470: Women in Supply Chain, Melodie Van Der Baan
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Melodie Van Der Baan talks about her career journey; juggling motherhood & entrepreneurship; positivity; and the intricate dance between supply and demand. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [04.04] The early years of Melodie’s career, why she fell in love with retail, and how her experiences laid the groundwork for her entrepreneurial journey. “I loved every store, every city, every boutique owner I visited and sold to. But, without fail, they would point out what didn’t sell from the season before, and say ‘Mel, what are you going to do about it?’ And so I had to find a...
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469: Join a Network of $20B of Freight Under Management, with Uber Freight
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Megan Keith & Shawn Piper talk about Uber Freight; bridging tech & service; bringing product & design together; automation; & the future of freight technology. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [04.00] Introductions to Megan and Shawn, and their roles at Uber Freight. “I was drawn to logistics because of its complexity and impact. It’s a space where smart, intuitive tools can really make a difference, and I love simplifying that complexity so transportation teams can move faster and make better decisions.” [05.21] An overview of Uber Freight, the evolution that brought...
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468: Make Intelligent Purchases Driven by Data, with ProcurementIQ
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Anthony & Lyle of ProcurementIQ talk about client collaboration, leveraging data, the growth of procurement & the biggest challenges impacting teams in 2025. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [06.08] Lyle’s background and the journey that led him to co-found ProcurementIQ. [09.00] How ProcurementIQ has evolved over the last decade, and where they are now. “We were learning – and so was procurement in its own right. The concept of category intelligence wasn’t really a thing in 2013... Back then there was market intelligence so what we really had to learn about was that...
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467: Put The Pedal To The Metal with Hassle-Free Rentals & Leasing, with Premier Trailer Leasing
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Craig Barth of Premier Trailer Leasing talks about understanding if your business needs to buy, rent or lease; & leveraging fleet management for success. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [05.31] An overview of Premier Trailer Leasing – who they are, what they do, and how they help their customers. [06.07] What sets Premier apart, and the secret to their success as they celebrate 20 years in business. “There are several companies that will rent or lease you a semitrailer. So why do people come to Premier? The reality is: it’s the people. It’s the partnerships we form, the...
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466: Women in Supply Chain, Alexia McLaughlin
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Alexia McLaughlin talks about making an impact through innovation; her commitment to cultures of excellence; & her big achievement as an industry rising star. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [03.52] An introduction to Alexia and her role at Veho. “If Uber and UPS had a baby, it would be Veho!” [05.08] How Alexia began her career in sales, and her journey through roles at Oracle and Jebbit to her current position at Veho. “I never thought I was going to be in sales! That used car salesman connotation springs to your mind… But, when I was coming out of college, a lot of...
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465: Your Fulfillment Transformation Starts Now, with TGW Logistics
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Dexter Weber of TGW Logistics talks about the trends, challenges & opportunities in warehouse logistics; building strategic partnerships; and TGW's new brand. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [05.31] TGW’s 50+ year journey from small fitters shop in Austria to global manufacturing leader. “Part of our journey was becoming a foundation-owned company... We reinvest our profits into our solutions and capabilities, and to charity. We’re not chasing goals and pleasing shareholders – we’re focused on that long-term vision.” [09.07] Where TGW are now, their vision for the...
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464: Women in Supply Chain, Beverly Steele
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Beverly Steele talks about her journey, making a big change mid-career; what it means to be a workforce innovator; and her take on work-life balance. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [04.29] An introduction to Beverly and her role at Inmar. [05.11] Beverly’s career journey, and her decades of varied experience. “I’ve been in reverse logistics well over 20 years. I actually stopped saying how long because I realized I’d been in it longer than some of my colleagues have been alive!” [07.15] Beverly’s 20-year tenure at CORT, and an overview of the roles she took on as she climbed the...
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463: Simplify Your Last Mile with Technology That Delivers, with CXT SoftwareD
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Phillip Lechter of CXT Software talks about challenges in last mile; building a people-first culture; & how they're helping customers grow, compete & thrive. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [05.45] How CXT innovated over the past 25 years to meet the changing needs of an evolving logistics landscape. “25 years is a long time in the software space!… In maturation of software, it’s easy to want to 'set it and forget it', and live off the benefits. But you can’t do that today. Supply chain is changing so rapidly, and our focus is on innovation, connectivity, and our...
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462: Procurement Unlocked: Sourcing Best Practices in a Tariff-Driven World, with ProcureAbility
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Carlos Perico of ProcureAbility talks about sourcing best practices in a tariff-driven world & how to turn procurement from cost center to competitive advantage IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [04.29] An introduction to Carlos and ProcureAbility. “All we do is procurement! It’s our speciality, it’s what we’re passionate about. And that’s key.” [05.59] Tariffs: what they are, and why supply chain professionals need to pay attention. [07.07] Diversification: Some of the strategies companies can employ to build agile supply chains for long-term resilience, the big...
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461: Go Behind the Scenes of a History-Making Partnership, with OneRail and PepsiCo
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Bill Catania of OneRail and Anna Farberov of PepsiCo talk all about their strategic partnership, how it works & the benefits it drives for Pepsi customers. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [03.42] Introductions to Bill and OneRail, and Anna and PepsiCo Labs. [06.22] Why PepsiCo reached out to OneRail to explore partnership opportunities. “They have the solution and we have the problem; they have an entrepreneurial mindset and can move fast, and we have the business expertise and deep industry understanding. And when we’re able to feed that back, that’s where the magic happens.” ...
info_outlineMelodie Van Der Baan talks about her career journey; juggling motherhood & entrepreneurship; positivity; and the intricate dance between supply and demand.
IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:
[04.04] The early years of Melodie’s career, why she fell in love with retail, and how her experiences laid the groundwork for her entrepreneurial journey.
“I loved every store, every city, every boutique owner I visited and sold to. But, without fail, they would point out what didn’t sell from the season before, and say ‘Mel, what are you going to do about it?’ And so I had to find a solution to their problem.”
“My husband said: ‘This isn’t a you problem, it’s an industry problem. It’s a lack of a network that needs to exist, and you should create it!’ But this was before Amazon, Shopify wasn’t a thing yet, Point of Sales were server-based, not cloud-based. So even though the problem was real, the industry wasn’t ready for the solution.”
[08.31] Why Melodie chose not to go to college, her Mother’s words of advice, and why she decided to open her own retail store.
“Every step of my journey has been so natural.”
[11.56] Melodie’s experience as a working Mom, setting an example for her daughter, and why experience is the best teacher.
[15.09] Melodie’s advice for parents struggling with work/life balance, and why consistency is key.
“We can’t give our best at work and leave the scraps for our family.”
[19.33] How Melodie developed a unique understanding of the intricate dance between supply and demand, the biggest challenges faced by retailers and distributors, and why understanding your inventory is crucial.
[24.57] Why Melodie moved from retail to technology, an overview of her business Max Retail, and how she brings retail experts and tech leaders together to solve the biggest industry challenges.
“It was never an intention to become a CEO of a technology company. The truth is that there was no way to solve the problem without technology.”
[29.37] Melodie’s experience as a woman navigating the worlds of retail, technology and supply chain, and her uniquely positive outlook.
“When you know the authenticity of someone, it can gender-neutralize.”
[32.22] Melodie’s commitment to taking a ‘we lift while we climb’ approach, the role others have played in her success, and how she pays it forward.
[36.00] Melodie’s biggest achievements, personally and professionally, and the passion that drives them.
[38.18] The future for Melodie, and for Max Retail.
RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:
You can connect with Melodie Van Der Baan over on LinkedIn.
If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear the experiences of other hard-working Moms, check out 464: Women in Supply Chain, Beverly Steele, 359: Women in Supply Chain, Alexis Mizell-Pleasant or 425: Women In Supply Chain, Josephine Coombe.