Christmas Day.

For one day the world pauses.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve in supply chain feels different.

The factory floor is quiet. The warehouse sounds are of hushed voices. Forklifts parked. Conveyors still. Dock doors closed that, just days ago, never stopped moving.

That silence is not emptiness. It’s the result of weeks and months of planning, long shifts, and controlled chaos finally giving way to calm. Out on the roads - the last deliveries are still being made. Drivers finishing routes. Packages finding their destination just in time.

No spotlight. No applause. Just commitment. This is the moment most people never see. When the noise fades and the work is done. If you’ve worked a warehouse floor or supported logistics during peak season, you know - that quiet is earned.

To the teams who planned, manufactured, picked, packed, loaded, dispatched, and delivered - this calm is your victory lap.

Merry Christmas Eve to everyone in supply chain.

A few years ago, I was given what I believe to be the ultimate compliment - "you are a disruptor."

Being a Disruptor doesn’t mean being loud. It means being contrarian. One of my personal core values is Being Contrarian. Not for the sake of disagreement - but because progress rarely comes from nodding along with “the way it’s always been done.”

In operations and supply chain, the default answer is often "That’s standard.” “That’s how the system works.” “Everyone does it this way.” And my personal favorite (sarcasm), "That's how we've always done it."

Being contrarian means asking: Should it work this way? Who benefits from this process? What problem are we solving or what are we protecting?

Disruption doesn’t always look like tearing things down - sometimes it looks like challenging assumptions that no longer fit the business - questioning metrics that reward activity instead of outcomes - saying the uncomfortable thing early (before it becomes an expensive issue later).

Contrarian thinking isn’t about ego. It’s about responsibility. It's not saying it in a harsh way or in a demeaning way. If you see a better path and stay silent, you’re not being aligned, you’re being complicit.

The best leaders I’ve worked with don’t want agreement. They want clarity. They want someone willing to push back with data, experience, and intent.

That’s how real disruption happens. Quietly. Thoughtfully. Relentlessly.

Santa just may be the ultimate supply chain operator. He probably deserves to be in the Supply Chain Hall of Fame. Right up there with the person that invented retractable box cutters, the electric pallet jack, and self leveling docks.

One-night delivery window. Global distribution. Zero tolerance for failure. Demand forecasting? Locked in a year ahead. Inventory management? Every Barbie, Lego, and RC car accounted for. Last-mile delivery? No carriers, no backups, no excuses. And when something goes wrong? No press release. No blame. Just execution.

Santa doesn’t argue about constraints - he designs around them. He plans early, builds redundancy (reindeer and magic - remember Rudolph was not even an A Player), and trusts a highly specialized workforce.

Most impressive of all? When Christmas morning is a success, no one thinks about the operation behind it. They just enjoy the outcome. That’s real operational excellence.

Santa is proof that when planning, execution, and accountability align, even the impossible looks easy.

Early in my career, I was told to race to the top - work harder than everyone else - say yes more - outperform - climb.

And I got there - or close enough to see it clearly - I realized something unsettling. Not everyone at the top belongs there. You see decisions disconnected from reality. Egos can be louder than results. There was confidence without competence.

That moment can either be discouraging or clarifying. Because I learned that titles do not equal leadership. Position doesn’t guarantee perspective. And the climb itself doesn’t automatically produce wisdom.

The real question becomes do you want to be at the top or do you want to be effective? Some of the best leaders I’ve worked with weren’t the loudest in the room or the highest on the org chart - they earned trust - they understood the work - they made others better.

If you’ve ever looked up and thought, “How did we end up here?” - you’re not alone. Let that realization sharpen your standards, not dull your ambition. Climb with integrity. Lead with substance.

Some of the most valuable people in any organization do not fit neatly into a job description. They’re the ones who can step into multiple roles when needed - translate strategy into execution - jump from ops to finance to customer conversations - see how one decision has impact upstream and downstream.

They are the glue. Not because they’re doing everyone else’s job - but because they understand how the pieces fit together. They see what others do not.

In fast-moving organizations, especially in supply chain and operations, this versatility is a force multiplier - problems get solved faster - silos break down - teams stay aligned when things get messy.

These people often don’t get the spotlight. Their work shows up as things just working. The best leaders recognize and protect them. The smartest organizations intentionally develop more of them. Because when growth accelerates or disruption hits, it’s the glue players who keep everything from coming apart.

“Can’t you just…?”

That question gets a bad reputation in operations - and for good reason. It’s usually followed by something expensive, complex, and wildly underestimated. But every once in a while, it opens a door.

Years ago, a simple “can’t you just…” conversation turned an ecommerce fulfillment warehouse into something much more - a true partner to its clients.

"Can't you just put a phone on a desk and answer it?" And we did. That phone would ring and we'd run across the warehouse, hurdle boxes, and answer it. Then a second phone, a third, and finally the realization that we had a call center and needed a real technology solution. And so our call center was born.

"Can't you just take one of each item, bundle it together, and ship it to Amazon?" You know we can. And off to the races on an Amazon kitting and compliance value-add service.

"Can't you just take two nuts and put it onto one bolt?" Sure. We can do that. And that gave birth to a light manufacturing value-add service.

"Can't you just collect our mail, mobile deposit our checks, scan, and email the correspondence?" Not a problem. And suddenly we had scanning and back office services.

Not because it was easy. Not because it was obvious. But because we stopped answering the question with an automatic no - and started asking how. What would it take? What capabilities already exist? What problems could we solve if we connected the dots differently?

That mindset changed our business into a strategic partnership that was so sticky that clients thought of us as them.

“Can’t you just…?” can be dangerous. But in the right hands - it’s also where innovation starts. The difference is whether you dismiss it or design for it.

The trauma bonds of Supply Chain are strong.

I caught up with a former colleague and within minutes we were right back in it. War stories from operations and supply chain have a way of picking up where they left off - the need for immediate solutions - the “this will never work” moments that somehow did - the decisions made with imperfect data and real consequences.

What struck me wasn’t the chaos or even that chaos exists in all organizations (sometimes small and sometimes large) - we all remember that. It was the shared respect for the work and the people who did and do it.

Operations teaches you things no classroom or seminar ever will - how to stay calm when everything is loud - how to solve problems that don’t have clean answers - how to trust people when the pressure is real.

Those conversations are a reminder that supply chain isn’t just systems and spreadsheets. It’s judgment, grit, and relationships built in the middle of the mess.

Always good to reconnect with someone who understands the work - because once you’ve lived it, you don’t need to explain it.

“Head up. Eyes ahead.”

I’ve used that line for years because it cuts through the noise. In supply chain and operations, pressure is constant. Misses happen. Costs spike. Something always breaks.

“Head up” means don’t spiral. Get perspective. See the whole system.

“Eyes ahead” means don’t dwell. Learn fast. Move forward.

The best leaders don’t panic and they don’t rewind. They don't unravel. They stay focused, decisive, and forward-looking when it matters most.

No drama. No dwelling. Just execution.

Head up. Eyes ahead.

I'm on vacation - I've pre-scheduled this post because...well...I can, I guess.

I'm reminded why stepping away isn’t a break from work - it’s fuel for it. For most of my career, I’ve been wired for urgency. Solve the problem. Keep the operation moving. Be available. Be responsive.

But there’s something powerful about pressing pause and spending uninterrupted time with the people who matter most. No meetings. No metrics. No deadlines.

Just family, laughter, and the kind of moments you can’t schedule.

Here's what I know:
The business will still be there when I get back.
My team will become stronger when they get to lead without me.
And I hope to return with more clarity, energy, and perspective than I had when I left.
Great leaders don’t just work hard - they recharge intentionally.
Family time isn’t a distraction from success. It’s part of the formula.

I hope to come back refreshed, grateful, and reminded that the reason we work so hard is to create a life worth stepping away for.

Please enjoy the pause from my regularly scheduled programming.

It drives me crazy to walk through a warehouse and see an inefficient use of space. One of the most valuable things you can do is simple - Squeeze The Air.

Everyone talks about needing more space - more racking - more square footage - more buildings. But the truth is, most warehouses aren’t running out of space. They’re running out of usable space.

Look up. All that empty air above the pallet? Above the case pick slots? Above the reserve locations? That’s capacity you already own - you’re just not using it yet.

When you properly engineer vertical space, you unlock:
Higher storage density without expanding your footprint
Better cube utilization and smarter inventory positioning
Shorter travel paths because product is stored closer to the action
Lower cost per unit stored (the metric most operations overlook)

I’ve seen teams go from “we need a bigger building” to “we have room for another six months of growth” simply by optimizing vertical clearances and slot heights.

The best operators don’t just manage floor space. They manage airspace. If you want a more efficient warehouse - don’t start with construction. Start with a tape measure and the space right above your head.

We had just finished our annual budgeting cycle. Hours of analysis. Alignment across departments. Savings initiatives layered in. A realistic and responsible plan built to drive performance and protect the operation. Then the CEO walked in and said one sentence that wiped all the effort away - “Increase EBITDA by 10%.” We had already planned an increase of 7%. This was an additional 10%. No discussion. No rationale. No connection to volume, cost structure, or market conditions. Just an arbitrary number.

The directives that followed? “Cut the expense lines again. Take another look at labor. What contracts are up for renewal? Where can we cut service?"

That moment was eye-opening because leaders push their teams. But great leaders push with purpose, not with random percentages that ignore operational reality.

What that request told me was simple. He wasn’t connected to the work. He didn’t understand the levers that truly drive profitability. And he was more focused on optics than building a sustainable plan.

The best CEOs I’ve worked with roll up their sleeves. They ask questions. They understand the business drivers and work with the team to find opportunities. They don’t chase numbers. They build operations that produce numbers.

The experience taught me a valuable leadership lesson - you can’t manage a P&L from the country club. You manage it by understanding the people, the processes, and the reality of the business.

Pressure is healthy. Arbitrary demands are not.

Did we hit his EBITDA number? Nope! And do you know why? Because after we went through the exercise again - he changed his percentage again. If we were a football team - we could block and tackle. We had good coaching. But what we had was an owner that changed the game plan on game day.

During the height of the COVID pandemic, I remember sitting in an interview and saying something that felt almost impossible at the time: “Getting people to come into work every day is going to be our biggest challenge.”

Everyone was scared. Everyone was stretched. And yet the work still had to get done - especially our work. We were responsible for getting food to people who were homebound, isolated, and relying on us more than ever.

So we took a different approach. We started recruiting from a local halfway house - individuals transitioning from prison back into society. People that wanted to rebuild their lives. What happened next was something I’ll never forget.

Every time we'd announce hiring - we’d have a line of people waiting for interviews. Not because the job was glamorous (working in a freezer environment is far from that). Not because the hours were easy (10-14 hour days). But because they were hungry for a second chance.

These men and women had limited hours when they were allowed to be outside the halfway house. They were never late. Not once. They showed up early. They showed up ready. They cared about the work. They cared about the mission. They cared about the people depending on us for their next meal.

In the middle of a global crisis - when hiring felt impossible and the world was struggling to stay afloat, this group became one of the most reliable, dedicated, and resilient workforces I’ve ever led.

They didn’t just fill a staffing gap. They helped us keep food on the tables of people who couldn’t leave their homes. They helped us meet demand when the world was breaking. They brought pride, purpose, and discipline into a moment defined by uncertainty.

Sometimes leadership means looking beyond the traditional hiring paths. Sometimes the most committed people are the ones who simply need someone to believe in them. And when you give a second chance, you don’t just change someone’s life - you build a team that can weather any storm.

Every day, I measure myself with two simple questions.

The first is: "Did I finish everything on my list?" If I’m honest, the answer is almost always no. There’s always one more email, one more idea, one more task waiting for tomorrow. Productivity is important but it’s not the whole story.

The second question is the one that grounds me: "Did I make someone’s life even a little better for having come into contact with me today?" That question forces me to zoom out from the deadlines, the logistics, the to-do lists that never end and look at the people right in front of me. A teammate who needed clarity. A colleague who needed encouragement. A person who needed patience. A family member who needed presence.

On the days I can answer yes to that second question - even if the first is a disaster - I am satisfied. Because at the end of the day, our impact isn’t measured in checked boxes. It’s measured in humans. In how they feel after interacting with us. In whether we showed up in a way that lifted, supported, or inspired.

I still fight for the perfect to-do list. But I have learned that the real work is done in the moments between the tasks. If someone crossed my path today and left feeling just a little stronger, a little clearer, a little more valued then I didn’t just have a productive day - I had a meaningful one.

It’s Sunday and I'm already thinking about the storm (workweek) ahead.

This is the window of time when I convince myself that next week I'll be more organized, my inbox will not hit triple digits, I'll drink more water and less coffee (clearly lying to myself), and I'll get ahead on Monday - damn well knowing that by 9:18 a.m. I'll be staring at my calendar wondering who scheduled all these meetings.

Sundays are basically the adult version of standing second in line to board the scariest roller coaster thinking - (gulp) “Looks fun but why did I agree to this?”

So here’s to the final hours of the weekend you meal prep superstar!

Here's to hoping that this week will be the week we finally master life. I'll be ready - coffee in hand - and ready to go.

Wait - I'm feeling like I've already forgotten something important.

Happy Sunday!

I'm not a big fan of the show Friends but recently I stumbled across an episode that made me watch. It was the one where Ross, Chandler, and Rachel try to force a couch up a stairwell that is clearly too small. Ross keeps yelling “PIVOT! PIVOT! PIVOT!” while the couch wedges tighter and tighter until no one can move an inch.

I once had an interview in Scranton that I’ll never forget - not because it went well, but because it resulted in a pivot that changed my career trajectory.

I had accepted a role with a major national children’s apparel retailer the day before. Driving back from their NJ headquarters having met with their CEO. It would mean relocation (cool - I had not lived in AL), a salary that was obscene, responsibility for nine hundred, and a top 25 role within the organization.

The day before I had a call from a startup asking if I'd visit Scranton. It just so happened to be on my way home. So why not? If nothing else maybe I'd grab a short term consulting gig or maybe it would be a quick conversation to validate my choice. Simple, right?

Not even close.

The moment I walked in, it was clear the place was chaos. When I walked into the warehouse there was a guy holding onto a pallet jack handle (not moving). The dry storage area was a fire hazard. The picking team was staging a few dozen pallets to a refrigerated area by searching each pallet for specific items (mixed pallets). The pickers were making loops around the cooler searching for inventory. The packers were walking distances to get packaging and dry ice. It was chaos. And on my way back into the office, the guy with the pallet jack had not moved a foot in the twenty minutes that I was on the warehouse floor. The complete opposite of the well oiled machine that I had visited a week earlier in AL.

I remember thinking, “Nope! I’m not pivoting here.” And yes, in my head I absolutely heard Ross from Friends yelling “PIVOT!” as I mentally turned right back toward the path I had already chosen. I remember saying - "this is not for me but I'll decompress and send you some ideas on how to improve this operation."

As I drove home, I replayed the sights and sounds of what I had just witnessed. Something about it grabbed my attention. I stopped at a rest area and wrote an email outlining all that was wrong and how to fix it.

Then over the next four days, while consulting in Ohio, my phone rang over and over. It was the startup. While my brain was saying hell no - my heart said this is something that you can fix. Upon returning home, my wife knew - "we are going to Scranton!?!"

"Pivot!"

I could have went to my dream job and stared at productivity reports. But it would died a slow death. I'm the guy that calms chaos - that sees in others what they do not see in themselves - that solves big problems for companies that lack resources.

That pivot - best choice I ever made.

Do you have a pivot story?

It’s game day!

For consumers, Black Friday is a day of deals. But for those in Supply Chain – it’s our big game.

We prepare all year long for this – planning inventory, tightening SOP’s, pressure-testing systems, and running scenarios that involve contingency plans that would make the average person squeamish. When Black Friday hits everything we’ve built is put on the field at once.

This is the day when forecasts become reality (or get blown up) - carrier networks are pushed beyond their limits - warehouses turn into organized chaos - customer expectations skyrocket and patience is in short supply.

Great Black Fridays aren’t won the day of. They’re won in July - in September - in all the “quiet months” when no one is watching and the work feels tedious. In game day terms - preparation is the playbook and execution is the highlight reel. And when it all works - that’s us lifting the trophy.

To everyone behind the scenes - planners, operators, carriers, tech teams, warehouse legends – today we suit up. May victory be yours! Happy Game Day.g!