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. 12/16/2025

    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

  2. 12/09/2025

    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

  3. 12/02/2025

    Year Long Loyalty Program And 120% Online Order Growth (with Jackson Orin) | Ep. 15

    Very few distributors have success with a rewards program, but this one is crushing it. Kyler Nixon sits down with Jackson Orin to talk about the Reinders Rewards program and a year long loyalty program designed to keep customers engaged all year instead of dropping off after seasonal online only campaigns. ㅤ They walk through internal conversations about e-commerce, ERP, and platform selection, the decision to give greater point value for online purchases, and the move to a digital-first rewards dashboard tied to the website. Jackson explains points managers, account credits, gift cards, surveys, testimonials, newsletter signups, job site photos, and vendor co-op campaigns with double and triple points. The conversation also hits pre-launch and post-launch marketing, goals like 40 percent points manager signups, a 120 percent increase in online order values for customers who earn points, and lessons from returns, accounting, and credit that help make the user experience as frictionless as possible. ㅤ 👤 Guest BioJackson Orin is from Reinders and works in a marketing position with a team that has pushed heavily into the e-commerce space for the last 10-plus years. He helps connect the website, rewards platform, and ERP, and works closely with sales teams, vendor partners, accounting, and credit to keep the rewards dashboard and points manager experience at the core of everything they do. Jackson brings experience with loyalty programs, online adoption, year-over-year numbers, and future plans for the rewards catalog and rewards landing page. ㅤ 📌 What We CoverHow feedback from sales teams, seasonal online only programs, and big drop offs in online engagement led to a year long loyalty program instead of short term campaigns.What the team looked for in a rewards platform, including seamless integration with the e-commerce platform and ERP, a digital first rewards dashboard, and support for B2B structure, point calculations, and customer exclusions.Why online adoption sits at the center of the program, with one reward point for every dollar spent online, one reward point for every four dollars spent offline, and a focus on keeping long time offline customers rewarded.How the points manager model works so one person per company can redeem rewards while multiple users still access the rewards dashboard, track redemptions, and avoid miscommunications.The redemption experience for account credits and gift cards, including Amazon, Apple, airlines, physical and digital gift cards, and clear visibility into bonus points from vendor co-op campaigns.Extra earning activities beyond purchasing, like submitting testimonials, completing surveys, signing up for the newsletter, uploading job site photos, and moderation to handle competitors products or low quality images.How vendor partnerships and co-op campaigns offer two times and three times points on specific brands like Rain Bird irrigation products and deliver strong year over year numbers for key categories.The go-to market plan around January 2025, including teasing the program in September and October, multi-part email campaigns, poster boards in stores, graphics on TVs, website messaging, a blog, social messaging, flyers, and points manager signup ahead of launch.Targets and early results, such as aiming for 40 percent of companies with online purchases in 2024 to have a points manager in place, being on track to hit that mark, and seeing about 120 percent increase in online order values for customers who earned points in 2025.Lessons learned from...

    29 min

  4. 11/25/2025

    Make Supplies the Easiest Part of Your Day (with Jordan Lorenz) | Ep. 14

    Supplies should be one of the easiest parts of a dental practice, not another problem on a long list of cancellations, staffing issues and insurance reimbursement. In this conversation, Kyler Nixon sits down with fellow Wisconsinite Jordan Lorenz from Green Bay to talk about what it really takes to run a dental distribution company that feels both fun and serious. ㅤ Jordan explains how Dental City balances private label and house brand products with top manufacturers so practices can choose between infection control consumables and premium clinical materials without losing brand trust. He shares why the team chose a colorful, clean look instead of the typical sterile distributor site, and how that connects directly to a culture that is competitive, playful and focused on growth. ㅤ From leading sales and marketing together to installing 21 robots in the warehouse, Jordan keeps coming back to the same idea: understand how people buy, keep the hurdle to purchase low, and get the boring stuff right over and over again. ㅤ 👤 Guest BioJordan Lorenz leads sales and marketing at Dental City, a privately held dental distribution company in Green Bay. He works in an environment that is both fun and competitive, with fat tire bike races, obstacle courses, full court and half court basketball, a racquetball court and a workout facility on site. Jordan focuses on helping a dental distribution business that sells dental supplies across the country keep its brand colorful, clean and different from the sterile feel that often shows up in dental and medical distribution. ㅤ 📌 What We CoverHow a dental distribution company sells dental supplies across the country, from infection control products like gloves and masks to filling material and local anesthetics.Private label, house brand and white label products in dental distribution, and why it is important to also carry really great branded product from some of the top manufacturers in the world.The brand connection created when a house brand sits next to big names like 3M and Honeywell, and how that can produce retention and an element of separation while giving practices options on price and consumables.Why Dental City chooses a colorful, clean, opposite of sterile brand presence with a fun logo, bold color and even a football player on the homepage to stand out in dental and medical distribution.A culture that is fun and serious at the same time, with fat tire bike races, an obstacle course, basketball courts and racquetball, all inside a company that is pushing for growth and wants to win.Jordan’s view of leading sales and marketing together so they are aligned on acquiring new customers and growing current customers while still operating on their own agenda with independent calls to action and flows.How every customer who comes in from marketing channels like email, direct mail, flyers, LinkedIn ads or Google shopping still needs to be serviced on the sales end because dental practices are cyclical buyers, not one time transactions.The mix of sales channels that matter right now, from picking up the phone and dialing to trade shows, catalogs and marketing pieces in the mail, along with digital paths where people find you on Google shopping and buy directly.Why Jordan pays attention to consumer behavior like shopping on Amazon, preferring text messages and consuming media in small and short snippets, then expects those patterns to show up in B2B buying inside dental practices.The reality that the person purchasing supplies in a...

    29 min

  5. 11/18/2025

    Weird Videos, Weekly Episodes, And Real Customers Who Already Know You (with Tyler Hull) | Ep. 13

    A sign supply distributor with weird videos, a slightly serious podcast, and 82 straight weeks without missing. That rhythm shifts casual viewers into customers who already feel like they know the team. Hosted by Kyler Nixon, this conversation with Tyler Hull from Wesco Sign Supply walks through how consistent content, in person events, long form podcasting, and honest recommendations create real sales instead of vanity metrics. Tyler shares how post COVID trade show conversations moved into a long form format, why impressions mean nothing without quotes and orders, how customers walk into events already connected through the Slightly Serious Sign Podcast, and why showing up in more places with real faces, real teaching, and real stories still cuts through AI noise and traditional ads. ㅤ 👤 Guest BioTyler Hull is the director of marketing at Wesco Sign Supply and host of The Slightly Serious Sign Podcast. He comes from sales into marketing and focuses on long form content, in person events, and honest conversations with vendors and customers. Tyler and his team are known for weird videos, weekly podcast episodes, and a style that helps sign shops learn tips, tricks, and products while getting to know the people behind the distributor. ㅤ 📌 What We CoverHow Wesco Sign Supply went from weird, funny videos to The Slightly Serious Sign Podcast as a long form channel for real product conversations.The simple launch: buying a few pieces of equipment, recording episode one while “plugging everything in,” and not missing a week for 82 weeks.How to get leadership buy-in when you are not a massive business by starting bare bones, proving results, and letting sales performance sell the idea.Why impressions, clicks, and open rates are vanity metrics when they do not lead to quotes, equipment inquiries, or orders.Stories of customers meeting Tyler at events, already knowing him from the podcast, and bringing real jobs and revenue because of that connection.The idea that giving value, tips, and honest recommendations (even when a product is not the right fit) earns trust and makes the ask easier.How omnipresence, video, and consistent content help a distributor show up in a customer’s day without feeling like an ad.Why Wesco is shifting focus from broad trade shows toward regional events, trainings, and in person experiences that grow customer business and move spend away from competitors. ㅤ 🔗 Resources MentionedThe Slightly Serious Sign PodcastWesco Sign SupplySanta videos and other “weird” Wesco contentBuzzsprout (podcast hosting and distribution)StreamYard (virtual recording and live stream tool)YouTube monetization for long form video and podcast clipsGary V10X (omnipresence concept)HubSpotMarketing Against The Grain podcast

    32 min

  6. 11/11/2025

    Phone Systems, Replatforming, and Aerospace Certification (with Mark Knight) | Ep. 12

    A 40th year in distribution brings perspective on culture, leadership, and growth. Kyler Nixon sits with Mark Knight, CEO at Fibre Glast, to talk management style, respect, and giving credit where credit is due. Mark shares early lessons like “sometimes you just need to show people who’s boss,” and why he chose assertive, direct, and supportive leadership instead. He explains servant leadership and the step beyond it he calls servantcy, where leaders and teams serve each other. The conversation moves into day one at Fibre Glast in 2021, building core values with integrity and respect as must haves, and investing in people resources. Tactically, the team prioritized phone systems, CRM, and a risk-mitigating web replatform without breaking what customers love. Growth remains balanced, profitable, and sustainable, with high barriers to entry and a differentiated value proposition, including AS 91 20 B aerospace certification driven by customer feedback. ㅤ 👤 Guest BioMark Knight is the CEO at Fibre Glast. His 40th year in distribution includes roles across industrial management, operations, and supply chain, growing into marketing and general management. He has led in large publicly traded industrial businesses and small privately held organizations. Mark stepped into Fibre Glast in 2021, created a set of core values with integrity and respect as must haves, and emphasizes servant leadership, conservancy, and building a healthy, supportive culture. ㅤ 📌 What We CoverManagement style and culture shifts from the eighties to todayServant leadership and the team-first idea Mark calls conservancyHiring and leading for passion in B2B distributionThe pride moment when families recognize where you workDay one at Fibre Glast in 2021 and creating core values with team ownershipPrioritizing phone systems, CRM, and people resourcesReplatforming to mitigate risk without breaking SEO juice or customer experienceBalanced, profitable, sustainable growth with high barriers to entry and aerospace certification ㅤ 🔗 Resources MentionedFibre Glast website: https://www.fibreglast.comEOS and the L 10 meetingPPGAS 91 20 B aerospace certification

    26 min

  7. 11/04/2025

    SMS That B2B Buyers Actually Want, 75X ROI included (with Kristin Dean) | Ep 11

    SMS marketing shows up where busy professionals live, on their phones. In this conversation, Kyler Nixon sits down with Kristin Dean to unpack why hairstylists, massage therapists, and spa pros engage in the middle of the day, how product-focused texts beat education in SMS, and why webinars still win. Kristin shares the starting point, taking top-performing short emails and turning them into concise texts, then testing send times, segmentation by profession, treatments, and a simple benchmark approach to attribution. She details the move from SMS Bump to Klaviyo, low-cost tests, and a 75X ROI that ended internal pushback fast. The discussion expands to education as a funnel, cross-functional content with licensed staff, and company-wide momentum for brand building at a family-owned business. Listeners will hear practical send cadences, how engagement changed over time, and why knowing the customer shapes every message. ㅤ 👤 Guest Bio Kristin Dean is Revenue Director at Universal Companies. Kristin has led email and SMS programs, uses AI daily for copy and analysis, and partners with licensed staff across product development, sales, and the call center to create blogs and webinars. Her team tested SMS with product-focused messages, refined send times, and reported a 75X ROI. Kristin is focused on education as a funnel, cross-functional collaboration, and brand building for a family-owned company. ㅤ 📌 What We Cover Why a B2B audience still acts like consumers, and how that unlocked SMS testingTurning top-performing, shorter emails into texts, then expanding into new arrivals roundups, discounts, and webinar signupsSegmentation by profession and treatment types, mirroring email while adjusting for SMS engagementSend time insights, evenings for email, and the middle of the day for SMS between appointmentsMeasuring ROI with low-cost sends, simple benchmarks, and realistic attribution expectationsPlatform shift from SMS Bump shutting down to Klaviyo to tie channels togetherSend cadence changes, weekly to every other week, as engagement settlesEducation as a funnel, webinars that get quick daytime signups, and company-wide support for brand building ㅤ 🔗 Resources Mentioned KlaviyoSMS Bump

    24 min

  8. 10/28/2025

    Be Natural, Genuine, and Authentic with Your Customers (with Andrew Haring) | Ep. 10

    Branding can carry a mythical connotation, but the real signal shows up in how you communicate when the waters get murky. In this conversation, Kyler Nixon sits down with Andrew Haring to contrast blanket price increases with a customer-first stance that says we are here to serve our customers and we are in your corner. Andrew unpacks proactive pricing announcements, why trust and service trump price points, and how being natural, genuine, and authentic builds a single version of yourself that customers recognize. The discussion moves from personal brand to channels and tactics, including robust social, a strong email calendar, consistent point of purchase, printed catalogs, and create once and distribute everywhere. Andrew details segmentation by product brand categories and buying behavior, the role of quarterly specials and product launches, and a simple playbook focused on shortening lead times, regional support, and technical service that makes marketing easy to promote. ㅤ 👤 Guest BioAndrew Haring is a Friend of the Glass Industry and CMO at FHC. He has 20 years in the glass, construction, and architectural industries with an emphasis on marketing, education, sales, and advocacy. He served as Vice President of Business Development at the National Glass Association and previously as Vice President of Marketing at C.R. Laurence. Recognitions include Glazier Nation’s Advocate of the Year and a USGlass Magazine Most Influential People mention. He is a calculated noisemaker who likes glass and values brand equity. ㅤ 📌 What We CoverHandling tariffs with proactive communication, mitigation, and a customer-first pricing announcementTrust and service outweigh price points, with actions that back partnership and supportAuthenticity over polish: fewer versions of yourself, what you see is what you getChannels that work in a squirrely industry: robust social, strong email calendar, point of purchase, printed catalogs, trade publicationsCreate once and distribute everywhere with automation and programmatic advertisingEmail as both relationship and transaction: quarterly specials, product launches, staying top of mind for project-driven purchasesSegmentation by product brand categories and buying behavior across commercial and residential profiles and company sizesA simple playbook for growth: shorten lead times, add locations for regional support, invest in technical service, and make adoption easier ㅤ 🔗 Resources MentionedKyler Nixon on LinkedInAndrew Haring on LinkedInFHC — Frameless Hardware Company

    26 min
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5
out of 5
6 Ratings

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
    2K
  • Episodes
    18
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 Forward Studios
  • Show Website
    Darn Good Distributors