Leroy Pinckney Jr. has seen it all. Raised in Harlem. Deployed to Iraq in the Army. A distribution career in multiple organizations (including Amazon.)

He was recently laid off and is now navigating the world of networking, job applications, interviews and ultimately continually putting himself out there to find the new right spot for him. And it can be tough out there.

BUT he's all over it (see his most recent viral LinkedIn posts.) We talk about his background and more:

What it really means to lead people when the stakes are high and the margin for error is zero. He sees himself as a lion.

What happens when the lion gets laid off? No quit. Just finds a new hunt. 🦁

If you're in the same boat, Leroy can be an inspiration and guide for you!

I must say, there are some exciting, buzz worthy, and extremely positive stuff going on at Knight-Swift Supply Chain! They allowed me a chance to record this amazing podcast episode to chat with and highlight SEVEN of their stellar ops employees.

These folks are a mix of salaried and hourly.

They chatted with me during a break in operations and they were GREAT!

It really comes through the positivity they feel, and they embody and embrace the company core values. Hear from some unheralded folks who are the REAL folks getting the J.O.B. done daily.

Anupam Bandyopadhyay, Supply Chain Design Leader, has been leading high level projects in supply chain for almost 20 years including robotics integrations, WMS implementations, AI initiatives and more.

He's currently the Senior Manager / Design Lead for Manhattan Associates and is VP/Mentor with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP Atlanta Round Table) and a new Advisory Board Member with the International Supply Chain Education Alliance (ISCEA).

It was a pleasure talking with him about the future of operations as he sees them from the technology side!

Technology integration, robotics, change management, labor orchestration.... it's all here and more!

Do you see a problem here? Overfilled warehouses from excess and dead stock? Common problem! But Amrita Bhasin the CEO at Sotira has created a big time way out of this.

Reverse logistics rarely gets as much hype as mainline distribution operations do. But that doesn't mean it isn't an area begging for solutions. And at Sotira, they are helping companies discreetly monetize and donate surplus inventory.

I thoroughly enjoyed chatting with her to learn more about just how this works for customers, how it came to be, and why it's quickly being adopted as a go-to tool for so many operations across the country.

But I also loved her opinions on how supply chain as an industry is perceived by youth today and much more. Listen for yourself and see why Sotira is growing so fast, why she has become such a sought-after speaker in this arena, and why she has been featured on so many different network broadcasts speaking on the subject!

Dario De Stasio checking in to the podcast all the way from Italy!

He is an emerging logistics ecosystem architect in his own words, and it was such a treat to chat with him about logistics in general but much more.

- The gray areas organizations often have when it comes to decision making.

- Mental automation before technological automation importance.

- Cultural differences between European operations and those in the United States.

- The geostrategic advantages Italy has as a logistics hub in the Mediterranean.

And much more!

This was a very direct and unfiltered exchange! Check it out.

Different vibe here from a regular TWU podcast, but raw real event with real people from the FC industry and the panel offering as much insight, perspective, wisdom as we could!

Also, these are OUR opinions and thoughts about A way to excel in the industry.  We are not saying these opinions are THE way.  Take them as you will.

A little bit of everything in this one and worth a listen!

Carlos Cody @ 10:28

Devin Galloway @ 44:25

Ben Hopkins @ 58:51

Keith Ingels is the Director of Lean Business Development at Toyota Material Handling North America. Find out how the famous Toyota Production System, that he has extensive training in, is intertwined with Toyota Material Handling equipment of all types.

Don't miss our no holds barred discussion about all things Lean/Continuous Improvement in the industry...

👍 Things we like.

👎 Things we don't like,

🚫 Things that should just be removed from people's vocabulary all together.

MYTHS! "Lean can be used to drive results. No, lean is used to drive INPUTS which drive results!"

Check this episode out and hear some of the gritty truths you've come to expect from The Warehouse Underground!

How many pallets are on Earth?  I've seen some big estimates on this (pushing 10 figures.)  They are such a critical piece of operations today but can sometimes be an afterthought, that is, until you run out. 

Good operations leaders should know at least a little bit about how the pallet industry operates.  Having a great partner for this can be HUGE! 

Stephen Bartalini the Director, National Sales at PalletTrader and this episode is a great place to start learning more and could be just the partner for you. 

Great chat about the industry he is in, the operational realities ops leaders need to know, and how they best partner with their customers to ensure they check all of their boxes.

Loved chatting with Carlos Cody on this episode about real life of operations inside big fulfillment centers and how he leads others in this arena!

He's walking the walk in the world of fulfillment as an Executive Operations Leader (scaling systems, developing leaders & driving profitable growth) and he's doing this the right way: by growing, mentoring, and championing all of the talented people he leads.

We chat about the realities of fulfillment center operations, how people can best set themselves up for career success, and how to become a true genuine and authentic leader.

This episode is packed with incredible advice for anyone, but especially emerging leaders in this industry!

I couldn't have Mack on the podcast without also featuring an episode with Ria Story too! 

She is the founder of Top Story Leadership and has trained thousands of leaders across the country & internationally for more than 13 years and has helped them in the development needed to climb The Ladder of Influence®. 

A published author of 21 books, her own story of resilience is truly inspiring not only to me but to the many others who hear her message.   

When you listen to her, you will understand why so many others find her so engaging and immediately grasp how impactful her message can be!