Join us for the inaugural episode of our NEW program, The Winning Link, hosted by Billy Taylor!
Each episode, Billy will take a deep dive into personal and business leadership with leaders of all types, from sports to business icons, to break down the anatomy of excellence. And who better to kick off the program than living legend and Head Basketball Coach at St. Vincent – St. Mary High School Dru Joyce? Join Billy and Scott to get the lowdown on Coach Dru’s professional path, life lessons and coaching insights. You don’t want to miss this inspiring conversation with a famed leader, mentor and change maker! (Case in point: Scott took 18 pages of notes … )
Intro/Outro (00:00:05):
Welcome to the winning link, a show dedicated to dissecting business and leadership excellence. We take a deep dive into various aspects of business and operational excellence, current events and personal and leadership development topics. The guests on the podcast will be credible industry leaders and practitioners offering a portfolio of techniques and methods for positive growth.
Billy Taylor (00:00:31):
It’s the winning link powered by supply chain. Now I tell you today’s show we’re in Akron, Ohio in the LeBron James arena. This is exciting. Uh, thank you for joining the show. I like to welcome my co-host Scott Luton. Scott, how are you doing
Scott Luton (00:00:49):
Today? Doing fantastic man, here with a legendary figure and a legendary arena, and we’re gonna have an outstanding conversation. And by the way, talk about legendary. You and I had dinner with our friend Ellis at Edgars last night. Yes. And it wasn’t that
Billy Taylor (00:01:03):
Delicious. Oh, phenomenal. I think the smoke prime rib you had was, and I wanted to reach over to your plate and leave mine. I wanted to let you, I wanted to let you,
Scott Luton (00:01:13):
Uh, Fri green tomatoes, rib tips, uh, you name it. All of it was delicious.
Billy Taylor (00:01:18):
Wasn’t it was phenomenal. And, and the ambient, uh, environment was nice. Yes, it was. It was really nice.
Scott Luton (00:01:24):
And the conversation, maybe that’s the only thing that may have topped that smoked prime rib. Cause that was delicious. But as great as that mill was last night, we’ve got an outstanding conversation teed up today,
Billy Taylor (00:01:35):
Right? Absolutely. Absolutely. We have a living legend who was today. Uh, shall I say an active legend? There we go. Right. As he continues to win coach drew Joyce, uh, drew Joyce is the, um, head coach of Akron St. Vincent St. Mary’s high school. You probably heard about it. A lot of legendary players have come out of this, this, this, uh, institution of learning. Uh, so welcome coach drew,
Coach Dru Joyce (00:01:58):
Billy. Thanks for having me. I’m excited to be here and, uh, to talk with you and Scott.
Billy Taylor (00:02:04):
Yeah. Oh, well, thank you. Thank I tell you what, um, I’ve known drew, um, personally, as well as he’s actually mentored my children, some of my children, cause they’ve come through this institution. Yes mm-hmm <affirmative> uh, and so he’s, he’s clearly a developer of, of, of, of youth, right? Uh, he invests in, in people and, and that’s why I thought he’d be a great guess because, uh, the winning link is a show about personal and leadership business development, right. So we can tap into your personal growth, uh, business growth, because you are gonna hear today about coach drew Joyce, uh, his portfolio extends further than basketball,
Scott Luton (00:02:41):
Right. Right. You know, in the operative word in your podcast, serious title is winning. And gosh, I couldn’t imagine too many other guests that can epitomize that that’s right. Beyond coach drew. Uh, so coach, as I shared with your pre-show mm-hmm, <affirmative>, I’ve made it almost a third through your book here beyond championships. Yes. Uh, and I’m gonna read the rest of my flight back to, uh, ATL mm-hmm <affirmative>, but man, what a, what a story. And, you know, Billy, we’re gonna get into some of this, but I really appreciate, uh, the transparency and kind of opening yourself up and your journey up and let folks know, you know, the, the real, uh, the real deal, keeping it real about your journey and, and what you faced and what you overcame.
Coach Dru Joyce (00:03:20):
Uh, yes. Uh, it wasn’t, uh, going to be like that, but, uh, the, a gentleman from Zondervan said, Hey, you know, you just can’t talk about principles. They people wanna know about you. Right. Uh, honestly I felt like, uh, me why they were know about me. So
Scott Luton (00:03:39):
<laugh> probably has something to do with, uh, the trophy case back to the brim out there. Huh?
Coach Dru Joyce (00:03:45):
Yeah. So, uh, but, uh, yeah, I, so once we started on that road and we, we started to share, there was, there was just some things that I knew that, uh, I could share that would be, uh, beneficial because they, they were, you know, my life is kind of like 99.9% of all American lives. You know, I’m not that in, I’m not in that, that group that is superstardom, I’m just, uh, uh, a regular guy trying to do some things, uh, to, you know, to make life better. Yeah.
Scott Luton (00:04:15):
So, Billy, I, I know we’re gonna get started here in a second, but I gotta say, so, uh, the live, the active legend living legends, you put it, uh, coach drew very humble. Uh, he is exactly what you’re here and what you’re gonna see here today. You know, he’s, he’s a very humble guy for seven state titles now. Absolutely. National championship. Yes. You know, had all kinds of, to your point, he’s invested in all kinds of talent. Yes. Including some worldwide icons that have come out of the school here and his coaching
Billy Taylor (00:04:44):
Tu. Absolutely. Because right. LeBron wasn’t LeBron back then that they people know today. Right. Right. And, and so let’s be very transparent about that. In fact, the school has won 10 state championships and drew has been a part of nine of those dang and head coach for seven of those. So, you know, I was kidding about just taking it for granted. We expect drew to be in the state championship every day. Right? Yeah. It’s like, we, we, we, we buy our tickets at the end of the last game <laugh> and so, but Drew’s modest. And, and I’ll say this and, and he doesn’t know this. I don’t, I no longer have a child playing. Okay. But there’s a lot of parents and community people that were in the audience and I was going in the men’s room. And, uh, it was, it was someone part of the cleaning service of the arena. They ran into the bathroom with me and just, Hey, is, is, is the same guy still coaching that team? And I said, coach drew George. He goes, yeah. I said, yeah, same guy. <laugh> same guy. So not only we notice him, appreciate him. He noticed appreciated, I think
Scott Luton (00:05:47):
The Legion of fans, Legion of fans
Billy Taylor (00:05:50):
So started, but Scott starting there. Yeah. You know, that had to come from some sort of foundation for drew and drew. I’d like to hear, tell us a little about growing up in, uh, east Liverpool, Ohio.
Coach Dru Joyce (00:06:01):
Wow. Wow. So for so many years, I wanted to deny that <laugh>
Billy Taylor (00:06:05):
<laugh>
Coach Dru Joyce (00:06:06):
Yeah. East Liverpool, Ohio is a small town, uh, when I was growing about 30,000 people down on the Ohio river, if you can imagine it’s the first city in Ohio on the Ohio river, Pennsylvania, West Virginia bordering it. And, uh, you know, it was just, uh, small town, uh, you know, lot, I grew up, uh, in a very humble beginnings, uh, on a dirt hill road, uh, that, uh, you know, uh, from a gen in a generational household, my grandmother was there, my great uncle, my mother and father, and, uh, you know, so that’s what I saw. My cousins lived right across the street and I had some cousins up the street. And so that’s the best,
Scott Luton (00:06:49):
I bet y’all had all kinds of games with
Coach Dru Joyce (00:06:50):
All cousins. That’s how, that’s, how it was. And, uh, we grew up and that’s, uh, uh, football was the, the main sport. So that’s what I played growing up. And, uh, you know, and, uh, through high school and ran track. And, but, uh, it was, you know, small town, there’s only one high school. So everybody, you know, goes to high school together, those who are more affluent and those who are less and, uh, you know, I was, uh, not the best student, but, you know, I was always gonna be competitive. Right. You know, I, wasn’t gonna be the one who, uh, had to hide their paper when the teacher passed it back, you know, I’ve been there,
Scott Luton (00:07:27):
I’ve been there and you speak to that in your book. Mm-hmm, <affirmative> uh, about that competitive spirit. It wasn’t just related to sports. You apply that to academics too.
Coach Dru Joyce (00:07:36):
Yeah. Yeah. You know, uh, my mother wasn’t gonna have it any other way. She didn’t care anything about, uh, any kind of a ball bouncing or me running down the field, catching the pass. That was not, you know, I’m the first person in my family to, to go to college and to graduate from college. So, uh, that was, uh, stuff that she, uh, you know, put in me and, and, and, uh, over the years made sure I, there was love that a time after my first year in college, uh, I transferred. And, uh, I, I, you know, there were some steel mills around the area and I got a job in the steel mill and I’m finally making a few dollars. Right. I’m like, wow, this is good. And some of my friends who didn’t go to college, they got cars and mm-hmm <affirmative> and they making money and I’m go to my mom. And I said, look, yeah, I don’t think I’m gonna go back to school. And <laugh> she said, uh, no, don’t, you can forget that right here. <laugh> well,
Scott Luton (00:08:25):
So I gotta interject really quick cause Billy, on some of your previous appearances, your mother had a certain acronym for NFL.
Billy Taylor (00:08:32):
Right. If you didn’t make it at least to be, it meant not for long when you be playing.
Coach Dru Joyce (00:08:37):
Okay. That, that’s what I appreciate that. Yeah. Not for long. Yes. But you know,
Billy Taylor (00:08:40):
But that segues to Scott and, and drew values. Yes. And that’s something that’s for the next generation for values. Talk about some of the biggest values your mother instilled in you that you instilled in the people you mentoring coach.
Coach Dru Joyce (00:08:56):
Oh. You know, you know, it is been, it’s been great. Uh, you know, the one thing that, you know, we always talked about was, you know, just being thankful mm-hmm <affirmative>, you know, we come from a modest, uh, background, like I said, but there was a lot of love in the household and we were thankful for everything that we got mm-hmm <affirmative>. And so, you know, I talked to my kids now about being thankful, you know, you guys don’t get it, you’re in a situation you got LeBron sponsor in the school, you know, you need to be thankful. There’s a whole bunch of people and kids that don’t have this opportunity. Right. Mm-hmm <affirmative> yeah. Then, you know, then we, you know, we talk about, uh, you know, just having some integrity, understand, you know, my mother was, you know, about being, being truthful and honest, you know, mm-hmm, <affirmative>, she, she always would press me about, uh, you know, just, just carrying yourself and, and, you know, she always said to me, you know, character is, uh, who you are when no one’s looking that’s right. <laugh> so that’s right. And so we, you know, we talk about that with the team, you know, that, Hey, uh, I need to understand who you are in the classroom, you know, in front of me on the C, but we, we need to talk about who you are in the classroom, because that’s gonna be who you are in the court in some moments, you know? Yeah.
Scott Luton (00:10:03):
So quick follow up. I know there’s a couple of questions we gonna tell there’s so much about your, uh, early days. That’s fascinating to me, at least me and Billy. Um, so you’re a really, really humble individual despite all the success. And you had a successful career with ConAgra, which we’re gonna talk about, uh, successful career, obviously as a, as a future hall of fame basketball coach. We’ll see. That’s, that’s my words. <laugh>, um, you’re really so humble. Did, is that part of what you also got from your parents?
Coach Dru Joyce (00:10:31):
You know, my mother was never, uh, you know, one to, to brag. She always would point out that person to me, that she felt was braggadocious. And she, uh, you know, uh, kind of just, you know, let me know that, uh, do what you need to do. Uh, and you know, you don’t have to, uh, stand up and shout all, uh, all, let everyone know. Right. You know, you don’t have to always get the pat on the back, you know, this, you know, and it’s about to work. So, right. Uh, she was a hard working woman and, uh, I’m very appreciative. Uh, you know, both my, neither of my parents graduated high school. So, uh, you know, it was always about, uh, getting the work done and, and, and putting in that kind of, that kind of time. So, yeah. Yeah. The, uh, she’s, she helped me to become, uh, uh, humble. She helped me to understand that humility can go take you a long way. You know, you don’t, you know, you’re not in, you know, you’re not in everyone’s face and, you know, and that the accomplishments that you have are to be shared because you didn’t get there by yourself. That’s right. Yeah.
Billy Taylor (00:11:42):
True. You know, it, it is definitely coming across, you have a, a, a distinct value for family mm-hmm <affirmative> and I know you have a sister.
Coach Dru Joyce (00:11:49):
Yeah.
Billy Taylor (00:11:50):
Right. And, uh, you spent some influential time with your sister and, uh, was it Queens?
Coach Dru Joyce (00:11:54):
Yeah. In New York. Yeah. My sister she’s now passed, but, uh, growing up, uh, that was, it kind of helped me to understand, uh, city life. Uh, the, I can remember it. It’s kind of strange that my wife and I talk about this all the time, uh, in our first grade, my sister’s 18 years older than me. Uh, so I guess I always ask my mom was I really a mistaken <laugh>, you know, <laugh>, but anyway, my sister’s 18 years older than me, and I would go to New York first grade, uh, day after school was out, I’m on a plane, you know, my mother, they, you know, back in the day, they could put you on a plane and right. My sister be right there at the, the gate to, uh, take me off. So every summer from first grade through eighth or ninth grade, I spent the summers in New York city. And it was, it was, uh, uh, it really helped, it helped me to under see the city and, uh, understand city life. I made some good friends there and, uh, it was educational. Yeah.
Scott Luton (00:12:50):
All the influential figures.
Coach Dru Joyce (00:12:52):
Yeah. Oh yeah.
Scott Luton (00:12:53):
St Alban’s era. I said
Coach Dru Joyce (00:12:54):
That wrong. Is that St Alvin’s? Yeah. Mm-hmm <affirmative> we used to ride and past Ja James Brown house, and, you know, we would, you know, those kind of things. And that was, that was a lot of fun. And to, uh, just to, you know, the energy of a city, you know, you could just feel it. And, uh, uh, you know, from that point forward, uh, I, you know, I, I, you know, I told my wife, I said, that’s where I made up my mind. I wanted to marry a, a woman from a city, you know, I wanna marry a city girl. So now what,
Scott Luton (00:13:22):
What a tremendous advantage to be able to have that experience every summer? What were those ages? You did that from
Coach Dru Joyce (00:13:28):
First grade through eighth grade. Yeah. You know, and I would spend two months there and, uh, it was, you know, and, uh, it was so much, it was so different. I mean, there were kids, you know, my, my, my family where I grew up and there was a few of us, but, you know, we go to New York and there’s you go outside and there’s 40 kids from up and down the block. So, yeah. It’s just a lot of, lot of fun. Lot of fun growing up.
Billy Taylor (00:13:52):
Yeah. Scott. Yes, sir. This has been interesting.
Scott Luton (00:13:56):
Oh man. Fascinating. I wish we had six hours with coach truth,
Billy Taylor (00:14:00):
But we were talking last night at dinner. We were like, wow, what was it before basketball? So not, you know, yeah. We got deep into
Scott Luton (00:14:08):
That. So this is, this is, you know, so at supply chain now, right. Mm-hmm, <affirmative> which we’re very fortunate to have winning link, be part of which new series Billy, this is gonna be a lot of fun if this sets the standard, holy cow. Um, but ConAgra, you know, solo you now we’re all about industry global business, obviously ConAgra is a big name. Yes. Uh, and some folks may not realize that you had a successful about a 25 year career at ConAgra, right?
Coach Dru Joyce (00:14:34):
Yeah, yeah. Yes. Uh, first job outta college, uh, my only job outta college and, uh, it was hunt Western foods then, and as I said earlier, first person to graduate from college and, uh, it was a sales job. And I can remember, uh, I came home, uh, I, you know, from east Liverpool in two east Liverpool and my wife’s from Pittsburgh. So I go to Pittsburgh and I’m interviewing for the job. Uh, and we hadn’t, we, we were, we weren’t married yet. And we were planning to get married that, uh, uh, that, uh, October. Yep. And I’m you interviewing? And, uh, it was funny because, uh, I get through the first interview and they want me to wait, uh, you know, a few weeks for the next interview. I’m like, Hey, I’m trying to get, I’m getting married in a few weeks. I need to, you know, good job.
Coach Dru Joyce (00:15:21):
I need job. Right. So I actually drove the district manager. The district office was here in Cleveland. Okay. So I drove to Cleveland to get to the second interview. And, uh, so I, you know, I was, I was, Hey, I, I felt like if you want me, I want you. And then, you know, and let’s, let’s get hitched. Right? Yeah. My wife wants us <laugh> right. Exactly. You know, the other thing that sold me is, you know, um, they gave me a company car, you know, and I was like, I was driving a little, uh, Opal cadet <laugh>, you know, that I had through college. And, uh, it was honest, last legs, you know, and they were saying, yeah, we’ll give you a car every two to three years, you get a new car and, you know, and I’m like, sign me up. Yeah. That was it. That was it.
Scott Luton (00:16:11):
So, so I gotta ask you kind of a quick aside, cause I wanna, I wanna kinda learn more about what you loved about that role, what you didn’t like about that role. But, um, little side, I used to work in the food business myself. Okay. Uh, uh, with a big food distributor. Okay. And we’d cut all kinds of products, right. A taste test and differences between them. Mm-hmm <affirmative> and it dawned on me how much, hopefully I don’t get in trouble. Yeah. It dawned on me how much more I like Hz ketchup versus hunts ketchup <laugh> any, so did you, did you convert the hunts when you’re 25 years there? Get
Coach Dru Joyce (00:16:41):
Us in troubles. Here’s the crazy thing. My wife’s my wife’s father worked at Hines in Pittsburgh. Oh, really? Man. So, so, you know, and you know, I would bring the hunts ketchup up home, but she would be bringing the Hines. So <laugh> good. So yeah. So those, uh, first five years in Pittsburgh, it was kind of a trade off. I’m saying, look, uh, hunts bringing is a paycheck. We need to buy hunts, but she was like, Hey, I grew up on this. Hi,
Scott Luton (00:17:08):
I’m with her. Well, so ConAgra, huge, uh, so many different brands folks know mm-hmm <affirmative> so 25 years there before you get into highlight successful coaching career, mm-hmm <affirmative> two part question. What did you love about your time at ConAgra mm-hmm <affirmative> and what did didn’t you like so much about
Coach Dru Joyce (00:17:26):
It? Well, honestly, what I, I loved about it is sales sales is, you know, it’s rewarding. You, you, you know, at the end of the day, did you, did you, did you accomplish something mm-hmm <affirmative> did you make a sale? Did you, you know, and uh, I had a, a great man who was my mentor and it’s, it’s a funny story. And, uh, it, wasn’t funny then, but as I think about it now, <laugh>,
Scott Luton (00:17:48):
Uh,
Coach Dru Joyce (00:17:48):
That’s always how it good, right? It is, he’s a Italian gentleman. Who’s now he’s passed. But, uh, uh, you know, I went through the, the interview process and, you know, I had a beard, a full beard back then and, you know, they were telling me, they liked me, but said, you know, you know, Hey, salesman, don’t wear beards. And I’m like, well, do you have a, a, you know, a dress code? And he said, well, you know, we wear a suit. So was like, well, do you have a, you know, is how extensive is it? And he said, well, you know, it’s, it’s pretty extensive, you know, and salesman don’t. And I said, well, are you guys gonna hire me? He said, oh yeah, you’re gonna start in two weeks. I, I said, well, I’ll see you guys in two weeks. And <laugh>, you know, so I come back and they, I guess they fully believed I was gonna shave.
Coach Dru Joyce (00:18:31):
And I came back the next, that two weeks later, I hadn’t shaved. And, you know, I could see that he was taken a little back by that, the fact that I hadn’t shaved. So we’re riding around, going to the cuz I, I started out going to retail supermarkets and making sure all of our product was on, on the shelf and in the right spot. But he says to me, and I’m driving and I’m a young man just outta college. He says, uh, drew affirmative action. Got you. This job. Goodness gracious. But your performance is what’s gonna keep it. Wow. And I’m like, dang, the, the I’m like, wait, who you, you don’t even know me. You become like that. You know, you don’t even know me. How do even respond? You know? So, uh, and you know, but I, I got out the car after I took him back to his car and drive driving home.
Coach Dru Joyce (00:19:23):
I’m like, do, do I really want to be involved with this? This man came at me like that, but you know what? Over the years he became my mentor. He taught me everything. I, I need to know about sales. And it was a great five years that I spent with him. And, uh, he really took me under his wing. And, uh, I was like a surrogate son, you know, that’s how he treated me. And that was so, uh, beard or no beard. He, he helped me, uh, to, to, to go through it. So, uh, but over the years, like I said, the, the sales was rewarding. You know, we had early on, it was all kind of contest and you could win this and spiffs. Yeah. You know? Okay. Oh yeah. With you, you know, we won. So, you know, and I was pretty good at it.
Coach Dru Joyce (00:20:04):
You know, I’m competitive. I wanted to win. I won trips to the super bowl. We went to, we even looked to London. In fact, uh, when we got married, cuz I had didn’t really have, uh, a job. So we had no honeymoon <laugh>, you know, it was a, a night at the hotel down the street <laugh> so, and we got married, you know, so, you know, I’m so thankful now, but you know, people talk about weddings now. Right? Uh, my wife’s mother, my mother-in-law and her sisters cooked all the food for our wedding. Wow. Wow. You know, I mean, that’s how it was. And I mean, I mean her and my wife’s my mother-in-law’s sisters, they came up from Alabama. Wow. To help her prepare, to prove for this move for the wedding. And it was, you know, that’s the kind of, you know, family that it was. And, but, you know, uh, we, I’m just thankful and you know, we, we went to the hotel down the street and we had our, our time together and, you know, uh, so, and it’s
Billy Taylor (00:21:04):
A great memory,
Coach Dru Joyce (00:21:05):
Looking back now, you didn’t even mean great memory, you know, you
Billy Taylor (00:21:07):
Don’t know what you don’t
Coach Dru Joyce (00:21:08):
Know. Hey, and we didn’t know. And you know what, and, but, you know, so those were just, uh, some of those, uh, uh, special things that you, that happened early on in that, in, in the, in the career. And, uh, but as you know, we, uh, the children started coming and we had, you know, two daughters, uh, couple years in. And then, uh, you know, I was, I, because I didn’t shave, I was kind of, they had me there cuz you know, Hey, affirmative action had me there. <laugh> so, uh, and I was doing some good things and winning some trips. But uh, what I started to say is that first year of, uh, that was our honeymoon, we won a trip and our honeymoon was to Washington DC and uh, uh, uh, Williamsburg, Virginia, Virginia. So we went to, we, that was our honeymoon. Fantastic gardens maybe. Yeah. We went to Bush gardens. Yes. Yes. Lock
Billy Taylor (00:22:05):
Next monster. Big, bad Wolf I’ve
Coach Dru Joyce (00:22:06):
Been there. Okay. Yeah. So
Billy Taylor (00:22:08):
You were gonna say you were gonna comment on something. I think he, he, you pointed out something that I think is a lost art yeah. In today’s leadership. Mm-hmm, <affirmative> that level of transparency and I call it the ugly baby, having the ugly baby <laugh> right. You can’t in business, you can’t walk up and, and avoid that question. Mm-hmm <affirmative> you have, and, and that leader to say what, what he said to you, trust transparency to let you know. Right. What’s your current reality. And, and often we avoid that and, and, and that’s the lost art on today’s youth because, you know, when we grew up, they just think about our grand great, great grandparents. They essentially lived to work mm-hmm right. They had the farm, they had to go do this. Right. And our parents, they went to work so we could live. Right, right. <laugh> they, they paid for our college and you said grades and stuff, weren’t a priority back then. Mm-hmm <affirmative> today. Our kids do what they work and live. Right. Mm-hmm <affirmative> they get information so quick on their phones. And so the loss, art of transparency yes. Is some parents skirt around that. Yes. And, and, and I’ve seen you do this with, with, with young men, uh, around that conversational, transparent, how important do you think that is? And was it in your professional life of ConAgra?
Coach Dru Joyce (00:23:29):
Uh, you know, it was very important, you know, that, uh, kind of set the tone for who he was and how, uh, how we wanna deal with this, how we’re gonna, how we’re gonna work. And, uh, you know, over the years, uh, you, you got to appreciate that, that, uh, you know, that he, he dealt with hard truth and, you know, uh, no one wants hard truth anymore. That’s right. You know, I tell my players, you know, Hey, uh, uh, I’m gonna give you the hard truth. I’m not going, I’m not sugar coating this. Uh, you think you’re this, this player, well, here’s where I’m at with you. And, and, you know, and, and it’s not something to, to be, be demeaning or anything, but it’s just to, to give them that, you know, the, a wake up. Yeah. Because you know, a lot of times, uh, you know, you, you, you’re walking around with your head in the, in the clouds, right. And you need to come down to earth and really understand and see things.
Scott Luton (00:24:24):
It might hurt her feelings. Mm-hmm <affirmative>, but it furthers their, their journey for sure. What they need to hear, what we all need
Coach Dru Joyce (00:24:31):
To hear is that, and if that’s exactly what that comment did for me on that first day of work, uh, it was hard truth and yeah, I was either going to perform, okay. Uh, I wasn’t gonna be around. And, uh, I chose to perform and, uh,
Scott Luton (00:24:47):
I’m glad I wasn’t a fly on the wall and that cool. That was a real moment,
Coach Dru Joyce (00:24:52):
Inspiration years. It was. And, uh, then five years in, uh, I get an opportunity to come to, uh, Cleveland and, uh, move into, uh, uh, a, uh, promotion role, senior sales rep, and then from there to, uh, management role as an account manager. And, and so it’s, uh, it was a, it was, it is been a great journey. It was a great journey. I, and I think that, uh, the, the main things that, you know, uh, I still take from that are, are just understanding the process. You know, that I tell, I tell the guys, uh, you know, you gotta trust the process. That’s right. There’s a, there’s a process. There’s a way of, of going about things. Then it doesn’t always match up to what you want or how you, how you see it. But if you trust the process, then we can get to the same, uh, that same goal that both of us want, but there there’s a process here, and we need to trust this process.
Scott Luton (00:25:44):
Love that. Um, I wanna short change 25 years in a successful career at con group, but I wanna move us ahead because I wanna, um, you had a really tough decision to make. Yeah. And that you speak to in the book, I love the exchange you put in the book about it. Um, and that was to leave ConAgra mm-hmm <affirmative> and chase your passion. Right. So talk to us about that a little bit.
Coach Dru Joyce (00:26:05):
Yeah. As, uh, I got going in this, uh, in my, my kids were growing up and, uh, I actually, uh, I, you know, drew, uh, would follow me around I’m, uh, the weekend warrior, you know, and your son. Yeah. My son drew follow me around and, you know, I could see he, he was falling in love with basketball and I, I took him to a rec center, uh, and, uh, you know, the first one I took him to, he was seven and you had to be eight years old. He turned, this is like in December, I’m like, look, he turns eight in January. He’s pretty good. You, I let him play, they turn me down. So I take him to ed Davis, community center and, uh, uh, Jerry Roland, uh, kind of an Akron legend here. I walk in, I said to Jerry, I said, look, uh, he’s, uh, he’s pretty good, but he’s, oh, he’s only seven.
Coach Dru Joyce (00:26:51):
And Jerry said, uh, uh, I’m going to, I’m going, I’m gonna let him play under. Okay. But he said under, you know, under one circumstance and I said, well, what’s that? He says, you got to coach the team. Wow. That’s quite a as. Yeah. So, uh, you know, I had kind of in high school thought about being a coach. So this was, but coaching football. So it was an opportunity. So I, I jumped at it, you know, and over the years that first year, you know, we, I had fun with it, then responsibilities at work, got a little more, so I couldn’t do it the next year, but I was that dad who was always trying to be in the stands, trying to be there. And, uh, one time, you know, drew gets, uh, uh, you know, uh, asked to play on a, on a travel team. I didn’t know anything about travel basketball, but I’ve taken him around and we play. And some of the kids on the team, uh, they leave. And I happened to, you know, tell the guy who was coaching. I said, Hey, I know another pretty good player. <laugh>, you know, <laugh> and, uh, you’re
Scott Luton (00:27:53):
Kind of agent part agent too
Coach Dru Joyce (00:27:55):
There. Right. I said, yeah, I know another pretty good player. And, uh, you know, and it was LeBron James. And, and so I take LeBron to a practice and it was right at the end of the travel season in June. So we didn’t really get to play. Uh, but maybe I really, we didn’t get to play any terms. The team kind of fell apart that next fall, uh, the guy who was coaching the team, he, he leaves, he, he was in, he was a younger guy. Yep. He got graduated. College goes to, gets a job in, uh, coaching, in teaching in the school. And the parents come to me and say, why don’t you coach the team? So again, I’m saying this is fun. And as I started coaching the team over those years at 11, 12, 13, you know, I just said, like I said, in the book, there was times I, I, I, you know, I would drive, I’d pull up in the driveway after work.
Coach Dru Joyce (00:28:43):
And I would just sit there in the car for a moment. And, and the question became, you know, what have you really done today that matters? And, you know, then I’d get out the car and, uh, we’d have a practice and I’d pack all these kids in our, our van and drive ’em to Cleveland. And then I, I would see in, wow, this is, this matters. These, these kids they’re, you know, the joy on their face when we would travel and all those first, you know, LeBron and all the guys, the first time they seen the ocean was with us. Mm-hmm <affirmative> the first time they rode in a plane, not just LeBron, but a bunch of kids. Right, sure. With us. And, you know, so the, the, the, the passion to, and coaching was, it just started to grow. And, um,
Scott Luton (00:29:28):
Can I pan interrupt just for a second? Sure. Because we knew we were gonna get moments of brilliance with coach. True. Mm-hmm <affirmative> and he just dropped, I think a question Billy, that we all should be asking ourselves. Mm-hmm <affirmative>, uh, he talked about coming home from ConAgra one day and, you know, sitting in the driveway, what have, what have I really done today that matters? That’s different Philly speaks to that really quick. Cause that hit me like a ton of bricks.
Billy Taylor (00:29:50):
No. And, and when he said that, what have I done and, and think of the title of his book beyond championships.
Scott Luton (00:29:56):
Right. That’s right. Those
Billy Taylor (00:29:57):
Are the things that are beyond championships, beyond paychecks. Mm-hmm, <affirmative> beyond. Right. Because, you know, when I look at what he’s talking about as a parent there’s presence and presence, right. Okay. Right. You can give your child a, present, a bike. Mm-hmm <affirmative> a PlayStation
Scott Luton (00:30:13):
Nintendo, right. For me back in the day
Billy Taylor (00:30:15):
<laugh> but you know what? Your child will forget those things, but the things that they take to the grave, the things we’ve talked about withdrew today, mm-hmm <affirmative> are the presence his, his, his, his family had yeah. The presence his mom had, you know, as, as I always say, define winning. Yeah. Me as a father, winning is being present. Mm-hmm <affirmative> being available for my kids. Yes. Those are the values. That’s when, you know, you make a difference. Yep. The coach, the people you coach, they don’t come back and say, Hey, drew, there’s our banner.
Scott Luton (00:30:45):
<laugh>
Billy Taylor (00:30:45):
They don’t say, I say, coach, thank you for making my son will text him. My son will actually have those relationships. Right. Because of his presence. Mm-hmm <affirmative> and that’s the thing. When you say you make a difference in yeah. The kids that are in the bleachers that play for you, they all come back to the game. Yeah. Yes. Right. And, and so that’s what I mean,
Scott Luton (00:31:05):
I love that. And speaking to that, we’re gonna have a quote here in a minute. I’m not share with you, but you were thank you for letting us interrupt just for a second. Sure. So, uh, so you took us right up to
Coach Dru Joyce (00:31:16):
The moment, right? You thinking about coaching for a living? Yes. Uh, you know, and I have to admit, you know, as I grew into this and this love for coaching and being involved with the young men, uh, grew with me, honestly, my, you know, my desire to be at work and to do the ConAgra thing, kind of, it was kind of it kind of dwindled. So, uh, you know, the company, I don’t think that I was still getting the stuff done, but I don’t the word got out because now you I’m coaching, you know, the best player in the country on a high school. And I, I can remember, uh, one time, uh, you know, uh, LeBron, because he’s LeBron, he’s on the front page of USA today. Right. You know, that’s crazy. And I’m in the background and my, the president of our company of con group foods, uh, he calls my boss.
Coach Dru Joyce (00:32:10):
He says, what is drew doing on the front page of us today, a today coaching this high school team. So, uh, wow. You know, and, uh, my, my boss, uh, uh, Gordon ever a personal friend, uh he’s he explained, Hey, he’s doing this after work. There’s not, he’s not cutting any corners while, uh, but you know, so I don’t think the company really was, you know, gung ho about everyone in their, in the sales force becoming a coach or anything, you know, in the headline. Right. So, uh, there was, uh, a, I, I felt like they were putting me out to pastor. I was calling on the largest account here in the Midwest, uh, giant Eagle supermarkets, 15 million a, a year. And wow. They made a decision that they were, wanna move me out of the account. They were going to, um, move me to an account in New York that had been in Syracuse, New York that had been in chapter 11 twice.
Coach Dru Joyce (00:33:07):
Wow. So I’m like, wow. Now, you know, I’m like, so at that meeting, when they were telling me this, uh, my son drew is a freshman in college and my son’s youngest son, Cameron is a freshman in high school. So when this comes up, I said, well, yeah, I’ll, I’ll, I’ll, I’ll do it. Take, take, take it, take I’ll drive the Syracuse. Mm-hmm <affirmative> once a week. And, and, uh, and I’ll do it. And, but I got in the car, I’m driving home from the meeting and I called my wife and I said, uh, I said, my, my mouth said yes, but my heart is saying no,
Scott Luton (00:33:44):
No. Wow. Wow. So really quick aside, driving that once a week, the Syracuse, it was a good thing. They gave you a company car. Cause that Opal cadet may not make
Coach Dru Joyce (00:33:54):
No, no, the Opal, the Opal had died years earlier. <laugh> yeah. The Opal had died. Yeah.
Scott Luton (00:34:01):
So you, so you made that decision, you took that leap mm-hmm <affirmative>, uh, we’re not gonna be able to give it justice today, but one of the first things you did, I believe mm-hmm <affirmative> was create like a 50 team, a U
Coach Dru Joyce (00:34:12):
Leave a, a you lead, Hey, I was trying to figure out how am I going to make a living? <laugh>
Scott Luton (00:34:15):
Sure. Hey, every entrepreneur can, can relate to this.
Coach Dru Joyce (00:34:18):
Yeah.
Scott Luton (00:34:18):
Yeah. Um, so let’s talk, you mentioned LeBron James of course. A couple times. Yeah. Uh, and, and, you know, we don’t wanna dwell on LeBron. It it’s, gosh, goodness gracious. What he’s been doing. Let’s talk about what’s one impact that you believe you’ve had on him as a player or as a person. Yeah. And then what’s one impact he’s had on you as a coach and a
Coach Dru Joyce (00:34:37):
Person. Sure. You know, uh, me, uh, he said it to me, he, he said it more than once that, uh, I helped him become a man helping grow into becoming a man. And he really said, I taught him about understanding what it means to sacrifice cuz he saw sacrifices that I made for those, for all those boys that were riding around. And uh, so, uh, I think sacrifice and helping him understand, you know, uh, what it means to be a man, uh, and helping him grow into, because LeBron was very, very observant. He watched everything. Not only was he observant when we had basketball practice, but how I treated my wife, how I treated the, the, you know, the, the, the lady at the restaurant who maybe messed up the order, you know, he’s watching all those things. So we were very cognizant, not just me, but the, the other coaches of how we portrayed ourselves in front of those young men that we, you know, we, uh, we just believed at that moment that we needed to, uh, whole uphold a, a value, uh, uh, and you know, a role model. We, we recognize, Hey, we’re we’re role models and we need to, to do it in the right way. Yeah. So, uh, but you know, for me, you know, I think one of the things that, that he’s helped me understand really truly is about the work.
Scott Luton (00:35:58):
Mm. Ah,
Coach Dru Joyce (00:36:00):
You know, I’ve seen him in high school, I’ve seen him, I had the pleasure with the, the documentary, the release of the documentary, right. To travel around the world with him. But in everywhere we went, he took time out every day to put in time on the court to work. I mean, we’re in China and it’s funny, you know, it’s, it’s, uh, you know, I, I, I still think about it. You know, we go to this gym, it’s supposedly a gym and it’s got a, a hoop, but the bathrooms were just like holes in the floor. Wow. You know, and this is the, but he’s there and he’s, he’s putting in that time. So over the years, uh, it’s been a great lesson for me and I, and I, and I share it with all the kids. It’s about the work. There’s no, there’s no shortcuts to this. Yes.
Scott Luton (00:36:48):
I love that. Uh, I’m gonna have to go back and find her name. Um, we had a, um, a chemical industry PhD with us. She formally worked at NASA. Uh, brilliant. We had back a couple times with us on supply. You now mm-hmm <affirmative> and Billy, to your point, uh, coach, she was asked by one of our attendees, Hey, how do I move into a, you know, how do I earn my PhD? How do I, you know, become a leader? How do I move into, you know, to C-suite and all that kind of stuff. And to her, to that question, she said, you do the work, you do the work, you wanna do this, you do the work. You wanna do this, you do the work. I mean, I hate to be too simplistic, but simp simplicity is a good thing sometimes.
Coach Dru Joyce (00:37:30):
Oh, very good. Very good. Sometimes it’s the best thing, right?
Scott Luton (00:37:33):
That’s right. Um, alright, so Billy, I’ve got one more thing. I wanna ask coach. Sure. As I said, we, we need six hours. Yes. Maybe 12. Yes. Coach. There’s so many elements of your journey. Um, I wanna get both of you y’all to speak to this, but, but the quote is about you, uh, coach LeBron says, I think in the foreword of your book, mm-hmm, <affirmative> says, quote, my brothers and I were no different from all or from other kids all over the world. We all had dreams for too many kids. Those dreams feel unreachable, but for us, they never did because coach drew showed us that no matter what sort of obstacles we faced, we could make our dreams a reality. What does that mean to you?
Coach Dru Joyce (00:38:15):
Oh, you know, it, it, it, it just goes back to when we were 11 years old, that team was so that I wasn’t, I’ve coached in 11 years old team. And we would go through the first national championship. And, you know, we, we, you know, it’s funny if I think about it, we had, uh, put five guys in our car. Two kids had never even played with us. Uh, we picked up two new kids. We drive to cocoa beach, Florida, and we play in the AAU nationals and we’re in awe. You know, they have all the teams marching in like this, the Olympics. And you know, so, uh, and we played, well, we finished ninth. And, uh, from that point, I said, look, fellas, uh, let’s win a national championship. We can do this. And we started talking. I said, look, when we get, Hey, we’re gonna tell, I want you guys to, to say this.
Coach Dru Joyce (00:39:00):
I want you guys to talk about it. I want you guys to, you know, tell we’re gonna win a national championship. And I said, don’t, there’s gonna be people who look at you, like you crazy. And you foolish, and that ain’t going happen. And you wanna hear? I said, but you gotta keep talking it, keep saying it. And you know, uh, over the years, you know, Hey, the next year we went, uh, we finished 10th. Then we go to 13 and under, we get knocked out. We don’t finish. We don’t win at all. Then at 14. And under, we get to the championship game, man, and we lose and I’m thinking, wow, this is the last time I’m gonna get to coach ’em. And, uh, there’s pressure on you
Scott Luton (00:39:39):
At that moment. I believe you Don think
Coach Dru Joyce (00:39:41):
You speak to that. Yeah. Cause you know, I thought, Hey, I I’d spent so much time with them. And uh, you know, I, we were grooming them to all go to high school together. And uh, and I just felt like, Hey, this is it’s been great. And I I’ve enjoyed it. And, you know, Hey, you could see the LeBron was going to, you know, at that point, I, I didn’t know he was gonna be the star that he is now, but I knew that he was going to have a great future in basketball. I knew that there was no doubt. He was the best player at that 14 and under AAU national championships. And, uh, so, uh, you know, it was, it was tough. And then, you know, so they, they make the decision to come here. Uh, and um, honestly, Keith Dan brought, asked me to come on.
Coach Dru Joyce (00:40:23):
Right. And you know, so that’s, that’s the previous head coach head coach prior to you. Yeah. And I’m, I’m, I, I, he asked me to come on and be an assist. He said, Hey, these are your kids. These are your guys. And then two years after that, he leaves and calls me up. Uh, well, honestly I’m doing, uh, parade of homes with my wife <laugh> and we’re going, walking through homes and a reporter calls me and says, Hey, uh, the kids are, uh, are you gonna take the kids and leave? Now that Keith’s going to acronym? And I like, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I hadn’t heard anything. So I get home that evening. I call Keith. He says, yeah, I took the job at, I want to get back into college coaching and I want you to replace me. And I, you know, for a minute, you know, I was like, wow, ah, I don’t know.
Coach Dru Joyce (00:41:06):
I don’t think I’m ready for this. <laugh> because the team’s nationally ranked mm-hmm <affirmative> they’ve, uh, over the two years, they’ve only lost one game in two years. Uh, dang. And I’m thinking, uh, you know, coaching AAU and coaching high school was, uh, I’m I’m not sure about this, but my wife just said to me, she says, how can you say no? Right. How can you said that earlier? Yes. Yeah. She said, this is God, you know, honoring all those years, you driving up and down the highway with those boys. How can you say no? So I needed, I needed to hear that. Sometimes you need that little push. Yes. That’s why it’s important for everyone. I talk about it in the book that there’s no bootstraps. You don’t pull yourself up by your bootstraps. There’s always someone out there that’s going to help you.
Coach Dru Joyce (00:41:50):
Someone’s going to just, if it’s just a comment, like she made to me yes. That you need to hear at that moment. And, uh, and I needed to hear it. So, you know, I, I, you know, accept the job and, uh, I understood if we win, it’s gonna be because they were Keith’s kids. Right. But I said, if we lose, it’s going be my fault. That’s right. And that first year, what did we do? Yeah, we lost. And it was tough, but we still had that dream. We kept that dream right. Of winning a national championship. And, uh, the guys came back and, uh, you know, the gentleman just walked in. He was one of the ones that, uh, really said, uh, to the, to the guys, after that junior year, they’re going to their senior year, Hey, we’re gonna listen to coach you. We’re gonna get this done. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. And to, to have that happen, to win that national championship, I know all those years of saying, having them tell people we’re gonna win a national championship. They got to see that, Hey dreams come true. Right. It may not happen. Like you want it. It may not come. It may, it may not be, you know, uh, as
Scott Luton (00:42:55):
Come as quick, quick as you want, you
Coach Dru Joyce (00:42:56):
Want it, or, you know, but there’s the, if you stay with it, if you stick with it, if you, if you are, are willing to go through the obstacles, the ups and downs to, you know, and figure out how to, to make it work, you know, you know, that’s what you do. And when you, you look at everyone, anyone’s life who’s been successful. That there’s been those, those, that adversity. Yeah. That you have to go through and know those guys, uh, they, they stuck together and, and it made it happen. And, and now that the Banner’s hanging and it’s all fun,
Scott Luton (00:43:28):
Which Billy we’re about to dive into really quick aside, you’ve you have, uh, alluded to a couple times and, and, um, we can’t get into it today, but having all the players in the van taking ’em coast to coast down in Florida, you name it. I bet there’s a series just focused on those stories from those trips, but we’ll save that for another time. Oh,
Billy Taylor (00:43:48):
I saw at the, uh, last Friday, uh, couple of former players were up in my office
Coach Dru Joyce (00:43:53):
And
Billy Taylor (00:43:54):
Okay. They were actually just telling they’re like true siblings. Right. They’re picking on each other. One says, you know, I was a pretty skilled big man. And the other one looked over and like, <laugh>, it was kind of the old thing. My mom would say, the older you get the better you were.
Coach Dru Joyce (00:44:08):
Right. <laugh> the better you were.
Billy Taylor (00:44:10):
Right. And so I saw that, but I don’t wanna miss out on something too. And we’ve all shared the same thing since we’ve been talking this morning and he said, his wife, Carolyn mm-hmm, <affirmative> called him. And, and, and was his best advisor in that situation. Mm-hmm <affirmative> what did you say this morning? My wife was a big part of integral part of your business. That’s right. As well as linked Excel, my wife lived a big role. Mm-hmm <affirmative> and so, so drew, that leads me into right. Let’s talk about, you know, Scott, the, the, the formula for winning this’s. Right, right. You, you seem to have the recipe, right. You know, the fact chef, chef drew, chef drew drip. Yeah. Chef of winning chef basketball chef. We give him a new nickname, the basketball chef, who has the ingredients of winning. Now he’s also a chef for your, those. We do have, uh, like cooking events around Akron and drew, drew always wins. I don’t know if he has a stack deck or what, but he’s beat me a couple of times in those shows, but,
Scott Luton (00:45:04):
Well, well, hang on sec, I took notes earlier. Evidently one of the winning dishes is spice, rubbed chicken with a, a spicy coast
Coach Dru Joyce (00:45:12):
Law. Yeah. Right? Yeah. That’s that’s, that’s, that’s the signature one. Okay.
Billy Taylor (00:45:16):
He crushed, he crushed my lobster, Mac and cheese. Let me tell you, he crushed it.
Coach Dru Joyce (00:45:21):
Me. See,
Billy Taylor (00:45:23):
But drew, let’s talk about, you know, in business, I always go into companies and I say the, the formula for winning is strategy plus execution equals results. And what I mean by that, that plus is what often get to overlook mm-hmm <affirmative> who owns what? Okay. Right. You gotta look at, and for me, it’s always extreme ownership because in the happens of ownership, people wanna blame you. Yeah. They wanna blame the coach when they do, they want, but coach in play, coach didn’t make any passes, but there’s several intangibles that come into play. So drew, I just wanted to just talk about the formula for winning for you and in basketball. Yeah. Just talk a little bit about that.
Coach Dru Joyce (00:45:59):
Yeah. You know, uh, you know, what’s, it kind of goes back to that first group. It’s it’s selling the vision. Yeah. You know, we were able to sell the vision and that’s, uh, what I I’ve been good at. I’ve been good at getting, getting the kids to every year to buy in that this is your time mm-hmm <affirmative>, you know, we talk about it before the season. And I know some of the younger kids probably think, oh, he’s he? Well, he’s kind of crazy. <laugh> I’m telling, I need you to visualize, I need you to visualize right now, you cutting down those nets at the final game, in the state championship. I need you to see it. I said, so, you know, and, and I need you to think about this and I need you to, to understand that’s the destination. Now there’s gonna be a lot of stops on this journey, but, you know, I want you to start to, to, to visualize that.
Coach Dru Joyce (00:46:48):
And so, you know, I, you get the kids to you start out to buy into that vision. And then, you know, as we said earlier, it’s about trusting the process, you know, uh, you know, I, I I’m, you know, I, I, I tell the kids all the time that the difference between good and great is the, are the details. Mm. So, you know, we’re gonna focus on the details. Mm-hmm <affirmative> uh, and then the other thing that has been really good for me is, you know, this is management, I learn and management, you manage to your strength, your staff, to your weakness. That’s right. <laugh> I love that
Billy Taylor (00:47:20):
Dude.
Coach Dru Joyce (00:47:20):
That’s that is
Billy Taylor (00:47:21):
A quote add is, so you repeat that for the,
Coach Dru Joyce (00:47:24):
Yeah. You manage to your strength, your staff, to your weakness, and you know, and that, that not only goes with my coaching staff, but with the who, the players, you put on the floor. Yeah. You, you manage to that strength and you staff around those guys to the weakness and mm-hmm <affirmative> so that’s, that’s how we, that’s how we go about it. And then the other thing, you know, that I think that is sometimes overlooked. Do what you do best mm-hmm. Uh, I, Hey, my guys tell you, you might come to our practice and you just going to go, it’s all about defense, the whole practice. Mm-hmm <affirmative> we’re going guard. You mm-hmm <affirmative> that’s what everyone knows. That’s what everyone understands. You play Saint. Doesn’t say, Mary, they’re going guard. You, you ain’t getting no easy ones here. <laugh> so, you know, and we, you know, so those are the kind of things that have built the culture. Yes. You know, and we, you know, we don’t, I tell the other thing I tell the kids coming in. Yeah. Uh, I don’t know. I don’t know. Y’all right now. We’ll get to know each other, but I’m not lowering the standard. I love that. This is the standard. I’m not lowering the
Scott Luton (00:48:23):
Standard. I gotta ask you really quick. So I’m a big Clemson fan. Yes. Oliver Pernell. What? Coach? Clemson. Basketball was one. My favorite coaches. He had the diamond press. Mm-hmm <affirmative> cause to your point, there was no easy buckets. You’re and, and, and he wasn’t gonna give up any real estate from the time you inbound the ball all the way down. Yeah. We’re gonna be all on you. I love that. It sounds like
Coach Dru Joyce (00:48:44):
That’s core. You’re coaching philosophy too. Yeah. We’re we’re going to guard you 94 feet. Sometimes we might trap you, but Hey, even if we don’t trap you, that one guy on you, you gonna know he is there. <laugh> you gonna know he is there. I love that.
Scott Luton (00:48:57):
All right. You
Billy Taylor (00:48:58):
Know, he said something I wanna touch on. And you said manage to your strengths after your weakness. You know, a lot. I do keynote speaking as well. And I know you do. You’ve actually came to good year. Yeah. And spoke to the whole leadership team. And I would say, you know, I had 13 degrees, I was smart. I had 13 degrees and there was, wow, you got 13 degrees. I said, yes, I was smart enough to earn two. And I hired 11 <laugh>. Right. And I use all
Coach Dru Joyce (00:49:22):
Billy Taylor (00:49:23):
Because I know that there are some weaknesses mm-hmm <affirmative> and that leads me into, you know, even culture. Right. And I look at, you had a profound impact on my daughter, Alexis who came to the school, it was all new to her. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. Yeah. And you were her source of mentorship, the source because she played basketball really aggressive. And she would often coach drew, coach drew. And now she still, she sees coach drew she’ll shoot through those doors. Mm-hmm <affirmative> cause he had an impact and he didn’t, she didn’t play boys basketball. <laugh> right. She has a relationship, but I think of you and the impact you’ve had, and I’m thinking a hundred years from now. Yeah, yeah. A hundred years from now. What do you want people to think or, or say about the legacy of coach drew Joyce? You’re most proud of?
Coach Dru Joyce (00:50:12):
Oh boy. Uh, I, you know, honestly, um, you know, it’s been about,
Scott Luton (00:50:18):
Um,
Coach Dru Joyce (00:50:19):
You know, giving back, you know, mm-hmm, <affirmative> that, um, you know, I truly believe that you know that in life that you, everyone says, you know, people talk about your life’s purpose. Mm-hmm <affirmative> I think you, you know, everything in your life should have purpose mm-hmm <affirmative>, but, uh, this has, you know, coaching has purpose for me. I, I see it as a, my sacred responsibility. I get to pour my life into the lives of young men at a very impressionable age. And, uh, I need to take it serious. I need to, I need to understand that, you know what I do, how I carry myself, even like Billy Billy’s talking about his daughter, I can remember it was it’s funny. Um, she came to the school, she’s new. They, they have a, a basketball retreat and, uh, uh, I, they asked me to come to, to the girls’ basketball retreat and speak at the retreat.
Coach Dru Joyce (00:51:13):
And I go in and, you know, you know, I’d seen other girls around and I see this new face and she’s kind of sitting back and, you know, and, but her, she, Hey, her eyes didn’t come off me. She was listening. Like every word I said, so, uh, but you know, those moments, you know, and, and, you know, uh, my pastor always used to tell me, you know, you don’t, you just don’t know how much, you know, you’ve impacted someone. And, and sometimes they don’t really understand it. He used, he used an example of one time he used it in a, in, in a sermon. And he says, do you remember what you had for dinner September 13th? And you know, all everybody’s like, no, no, I can’t remember. I had yesterday. And he said, but that’s, you know, there’s been people in your life. And, uh, that sometime in your past, took a moment with you, pour it into you for that one day, with that one hour. Right. And helped you become to who you are.
Scott Luton (00:52:13):
Yeah. There’s a, there’s a quote. I’m gonna butcher this. I’m sure. Uh, it’s been attributed to Saint Francis of a Sisi. I think I got that. Right. Mm-hmm <affirmative> and it, it goes along the lines of what you’re sharing. Uh, basically be careful with your words, because it may be the only sermon that
Coach Dru Joyce (00:52:29):
Oh,
Scott Luton (00:52:29):
Yes. You interact with mm-hmm <affirmative> here’s today. Yeah. And to your point, you never know. Yeah. We might be, we just cast it off. We don’t think about it. Mm-hmm <affirmative> but clearly you had a big impact whether you knew it or not with Alexis. Right. Absolutely. And gosh, I, I think about all the other students that come through here, folks that played for you folks that didn’t yeah. They, they interacted with you, they were observing you. Yeah. I mean, you have touched on talking about legacy. Yeah. You touched on countless lives. That’s gotta be going back to that moment as you’re sitting in your driveway. Yeah. And you’re thinking about what have I done today, man? That’s gotta be fulfilling coach.
Coach Dru Joyce (00:53:07):
Yeah. It is. And, uh, you know, I’m very thankful and, and uh, honestly, it, this is, uh, very blessed. And even this year, uh, here at the school, they, they, they used my book in the leadership class and, um, there were players in there in the class that I had cut mm-hmm <affirmative>. Ooh. And mm-hmm <affirmative>, you know, to have, you know, after the class, they, they let me come in the last day and speak and I, I shared, and then, you know, they, the teachers told me afterwards, yeah. This young man, you know, he he’s, he, he was just talked about how much of an influence you are in his life. And I’m thinking, wow, that’s a guy that mm-hmm <affirmative>, uh, I cut, you know, mm-hmm <affirmative> so you, you just don’t know, you just don’t know. So you, you, you need to be conscious of, uh, all those moments, uh, right. All those moments,
Scott Luton (00:53:55):
All those sermons you’re making, whether you know it or not.
Coach Dru Joyce (00:53:57):
Exactly. Yes, absolutely.
Billy Taylor (00:53:58):
You know, my, my most impressional moment and I, I was hitting out and you kind of, you were in the middle of the court, this was last week and you look up to me, you know, and I was leaving mm-hmm <affirmative> and you had, right. Everybody wanted you to have the net. And I, I looked at you and I didn’t see coach a coach. I saw an investor, an investor in human capital mm-hmm <affirmative>. And I’ve seen you invest so much into the young talent in adults so that they can withdraw something out later on because they don’t know. And, and until that, it, it, it, it takes leadership courage. And, and I just want you to, this is the last question I want you to expound upon, cuz I’ve said, and I, and I’ve stole this one from you. Um, I don’t treat everyone equally, but I treat ’em fairly mm-hmm <affirmative> I treat ’em fairly. Right. And, and I laughed Jimmy Johnson once and he said he was talking, he says, you know, Troy Aman was a Dallas cowboy. If he fell asleep, I probably just wake him up. Right. And I talked to him afterwards, don’t do it again. Right. A rookie that he said, I’m on a cut him.
Scott Luton (00:55:01):
He goes after he said about them, Cowboys that right before I think that’s what got him too. How about them cowboy?
Coach Dru Joyce (00:55:08):
Mm-hmm go
Billy Taylor (00:55:08):
Talk about that. Cause I know you treat a lot of people
Coach Dru Joyce (00:55:11):
Fairly. Yeah. You know, when, when guys come in, you know, and I, I, I was just talking with a parent just yesterday and, and I shared, I said, look, uh, your son comes in as a freshman and you know, uh, I’m not gonna hold him back. If he’s good enough to play varsity as a freshman, then he’ll play, uh, you know, I’m gonna be fair. I wanna be fair with him. And you know, uh, that’s one thing you can, you can definitely understand. And, uh, you know how that looks now, you know, going, uh, over the, over the years while he is here, you may not agree with, I have parents all the time that, well, my son’s got a short leash. Well, your son has a short leash because that’s what he’s got. Right. You know, and as, as Jimmy Johnson said, uh, sincere Harris, this you’re our star player.
Coach Dru Joyce (00:55:55):
Yes. I told guys, Hey, Hey, look, he’s going to take some bad shots. Now I’m gonna live with his mm-hmm <affirmative> but I’m not living with yours. <laugh> all right. I’m not living with yours. I’m like, I’m gonna live with his because he leads us in scoring. He leads us in rebounding. He leads, he’s a he’s, he’s the number two guy in assist. And he plays harder than all of you. So he’s earned something that you may have not mm-hmm <affirmative> so, uh, that’s where, that’s where the, the equality comes in now, Hey, I’m gonna be, Hey, this is, this is he’s getting what he’s worked for. <laugh> and you know, now the, the fairness is you show me that work mm-hmm <affirmative> and your day will come too. Mm-hmm <affirmative> let’s try like
Billy Taylor (00:56:36):
That. Good. Well, this has been a great show, uh, and drew one, as we look up and here at St. Vincent St. Mary’s, as you said, they only hang state banner.
Coach Dru Joyce (00:56:46):
Yeah. Only one. That’s all state championships,
Billy Taylor (00:56:48):
No state championships, no, no regionals. But the legacy that, that you have as a person, as a leader, as a coach, it will go 200 years. Oh gosh. It will be right. And it it’s it’s I was at a clothing store, uh, this week, uh, about a week ago. And the guy says he’s golf with you before.
Coach Dru Joyce (00:57:06):
Yeah. Okay. Right.
Billy Taylor (00:57:08):
Uh, leafy. Yeah. And he goes, people see you on the golf course and they wanna come talk to you. And he, he says, so that’s your legacy. And you’re very modest. Right. And so, you know, I’m proud to know you. I really respect you. And when I brought you up to Scott, he was like, wow,
Scott Luton (00:57:24):
Man, I’m I’m, I’m on cloud nine right now, if you can’t know that I got about 18 pages of notes, but you know, you never know when you meet celebrities or insert whatever word, you know, how they’re gonna be Billy, this is better than advertise. And the openness with which and the, and the humility with which you, you share. Mm-hmm <affirmative> man, that’s like a secret sauce. Um, but we gotta make sure Billy, we gotta make sure folks know how to get the book, how they can connect with coach. Yeah.
Billy Taylor (00:57:54):
Right, right. Because he’s a great speaker. Like I said, I had him come in to speak, uh, at Goodyear, he’s actually spoke to some of our affinity groups. Uh, and so drew and in the book, uh, drew, how do people get in contact with you if they wanna inquire about you speaking?
Coach Dru Joyce (00:58:11):
Sure. Yeah. My email address is pretty simple. It’s coach drew, D R u@neobasketball.com and, uh, you know, contact me there. I’m on that, uh, uh, you know, uh, I’m not big on, I got some social media. Yeah. I, uh, I’m I’m on Twitter. I may not answer you if you hit me on Twitter. It’s at, it’s at coach drew Joyce, but I may not, but you come send me an email, uh, go to the, to the website, send me an email. I, I, I will follow up. And, uh, the book is, uh, you can get the book in Amazon and that’s where I got it. Yeah. Yeah. Zondervan is the, is the publisher. And, you know, I’m just thankful, you know, I’ve learned a lot from this guy here too. I, I, I, you know, and, uh, you know, he, uh, I use this one, he, uh, all the time, he says, he said, what you tolerate, you can’t change. And, uh, you know, and, uh,
Scott Luton (00:59:13):
I, you mean the mayor here.
Coach Dru Joyce (00:59:14):
Yeah, yeah, yeah. So Billy I’ve, you know, you know, I had him come in and talk to the team also, and he shared, uh, his, uh, his wisdom and, uh, all the things that he’s accomplished in his life. And it’s been great. We’ve had, we have a lot of great fun, you know? Yes. Yeah.
Scott Luton (00:59:30):
So, but I got one final question. Mm-hmm, <affirmative>, what’s this basketball game, like,
Coach Dru Joyce (00:59:35):
Ah, you know, he, Hey, he and I don’t get on the court. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. We, we leave that alone. <laugh>
Intro/Outro (00:59:43):
Know your strengths.
Scott Luton (00:59:44):
That’s
Coach Dru Joyce (00:59:45):
Right.
Billy Taylor (00:59:46):
Recruit
Coach Dru Joyce (00:59:47):
Those others do that’s
Scott Luton (00:59:50):
Hey, we have to have you back. We gotta have you back on.
Coach Dru Joyce (00:59:54):
It’s been my pleasure. I I’m thankful for you, uh, to have me come. And, uh, I, I appreciate this opportunity to, to share. Absolutely. I really do.
Billy Taylor (01:00:04):
Thank you. Well, you know, Scott called me Drew’s agent, right. <laugh> and so, you know, again, I, I would recommend him as a speaker. I recommend his book if you’re having some leadership training, because there, the key takeaways in the book are beyond basketball. Yeah. Okay. And so keep that in mind. Uh, Scott, thank you for yes. Treat Scott, Scott fuels a supply chain now and, and Scott and I met through a series of guest podcasts. And so I’ve joined the supply chain now team. All right. So the winning league. So that’s a good thing to celebrate. Mm-hmm <affirmative> Scott, what’s the favorite thing that drew said that resonates with you as a
Scott Luton (01:00:42):
League, man? Well, you, you see all my,
Billy Taylor (01:00:44):
All my, I know that’s why I wanna, I wanna go there to close this out.
Scott Luton (01:00:47):
I gotta, I can’t, um, I can’t harp on this enough, that moment, that Eureka moment he had as he pulled into his driveway and had that real moment with himself mm-hmm <affirmative> and asked him that question. I mean, that, that’s a, there was a pivotal moment for him, but as leaders, as practitioners, as humans, I think that’s a question we all have to ask ourselves and whether you ask it daily or weekly or whatever, the cadence is, the answers to that question is where the secret sauce and our journeys lie, coach.
Coach Dru Joyce (01:01:19):
I like that. Appreciate it.
Scott Luton (01:01:20):
Yeah. Love your story. Very good.
Billy Taylor (01:01:22):
All right. Well, to everyone, this is the winning link. We’re here in Akron, Ohio in the LeBron James arena. And I like to leave you with this. This is my favorite quote. If you make people visible, they’ll make you valuable.
Coach Dru Joyce (01:01:36):
Mm. All right.
Billy Taylor (01:01:37):
Thank you. Signing off on the winning link.
Coach Dru Joyce was born in East Liverpool, Ohio and graduated from East Liverpool High School in 1973. He received his degree from Ohio University in 1978. Upon graduation, Coach Dru began a career as a Sales Representative for Hunt-Wesson Foods. After 25 years of dedicated service and varying degrees of responsibility, he left corporate America to follow his dream of coaching. He was named Head Boys Basketball Coach in 2001 and has coached the Fighting Irish to five State Championships. Coach Dru has written a book entitled “Beyond Championships: A Playbook For Winning At Life,” which documents the life principles he has used to help boys grow into men. Coach is married with four adult children and seven grandchildren. He has two children who are alumni: Dru and Cameron. Head Coach Dru Joyce enters his 21st year at STVM as the Head Coach for the STVM Boys Varsity Basketball team.
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Host, Logistics with Purpose
Kristi Porter is VP of Sales and Marketing at Vector Global Logistics, a company that is changing the world through supply chain. In her role, she oversees all marketing efforts and supports the sales team in doing what they do best. In addition to this role, she is the Chief Do-Gooder at Signify, which assists nonprofits and social impact companies through copywriting and marketing strategy consulting. She has almost 20 years of professional experience, and loves every opportunity to help people do more good.
Host
From humble beginnings working the import docks, representing Fortune 500 giants, Ford, Michelin Tire, and Black & Decker; to Amazon technology patent holder and Nordstrom Change Leader, Kimberly Reuter has designed, implemented, and optimized best-in-class, highly scalable global logistics and retail operations all over the world. Kimberly’s ability to set strategic vision supported by bomb-proof processes, built on decades of hands-on experience, has elevated her to legendary status. Sought after by her peers and executives for her intellectual capital and keen insights, Kimberly is a thought leader in the retail logistics industry.
Host, Supply Chain Now en Espanol
Sofia Rivas Herrera is a Mexican Industrial Engineer from Tecnologico de Monterrey class 2019. Upon graduation, she earned a scholarship to study MIT’s Graduate Certificate in Logistics and Supply Chain Management and graduated as one of the Top 3 performers of her class in 2020. She also has a multicultural background due to her international academic experiences at Singapore Management University and Kühne Logistics University in Hamburg. Sofia self-identifies as a Supply Chain enthusiast & ambassador sharing her passion for the field in her daily life.
Host, Supply Chain Now en Espanol
Demo Perez started his career in 1997 in the industry by chance when a relative asked him for help for two just weeks putting together an operation for FedEx Express at the Colon Free Zone, an area where he was never been but accepted the challenge. Worked in all roles possible from a truck driver to currier to a sales representative, helped the brand introduction, market share growth and recognition in the Colon Free Zone, at the end of 1999 had the chance to meet and have a chat with Fred Smith ( FedEx CEO), joined another company in 2018 who took over the FedEx operations as Operations and sales manager, in 2004 accepted the challenge from his company to leave the FedEx operations and business to take over the operation and business of DHL Express, his major competitor and rival so couldn’t say no, by changing completely its operation model in the Free Zone. In 2005 started his first entrepreneurial journey by quitting his job and joining two friends to start a Freight Forwarding company. After 8 months was recruited back by his company LSP with the General Manager role with the challenge of growing the company and make it fully capable warehousing 3PL. By 2009 joined CSCMP and WERC and started his journey of learning and growing his international network and high-level learning. In 2012 for the first time joined a local association ( the Panama Maritime Chamber) and worked in the country’s first Logistics Strategy plan, joined and lead other associations ending as president of the Panama Logistics Council in 2017. By finishing his professional mission at LSP with a company that was 8 times the size it was when accepted the role as GM with so many jobs generated and several young professionals coached, having great financial results, took the decision to move forward and start his own business from scratch by the end of 2019. with a friend and colleague co-founded IPL Group a company that started as a boutique 3PL and now is gearing up for the post-Covid era by moving to the big leagues.
Host, Supply Chain Now
The founder of Logistics Executive Group, Kim Winter delivers 40 years of executive leadership experience spanning Executive Search & Recruitment, Leadership Development, Executive Coaching, Corporate Advisory, Motivational Speaking, Trade Facilitation and across the Supply Chain, Logistics, 3PL, E-commerce, Life Science, Cold Chain, FMCG, Retail, Maritime, Defence, Aviation, Resources, and Industrial sectors. Operating from the company’s global offices, he is a regular contributor of thought leadership to industry and media, is a professional Master of Ceremonies, and is frequently invited to chair international events.
He is a Board member of over a dozen companies throughout APAC, India, and the Middle East, a New Zealand citizen, he holds formal resident status in Australia and the UAE, and is the Australia & New Zealand representative for the UAE Government-owned Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA), the Middle East’s largest Economic Free Zone.
A triathlete and ex-professional rugby player, Kim is a qualified (IECL Sydney) executive coach and the Founder / Chairman of the successful not for profit humanitarian organization, Oasis Africa (www. oasisafrica.org.au), which has provided freedom from poverty through education to over 8000 mainly orphaned children in East Africa’s slums. Kim holds an MBA and BA from Massey & Victoria Universities (NZ).
Host, Logistics with Purpose
Adrian Purtill serves as Business Development Manager at Vector Global Logistics, where he consults with importers and exporters in various industries to match their specific shipping requirements with the most effective supply chain solutions. Vector Global Logistics is an asset-free, multi-modal logistics company that provides exceptional sea freight, air freight, truck, rail, general logistic services and consulting for our clients. Our highly trained and professional team is committed to providing creative and effective solutions, always exceeding our customer’s expectations and fostering long-term relationships. With more than 20+ years of experience in both strategy consulting and logistics, Vector Global Logistics is your best choice to proactively minimize costs while having an exceptional service level.
Host, Logistics with Purpose
Kevin Brown is the Director of Business Development for Vector Global Logistics. He has a dedicated interest in Major Account Management, Enterprise Sales, and Corporate Leadership. He offers 25 years of exceptional experience and superior performance in the sales of Logistics, Supply Chain, and Transportation Management. Kevin is a dynamic, high-impact, sales executive and corporate leader who has consistently exceeded corporate goals. He effectively coordinates multiple resources to solution sell large complex opportunities while focusing on corporate level contacts across the enterprise. His specialties include targeting and securing key accounts by analyzing customer’s current business processes and developing solutions to meet their corporate goals. Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn.
Host, Logistics with Purpose
Jose Manuel Irarrazaval es parte del equipo de Vector Global Logistics Chile. José Manuel es un gerente experimentado con experiencia en finanzas corporativas, fusiones y adquisiciones, financiamiento y reestructuración, inversión directa y financiera, tanto en Chile como en el exterior. José Manuel tiene su MBA de la Universidad de Pennsylvania- The Wharton School. Conéctese con Jose Manuel en LinkedIn.
Host, Logistics with Purpose
Nick Roemer has had a very diverse and extensive career within design and sales over the last 15 years stretching from China, Dubai, Germany, Holland, UK, and the USA. In the last 5 years, Nick has developed a hawk's eye for sustainable tech and the human-centric marketing and sales procedures that come with it. With his far-reaching and strong network within the logistics industry, Nick has been able to open new avenues and routes to market within major industries in the USA and the UAE. Nick lives by the ethos, “Give more than you take." His professional mission is to make the logistics industry leaner, cleaner and greener.
Host
Allison Krache Giddens has been with Win-Tech, a veteran-owned small business and aerospace precision machine shop, for 15 years, recently buying the company from her mentor and Win-Tech’s Founder, Dennis Winslow. She and her business partner, John Hudson now serve as Co-Presidents, leading the 33-year old company through the pandemic.
She holds undergraduate degrees in psychology and criminal justice from the University of Georgia, a Masters in Conflict Management from Kennesaw State University, a Masters in Manufacturing from Georgia Institute of Technology, and a Certificate of Finance from the University of Georgia. She also holds certificates in Google Analytics, event planning, and Cybersecurity Risk Management from Harvard online. Allison founded the Georgia Chapter of Women in Manufacturing and currently serves as Treasurer. She serves on the Chattahoochee Technical College Foundation Board as its Secretary, the liveSAFE Resources Board of Directors as Resource Development Co-Chair, and on the Leadership Cobb Alumni Association Board as Membership Chair and is also a member of Cobb Executive Women. She is on the Board for the Cobb Chamber of Commerce’s Northwest Area Councils. Allison runs The Dave Krache Foundation, a non-profit that helps pay sports fees for local kids in need.
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Billy Taylor is a Proven Business Excellence Practitioner and Leadership Guru with over 25 years leading operations for a Fortune 500 company, Goodyear. He is also the CEO of LinkedXL (Excellence), a Business Operating Systems Architecting Firm dedicated to implementing sustainable operating systems that drive sustainable results. Taylor’s achievements in the industry have made him a Next Generational Lean pacesetter with significant contributions.
An American business executive, Taylor has made a name for himself as an innovative and energetic industry professional with an indispensable passion for his craft of operational excellence. His journey started many years ago and has worked with renowned corporations such as The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (GT) leading multi-site operations. With over 3 decades of service leading North America operations, he is experienced in a deeply rooted process driven approach in customer service, process integrity for sustainability.
A disciple of continuous improvement, Taylor’s love for people inspires commitment to helping others achieve their full potential. He is a dynamic speaker and hosts "The Winning Link," a popular podcast centered on business and leadership excellence with the #1 rated Supply Chain Now Network. As a leadership guru, Taylor has earned several invitations to universities, international conferences, global publications, and the U.S. Army to demonstrate how to achieve and sustain effective results through cultural acceptance and employee ownership. Leveraging the wisdom of his business acumen, strong influence as a speaker and podcaster Taylor is set to release "The Winning Link" book under McGraw Hill publishing in 2022. The book is a how-to manual to help readers understand the management of business interactions while teaching them how to Deine, Align, and Execute Winning in Business.
A servant leader, Taylor, was named by The National Diversity Council as one of the Top 100 Diversity Officers in the country in 2021. He features among Oklahoma's Most Admired CEOs and maintains key leadership roles with the Executive Advisory Board for The Shingo Institute "The Nobel Prize of Operations" and The Association of Manufacturing Excellence (AME); two world-leading organizations for operational excellence, business development, and cultural learning. He is also an Independent Director for the M-D Building Products Board, a proud American manufacturer of quality products since 1920.
Host
Tandreia Bellamy retired as the Vice President of Industrial Engineering for UPS Supply Chain Solutions which included the Global Logistics, Global Freight Forwarding and UPS Freight business units. She was responsible for operations strategy and planning, asset management, forecasting, and technology tool development to optimize sustainable efficiency while driving world class service.
Tandreia held similar positions at the business unit level for Global Logistics and Global Freight forwarding. As the leader of the Global Logistics engineering function, she directed all industrial engineering activies related to distribution, service parts logistics (post-sales support), and mail innovations (low cost, light weight shipping partnership with the USPS). Between these roles Tandreia helped to establish the Advanced Technology Group which was formed to research and develop cutting edge solutions focused on reducing reliance on manual labor.
Tandreia began her career in 1986 as a part-time hourly manual package handling employee. She spent the great majority of her career in the small package business unit which is responsible for the pick-up, sort, transport and delivery of packages domestically. She held various positions in Industrial Engineering, Marketing, Inside and On-road operations in Central Florida before transferring to Atlanta for a position in Corporate Product Development and Corporate Industrial Engineering. Tandreia later held IE leadership roles in Nebraska, Minnesota and Chicago. In her final role in small package she was an IE VP responsible for all aspects of IE, technology support and quality for the 25 states on the western half of the country.
Tandreia is currently a Director for the University of Central Florida (UCF) Foundation Board and also serves on their Dean’s Advisory Board for the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Previously Tandreia served on the Executive Advisory Board for Virginia Tech’s IE Department and the Association for Supply Chain Management. She served on the Board of Trustees for ChildServ (a Chicago child and family services non-profit) and also served on the Texas A&M and Tuskegee Engineering Advisory Boards. In 2006 she was named Business Advisor of the Year by INROADS, in 2009 she was recognized as a Technology All-Star at the Women of Color in STEM conference and in 2019 she honored as a UCF Distinguished Aluma by the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems.
Tandreia holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University and a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering and Management Systems from UCF. Her greatest accomplishment, however, is being the proud mother of two college students, Ruby (24) and Anthony (22).
Host
Marty Parker serves as both the CEO & Founder of Adæpt Advising and an award-winning Senior Lecturer (Teaching Professor) in Supply Chain and Operations Management at the University of Georgia. He has 30 years of experience as a COO, CMO, CSO (Chief Strategy Officer), VP of Operations, VP of Marketing and Process Engineer. He founded and leads UGA’s Supply Chain Advisory Board, serves as the Academic Director of UGA’s Leaders Academy, and serves on multiple company advisory boards including the Trucking Profitability Strategies Conference, Zion Solutions Group and Carlton Creative Company.
Marty enjoys helping people and companies be successful. Through UGA, Marty is passionate about his students, helping them network and find internships and jobs. He does this through several hundred one-on-one zoom meetings each year with his students and former students. Through Adæpt Advising, Marty has organized an excellent team of affiliates that he works with to help companies grow and succeed. He does this by helping c-suite executives improve their skills, develop better leaders, engage their workforce, improve processes, and develop strategic plans with detailed action steps and financial targets. Marty believes that excellence in supply chain management comes from the understanding the intersection of leadership, culture, and technology, working across all parts of the organization to meet customer needs, maximize profit and minimize costs.
Marketing Coordinator
Laura Lopez serves as our Supply Chain Now Marketing Coordinator. She graduated from Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Occidente in Mexico with a degree in marketing. Laura loves everything digital because she sees the potential it holds for companies in the marketing industry. Her passion for creativity and thinking outside the box led her to pursue a career in marketing. With experience in fields like accounting, digital marketing, and restaurants, she clearly enjoys taking on challenges. Laura lives the best of both worlds - you'll either catch her hanging out with her friends soaking up the sun in Mexico or flying out to visit her family in California!
Host
An acknowledged industry leader, Jake Barr now serves as CEO for BlueWorld Supply Chain Consulting, providing support to a cross section of Fortune 500 companies such as Cargill, Caterpillar, Colgate, Dow/Dupont, Firmenich, 3M, Merck, Bayer/Monsanto, Newell Brands, Kimberly Clark, Nestle, PepsiCo, Pfizer, Sanofi, Estee Lauder and Coty among others. He's also devoted time to engagements in public health sector work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. At P&G, he managed the breakthrough delivery of an E2E (End to End) Planning Transformation effort, creating control towers which now manage the daily business globally. He is recognized as the architect for P&G’s demand driven supply chain strategy – referenced as a “Consumer Driven Supply Chain” transformation. Jake began his career with P&G in Finance in Risk Analysis and then moved into Operations. He has experience in building supply network capability globally through leadership assignments in Asia, Latin America, North America and the Middle East. He currently serves as a Research Associate for MIT; a member of Supply Chain Industry Advisory Council; Member of Gartner’s Supply Chain Think Tank; Consumer Goods “League of Leaders“; and a recipient of the 2015 - 2021 Supply Chain “Pro’s to Know” Award. He has been recognized as a University of Kentucky Fellow.
Host
Marcia Williams, Managing Partner of USM Supply Chain, has 18 years of experience in Supply Chain, with expertise in optimizing Supply Chain-Finance Planning (S&OP/ IBP) at Large Fast-Growing CPGs for greater profitability and improved cash flows. Marcia has helped mid-sized and large companies including Lindt Chocolates, Hershey, and Coty. She holds an MBA from Michigan State University and a degree in Accounting from Universidad de la Republica, Uruguay (South America). Marcia is also a Forbes Council Contributor based out of New York, and author of the book series Supply Chains with Maria in storytelling style. A recent speaker’s engagement is Marcia TEDx Talk: TEDxMSU - How Supply Chain Impacts You: A Transformational Journey.
Host, Logistics with Purpose
Luisa Garcia is a passionate Marketer from Lagos de Moreno based in Aguascalientes. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from Universidad Autonoma de Aguascalientes, Mexico. She specializes in brand development at any stage, believing that a brand is more than just a name or image—it’s an unforgettable experience. Her expertise helps brands achieve their dreams and aspirations, making a lasting impact. Currently working at Vector Global Logistics in the Marketing team and as podcast coordinator of Logistics With Purpose®. Luisa believes that purpose-driven decisions will impact results that make a difference in the world.
Host, Logistics with Purpose
Astrid Aubert was born in Guadalajara, she is 39 years old and has had the opportunity to live in many places. She studied communication and her professional career has been in Trade Marketing for global companies such as Pepsico and Mars. She currently works as Marketing Director Mexico for Vector Global Logistics. She is responsible for internal communications and marketing strategy development for the logistics industry. She is a mother of two girls, married and lives in Monterrey. She defines herself as a creative and innovative person, and enjoys traveling and cooking a lot.
Host
Sofia Rivas Herrera is a Mexican Industrial Engineer from Tecnologico de Monterrey University, class 2019. Upon graduation she earned a scholarship to study MIT’s Graduate Certificate in Logistics and Supply Chain Management (GCLOG) and graduated as one of the Top 3 performers of her class in 2020. She also has a multicultural background due to her international academic experiences at Singapore Management University and Kühne Logistics University in Hamburg. Former Data Analyst within the airport industry in Latin America at Pacific Airport Group, performing benchmarking reports and predictive analysis of future market behavior.
Currently working as Sr. Staffing Analyst within the S&OP team in Mexico at the biggest ecommerce company in Latin America: Mercado Libre. Responsible for workforce forecasting and planning through the analysis of demand, productivity, capacity, cost & time constraints. Sofia self identifies as Supply Chain Ambassador, sharing her passion for the field in her daily life. She has been recognized as upcoming thought leader in the field and invited to participate in several podcasts (Freight Path Podcast, Supply Chain Revolution Podcast, Let’s Talk Supply Chain, Industrificados) to discuss topics such as digital transformation, automation and future skillsets for supply chain professionals.
She is a frequent featured guest at Supply Chain Now and appointed co-host for their new series Supply Chain Now en Español. Global Ambassador for ISCEAs Sustainable Supply Chain Professional Certification (CSSCP) and keynote speaker at World Supply Chain Forum 2021 by ISCEA Indonesia.
Host
Karin Bursa is the 2020 Supply Chain Pro to Know of the Year and the Host of the TEKTOK Digital Supply Chain Podcast powered by Supply Chain Now. With more than 25 years of supply chain and technology expertise (and the scars to prove it), Karin has the heart of a teacher and has helped nearly 1,000 customers transform their businesses and share their success stories. Today, she helps B2B technology companies introduce new products, capture customer success and grow global revenue, market share and profitability. In addition to her recognition as the 2020 Supply Chain Pro to Know of the Year, Karin has also been recognized as a 2019 and 2018 Supply Chain Pro to Know, 2009 Technology Marketing Executive of the Year and a 2008 Women in Technology Finalist.
Host
Vin Vashishta is the author of ‘From Data To Profit’ (Wiley 2023). It’s the playbook for monetizing data and AI. Vin is the Founder of V-Squared and built the business from client 1 to one of the world’s oldest data and AI consulting firms. His background combines nearly 30 years in strategy, leadership, software engineering, and applied machine learning.
Vice President, Production
Amanda is a production and marketing veteran and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience across a variety of industries and organizations including Von Maur, Anthropologie, AmericasMart Atlanta, and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Amanda currently manages, produces, and develops modern digital content for Supply Chain Now and their clients. Amanda has previously served as the VP of Information Systems and Webmaster on the Board of Directors for APICS Savannah, and founded and managed her own successful digital marketing firm, Magnolia Marketing Group. When she’s not leading the Supply Chain Now production team, you can find Amanda in the kitchen, reading, listening to podcasts, or enjoying time with family.
Founder, CEO, & Host
As the founder and CEO of Supply Chain Now, you might say Scott is the voice of supply chain – but he’s too much of a team player to ever claim such a title. One thing’s for sure: he’s a tried and true supply chain expert. With over 15 years of experience in the end-to-end supply chain, Scott’s insights have appeared in major publications including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and CNN. He has also been named a top industry influencer by Thinkers360, ISCEA and more.
From 2009-2011, Scott was president of APICS Atlanta, and he continues to lead initiatives that support both the local business community and global industry. A United States Air Force Veteran, Scott has also regularly led efforts to give back to his fellow veteran community since his departure from active duty in 2002.
Principal & Host
When rapid-growth technology companies, venture capital and private equity firms are looking for advisory, they call Greg – a founder, board director, advisor and catalyst of disruptive B2B technology and supply chain. An insightful visionary, Greg guides founders, investors and leadership teams in creating breakthroughs to gain market exposure and momentum – increasing overall company esteem and valuation.
Greg is a founder himself, creating Blue Ridge Solutions, a Gartner Magic Quadrant Leader in cloud-native supply chain applications, and bringing to market Curo, a field service management solution. He has also held leadership roles with Servigistics (PTC) and E3 Corporation (JDA/Blue Yonder). As a principal and host at Supply Chain Now, Greg helps guide the company’s strategic direction, hosts industry leader discussions, community livestreams, and all in addition to executive producing and hosting his original YouTube channel and podcast, TEChquila Sunrise.
Principal, Supply Chain Now
Host of Supply Chain is Boring
Talk about world-class: Chris is one of the few professionals in the world to hold CPIM-F, CLTD-F and CSCP-F designations from ASCM/APICS. He’s also the APICS coach – and our resident Supply Chain Doctor. When he’s not hosting programs with Supply Chain Now, he’s sharing supply chain knowledge on the APICS Coach Youtube channel or serving as a professional education instructor for the Georgia Tech Supply Chain & Logistic Institute’s Supply Chain Management (SCM) program and University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Center for Professional Education courses.
Chris earned a BS in Industrial Engineering from Bradley University, an MBA with emphasis in Industrial Psychology from the University of West Florida, and is a Doctoral in Supply Chain Management candidate.
Director of Sales
Tyler Ward serves as Supply Chain Now's Director of Sales. Born and raised in Mid-Atlantic, Tyler is a proud graduate of Shippensburg University where he earned his degree in Communications. After college, he made his way to the beautiful state of Oregon, where he now lives with his wife and daughter.
With over a decade of experience in sales, Tyler has a proven track record of exceeding targets and leading high-performing teams. He credits his success to his ability to communicate effectively with customers and team members alike, as well as his strategic thinking and problem-solving skills.
When he's not closing deals, you can find Tyler on the links or cheering on his favorite football and basketball teams. He also enjoys spending time with his family, playing pick-up basketball, and traveling back to Ocean City, Maryland, his favorite place!
Host of Digital Transformers
Kevin L. Jackson is a globally recognized Thought Leader, Industry Influencer and Founder/Author of the award winning “Cloud Musings” blog. He has also been recognized as a “Top 5G Influencer” (Onalytica 2019, Radar 2020), a “Top 50 Global Digital Transformation Thought Leader” (Thinkers 360 2019) and provides strategic consulting and integrated social media services to AT&T, Intel, Broadcom, Ericsson and other leading companies. Mr. Jackson’s commercial experience includes Vice President J.P. Morgan Chase, Worldwide Sales Executive for IBM and SAIC (Engility) Director Cloud Solutions. He has served on teams that have supported digital transformation projects for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the US Intelligence Community. Kevin’s formal education includes a MS Computer Engineering from Naval Postgraduate School; MA National Security & Strategic Studies from Naval War College; and a BS Aerospace Engineering from the United States Naval Academy. Internationally recognizable firms that have sponsored articles authored by him include Cisco, Microsoft, Citrix and IBM. Books include “Click to Transform” (Leaders Press, 2020), “Architecting Cloud Computing Solutions” (Packt, 2018), and “Practical Cloud Security: A Cross Industry View” (Taylor & Francis, 2016). He also delivers online training through Tulane University, O’Reilly Media, LinkedIn Learning, and Pluralsight. Mr. Jackson retired from the U.S. Navy in 1994, earning specialties in Space Systems Engineering, Carrier Onboard Delivery Logistics and carrier-based Airborne Early Warning and Control. While active, he also served with the National Reconnaissance Office, Operational Support Office, providing tactical support to Navy and Marine Corps forces worldwide.
Host of Logistics with Purpose and Supply Chain Now en Español
Enrique serves as Managing Director at Vector Global Logistics and believes we all have a personal responsibility to change the world. He is hard working, relationship minded and pro-active. Enrique trusts that the key to logistics is having a good and responsible team that truly partners with the clients and does whatever is necessary to see them succeed. He is a proud sponsor of Vector’s unique results-based work environment and before venturing into logistics he worked for the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). During his time at BCG, he worked in different industries such as Telecommunications, Energy, Industrial Goods, Building Materials, and Private Banking. His main focus was always on the operations, sales, and supply chain processes, with case focus on, logistics, growth strategy, and cost reduction. Prior to joining BCG, Enrique worked for Grupo Vitro, a Mexican glass manufacturer, for five years holding different positions from sales and logistics manager to supply chain project leader in charge of five warehouses in Colombia.
He has an MBA from The Wharton School of Business and a BS, in Mechanical Engineer from the Technologico de Monterrey in Mexico. Enrique’s passions are soccer and the ocean, and he also enjoys traveling, getting to know new people, and spending time with his wife and two kids, Emma and Enrique.
Host of Dial P for Procurement
Kelly is the Owner and Managing Director of Buyers Meeting Point and MyPurchasingCenter. She has been in procurement since 2003, starting as a practitioner and then as the Associate Director of Consulting at Emptoris. She has covered procurement news, events, publications, solutions, trends, and relevant economics at Buyers Meeting Point since 2009. Kelly is also the General Manager at Art of Procurement and Business Survey Chair for the ISM-New York Report on Business. Kelly has her MBA from Babson College as well as an MS in Library and Information Science from Simmons College and she has co-authored three books: ‘Supply Market Intelligence for Procurement Professionals’, ‘Procurement at a Crossroads’, and ‘Finance Unleashed’.
Host, Veteran Voices
Mary Kate Soliva is a veteran of the US Army and cofounder of the Guam Human Rights Initiative. She is currently in the Doctor of Criminal Justice program at Saint Leo University. She is passionate about combating human trafficking and has spent the last decade conducting training for military personnel and the local community.
Host
Constantine Limberakis is a thought leader in the area of procurement and supply management. He has over 20 years of international experience, playing strategic roles in a wide spectrum of organizations related to analyst advisory, consulting, product marketing, product development, and market research.
Throughout his career, he's been passionate about engaging global business leaders and the broader analyst and technology community with strategic content, speaking engagements, podcasts, research, webinars, and industry articles.
Constantine holds a BA in History from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and an MBA in Finance & Marketing / Masters in Public & International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh.
Business Development Manager
Clay is passionate about two things: supply chain and the marketing that goes into it. Recently graduated with a degree in marketing at the University of Georgia, Clay got his start as a journalism major and inaugural member of the Owl’s football team at Kennesaw State University – but quickly saw tremendous opportunity in the Terry College of Business. He’s already putting his education to great use at Supply Chain Now, assisting with everything from sales and brand strategy to media production. Clay has contributed to initiatives such as our leap into video production, the guest blog series, and boosting social media presence, and after nearly two years in Supply Chain Now’s Marketing Department, Clay now heads up partnership and sales initiatives with the help of the rest of the Supply Chain Now sales team.
Administrative Assistant
Trisha is new to the supply chain industry – but not to podcasting. She’s an experienced podcast manager and virtual assistant who also happens to have 20 years of experience as an elementary school teacher. It’s safe to say, she’s passionate about helping people, and she lives out that passion every day with the Supply Chain Now team, contributing to scheduling and podcast production.
Social Media Manager
My name is Chantel King and I am the Social Media Specialist at Supply Chain Now. My job is to make sure our audience is engaged and educated on the abundant amount of information the supply chain industry has to offer.
Social Media and Communications has been my niche ever since I graduated from college at The Academy of Art University in San Francisco. No, I am not a West Coast girl. I was born and raised in New Jersey, but my travel experience goes way beyond the garden state. My true passion is in creating editorial and graphic content that influences others to be great in whatever industry they are in. I’ve done this by working with lifestyle, financial, and editorial companies by providing resources to enhance their businesses.
Another passion of mine is trying new things. Whether it’s food, an activity, or a sport. I would like to say that I am an adventurous Taurus that never shies away from a new quest or challenge.
Marketing Coordinator
Lori is currently completing a degree in marketing with an emphasis in digital marketing at the University of Georgia. When she’s not supporting the marketing efforts at Supply Chain Now, you can find her at music festivals – or working toward her dream goal of a fashion career. Lori is involved in many extracurricular activities and appreciates all the learning experiences UGA has brought her.
Director, Customer Experience
Katherine is a marketing professional and MBA candidate who strives to unite her love of people with a passion for positive experiences. Having a diverse background, which includes nonprofit work with digital marketing and start-ups, she serves as a leader who helps people live their most creative lives by cultivating community, order, collaboration, and respect. With equal parts creativity and analytics, she brings a unique skill set which fosters refining, problem solving, and connecting organizations with their true vision. In her free time, you can usually find her looking for her cup of coffee, playing with her puppy Charlie, and dreaming of her next road trip.
Chief of Staff & Host
Mary Kate Love is currently the VP of marketing at Supply Chain Now focused on brand strategy and audience + revenue growth. Mary Kate’s career is a testament to her versatility and innovative spirit: she has experience in start-ups, venture capital, and building innovation initiatives from the ground up: she previously helped lead the build-out of the Supply Chain Innovation Center at Georgia-Pacific and before that, MxD (Manufacturing times Digital): the Department of Defense’s digital manufacturing innovation center. Mary Kate has a passion for taking complicated ideas and turning them into reality: she was one of the first team members at MxD and the first team member at the Supply Chain Innovation Center at Georgia-Pacific.
Mary Kate dedicates her extra time to education and mentorship: she was one of the founding Board Members for Women Influence Chicago and led an initiative for a city-wide job shadow day for young women across Chicago tech companies and was previously on the Board of Directors at St. Laurence High School in Chicago, Young Irish Fellowship Board and the UN Committee for Women. Mary Kate is the founder of National Supply Chain Day and enjoys co-hosting podcasts at Supply Chain Now. Mary Kate is from the south side of Chicago, a mom of two baby boys, and an avid 16-inch softball player. She holds a BS in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Marketing Specialist
Joshua is a student from Institute of Technology and Higher Education of Monterrey Campus Guadalajara in Communication and Digital Media. His experience ranges from Plug and Play México, DearDoc, and Nissan México creating unique social media marketing campaigns and graphics design. Joshua helps to amplify the voice of supply chain here at Supply Chain Now by assisting in graphic design, content creation, asset logistics, and more. In his free time he likes to read and write short stories as well as watch movies and television series.
Director of Communications and Executive Producer
Donna Krache is a former CNN executive producer who has won several awards in journalism and communication, including three Peabodys. She has 30 years’ experience in broadcast and digital journalism. She led the first production team at CNN to convert its show to a digital platform. She has authored many articles for CNN and other media outlets. She taught digital journalism at Georgia State University and Arizona State University. Krache holds a bachelor’s degree in government from the College of William and Mary and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of New Orleans. She is a serious sports fan who loves the Braves. She is president of the Dave Krache Foundation. Named in honor of her late husband, this non-profit pays fees for kids who want to play sports but whose parents are facing economic challenges.
Controller
Vicki has a long history of rising to challenges and keeping things up and running. First, she supported her family’s multi-million dollar business as controller for 12 years, beginning at the age of 17. Then, she worked as an office manager and controller for a wholesale food broker. But her biggest feat? Serving as the chief executive officer of her household, while her entrepreneur husband travelled the world extensively. She fed, nurtured, chaperoned, and chauffeured three daughters all while running a newsletter publishing business and remaining active in her community as a Stephen’s Minister, Sunday school teacher, school volunteer, licensed realtor and POA Board president (a title she holds to this day). A force to be reckoned with in the office, you might think twice before you meet Vicki on the tennis court! When she’s not keeping the books balanced at Supply Chain Now or playing tennis matches, you can find Vicki spending time with her husband Greg, her 4 fur babies, gardening, cleaning (yes, she loves to clean!) and learning new things.
Creative Director, Producer, Host
Katherine Hintz, MBA is a marketing professional who strives to unite her love of people with a passion for positive experiences. Having a diverse background, which includes nonprofit work with digital marketing and start-ups, she serves as a leader who helps people live their most creative lives by cultivating community, order, collaboration, and respect. With equal parts creativity and analytics, she brings a unique skill set which fosters refining, problem solving, and connecting organizations with their true vision. In her free time, you can usually find her looking for her cup of coffee, playing with her puppy Charlie, and dreaming of her next road trip.