The Sourcing Hero

Ep 21: Learning to Recognize Heroes feat. Dr. Dred Scott and Anthony Clervi

Over the last year, most of us have expanded our concept of what it means to be a hero. From teachers to truck drivers, and grocery store workers to hospital staff, we have plenty of community members to look up to. We’ve also learned that anyone, anywhere, in any role has the opportunity to be a hero to the people around them every day - whether it is in their job description or not.
In this very special episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Dr. Dred Scott, President of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Kansas City, and Anthony Clervi, Principal at Una, to talk about the importance of heroism in all its forms. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City has been helping at-risk youth for over 100 years. While much has changed during that time, heroes have always been present - sometimes in the form of the adults working at the club, and other times in the children themselves.
In this conversation, Dr. Scott and Anthony share their perspective on:
What adults in all walks of life can learn from the resilience and hope for the future shown by young people
How we can stay calm and centered enough to help others when times get tough and the pressure starts to rise
Why there are so many types of heroes, how we can recognize nontraditional heroes around us, and what people can do if they feel the call to step up for their own community 

The Sourcing Hero | Ep 20: Transformational Change with Mrs. Fix-It

Amanda Prochaska spent years in corporate America leading large-scale transformations. She was doing her thing with MNA integration, technology deployments, and process improvements. She was trying to build and transform procurement into something better. She learned that she loves working with people and helping them expand their horizons. She loves helping businesses with change management and transformation. So in this episode of The Sourcing Hero, Amanda talks about the world of change management, the future of procurement and supply chain, and her mission and vision with Global Women Procurement Professionals (GWPP). 

The Sourcing Hero | Ep 19: Women Shaping Procurement Live Panel Session #2

In today’s Women Shaping Procurement panel we’re talking about personal branding, gender diversity in the workplace, and how to be an ally for women. We’re here to prepare a place for the women coming behind us. These conversations need to be had so we can cultivate awareness and understand the reality of gender disparity. It’s so we can give people actionable things to do moving forward.

The Sourcing Hero | Ep 18: Women Shaping Procurement Live Panel Session #1

Una sent out a survey asking 100+ women in procurement about the impact women had on the industry in 2020. One answer is the ‘why’ behind this panel. Samantha Stryker responded and said, “For centuries, women fought for equal footing. In the last century, we saw women gain speed and accessibility to achieve ever higher than before….Those who have powered through all the change while painfully embracing the new normal of their chaotic schedules are armed to the teeth to continue expanding women’s presence in leadership, in navigating transformational efforts.” 
This session is about celebrating women in procurement, sourcing, and supply chain. But celebration isn’t enough. The industry needs to bring awareness to the gender pay gap, to diversity within the workplace, and to all of the challenges that women are facing. It’s time to take action. Una has a privilege, responsibility, and a platform to do so. The goal of this panel is to prepare listeners to be an ally for women in this industry.

The Sourcing Hero | Episode 17: A Lesson in Perseverance with the Classification Guru

Now—more than ever—data is becoming a focus in the procurement and supply chain industry. The global pandemic led to every business tightening their spending and attempting to track every penny and every piece of data. That’s where Susan Walsh i.e. The Classification Guru steps in. We’ve never had anyone on this show that specializes in data like Susan Walsh. Listen to this episode of The Sourcing Hero to hear why a focus on data is so important.

The Sourcing Hero | Ep 16: Putting the Human Back into Hiring feat. Naseem Malik

According to Naseem Malik, sourcing talent is just as important as sourcing goods and services. After 15+ years in the procurement space, Naseem has been with MRA Global—an executive search firm that focuses on supply chain, procurement, and operations—for 8 years. 
Whenever someone says “We need to save money. We need to foster better supplier collaboration. We need to become better negotiators.” they stress that it’s all about the people. Everything is related to talent. It should be focus #1 for any sourcing organization looking to achieve its objectives. 
How does MRA Global do it? What do they look for in candidates? How do they put the human back into hiring? Learn more in this episode of The Sourcing Hero!

The Sourcing Hero | Ep 15: Stepping Out into the Fog feat. Dawn Tiura

Dawn Tiura—the President and CEO of Sourcing Industry Group (SIG)—firmly believes that we are in a world that is constantly changing. Sourcing and procurement must change and adapt with the world. If you can’t adapt—retire. Because things won’t slow down. 
How has Dawn embraced the never-ending change? How does SIG help the sourcing industry embrace the uncomfortable and continue to innovate? How does Dawn stay on top of what’s happening in the world? Listen to this episode of The Sourcing Hero for her insight. 

The Sourcing Hero | Ep 14: Embracing a Big Picture Mindset feat. Kelly Barner

People outside of procurement don’t always understand or even know what procurement does. Why? Kelly Barner believes it’s because procurement has lost the ability to connect with the rest of the business. How do you break away from that? How do you embrace creativity in your role? How do you widen your lens to see the big picture? Listen to this episode of The Sourcing Hero to hear Kelly’s enthusiastic viewpoint. 
Don’t know who Kelly is? Kelly Barner is a Procurement & Supply Chain Writer and Influencer, and the Owner and Managing Director of Buyers Meeting Point. But her bio doesn’t stop there. She’s also the General Manager at the Art of Procurement and the Show Host for an upcoming Supply Chain Now monthly livestream, “Dial P for Procurement.” Don’t miss this one!