Jim Schleckser introduces Kirk Aubry, highlighting their long-standing friendship and Kirk's career trajectory from an ad agency to a Chief Strategy Officer at Textron and now CEO of Savage, a logistics company. Savage, founded 80 years ago by three brothers, has grown from a single truck to a global company with 4,200 team members and 225 locations. They handle the transportation of bulk products, such as petroleum coke and grain, which are critical to their customers' operations.

Kirk discusses the challenges of running a low-margin, capital-intensive business and how Savage has carved out a niche in handling difficult materials. The company owns and operates its own trucks, railcars, and equipment, which differentiates it from traditional logistics businesses. Savage has grown significantly, reaching $4.5 billion in revenue.

One key to Savage's success is their focus on leadership talent, especially at the local operation level. They created the "On Deck" program to train and prepare future managers, ensuring a consistent and scalable leadership pipeline. Kirk emphasizes the importance of a strong cultural foundation, rooted in the company's Vision and Legacy statements, distilled into three guiding principles: Do the right thing, find a better way, and make a difference.

In this episode of The Lazy CEO Podcast, host Jim Schleckser welcomes Mark Cabrera, the CEO of Saddle Creek Logistics. Mark has been with Saddle Creek for over 20 years, starting as CFO and taking over as CEO a few years ago. He shares insights into managing a family business, the logistics industry's challenges, and the importance of innovation.

Mark explains Saddle Creek’s operations, which span 33 million square feet across the US, employing about 6,000 associates and operating a fleet of 500 trucks. The conversation highlights the dynamic nature of the logistics industry, including labor shortages and the need for innovation driven by escalating labor costs and demographic changes.

The discussion also delves into Saddle Creek's approach to employee development and succession planning, emphasizing the importance of internal promotions and training programs. Mark credits the company's strong culture to its founder's values and the intentional efforts to maintain these through storytelling and leadership behaviors.

In this episode of The Lazy CEO Podcast, the host welcomes Louise McEvoy, VP of US Channel Sales at Trend Micro, to discuss the growth of channel ecosystems and her experience as an Everest summiteer. McEvoy elaborates on Trend Micro’s mission to secure endpoints, data services, and cloud data for businesses of all sizes. Highlighting the relentless nature of cyber threats, she discusses the importance of AI in enhancing security measures and the significant processing power required to stay ahead of cybercriminals. She also addresses the complexities of ransomware and the dark web, shedding light on the extensive underground networks involved in cybercrime and the necessity for businesses to maintain vigilant and comprehensive security practices.

McEvoy also shares insights into Trend Micro's channel sales strategy, emphasizing the importance of partnering with specialized firms to extend their sales reach and expertise. She explains that while Trend Micro could employ a large direct sales team, leveraging channel partners allows the company to focus its resources on core activities such as threat intelligence and zero-day research. Furthermore, McEvoy advises both businesses and individuals to be cautious about sharing personal information, pushing back against unnecessary data collection, and ensuring robust cybersecurity measures are in place to protect sensitive data.