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PODCAST

Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution Podcast

Kevin Brown & Tom Burton

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

business management

All Episodes

95:22

Mike Hockett on Executive Decision-Making in an...

Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution Podcast ·

2026/02/06

What happens when intuition, AI, tariffs, and leadership collide in wholesale distribution? In this episode of Around the Horn Podcast, Kevin Brown and Tom Burton are joined by Mike Hockett of Modern Distribution Management to unpack the biggest forces shaping distribution leaders right now, from trade policy and infrastructure risk to AI governance and executive decision-making under uncertainty. What You’ll Learn: Why intuition still matters in executive decision-making, even in a data-d...

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86:47

Kevin Returns From NAW, And Boy Does He Have A Lot To...

Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution Podcast ·

2026/01/30

What happens when wholesale distribution collides with tariffs, AI acceleration, and rising customer expectations? In this episode of Around The Horn Podcast, Kevin Brown and Tom Burton unpack the most important forces shaping wholesale distribution today, from policy shifts and economic signals to e-commerce, automation, and leadership in an AI driven world. This conversation goes beyond headlines to explore what these changes really mean for distributors, manufacturers, and channel leaders ...

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64:35

Trapped Margin, Trade Policy, and the Future of B2B...

Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution Podcast ·

2026/01/23

What happens when economic uncertainty, tariffs, AI agents, and cybersecurity risks collide inside wholesale distribution? In this episode of Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution, Kevin Brown and Tom Burton break down the signals beneath the noise and explain what manufacturers and distributors should actually be paying attention to right now. From inflation ambiguity and tariff authority to AI-driven buying behavior and hidden margin opportunities, this conversation connects macroeconom...

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91:35

How AI, Tariffs, and Leadership Are Reshaping...

Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution Podcast ·

2026/01/17

What happens when artificial intelligence stops being an experiment and starts reshaping leadership, sales, marketing, and the global economy in real time? In this episode of Around the Horn Podcast, Kevin Brown and Tom Burton unpack how AI, tariffs, interest rates, and workforce disruption are colliding across wholesale distribution and manufacturing. From executive decision making and anti fragile leadership to marketing for AI driven buyers and the rise of humanoid robotics, this conversat...

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102:35

The 2026 Wholesale Distribution Roundtable: Six...

Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution Podcast ·

2026/01/10

What happens when some of the most influential thinkers in wholesale distribution get into one room and debate the future of the industry, the rise of AI, human centered leadership, and the coming wave of agentic systems? In this powerful year end roundtable, the Around The Horn panel returns for its third annual state of the industry conversation, featuring Mike Marks, Ian Heller, Dirk Beveridge, Paul Kennedy, Tom Burton, and Kevin Brown. What You Will Learn: Why AI is moving from experimen...

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84:24

The Great Inventory Slowdown: What Distributors Must...

Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution Podcast ·

2025/12/19

What happens when economic volatility, tariff pressure, AI disruption, and shifting distributor behavior all collide in the same quarter? In this episode, Kevin and Tom unpack a whirlwind week inside wholesale distribution, revealing how new data, emerging AI workflows, and tariff rulings are reshaping strategy across the channel. Listeners gain a front-row view into the real conversations shaping 2025: revenue headwinds, inventory tightening, economic softening, distributor risk posture, an...

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96:28

Mike Hockett on Planning Through Uncertainty and...

Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution Podcast ·

2025/12/14

What happens to wholesale distribution when tariffs rise, interest rates stay high, and customers expect more with less friction? In this episode of Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution from LeadSmart Channel Cloud, Kevin Brown and Tom Burton sit down with Modern Distribution Management editor and market analyst Mike Hockett to unpack the data behind the headlines and what it means for revenue leaders in distribution. You will hear a practical, numbers-driven outlook for 2025...

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84:42

The Future of Industrial Leadership in an AI Economy

Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution Podcast ·

2025/12/05

Can AI, robotics, and self‑driving technology change the distribution landscape faster than the economy can adapt? In this episode, hosts Kevin Brown and Tom Burton explore the intersection of economic volatility, AI innovation, and leadership adaptation. From robots vs. self‑driving cars to tariff strategy and monetary policy, they unpack the signals distributors should watch and the human‑centric mindset required to thrive amid transformation. What You’ll Learn: The race between humanoid ...

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93:56

Agentic Commerce and Contextual Intelligence for...

Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution Podcast ·

2025/11/21

What does it take to navigate tariffs, rate cuts, and AI disruption all at once? Hosts Kevin Brown and Tom Burton break down the week’s headlines that matter most to manufacturers and distributors, from the U.S. government shutdown and Fed policy to the emerging reality of AI‑driven decision‑making and agentic commerce. Discover why contextual intelligence is now a core leadership skill and how data strategy can turn economic uncertainty into competitive advantage.  What You’ll Learn: Why ...

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82:45

How Distributors Stay Profitable in An Era of...

Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution Podcast ·

2025/11/14

What happens when tariffs, rate cuts, and AI forecasting collide in the world of wholesale distribution? In this episode, Kevin Brown and Tom Burton break down the latest economic, technological, and policy shifts affecting distributors and manufacturers. From the longest U.S. government shutdown in history to the Supreme Court’s pending tariff ruling, they unpack what these changes mean for margins, pricing, and the role of AI-driven customer intelligence in building resilient distribution ...

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90:03

More Rate Cuts, More Robots, More AI: What...

Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution Podcast ·

2025/11/07

What do rate cuts, tariffs, and the rise of agentic AI mean for the future of wholesale distribution? In this episode, Kevin Brown and Tom Burton dissect the week’s biggest economic shifts, from the Federal Reserve’s policy moves to AI’s rapid integration across manufacturing, logistics, and B2B commerce. Learn how forward-thinking distributors are preparing for 2026, where automation meets leadership and contextual intelligence defines competitive advantage. What You’ll Learn: Why AI liter...

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88:53

The Leadership Edge: How Agentic Commerce Will Shape...

Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution Podcast ·

2025/10/31

What happens when two industry veterans break down the biggest stories shaping wholesale distribution, AI adoption, and the global economy, live and unfiltered? In this episode, Kevin Brown and Tom Burton analyze everything from Fed rate cuts and tariffs to the rise of AI-driven commerce and the evolving role of leadership in an age of automation. Through their signature mix of insight and humor, they explore how distributors can stay resilient, data-smart, and human-centered amid rapid tech...

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98:24

Brendan Breen of The ISA on AI, Adaptability, & The...

Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution Podcast ·

2025/10/24

What does the future of leadership look like in the distribution industry? In this special episode, Kevin Brown and Tom Burton sit down with Brendan Breen, President of the Industrial Supply Association (ISA), to explore how leadership transformation, AI adoption, and workforce evolution are redefining what it means to run a modern distribution business. From data-driven decision-making to generational shifts in workplace expectations, this episode unpacks the trends shaping the next decade...

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86:56

What Is AEO And Why Is It Redefining B2B Marketing?

Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution Podcast ·

2025/10/17

Here’s (more than) a hint: it’s AI Engine Optimization. And right now, it could be even more important than SEO for B2B visibility. In this episode, Kevin Brown and Tom Burton unpack the latest economic shifts, from the government shutdown’s ripple effects to the rise of AI-driven commerce, and how they’re transforming manufacturing, logistics, and customer engagement. Learn why context engineering and AI-enabled CRM platforms are redefining the way distributors compete and connect in 2025. ...

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81:16

How Does the Government Shutdown Affect the Q4...

Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution Podcast ·

2025/10/03

What happens when a government shutdown, interest rate cuts, and AI-driven commerce collide with the future of wholesale distribution? In this week’s Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution, Kevin Brown and Tom Burton unpack the headlines that matter: the Fed’s next move, tariff resilience, and how AI-enabled platforms like LeadSmart Channel Cloud™ are reframing CRM as a growth engine. You’ll also hear why AI Engine Optimization (AEO) is quickly replacing SEO, and what it means for distribu...

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84:07

Economic Signals for Distributors: GDP, Fed Cuts, and...

Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution Podcast ·

2025/09/26

What do tariffs, Fed rate cuts, and AI-driven search mean for the future of wholesale distribution? In this milestone episode of Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution, Kevin Brown and Tom Burton break down the latest updates on GDP growth, jobless claims, and U.S.–China tariffs, while exploring how AI Engine Optimization (AEO), digital payments, and LeadSmart Channel Cloud™ are rewriting the rules for distributors and manufacturers. What You’ll Learn: Why the latest GDP and job data sign...

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80:59

So The Fed Cut Rates. Will That Help The Supply Chain...

Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution Podcast ·

2025/09/19

Is the Fed too late to cut rates—and what does it mean for distributors? In this episode of Around The Horn in Wholesale Distribution, hosts Kevin Brown and Tom Burton unpack the week’s economic headlines and explore how interest rate cuts, tariffs, and global supply chain volatility are reshaping the manufacturing and wholesale distribution landscape. From AI-driven sales playbooks to the hidden risks in employment data, Kevin and Tom reveal the trends that matter most for distributors, manu...

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92:00

Jobs Reports, Tariff Rulings, and the Future of...

Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution Podcast ·

2025/09/05

What happens when AI adoption, tariffs, and interest rate cuts collide with the future of wholesale distribution? In this lively episode of Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution, Kevin Brown and Tom Burton tackle the jobs report, the Supreme Court’s tariff ruling, and why AI regulation needs a federal playbook, not 50 state ones. You’ll learn how LeadSmart Channel Cloud™ is cracking the code on CRM adoption, why decentralized data may surface economic truth faster than the Fed, and what e...

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89:12

Why Over 90% of AI Pilots Fail, and What Wholesale...

Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution Podcast ·

2025/08/29

What do college football, tariffs, and AI pilots gone wrong have in common? In this week’s Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution, Kevin Brown and Tom Burton connect cultural trends, economic contradictions, and digital transformation in wholesale distribution. From the E³ Model (Experience, Efficiency, Effectiveness) to LeadSmart Channel Cloud™ and the failure rate of corporate AI pilots, this episode explores why distributors must move from siloed data to customer intelligence platforms ...

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92:59

How To Future-Proof Wholesale Distribution: Fed...

Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution Podcast ·

2025/08/22

What happens when AI-driven workflows, tariff pressures, and shifting B2B buyer expectations collide? In this episode of Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution, Kevin Brown and Tom Burton explore the trends redefining distribution: from AI co-pilots for sales and customer intelligence platforms to Fed rate cuts, tariff extensions, and the rise of Millennial and Gen Z buyers. You’ll learn why reframing CRM as a Customer Enablement Tool is critical, and how distributors can prepare for agent...

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144 results

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