Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution Podcast

Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution is the weekly podcast sponsored by LeadSmart Technologies that takes a deep dive into the topics impacting manufacturers, wholesale distribution, independent sales agents, and the global wholesale supply chain. Hosted by Kevin Brown, a 30-year veteran of wholesale distribution, and Tom Burton, a recognized thought leader in SaaS platforms for distributors, each episode reveals a unique perspective and valuable information about wholesale distribution. Debuting in February 2023, the ATHIWD podcast springboards from Kevin & Tom's popular LinkedIn and Facebook Live shows, bringing their industry insights to a wider audience. Whether it's M&A, SaaS and cloud computing, B2B e-Commerce or supply chain issues, we peel back the onion into the topics that impact your business most.

Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution Podcast is a business podcast hosted by Kevin Brown & Tom Burton, with 166 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Kevin Brown & Tom Burton hosts Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution Podcast, a business show with 166 episodes published.

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  Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution Podcast

  What Is The "Silver Tsunami" and What Does It Mean For Wholesale Distribution?

  Aug 14, 20261h 31m

  I'm not getting older... you're getting older. And everything is just fine. Right? In this episode of Around The Horn in Wholesale Distribution , Kevin Brown and Tom Burton look ahead to the upcoming 200th episode celebration while unpacking another week of news affecting manufacturers, wholesale distributors, independent sales agents, and the global supply chain. Kevin and Tom begin by previewing the special 200th episode celebration, which will bring together a strong group of industry voices, including Mike Marks, Dirk Beveridge, Dan Schubert, Alex Chissofsky, and Steve Levy. They also reflect on the continued growth of the show, the expanding audience across podcast platforms, YouTube, LinkedIn, and the newsletter, and the importance of creating a weekly resource for the distribution and manufacturing community. The conversation then turns to the economy, including July consumer price data, producer price trends, inflation, interest rates, bond markets, mortgage rates, and the possibility of future rate cuts. Kevin and Tom discuss why the market may be stabilizing in some areas, while still facing uncertainty from energy prices, geopolitical pressure, and election-year dynamics. From there, they dive into supply chain and tariff issues, including the latest developments around tariff refunds, Section 301 tariffs, legal disputes, customer transparency, and the ongoing impact tariffs are having on distributors, manufacturers, contractors, and customer relationships. They also discuss the importance of balanced trade, the likely durability of the current tariff structure, and where tariff policy may stand a year from now. The episode also covers major distribution trends, including the economic impact of the HVACR distribution market, the KPIs that matter most for mid-market distributors, and the continued consolidation of independent distributors through acquisitions such as SRS Distribution’s expansion into HVAC. Kevin and Tom discuss why consolidation may continue, but also why new independent distributors are likely to emerge from the talent and culture gaps created by large acquisitions. In the AI segment, Kevin and Tom explore the growing tension between AI hype and AI reality. They discuss concerns around failed implementations, immature products, unclear ROI, rising AI costs, governance mistakes, and the importance of choosing the right technology partner rather than simply chasing the newest tool. They also look at broader public skepticism around generative AI and the need to balance real risks with the meaningful productivity gains AI is already creating inside businesses. Finally, the episode touches on the human side of business, including the loss of institutional knowledge, the “silver tsunami,” knowledge transfer, leadership, busyness, and the importance of creating meaning beyond constant motion. As always, Kevin and Tom connect the headlines back to the practical realities of wholesale distribution and manufacturing, helping leaders understand what these trends mean for their customers, teams, technology decisions, and growth strategies. Timestamps and Chapters: 00:00 — Introduction and Episode 202 Setup 03:30 — Previewing the 200th Episode Celebration 08:15 — The Growth of Around The Horn 13:45 — What Around The Horn Covers Each Week 16:30 — LeadSmart Technologies and the Enterprise Growth Platform 20:15 — Inflation, Consumer Prices, and Interest Rate Expectations 27:30 — Bond Markets, Mortgage Rates, and Housing Pressure 34:00 — Election-Year Market Uncertainty 39:15 — Tariff Refunds and the $100 Billion Question 47:00 — Customer Transparency Around Tariffs 52:30 — Section 301 Tariffs and the Future of Trade Policy 59:00 — HVACR Distribution’s Economic Impact 1:04:30 — KPIs That Matter for Mid-Market Distributors 1:12:15 — Process Improvement Through Software Implementation 1:17:00 — SRS, HVAC Acquisitions, and Distribution Consolidation 1:22:15 — AI Hype, AI Reality, and Technology Partner Risk 1:28:00 — Public Skepticism Around Generative AI 1:32:45 — AI Costs, Token Usage, and Budget Overruns 1:38:15 — The Human Side: Knowledge Transfer and the Silver Tsunami 1:42:00 — Busyness, Leadership, and Meaningful Work 1:47:30 — Closing Thoughts and 200th Celebration Reminder 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. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , or TikTok .

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  Episode #197

  The AI-Native Distributor: Agentic Buying, Smart CRM and the Future of Growth

  Jul 31, 20261h 24m

  How can wholesale distributors plan for growth when interest rates, tariffs, global conflict, artificial intelligence, and changing buyer behavior are all moving at once? Kevin Brown and Tom Burton examine the economic and technology forces shaping manufacturing and wholesale distribution. They discuss Federal Reserve policy, consumer confidence, Section 301 tariffs, supply chain visibility, AI-native business models, agentic purchasing, and the growing role of robotics in industrial operations. What You’ll Learn: Why the Federal Reserve has limited options for responding to inflation caused by geopolitical price shocks How Section 301 tariffs could affect inventory planning, margins, sourcing, and supply chain strategy What new industry survey data reveals about distributor confidence, demand recovery, tariffs, and technology adoption How businesses can move from basic AI assistance toward an AI-native operating model Why agentic AI could reshape how contractors and other B2B customers research products, request quotes, and place orders How humanoid and purpose-built robots may change industrial labor, workplace safety, and the protective equipment market Episode Highlights: 00:00 – Looking at the upcoming 200th episode of Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution 13:40 – Why the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady and why some policymakers still favor an increase 29:15 – What declining consumer confidence could mean for spending, employment, and distributor demand 38:40 – How Section 301 tariffs are changing inventory valuation and supply chain planning 47:25 – Why global shipping chokepoints are creating new risks for oil, freight, and product availability 54:20 – What electrical distributors say about demand recovery, tariffs, margins, AI, and data center growth 1:03:30 – The stages of AI maturity and what it means to build an AI-native enterprise 1:12:10 – How agentic AI could transform the traditional wholesale distribution buying process 1:20:35 – Humanoid robots, purpose-built machines, and the future of industrial safety Tools, Frameworks, and Strategies Mentioned LeadSmart Meridian 360 enterprise growth platform Smart CRM and CRM-ERP integration LeadSmart Revenue Expander Hidden revenue detection and trapped-potential analysis AI maturity stages, from AI-assisted to AI-native Agentic AI purchasing and automated ordering Inventory visibility and supply chain analytics Human-centered sales automation Section 301 tariff analysis Closing Insight: The companies that succeed through the next phase of wholesale distribution will understand more than what is happening inside their ERP. They will connect customer, sales, marketing, e-commerce, inventory, and operational data so their teams can make faster and better decisions. Subscribe to Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution for weekly insights into the economy, technology, supply chains, manufacturing, and distribution growth. Visit AroundTheHornPod.com to explore previous episodes and sign up for the newsletter. To learn how LeadSmart Technologies helps distributors connect their data and uncover hidden revenue opportunities, visit LeadSmartTech.com . 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. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , or TikTok .

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  Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution Podcast

  Data Centers Everywhere, Section 301 Tariffs, and Amazon Business Crushing It: What A Time To Be Alive!

  Jul 24, 20261h 26m

  What happens when tariffs, global shipping disruptions, AI infrastructure demands, and changing buyer behavior all hit wholesale distribution at the same time? On this episode of Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution , Kevin Brown and Tom Burton examine the economic, technological, and supply chain forces shaping manufacturers and wholesale distribution teams. They discuss inflation and interest rates, the transition to Section 301 tariffs, growing risks across major shipping routes, Amazon Business’s expanding influence, the copper shortage behind AI data center growth, and why companies need a more disciplined approach to AI investment. What You’ll Learn How Section 301 tariffs could create greater planning certainty for distributors, even as import costs remain elevated Why disruptions at the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal, and the Panama Canal could create a global supply chain “perfect storm” How distributors can compete with Amazon Business by solving complex problems and embedding themselves in customer operations Why AI efficiency may increase total energy and computing demand instead of reducing it How revenue leaders in distribution can evaluate AI tools based on measurable business outcomes instead of promises Why employees who guide, challenge, and pressure-test AI produce stronger work than those who simply delegate tasks Episode Highlights 04:20 – How LeadSmart uses connected ERP and CRM data to uncover hidden revenue opportunities 13:45 – What the Federal Reserve’s inflation language could mean for interest rates and business planning 23:10 – Why Section 301 tariffs may be more legally durable than previous tariff policies 34:05 – The global supply chain risks developing around the Strait of Hormuz, Suez Canal, and Panama Canal 43:20 – How Amazon Business reached $60 billion in merchandise volume and what distributors should do next 52:15 – Why complex services, technical support, and customer integration remain powerful competitive advantages 59:40 – Copper shortages, data center construction, and the infrastructure required to support AI growth 1:10:05 – Why workers who actively direct AI agents outperform people who accept the first answer Tools, Frameworks, and Strategies Mentioned Meridian 360 Hub LeadSmart’s connected data hub brings information from across the business into one environment, giving leaders greater visibility into customers, teams, sales activity, and growth opportunities. GeniusFeed AI and Revenue Expander These tools analyze business data to identify white space, wallet-share opportunities, customer risk, and hidden revenue. The discussion also explores how this type of predictive sales analytics could support M&A due diligence and business valuation. Make Complexity Your Strategy Distributors can protect their customer relationships by focusing on services that are difficult for large online marketplaces to replicate. These may include product customization, technical support, equipment commissioning, kitting, cutting, and on-site problem solving. Embed Into Customer Operations Vendor-managed inventory, on-site personnel, tool cribs, vending systems, and job-site inventory programs make the distributor a direct part of the customer’s workflow. Jevons Paradox As technology becomes more efficient and less expensive, demand often grows faster than the efficiency gains. The hosts apply this idea to AI computing, data centers, energy consumption, and future infrastructure requirements. Outcome-Based AI Adoption Before investing in AI or sales technology, businesses should define specific outcomes they expect to achieve. Those outcomes should guide implementation, client success meetings, performance measurement, and technology budgeting. Closing Insight: AI, tariffs, e-commerce, infrastructure shortages, and supply chain disruption are creating a more complicated operating environment for wholesale distribution. The companies that succeed will be the ones that improve visibility, strengthen customer relationships, and connect technology investments to measurable growth. Subscribe to Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution for weekly analysis of the news and trends affecting manufacturers, independent sales agents, distributors, and the global wholesale supply chain. To receive the weekly newsletter, visit AroundTheHornPod.com . To learn how LeadSmart Technologies helps distributors connect sales, CRM, ERP, marketing, quoting, and customer intelligence data, visit LeadSmartTech.com . 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. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , or TikTok .

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  Episode #192

  What Is CRM-ERP Integration?

  Jul 17, 20261h 1m

  What happens when wholesale distributors realize “CRM” is no longer the real conversation, growth, data, AI, and sales enablement are? In Episode 198 of Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution , Kevin Brown and Tom Burton unpack the shift they saw firsthand at the Affiliated Distributors Functional Success Summit: distributors are moving beyond traditional CRM adoption questions and toward connected data systems, AI-enabled sales strategy, and future-proofing distribution. The episode connects macroeconomic uncertainty, supply chain risk, AI governance, human judgment, and enterprise growth strategy to the real decisions facing wholesale distribution teams today. What You’ll Learn: Why distributors are moving past traditional CRM conversations and focusing instead on how to help sales teams create more value, become more consultative, and grow revenue How CRM-ERP integration, data warehouses, e-commerce platforms, marketing automation, and disconnected point solutions can limit customer visibility unless they are unified into a true enterprise growth platform Why inflation measurement, interest rate uncertainty, and prediction markets matter to revenue leaders in distribution making investment and growth decisions How Strait of Hormuz disruption, Suez Canal risk, oil volatility, plastics, fertilizers, helium, and global logistics instability can ripple through manufacturing and wholesale distribution Why AI still needs human judgment, oversight, and strategy, and why many companies miss expected ROI when they assume full automation instead of building a realistic digital transformation plan Episode Highlights: 01:16 – Lessons from the Affiliated Distributors Functional Success Summit and why sales enablement is replacing traditional CRM talk 03:55 – Why disconnected data across ERP, marketing automation, e-commerce, and point software creates risk for distributors 06:37 – Episode 198 begins: how Around the Horn connects the economy, supply chain, M&A, sales, marketing, AI, and robotics to wholesale distribution 08:30 – LeadSmart’s Meridian 360 Enterprise Growth Platform and the move from Smart CRM to broader business growth engines 12:32 – Inflation cooling, gas prices, and why energy volatility still affects distributors, manufacturers, fertilizers, heavy minerals, and supply chains 15:23 – Kevin Warsh, Fed measurement reviews, CPI, PPI, the 2% inflation target, and the need for more real-time data 20:25 – Prediction markets, PolyMarket, Kalshi, and whether betting markets can offer useful economic signals 27:17 – Strait of Hormuz risk, Iran, shipping disruption, oil exposure, the Suez Canal, Houthi rebels, and what it means for global supply chains 43:02 – AI watchdogs, model testing, DeepMind, Fable, Mythos, and the role of government QA for high-powered AI systems 48:38 – Human judgment in the age of AI, digital twins, job displacement fears, and why AI ROI depends on data readiness and realistic automation expectations 56:00 – APR Supply’s sales tool adoption gains and how better sales technology can support outside sales revenue growth Tools, Frameworks, and Strategies Mentioned: LeadSmart Technologies Meridian 360 Enterprise Growth Platform Sales Compass Smart CRM Sales Co-Pilot AI Co-Pilot for Sales CRM-ERP Integration CRM Data Enrichment with AI Hidden Revenue Detection Sales Automation Without Losing the Human Touch Future-Proofing Distribution Hybrid Selling Models Consultative Commerce Data warehouses and data lakes Marketing automation E-commerce data integration ERP data unification AI-enabled business intelligence Prediction markets PolyMarket Kalshi CPI and PPI measurement reviews AI model QA and AI watchdog concepts Human judgment in AI strategy APR Supply sales tool adoption Master of Distribution Management program Closing Insight: The episode’s central message is clear: the future of distribution is not about buying more disconnected technology. It is about connecting data, people, process, and AI into a strategy that helps teams sell smarter, serve customers better, and make better decisions under uncertainty. 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. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , or TikTok .

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  Episode #191

  Jason Hein on Hybrid Selling, AI-Powered Customer Intelligence, and B2B E-Commerce

  Jul 10, 20261h 32m

  What does the next era of B2B e-commerce look like when buyers, bots, AI agents, and self-service expectations all collide? In this episode of Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution , Kevin Brown and Tom Burton welcome Jason Hein, Vice President of Academy at the B2B E-Commerce Association, for a sharp conversation on digital buying behavior, AI-powered customer intelligence, hybrid selling models, CRM-ERP integration, and the future of consultative commerce. This episode explores why e-commerce is no longer just a transaction portal, it is part of a broader digital customer experience that helps distributors build trust, support complex sales, and future-proof distribution. What You’ll Learn: Why B2B e-commerce should be viewed as a digital customer experience, not just a website with a checkout button How younger buyers research, compare, and validate distributors before ever talking to sales Why complex products still need consultative selling—and how digital tools can support that buyer journey How AI agents, bots, and non-human traffic are changing how customers may interact with distributor websites Why CRM-ERP integration, product content quality, and AI-powered customer intelligence are essential for revenue leaders in distribution How distributors can use hybrid selling models to combine self-service, sales expertise, and human-centric sales automation Episode Highlights: 06:01 – Jason Hein explains the mission of the B2B E-Commerce Association and why education matters in digital transformation 11:59 – The Fed, inflation targets, and why economic uncertainty still affects distributors and manufacturers 31:50 – AD’s Supply Force acquisition and what buying group consolidation means for independent distributors 44:08 – AI job displacement, software engineering, and why leverage may matter more than replacement 1:00:21 – Bots, AI agents, and the “dead internet” problem for B2B e-commerce 1:04:23 – Complex vs. commodity products: why self-service does not eliminate consultative sales 1:09:49 – How trust, product content, and McMaster-Carr’s digital experience shape buyer loyalty 1:15:23 – Why e-commerce alone does not drive demand generation—but a strong digital experience can 1:22:35 – Omnichannel strategy, silver tsunami knowledge loss, and institutionalizing customer intelligence Meet the Guest: Jason Hein is Vice President of Academy at the B2B E-Commerce Association, where he helps manufacturers, distributors, agencies, and technology providers understand how to build better digital experiences. With nearly 30 years in B2B, Jason has worked across manufacturing, distribution, consulting, software, and e-commerce strategy. Tools, Frameworks, and Strategies Mentioned: B2B E-Commerce Association Academy Digital customer experience strategy Hybrid selling models Consultative commerce Omnichannel customer experience Product content quality and product data standards AI agents and agentic buying behavior CRM-ERP integration CRM data enrichment with AI Smart CRM strategy Sales Co-Pilot and AI Co-Pilot for Sales LeadSmart Channel Cloud™ LeadSmart Enterprise Growth Platform Hidden revenue detection Sales automation without losing the human touch Future-proofing distribution Digital readiness for succession Customer knowledge institutionalization Closing Insight: E-commerce in wholesale distribution is not just about letting customers place orders online. It is about creating a digital experience that helps buyers research, trust, validate, reorder, and engage with your team more effectively. As Jason explains, younger buyers may prefer self-service, but that does not mean they reject expertise. The winning distributors will combine strong product content, connected data systems, CRM-ERP integration, and human-guided consultative commerce to meet buyers wherever they are in the journey. 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. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , or TikTok .

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