Thank You, Veterans.

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” --- President John F. Kennedy, 35th U.S. President

Good Sunday afternoon all and welcome to this edition, No. 102, of "With That Said" (WTS), an almost-weekly newsletter powered by your friends here at Supply Chain Now . Here in the United States, we celebrate Veterans Day on November 11th of every year. It is a day we set aside to honor and recognize all those individuals that have served in our country's Armed Forces. Given that Veterans Day is tomorrow, in this edition of WTS, we'd like to first say THANK YOU to all of those incredible individuals out there that have served in the military. Also, we'd like to highlight a few Veterans that have appeared on our long-running podcast series, Veteran Voices . Big thanks to U.S. Army veteran Mary Kate S. , who has hosted the last few seasons of the series, doing wonderful work (as always!). Let's check out just a few of the conversations from the series:

--- In episode 96 of Veteran Voices, James Hutchins , a Marine Corps veteran with over 30 years of service, joined us. Mary Kate & Jim discussed all sorts of things, including his lifelong passion for joining the Marine Corps, his diverse military roles, and his transition to civilian life. Jim offers valuable insights on the significance of service, the hurdles of transitioning, and the importance of mentorship. He also talks about his current role as a football coach and his ongoing dedication to making a positive impact. Listen or watch here .

--- Every Veteran Voices episode delves into the inspiring stories of individuals who have served their country and are now making a difference beyond the uniform, but few stories are as powerful and uplifting as that of John Wayne Walding . John Wayne lost his leg to a sniper during battle in the mountains of Afghanistan, only to continue fighting, becoming the first amputee to become a Green Beret Sniper, and later starting his own logistics company dedicated to overcoming and delivering on the impossible. In this episode, sponsored by Pegasus Logistics Group , host Mary Kate Soliva, along with special co-host Tevon E. Taylor with Pegasus, welcomes in John Wayne Walding, CEO and Founder of Gallantry Global Logistics. Listen in as John Wayne Walding shares his inspiring journey, taking us from a small Texas town to the frontlines of Afghanistan, where he faced overwhelming odds. Listen or watch here .

--- On episode 94, host Mary Kate Soliva welcomes Ralph Asher , a Marine Corps veteran and entrepreneur to the show. Asher shares his journey from active duty to the reserves, his transition into civilian life, and his current role as a business owner. Listen in as they discuss the importance of strategic planning and self-reliance, the resources available to veterans interested in starting their own businesses, and how much mentorship and support can make a difference in the journey. Listen or watch here .

--- Some barriers are harder to break than others – at least until the right person comes along. Vernice "FlyGirl" Armour had to fight to get into the Marine Corps, but once she got in, she was determined to rise to the top and seize every opportunity. Vernice is a retired United States Marine Corps Officer and holds the distinction of being the first Black female combat pilot in the U.S. military. She is also a bestselling author, an in-demand keynote speaker, a successful coach and entrepreneur, and served two tours of duty in Iraq. USAF Veteran Scott Luton & USN Veteran Kevin L. Jackson, CISSP?,CCSP? spoke with Vernice in this episode about: Overcoming the fear of following your passion through conventional thinking and artificial barriers; why providing people with access to information and exposure to ideas can be a solution and a “gutsy move”; and Vernice's key for successful networking – which involved asking people how she could be of service instead of asking what they did for a living. Listen or watch here .

--- The Green Berets are known for parachuting in behind enemy lines and then building relationships with people on the ground to mobilize resistance from the ground up. That work has been going on in Afghanistan for the last 20 years, leading to strong bonds between U.S. Special Forces and the Afghan farmers, commandos, and special forces that fought with them in the global battle against terrorism. When, in light of the tragic events playing out in Afghanistan, Scott Mann , Green Beret and Retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army, realized that one of those Afghan commandos was going to be left behind despite holding a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV), he knew he needed to act. Scott had worked with and trained this young soldier for years, and so he used his own network – predominantly based in the U.S. – to connect with members of the media, congress, and other Veterans in an unofficial mission that would later be dubbed, ‘Taskforce Pineapple.’ That one rescue became the basis for getting over 700 people through the bottlenecks at the airport in Kabul. In this unique and exceptional episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott Mann tells the true story one harrowing rescue mission to co-hosts Scott Luton & Mike Griswold , and shares his own brand of wisdom, including the lessons that supply chain professionals in any industry can learn from proven military techniques and maxims. Watch here on YouTube .

--- When President George Bush went on TV to announce the beginning of the Gulf War, Rob Tiffany?? was working his way through college and he immediately felt called to go. He wanted to fly the latest planes with stealth technology. There was a waiting list to enter the Air Force, so he enlisted in the Navy. After all, it worked for Tom Cruise, right? Today, Rob Tiffany is a Research Director at 国际数据公司 , where he is a private and hybrid cloud infrastructure strategist. Rob's held executive leadership roles at Ericsson, Hitachi, and Microsoft and is a globally recognized leader in IoT and Digital Twin technologies. A few years back, Rob joined Scott Luton on Veteran Voices to share the honest truth about his journey into, through, and out of the Navy, including: what it was like serving aboard a submarine – and the preparations and screening he had to go through in advance; how being in the military transformed him as a person; and why he decided to write a children’s book, "Submarine Warriors: The Enemy Beneath" . Watch or listen to the episode here .

--- In one of our most recent episodes, host Mary Kate Soliva welcomes Maureen Woolshlager , an active duty military spouse, to the show. The conversation delves into Maureen’s experiences navigating the challenges and rewards of being a military spouse, including frequent relocations, managing family life during deployments, and the impact on her career. Maureen shares her journey from being a new military spouse to becoming a seasoned veteran, offering insights into the unique dynamics of military life. She also discusses her involvement in nonprofit work, particularly in initiatives supporting conflict-affected regions. The episode concludes with Maureen’s advice for other military spouses, emphasizing the importance of community, adaptability, and seeking out resources for support. Watch or listen here .

Of course, these episodes are only scratching the surface in terms of all the wonderful stories that we've told via Veteran Voices for years now. You can find the full series wherever you get your podcasts. And MOST importantly: on behalf of our entire SCN team, we thank our Veterans for their service, commitment & contributions.

PERFECT TIMING: In his latest "Good News" message, Scott shares the story of one Mr. Henry Darby, a South Carolina high school principal, who took on a 2nd job during the pandemic, so that he could offer aid, comfort & support to his students and colleagues. The world would be a much better place if we were all more like Henry Darby. Read more here: https://bit.ly/3YFoq5b

Now plug in to these resources & perspectives from across the SCN ecosystem:

--- Big congrats to SCN co-host Marty Parker for recently being named a "Top Voice" on LinkedIn. Marty also serves as a senior lecturer in the Department of Management at the The University of Georgia . In fact, Parker is the first person affiliated with the University of Georgia to be awarded the Top Voice badge, which is given to subject matter experts who most effectively spread their message on the employment-focused social media platform. Read more here .

--- For 25 years, the U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index has been published quarterly to inform its readers on freight shipping and spend volumes on national and regional levels, as well as some of the critical trends shaping the data. The Freight Payment Index for Q3 2024 was just released. Download a free copy: https://bit.ly/scn-us-bank

--- If you ever tune in to our live programming here at SCN, you may run in to Jenny Patzlaff , who is doing big things at the 美国威斯康星大学麦迪逊分校 ; in particular, at the UW E-Business Consortium (UWEBC), who recently held their annual conference. The event focused on a wide variety of topics, and featured speakers from companies such as Qualtrics XM Institute , 光辉国际 , Trace3 and more. It even featured the one & only Dan Gingiss , who is a rock & roll star, especially in the world of Customer Experience. Learn more about this UWEBC event and check out the on-demand recordings of the sessions here .

--- Speaking of big friends of the show, Cory Comer recently launched a cool new podcast called Whiskey Wanderlust . The series explores Colorado’s distilling industry, as well as a wide range of interesting business leaders & entrepreneurs. In the very first episode: "...we sit down with Alastair Brogan and Ryan Negley from Boulder Spirits to explore Alistair's remarkable journey from Scotland to the U.S., and how they're pioneering American Single Malt Whiskey. Discover the nuances of distilling at high altitude, the science behind their craft, and the community-focused initiatives that set them apart. Plus, don't miss our special tasting segment featuring their latest limited releases. Pour yourself a dram and embark on this unforgettable whiskey journey with us!" Watch the episode here on YouTube and learn more about Cory & Whiskey Wanderlust here .

--- From our friends at BlueGrace Logistics : "E-commerce has significantly impacted freight, especially for Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) carriers. As more consumers and businesses move to online platforms for purchases, the shipping industry must adapt to new demands. The rise in smaller, more frequent shipments, alongside the need for faster, more flexible and sustainable deliveries, has pushed LTL carriers to evolve. This shift in how goods are ordered, packed and delivered has reshaped not only the way LTL shipping operates but also how it integrates with broader supply chains and customer expectations." Read the full blog article here .

--- From our latest SCN blog series: "Lean manufacturing is all about reducing waste and increasing efficiency. Manufacturers have been implementing lean practices for decades and have stood the test of time. Now, with technological advancements, lean methodologies can be more transformative than ever before." Read the rest of the article here . And if you are interested in how REAL lean thinking may be applied successfully in your organization, be sure to connect with our good friend and lean guru Mark Preston .

--- Want to learn more about Supply Chain Now programming? Check it out: https://linktr.ee/Supplychainnow

SPECIAL SHOW: Last Friday, in a special Veterans Day-themed livestream, Lloyd Knight joined Scott Luton to share some of his experiences from his 20+ years of active duty service in the United States Air Force. Be sure to find Lloyd's podcast, "The Landing Zone", wherever you get your podcasts. And tune in to the YouTube replay of Lloyd & Scott's discussion here: https://bit.ly/3Z1dqQU

Join us for our upcoming LIVE programming on SCN this coming week!

Big shows coming up the week of November 11th here at Supply Chain Now. In the next few days, we have business leaders joining us from companies such as Tive Inc , Highway , ProShip, Inc. , Spencer's , Loftware & more. We welcome your participation and invite you to bring your perspective. See the shows below (and click the images for more details and/or registration).

Finally, via YouTube, check out a few of our favorite episodes from across the SCN ecosystem this year. What were some of yours?

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