The Industrial Side
Listen. Learn. Execute. Repeat.
Conversations with operators in industrial, distribution, and field service businesses.
New to The Industrial Side?
March 18, 2026
What this is
Most businesses are not won in strategy meetings. They are won or lost in the day to day trenches. This is a short introduction to The Industrial Side. Why it exists, why now, and what you can expect. After hundreds of conversations with operators across distribution, manufacturing, and field service businesses, one thing became clear. The gap is not ideas. It is execution. This podcast is about those trenches. The goal is simple. Pull out practical lessons operators can apply immediately t
Recent Episodes
16
July 14, 2026
Cheap or Fast: Why You Can't Have Both in Global Shipping w/ Kaufman Logistics
Sammy and Elizabeth Kaufman run Kaufman Logistics, a freight forwarding, customs brokerage, and 3PL company handling the physical movement and compliance side of importing goods into the US. In this episode, Brian sits down with the husband and wife duo to break down an industry most business owners rely on constantly but rarely understand. What we cover: What freight forwarding actually is, and how it differs from customs brokerage and 3PL (most companies think these are the same thing) Why n
15
July 7, 2026
A 1% Price Increase Equals 8% More Profit: Anderson Lemos on Pricing Strategy for Manufacturers
Anderson Lemos spent 17 years in manufacturing, ten of them on the floor as a manufacturing and applications engineer, before moving into commercial roles. Today he helps manufacturers price their products and aftermarket parts the right way, so their plants produce healthy margins instead of guessing. We get into why pricing in manufacturing is inherited instead of designed, why a McKinsey study found a 1% price increase can drive an 8% increase in profit, and why so many manufacturers are sit
14
June 30, 2026
The Prison Had No WiFi: Lessons in Building Digital Tools for B2B Distribution
Justin Samaniego runs product and digital strategy at Medline, one of the largest medical distribution companies in the world. Before that, he spent years in industrial B2B distribution, moving from sales rep to sales ops to building digital tools from scratch. This conversation is for any distributor or manufacturer wondering if "going digital" means replacing your sales team. It doesn't, and Justin explains why. What we cover: Why the smartest distributors don't try to automate everything,
13
June 23, 2026
What Buyers Actually See When They Look at Your Company
Ryan Kirby, Partner at Alderman & Company, on What It Actually Takes to Sell an Aerospace & Defense Business Ryan Kirby is a Partner at Alderman & Company, an investment bank focused exclusively on aerospace and defense M&A. He's spent his career on the sell side, helping owner operators position their companies, find the right buyer, and walk away with the best outcome, not just the highest number. In this episode, Ryan and Brian get into the real mechanics of selling a business in A&D, and mo
12
June 9, 2026
Line by Line, Vessel by Vessel: Operations Inside a Marine Supply Distributor with Jessica Stall of Metric Marine
In the third installment of our Metric Marine series, Brian sits down with Jessica Stall, COO of Metric Marine, for a deep dive into the operational engine behind one of South Florida's leading marine supply distributors. If the first two episodes covered vision and marketing, this one gets into the gritty day-to-day of how a distribution business actually wins or loses. In this episode: How Metric Marine handles 1,500–3,000 RFQs per month and what it takes to turn them around within the hour
11
June 2, 2026
The Balance Sheet Basics Every Business Owner Is Ignoring — with Patrick Dichter of Apple Tree Business Services
Brian sits down with Patrick Dichter, owner of Apple Tree Business Services, to break down what small business owners — especially those in manufacturing, distribution, and home services — actually need to understand about their financials. Patrick works with companies ranging from $250K to $20M in revenue and shares the accounting blind spots that cost owners real money. Topics covered: P&L vs. balance sheet — which one matters more, and why inventory-heavy businesses can't ignore the balance
About the Host
Brian Kabisa
Operator & Host
I’m an operator focused on how industrial, distribution, and field service businesses actually run day to day.
I started my career as an A-10 aircraft mechanic in the U.S. Air Force, working in environments where execution mattered and there was no room for error. Since then, I’ve worked across operations, consulting, and supply chain roles, with a focus on solving real business problems.
Today, I spend my time investing in and working with businesses facing the same challenges discussed on this show. The Industrial Side is an extension of that work.
WHAT WE FOCUS ON
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Working capital and inventory decisions
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Hiring and leading teams
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Customer relationships and execution
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Day-to-day operational tradeoffs
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What actually works in practice