Voices of Leadership w/ Chris Atwell

In this episode of Voices of Leadership, I sit down with Jon Wiggs of Wigs-Haun & Bohan to talk about what real leadership looks like inside a manufacturer's rep agency.

Jon's been around this business his whole life. His dad and a partner started the agency in the early '70s, working out of their cars with samples in the trunk. When I asked Jon when he realized leadership wasn't about sales anymore, he told me something important: at some point, every owner has to shift from being in the sales business to being in the leadership business.

We talk about his succession plan, how his dad gradually handed over more responsibility, and why that transition takes time and planning. We also dig into what happened when a planned business partner decided the rep business wasn't for him, and how Jon adapted. He brings up something a lot of leaders miss: open communication and working the plan matters more than the plan being perfect.     

In this episode of Voices of Leadership, I sit down with Alex Leblanc from Desdowd, Inc. to explore what happens when you leave the rep world and come back with fresh eyes.

Alex grew up in the electrical industry, worked inside an agency, then deliberately stepped away to study finance and build a career outside the business. When he returned in 2020, he brought a completely different perspective on how to lead, build systems, and see the industry itself.

What struck me most was what Alex learned about our world by leaving it. He came back appreciating something we often take for granted: the respect and collaboration that exist between competitors in the rep space. That's rare. In finance and many other industries, competitors are cutthroat. Here, you can go fishing with your head-to-head competitor and call them a friend.

That outside perspective changed how Alex approaches leadership and business. He also shares his path from inside sales to finance to eventually merging his agency with Desdowd, Inc. and the succession planning that's taking shape now.