#11 - Nick Gavos: Breaking the Stigma That Age Equals Knowledge

In this episode of Forward Thinking, I sit down with Carmen Williams, Founder of Global Teams, to discuss the rise of offshore teams, how AI is changing the workforce and what businesses should consider before hiring remotely.What started almost by accident has grown into a business with around 125 team members across the Philippines and South Africa. Over the past eight years, Carmen has seen firsthand what makes offshore teams successful, where businesses go wrong and why finding the right people is only half the battle.We cover:Why more Australian businesses are looking offshore to support their growthThe differences between hiring in the Philippines and South AfricaHow AI is changing roles, expectations and the skills businesses needWhy communication, initiative and cultural understanding are so importantThe biggest mistakes businesses make when hiring offshoreHow to successfully integrate remote employees into an existing teamWhy offshore hiring isn’t always about replacing local jobs or reducing costsWe also get into Carmen’s personal journey, from leaving a secure corporate career as a single mum to building a successful international business, and some of the biggest lessons she’s learnt along the way.

Winning the sale is only the beginning. What happens after a customer clicks buy can make or break their relationship with a brand.In Episode 16 of Forward Thinking, Sam sits down with Jevon Le Roux, Co-Founder & CEO of Keeyu, to explore e-commerce, AI, logistics and the realities of building a tech startup.From travelling the world as a professional surfer to leading P.E Nation and launching Keeyu, Jevon shares the experiences that shaped his approach to business and why he believes customer service should focus on preventing problems before customers need to complain.In this episode, we discuss:• Jevon’s journey from professional surfing to retail leadership and entrepreneurship• How customer feedback helped Keeyu move from detecting order issues to automating the fixes• The shift from reactive customer service to proactive e-commerce operations• AI’s potential beyond the hype, and why trust and adoption matter as much as the technology• The visibility gaps between retailers, warehouses and carriers• Preparing for Black Friday through better forecasting, staffing and delivery promises• The realities of fundraising and building a team motivated by a mission• Expanding into the US and Jevon’s ambition to reach $100 million in revenue within five yearsA conversation about building better businesses, giving teams time back and improving the customer experience long after checkout.Jevon Le Roux is the founder of Keeyu, an Ecommerce automation and AI Ecommerce Operations company. You can find Jevon and Keeyu at https://keeyu.com.Subscribe to Forward Thinking for more conversations with the people shaping logistics, supply chain and commerce.#ForwardThinking #Ecommerce #AI #Logistics #Entrepreneurship

How much money is sitting unused on warehouse shelves?In Episode 15 of Forward Thinking, I sit down with Tim McLain, co-founder of Lexin, to unpack one of the most overlooked areas of supply chain: MRO — maintenance, repair and operating materials.Tim has spent his career working across supply chain, heavy industry and mining, including senior roles at BHP, where he saw firsthand how easily businesses can accumulate huge amounts of unnecessary inventory.We discuss why companies overstock spare parts, the disconnect between maintenance, procurement, warehousing and finance, why bad data creates enormous amounts of waste, and how AI is starting to change the way industrial businesses manage inventory.Tim also explains why inventory acts like a “shock absorber” between supply and demand, how Lexin is using AI to improve MRO data and decision-making, and why better inventory management isn’t simply about cutting stock — it’s about balancing cost and operational risk.A great chat about supply chain, AI, working capital and the hidden cost of the parts businesses keep in the Warehouse.

In this episode, I sit down with Johnny Davison, founder of Hightrak, a transport management system built by freight people for freight operators.Johnny's path into logistics is anything but typical. He grew up in Auckland, became a certified mountain guide, spent six months in Antarctica, guided Denali and summited Everest in 2010. Endless logistics planning in base camps turned out to be the perfect training for a career in freight.We cover:How a Mainfreight director convinced him to swap mountains for depotsStarting his own freight company in 2019 and building a TMS in-houseWinning big box retailers like Bunnings, JB Hi-Fi and Farmers as a two-truck operatorWhy they sold the freight business and kept the techGetting drivers and ops teams to actually adopt new systemsHightrak's expansion into Fiji, Singapore and Australia

Ben Young built Frank Green into a household name, selling as many water bottles in Australia as there are Australians. Now he's taking on a problem the entire logistics industry has ignored: single use plastic pallet wrap.In this episode, Ben shares the Frank Green origin story, the hard lessons of scaling a physical product globally, and the Christmas peak that cost the business over a million dollars in customer refunds. Then we get into his latest venture, NoWrap, his reusable replacement for pallet wrap that's faster, cheaper, safer and manufactured in Australia.We cover:Why 1% coffee cup reuse became a national habit, and what that teaches about changing behaviour50,000 hours a year on product development and 17 iterations of a single lidAustralia's 100 million tonnes of plastic pallet wrap, 95% of which ends up in landfillThe real cost of wrapping a pallet (it's not a couple of cents)NoWrap's sub 12 month payback, rental model, and built in ESG reportingScope 3 climate disclosure rules and what's coming for logistics businessesBringing manufacturing back to Australia, robotics, and where NoWrap goes nextWhether you run a warehouse, lead a logistics business or just want a masterclass in product obsession, this one's worth your time.

Joe Joseph started out as an accountant at Ernst & Young and spent 20 years in consumer goods before walking out of the boardroom and into the cab of a truck. Fourteen years on, JD Refrigerated Transport runs more than 120 drivers across Southeast Queensland.Joe joins Sam to talk through how he built the business from a single 14-pallet truck, why cold chain comes down to people and process rather than equipment, and how he holds a tight culture together as the company scales.In this episode:Leaving a 20-year corporate career to drive the truck and invoice at nightThe one-truck, replicated-50-times growth modelWinning early contracts by time-slotting deliveries when no one else wouldWhy JD runs a support office, not a head officeTraining 120+ drivers and protecting the cold chain end to endRecruiting through driver referrals in a tight marketMoving off Freight 2020 and building a new software and AI stackGetting a team over the fear of AI adoptionPersonal branding, LinkedIn, and the breaching whale that gets the harpoonWhy he would not change a thing about the journey

Nick Gavos turned 21 the day we recorded this episode. He's already a national award winner, an IFCBAA Young Professionals panellist, and an aspiring licensed customs broker at his family business, Gavos Freight Solutions.Nick grew up in the industry, learning from his father while competing as a national karate athlete through high school. In this episode, he shares how he went from sweeping up around the office to handling complex customs scenarios, including clearing 13 returned air containers of meat from the UAE during the Middle East conflict.We cover:Working in a family business and why the clashes are worth itWhy young customs professionals need to get dirty in the books before relying on technologyHis take on remote work and why he believes young people should be in the officeHow martial arts discipline translates into freight forwardingWinning the IFCBAA Young Professional Award in 2025Nick's message to the next generation: age and experience don't always equal knowledge. Put in the work, aim high, and give it a crack.

In this episode of Forward Thinking, Sam Smeaton sits down with Chris Roe, Principal Advisor at FR8 Advice, to unpack the hidden cost of “good enough” in supply chain and logistics.With more than 25 years across freight forwarding, operations, sales, leadership, and advisory, Chris shares practical insights on where businesses are losing money without realising it and why comfortable inefficiency is one of the biggest risks in logistics today.The conversation covers:• Why so many importers and exporters operate with outdated processes• The common gaps between people, process, and providers• How medium-sized businesses can outperform larger competitors• The role AI is actually playing in freight and logistics right now• Why volatility is now the “new normal” in global supply chains• What great freight forwarders do differently• Advice for younger people entering the logistics industry• Why niche expertise matters more than everChris also shares the story behind FR8 Advice and why he launched the business after decades inside freight forwarding and supply chain leadership.A practical conversation for anyone working in freight forwarding, logistics, transport, supply chain, importing, exporting, or operations leadership.

Hannah Hurckes is the Founder & CEO of Boss Lady Logistics and author of The Leadership Reset.In this episode, we get into what it actually takes to build a logistics brand that stands out. Not just moving freight, but building something people recognise and trust.Hannah breaks down her move from operator to founder, how she’s approached growth, and what most people in logistics miss when it comes to brand and positioning.We also talk about building in a traditionally male-dominated industry, hiring, and the realities of scaling without losing your edge.

Sam sits down with Michael Altamore, National Sales Manager at Civic Transport Services — a same-day carrier doing over 150,000 deliveries per month. They get into what actually makes a great salesperson in transport, why moving into management isn't always the right call, how the industry shifted post-COVID, and the one piece of advice Michael would give anyone starting out today.In this episode:Why the best sales reps often make the worst managersHow to sell on value when everyone's competing on priceThe post-COVID shift in customer expectationsBuilding a career in transport and logistics from the ground upOn wealth, mindset and playing the long game