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.

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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.”

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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.

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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, and how AI agents are redefining customer-facing operations.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why distributors are tightening inventory positions heading into 2025, and what “flat inventories” actually signal about downstream demand.
• How upcoming tariff rulings and active lawsuits (like Costco’s) may reshape pricing models, contract structures, and channel profitability.
• Why AI agents from Amazon, Salesforce, and emerging tools will transform inside sales, service platforms, counter operations, and multi-branch workflows.
• How economic signals, PCE, sentiment scores, personal spending, and Fed pacing, will shape capital planning into mid-2025.
• The competitive gap forming between distributors who unify data vs. those still operating silo-based systems.

Episode Highlights:

03:11 – Why this past holiday week felt like a 3-week sprint for operators and sales teams
10:44 – Breaking down the PCE report, sentiment data, and the Fed’s rate-cut trajectory
18:26 – Are mortgage rates returning to the “fours”? A practical take on borrowing costs
27:15 – Mohamed El-Erian’s latest economic lens and why 2 percent inflation may be the wrong benchmark
40:02 – Flat U.S. inventory levels and what that means for 2025 distributor demand
53:19 – Costco’s bold lawsuit over tariffs, and whether refunds to consumers are even logistically possible
01:05:12 – Why Amazon’s new AI agents increase competitive pressure on distributors
01:17:50 – The rise of blueprint-driven AI takeoff tools (Home Depot, Lowe’s, and the coming B2B wave)

Tools, Frameworks & Strategies Mentioned:

• AI Agents for Distribution Ops (Amazon Connect, Salesforce Agentforce)
• Data Unification for AI Readiness (LeadSmart Platform + Data Cloud methodology)
• Synthetic Data for forecasting and demand simulation
• B2B Digital Takeoff Systems used by contractors and enterprise distributors
• Tariff Litigation Modeling driven by channel economics

Closing Insight:

“AI isn’t replacing distributors, AI is replacing the distributors who refuse to modernize.”
This episode makes one message clear: the teams who unify their data, modernize their workflows, and embrace AI-assisted operations will define the next decade of competitive advantage.

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 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 that connects GDP forecasts, Fed policy, and tariff risk with real impacts on margins, inventory, and channel relationships. The conversation stays grounded in what wholesalers, manufacturers, and reps can control, and how to use planning, consultative commerce, and better pipeline visibility to future-proof distribution businesses through uncertainty.

What You Will Learn:

• Why November’s softer numbers do not necessarily signal a collapse, and how MDM thinks about “soft landing” versus “stall.”
• How tariffs, elections, and Fed policy are likely to affect pricing power, imports, and inventory strategy for wholesale distribution teams.
• Where distributors are still leaving money on the table because of weak forecasting, poor CRM adoption, and limited collaboration with suppliers and reps.
• How to connect market forecasts to practical decisions about hiring, territory coverage, and hybrid selling models.

Episode Highlights:

• 00:00 – Why this conversation matters now
  08:15 – Inside MDM’s latest distribution data
  18:40 – Are we heading toward a soft landing or a stall?
  30:10 – Tariffs, trade policy, and pricing pressure
  42:35 – Forecasting failures inside distribution organizations
  55:20 – Hybrid selling and channel conflict
  1:07:45 – Technology, CRM adoption, and operational readiness
  1:21:30 – M&A, succession planning, and consolidation signals
  1:33:10 – Practical priorities for the next 12 months
  

Meet the Guest:

Mike Hockett is an editor and market analyst with Modern Distribution Management (MDM) and the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors. He spends his time inside the data and conversations that shape the future of wholesale distribution, from sector forecasts and benchmarking to technology, talent, and channel strategy.

Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned:

• MDM’s annual distribution forecast and benchmark reporting.
• Practical approaches to collaborative planning and forecasting between manufacturers, reps, and distributors.
• CRM and pipeline practices that give revenue leaders in distribution a clearer “ground truth” for planning.

Leave a Review: Help us grow by sharing your thoughts on the show.

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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 robots and self‑driving cars, and what it reveals about AI adoption timelines.
• Why the Fed’s two‑percent inflation target may be outdated in a world of live data and instant analytics.
• How prediction markets like Polymarket are redefining economic forecasting.
• The impact of tariffs, trade policy, and rate cuts on wholesale pricing and investment.
• Why AI literacy, leadership calibration, and contextual intelligence are the new core skills for distribution executives.
  
  

Episode Highlights:

• 03:05 – Robots or self-driving cars first? Why Kevin now believes humanoid robots may reach mainstream use sooner than autonomous vehicles
• 17:28 – From flying cars to manual transmissions: How consumers balance nostalgia with rapid AI-enabled innovation
• 29:52 – Is the Fed working with outdated economic models? How real-time AI data could reshape monetary policy
• 44:40 – Government shutdown predictions: How Polymarket’s 27% odds reveal deeper insights about economic sentiment
• 57:55 – Tariff strategy clarified: Why “refund rumors” are misleading and why methodology matters more than politics
• 01:10:08 – Leadership evolution: AI fluency, contextual intelligence, and functional empathy as core executive skills for 2026
• 01:19:30 – Closing take: Why leaders who integrate AI intentionally, rather than reactively—will define the next decade of distribution

Tools & Frameworks Mentioned:

• LeadSmart Channel Cloud™ — AI‑enabled CRM and Customer Intelligence platform for manufacturers and distributors.
• Polymarket — decentralized prediction market for real‑time economic signals.
• Context Engineering & Agentic AI Workflows — aligning AI systems with business intent and human oversight.
• Functional Empathy Model — bridging automation and human judgment in leadership development.

Closing Insight:

“AI doesn’t replace relationships, it reinforces them by removing friction.” — 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/

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You can also hear the podcast and other excellent content on our YouTube Channel.

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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 the shutdown’s “fix” is really a delay until January 31, and how prediction markets like Polymarket quantify that risk 
• The truth about tariffs and refund rumors, and why smart pricing beats policy guesswork
• What the Fed’s next decision means for capital, lending, and distribution growth plans 
• How AI‑enabled CRM and customer intelligence platforms deliver clarity from chaos 
• Why leaders who blend economic awareness + data fluency will own the next decade of wholesale innovation 

Episode Highlights:

• 03 : 12 –  The shutdown “ends”… or does it? Budget reset and political realities behind the deal 
• 16 : 40 –  Prediction markets vs. traditional polls: how Polymarket nailed its forecast 
• 31 : 25 –  Rate‑cut drama: inside the Fed meeting math and the Burton Market prediction 
• 48 : 07 –  Tariff talk decoded, methodology matters more than headlines
• 01 : 03 : 14 – Refunds or fantasy? Legal complexity of tariff paybacks explained
• 01 : 14 : 58 –  AI and contextual intelligence: from theory to tool sets inside LeadSmart Channel Cloud™ 
• 01 : 28 : 47 –  Final takeaways, leadership, data literacy, and the new rules of economic resilience 

Meet the Hosts:

Kevin Brown and Tom Burton are co‑founders of LeadSmart Technologies, creators of LeadSmart Channel Cloud™, an AI‑enabled Customer Intelligence and Smart CRM platform purpose‑built for manufacturers and distributors. They bring decades of experience in distribution operations, software engineering, and data strategy to help leaders turn siloed information into growth insight.

Tools & Frameworks Mentioned:

• LeadSmart Channel Cloud™ — Unified AI CRM for distributors & manufacturers 
• Context Engineering — Aligning AI systems with business intent 
• Agentic Commerce — Autonomous AI workflows for B2B transactions 
• Prediction Markets (Polymarket) — Crowdsourced economic signal analysis 
• Customer Intelligence Framework — Transforming ERP and CRM data into actionable insight 

Closing Insight:

“AI doesn’t replace relationships, it reinforces them by removing friction.” — 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.

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You can also hear the podcast and other excellent content on our YouTube Channel.

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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 networks.

What You’ll Learn:

• How government shutdowns and rate changes create ripple effects across distribution
• The true meaning of a 17.9% average tariff rate, and why not everyone feels it equally
• Why tariff refunds could take years (or never happen at all)
• How AI-enabled CRM and contextual intelligence are helping distributors gain visibility into customers and pricing gaps
• What smart distributors are doing to balance efficiency, inventory, and profitability heading into 2026

Episode Highlights:

• 03:10 – The U.S. government shutdown “ends”… or just gets delayed until January 31
• 15:25 – How prediction markets like Polymarket are shaping economic forecasting
• 27:40 – The Fed’s next move: dissenters, inflation targets, and “The Burton Market”
• 43:05 – Tariff talk: why the Supreme Court ruling isn’t really about tariffs
• 55:18 – Mark Brohan’s article on the 17.9% effective tariff rate and what it means for distributors
• 01:07:34 – Why smaller distributors dependent on wholesalers face steeper challenges
• 01:16:55 – Final thoughts: AI, efficiency, and the future of pricing power

Meet the Hosts:

Kevin Brown and Tom Burton are co-founders of LeadSmart Technologies, creators of LeadSmart Channel Cloud™, the industry’s first AI-enabled Customer Intelligence and Smart CRM platform built exclusively for manufacturers and distributors.

Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned:

• LeadSmart Channel Cloud™ – Unified customer intelligence platform for distributors and manufacturers
• Polymarket – Decentralized prediction market for economic forecasting
• Yale Budget Lab Study – Analysis of U.S. tariff rates and macroeconomic effects
• Context Engineering – Aligning AI systems with business intent
• Customer Intelligence Framework – Turning siloed ERP, CRM, and eCommerce data into actionable insights
  
  

Closing Insight:

“AI doesn’t replace relationships, it reinforces them by removing friction.” — Kevin Brown

From tariff volatility to AI-driven opportunity, this episode explores how distributors can navigate uncertainty with smarter strategy, deeper data, and stronger customer connections.

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.

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