What happens when intuition, AI, tariffs, and leadership collide in wholesale distribution?

In this episode of Around the Horn Podcast, Kevin Brown and Tom Burton are joined by Mike Hockett of Modern Distribution Management to unpack the biggest forces shaping distribution leaders right now, from trade policy and infrastructure risk to AI governance and executive decision-making under uncertainty.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why intuition still matters in executive decision-making, even in a data-driven world
• How tariffs are changing distributor behavior, pricing strategy, and inventory planning
• The hidden risks of AI agents, vibe coding, and unsecured automation inside the enterprise
• What NAW leaders are really discussing behind closed doors about the future of wholesale distribution
• How top distributors are redefining productivity, focus, and profitable growth

Episode Highlights:

• 05:12 – Why the NAW Executive Summit is different from every other industry event
• 14:40 – “Listen to the whispers”: using intuition when data breaks down
• 26:18 – Leadership lessons from crisis decision-making and 9/11
• 38:55 – Tariffs, front-loaded demand, and the reality distributors are planning for
• 52:30 – AI agents, data leakage, and why governance matters more than speed
• 01:08:10 – The real ROI of AI in wholesale distribution, not the hype
• 01:22:45 – Productivity, focus, and why most leaders only execute half their priorities
  
  

Meet the Guest:

Mike Hockett is Executive Editor at Modern Distribution Management (MDM) and part of the National Association of Wholesalers. He brings a deep perspective on distributor economics, leadership trends, AI adoption, and the structural forces reshaping the wholesale distribution industry.

Tools, Frameworks, and Strategies Mentioned:

• Executive intuition frameworks for decision-making in uncertainty
• AI governance and agent-based system risk management
• Tariff response strategies in wholesale distribution
• Productivity alignment models for leadership teams
• Data-driven prioritization and alerting systems in enterprise platforms

Closing Insight:

“In a world of volatility, the winners aren’t waiting for certainty—they’re building systems that adapt.”

If you’re a distributor, manufacturer, or industry leader navigating AI, tariffs, and transformation, this episode will help you think more clearly about what actually matters next.

Connect with Mike Hockett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-hockett-mdm/

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What happens when wholesale distribution collides with tariffs, AI acceleration, and rising customer expectations?

In this episode of Around The Horn Podcast, Kevin Brown and Tom Burton unpack the most important forces shaping wholesale distribution today, from policy shifts and economic signals to e-commerce, automation, and leadership in an AI driven world.

This conversation goes beyond headlines to explore what these changes really mean for distributors, manufacturers, and channel leaders who are navigating uncertainty while trying to build resilient, future ready organizations.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why tariffs are no longer a temporary disruption and how distributors are adjusting pricing, sourcing, and inventory strategies
• How AI is reshaping marketing, sales, and customer service and where most companies are still getting it wrong
• What the rise of B2B e commerce and next day delivery expectations means for margins, operations, and customer experience
• Why “higher value work” is becoming a core job requirement and not just a leadership slogan
• How automation, robotics, and reshoring are influencing long term workforce and supply chain decisions
  
  

Episode Highlights:

• 04:10 – Key takeaways from the NAW Executive Summit and why executive intuition still matters
• 11:45 – Tariffs, trade policy, and why most distributors now assume they are here to stay
• 22:30 – Interest rates, economic signals, and what the Fed’s direction means for wholesale demand
• 34:05 – How tariffs are quietly reshaping pricing behavior and product selection across distribution
• 45:40 – The Amazon effect, next day delivery expectations, and whether instant gratification is sustainable
• 58:20 – AI in marketing and sales and why more tools do not always equal more productivity
• 01:08:55 – Higher value work, skill development, and what AI first thinking really looks like in distribution
• 01:20:10 – Leadership, teams, and what high performance organizations can learn from endurance racing
  
  

Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned:

• AI first workflows in sales, marketing, and customer service
• Higher value work and skill developer mindset
• Agent assisted commerce and automation in B2B buying
• Robotics and reshoring as responses to labor and cost pressure
• Customer intelligence platforms and integrated CRM strategy
  
  

Closing Insight:

The future of wholesale distribution is not about reacting faster. It is about thinking differently. Leaders who combine industry expertise with AI capability and disciplined execution will be the ones who create durable advantage in a volatile market.

Leave a Review: Help us grow by sharing your thoughts on the show.

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What happens when economic uncertainty, tariffs, AI agents, and cybersecurity risks collide inside wholesale distribution?

In this episode of Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution, Kevin Brown and Tom Burton break down the signals beneath the noise and explain what manufacturers and distributors should actually be paying attention to right now.

From inflation ambiguity and tariff authority to AI-driven buying behavior and hidden margin opportunities, this conversation connects macroeconomic shifts to real operational decisions that impact growth, security, and profitability across the wholesale supply chain.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why economic uncertainty, not inflation alone, is the dominant concern for executives heading into 2026
• How tariffs, executive authority, and Supreme Court timing could reshape trade policy without dramatic disruption
• Where “trapped potential” hides inside distributor margin, pricing discipline, and product mix
• Why AI agents are changing how B2B buyers research, evaluate, and eventually purchase
• How cybersecurity threats now target supply chain ecosystems, not just individual companies

Episode Highlights:

• 03:10 – Why economic uncertainty matters more than headline inflation numbers
• 09:25 – Manufacturing signals, demand hesitation, and planning in the “gray zone” economy
• 16:40 – Tariffs, executive authority, and why the Supreme Court is likely to rule narrowly
• 26:05 – How distributors can uncover “trapped potential” through margin and pricing discipline
• 36:30 – AI-generated content vs real value creation in B2B marketing
• 46:15 – Agentic AI and how machine-to-machine buying is changing sales discovery
• 56:40 – Cybersecurity risk across distributors, vendors, and shared digital ecosystems

Tools, Frameworks, and Concepts Mentioned

• AI-enabled Customer Intelligence and Smart CRM platforms
• Agentic AI and multi-agent workflows
• Trapped potential and organic revenue growth
• Pricing discipline and margin visibility
• SOC 2 compliance and supply chain cybersecurity
• ERP, CRM, and data silo integration

Closing Insight:

Economic cycles come and go, but clarity comes from understanding where risk, margin, and opportunity actually live inside your business. The distributors who win next will not wait for certainty, they’ll build systems that adapt faster than change itself.

Leave a Review: Help us grow by sharing your thoughts on the show.

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What happens when artificial intelligence stops being an experiment and starts reshaping leadership, sales, marketing, and the global economy in real time?

In this episode of Around the Horn Podcast, Kevin Brown and Tom Burton unpack how AI, tariffs, interest rates, and workforce disruption are colliding across wholesale distribution and manufacturing.

From executive decision making and anti fragile leadership to marketing for AI driven buyers and the rise of humanoid robotics, this conversation connects the dots between strategy, technology, and what distributors must do next to stay competitive.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why artificial intelligence is shifting from pilot projects to a core executive strategy in wholesale distribution
• How anti fragile leadership differs from resilience and why it matters in volatile economic cycles
• What “marketing to machines” means as AI replaces traditional search and attribution models
• How tariffs, interest rates, and global trade dynamics are influencing distributor growth strategies
• Why humanoid robotics and physical AI may disrupt warehouse and entry level roles faster than expected

Episode Highlights:

• 04:52 – Why AI must move from IT experiments to executive level strategy
• 14:08 – Anti fragile leadership versus resilience in volatile markets
• 25:41 – Tariffs, trade policy, and what distributors often misunderstand about global economics
• 38:19 – What “marketing to machines” means as AI replaces traditional buyer research
• 51:06 – Amazon’s physical retail expansion and signals for B2B distribution
• 1:03:22 – When account managers create friction instead of customer value
• 1:18:40 – How humanoid robotics and physical AI could reshape warehouses and labor
  
  

Meet the Hosts:

Kevin Brown and Tom Burton are lifelong friends and industry veterans who analyze the forces shaping wholesale distribution and manufacturing each week. As leaders at LeadSmart Technologies, they bring real world operator insight into AI, customer intelligence, sales strategy, and digital transformation.

Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned:

• AI orchestration and agentic systems
• Anti fragile leadership mindset
• Human centered culture as a competitive moat
• Marketing to machines and algorithm driven discovery
• Revenue Expander and white space identification in sales
• Physical AI and humanoid robotics in distribution operations

Closing Insight:

“The companies that win won’t just adapt to disruption. They’ll use it to grow stronger.”

Leave a Review: Help us grow by sharing your thoughts on the show.

Learn more about the LeadSmart AI B2B Sales Platform: https://www.leadsmarttech.com/

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What happens when some of the most influential thinkers in wholesale distribution get into one room and debate the future of the industry, the rise of AI, human centered leadership, and the coming wave of agentic systems?

In this powerful year end roundtable, the Around The Horn panel returns for its third annual state of the industry conversation, featuring Mike Marks, Ian Heller, Dirk Beveridge, Paul Kennedy, Tom Burton, and Kevin Brown.

What You Will Learn:

• Why AI is moving from experimentation to strategy and what this means for distributors in 2026
• How human centered leadership and people centric cultures are becoming competitive advantages
• Why the distributor divide is widening and how early adopters are achieving measurable gains
• How agentic systems, digital orchestration, and physical AI will reshape operations
• Leadership insights on trust, empowerment, anti fragility, and preparing teams for the next decade

Episode Highlights:

• 03:14 The panel opens year three of the annual roundtable and explains why 2025 was a turning point
• 17:22 Mike Marks breaks down what he is seeing in AI orchestration and contractor tech adoption
• 31:40 Ian Heller explains why proximity and fulfillment speed are becoming competitive battlegrounds
• 46:55 Dirk Beveridge challenges the industry to move from resilience to true anti fragility
• 58:14 Paul Kennedy shares how ESOP leadership shapes digital adoption and trust
• 01:12:09 The group debates agentic AI, workforce displacement, and the future of work
• 01:33:42 Final predictions for 2026 and what will separate the distributors who thrive from those who drift

Meet the Guests:

Mike Marks
Founding Partner at Indian River Consulting Group and one of the most respected strategists in modern distribution.

Ian Heller
Co Founder of Distribution Strategy Group, leading thinker on AI, data, and competitive disruption in the industry.

Dirk Beveridge
Founder of the Fully Alive Movement, champion of people centered leadership and the human side of distribution.

Paul Kennedy
President and CEO of DSG, ESOP leader, and current chair of the National Association of Electrical Distributors.

Tools, Frameworks, and Strategies Mentioned:

• AI Orchestration Models
• Agentic AI Systems
• Customer Intelligence Platforms
• Order Automation
• Anti Fragility Leadership Framework
• Digital Centers of Excellence
• ESOP Driven Workforce Models

Closing Insight:

“Thriving companies are built by thriving individuals. Not the other way around.”

This roundtable makes one message clear: AI may accelerate performance, but people will determine the future. How leaders shape culture, trust, empower teams, and integrate technology will define the next decade in distribution.

Leave a Review: Help us grow by sharing your thoughts on the show.

Learn more about the LeadSmart AI B2B Sales Platform: https://www.leadsmarttech.com/

Join the conversation each week on LinkedIn Live.

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What happens when economic volatility, tariff pressure, AI disruption, and shifting distributor behavior all collide in the same quarter?

In this episode, Kevin and Tom unpack a whirlwind week inside wholesale distribution, revealing how new data, emerging AI workflows, and tariff rulings are reshaping strategy across the channel.

Listeners gain a front-row view into the real conversations shaping 2025: revenue headwinds, inventory tightening, economic softening, distributor risk posture, and how AI agents are redefining customer-facing operations.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why distributors are tightening inventory positions heading into 2025, and what “flat inventories” actually signal about downstream demand.
• How upcoming tariff rulings and active lawsuits (like Costco’s) may reshape pricing models, contract structures, and channel profitability.
• Why AI agents from Amazon, Salesforce, and emerging tools will transform inside sales, service platforms, counter operations, and multi-branch workflows.
• How economic signals, PCE, sentiment scores, personal spending, and Fed pacing, will shape capital planning into mid-2025.
• The competitive gap forming between distributors who unify data vs. those still operating silo-based systems.

Episode Highlights:

03:11 – Why this past holiday week felt like a 3-week sprint for operators and sales teams
10:44 – Breaking down the PCE report, sentiment data, and the Fed’s rate-cut trajectory
18:26 – Are mortgage rates returning to the “fours”? A practical take on borrowing costs
27:15 – Mohamed El-Erian’s latest economic lens and why 2 percent inflation may be the wrong benchmark
40:02 – Flat U.S. inventory levels and what that means for 2025 distributor demand
53:19 – Costco’s bold lawsuit over tariffs, and whether refunds to consumers are even logistically possible
01:05:12 – Why Amazon’s new AI agents increase competitive pressure on distributors
01:17:50 – The rise of blueprint-driven AI takeoff tools (Home Depot, Lowe’s, and the coming B2B wave)

Tools, Frameworks & Strategies Mentioned:

• AI Agents for Distribution Ops (Amazon Connect, Salesforce Agentforce)
• Data Unification for AI Readiness (LeadSmart Platform + Data Cloud methodology)
• Synthetic Data for forecasting and demand simulation
• B2B Digital Takeoff Systems used by contractors and enterprise distributors
• Tariff Litigation Modeling driven by channel economics

Closing Insight:

“AI isn’t replacing distributors, AI is replacing the distributors who refuse to modernize.”
This episode makes one message clear: the teams who unify their data, modernize their workflows, and embrace AI-assisted operations will define the next decade of competitive advantage.

Leave a Review: Help us grow by sharing your thoughts on the show.

Learn more about the LeadSmart AI B2B Sales Platform: https://www.leadsmarttech.com/

Join the conversation each week on LinkedIn Live.

Want even more insight to the stories we discuss each week? Subscribe to the Around The Horn Newsletter.

You can also hear the podcast and other excellent content on our YouTube Channel.

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What happens to wholesale distribution when tariffs rise, interest rates stay high, and customers expect more with less friction?

In this episode of Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution from LeadSmart Channel Cloud, Kevin Brown and Tom Burton sit down with Modern Distribution Management editor and market analyst Mike Hockett to unpack the data behind the headlines and what it means for revenue leaders in distribution.

You will hear a practical, numbers-driven outlook for 2025 that connects GDP forecasts, Fed policy, and tariff risk with real impacts on margins, inventory, and channel relationships. The conversation stays grounded in what wholesalers, manufacturers, and reps can control, and how to use planning, consultative commerce, and better pipeline visibility to future-proof distribution businesses through uncertainty.

What You Will Learn:

• Why November’s softer numbers do not necessarily signal a collapse, and how MDM thinks about “soft landing” versus “stall.”
• How tariffs, elections, and Fed policy are likely to affect pricing power, imports, and inventory strategy for wholesale distribution teams.
• Where distributors are still leaving money on the table because of weak forecasting, poor CRM adoption, and limited collaboration with suppliers and reps.
• How to connect market forecasts to practical decisions about hiring, territory coverage, and hybrid selling models.

Episode Highlights:

• 00:00 – Why this conversation matters now
  08:15 – Inside MDM’s latest distribution data
  18:40 – Are we heading toward a soft landing or a stall?
  30:10 – Tariffs, trade policy, and pricing pressure
  42:35 – Forecasting failures inside distribution organizations
  55:20 – Hybrid selling and channel conflict
  1:07:45 – Technology, CRM adoption, and operational readiness
  1:21:30 – M&A, succession planning, and consolidation signals
  1:33:10 – Practical priorities for the next 12 months
  

Meet the Guest:

Mike Hockett is an editor and market analyst with Modern Distribution Management (MDM) and the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors. He spends his time inside the data and conversations that shape the future of wholesale distribution, from sector forecasts and benchmarking to technology, talent, and channel strategy.

Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned:

• MDM’s annual distribution forecast and benchmark reporting.
• Practical approaches to collaborative planning and forecasting between manufacturers, reps, and distributors.
• CRM and pipeline practices that give revenue leaders in distribution a clearer “ground truth” for planning.

Leave a Review: Help us grow by sharing your thoughts on the show.

Learn more about the LeadSmart AI B2B Sales Platform: https://www.leadsmarttech.com/

Join the conversation each week on LinkedIn Live.

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You can also hear the podcast and other excellent content on our YouTube Channel.

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Can AI, robotics, and self‑driving technology change the distribution landscape faster than the economy can adapt?

In this episode, hosts Kevin Brown and Tom Burton explore the intersection of economic volatility, AI innovation, and leadership adaptation. From robots vs. self‑driving cars to tariff strategy and monetary policy, they unpack the signals distributors should watch and the human‑centric mindset required to thrive amid transformation.

What You’ll Learn:

• The race between humanoid robots and self‑driving cars, and what it reveals about AI adoption timelines.
• Why the Fed’s two‑percent inflation target may be outdated in a world of live data and instant analytics.
• How prediction markets like Polymarket are redefining economic forecasting.
• The impact of tariffs, trade policy, and rate cuts on wholesale pricing and investment.
• Why AI literacy, leadership calibration, and contextual intelligence are the new core skills for distribution executives.
  
  

Episode Highlights:

• 03:05 – Robots or self-driving cars first? Why Kevin now believes humanoid robots may reach mainstream use sooner than autonomous vehicles
• 17:28 – From flying cars to manual transmissions: How consumers balance nostalgia with rapid AI-enabled innovation
• 29:52 – Is the Fed working with outdated economic models? How real-time AI data could reshape monetary policy
• 44:40 – Government shutdown predictions: How Polymarket’s 27% odds reveal deeper insights about economic sentiment
• 57:55 – Tariff strategy clarified: Why “refund rumors” are misleading and why methodology matters more than politics
• 01:10:08 – Leadership evolution: AI fluency, contextual intelligence, and functional empathy as core executive skills for 2026
• 01:19:30 – Closing take: Why leaders who integrate AI intentionally, rather than reactively—will define the next decade of distribution

Tools & Frameworks Mentioned:

• LeadSmart Channel Cloud™ — AI‑enabled CRM and Customer Intelligence platform for manufacturers and distributors.
• Polymarket — decentralized prediction market for real‑time economic signals.
• Context Engineering & Agentic AI Workflows — aligning AI systems with business intent and human oversight.
• Functional Empathy Model — bridging automation and human judgment in leadership development.

Closing Insight:

“AI doesn’t replace relationships, it reinforces them by removing friction.” — Kevin Brown

Leave a Review: Help us grow by sharing your thoughts on the show.

Learn more about the LeadSmart AI B2B Sales Platform: https://www.leadsmarttech.com/

Join the conversation each week on LinkedIn Live.

Want even more insight to the stories we discuss each week? Subscribe to the Around The Horn Newsletter.

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