The Sourcing Hero
Episodes
Ep 233: Look for the value, not the transaction feat. Bronwyn Reid
11 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Large companies want to work with small and medium-sized suppliers to benefit from their scrappy, innovative spirit. Small companies want to work with...
Ep 232: ‘Holding the Rope’ on Supplier Risk and Sustainability feat. Dru Krupinsky
11 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Supplier due diligence is one of the most important and impactful activities that procurement leads. Managing risk and ensuring visibility into suppli...
Ep 231: Respecting the Challenge of Transformation feat. Ketul Patel
28 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Supply chain transformation isn’t easy. Statistics suggest that 70 percent of all transformations fail and 88 percent stop short of achieving their ...
Ep 230: Turning Human Relationships into Business Outcomes feat. Matthieu Garnier
17 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Procurement may just be one of the most social functions in the company. Not only does the team have to interact successfully with the executive team,...
Ep 229: Procurement as a Talent Launching Pad feat. Pamela Gerber
12 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The range of skills and talent procurement professionals need in order to be successful is dizzying, but that also means that they end up being prime ...
Ep 228: Procurement Skills That Save Money feat. Philip Ideson
17 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There was a time when the only objective procurement had to satisfy was saving the company money, and the only way to do that was to negotiate tough w...
Ep 227: The Power and Sophistication of Payments feat. Brian Goudie
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
While the options available to consumers may make payments seem simple, the underlying complexity is enough to make small to mid-sized business owners...
Ep 226: Understanding and Celebrating Inclusive Teams feat. Andrés Tapia
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How we think about inclusivity in today’s workforce has a lot to do with how we view diversity. The strongest, most resilient teams take the best ch...
Ep 225: Building a Dynamic Board of Directors feat. James Drury III
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A Board of Directors plays a critical role in the success of the company they advise. Ensuring that the right members are on that Board, and that each...
Ep 224: A Middle Eastern Perspective on Global Supply Chains feat. Samah Mahdi Abdulla
16 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Supply chains must be a product of the geography they support, leading to specific requirements around transport modes, temperature control, and even ...
Ep 223: Success at the Intersection of Leadership, Culture, and Technology feat. Dr. Shanda Gore
09 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most professionals have had the opportunity to work for both wonderful and less-than-wonderful leaders at one time or another. But while we are likely...
Ep 222: Communication as Persuasion in Procurement & Beyond feat. Liz Milan
02 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Communication is a complex craft. It involves speaking clearly and with a consistent message, actively listening to see how the message is received, a...
Ep 220: Hitchhiker’s Guide to Procurement & Sales feat. Mike Lander
01 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Procurement thinks sales is always trying to sell them something that isn’t what they want, is over priced, or won’t live up to the hype. Sales th...
Ep 221: Building Supply Chain Resilience in an Uncertain World feat. Sunder Balakrishnan
25 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"It ain't about how hard you get hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward." - Rocky Balboa Supply chain professionals know how...
Ep 219: Why and What… but the HOW? feat. Tara Milburn
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It is common for business strategy discussions to start with a definition of ‘Why?’ This makes it easier for leadership teams to formalize and art...
Ep 218: Taking the Lead in Technical Procurement feat. Chuck Shehadi
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The discussion about how much technical category knowledge procurement should have is ongoing - and the right answer depends a lot on the company in q...
Ep 216: Looking at Procurement Through the Lens of Finance feat. Mark Gilham
21 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For most procurement professionals, the only contact they have with finance is when their savings projections are being audited or approved for intern...
Ep 215: Pranks, Purpose, and Procurement Leadership feat. Dr. Cindie Burkett
14 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Procurement is the kind of job where success is largely fueled by the strength of your relationships. Having trust and respect between procurement and...
Ep 214: Making a Deal from Both Sides of the Table feat. John Latham
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Procurement has come a long way over the last few decades, but the fact that they always want to achieve more shouldn’t lead them to discount or ove...
Ep 213: Trying Regenerative Sportswear on for Size - feat. Kris Lance
30 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Activewear company Under Armour unveiled a line of regenerative sportswear at Milan Fashion Week in 2025. This is their first collaboration with recen...
Ep 212: Learning to Appreciate the Value of Time feat. Vytas Sliesoraitis
23 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What would it feel like if all of the tasks, meetings, obligations, and pressures of work were suddenly… gone? Would it be a relief or would the str...
Ep 211: Is your ‘happy place’ hiring? feat. Gale Daikoku
16 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A career is a heck of a thing to manage - especially when it is your own. You change with each phase of growth and new experience, and your job prospe...
Ep 210: Totally Understanding TCO feat. Louis Bastone
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
While procurement often thinks about purchase price as equal to cost, some purchases come with a longer term cost to own and maintain. Being able to u...
Ep 209: Emotions Aren’t Baggage feat. Ryan Christensen
08 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Could how you think - about yourself - change the way you experience the world around you? We all have past experiences that we carry with us, often f...
Ep 208: All Cracked Up - Understanding Today’s Egg Prices feat. Kris Lance
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hard boiled. Over medium. Scrambled. Poached. Deviled. There are lots of ways to enjoy eggs, one of the most popular and least expensive sources of he...
Ep. 207: Balancing Big Bold Bets with Small Pragmatic Moves feat. Priya Kumari
19 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We all know that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, but it is easy to forget how intimidating those first few feet can be. Wheth...
Ep 206: Driving Successful SRM at Scale feat. Celia SGAR
12 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most procurement professionals will acknowledge that supplier relationship management (SRM) is a core part of value creation and risk management, but ...
Ep 205: Procurement’s Unique Form of Influence feat. Richard Beaumont
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine a group of people is having lunch on the deck of a ship, and that ship is sailing into a storm. Along comes a waiter with a tray of drinks, an...
Ep 204: Hot Times in the Arctic Circle feat. Kris Lance
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
One minute you’re going about your business, and the next minute all of the news headlines are focused on the Arctic Circle. What may initially seem...
Ep 203: Alleviating Common Sourcing & Supply Chain Pain Points feat. Eric Westerduin
19 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Regardless of the industry you work in, deciding which third parties to work with requires strategic trade-offs, such as choosing between cost, qualit...
Ep 202: Becoming a Procurement Polyglot feat. Bennett Glace
12 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Polyglot - noun. A person who knows and is able to use several languages. The spoken or written word can divide people as easily as it can unify them ...
Ep 201: Setting the Stage for Sustainable Change feat. Ron Crabtree
05 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Depending on your point of view, the idea of transformation is either alluring or terrifying - or maybe a little bit of both? And while procurement te...
Ep 200: Fostering the Conditions That Lead to Success
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The vast majority of podcasts fizzle out before they reach 10 episodes, so making it past that point is a real achievement. 100 episodes is seen as a ...
Ep 199: A Broader Perspective on Social Procurement feat. Jaime H. Paiva
22 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Companies - and their procurement teams - are always looking for opportunities to differentiate. These opportunities take many forms, but few appeal t...
Ep 198: Testing the Elasticity of Procurement feat. Peter Sharoff
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Procurement is a function whose time has arrived. The question is whether they are ready to make the changes necessary to seize the opportunity and me...
Ep 197: Sourcing Initiatives That Take Into Account the Strategy of the Business feat. Karen Betancourt
08 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Working for a large ‘household name’ company has both advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side are the established processes, time-tested pa...
Ep 196: The Best of Kris Lance in 2024
01 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As listeners know well, the goal of The Sourcing Hero podcast is to capture the epic stories of people who are rising up and beating the odds to creat...
Ep 195: Basking in the Golden Hour feat. Kris Lance
18 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As we approach the end of the year - not to mention the holiday season - many of us will be taking time to stop and reflect. Was the year gone by what...
Ep 194: Top Sourcing Hero Episodes of 2024
11 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The goal of The Sourcing Hero Podcast is to capture the epic stories of people who are rising up and beating the odds to create exceptional value with...
Ep 193: Driving Social Impact on a Massive Scale feat. Michael Amos
04 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lots of organizations want to ‘do good’ through environmental programs, social programs, or both. But scaling those programs and making them truly...
Ep 192: The Surging Power of the Podcast Format feat. Kris Lance
20 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Canadian media studies philosopher Marshall McLuhan rose to prominence in the 1960s when he declared, “The Medium is the message.” For McLuhan, it...
Ep 191: Building a Procurement Culture for Continuous Improvement feat. Jonathan Gardner
13 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Continuous improvement is as desirable as any other strategic business objective, but making it happen, or - better still - starting an ongoing cycle ...
Ep 190: Why the Business Needs a Friend in Procurement feat. Joseph Scull
06 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“I’m having an issue with one of my suppliers.” That is how many conversations begin between procurement and the business. While a problem has...
Ep 189: The Calm? After the Storms feat. Kris Lance
30 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On September 26th, Hurricane Helene hit Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Hurricane Milton hit Florida less t...
Ep 188: Solving Supply Chain Challenges with Increased Visibility feat. Aviv Castro
23 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Every time the world is hit by a supply chain disruption, strategies are changed, new technologies are invented, implemented, and invested in, and eve...
Ep 187: Building Relationships to Broaden Procurement’s Impact feat. Barry Kull
16 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes procurement says “savings” and people’s eyes light up with the possibilities associated with a budget poised to go further. Other time...
Ep 186: A Faith Journey That Leads Through the Workplace feat. Jennifer Sterbling
09 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Procurement is a difficult field to work in. Days are busy, unpredictable, and often stressful. Each person’s ability to perform despite the challen...
Ep 185: A Specific Vision for Fostering Minority-owned Business Growth feat. James Lowry
02 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Supplier diversity programs have gotten a lot of attention in recent years, but the values and vision that underpin them is hardly new. Some dedicated...
Ep 184: Speculating About a 2024 October Surprise feat. Kris Lance
25 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
According to Merriam-Webster, an October Surprise is “a significant revelation or event in the month prior to an election that has the potential to ...
Ep 183: Reflections of a Procurement Optimist feat. Hugo Sanchez
18 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Procurement is notorious for attracting professionals from all backgrounds and dispositions, so how could there possibly be one right way to ‘do pro...
Ep 182: Procurement matchmaker, make me a match! feat. Natalia Pickett
11 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Procurement is laser focused on spend, suppliers, risk, sustainability, regulations and more… is it possible that we need to add LOVE to the list of...
Ep 181: Every Day in Procurement is a New Adventure feat. Keri Peña
04 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We are all subject to stereotypes about what procurement professionals are like, what suppliers are like, and what procurement-supplier relationships ...
Ep 180: Metacognition - Thinking About Thinking feat. Kris Lance
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’re all constantly being bombarded with breaking news about the most sensitive topics - and almost nothing seems to be off-limits anymore, even in...
Ep 179: Focusing on Procurement’s Relationship with AP feat. Anders Lassen
21 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Procurement thinks that the accounts payable team ‘just’ pays suppliers. Accounts payable teams think that procurement ‘just’ finds suppliers ...
Ep 178: Losing a Fear of Failure in Order to Succeed feat. Alan J. Rice
14 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Although AI is not new, applications of it are constantly evolving. This is especially true of generative AI. The low barrier to use encourages innova...
Ep 177: Cross Cultural Understanding in Global Business feat. Dupre Jones
07 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Procurement professionals need to have excellent soft skills, especially when they are working across geographies and cultures. A simple gesture like ...
Ep 176: Fighting off the Impact of Slow Onset Inertia feat. Kris Lance
31 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After the ‘working from home’ movement that began a few years ago, the professional world then passed through ‘quiet quitting’ on its way to s...
Ep 175: Making the Journey from Procurement Pro to Entrepreneur feat. Keith Wright
24 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When we think about what excellence looks like, especially on a podcast about heroism, it would be reasonable to assume that it involves feats of supe...
Ep 174: Financial Positioning for Lasting Growth feat. Lonnie Bloom
17 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Fast growth company leadership teams have a lot on their plates. They are balancing building a solution or offering, building brand recognition, and c...
Ep 173: Savings Start at Home feat. Omid Ghamami
10 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When procurement needs to deliver savings, the reflexive response is usually to go to market, approaching suppliers for discounts or putting a contrac...
Ep 172: Applying Aristotelian Intelligence When Considering Artificial intelligence feat. Matt Palackdharry
03 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For all of the hopes and expectations around AI’s ability to support human decision making, it is important to acknowledge that people and companies...
Ep 171: Japan: Silent Player in the Semiconductor Supply Chain feat. Kris Lance
26 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Most of us think about Taiwan, China, and - to some extent - the U.S. when it comes to semiconductor manufacturing… but Japan is just as critical. T...
Ep 170: Understanding Data and Risk in Decision Making feat. Blake Tablak
19 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The volume of data available at our fingertips can sometimes create the illusion that any information is accessible, that decision making is improved,...
Ep 169: Aspiring to Generous Leadership feat. Joe Davis
12 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There will always be challenges to overcome - personally, professionally, and combined - but by finding the courage to work in community and to receiv...
Ep 168: Adventures in Public Sector Procurement feat. Dwight Gibbs
05 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The public and private sectors both have a great need for top procurement talent. And while their stakeholders, objectives, and processes differ in so...
Ep 167: Bird (Flu) Watching: Tracking the Spread of H5N1 feat. Kris Lance
29 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The H5N1 virus (a.k.a. ‘Bird flu’) is not just spreading among birds in the supply chain. It has recently jumped to beef cattle and - in just a fe...
Ep 166: Cutting Edge Strategies in Tier 1 Retail feat. Eric Linxwiler
22 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Every single day, successful retailers overcome challenges that few other industries will ever have to face. Complex supply chains, uncertain demand, ...
Ep 165: Making Mentorship Possible at Scale feat. Jason Edmonds
15 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mentors have the opportunity to provide valuable, trusted advice to the individuals they work with, but those relationships are often formed haphazard...
Ep 164: Aligning Procurement and Legal Operations feat. Lisa Haitz
08 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Procurement’s relationship with legal is one of the most important they have. Whether it is allowing procurement to meet (or exceed) their objective...
Ep 163: Keeping Up with Changing Workforce Opportunities feat. Mika Cross
01 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
While most people hungered for a return to ‘normal’ after the pandemic shut downs, many of the workforce trends that companies experimented with o...
Ep 162: Remembering the Port of Baltimore feat. Kris Lance
24 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
At 1:30 am on March 26th, the container ship Dali struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge and sent it falling into the Patapsco River. Six members of a co...
Ep 161: The Truth About Procurement Transformation feat. Nataša Cikač
17 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Recognizing the need for procurement transformation sometimes comes from within procurement, and in other cases it is driven by management-level goals...
Ep 160: Leadership Advice from the Battlefield to the Boardroom feat. Tom Williams
10 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Few environments require leadership in higher concentration than the military. And yet the development of leadership skills is still a highly personal...
Ep 159: All Travel is Personal feat. J. Grant Caplan
03 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It goes without saying that travel has changed since the pandemic - although not in the way most of us might assume. There have certainly been adjustm...
Ep 158: All Eyes Should Remain on the Red Sea feat. Kris Lance
27 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Human nature has a way of becoming numb to that which we absorb as part of the status quo. Sadly, this doesn’t just pertain to the weather; it also ...
Ep 157: Telling a Compelling Procurement Story feat. Alex Ball
20 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Marketing requires a combination of data and storytelling to motivate people to take a desired action, whether that is making a purchase, supporting a...
Ep 156: Accelerating the Data Feedback Loop feat. Emilie Schario
13 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In 1748, Benjamin Franklin wrote “Time is money.” All of the changes and advancements we have seen in nearly 300 years have not managed to render ...
Ep 155: Don’t Get Fired feat. Mark Grieco
06 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“Victory is about meaningful connections.” - Mark Grieco Procurement professionals constantly find themselves in a tough spot, multiple cost an...
Ep 154: The Sourcing Hero Gets a Sidekick feat. Kris Lance
28 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” Isaac Asimov After 3.5 years and over 150 episodes, it ha...
Ep 153: Finding Purpose in Procurement and in Life feat. Paul Nilsen
21 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Meeting a new friend To ponder the color of Unripe bananas Paul Nilsen Talking to heroes Who earn their hidden capes while Loving procurement Kell...
Ep 152: Spending for Maximum Social Impact feat. Colin Downie
14 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is it possible to change the life of someone, and their family, and their community just by making purposeful decisions about corporate spending? Yes ...
Ep 151: What You Don’t Know About Shipping Can Hurt You feat. Nick DiNatale
07 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What could possibly be even more complicated than tax accounting? Managing your detailed shipping costs - and the carrier logic that drives them. Deta...
Ep 150: 2024: The Year of the Dragon? feat. Kris Lance
31 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In Chinese culture, the dragon represents good luck, strength, and health. Given the challenges dominating this year’s headlines, all of us are prob...
Ep 149: Finding a Workable Model for Zero Emissions Fleets feat. Ron Hunt
24 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Despite the understandable enthusiasm around supply chain sustainability, there are many challenges associated with the fight to lower emissions: regu...
Ep 148: Optimization of Procurement in the Automotive Industry feat. Robert Čačković
17 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Procurement professionals often talk about how they ‘fell’ into the field without a plan. And while this means procurement has a diverse range of ...
Ep 147: Successful Companies Need Strong Communities feat. Erica McMannes
10 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Supporting decisions about which suppliers to work with is one of procurement’s most critical responsibilities. But, like so many other business dec...
Ep 146: Calling all solution enthusiasts! feat. A’Keela Johnson
03 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Procurement is used to dealing with a whole series of stereotypes associated with the profession: bean counters… pencil sharpeners… and penny pinc...
Ep 145: Looking Back and Looking Ahead feat. Kris Lance
20 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There are so many news stories and events contained in any one year that it can boggle the mind trying to remember them all, let alone process their c...
Ep 144: Building Trust in a Disconnected World feat. Julienne Ryan
13 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What we experience personally cannot be completely separated from what we experience professionally, and vice versa. This is as true for the impact of...
Ep 143: Increasing the Liquidity of the Supply Chain feat. Richard Gusmano
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Entrepreneurs found businesses because they believe they have formulated the best new product or the most innovative way of providing a service. They ...
Ep 142: 2023 Listener Favorites feat. Kris Lance
29 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” - George Bernard Shaw The Sourcing Hero podcast releases ...
Ep 141: Supply Chain Tech and Supplier Onboarding feat. Toni Ann Careccio
15 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Change is as hard as it is inevitable. Even the most exciting new project can quickly go from “This is fantastic!” to “What on earth were we thi...
Ep 140: Dispelling Common Myths About Carbon Emissions feat. Alexis Normand
08 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Businesses that want to see long term impact in terms of sustainability need to commit to short term changes. And while there are many ways to incenti...
Ep 139: Speaking the Language of Non-Verbal Communication feat. Laura Scarfe
01 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As human beings, being able to read and use non-verbal cues can determine the outcome of a situation, keeping us safe or strengthening the bonds we bu...
Ep 138: Procurement Out of This World feat. Kris Lance
25 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The U.S. military is accustomed to taking 7 years and a cost plus method to build billion dollar satellites with te help of their supply base. With in...
Ep 137: Using Visibility to Combat Supply Chain Abstraction feat. Frank Kenney
17 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the race to build global empires of data and digital systems, today’s businesses must not risk forgetting what all of those zeroes and ones mean....
Ep 136: Making the Impossible Possible in Global Sourcing feat. Chris Volz
11 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Global supply chains reach the furthest corners of the earth, bringing back valuable, well-made goods and putting us in touch with people we may never...
Ep 135: Packaging is a Magical Place feat. Matthew Wright
04 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Packaging is everywhere, from plastic clamshells to cardboard boxes, and protective wraps to banana peels. The most successful packaging gets the core...
Ep 134: The Complexity of Navigating the Panama Canal feat. Kris Lance
27 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
40 percent of all U.S. shipping containers travel through the Panama Canal each year, representing an annual cargo value of $270 Billion. It is the sh...
Ep 133: Fostering a Sense of Belonging feat. Michaela Payton
20 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It is always hard to be the ‘new kid’ whether in a neighborhood, at the office, or across the world. Learning to fit in, and finding a place to be...