In this episode, I was joined by a fellow distribution professional named Nate Schisler. Nate has an extensive background in distribution and logistics that has seen him work for major logistic powerhouses like DHL and UPS as well as other experiences including his most recent position at lululemon. All this has led to his transition into his new business DistributionX providing companies with his expertise in the space. We discuss his journey through distribution and logistics, his experiences and learnings, and how to survive through intense projects.

Key Takeaways

• Nate had a very similar journey that I find many have had in getting to a career in distribution and logistics. Similar to a previous guest, John Conte, he started working in the logistics industry by doing the hard work and loading trailers at night for UPS. As he got his experience at UPS he quickly moved up and learned the UPS way and culture which really set the foundation for his career in distribution and logistics. From there he spent some time at Eddie Bauer as their WMS superuser, then moved on to DHL for a short time to help open a new distribution center which led him across the street to lululemon. Here he was able to help them grow rapidly over the past 7 years and help them launch multiple distribution projects allowing for them to continue their success.
• From his experience, he had worked and been exposed to consultants in the industry and began to understand that there was a gap in the market because consultants would need to be engaged for long periods of time in order to make their business viable. What he realized is that smaller companies often times would not be able to bring in a consultant to help them because of the cost of keeping them on board for a long length of time. This brought him to the idea of DistributionX where he does short term consulting for companies of all sizes. It works perfectly for both him and the companies he is working with. It allows him to continue to be exposed to different projects and allows companies to be able to tap into a distribution and logistics expert without a long term commitment.
• One of the great things about my discussion with Nate is all the great experiences he shares throughout our conversation. It is a great example of all the different directions that a career in distribution and logistics can take you. There are so many different facets to our industry that can allow you to really explore and find where you fit in. His journey is a great example of how you can grow and learn so much through taking on different projects. There are a ton of gems in this episode that can really help you navigate your career to get to where you want to be in distribution and logistics.

Listen to the episode below and let us know your thoughts in the comments.