The Transformation Mindset and the Power of WIFM with Kyle Gustafson
This week, we met Kyle Gustafson, civil engineer by training, digital commerce expert by career. From scaling office supply giants to building businesses at Amazon, Kyle reflects on what digital transformation really takes and why WIFM – “What’s in it for me?” – is the key to adoption and growth.Highlights00:00 – Introduction: Meet Kyle Gustafson & His Career Path02:00 – Lessons from Office Depot, Staples, and OfficeMax04:00 – Building Private Brands and Supply Chains at Amazon06:35 – Transformation Mindset: Thinking 20 Years Ahead11:35 – Why Companies Call for Help: Common Consulting Triggers17:40 – Defining eCommerce: Where’s the line? 21:33 – Why Digital Transformation Never Really Ends28:40 – Tech Adoption and the Power of WIFM34:10 – The Alexa Microwave Story: When Customer Value Isn’t There39:23 – Leadership Lessons from Mentor Ron Lala45:10 – Book Recommendations & Closing ThoughtsResources MentionedViktor Frankl – Man’s Search for MeaningMalcolm Gladwell – The Revenge of the Tipping PointPaul Leonardi and Tsedal Neeley – The Digital Mindset: What It Really Takes to Thrive in the Age of Data, Algorithms, and AI
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People, Process, Progress: Inside ADI’s Continuous Transformation with Allie Copeland
Allie Copeland, Chief Transformation Officer at ADI Global, joins Aaron Sheehan to break down what transformation looks like in wholesale distribution. From merging companies and overhauling tech to building a customer-first culture, Allie shares how ADI keeps progress moving, even when change never ends.Episode highlights: 00:00 – Introduction: Meet Allie Copeland & ADI02:15 – What Does a Chief Transformation Officer Do?04:50 – Why Transformation Never Really Ends09:15 – Turning Strategy into Action12:54 – Upgrading Tech: From Mainframe to Microservices18:25 – Planning for Agility, Not Just Stability21:45 – “Even Better Together”: Customer-First M&A25:15 – Decision-Making: When Changes Help (or Hurt) Customers27:24 – Real Feedback: NPS, Surveys, and Store Pilots29:30 – How Distribution is Evolving Beyond Inventory34:32 – Culture Change: Project Avengers & Rebel Alliance40:13 – Radical Transparency & Leading Through Uncertainty42:35 – Leadership Lessons & Advice for Transformation46:25 – Book Recs & Closing ThoughtsResources mentioned: • The Singularity Is Nearer by Ray Kurzweil• Apple in China by Patrick McGee
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People, Process, Progress: Inside ADI’s Continuous Transformation with Alli Copeland
Alli Copeland, Chief Transformation Officer at ADI Global, joins Aaron Sheehan to break down what transformation looks like in wholesale distribution. From merging companies and overhauling tech to building a customer-first culture, Alli shares how ADI keeps progress moving, even when change never ends.Episode highlights: 00:00 – Introduction: Meet Alli Copeland & ADI02:15 – What Does a Chief Transformation Officer Do?04:50 – Why Transformation Never Really Ends09:15 – Turning Strategy into Action12:54 – Upgrading Tech: From Mainframe to Microservices18:25 – Planning for Agility, Not Just Stability21:45 – “Even Better Together”: Customer-First M&A25:15 – Decision-Making: When Changes Help (or Hurt) Customers27:24 – Real Feedback: NPS, Surveys, and Store Pilots29:30 – How Distribution is Evolving Beyond Inventory34:32 – Culture Change: Project Avengers & Rebel Alliance40:13 – Radical Transparency & Leading Through Uncertainty42:35 – Leadership Lessons & Advice for Transformation46:25 – Book Recs & Closing ThoughtsResources mentioned: • The Singularity Is Nearer by Ray Kurzweil• Apple in China by Patrick McGee
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Not Just Sales: The True Value of eCommerce for B2B Brands with Jason Greenwood
This episode tackles the real reasons manufacturers and distributors stay stuck: old systems, patchwork processes, and business habits that don’t change overnight. Jason Greenwood and Aaron Sheehan dig into what goes wrong in B2B projects, how leaders can spot roadblocks early, and why honest internal conversations matter more than buying the latest software.Key Highlights5:00 Why B2B companies still run on spreadsheets and ancient ERPs9:00 Shadow IT in B2B operations11:03 Field reps aging out, digital-native buyers moving in – how it’s reshaping expectations13:05 The real question companies ask: Should we replace the ERP or launch eCommerce first?15:23 Customers force the issue: “We’ll switch suppliers if you don’t make it easier”17:05 How Jason breaks the customer base into three digital adoption buckets19:16 Manual ordering habits (screenshots, PDFs)23:20 When eCommerce is dismissed as ‘just for small customers’ and why that’s wrong32:00 How eCommerce automation solves pain points beyond the transactional workflowResources Mentioned Digital Services Layer (DSL): Jason’s concept for all the non-transactional digital capabilities customers expect.OroCommerce's AI SmartOrder: An AI-powered tool for processing unstructured purchase orders and enabling digital self-service.Upcoming Movie: A Big Bold Beautiful JourneyTop Gun: MaverickB2B eCommerce World 2025 in Scottsdale, AZ
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Growth Tactics for B2B eCommerce Teams: What Most Get Wrong About Email
Kyler Nixon, Co-Founder of Forward Studios, joins the show to unpack what most distributors and B2B eCommerce teams get wrong about email marketing and how to turn it into a growth channel. Drawing on first-hand lessons as a Chief Revenue Officer, Kyler breaks down how to capture more revenue, why most companies leave money on the table, and what practical steps move the needle in B2B email.Episode highlights: 00:30 – Intro: Kyler’s path from agency owner to B2B eCommerce03:00 – What distributors get wrong about email marketing (and how Kyler found the gap)05:42 – Planning and forecasting in distribution: What signals Kyler actually tracked09:45 – Why the “endless aisle” is a trap for most distributors11:40 – First growth levers: growing the sales team, fixing SEO, improving UX16:33 – The lost revenue of not capturing email22:40 – Personalization in B2B email: beyond “Hi, Bob”23:50 – Simple segmentation that works: inside vs. outside the buying window25:52 – Kyler’s 3-part B2B email marketing framework explained32:10 – What the B2B Commerce Association adds for practitioners37:23 – Kyler’s podcast and TV recommendationsResources Mentioned:How I Built This (podcast by Guy Raz)Wisdom from the Top (podcast by Guy Raz)Survivor (reality TV show)B2B Commerce AssociationThe 2025 B2B Buyer Perspectives Report
Over B2B Commerce UnCut Podcast: The Unvarnished Truth About B2B eCommerce
Hear what really matters in B2B. If you’re just dipping your toes in the waters of B2B eCommerce or if you’ve jumped into the deep end, we’re here to help. No BS, just honest, open talk about B2B eCommerce. Hear from thought leaders, disrupters, innovators, survivors, and winners.
Luister naar B2B Commerce UnCut Podcast: The Unvarnished Truth About B2B eCommerce, Doorzetters | met Ruud Hendriks en Richard Bross en vele andere podcasts van over de hele wereld met de radio.net-app
Netherlands