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Grab your candy bowl (and check the receipt) — Courtney and Katie are breaking down the surprising supply chain shocks haunting Halloween! From skyrocketing chocolate prices to high-stakes tariff drama, this episode uncovers why your seasonal celebrations cost more and how major retailers navigated behind-the-scenes turmoil.   💻 Learn more on the topics discussed here: Cocoa Fell by More Than Half. Your Halloween Candy Still Went Up. (C-Suite Network) Spirit Halloween CEO: Tariffs Nearly Put It Out of Business (Haunted Attraction Network) ✨ Connect with us! 📱LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/she-supply-chains/ 📱INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/shesupplychainspodcast/ 📱TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@shesupplychainspodcast 🎧 Call to Action Follow She Supply Chains on your favorite podcast app Leave us a review — it helps more listeners find the show Share this episode with someone you think would love it

We made it to triple digits! When we first started brainstorming at Katie’s kitchen table, with zero audio background and full-time engineering careers, we weren't even sure we'd make it past Episode 10. Today, we are celebrating Episode 100! For this milestone episode, there is no guest. It’s just the two of us looking back at where we started, reflecting on the community we’ve built, sharing favorite moments (and bloopers), and talking about what is ahead for the next 100 episodes. From recording Episode 1 in a summer tank top to charting in the Top 5% of all podcasts globally across 32 countries, this show exists because women who plan, source, make, and deliver the things that run the world deserve to be heard.   ✨ Connect with us! 📱LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/she-supply-chains/ 📱INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/shesupplychainspodcast/ 📱TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@shesupplychainspodcast 🎧 Call to Action Follow She Supply Chains on your favorite podcast app Leave us a review — it helps more listeners find the show Share this episode with someone you think would love it

In this episode, we sit down with Dimpal Padia, a mechanical engineering graduate turned supply chain consultant who is currently completing her master’s degree in the United States. Dimpal takes us behind the scenes of her rapid early career progression, starting from her initial trial-by-fire days in project planning at L&T in India to managing North American deployment at General Mills.  Throughout the conversation, Dimpal breaks down how looking at supply chain through an engineer’s lens helps optimize systems, reduce waste, and build scalable solutions across end-to-end operations. She offers insightful advice for early-career professionals on bridging the gap between entry-level execution and high-level consulting, emphasizing the importance of cross-functional learning, structured mentorship, and using existing leadership forums to build public speaking confidence.    ✨ Connect with Dimpal! 📱 LinkedIn | Dimpal 💻 Learn more on the topics discussed here: Career Spotlight: Logistics Engineer (Excelsior University) Women in Supply Chain Leadership: Barriers and Opportunities (ResearchGate) ✨ Connect with us! 📱LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/she-supply-chains/ 📱INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/shesupplychainspodcast/ 📱TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@shesupplychainspodcast 🎧 Call to Action Follow She Supply Chains on your favorite podcast app Leave us a review — it helps more listeners find the show Share this episode with someone you think would love it

In this episode of She Supply Chains, Katie and Courtney break down the widening price gap between gasoline and diesel fuel. They explore why middle distillate refining capacity is severely squeezed, how harvest season and global energy shifts exacerbate supply tightness, and why the "surcharge lag" is quietly draining enterprise budgets across truck, rail, ocean, and air freight. They also provide a 5-step strategic checklist to take action in your contracts on Monday morning   💻Learn more on the topics discussed here:  U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) – Diesel Fuel Surcharges Explained Supply Chain Brain – Managing Fuel Volatility & Surcharge Lag in Freight Contracts   ✨ Connect with us! 📱LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/she-supply-chains/ 📱INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/shesupplychainspodcast/ 📱TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@shesupplychainspodcast 🎧 Call to Action Follow She Supply Chains on your favorite podcast app Leave us a review — it helps more listeners find the show Share this episode with someone you think would love it

In this episode, we sit down with Lateisha Thomas, Director of Professional Services at Arkestro and over a decade-long procurement systems veteran, to unpack the future of procurement technology and leadership. Lateisha shares her journey from her early days in learning and development to managing massive enterprise system rollouts, and now leading change with Arkestro’s predictive procurement platform. We dive into how behavioral science and game theory are transforming negotiations, why rapid deployment is solving system fatigue, and how to maintain essential buyer-supplier trust in an era of AI automation. Plus, Lateisha offers inspiring advice for technical leaders making the shift into strategic roles and reflects on how her unexpected start at a manufacturing front desk shaped her approach to supply chain empathy. A special thank you to Arkestro for sponsoring this episode! Whether you're a procurement professional, an operations leader, or a technical expert looking to elevate your executive leadership, this episode is packed with practical wisdom on technology, negotiation, and people-first management.  If you're ready to eliminate change fatigue, slash sourcing cycle times, and unlock hidden savings without burdening your IT team, Arkestro is worth a look. Discover how predictive procurement can supercharge your team's strategy by visiting Arkestro.com to schedule a demo or explore their latest case studies!   ✨ Connect with Lateisha and check out all Arkestro has to offer! 📱 LinkedIn | Lateisha Thomas 📱Arkestro | The Predictive Procurment Platform 💻 Learn more on the topics discussed here: How Predictive Procurement Eliminates Change Fatigue Behavioral Science in Negotiation: Building Trust & Driving Savings From Tactical Specialist to Strategic Leader: Navigating the Shift ✨ Connect with us! 📱LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/she-supply-chains/ 📱INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/shesupplychainspodcast/ 📱TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@shesupplychainspodcast 🎧 Call to Action Follow She Supply Chains on your favorite podcast app Leave us a review — it helps more listeners find the show Share this episode with someone you think would love it

This week we start our new "Hot Topics" solo episodes as we break down the current macro shifts impacting supply chains. We explore how shippers are front-loading inventory to outrun incoming tariffs, why warehouse capacity is suddenly choking, and how cascading 23% peak season carrier surcharges are creating a double whammy for mid-sized shippers and small businesses.   💻Learn more on the topics discussed here:  Transpacific Ocean Rates Fueled by Early Peak, Frontloading FedEx 2026 Peak Season Surcharges: What's Changing and How   ✨ Connect with us! 📱LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/she-supply-chains/ 📱INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/shesupplychainspodcast/ 📱TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@shesupplychainspodcast 🎧 Call to Action Follow She Supply Chains on your favorite podcast app Leave us a review — it helps more listeners find the show Share this episode with someone you think would love it

In this episode we sit down with Amy Abouelenein, a chemical engineer and 36-year General Mills veteran turned strategic advisor, to uncover the art and science of scaling food innovation. Amy shares her journey from her early days as a project engineer in manufacturing plants to leading a global R&D organization. Now, as the founder of AGA Advisory, she helps fast-growing CPG founders navigate the critical jump from small-batch success to commercial scale, without losing the secret sauce that made them special. Whether you're an R&D innovator, an operations leader, or a founder looking to scale your food brand, this episode is packed with practical wisdom on leadership, operational structure, and product excellence. Tune in! ✨ Connect with Amy! 📱LinkedIn | Amy   💻Learn more on the topics discussed here:  5 Critical Mistakes to Avoid When Scaling Your Food Product From Scrappy to Scalable: Building a CPG Brand Ready for Retail: The CPG Founder's Operating Model   ✨ Connect with us! 📱LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/she-supply-chains/ 📱INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/shesupplychainspodcast/ 📱TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@shesupplychainspodcast 🎧 Call to Action Follow She Supply Chains on your favorite podcast app Leave us a review — it helps more listeners find the show Share this episode with someone you think would love it

Celebrating 2 Years & Kicking Off Season 5! 🥂✨ We’re popping the champagne! She Supply Chains is officially two years old, and we're kicking off Season 5 with over 90 episodes, 20,000+ downloads, and a 5-star rating—all thanks to the amazing Supply Chain Squad! In this episode, we reflect on our favorite Season 4 highlights, share our vision for more in-person connections in Season 5, and officially announce the incredible winners of our inaugural She Supply Chains Awards! 🏆 Inaugural Award Winners Woman of the Year: Jennifer Kobus (SVP Global Supply Chain at Vibrantz Technologies) Rising Star Award: Amrita Bhasin (Co-Founder and CEO, Sotira) Innovation Award: Veena Radhakrishna ( Co-Founder at Cartesian Kinetics INC Male Ally Award: Nathan Chaney (Supply Chain Advocate, Podcaster & Entrepreneur) People's Choice Award: Angela Dodd (Founder of Females in Food &Host of Women Who Make It) 🙏 A Special Thank You A massive thank you to our featured sponsors, Biotechnic and The Tasting Room Wine Bar (huge shoutout to Nico and Brandon!), for supporting our two-year anniversary celebration, empowering female supply chain leaders, and making our live event and slideshow possible! Help Us Celebrate! Our two-year anniversary ask: please take a moment to rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! It helps more women in operations find our community. 📲 Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok at @SheSupplyChainsPodcast, and subscribe to our newsletter so you never miss an episode!

Today we are featuring a very special episode in our countdown to Season 5: the single most-downloaded episode of all of Season 4! In this episode of the She Supply Chains podcast, we dive into the world of supply chain strategy with Manika Bhargava, the Director of Integrated Supply Chain at Dow. Manika shares her journey from being one of only eight people in her MBA class to major in supply chain to leading a global team in Mumbai that acts as a strategic "Global Capability Center" (GCC) for Dow. The discussion explores how these centers have evolved from simple cost-savings hubs into "innovation engines" that harmonize global processes and drive digital transformation through AI. Manika also offers tactical advice on process improvement, emphasizing the need to avoid "over-engineering" by staying focused on the end-to-end objective and sitting with teams to find the "hidden" bottlenecks not found in handbooks.   The She Supply Chains Awards are live now! If there’s someone in your network who has made a game-changing impact on the supply chain world, we want to hear about them! You can nominate deserving leaders across five categories: Woman in Supply Chain of the Year, Rising Star, Mentor of the Year, Innovation Award, and Male Ally Award. Head over to our website to submit your nomination. Even better, if your organization wants to get involved, sponsorship opportunities are available to sponsor an award category!   ✨ Connect with Manika! 📱LinkedIn | Manika   💻Learn more on the topics discussed here:  India's Global Capability Centres (GCCs) Take Strategic Role In Global Enterprises By 2026 Supply Chain Trends for 2026 – From Agentic AI to Orchestration   💵 Arise Financial Check out Arise Financial Coaching and their Financial Goal Accelerator program, and let them know She Supply Chains sent you!   ✨ Connect with us! 📱LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/she-supply-chains/ 📱INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/shesupplychainspodcast/ 📱TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@shesupplychainspodcast 🎧 Call to Action Follow She Supply Chains on your favorite podcast app Leave us a review — it helps more listeners find the show Share this episode with someone you think would love it

Today, we are continuing our special series: we’re re-releasing the top three most-downloaded episodes from Season 4 as we count down to the launch of Season 5! In this episode, we go behind the scenes of the furniture industry. Guest Megan Fischer, COO of Sundays, Moe's Home Collection, and Hetta, discusses her fascinating transition from the fast-paced world of fashion at Aritzia to the high-stakes, "big and bulky" world of furniture logistics. Megan shares how she applies a "grid thinker" mindset to disorganized spaces, her strategies for managing the "nine lives" of a varied career, and her hard-won advice on why brands should prioritize system configuration over custom coding. Whether discussing her childhood habit of inventorying Halloween candy or the "Bible" of product lifecycle calendars, Megan’s insights offer a masterclass in building resilient, integrated teams that can navigate the messy realities of global operations without losing their creative spark.   The She Supply Chains Awards are live now! If there’s someone in your network who has made a game-changing impact on the supply chain world, we want to hear about them! You can nominate deserving leaders across five categories: Woman in Supply Chain of the Year, Rising Star, Mentor of the Year, Innovation Award, and Male Ally Award. Head over to our website to submit your nomination. Even better, if your organization wants to get involved, sponsorship opportunities are available to sponsor an award category!   ✨ Connect with Megan! 📱LinkedIn | Megan Fischer   💻Learn more on the topics discussed here:  "It's a tough industry out there": A look at the furniture supply chain's challenging year ERP Customization vs. Configuration: What's the Difference?   ✨ Connect with us! 📱LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/she-supply-chains/ 📱INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/shesupplychainspodcast/ 📱TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@shesupplychainspodcast 🎧 Call to Action Follow She Supply Chains on your favorite podcast app Leave us a review — it helps more listeners find the show Share this episode with someone you think would love it

Today, we are kicking off a very special series: we’re re-releasing the top three most-downloaded episodes from Season 4 as we count down to the launch of Season 5! We are thrilled to welcome Jim Wetzel, a true supply chain expert and "constructive disruptor". Jim’s journey spans from his start as a sheet metal worker to leading digital transformation as the former CEO of the Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute. He spent over three decades at General Mills in roles that often didn't even exist before he stepped into them. Today, we’re diving into why 90% of AI projects fail, the difference between management and leadership, and how to stop serving up "no sandwiches" to your boss.    The She Supply Chains Awards are live now! If there’s someone in your network who has made a game-changing impact on the supply chain world, we want to hear about them! You can nominate deserving leaders across five categories: Woman in Supply Chain of the Year, Rising Star, Mentor of the Year, Innovation Award, and Male Ally Award. Head over to our website to submit your nomination. Even better, if your organization wants to get involved, sponsorship opportunities are available to sponsor an award category!   ✨ Connect with Jim! 📱LinkedIn | Jim   💻Learn more on the topics discussed here:  Set the Right Mindset for Smart Manufacturing IoT & Manufacturing: How Innovation Transforms the Value Chain   ✨ Connect with us! 📱LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/she-supply-chains/ 📱INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/shesupplychainspodcast/ 📱TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@shesupplychainspodcast 🎧 Call to Action Follow She Supply Chains on your favorite podcast app Leave us a review — it helps more listeners find the show Share this episode with someone you think would love it

In this episode, we welcome Dr. Nadine Kiratli-Schneider, Global Lead for Transport Risk Management and Sustainability at Schaeffler. Nadine shares her career transition from an assistant professor at Maastricht University to a corporate logistics leader. She explains how pairing risk management with sustainability creates powerful synergies, showing how proactive disruption management avoids costly, carbon-heavy air freight. The conversation explores tackling supply chain "wicked problems" like decarbonization through multi-stakeholder collaboration and creative problem-solving. The discussion also highlights the interplay between human creativity and AI, emphasizing that human ingenuity remains irreplaceable for navigating complex, novel challenges. Drawing on her academic background and IPSERA leadership experience, Nadine shares how fostering strategic reflection, cross-functional teamwork, and room for experimentation can drive innovation in metric-heavy environments. Finally, she offers candid personal insights on overcoming career turning points, balancing conflicting KPIs, and cultivating the next generation of supply chain talent.   ✨ Connect with Nadine! 📱LinkedIn | Nadine 💻Learn more on the topics discussed here:  How Supply Chain Decarbonisation Protects Business Value Supply Chain Risk Management & Sustainability: Mitigating Supplier Risks ✨ Connect with us! 📱LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/she-supply-chains/ 📱INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/shesupplychainspodcast/ 📱TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@shesupplychainspodcast 🎧 Call to Action Follow She Supply Chains on your favorite podcast app Leave us a review — it helps more listeners find the show Share this episode with someone you think would love it

In this episode we sit down with seasoned supply chain leader and consultant Himani to trace her remarkable 25-year journey across end-to-end operations in India, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East. From starting as one of only three women in her MBA program to leading factories and navigating complex regional dynamics, Himani breaks down what it truly takes to adapt supply chains to volatile, high-touch markets like the Middle East. She pulls back the curtain on high-impact operational transformations, sharing how she achieved an 11% inventory drawdown for a major cosmetics retailer and boosted critical healthcare stock availability from 65% to 85% by embedding planners directly into commercial teams. Switching to her consultant lens, she spotlights major corporate blind spots, emphasizing why companies must prioritize agility, data governance, and responsiveness over a sole focus on forecast accuracy. Finally, Himani discusses her passion for giving back through Women in Supply Chain India, offering advice on creating flexible, resourceful, and future-ready networks for the next generation of women leaders.   ✨ Connect with Himani! 📱LinkedIn | Himani 💻Learn more on the topics discussed here:  McKinsey & Company: Supply Chain Risk Pulse and Managing Volatility Building Resilient Local Supply Chains in the Middle East ✨ Connect with us! 📱LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/she-supply-chains/ 📱INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/shesupplychainspodcast/ 📱TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@shesupplychainspodcast 🎧 Call to Action Follow She Supply Chains on your favorite podcast app Leave us a review — it helps more listeners find the show Share this episode with someone you think would love it

In this episode we sit down with Nivya Raghavan, a Partner at Alvarez & Marsal, to trace her journey from the factory floor to leading massive corporate transformations. Nivya dives deep into what she calls the "engineering mindset"—the art of treating a business like a complex, interconnected system where you solve for the root cause rather than just treating a symptom. Forget the AI hype and generic buzzwords; Nivya cuts straight to the practical value of advanced analytics, showing how tools can act as "thought partners" to simulate thousands of disruption scenarios in seconds. She also tackles the ever-green nightmare of competing department metrics, proposing a shift toward unified KPIs like total cost of ownership. Wrapping up with a sharp look at post-pandemic SKU complexity and her own personal "Hero, Hardship, and Highlight," Nivya offers a refreshing, data-backed perspective on what it truly takes to drive an agile, end-to-end enterprise today.   ✨ Connect with Nivya! 📱LinkedIn | Nivya 💻Learn more on the topics discussed here:  Generative AI in Supply Chain — Alvarez & Marsal SKU Rationalization is In. What Does that Mean for Packaging Partners? ✨ Connect with us! 📱LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/she-supply-chains/ 📱INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/shesupplychainspodcast/ 📱TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@shesupplychainspodcast 🎧 Call to Action Follow She Supply Chains on your favorite podcast app Leave us a review — it helps more listeners find the show Share this episode with someone you think would love it

In this episode, we nerd out on maintenance and supply chain systems with guest Susan Burris, who shares her fascinating journey from microbiologist to technology sales and now partnerships at Limble. Susan describes the serendipitous path that led her to the company following a deep reflection on life, driven by her personal connection to her parents. We also dive into the realities of the manufacturing floor, emphasizing how critical maintenance operations are to avoiding costly downtime, and why traditional, siloed approaches to data management are a relic of the past. Susan discusses the incredible impact of bridging technology and field execution through mobile-first platforms and "practical AI". Susan highlights real-world enterprise examples, like how Terra Manufacturing drastically slashed its downtime from 90% to 15% using Limble, and how Midwest Materials transformed its chaotic 45-day parts turnaround down to under 10 days. Listeners will discover how cutting-edge tools like Limble's AI-Powered PM Builder and Asset Snap respect the expertise of front-line technicians by maximizing "wrench time" and minimizing administrative friction. From navigating generational divides to seamlessly syncing data between procurement and enterprise ERPs like SAP or Oracle, this episode offers vital insights for anyone eager to achieve true maintenance maturity.   ✨ Connect with Susan! 📱LinkedIn | Susan   Ready to empower your maintenance team, slash costly downtime, and turn your maintenance data into a single source of truth? Try Limble CMMS today and experience a mobile-first, highly intuitive platform built to support the unsung heroes of your operation!   💻Learn more on the topics discussed here:  Practical AI for the Real World of Maintenance The Complete Guide to Integrated CMMS Software ✨ Connect with us! 📱LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/she-supply-chains/ 📱INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/shesupplychainspodcast/ 📱TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@shesupplychainspodcast 🎧 Call to Action Follow She Supply Chains on your favorite podcast app Leave us a review — it helps more listeners find the show Share this episode with someone you think would love it