Core values that feel obscure turn into core actions that live in the fabric of a company. Host Kyler Nixon sits down with NataLee Allen, Visionary and CEO at ClearBags, to walk through a practical shift from five words to 26 behaviors that repeat every week. NataLee shares how she stepped into leadership after 2019 without the “everything falls on me” fear because the business runs with a great team. She explains how EOS helped redefine values, why “enjoy your life” made the list, and how a core action message plus employee videos unify teammates across three states. The conversation moves to tariffs, inventory moves, a long letter to customers, and a transparent approach to pricing. It wraps with a new Head of AI, a plan to meet every employee, HR chat bots built from the handbook, and AI as a partner that can lift productivity by 30 percent.

NataLee Allen is the Visionary and CEO at ClearBags. She stepped into the role in 2019 after learning that a business is only as good as their team. With EOS in place, she led a companywide shift from five core values to 26 core actions, including her father’s motto, enjoy your life. She champions weekly core action messages with employee videos across three states. NataLee recently designated a Head of AI to help every employee use AI as a partner, including an HR chat bot built from the employee handbook.

• Redefining core values with EOS by asking, what are they, not what should they be
• Turning five values into 26 core actions, including enjoy your life
• Core action of the week emails, employee video shares, and unifying teams in three states
• Hands off leadership made possible by a great team and shared accountability
• Preparing for tariffs with extra inventory, vendor options across 10 countries, and transparent pricing communication
• Writing a long letter to customers and using email as a personal, relational channel
• Designating a Head of AI to meet every employee and increase productivity with AI as a partner
• Building an HR chat bot from the employee handbook and using projects in chat to speed collaboration

• EOS, the entrepreneurial operating system
• Gino Wickman
• A letter to customers via email
• Employee handbook chat bot
• “chat, GBT, just five just came out”

Explaining B2B to someone who only knows consumer brands can feel like a challenge. Kyler Nixon sits down with Marta Dalton, VP of Customer Growth and Data at PetSafe Brands, to explore the core differences between B2B and B2C eCommerce and where they overlap.

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Marta shares how pricing, catalogs, checkout, and delivery look completely different in the B2B world and why customer-specific journeys matter so much. She explains why Invisible Fence operates like a B2B despite being a consumer-facing brand, and how she balances the emotional pull of consumer marketing with the financial and operational focus of B2B.

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From podcasts and print mail to re-engagement cycles and referrals, Marta outlines the channels, data strategies, and retention frameworks shaping growth today. This conversation highlights how distributors can move beyond spray-and-pray marketing toward precise, data-driven approaches that strengthen relationships and increase customer lifetime value.

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Marta Dalton is VP of Customer Growth and Data at PetSafe Brands. With a career that includes leadership roles at Unilever and Coca-Cola, Marta brings deep expertise in global eCommerce, data analytics, digital marketing, and customer experience. At PetSafe Brands, she focuses on building strategies that keep pets happy, healthy, and safe while driving customer growth across both B2B and B2C channels.

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• The distinct differences in products, pricing, checkout, and delivery between B2B and B2C
• Why Invisible Fence functions like a B2B despite being a consumer brand
• The “big B vs little b” concept and how business size affects buying behaviors
• How emotions drive consumer purchasing while logic and business needs shape B2B decisions
• Channels fueling growth marketing today, from podcasts to local events and print mail
• Why timing and targeting are critical to effective email and print campaigns
• How referrals outperform branding as a growth strategy in B2B
• The role of adoption and re-engagement in retention and lifetime value
• Using frequency data and missed buy cycles to prevent customer churn

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• PetSafe Brands
• Invisible Fence
• Marta Dalton on LinkedIn
• Kyler Nixon on LinkedIn

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👉 Ready to grow your distribution business with smarter marketing? Learn how Forward Studios helps B2B distributors drive demand through email and digital strategies.

In this episode of Darn Good Distributors, host Kyler Nixon sits down with Gilbert Welsford Jr., the CEO of ValveMan.com, to explore how a third-generation valve expert is reshaping the way an entire industry thinks about marketing, sales, and customer experience.

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Gil shares how he’s leveraged LinkedIn, podcasting, and thought leadership to build brand authority in a $22B industry that has historically lacked visible thought leaders. From embracing storytelling to creating an omnichannel customer experience, Gil explains why he’s in it for the long haul—building a business not just for today, but for the next generation.

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What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why LinkedIn and thought leadership are undervalued tools for B2B distributors.
• How to “just start” building a content presence without overthinking it.
• The shift from an e-commerce business with relationships to a distribution business powered by e-commerce.
• Why customer experience in B2B needs to match (or beat) the best consumer brands.
• How legacy, family business, and faith shape Gil’s long-term vision.
• The evolution of customer service from order-takers to technical experts.

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👉 Connect with Gilbert Welsford Jr.

👉 Learn more at ValveMan.com

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🎙️ This show is brought to you by Forward Studios — helping distributors build brand, create content, and grow through storytelling.

Welcome to Darn Good Distributors, the podcast for B2B eCommerce professionals who want to hear what’s really working in distribution today.

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Each week, host Kyler Nixon sits down with CEOs, marketers, and operators who are driving real results and redefining success. These are the stories, lessons, and strategies you won’t get from consultants—just boots-on-the-ground insights from leaders in the trenches.

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Whether you're scaling your team or trying to keep up with a fast-changing market, this show will give you the clarity and confidence to move forward.