Darn Good Distributors

Forward Studios

Darn Good Distributors is the podcast for B2B eCommerce professionals who are tired of fluff and ready for the real stuff. Hosted by Kyler Nixon, each episode features conversations with boots-on-the-ground leaders—from CEOs and marketers to operators and digital pioneers—who are redefining what success looks like in B2B distribution. You’ll hear practical strategies, hard-earned lessons, and honest takes on what’s working right now. Whether you’re scaling your company, rethinking digital, or just trying to stay sharp in a rapidly evolving space, this is your home for insights that actually matter.

  1. 2 DAYS AGO

    The Call That Saved Us From Bankruptcy (with Craig Penland from Eurolink Fastener Supply Service) | Ep. 23

    Most business leaders try to keep their personal beliefs separate from their professional lives. Kyler Nixon sits down with Craig Penland to discuss what happens when you do the exact opposite. Craig opens up about the terrifying winter of 2009, when he dropped to his knees in a quiet office to seek direction, only to receive a call that saved the business days later. ㅤ You will hear how Craig navigates the tension of being a "faith-based business" without forcing it on his team. He explains why he refused to remove religious messages from his invoices, even when a sales rep warned it would cost him business. Kyler and Craig also discuss the "NASCAR smoke" visualization that changed how Eurolink handled the uncertainty of 2020: instead of slowing down, they accelerated. This is a candid look at building a company that prioritizes people over profits and service over volume. ㅤ Guest Bio Craig Penland is the Founder, President, and CEO of Eurolink Fastener Supply Service. Based in Greer, South Carolina, Craig launched the company in 2000 to solve a specific problem in the industrial market: sourcing hard-to-find metric fasteners. Under his leadership, Eurolink has become a premier "master distributor" known for stocking C-class items that larger competitors ignore. Craig is also an active member of C12 and partners with nonprofits, including JUMPSTART SC, to provide employment opportunities. ㅤ What We Cover The specific prayer in 2009 that preceded a company-saving order from a lost customer.How Craig handled a sales rep who wanted him to hide his faith to win more business.Why does Eurolink pay for a chaplain to visit the office every two weeks?The "NASCAR smoke" analogy: How to lead when you cannot see what is in front of you.Navigating the hiring process as a faith-led company without being exclusionary.Why does Eurolink focus on "No Quote" and "No Stock" items rather than competing on volume?Separating your personal identity from the financial success of your business. ㅤ Resources Mentioned Eurolink Fastener Supply ServiceC12 Business ForumsJUMPSTART SC

    31 min

  2. 3 FEB

    The 15-15-15 Plan: Scaling to $15 Million Revenue with 15 Employees (with Andrew Johnson) | Ep. 22

    Most family business transitions happen quietly behind closed doors. For Andrew Johnson, the handoff included a meeting he now calls "The Apocalypse." Before he became the CEO of ShelfAware, Andrew was just a son trying to modernize his father's legacy company, O-ring Sales & Service. ㅤ Host Kyler Nixon talks with Andrew about the messy reality of entrepreneurship. They discuss the friction between founders and the next generation, specifically how Andrew and his brothers-in-law presented a massive growth plan that led to them being "fired" for a night. Andrew also breaks down how constraints—like wanting to compete with giants like Fastenal without adding headcount—forced them to invent the RFID technology that eventually became ShelfAware. ㅤ 👤 Guest Bio Andrew Johnson is the CEO of ShelfAware LLC and an Owner at O-ring Sales & Service, Inc. Growing up in the family business, he started inspecting parts in the warehouse before earning an accounting degree to prove his financial literacy to his father. Today, he runs a connected ecosystem of industrial businesses in the Greater Kansas City area. Andrew focuses on "Digital VMI" (Vendor Managed Inventory), using RFID technology to help independent distributors automate replenishment and compete with national chains. ㅤ 📌 What We Cover The "15-15-15" Plan: The specific goal Andrew and his partners set to hit $15 million in revenue with 15 employees in 15,000 square feet.Surviving "The Apocalypse": The story of the night, the next generation presented a modernization plan to the founder, and nearly lost their jobs.Founder's Syndrome: Why creators often treat their company like a "fifth child" that no one else is allowed to raise.Practical Education: Why Andrew’s father forced him to get an accounting degree instead of a marketing one before joining the firm.Competing with Fastenal: How O-ring Sales & Service needed a VMI solution that didn't require expensive field reps or branch locations.RFID Smart Labels: Transforming standard inventory shelves into "virtual vending machines" to track consumption without hardware-heavy investments.The "False Start" in Succession: The consequences of executing major business changes—like a new ERP implementation—without fully communicating the vision to the founder or the staff. ㅤ 🔗 Resources Mentioned ShelfAware VMIa href="https://www.youtube.com/@shelfaware6232" rel="noopener noreferrer"

    30 min

  3. 27 JAN

    Reducing Friction: Why B2B Buyers Don't Want Flashy Features (with Tari Elkin) | Ep. 21

    Distributors often look to direct-to-consumer giants for website inspiration, but B2B buyers have fundamentally different needs. They are not shopping for entertainment: they are doing a job. Kyler Nixon sits down with Tari Elkin from Restek Corporation to break down exactly how to convert busy lab managers into loyal customers. ㅤ The secret is not adding more features: it is removing the barriers that stop the sale. Tari explains why Restek moves past vanity metrics to focus on pure utility. She shares a specific case study in which shifting the burden of account verification from the customer to the internal team led to a 40% increase in conversion rates. Kyler and Tari also discuss the critical role of accurate product data in preventing costly downtime for clients and how to prepare your digital infrastructure for the upcoming shift toward "Answer Engine Optimization." ㅤ 👤 Guest BioTari Elkin helps lead the digital experience at Restek Corporation, an employee-owned developer and manufacturer of chromatography products based in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. With a background in research at Oregon State University, Tari bridges the gap between technical scientific needs and seamless e-commerce experiences. She focuses on data-driven enhancements that simplify procurement for lab managers and scientists worldwide. ㅤ 📌 What We CoverThe Utility Mandate: Why B2B buyers care more about finding invoices and tracking shipments quickly than they do about flashy website designs.The 40% Conversion Win: How Restek changed their account linking process to remove friction at the cart level and drastically increased sales.Customer Advisory Panels: A practical framework for meeting with your most vocal customers biannually to validate your roadmap.Rethinking Subscriptions: Using subscription models to give buyers control and flexibility rather than trapping them into unwanted monthly orders.The Cost of Bad Data: Why a wrong SKU is just an annoyance in retail but causes massive revenue loss and downtime in industrial and scientific sectors.Roadmap Strategy: Organizing agile development into boulders, rocks, and pebbles to balance major innovations with necessary maintenance.Future-Proofing for AI: Preparing product data for "Answer Engine Optimization" so bots and humans can find your inventory. ㅤ 🔗 Resources MentionedRestek Corporation

    30 min

  4. 20 JAN

    Starting A Distribution Business From Scratch In Under 5 Months (with Kevin Finley) | Ep. 20

    Most entrepreneurs believe the distribution market is a "solved game" dominated by giants like McKesson and Medline. Kevin Finley disagrees. In less than five months, he launched Keystone Supply Group and is already profitable by doing exactly what the legacy players refuse to do. This episode is a masterclass in supply chain resilience and aggressive, scrappy sales tactics for new distributors. Kevin reveals how he leverages public government data to build prospect lists from zero and why he purposefully avoids net-30 terms to secure unbeatable pricing. He explains the critical role of "secondary distributors" when Tier 1 supply chains break down, citing the recent Baxter manufacturing crisis as a prime example. If you believe the market is too crowded for a new player, this conversation proves that agility, cash flow, and direct manufacturer relationships still beat massive scale. ㅤ About the Guest: Kevin FinleyKevin Finley is the Founder and CEO of Keystone Supply Group, a rapidly growing distribution firm based in Wayzata, Minnesota. With a background forged in the high-stakes pressure of COVID-19 procurement, Kevin specializes in bypassing traditional supply chain bottlenecks to serve healthcare and industrial clients directly. He champions a "Partner in Preparedness" philosophy, emphasizing transparency, speed, and the elimination of unnecessary intermediaries to deliver essential supplies when Tier 1 distributors fail. ㅤ Inside the Episode: The Knowledge MapThe COVID Wake-Up Call: Kevin explains how the pandemic exposed massive lapses in the traditional supply chain. He realized that when the "big guys" run out of stock, the entire market breaks down, creating a significant opportunity for agile secondary distributors.Capitalizing on Crisis: The conversation shifts to the recent impact of Hurricane Helene on the Baxter manufacturing plant. Kevin details how smaller distributors can step in to support downstream clients, such as surgery centers, when national supply lines are severed.The "Ripple Effect" Sales Method: Starting with zero customers requires scrappy tactics. Kevin describes how he dissects a single win—such as selling gloves to a New Jersey wholesaler—to immediately identify and pitch similar businesses in the same region.Hacking Government Data: You do not need to buy expensive lists to find leads. Kevin explains how he uses tools like BidNet and BidPrime to find public bid requests, using specific keywords to identify exactly who is buying which products right now.State vs. Federal Bidding: If you want to enter the government market, do not start with federal contracts. Kevin advises focusing on state and local bids first, where the paperwork is manageable (5-10 pages) compared to the 100-page complexity of federal RFPs.Building Systems to Scale: Kevin discusses the importance of documenting every process before hiring. He shares his strategy of recording screen captures for invoicing and shipping to ensure new hires can replicate his work without constant supervision.span class="ql-ui"...

    27 min

  5. 13 JAN

    SMS for B2B: How to Get 97% Open Rates (with Damien Garber) | Ep. 19

    B2B distribution marketing is changing fast. The old playbook of sending a catalog once a year and waiting for the phone to ring is dead. Today's business buyers are consumers first. They check texts between meetings. They listen to podcasts on their commute. They doom-scroll TikTok. In this episode, Kyler sits down with Damien Garber from Groomer’s Choice Pet Products to break down how a legacy distributor is aggressively pivoting to digital channels. Damien reveals why they didn't just start a podcast: they acquired an audience instead. He also shares the data behind their massive success with SMS marketing and why asking for a phone number on your website might not be as scary as you think. If you want to modernize your marketing mix without alienating your core customers, this conversation is the blueprint. ㅤ About Damien GarberDamien Garber is the Sales & Marketing Manager at Groomer’s Choice Pet Products, a family-owned manufacturer and distributor based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Since joining the team, Damien has helped steer the company's commercial strategy, overseeing marketing initiatives and customer experience for independent salon owners. He plays a central role in the company's growth, including the recent 2025 acquisition of Showseason® Animal Products. Damien focuses on equipping professional groomers with the education and tools they need to run profitable businesses. ㅤ 3 Ways Groomer's Choice is Winning Attention1. The "Acquire, Don't Build" Podcast StrategyMost companies try to start a podcast from scratch. Groomer’s Choice took a smarter route. They partnered with Joe Zello, an existing industry influencer with a 40-year track record. By bringing the "Hey Joe" podcast under their umbrella, they instantly tapped into a loyal audience. The result: The email announcing new episodes has a 40% open rate. It replaced their generic "welcome" sequences and now serves as a high-value top-of-funnel entry point. 2. SMS Marketing for B2BThere is a myth that texting is only for B2C brands. Damien proves that wrong. Groomer’s Choice uses SMS for abandoned carts, re-engagement, and flash sales. Because groomers are often on their feet working with animals, they respond to texts faster than to emails. The data: Open rates are as high as 97% for text campaigns. It is quickly becoming a top-three revenue channel for the business. 3. The Pop-Up ExperimentConventional wisdom holds that asking for too much information on a sign-up form reduces conversion rates. Damien’s team tested this. They required a phone number alongside the email address on their site pop-ups. The result? Zero drop in opt-in rates. If customers value what you offer, they are willing to share their contact information. ㅤ Key Moments in This EpisodeWhy Groomer’s Choice partnered with an existing podcaster instead of starting from zero.Moving from 6 catalogs a year to a digital-first ecosystem.Seeing 40% open rates on podcast-related...

    30 min

  6. 6 JAN

    Solving Problems for Distributors, Manufacturers, and End-Users (with Jonathan Costa) | Ep. 18

    Manufacturers need great distributors and great distributors need great manufacturers, especially when the line between B2B and B2C keeps blurring. On this conversation of Darn Good Distributors, host Kyler Nixon sits down with Jonathan Costa from Rex-Cut Abrasives to highlight the relationship between a manufacturer and its distribution network. ㅤ Jonathan shares how a full scale abrasive manufacturer with around 10,000 SKUs structures a business that is roughly 90 percent distribution and 10 percent limited B2C e commerce for mom and pop shops, garage guys, and hobbyists. He talks about distributors who are committed to finding the best solution for their customer, service that feels like a first name relationship, and why education over promotion matters in the abrasive world. ㅤ Kyler brings the distributor perspective on product data, pricing, and big contracts, and both sides talk honestly about morals, ethics, quantity limits on web stores, and why everyone has to work together for the benefit of the customer. ㅤ 👤 Guest BioJonathan Costa represents Rex-Cut Abrasives, an abrasive manufacturer that has been in business since around 1920. Jonathan describes Rex-Cut as a full scale, full service abrasive manufacturer known for cotton fiber abrasives, grinding wheels, cutoff wheels, non woven products, and high quality niche solutions for aircraft, aerospace, automotive, and other applications. ㅤ Working with roughly 400 to 500 distributors and a smaller B2C web store, Jonathan focuses on relationships, service, education, and solving problems for end users while respecting long term distribution partnerships in both B2B and B2C settings. ㅤ 📌 What We CoverWhy the relationship between manufacturers and distributors matters and how that ecosystem should look when manufacturers sell primarily through distributionHow Rex-Cut Abrasives reaches roughly 90 percent B2B distribution and 10 percent B2C through a limited web store, Amazon, and other supplier partnersWhat makes a good partnership from the manufacturer side, including distributors who are committed to finding the best solution for their customer even when a current process already worksService as a differentiator, including answering the phone, dropping by shops, first name relationships, outside sales reps, and distributors who go to bat for a manufacturerWhy Jonathan and his team focus on education over promotion, using distributor trainings, product composition, tips and tricks, YouTube, LinkedIn, video, photo, and contentHow product specs like size, grit, grain type, bonds, and clear data help distributors avoid incomplete product data sheets and support customers who need to fit a product to a machine, part, or jobFrustrating moments when manufacturers and distributors compete for the same customer, including examples of lower direct pricing and big contracts that damage trustHow quantity limits on a B2C web store, respect for the line in the sand, morals, and ethics help balance B2B distribution and B2C e commerceClosing thoughts on distributors and manufacturers working together, holding integrity high, communicating clearly, and driving value for the customer ㅤ 🔗 Resources Mentioneda...

    29 min

  7. 16/12/2025

    3 Ways Distributors are Using Email to Drive Retention in 2026 (with Jeff Felten) | Ep. 17

    Acquisition costs are up, ad costs are up, and retention is a core focus of 2026 and beyond for distributors. On Darn Good Distributors, host Kyler Nixon brings on friend of the show and business partner Jeff Felten from Forward Studios to talk about going deeper inside your existing house file and getting second, third, fourth, and fifth orders from customers you already acquired. ㅤ They focus on warm, consent based email lists that sit in tools like MailChimp, HubSpot, or Klaviyo and walk through three ways distributors are using email to drive retention in 2026. Jeff explains why segmenting customers as inside the buying window or outside the buying window lines up with real B2B buying behavior, how to match the right message to the right person at the right time, and why simple text based emails that feel like they came from another person can quadruple conversion rates. If retention, LTV, and AOV are front of mind, this practical conversation keeps your brand top of mind for business buyers. ㅤ 👤 Guest BioJeff Felten is a friend of the show and business partner to Kyler Nixon. Together they run Forward Studios, where they help distributors leverage email marketing to improve retention, increase LTV, and increase AOV. Jeff works in the weeds with clients on warm, consent based email lists and practical campaigns so distributors can capture more high intent buyers and drive second, third, fourth, and fifth orders from customers who already purchased. ㅤ 📌 What We CoverCold email versus warm, consent based email and why this conversation is only about the list you already ownWhy standard demographic segmentation by vertical, job title, or engagement delivers an incomplete picture of B2B buying behaviorSegmenting customers as inside the buying window or outside the buying window based on real buying signals and behaviorHow to hit customers inside the buying window with product recommendations, category recommendations, direct promotions, and clear brand positioning that help them move fasterNurturing customers outside the buying window with helpful tools, resources, blog posts, PDFs, checklists, finder tools, and off season examples like golf courses in WisconsinThe piggy bank picture of email marketing, balancing deposits of nurture content with moments when it is time to sellWhy business buyers tune out flashy, heavily designed promos that feel like ads and respond to short text based emails that look like person to person messagesKey metrics for email driven retention like revenue per recipient, revenue per campaign, conversion rate, AOV, and how stronger email can lift organic and direct revenue ㅤ 🔗 Resources MentionedForward StudiosKyler Nixon on LinkedInJeff Felten on LinkedInMailChimpHubSpota...

    36 min

  8. 09/12/2025

    Customer First, Autonomy, And Creating Smiles Together (with Terry Brei) | Ep. 16

    Customer Smile Champion in a LinkedIn bio stopped Kyler Nixon while he was scrolling and turned into a practical conversation with Terry Brei, president of Sure Controls. Customer first sits as a key cultural pillar, with manufacturers literally lined down and production back up and running when components and parts arrive at the right time. ㅤ Terry shares how autonomy, customer first, and creating smiles together shape decisions like overnight shipping, internal healthy tension between sales, finance, marketing and service, and a constant journey to meet customers where they are. From plant automation to make you smile to Sure University, internship programs, and very consultative support with web handling, thermal and fluid process control, autonomous mobile robots and micro automation, this conversation stays practical, people focused, and centered on working together as a team. ㅤ 👤 Guest BioTerry Brei serves as president at Sure Controls and proudly carries the Customer Smile Champion title in his LinkedIn bio. Customer first functions as a key cultural pillar, with Terry focused on empowering team members with autonomy to do what is best with the information they have so a customer is smiling at the end of doing business. He emphasizes creating smiles together through plant automation to make you smile, consultative service, and continual development through tools like Sure University and an internship program inside a very team oriented environment. ㅤ 📌 What We CoverCustomer first as a key cultural pillar at Sure Controls and what it means when manufacturers are literally lined downAutonomy that empowers team members to pick overnight shipping, resolve situations, learn, and avoid punitive responses when customers are taken care ofHiring for team players, service oriented people and using small signals like garbage on the floor alongside continual investment in EQ, negotiations training and customer serviceExtending service to every area of the business so accounting, finance, marketing, sales, operations and executives all serve internal and external customersHealthy tension between sales, finance, marketing and service and how working together, rowing the boat in the same direction, leads to the best resultsMeeting customers where they are with zero touch e-store buyers and highly relational customers who want sales team members in their facilities and plantsEvaluating AI, ERP upgrades and customer relationship management systems to connect data, enable proactive communication and enhance customer care and order fulfillmentVery consultative support in web handling, thermal and fluid process control, robotics, autonomous mobile robots and micro automation so customers feel like they finally got the right person on the phoneSure University, training hardware, a slitter packed with drive platforms and PLC platforms, plus internship programs that help grow people professionally and personally over time ㅤ 🔗 Resources MentionedSure ControlsTerry Brei on LinkedIna href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylernixon/" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

    25 min
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About

Darn Good Distributors is the podcast for B2B eCommerce professionals who are tired of fluff and ready for the real stuff. Hosted by Kyler Nixon, each episode features conversations with boots-on-the-ground leaders—from CEOs and marketers to operators and digital pioneers—who are redefining what success looks like in B2B distribution. You’ll hear practical strategies, hard-earned lessons, and honest takes on what’s working right now. Whether you’re scaling your company, rethinking digital, or just trying to stay sharp in a rapidly evolving space, this is your home for insights that actually matter.

Information

  • Creator
    Forward Studios
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Forward Studios
  • Show Website
    Darn Good Distributors