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In the Mind of a Distributor

In the Mind of a Distributor

De : Benj Cohen
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No one teaches you how to run a distribution business. There’s no playbook for navigating shifting markets, growing sales, or making the right bets on technology. The best distributors figure it out by talking to the right people and learning from experience.


That’s what In the Mind of a Distributor is all about. Each month, Benj Cohen—founder of Proton, the CRM built for distributors—sits down with industry leaders, from owners to operators to sales pros, to break down what’s working, what’s not, and where the industry is headed.


If all goes well, listeners will leave each episode a little sharper, a little more informed, and a step ahead of the competition.


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  • Future-proofing a 100-year old distribution business | Chuck Cohen

    Future-proofing a 100-year old distribution business | Chuck Cohen
    Mar 26 2026

    Chuck Cohen is back on In the Mind of a Distributor. This time, he's pulling back the curtain on the biggest structural bet in Benco Dental's nearly 100-year history: reorganizing the entire company into three distinct divisions under a new holding company.

    Chuck breaks down why they made the move, how it's designed to unlock faster growth and higher margins, and what it took to get there, including the lessons learned from years of early experiments in services before solutions became a core part of the business.

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    24 min
  • Growing a family-owned distributor to 250+ locations | Doug & Jack York

    Growing a family-owned distributor to 250+ locations | Doug & Jack York
    Jan 22 2026

    In this episode, Benj talks with Doug and Jack York of Ewing Outdoor Supply about what it really takes to run a successful family-owned distribution business across generations.


    Doug shares how he scaled Ewing to 250+ locations by betting big on growth while staying true to the company’s roots. Jack brings a next-gen perspective: showing how they’re layering in data, financial discipline, and tech to stay competitive without losing what makes the business special.


    They get real about succession planning, balancing family dynamics, and making sure future leaders earn their seat. If you’re part of a family-run distributor (or thinking about how to build one that lasts) this is a must-listen.

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    23 min
  • Winning rural markets by going multi-vertical | Paul Kennedy

    Winning rural markets by going multi-vertical | Paul Kennedy
    Dec 16 2025

    In this episode, Benj talks with Paul Kennedy, CEO of DSG, about cracking the code on multi-vertical distribution. Paul reveals how DSG profitably serves towns of 10,000 people by selling electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and waterworks all under one roof—a model that lets them win in markets where focused competitors simply can't make the math work.


    He breaks down the strategy behind spreading costs across verticals, then dives into the real operational challenges: structuring sales teams for focus without sacrificing breadth, leveraging back-of-house efficiency that most distributors overlook, and deciding when to go local versus regional with your resources.


    Paul also tackles the digital side: why contractors care more about knowing what's in stock than finding the lowest price, how e-commerce fits into a broader digital ecosystem, and the one thing that makes or breaks technology adoption (hint: it's not the technology itself).


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    19 min
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