supply chain.

[28.01] Collaboration, the importance of bringing buyers and sellers together with co-manufacturing, and an example of what can go wrong when good collaboration is lacking.

"We have a new capability so buyers and sellers can collaborate, not just with the brand owners and ingredient sellers, but also with the co-manufacturers so all three can come together in a workspace – it's almost like Pinterest… because in this problematic issue of supply chain disruptions, we need collaboration more than ever!"

[32.08] What onboarding and integration looks like with TraceGains.

"There's a lot less integration that needs to be done, because people are just interacting and collaborating in the cloud."

[34.06] The ideal client for TraceGains.

[36.29] A case study showing how TraceGains helped a leading bakery make fast and responsive manufacturing decisions and ensure product continuity, by providing vital data insights on variable ingredients.

[39.30] The future for TraceGains.

"These problems exist in every country around the globe… so growing internationally is the next logical step."

Head over to TraceGain's website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with TraceGains and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram, or you can connect with Gary on LinkedIn.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to find out more about the food and beverage supply chain, why not check out episode 245, featuring Marina Mayer, editor-in-chief of Food Logistics and Supply & Demand Chain Executive.

Then check out episode 257, a special episode of our live show Action Items with Dyci Sfregola, in which Dyci interviews Atia Yarbrough, Director of Demand and Supply Planning at Mason Dixie Foods, to discover more about building successful S&OP processes, finding the right partners, and the importance of dual sourcing.

Check out our other podcasts HERE.

In today's episode of Women In Supply Chain, I'm joined by Ashley Yentz, a supply chain leader who is passionate about driving sustainability and creating solutions that improve lives.

Ashley discovered her love for supply chain during several successful internships at automotive megabrand, Toyota. And, after a stint as a logistics analyst at Hilti, Ashley's career really took flight at LeanCor Supply Chain Group. She developed, implemented, and managed lean supply chains totalling around $300M in annual transportation spend and, in 2021, she brought all of her experience, knowledge and passion to her current role as VP of Supply Chain and Material Flow at Sleep Number, a leader in sleep and wellness technology.

Today Ashley will be talking to us about her career so far; her passion for creating a more inclusive workforce; developing customer-focused solutions; and why her ultimate goal is to influence a priority shift toward climate change and social consciousness in the logistics and supply chain industry. Plus, she'll be sharing her experiences as a woman in supply chain, as well as her words of advice for all of the women following in her footsteps.

This Women in Supply Chain feature was sponsored by Sifted.

As a business dedicated to empowering confidence within the shipping industry, we're proud to support women in supply chain. Sifted is the leading logistics intelligence software, that combines insights with expertise to empower bigger, smarter shipping decisions. As growth and disruptions present ongoing challenges for supply chain leaders, thousands rely on Sifted to set their businesses up for success. Learn more about Sifted here.

[07.09] Ashley's career journey, from being raised by creative entrepreneurs and gaining a degree in mathematics, to being introduced to supply chain by a mentor.

"I met one of my mentors, she was the Vice President of Customer Service at Toyota… and she was the one that looked at me, heard about my skillset in math and my passions and said 'hey – I think you'd be really good in supply chain!'"

[11.28] What Ashley learned during her time working for Toyota.

"I understood the great care that we had to take to make sure a customer was satisfied. Lean is about 'what is it that this customer really wants, and how do we make sure we're providing them the best value.'"

[16.55] Ashley's journey within Toyota, from strategic planning to inventory; how the recession led to a move to Hilti; and why a passion for Lean Systems eventually took her to LeanCor.

"I started doing a lot of research on 'what do I want to do, where do I want to be, where do I want to spend my time?'"

[23.01] Ashley's experience of being one of only two female senior leaders at LeanCor, and the importance of finding people that value what you have to say.

"When we talk about career growth and development, seeking to understand is such a huge part of anyone's job, and it will set you apart."

[28.03] Why Ashley moved to Sleep Number, her advice on finding the right career fit, and why Sleep Number values wellness.

"You have to be surrounded by a community that you're enjoying, that is getting the best out of you and you feel your best at, where you can bring your authentic self to work... you have to make sure it's aligning to you and your life."

[35.21] Ashley's biggest career achievements to date.

[38.03] Ashley's experience as a woman in the male-dominated fields of construction, supply chain and automotive, how she built courage over time and her advice for how women can thrive.

[42.59] Ashley's favorite thing about supply chain.

"My favorite thing about supply chain is that you can learn so much – you'll never get bored!"

[44.15] Ashley's thoughts on the importance of sustainability in supply chain.

"I believe that profit and sustainability go hand in hand."

You can connect with Ashley over on LinkedIn.

If you enjoyed this episode, check out 310: Women in Supply Chain, Grace Sharkey, featuring another woman in supply chain who has followed her heart when it comes to her career journey. Or, if you're keen to hear more about the importance of sustainability in supply chain, why not listen to what Mary McNelly has to say in episode 250.

Check out our other podcasts HERE.

Today I'm joined by Lean Solutions Group, a super-successful business service provider that's using its impressive suite of solutions to make scaling simple.

Lean Solutions Group is a nearshore and offshore services provider with a highly scalable and flexible workforce of 7,000 employees with operations at seven satellite offices in Colombia, Guatemala, and the Philippines. Partnering with more than 500 U.S.-based companies, Lean Solutions Group's expanded service offerings include staffing, technology, marketing, sales, and business process outsourcing services, all in one place.

Today Hunter Bell, Senior Account Executive at Lean Solutions, joins me to chat all about the company and what they do; overcoming recruitment challenges; making scaling simple; the power of 'global shoring'; and how to broaden your reach, without borders.

[07.05] Hunter's journey, how he came to join Lean Solutions and why logistics is in his blood.

"I've been familiar with the industry. My Dad was in transportation logistics for 25 years… so growing up, I was able to see what that industry is all about, and the amount of hours you've got to put in…"

[08.18] How Lean Solutions Group was founded, its evolution, and an overview of what they do now.

"We set up satellite offices for transportation logistics companies. We have everything turnkey down there ready to go, office space and a recruiting team… we teach them the industry and then build out an infrastructure."

[10.28] How staffing has changed since the pandemic, the current labor challenges, and the opportunities provided by embracing satellite and remote teams.

"When COVID hit, everyone was forced to go remote, which opened people's eyes to: companies don't only have to source talent in their cites now… remote work does work!"

[12.53] A closer look at the process of working with Lean Solutions, from identifying a business's key needs to working on process efficiencies.

[14.19] The challenges involved in remote working, and how Lean works to solve them.

"COVID exposed an issue with people's ability to manage expectations and what you really want your staff doing… a lot of companies struggled to figure out what those expectations and KPI's were."

[16.17] How Lean can help organizations to mitigate the risks involved in remote staffing.

[18.23] Utilizing data to better understand productivity, and how Lean can support in understanding those data insights.

"What do you with the data? That's what a lot of companies don't know. They have all this data, they're tracking it, but they don't know how to leverage it."

[19.57] The ideal client for Lean Solutions.

[20.32] What onboarding and integration looks like with Lean Solutions.

"We use a lot of automation, automating your processes is key."

[21.37] A case study showing how Lean helped a brokerage with their back end so they could focus on achieving fast growth, ultimately supporting that company to grow from $30-40 million a year to close to $1 billion.

[23.19] The future for Lean Solutions.

"There are a lot of good people everywhere in this world – we're just looking to find them and connect them with our customers!"

Head over to Lean Solution's website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Lean and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram, or you can connect with Hunter on LinkedIn.

This episode was filmed at Home Delivery world. If you enjoyed it, and want to explore some of the other great content filmed at the event, why not check out episodes:

• 311: Step into the Future of Drayage, with Envase Technologies
• 308: Stabilizing Safety in the Workplace, with Ideal Warehouse Innovations
• 306: Create Long-Standing Opportunities and Reduce Costs, With DM Delivers
• 304: Discover Success at the Intersection of Logistics and Technology, with Flexe
• 299: Modernize Your Ecommerce Supply Chain, with Shipium
• 297: Make Smarter Packing Decisions, with Paccurate
• 296: Take Control of Managing Your Demand Chain, with SEKO
• 294: Optimize Warehouse Productivity, with Locus Robotics
• 289: Achieve Control, Capacity and Care, with Estes Forwarding Worldwide.

Check out our other podcasts HERE.

It's episode 27 of Blended: I'm joined by another talented panel of guests and, today, we're talking about addiction. This is a topic that is still very taboo. But, as with most things in life, it's not black and white. Not all addicts are the same, and not everyone is addicted to alcohol or drugs. Our rapidly evolving culture has seen the rise of addiction to things like shopping, social media and even work, but our attitudes to addiction are still very much based in the past. And, around a very certain type of addict – the one I'm sure we're all used to seeing meet a terrible fate in film and TV.

And this kind of thing always worries me, because none of our conversations around DEI can move forward if we're still holding on to stereotypes and judgments. Things are moving forward for women, people of color, the LGBTQIA+ community – it's time to do the same for all those struggling with, or supporting loved ones who are struggling with, addiction.

Today, our guests will be sharing their experiences of addiction; the power of nature in aiding recovery; loss and grief; tackling addiction in the workplace; and advice on how we can support those struggling, at work and in our communities.

[01.15] Introductions to our Blended panelists.

• Angie – Founder of Siblinghood of Recovery Podcast
• Ariel – Herbalist & Intuitive Healer

[03.41] The group reflect on what addiction really is, and share their personal experiences, of struggling with addiction themselves and of supporting others.

"It really isn't down to one specific thing or specific challenge, it's a result of a lot of things." Angie

• Lack of control
• Link to trauma
• Genetics
• Intergenerational trauma
• Mental ill health
• Blame, shame and judgment
• Self-worth
• Compassion and forgiveness
• Self-medication
• Loving the person, not the addict
• Being ill-equipped to support others
• Trying to find safety and coping mechanisms in unsafe outlets

"I grew up in a family of addicts… and through coping and dealing with trauma I, at a young age, got into drugs and drinking." Ariel

[25.09] The panel discusses the power of nature in aiding recovery and share their different recovery journeys.

• Replacing dopamine
• Learning to trust your instincts
• Getting active
• Releasing trauma and stress from the body
• Empowerment
• People telling you who you are
• Expectations and limiting beliefs
• Re-writing your story
• Dysregulated nervous systems

"Nature provides in every single way – it's not just the biological, it's the spiritual." Ariel

[34.22] The group discusses what recovery looks like, tackling addiction in the workplace, and what companies can do to provide support and change mindsets when it comes to addiction.

"I would challenge some companies to start using the phrase 'sober curious'." Angie

• Holding space for people and creating conversations
• Education
• Accountability
• Support and allyship
• Culture of drinking
• Changing industry events
• Speak from the heart, not the ego
• Never give advice or opinions
• Offer professional resources
• Outsourcing and liability

"The HR industry has to figure this one out, because there are so many legalities of 'how deeply do you get involved in an employee's personal life?' " Angie

[54.03] The panel reflects on the loss that often comes hand in hand with addiction, and how best to support people.

• Forgiveness
• Grief
• Build your own community
• Support networks
• Normalize words and conversations
• Boundaries
• Triggers
• Respect
• Meet people where they are
• Open-minded

[1.07.02] The group sum up their thoughts from today's discussion.

"When it comes to addiction, we can put ourselves on a pedestal. 'Oh we don't do that.' There's that stigma that comes with addiction. And once we take ourselves off that pedestal, we realize those people aren't different to us, that we can help and support them and they have a place in this world." Ariel

You can connect with Ariel on Instagram, or find out more about Angie's podcast Siblinghood of Recovery over on her website, or on Instagram.

If you enjoyed this podcast, why not check out 252: Blended – Hiding in Plain Sight: The Reality of Workplace Discrimination or 158: Blended – Story of my Life.

Check out our other podcasts HERE.

Today I'm joined by GoBolt, a fast-growing tech-enabled, sustainably-focused logistics provider for local e-commerce shops as well as national brands.

GoBolt provides a technology-driven, customer-centric and sustainable approach to fulfillment, including reliable warehousing, pick and pack, shipping, and last-mile delivery. By operating as an extension of their customer's team, they are able to deliver best-in-class services every step of the way, ensuring faster, more cost-effective, and complete customer deliveries.

Today Mark Ang, Co-founder and CEO at GoBolt, joins me to chat all about the company and what they do; bringing sustainability to an industry notorious for its heavy impact on the environment; its recent Series B funding success; why logistics is broken; and their goal to reach carbon-negative deliveries by the end of 2023.

[06.02] How GoBolt began as a different kind of business and evolved based on customer demands and market needs.

"Before we knew it, we were acting more like a logistics business than we thought… I don't think people wake up and dream about starting a warehousing and logistics business!"

[09.26] An overview of GoBolt – what they do and how they help their customers.

"Essentially what we're trying to create is a unified platform for every single logistics requirement for a scaling, or scaled, brand."

[10.23] What GoBolt means when they say "we are the only thing between you and your customers" – and why that interface is so important.

"Our NPS [Net Promoter Score] is extremely high, up in the 80's… typically in the last mile space, you see NPS's in the low teens."

[12.24] A closer look at the technology that sits behind GoBolt, and what it does.

"What we really want to do is unshackle the customer from their day of delivery."

[13.55] The areas across North America and Canada in which GoBolt operate, and what differentiates them from their competitors.

"What we've found, for enterprise brands and folks that are scaling quickly, is that the last thing they want to invest in is logistics – it's expensive and hard to get it right… but it's the one thing that touches your customer every single time and reliability, or lack thereof, in your supply chain can make or break your brand."

[15.56] How GoBolt supports reverse logistics, and facilitates different product outcomes, from donation to refurbishment for resale and recycling.

[17.55] What onboarding and integration look like with GoBolt.

[19.06] The ideal client for GoBolt.

"Part of our vision is to enable commerce by making logistics easy."

[20.37] GoBolt's commitment to sustainability, and why carbon offset isn't the answer.

"There's only 500 million hectares of re-forestable area in the world, and Shell for example has already committed to planting a tenth of that – so there's not going to be that much land to go around! We actually need to do our part to become net zero as quickly as possible."

[22.56] A case study showing how GoBolt helped a client to vastly increase customer satisfaction in last mile logistics, leading them to further leverage GoBolt's skillsets across many other areas, from fulfillment to mid-mile.

[25.31] The future for GoBolt.

Head over to GoBolt's website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with GoBolt and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or you can connect with Mark on LinkedIn.

This episode was filmed at Home Delivery world. If you enjoyed it, and want to explore some of the other great content filmed at the event, why not check out episodes:

• 308: Stabilizing Safety in the Workplace, with Ideal Warehouse Innovations
• 306: Create Long-Standing Opportunities and Reduce Costs, With DM Delivers
• 304: Discover Success at the Intersection of Logistics and Technology, with Flexe
• 299: Modernize Your Ecommerce Supply Chain, with Shipium
• 297: Make Smarter Packing Decisions, with Paccurate
• 296: Take Control of Managing Your Demand Chain, with SEKO
• 294: Optimize Warehouse Productivity, with Locus Robotics
• 289: Achieve Control, Capacity and Care, with Estes Forwarding Worldwide.

Check out our other podcasts HERE.