LOAD IT OR LEAVE IT

Camp Jennings sits down with Meredith Steinmeyer, Director of Fleet Services at Floor & Decor, to explore what it really takes to manage large-scale fleets in a fast-growing retail and distribution environment. With a career that started on the sales side of forklifts before moving into enterprise fleet ownership, Meredith brings a rare, full-cycle perspective to material handling, service partnerships, and operational decision-making.

Meredith shares her unconventional path from selling forklifts straight out of college to overseeing more than 3,000 assets across hundreds of stores and multiple mega distribution centers. She explains why service and reliability matter more than brand names, how her background as a vendor shaped the way she partners today, and what most sales reps still get wrong when trying to earn trust from buyers.

The conversation dives deep into the future of fleet services—covering automation, predictive maintenance, hydrogen motive power, technician labor shortages, and the importance of optimizing processes before layering in new technology. Meredith also opens up about outreach fatigue, authentic selling, and what truly stands out when vendors try to earn her attention.

Grounded, candid, and highly practical, this episode is a masterclass in modern fleet leadership—where strategy, service, and long-term thinking matter more than hype.

Follow Meredith on LinkedIn.

[00:00] Why sales reps misuse AI—and why listening still wins
[00:37] Welcome to Load It or Leave It
[01:06] Introducing Meredith Steinmeyer and Floor & Decor’s scale
[01:52] The blank-check question: what Meredith would build in 2025
[02:20] Hydrogen, service gaps, and the idea of self-repairing equipment
[03:32] Why post-sale service matters more than equipment specs
[03:55] Meredith’s background: UGA, career ambitions, and early pivots
[04:38] Why actuarial science didn’t stick
[05:20] Entering material handling: selling forklifts at 22
[06:10] The brutal first year—and waiting 11 months for the first sale
[07:05] Being trained by Hank Ogden and learning how to really sell
[08:10] Why selling non-premium brands makes better salespeople
[09:05] Moving from vendor to buyer: joining Floor & Decor
[09:50] Treating internal teams like customers
[10:36] Seeing the full lifecycle—from DCs to stores
[11:25] Why former sellers often make better operators
[11:58] Speccing forklifts for a historic Brooklyn store
[12:48] Creative constraints, custom equipment, and “the cutest forklifts”
[13:32] Meredith’s full scope: managing 3,000+ assets
[14:13] Floor & Decor’s explosive growth and expanding footprint
[14:57] What Meredith values most in vendor partners
[15:48] Transparency, teamwork, and being an extension of the customer
[16:07] Outreach overload—and what not to do
[16:59] Why generic emails and cold texts fail
[17:46] Using AI to understand customers—not spam them
[18:40] Why phone calls still earn respect
[19:11] The future of fleet services and predictive maintenance
[19:37] Automation’s promise—and Meredith’s biggest concern
[21:51] From reactive to predictive maintenance with AI
[22:49] “Optimize before you automate”
[24:03] The future of motive power: hydrogen vs. lithium vs. lead acid
[24:21] Why hydrogen works—for the right fleets
[25:53] Inside Floor & Decor’s first hydrogen-powered DC
[26:37] Will forklifts disappear—or evolve?
[28:19] In-house technicians vs. outsourced service
[28:36] Building an internal technician program
[29:41] The skilled labor shortage—and how Floor & Decor hires
[29:56] Recruiting technicians without damaging partnerships

Camp Jennings sits down with Ace Coustal, Director of Business Development at Malin, to explore how the material handling industry must evolve to attract, develop, and retain the next generation of sales talent—without sacrificing grit, accountability, or results. From rethinking onboarding and training timelines to bridging the widening gap between veteran sellers and Gen Z hires, Ace shares what it really takes to build a sustainable sales bench in a rapidly changing market.

Ace walks through Malin’s approach to early-career development, why curiosity beats credentials in warehouse selling, and how sales is shifting from pure art toward a blend of intuition, data, and systems thinking. He also offers candid insight into why many reps quit just before success hits—and how patience, structure, and clearer expectations can change that outcome.

Beyond business, Ace opens up about family, balance, and the long-term mindset required to succeed both professionally and personally. From talent strategy and automation to leadership humility and purpose-driven work, this conversation is a thoughtful look at where the industry is headed—and who will thrive along the way.

Follow Ace on LinkedIn.

[05:01] If Ace had a blank check: solving the biggest sales productivity problem
[07:17] What it really means to lead business development at Malin
[09:53] Why early-career sales training needs a complete rethink
[11:09] Who Malin is—and how the company approaches intralogistics differently
[12:48] Moving from “selling forklifts” to solving warehouse systems problems
[13:57] Ace’s unconventional career path into material handling
[15:42] Canada vs. Texas: finding home while building a career
[17:19] Family, travel, and redefining work-life balance
[19:31] Investing time in kids—and reframing success long term
[22:39] Big family road trips and choosing memories over margins
[26:22] Recruiting Gen Z: what’s actually working (and what isn’t)
[28:47] Why young talent is more capable—and more purpose-driven—than we think
[29:47] Grit, upbringing, and where resilience really comes from
[32:14] Why security matters more to today’s graduates
[34:38] The brutal truth about year one (and why most reps quit too early)
[36:48] Advice for reps on the brink of success—and companies hiring them
[39:25] The future of sales: blending art, data, and intellectual curiosity
[42:43] Automation, systems integration, and evolving go-to-market strategies
[45:53] Load It or Leave It: pickleball, AI outreach, trade shows, and base salaries
[49:38] Advice for anyone considering a career in material handling
[50:25] The one interview question Ace trusts most
[51:56] Outreach that actually gets Ace’s attention
[53:45] The advice people should be asking for—but rarely do
[56:46] Ace’s alternate career path—and why speaking matters to him

Camp Jennings sits down with Shawn McGuire, Western Area Sales Manager at Enersys, to explore the powerful story behind one of the industry’s most inspiring voices. From his early life shaped by music and golf, to an unexpected path into material-handling and energy systems, Shawn shares how curiosity and discipline have guided every chapter of his career.

But the heart of the conversation is Shawn’s fight with stage-four cancer—and the perspective, humor, discipline, and radical gratitude that have defined his journey over the past year. Shawn opens up about receiving the diagnosis, navigating treatment at Mayo Clinic, the mindset shifts that changed everything, and how “day one, not one day” became his mantra for living.

He also dives deep into time, family, work, discipline, faith, and the four-second rule that keeps him anchored. Shawn’s story is a masterclass in resilience, perspective, and choosing joy—even when the road gets rough.

Follow Shawn on LinkedIn.

[02:38] The donut shop dream — and what “day one, not one day” really means
[08:52] Shawn’s winding path from golf professional to Enersys
[17:22] What Enersys does—and why the people make it special
[24:23] When everything changed: hearing the diagnosis
[28:47] Navigating treatment, Mayo Clinic, and the plan forward
[33:30] How cancer reshaped Shawn’s view of time and work
[36:31] The “four-second rule” that fuels Shawn’s positivity
[41:19] Grinding through uncertainty—and refusing to quit
[52:20] The mindset of moving quickly, not dwelling, and choosing joy
[53:05] What Shawn wants to do first after his transplant
[59:42] Writing his book: What Time Can’t Touch

Camp Jennings sits down with Scott Smith, Co-Founder of Henry North, to explore how recruiting is evolving—and why the future belongs to firms that lead with trust, transparency, and deep specialization. From building Henry North around client intimacy and candidate advocacy, to disrupting the traditional agency model, Scott shares how he’s creating a modern recruiting experience that actually works for humans.

He also dives into the changing expectations of candidates, the importance of founder-led selling in services businesses, and how clear process and positioning help Henry North stand out in a noisy space.

Follow Scott on LinkedIn.

Highlights:

[01:40] Why most recruiting feels broken—and what to do instead
[05:30] Building Henry North around trust and long-term partnerships
[09:20] Scott’s philosophy on founder-led selling and client intimacy
[13:50] How to scale high-trust recruiting in a service business
[18:10] The power of tight process and clear positioning
[22:45] Finding joy in the work, not just the outcome
[27:30] Why Henry North is betting on people—not just placements

Camp Jennings sits down with Mason Cole, Head of Sales at Slip Robotics, to explore what’s really driving change in material handling and industrial automation. From selling complex technology with old-school persistence to Slip’s demo-first model that’s rewriting the sales playbook, Mason reveals how to move fast, stay simple, and deliver results in a high-stakes industry.

He also breaks down the mindset behind Slip’s rapid growth, the value of competitive DNA in sales, and how authenticity still wins in an age of automation.

Follow Mason on LinkedIn.

Highlights:

• [02:00] Mason’s “blank check” vision for warehouse automation
• [05:00] Inside Slip Robotics’ 5-minute truck-loading robots
• [09:30] How athletic discipline translates into sales success
• [16:20] Why Slip’s demo-first model converts faster than paid pilots
• [24:40] How Slip tripled its team and revenue in just two years
• [28:50] “Get higher, faster” — Mason’s most important sales lesson
• [33:30] Why authenticity and persistence still beat automation in sales
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In this episode, Camp Jennings talks with Mike Gainor, Executive Vice President at Associated, about what it really means to lead with humility and impact.

Mike shares how empathy, accountability, and self-awareness drive better teams, and why leadership in industrial automation is less about control and more about connection.

This is a candid conversation about people, perspective, and performance that resonates far beyond the warehouse floor.

Highlights:

[02:30] Mike’s early leadership lessons and defining career moments

[08:20] Why vulnerability makes leaders stronger

[14:10] Building culture through mentorship and communication

[21:00] How to balance growth and gratitude

[27:15] The “ego check” every executive should practice

[33:40] What leadership looks like in the next generation of the industry

Follow Mike on LinkedIn.

Camp Jennings is joined by FORTNA’s VP of Sales, Billy Binder, for a fast-moving conversation about the future of distribution, automation, and AI in the warehouse.

Billy shares a rare inside look at FORTNA’s approach to optimizing supply chains and reveals what’s coming next in robotics, humanoids, and next-gen warehouse design. From labor shortages to location strategy and the evolving role of AI, this episode is packed with sharp perspective from one of the industry’s rising stars.

Highlights:

[03:10] Billy’s unconventional path from baseball to automation leadership

[09:45] What “agility” really means in a distribution center

[15:30] The role of AI and machine learning in supply chain design

[21:40] How Fortna helps clients future-proof through systems thinking

[29:20] Building culture and collaboration across teams

[35:50] Billy’s advice for leaders facing fast change

Connect with Billy on LinkedIn.