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 macroeconomic shifts to real operational decisions that impact growth, security, and profitability across the wholesale supply chain.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why economic uncertainty, not inflation alone, is the dominant concern for executives heading into 2026
• How tariffs, executive authority, and Supreme Court timing could reshape trade policy without dramatic disruption
• Where “trapped potential” hides inside distributor margin, pricing discipline, and product mix
• Why AI agents are changing how B2B buyers research, evaluate, and eventually purchase
• How cybersecurity threats now target supply chain ecosystems, not just individual companies

Episode Highlights:

• 03:10 – Why economic uncertainty matters more than headline inflation numbers
• 09:25 – Manufacturing signals, demand hesitation, and planning in the “gray zone” economy
• 16:40 – Tariffs, executive authority, and why the Supreme Court is likely to rule narrowly
• 26:05 – How distributors can uncover “trapped potential” through margin and pricing discipline
• 36:30 – AI-generated content vs real value creation in B2B marketing
• 46:15 – Agentic AI and how machine-to-machine buying is changing sales discovery
• 56:40 – Cybersecurity risk across distributors, vendors, and shared digital ecosystems

Tools, Frameworks, and Concepts Mentioned

• AI-enabled Customer Intelligence and Smart CRM platforms
• Agentic AI and multi-agent workflows
• Trapped potential and organic revenue growth
• Pricing discipline and margin visibility
• SOC 2 compliance and supply chain cybersecurity
• ERP, CRM, and data silo integration

Closing Insight:

Economic cycles come and go, but clarity comes from understanding where risk, margin, and opportunity actually live inside your business. The distributors who win next will not wait for certainty, they’ll build systems that adapt faster than change itself.

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/

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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 conversation connects the dots between strategy, technology, and what distributors must do next to stay competitive.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why artificial intelligence is shifting from pilot projects to a core executive strategy in wholesale distribution
• How anti fragile leadership differs from resilience and why it matters in volatile economic cycles
• What “marketing to machines” means as AI replaces traditional search and attribution models
• How tariffs, interest rates, and global trade dynamics are influencing distributor growth strategies
• Why humanoid robotics and physical AI may disrupt warehouse and entry level roles faster than expected

Episode Highlights:

• 04:52 – Why AI must move from IT experiments to executive level strategy
• 14:08 – Anti fragile leadership versus resilience in volatile markets
• 25:41 – Tariffs, trade policy, and what distributors often misunderstand about global economics
• 38:19 – What “marketing to machines” means as AI replaces traditional buyer research
• 51:06 – Amazon’s physical retail expansion and signals for B2B distribution
• 1:03:22 – When account managers create friction instead of customer value
• 1:18:40 – How humanoid robotics and physical AI could reshape warehouses and labor
  
  

Meet the Hosts:

Kevin Brown and Tom Burton are lifelong friends and industry veterans who analyze the forces shaping wholesale distribution and manufacturing each week. As leaders at LeadSmart Technologies, they bring real world operator insight into AI, customer intelligence, sales strategy, and digital transformation.

Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned:

• AI orchestration and agentic systems
• Anti fragile leadership mindset
• Human centered culture as a competitive moat
• Marketing to machines and algorithm driven discovery
• Revenue Expander and white space identification in sales
• Physical AI and humanoid robotics in distribution operations

Closing Insight:

“The companies that win won’t just adapt to disruption. They’ll use it to grow stronger.”

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.

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 experimentation to strategy and what this means for distributors in 2026
• How human centered leadership and people centric cultures are becoming competitive advantages
• Why the distributor divide is widening and how early adopters are achieving measurable gains
• How agentic systems, digital orchestration, and physical AI will reshape operations
• Leadership insights on trust, empowerment, anti fragility, and preparing teams for the next decade

Episode Highlights:

• 03:14 The panel opens year three of the annual roundtable and explains why 2025 was a turning point
• 17:22 Mike Marks breaks down what he is seeing in AI orchestration and contractor tech adoption
• 31:40 Ian Heller explains why proximity and fulfillment speed are becoming competitive battlegrounds
• 46:55 Dirk Beveridge challenges the industry to move from resilience to true anti fragility
• 58:14 Paul Kennedy shares how ESOP leadership shapes digital adoption and trust
• 01:12:09 The group debates agentic AI, workforce displacement, and the future of work
• 01:33:42 Final predictions for 2026 and what will separate the distributors who thrive from those who drift

Meet the Guests:

Mike Marks
Founding Partner at Indian River Consulting Group and one of the most respected strategists in modern distribution.

Ian Heller
Co Founder of Distribution Strategy Group, leading thinker on AI, data, and competitive disruption in the industry.

Dirk Beveridge
Founder of the Fully Alive Movement, champion of people centered leadership and the human side of distribution.

Paul Kennedy
President and CEO of DSG, ESOP leader, and current chair of the National Association of Electrical Distributors.

Tools, Frameworks, and Strategies Mentioned:

• AI Orchestration Models
• Agentic AI Systems
• Customer Intelligence Platforms
• Order Automation
• Anti Fragility Leadership Framework
• Digital Centers of Excellence
• ESOP Driven Workforce Models

Closing Insight:

“Thriving companies are built by thriving individuals. Not the other way around.”

This roundtable makes one message clear: AI may accelerate performance, but people will determine the future. How leaders shape culture, trust, empower teams, and integrate technology will define the next decade in distribution.

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.