Material Growth Podcast

Growth Arc Advisors LLC
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Driving Growth in the Materials industry. materialgrowth.substack.com

  1. 11/07/2025

    Kendall Justiniano on Navigating Growth in Challenging Times

    This episode of Material Growth features our founder, Kendall Justiniano on the “Burn the Playbook” podcast. Host Marc Crosby interviews Kendall Justiniano, and together, they discuss the ongoing downturn in chemicals and manufacturing, the impact of digital transformation, evolving roles in sales and marketing, and ways companies can uncover growth opportunities. The conversation centers on moving beyond outdated approaches to successfully navigate today’s challenging business environment. Key insights: * The mindset shift is essential for surviving the toughest downturn in decades? * How digital transformation is rewriting the rules for sales & marketing teams? * Which of today’s practices should be “burned”? Which new ones to build? * Are sustainability initiatives worth the investment, or overdue for a shakeup? * What overlooked strategy could double your company’s growth rate with resources you already have? Kendall Justiniano is the founder and managing director of Growth Arc Advisors. With a career spanning over 30 years at leading companies including Dow and WR Grace, he brings extensive experience in the chemical and material industries. Kendall has worked across sales, marketing, and product management, navigating diverse industry sectors—from specialty to commodity, high-growth to turnaround situations and divestments. His unique strength lies in his “Fundamentals Analysis” approach, allowing him to “read the tea leaves” and identify significant opportunities, such as his early championship of composites at Polyone/Avient, which now accounts for a substantial portion of Avient’s revenue. This comprehensive perspective is central to Growth Arc Advisors’ mission: helping chemical leaders find growth opportunities in an increasingly challenging environment. Key topics discussed * Structural Shifts in the Chemical Industry * Challenges of the prolonged downturn and the need for new growth tactics. * The importance of adapting to changing customer habits and technology. * Mindset and Strategy Adjustments * Evaluating sustainability initiatives critically, focusing on ROI. * Necessity of cost cutting while retaining/building strategic capabilities. * New Approaches for Sales & Marketing * Permanent changes in the sales cycle due to digital tech and AI. * Marketing’s expanded role in early customer engagement. * Emphasis on consultative selling and building customer relationships. * Importance of revisiting segmentation to find growth opportunities. * Future-Proofing & Growth Models * The risk of standing still; focus on phased, fundamentals-driven growth strategies. * “Burn It or Build It” Segment * Quick takes on current industry trends (e.g., sustainability with no P&L impact: “burn it”; sales and marketing alignment: “build it”; nearshoring, customer self-service, inside sales, etc.). * Final Takeaways * Immediate, actionable advice: review and deepen segmentation for actionable insights and growth. Show Notes * The Burn the Playbook Podcast and a transcript of this Episode * Kendall Justiniano on LinkedIn * Growth Arc Advisors website * Marc Crosby (podcast host) on LinkedIn This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit materialgrowth.substack.com

    36 min

  2. 07/04/2025

    Kendall Justiniano on Surviving the Chemical Down Cycle

    This episode Material Growth, features a discussion by our Founder, Kendall Justiniano, on The Chemical Show with Victoria Meyer, and offers a compelling look into the current state and future trajectory of the chemical industry, particularly focusing on the evolving landscape of sustainability and innovation amidst significant global shifts. Chemical Show host Victoria Meyer invites Kendall to delve into what he and other industry executives are observing and grappling with. Topics discussed include: * The length and root causes of the current global downturn * Why the Old Playbook for chemical leaders is no longer enough. * Re-assessing Sustainability to survive economic headwinds. * China’s role in the current downturn. * The decline of Commercial Excellence in Industrial B2B Kendall Justiniano is the founder and managing director of Growth Arc Advisors. With a career spanning over 30 years at leading companies including Dow and WR Grace, he brings extensive experience in the chemical and material industries. Kendall has worked across sales, marketing, and product management, navigating diverse industry sectors—from specialty to commodity, high-growth to turnaround situations and divestments. His unique strength lies in his "Fundamentals Analysis" approach, allowing him to "read the tea leaves" and identify significant opportunities, such as his early championship of composites at Polyone/Avient, which now accounts for a substantial portion of Avient's revenue. This comprehensive perspective is central to Growth Arc Advisors' mission: helping chemical leaders find growth opportunities in an increasingly challenging environment. Victoria and Kendall discuss the current industry environment, one of the longest down cycles the industry has ever seen. This shift is primarily attributed to the end of a two-decade-long growth era fueled by China, whose real estate sector has imploded and materials sector is now significantly overbuilt. This has left the global market with substantial excess capacity, leading to grim commodity prices and challenging the conventional "down cycle playbook". Many of today’s current leaders may not have experienced or managed through such prolonged downturns, making the strategic challenges even more acute. The episode also critically examines the transformation of the sustainability imperative. What began as an optimistic "rah-rah" movement with ambitious Net Zero goals has now confronted the harsh realities of profitability and implementation. Companies are engaged in a significant "pruning" or rationalization of sustainability investments, weighing trade-offs and questioning if financial returns truly go hand-in-hand with these initiatives. For executives looking to manage and grow in this challenging environment, the episode underscores the critical need for reassessment based on fundamental business principles, especially in cost-constrained and capital-constrained scenarios. It also emphasizes that the "easy options" for growth, such as growth by acquisition, may no longer be viable. Instead, investing in core capabilities for organic growth and rediscovering muscle for new business, market-driven innovation, and advanced commercial excellence is paramount. Show Notes * The Chemical Show Podcast and a transcript of this Episode * Victoria Meyer on LinkedIn * Kendall Justiniano on LinkedIn * Growth Arc Advisors website This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit materialgrowth.substack.com

    42 min

  3. 04/18/2025

    Ep. 19 - Taming Team Dysfunction with Bob Johnson PhD

    Discover strategies to transform team dysfunction into collaboration and performance with insights from Bob Johnson, PhD. Teams where members feel that everyone “has your back” are rare. Whether it’s teams on fast-paced project teams or executive teams full of ego and co-opetition, dysfunction is so often the norm that we become resigned to it. It doesn’t have to be that way, and in fact it’s a critical competitive advantage if it’s never that way. Learn: * What’s at the heart of team dysfunction. * How teams could approach problems but rarely do. * How our own actions are often to blame. * Understand the real key to influence in group dynamics. * The criticality of team cohesion at the executive level and what it takes to achieve it. Bob Johnson, Ph.D., is the Founder and Managing Partner at Shoreline Partners. With a track record of guiding over 1,000 CEOs, executives, and their teams, he equips clients with the awareness and skills to transform friction into fuel - turning their recurring problems into partnerships that drive performance. Who should listen? * Executives wanting to improve their influence on and dynamics of the teams they lead. * Leaders at all levels who feel like they are spending too much time as “The Referee.” Show Notes * NEW! Slides used during the session * NEW! Executive Summary (2 min read) * Bob’s White Paper: Better Teamwork: Mindset Shifts for Transforming Problems Into Partnerships * Connect with Bob on LinkedIn * Connect with Kendall on LinkedIn * Growth Arc Advisors * Executive Roundtable for Materials Growth website This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit materialgrowth.substack.com

    49 min

  4. 03/21/2025

    Executive Influence Seminar

    This recording is of a seminar I did a few months ago to a group of C-Suite Executives. Seminar Summary: Mastering Influence for Effective Leadership and Change The ability to influence effectively has become the essential skill for executives across all sectors. This seminar focuses on the pivotal role of influence in executive roles, offering insights that can reshape your approach to leadership and organizational change. Lack of effective influencing often leads to challenges such as misaligned executive teams, inability to gain CEO support for initiatives. Why This Topic is Important: * Drive Alignment: Influence is vital for aligning leadership teams and eliminating silos, fostering a more cohesive and efficient organizational culture. * Facilitate Change and Innovation: Without influence, even the most well-crafted change recommendations can face resistance, stalling growth. * Enhance Persuasive Communication: Mastering influence helps you to communicate more persuasively, overcoming barriers that may arise from entrenched behaviors and mindsets. Topics Covered: * When case-making is a poor tool for persuasion. * How to diagnose blind spots. * Reframing as key to unlocking collaboration. * How to achieve trusted advisor status. Join us to uncover how influence can become your most powerful tool in leading change and achieving your organizational goals. Show notes Links Mentioned in the seminar. * Slide deck used for this seminar * Jeff Bezos Interview with Lex Friedman * Join the Executive Breakthrough Mastermind * Material Growth Newsletter * The Executive Roundtable for Material Growth * Material Growth podcast * Connect with Kendall on LinkedIn * Growth Arc Advisors Table of Contents 0:00 Kendall's Bio and Growth Arc Advisors 2:47 Common Executive Failures 4:56 Conventional Wisdom about Influence 6:15 The BIG MYTH - Case-making 7:30 Why THE TRUTH doesn't Persuade 9:35 What's Missing? - THE FRAME 14:30 The CRITICAL MISTAKE of Case-making 15:36 Question: do you find Frames through questioning? 16:15 What is a FRAME? 20:16 Conflicts Arise when Frames are Different 22:20 BLIND SPOTS are Critical to Diagnose 23:14 A Different approach to Influence conversations 23:34 The OLD WAY - case making 25:34 THE NEW WAY - work to REFRAME FIRST 30:45 Get INVITED to offer your solution 32:45 Question: Doesn't it take more time? 33:20 Crucial difference in the way conversations play out 33:12 How this approach gives you EXECUTIVE PRESENCE 36:39 The Key different to the approach 37:30 Being a Trusted Advisor to a CEO 38:10 Why Leadership Teams become dysfunctional 39:40 Tenure as a Defense against Influencing This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit materialgrowth.substack.com

    42 min

  5. 02/13/2025

    Ep. 17 - Planning for Growth with Paul Strzelec

    With geo-political instability in global markets and uncertainty around development of growth trends such as sustainability, effective decision making in highly uncertain environments is crucial today in the materials sector. Paul Strzelec and I discuss why a planning mindset is critical to execute on growth, including: * why planning is a crucial component of strong execution * how to view planning in the face of dynamic and uncertain futures, * what makes growth a unique challenge for planning teams, and * what organizational capabilities are needed for effective decision-making. Paul has over 30 years of global experience helping companies across a broad array of industries deploy growth-oriented, cross-functional planning capabilities and disciplines. He specializes in connecting commercial, finance, supply chain, and operations teams with processes and system capabilities to optimize segmented go-to-market strategies, reduce complexity, and leverage insight-driven practices. He has held various senior leadership positions with companies that pioneered major advancements in integrated business planning, supply chain management, and network-centric technologies, including Manugistics (now Blue Yonder) and VeriSign. And he has extended that expertise to organizational and process competencies in the SAP Integrated Business Planning (IBP) and Kinaxis ecosystems. Paul has helped some of the world’s most respected companies implement innovative business models and demand-driven strategies, including Church and Dwight, Darden, Dell, DuPont, FMC, Ford Motor Company, Ingevity, W.R. Grace, Microsoft, The Mosaic Company, Nalco Company, Procter & Gamble, Rolls Royce, Unilever, United States Department of Defense, Utz, Wegmans, and Xilinx. Who should listen? * Executives responsible for go-to-market execution, and customer satisfaction. * Operational and Supply executives responsible for supply scenario development and decision-making * Leaders involved in the coordination of operations, supply chain and commercial teams. Topics covered included: * Why Growth is particularly challenging to planning. * The keys to avoiding “one size fits all” mandates to your planning implmentation. * Assessing your organizational capability. Show Notes * NEW! Video Replay * NEW! Slides used during the workshop * NEW! Executive Summary of the webinar (2 min read) * Paul’s LinkedIn Profile * Kendall’s LinkedIn Profile * Growth Arc Advisors * Executive Roundtable for Materials Growth website This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit materialgrowth.substack.com

    59 min

  6. 01/30/2025

    Ep. 16 - Career Acceleration for 2025 - Workshop

    Goal setting is a common activity at the beginning of the year. But, it’s usually dominated with business objectives. All that time invested to benefit... your company. ?! Instead, let’s invest some of that time and take a few minutes to work on the activities you need to advance your career in 2025. In this 50 minute workshop we’ll help you think about some of the topics and activities you’ll need to make substantive career progress this year. Who should listen? * Directors and Jr. executives (VP’s) who want to get to the next level or want to stand out at their new level. This workshop draws heavily from some of the fundamental frameworks used in the Executive Breakthrough Mastermind, our premiere coaching program for high potential Directors and Jr Execs designed to help propel you to thrive in the Executive ranks. Most developmental goals seem to center around skills. We don't think skills get you very far by themselves. We’ll go beyond those topics and discuss: * Executive-level Learnings you may need * Experiences you should try to obtain * Key leaders you must influence and common traps when people try Show Notes * NEW! Video Replay * NEW! Slides used during the workshop * Executive Breakthrough Mastermind * Growth Arc Advisors This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit materialgrowth.substack.com

    1h 17m

  7. 05/02/2024

    Ep. 15 - Why Market Activation Fails

    Modern digital innovations have radically altered the ways customers research and buy products, making it more convenient and cost-effective for companies to engage with them at any stage of the buying process. It’s widely recognized that companies that ignore or dabble in digital engagement are far less able to connect with customers. Yet it’s equally costly when companies aggressively add digital methods into activation efforts built on conventional marketing wisdom. Because of a key blind spot, materials companies often fail to achieve growth, leaving commercial executives feeling that their marketing and sales efforts have been wasted. Bob Lurie, PhD, is the former Vice President of Strategy at Eastman Chemical, and author of AMA award winning book The Organic Growth Playbook, which highlights the ideas and methods that helped companies in every market sector and continent generate growth rates 1.5-2X higher than expectations. Bob and I discuss why companies fail to activate markets, whether launching new products or improving growth of existing franchises. We drill into the subtle yet crippling traps hidden within conventional market activation wisdom, including: * over-focusing on technical needs * neglecting customer behavior in the buying process * failing to remove barriers to behavior change We also discuss the proven methods Bob developed to generate growth, while at Monitor, and which he successfully implemented at Eastman. Who should listen? * Commercial executives responsible for generating growth from new products, and new markets. * CMO’s responsible for leading marketing transformations within their companies. * Digital Marketing champions who want to tie their activities more tightly to growth results. Show Notes * NEW! Video Replay * NEW! Slides used during the workshop * NEW! Executive Summary of the webinar (2 min read) * Bob’s LinkedIn Profile * Kendall’s LinkedIn Profile * Growth Arc Advisors * Executive Roundtable for Materials Growth website This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit materialgrowth.substack.com

    55 min

  8. 04/04/2024

    Ep. 14 - Consultative Selling REDUX

    This month’s podcast episode is a webinar we did last month on consultative selling. If that sounds familiar, it’s because we have dealt with that topic in a past episode. This episode is unique however for 2 reasons: * I deal here with the fatal flaw in value selling. It’s one that you can’t recover from, and one that makes consultative selling uniquely qualified to deal with today’s B2B sell. This topic was not covered at all in the previous version. * The whole presentation is just cleaner and more concise. Check the show notes for updated slides as well, as you’ll want those to follow along with. If you want to skip the fatal flaw section specifically, it starts at about minute 13:00. Note: this episode of the podcast is being offered to BOTH paid and unpaid subscribers. To get access to more podcast episodes, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Value and solution-selling are rapidly becoming table stakes in the materials industry. Today's B2B materials buying teams are better informed than ever about their options. In fact sometimes customers are over-informed and overwhelmed. And that makes the buying process harder not easier for today's materials sales reps.  * educating customers about your solutions isn't enough. * identifying solutions and quantifying value points isn't enough. Most reps aren't prepared to act when they've done all that, and the customer still isn't convinced. Rather than information about their options, today’s customers instead report needing a different kind of help altogether. Reps that can provide that help differentiate themselves, close more business, and reach "advisor" status with their customers. Spend a few minutes to learn what's required. Topics discussed: * Trends and insights that changed the materials B2B buying process. * The neuroscience behind why a consultative approach is more effective to convert business? * Value Selling’s Fatal Flaw - why value pitches don’t work a lot of the time. * How does one implement a consultative sales method? and pitfalls to avoid. Who should listen? * Commercial Officers and Executive leaders of sales teams * Sales and Marketing VP's of materials companies Show Notes * NEW! Video Replay * NEW! Slides used during the workshop * NEW! Executive Summary of the webinar (2 min read) * Kendall’s LinkedIn Profile * Growth Arc Advisors * Executive Roundtable for Materials Growth website This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit materialgrowth.substack.com

    56 min
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About

Driving Growth in the Materials industry. materialgrowth.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Growth Arc Advisors LLC
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2025
  • Episodes
    21
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Kendall Justiniano
  • Show Website
    Material Growth Podcast