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, manufacturers, and independent sales agencies navigating digital transformation.

What You’ll Learn:

• Economic Risk Signals – Why the Fed’s quarter-point rate cut may not be enough to counter labor market headwinds or supply chain slowdowns.
• AI Adoption in Distribution – How smart CRM platforms and industry-specific AI agents are transforming sales enablement and customer intelligence.
• Tariff Strategy & USMCA – How Canada and Mexico are positioning ahead of 2025 trade renegotiations and what that means for North American distributors.
• Future of B2B Buying – Why millennial buyers are shifting to app-based e-commerce and conversational AI instead of traditional catalogs.
• Sales Playbooks that Work – How AI-powered, buyer-centric playbooks outperform static sales scripts in today’s digitally mature market.

Episode Highlights:

• 03:22 – Fed rate cuts and why lagging indicators may lead to late action
• 11:48 – Labor market trends and the rise of “bandwagon layoffs”
• 21:35 – Tariff uncertainty and how distributors are rewriting supplier contracts
• 34:57 – Global Supply Chain Volatility Index: what a negative reading signals for Q4
• 48:29 – How Reddit, Wikipedia, and Amazon shape AI model training data
• 58:12 – AI-driven e-commerce: the shift from website traffic to mobile buying apps
• 01:09:46 – Building dynamic, AI-powered sales playbooks that meet the modern buyer
• 01:21:30 – Why top talent quits when career growth stalls—and how leaders can respond

Meet the Hosts:

Kevin Brown and Tom Burton are lifelong friends, seasoned entrepreneurs, and co-founders of LeadSmart Technologies, the AI-enabled CRM and customer intelligence platform built exclusively for wholesale distribution and manufacturing.

Tools, Frameworks & Strategies Mentioned:

• LeadSmart AI-Enabled Customer Intelligence Platform – A smart CRM built for distributors and manufacturers.
• Global Supply Chain Volatility Index (GEP/S&P) – A new indicator tracking global supply chain stress.
• AI Sales Playbook Model – Dynamic, signal-based playbooks for B2B sales teams.

Closing Insight:

“Today’s layoffs aren’t always about a weak eco

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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 ethical AI frameworks mean for hiring and sales.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why CRM adoption fails, and how LeadSmart Channel Cloud™ is reframing it as a Customer Enablement Tool
• How decentralized markets like Polymarket highlight flaws in outdated economic data models
• Why the Supreme Court tariff decision could trigger refunds, reboot negotiations, or reinforce continuity
• How state-by-state AI laws risk creating chaos, and why federal AI policy is the only scalable solution
• Why businesses need AI ethics and HR policies before innovation turns into liability

Episode Highlights:

• 04:05 – Moonwalking office chairs, beach fog, and 157 weeks of distribution insights
• 12:20 – Why CRM adoption stalls, and how to build a system for willing adoption
• 23:42 – Jobs report shock: only 22,000 new jobs and what it signals for the Fed
• 35:18 – Polymarket vs. the Fed: can decentralized prediction markets beat outdated models?
• 47:02 – Tariff ruling chaos: Emergency Powers Act, refunds, and six statutory alternatives
• 59:15 – Why state-level AI laws could stifle innovation and confuse distributors
• 01:12:40 – AI in hiring: keyword-stuffed resumes, ethics policies, and the new HR reality
• 01:25:33 – Closing reflections: community, leadership, and why balanced trade matters

Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned:

• LeadSmart Channel Cloud™ – AI-enabled CRM + customer intelligence platform
• AI Co-Pilot for Sales – embedding intelligence into daily sales activity
• Polymarket – decentralized prediction market surfacing sentiment
• E³ Model – Experience, Efficiency, Effectiveness as leadership priorities
• AI Ethics Policies – workplace guidelines for safe, compliant AI adoption

Closing Insight:

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.

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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 that drive real growth.

What You’ll Learn

• Why redefining CRM as a Customer Enablement Tool changes adoption and ROI
• How tariff extensions and Liberation Day shifts affect supply chain planning
• Why most AI pilot projects fail, and how to avoid repeating their mistakes
• How the hidden buyer phenomenon is reshaping B2B purchasing decisions
• Why customer experience investment will be the biggest trend in 2026

Episode Highlights:

• 03:55 – College football, NIL money, and how it parallels short-term vs. long-term strategy in distribution
• 12:40 – LeadSmart Channel Cloud™ and why CRM reimagined means measurable outcomes
• 22:05 – Breaking down GDP growth: why a 3.3% headline hides real 1.6% growth
• 31:48 – Tariffs beyond China: Liberation Day shocks for Southeast Asia supply chains
• 42:15 – The E³ Model: Experience, Efficiency, and Effectiveness as the new playbook
• 53:02 – Why 95% of AI pilots fail and how to set success criteria
• 01:04:18 – Invisible influencers: the hidden buyers shaping B2B decisions
• 01:19:50 – Customer experience as the driver—not the byproduct—of transactions

Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned:

• LeadSmart Channel Cloud™ – AI-enabled CRM + customer intelligence platform
• GeniusFeed – AI-driven smart alerts for reps
• E³ Model – Experience, Efficiency, Effectiveness as growth pillars
• Agentic AI Workflows – AI-driven automation with expert oversight
• Hidden Revenue Detection – surfacing untapped opportunities in ERP/eCommerce data
  
  

Closing Insight:

“If you have siloed data, you have siloed AI. The winners will unify data to make supply chains resilient and future-proof.” – Kevin Brown

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.