Small businesses are said to be the heart of our communities. They are what laid the groundwork for the kind of massive success now seen by the likes of companies such as Amazon and Walmart. Yet, today, many small businesses are waning under their shadow and continuing to struggle in order to stay relevant, growing, and successful amongst these gia…

According to research by Fortune Business Insights, the furniture market size in the US will reach an estimated value of 130 billion dollars by 2032. What is it about the industry that drives this kind of demand? How does a successful furniture designer and distributor like Zuo Mod weigh in on the market, or the manufacturing? How do they approach …

Joining us in this week’s episode, Nishit Asnani, the Co-Founder of Sybill, a Generative AI tool that takes sales calls to the next level, sits down to talk about what it takes to build AI software and where it’s all headed. As one of the inspiring leaders behind the innovative business, Nishit brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the con…

In this special Chicago episode of the Driven by DCKAP podcast, our host Karthik Chidambaram, Founder and CEO of DCKAP, has the opportunity to sit down and speak with Mark Brohan, Senior Vice President of B2B and Market Research at Digital Commerce 360. Originally founded as Internet Retailer, Digital Commerce 360 is an industry pioneer and global …

Tom Gale, MDM’s lead researcher and industry analyst for more than 25 years on independent distribution channel trends, consolidation, technology and competitive landscape, and the current CEO of MDM, is our guest this week. He joins host, Karthik Chidambaram, CEO of DCKAP, on this special Chicago episode of the Driven by DCKAP podcast to discuss t…

In this episode of the Driven by DCKAP podcast, Jim Hansen, the Chief Product Officer at Advantive, joins Karthik Chidambaram, CEO of DCKAP, to discuss all the ins and outs of successful product management, including when to know a product works and when it doesn’t, the right things to do and the right things not to do, how to ensure you’re providi…

Brian Gardner, the Founder of SalesProcess360, joins our host Karthik Chidambaram, Founder and CEO of DCKAP, on the latest episode of the Driven by DCKAP podcast to discuss the importance of customer relationship management, why it’s often a misunderstood or neglected system for the sales process, and how to get more ROI from CRM. From their conver…

On this very special episode of the Driven by DCKAP podcast, Karthik visits the Kundinger Fluid Power distribution facility in Neenah, Wisconsin. There he takes a tour of their facilities while speaking with Paul Kundinger, a third generation entrepreneur who took over the Wisconsin business as President and currently co-runs operations of the comp…

On this episode of the Driven by DCKAP podcast, Karthik sits down with Brad Feakes, President of EstesGroup - a leader in combining Private Cloud, Hybrid Cloud, and Managed IT solutions with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). Brad has more than 25 years of experience in manufacturing, construction management, supply chain, and ERP systems, and in …

This week on the Driven by DCKAP podcast, we’re joined by Clint Oram - Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at SugarCRM. He sits down with our host, Karthik Chidambaram, to discuss the significance of CRM systems, how to increase sales, the effectiveness of data analysis, how emerging technologies will impact the future, and more. Clint has over 2…

Joining the Driven by DCKAP podcast this week is Frank Heenan - Group Vice President, Distribution and LBM at Epicor - to talk about the evolution of ERP systems, the importance of using tools like this to their full extent to grow your business, the role of AI within distribution, some of the best strategies to ensure success, how to best execute …

On this extra special episode of the Driven by DCKAP podcast, our host Karthik Chidambaram sits down with Robert C. Wolcott - Co-Founder of TWIN Global, adjunct professor and esteemed author - to discuss his latest book, “Proximity: How Coming Breakthroughs in Just-in-Time Transform Business, Society, and Daily Life” which explores the radical shif…

On this episode of the Driven by DCKAP podcast, Derrick Murdock, CEO at IPS Packaging joins our host, Karthik Chidambaram, to discuss their strategy in distribution, why it’s important to hire and support veterans, why veterans make amazing employees, how innovation in B2B marketing leads to even greater success, and more. IPS Packaging & Automatio…

Anne Vranicic, the President of Valin Corporation, joins the Driven by DCKAP podcast this week to speak with Karthik Chidambaram about her 22 year journey with Valin, what she’s learned during her time at the company, how the company navigated the dot com crisis, their strategy with mergers and acquisitions over the years, what they’re doing to sta…

In the latest episode of the Driven by DCKAP podcast, Karthik speaks with Scott Sinning, the Founder and CEO of Pricing for Distributors. Scott was formerly the VP of Pricing Strategy at Graybar Electric, has over 30 years of experience working in wholesale distribution, and he is a frequent speaker and writer on distributor industry pricing topics…

With its ability to analyze vast amounts of data and identify important trends and patterns, to allow the most informed decisions and personalize the customer experience, artificial intelligence has the potential to transform the entire B2B sales process, making it more efficient and effective, leading to increased sales and profits. Innovation gre…

In the latest episode of Driven by DCKAP, Karthik is joined by Mark Dancer, CEO at Network for Business Innovation and a distinguished NAW Fellow. They discuss Mark’s background, including his influence through Mark Dancer on Flourishing Business, his partnership with NAW, his vision for Innovate to Dominate, the process of writing, how to gain inf…

In this episode of Driven by DCKAP, Karthik Chidambaram speaks candidly with Muliadi Jeo, Chief Technology Officer at Sirclo, to find out more about his decades long journey in eCommerce, his motivations, and what drives him to succeed. During their conversation, we learn more about Muliadi’s career journey, building a successful business, the e-co…

Success is the main objective for many business owners, careers climbers, and even in our personal lives. But what does strategizing for success in business look like? What is the purpose of having a well defined strategy, and why do we need it? In this episode of Driven by DCKAP, Karthik Chidambaram, Founder & CEO of DCKAP, sits down with Ian Hell…

This week, our special guests open up about the sometimes difficult to navigate dynamics of running a family business in the distribution industry. While so many companies are going through mergers and acquisitions, as new generations move away from the traditional takeover of the business, some companies like Spruce Industries are doubling down, a…

In this episode of Driven by DCKAP, we’re excited to have Brendan Breen, the CEO of ISA (Industrial Supply Association) as our guest, where we learn about his in-depth experience and dedication to educating and supporting the industrial distribution industry. Karthik Chidambaram, Founder & CEO of DCKAP, speaks one on one with Brendan about his work…

In the 2024 premiere episode of the Driven by DCKAP podcast, we welcome a very special guest – Tammy Miller, the Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota. With a well established background as a highly successful leader in the distribution industry, having been the CEO of the sixth-largest electrical distributor in the US, Border States, Tammy has carve…

For the last episode of the year, we turn back time to review the 2023 season of the Driven by DCKAP podcast. We’ve had some great conversations with amazing guests that we’ve been privileged to share with our followers, and we’re honored to have had them all on the show to share their experiences and expertise. In this special episode, Karthik Chi…

In this episode, we review “Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World” by Cal Newport. In this book, Newport argues that those who perform ‘deep work’ are more productive and are able to produce more efficiently than those who do not. In a distracted world, those who are able to resist distraction and work with the right amount of …

The special guest in this episode is known for the art of speaking and storytelling, being a highly sought after public speaker and having hosted dozens of in depth discussions through his traveling platform, We Supply America. As a well-known figure in the distribution world, an entrepreneur, researcher, author, and the Founder of UnleashedWD, Dir…

In this new series on the Driven by DCKAP podcast, we turn the spotlight on the books that have inspired us, as well as undoubtedly thousands of readers, many of which have come up during past interviews with guests here on this podcast. Each month, Founder & CEO of DCKAP and the host of the Driven podcast, Karthik Chidambaram, will highlight an im…

In this episode, our guest Mark Lavelle joins Karthik Chidambaram for a conversation that spans a wide breadth of the e-commerce world, as they dive deep into Mark’s background and break down the formation of his successful leadership style, the challenges Magento faced when Mark first came on board as CEO, and the question of its sustained signifi…

In his previous life, Roy Rubin co-founded and held the reins as CEO of Magento, a globally successful open source ecommerce platform that skyrocketed and soared across the world from its inception to its ultimate acquisition by the tech giant, Adobe. In his recent conversation with Karthik Chidambaram, Founder and CEO of DCKAP, we learn all about …

The National Association of Wholesaler Distributors (NAW) is a top American trade association that represents dynamic companies in the wholesale distribution industry. In this compelling conversation, President & CEO of NAW, Eric Hoplin, sits down with the Founder & CEO of DCKAP, Karthik Chidambaram, to discuss his role in leadership and how exactl…

On this episode of Driven, our very special guest knows what it takes to drive success, having led their company to becoming the 2023 Top Rated Ecommerce Platform. Brent Bellm, CEO of BigCommerce, joins the Founder & CEO of DCKAP, Karthik Chidambaram, for a fascinating deep dive into what it takes to compete, lead, and succeed in the often saturate…

This episode of the DRIVEN Podcast features great insights into the National Association of Electronic Distribution: an over hundred-year effort towards the continued success of the industry. Hear from Edward Orlet, Interim CEO, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs & Strategic Projects, and Satya Sanivarapu, Technology Director, Digital Dist…

Kevin Kalish is the Vice President of Business Development at Sunrise Electric Supply. With a strong background in data-driven software development, he oversees sales management and digital solutions that help support their customers in electrical distribution. In this insightful interview with Karthik Chidambaram, Founder & CEO of DCKAP, Kevin tal…

Kicking off the new season of Driven is our special guest, Lisa Pope, President at Epicor, to join us for a deep dive into her career and the focus and strategy that drives her success. Before her role at Epicor, Lisa’s impressive background also included holding strategic leadership roles at Infor, QAD, and Oracle, driving growth and the shift to …

Matt Johnson is the Marketing Manager & IT Admin at Jendco Safety, and he recently sat down with DCKAP’s Founder and CEO, Karthik Chidambaram, for a conversation that spans the inception of the company itself, up to their most recent digital transformation to amplify their online sales through integration with Cloras and the 3M Marketplace. From th…

Chris Brackett is the Vice President of Operations & General Manager at C.W. Hayden, and he recently sat down with DCKAP’s Founder and CEO, Karthik Chidambaram. Their conversation spans through the incredible journey Chris has had within the company, into the mindset they hold on early adoption of technology, their most recent integration with Clor…

Danny Silverman is the Vice President of Strategy and Innovation at Maintex, and he recently sat down with DCKAP’s Founder and CEO, Karthik Chidambaram, for a conversation that goes back over the history of the company itself, up into their most recent use of software and technology to amplify their online sales through integration with Cloras and …

Erin Griffin is the V.P. of Marketing & Communications at Riddell, and she recently sat down with DCKAP’s Founder and CEO, Karthik Chidambaram, for a conversation that touches upon the history of the company and their most recent evolution into the world of online sales through digital transformation. From the importance of women in sports and lead…

Videos are the future.While sending emails after every new signup will help increase the customer engagement, do you know converting that to a personalized video will increase it by 2x?A personalized video can be triggered for any customer relationship...Von Matthew Barnett

Building an eCommerce business from scratch is always a great experience to have in your lifetime.Starting from the manufacturing and distribution of the product to getting that to the actual customer, you will enjoy every phase of your customer...Von Danielle Trombetta

Marketing was simply all about bringing in leads - MQL, a couple of years ago.But things have tremendously changed, marketing is not just about leads. It is even not even about building the pipeline or revenue generation, Marketing is something more...Von Nemanja Zivkovic

Tony Guarnaccia grew up in a small business.With a passion for marketing, he found the company “Big Fish Results” in a mission to Democratize Marketing.His experience includes a $400 million ad spends on Google and working with companies like Ford, ADP,...Von Tony Guarnaccia

Don’t bring the consumers to your place, instead go visit the channels where your consumers are. That’s where the power of marketing comes in.Conversational marketing is a way of how you initiate those conversations and create a rapport with your...Von Stephen Carl

Moody Price based out of Baton Rouge, LA is one of the largest providers of instrumentation & high-pressure products in the United States. With over $6 million of inventory, Moody Price offers on-site inventory management trailers that can be...Von Kendal Ducote

Distributors can’t simply carry on with their day-to-day operations like how they were doing a decade ago. Every distributor is digitally evolving and we have to focus both on the business and operations side of things. Digital transformation is...Von Ryan Van Hoozer

I had a chance to moderate a panel discussion this week with some interesting people in the B2B space. Hope you will learn too.Panelists on this session:Ryan Van Hoozer, VP of Operations, Marysville Marine OperationsKenn Glenn, Marketing Director,...Von Shiva Kumaar

Magento Masters Virtual Series is a bi-weekly event from DCKAP. This past week we wrapped up the season 1 with an interesting guest in the Magento community.I had a great conversation with Ben Marks, Magento Evangelist at Adobe and we discussed:How are...Von Ben Marks

Not very often you see companies investing in a customer experience team. But, more than anything else, if you’re looking for exponential growth this is where you should begin first.But like all of you, I do have this question, where to begin and what...Von Dave Fish

Inventory sharing is a solution that helps you to collaborate with manufacturers and wholesale distributors to solve one of the biggest pain points in B2B Distribution - Inventory management.By partnering with the inventory sharing communities you can...Von Mark Tomalonis

Alan Kent is an eCommerce Developer Advocate at Google. He is been with Google for the past 2 years and his previous roles include VP of Architecture at Magento and VP of Search Engine Engineering at eBay.This is Part 2 of the episode where I sat down...Von Alan Kent

The Google Merchant Center is one place where your eCommerce businesses can manage their Google eCommerce products’ appearance and update the listings. The main purpose is to manage the product information you want your visitors to see on the Google...Von Alan Kent