From Intern to CEO with uShip's Heather Hoover-Salomon

In this episode, Blythe and Oana Jinga, Co-Founder and Chief Commercial and Product Officer at Dexory, discuss the company's tall, autonomous robotics solution that collects granular data from warehouses to create a dynamic digital twin environment. Jinga shares insights on leveraging this data for optimization, consolidating product locations, identifying discrepancies with WMS systems, and orchestrating other robotics operations.LINKS:Oana's LinkedInDexory's WebsiteQUOTES:"The way we look at a digital twin is like it's a dynamic and living and breathing digital object. So it needs to be able to show you at any point in time, what's the latest that's happening in the physical world [of your warehouse], how that's evolving, and what factors are influencing that change." - Oana Jinga "The robot is there to collect information. But what you can do with that information, is pretty much limitless. You can extract data and different points, you can compare it with other data sources, you can crunch it, you can use it for simulation for forecasting, and so on." - Oana Jinga "So when we say a digital twin of a warehouse, we literally mean like this digital environment that changes continuously as the warehouse changes, and that you can also then use in the future, like if you do want to simulate and try different scenarios." - Oana Jinga "From our perspective, we use the robot to get data continuously from warehouses to push them into that digital twin and show as close to reality as possible what's going on." - Oana Jinga "We take continuous pictures of the racks, and then we deconstruct those and can use computer vision. And again, some elements of machine learning to see what we're seeing in that data." - Oana JingaWATCH THE FULL EPISODE HEREFeedback? Ideas for a future episode? Shoot us a text here to let us know.---------------------------------------------THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!Are you experienced in freight sales or already an independent freight agent? Listen to our Freight Agent Trenches interview series powered by SPI Logistics to hear directly from the company's agents on how they took the leap and found a home with SPI freight agent program. Tai TMS is designed to streamline your brokerage operations and propel growth for both FTL and LTL shipment cycles. Book a demo with the Tai team today and tell them Everything is Logistics sent you. Maximize your website’s performance as a sales tool with Digital Dispatch’s website management.

In this episode of Everything is Logistics, we talk with Steve Burroughs, agency owner at SPI Logistics, who exclusively hires family members to work at his freight agency. Hear how this approach has shaped the dynamics of his business, from maintaining work-life balance to building a resilient and loyal team. Steve shares personal anecdotes and lessons learned from integrating family into his professional world and navigating the intricacies of the freight market.LINKS:Steve's LinkedInSPI Logistics' WebsiteWATCH THE FULL EPISODE HEREFeedback? Ideas for a future episode? Shoot us a text here to let us know.---------------------------------------------THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!Are you experienced in freight sales or already an independent freight agent? Listen to our Freight Agent Trenches interview series powered by SPI Logistics to hear directly from the company's agents on how they took the leap and found a home with SPI freight agent program. Tai TMS is designed to streamline your brokerage operations and propel growth for both FTL and LTL shipment cycles. Book a demo with the Tai team today and tell them Everything is Logistics sent you. Maximize your website’s performance as a sales tool with Digital Dispatch’s website management.

In this episode of Everything is Logistics, Blythe speaks with Heather Hoover-Salomon, CEO of uShip, about her journey from a PR intern to leading the 20-year-old company. She discusses writing an unsent resignation letter that changed her career trajectory, advocating for customers, embracing AI, and encouraging women in logistics. Heather also explores navigating entrepreneurial challenges, leveraging data for streamlined solutions, promoting diversity in male-dominated industries, and using strategic communication to drive organizational change.QUOTES:"Did I really want to leave? No. But it helped me clearly articulate and put on paper, what the roadblock is, what I want to do about it, and then clearly articulate alright, what am I going to go back and talk to my senior leadership about and really make the case that we need to drive change here in order for our business to be sustainable in order for us to earn the right to continue to innovate in areas outside of our core business." "Week one was all communication to the company: here's what's happening, here's why. Here's the plan- just giving confidence, lots of meetings with lots of people internally, and then communicating the plan and the way forward." - Heather Hoover-Salomon (on her first week as CEO)LINKS:Heather's LinkedInuShip's WebsitePowertofly InterviewuShip on Shipping WarsWATCH THE FULL EPISODE HEREFeedback? Ideas for a future episode? Shoot us a text here to let us know.---------------------------------------------THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!Are you experienced in freight sales or already an independent freight agent? Listen to our Freight Agent Trenches interview series powered by SPI Logistics to hear directly from the company's agents on how they took the leap and found a home with SPI freight agent program. Tai TMS is designed to streamline your brokerage operations and propel growth for both FTL and LTL shipment cycles. Book a demo with the Tai team today and tell them Everything is Logistics sent you. Maximize your website’s performance as a sales tool with Digital Dispatch’s website management.

In this episode of Everything is Logistics, Blythe speaks with Jake Hoffman, CTO of Gnosis Freight, about container visibility and execution in global supply chains. He explains how Gnosis provides a "container operating system" that connects disparate data sources to give shippers real-time visibility and enable automated execution. Jake also discusses overcoming imposter syndrome when tackling unsolved supply chain data challenges, the importance of managing supply chain exceptions, and how Gnosis approaches data standardization across ocean carriers, terminals, and customers.LINKS:Jake's LinkedInGnosis Freight's WebsiteQUOTES:"If there was standardization in the industry that everybody adheres to that would be easier. And I think there are efforts being made by the Digital Container Shipping Association to work with the ocean carriers themselves. If we get all the ocean carriers to follow this data model and their API's and their data exchange that they're participating in, that it makes it easier for both individual shippers, software companies like us, freight forwarders, and so on to digest that data and do things with it." - Jake Hoffman "Visibility helps you understand what's happening and execution helps you actually do something about that." "We have a ubiquitous data model for everything. Every container that flows from Shanghai to Los Angeles is on these big vessels. And we know the route that it's taking and the stops that the vessel is making along the way. So we can make predictions for say 80% of it. And then the last 20% is at the customer level." - Jake HoffmanWATCH THE FULL EPISODE HEREFeedback? Ideas for a future episode? Shoot us a text here to let us know.---------------------------------------------THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!Are you experienced in freight sales or already an independent freight agent? Listen to our Freight Agent Trenches interview series powered by SPI Logistics to hear directly from the company's agents on how they took the leap and found a home with SPI freight agent program. Tai TMS is designed to streamline your brokerage operations and propel growth for both FTL and LTL shipment cycles. Book a demo with the Tai team today and tell them Everything is Logistics sent you. Maximize your website’s performance as a sales tool with Digital Dispatch’s website management.

In this episode, Nate Cross and Ben Kowalski, creators of the Freight Broker Basics course and the Freight 360 podcast, share their insights on content marketing, freight broker training, and balancing work with side projects. They offer valuable tips on prospecting, follow-up processes, cold-calling techniques, and how AI tools like ChatGPT can aid brokers. The two also cover challenges new brokers face, creating authentic content, effective marketing emails, and advice for managing personal branding efforts.LINKS:Nate's LinkedInBen's LinkedInFreight 360 WebsiteFreight 360: Freight Broker BasicsA Day in the Life of a Freight Broker – Episode 209QUOTES:"The number one reason that brokers don't succeed in the sales side is they're not make they're not putting the activity in, it's a numbers game. And if they just if you're not making the calls, number one, it's less opportunity to talk to people. And number two, it's less opportunity for you to refine your skills to effectively communicate." - Nate "A lot of this was just me and him writing it out, coming up with the topics sharing it back and forth and then sending it to other people we knew in the industry to audit it for us and say, Hey, what are else? What else are we missing?" - Ben Kowolski on creating the Freight Broker Basics course. "So the coffee challenge is really just to go when next time you buy coffee, you have to ask them for a discount, which no matter what it is, you just say hey, can I get 25% off this cup of coffee, which is a really awkward thing to ask." - Ben Kowolski on practicing negotiating skills "Everybody likes to teach and talk about things they know. I want to ask just enough questions to get this person I'm calling to be interested in to want to talk to me a question does that." - Ben Kowolski on effective prospecting. "I think it does help us get better at the things we're doing. I hope there's more of that and less of people just outsourcing it directly and going, whatever, what's good enough, send it as big unintended consequences." - Ben Kowolski on using AI tools to assist rather than fully automate. "And I don't know what that's going to look like. So there's a fear a little bit. But I'm like, Well, I'd rather move towards the fear and be on the front edge of it. Because there will be winners, and there will be losers." - Ben Kowolski on adopting AI early. "The vast majorFeedback? Ideas for a future episode? Shoot us a text here to let us know.---------------------------------------------THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!Are you experienced in freight sales or already an independent freight agent? Listen to our Freight Agent Trenches interview series powered by SPI Logistics to hear directly from the company's agents on how they took the leap and found a home with SPI freight agent program. Tai TMS is designed to streamline your brokerage operations and propel growth for both FTL and LTL shipment cycles. Book a demo with the Tai team today and tell them Everything is Logistics sent you. Maximize your website’s performance as a sales tool with Digital Dispatch’s website management.

In this episode, Blythe and Yikun Shao, Head of North America Supply Chain at Alibaba.com, discuss how the platform helps small and medium businesses with global sourcing and logistics. Shao highlights Alibaba's AI tools like language translation, image generation for product design, and logistics marketplace. He also details educational resources on trade compliance, managing cross-border shipping challenges, and navigating customs regulations.LINKS:Yikun's LinkedInAlibaba.comQUOTES:"Nearly two thirds of businesses they plan on increasing their reliance on online sourcing, and including those bigger and more established businesses." - Yikun Shao"Using AI capability can also handle real time inquiries from multiple areas and provide even in some instances provide some industry insights, so that our business buyers and sellers can make more informed decisions." - Yikun Shao"We recently launched a smart assistant tool to help facilitate RFQ transaction and communication aspects on our platform. One of the functions is real-time language translation when buyers and sellers are communicating through a video chat, it helps provide translation services in real-time to at least 17 different languages. Since this new RFQ feature has been introduced, it has driven a 29% increase in quotes from suppliers for small businesses." - Yikun ShaoWATCH THE FULL EPISODE HEREFeedback? Ideas for a future episode? Shoot us a text here to let us know.---------------------------------------------THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!Are you experienced in freight sales or already an independent freight agent? Listen to our Freight Agent Trenches interview series powered by SPI Logistics to hear directly from the company's agents on how they took the leap and found a home with SPI freight agent program. Tai TMS is designed to streamline your brokerage operations and propel growth for both FTL and LTL shipment cycles. Book a demo with the Tai team today and tell them Everything is Logistics sent you. Maximize your website’s performance as a sales tool with Digital Dispatch’s website management.

In this episode, Blythe and Jennifer Karpus-Romain, the Executive Director of the Transportation Marketing & Sales Association (TMSA), discuss the organization's 100-year history, digital transformation, and the upcoming ELEVATE 2024 conference in New Orleans from June 9-11, 2024. Jennifer also shares insights into TMSA's marketing strategies, award programs, and educational content designed to help logistics professionals enhance their marketing and sales skills. LINKS:Jennifer's LinkedInTMSA TimelineTMSA ELEVATE Conference(Use code Blythe24 so we score bonus points with the crew)QUOTES:"We have a benchmarking study. That's a sales and marketing survey that we do to our members and people in the industry. It tells you what is going on and sales marketing today what people are spending their budgets on. How many sales and marketing people do they have at their companies? That's always a question I get all the time. What are people outsourcing like? What are people keeping in house? What software's are they? What types of software are they using? Are they integrating their software's all that kind of stuff lives in that benchmarking study, and that's accessible only to members so it all lives inside the member portal." - Jennifer Karpus-Romain "Like when people are always like when you're starting new things like what what's your advice? And I'm like, well, like anytime you're starting new things you need to evaluate its actual purpose. And like half the people, especially as the marketing person, like you get thrown so many things and you're like what is the what is the point of this? Like, what how does this serve our business purpose?" - Jennifer Karpus-RomainWATCH THE FULL EPISODE HEREFeedback? Ideas for a future episode? Shoot us a text here to let us know.---------------------------------------------THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!Are you experienced in freight sales or already an independent freight agent? Listen to our Freight Agent Trenches interview series powered by SPI Logistics to hear directly from the company's agents on how they took the leap and found a home with SPI freight agent program. Tai TMS is designed to streamline your brokerage operations and propel growth for both FTL and LTL shipment cycles. Book a demo with the Tai team today and tell them Everything is Logistics sent you. Maximize your website’s performance as a sales tool with Digital Dispatch’s website management.

In this episode, Mike Mikulik, VP of Marketing and Sales at SPI Logistics, offers an insider's perspective on the freight agent model. He and Blythe discuss topics like commission structures, technology tools, carrier vetting, and effective sales strategies. Whether you're considering becoming a freight agent or want to improve your current operations, this episode provides the information needed to navigate and thrive in the competitive logistics industry.LINKS:Mike's LinkedInEmail MikeSPI Freight Agent ProgramFrom Intern to Freight Agent: Tynan Guthrie's Journey to Building His Book of BusinessWATCH THE FULL EPISODE HEREFeedback? Ideas for a future episode? Shoot us a text here to let us know.---------------------------------------------THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!Are you experienced in freight sales or already an independent freight agent? Listen to our Freight Agent Trenches interview series powered by SPI Logistics to hear directly from the company's agents on how they took the leap and found a home with SPI freight agent program. Tai TMS is designed to streamline your brokerage operations and propel growth for both FTL and LTL shipment cycles. Book a demo with the Tai team today and tell them Everything is Logistics sent you. Maximize your website’s performance as a sales tool with Digital Dispatch’s website management.

Join Grace Sharkey and Blythe for the latest installment of Freight Friends, where they unpack the current state of the freight market and its economic drivers. Discover cutting-edge business ideas like using drones to streamline warehouse inventory, leveraging digital twin technology for optimizing manufacturing, and implementing AI-driven phone systems for smoother logistics operations. Plus, don't miss their exploration of the logistics behind the diverse flavors in the booming snack industry and the hype surrounding themed movie theater popcorn buckets.LINKS:Grace’s LinktreeJB Hunt Q1 ReportGatherAIFreightwaves Future of Supply ChainTMSA’s ELEVATE Conference (Use code Blythe24)QUOTES:"A lot of brokers have been telling me produce season hasn't been picking up like it should. Again, I always like to kind of look at those around me whenever I want to kind of make a prediction of what's happening with the freight market or even more so what's happening possibly down the line." - Grace Sharkey"We have a broker that I inherited, and I swear each week, I get another email or call from a different rep. They're DMs, we are already a customer and he says it's very annoying." - Matt (quoted by Blythe)"What I think is really cool is this is a company that uses drones, computer vision from those drones to offer inventory management solutions for warehouses. So again, taking a giant warehouse and being able to send a drone out to read every item, take inventory, take all that data, bring it back to managers and figure out where they only want that they can." - Grace Sharkey (on Gather AI)"If you're buying a specialty flavor, Lay's chips it likely came from a factory that's two hours away and has been in business for 50 years with a local supply chain." - Ryan Harlan (quoted by Blythe)"Companies like Nestle think that this model of novelty is the future as they come back things like Ozempic Taking over where people are eating less." - Blythe Brumleve"Last summer AMC chief Adam Aaron predicted that 25,000 Special Edition Barbie Corvettes would sell out by the end of opening weekend at $35 a pop he was right that means nearly 1 million in revenue or about $875,0Feedback? Ideas for a future episode? Shoot us a text here to let us know.---------------------------------------------THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!Are you experienced in freight sales or already an independent freight agent? Listen to our Freight Agent Trenches interview series powered by SPI Logistics to hear directly from the company's agents on how they took the leap and found a home with SPI freight agent program. Tai TMS is designed to streamline your brokerage operations and propel growth for both FTL and LTL shipment cycles. Book a demo with the Tai team today and tell them Everything is Logistics sent you. Maximize your website’s performance as a sales tool with Digital Dispatch’s website management.

In this episode, Justin Cramer, co-founder of ProShip, and Blythe discuss what it's like managing thousands of parcel shipments daily. He explains his transition from the Navy to logistics software, handling peak seasons across industries, and integrating carrier compliance updates. The episode also explores separating systems of record, the onboarding process for enterprise shippers, and how AI could enhance predictive transit time estimates based on weather, events, and other data.LINKS:Justin's LinkedInProShip's WebsiteWATCH THE FULL EPISODE HEREFeedback? Ideas for a future episode? Shoot us a text here to let us know.---------------------------------------------THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!Are you experienced in freight sales or already an independent freight agent? Listen to our Freight Agent Trenches interview series powered by SPI Logistics to hear directly from the company's agents on how they took the leap and found a home with SPI freight agent program. Tai TMS is designed to streamline your brokerage operations and propel growth for both FTL and LTL shipment cycles. Book a demo with the Tai team today and tell them Everything is Logistics sent you. Maximize your website’s performance as a sales tool with Digital Dispatch’s website management.