Conversations with industry experts, tech leaders and masters in e-commerce that reveal the secrets of their success, and the most important lessons they learned while creating an impact with their business.
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What does it take to thrive in B2B sales when margins are thin and the stakes are high? Brian Rooney, President of Callas Kingsley Electrical Sales, has built his career on a simple but powerful premise: B2B is really P2P — person to person.In this episode, Brian explains why the manufacturers' rep model is uniquely positioned amid the current AI technology race, and how the surge in data center…
What does it look like when sales and solutions engineering operate as one unified force? In this episode, Lance Hutt, VP of Global Strategic Applications Sales, and George Olaru, VP of Solution Engineers, at Epicor — one of the world's leading ERP providers for manufacturers and distributors — bring the answers.The conversation covers how Epicor is fundamentally rethinking what an ERP platform…
What does AI actually mean for distributors and wholesalers — and what happens if you wait too long to find out?In this episode, Karthik sits down with Jason Nyhus, President of North America at Shopware, to unpack one of the most critical inflection points in B2B e-commerce. Jason brings 20+ years of industry experience and a front-row seat to how AI and agentic commerce are reshaping the…
What does it take to build a $5 billion employee-owned company? For Border States President and CEO Jason Seger, the answer starts with one simple principle: care for people first.In this episode of Driven by DCKAP, Karthik sits down with Jason in Fargo, North Dakota to unpack the servant leadership philosophy behind one of the most unique companies in electrical distribution. From his early days…
In this episode, Karthik sits down with David Gordon to unpack the state of the electrical distribution industry — from data center growth and reshoring manufacturing to the business growth strategies helping distributors go from $25M to $75M in four years. He shares why people will always be the number one differentiator in distribution, why it's important to focus on customer relations above…
What does it take to lead a 100-year-old family business — and set it up for the next 100? Brian Schlise, President of APR Supply, joins Karthik Chidambaram on the podcast to share how a fourth-generation wholesale distribution company is embracing automation, succession planning, and bold leadership to stay ahead.Brian breaks down how APR Supply automated 50% of their warehouse operations with…
Adam Derry, President of Field Fastener, grew up watching his father and uncle build a 12-person fastener company into a 400-person operation growing at 18% year over year. He wasn't sure he'd join. He did anyway — and in 2022, he stepped into the role of President. In this episode, Karthik Chidambaram sits down with Adam to talk about the real mechanics behind Field's growth: a culture-first…
Why would a successful CEO choose an ESOP over private equity? In this episode of Driven by DCKAP, JD Ewing — CEO of COE Distributing — shares why he chose an employee ownership model over a private equity exit, and what that decision means for the future of his business and profitability.But the ESOP decision is only part of the story. JD took over his family's wholesale distribution business at…
What does it really mean to build a company that matters? In this special behind-the-scenes episode, DCKAP Founder and CEO Karthik Chidambaram steps away from the conference floor to share what actually drives him — and the heart behind everything DCKAP does. From handwriting letters in Tamil every Sunday to keep his mother tongue alive, to turning an empty office into a tuition-free coding school…
Most family-owned distributors don't make it to the fourth generation. Standard Electric Supply has, and Larry Stern and Matt Stern share exactly how. From untangling a complicated 17-owner inheritance structure to navigating daily acquisition offers from private equity and large consolidators, Larry has spent over three decades building something worth handing down. Now, with Matt stepping into…
Most distributors aren't failing at AI because of the technology — they're failing because of the people. Rick Pozniak, Founder & CEO of Move78 Solutions, spent over 30 years inside distribution at Rexel, Westburne, and Gescan before launching a consulting firm dedicated to closing the gap between humans and artificial intelligence. In this episode, Rick breaks down why reskilling, rather than…
