Hey, everybody. Welcome to Hammer Down. I'm your host, Mike Bush. I'm really excited about today's guest. So every time I shoot an episode, I ask I ask my guest the same last question. If you're gonna talk to a new or recent grad or somebody thinking about the supply chain industry, what advice would you give them? Well, today, we're going the opposite direction. Today, we're talking to one of those new people who is new and interested in the supply chain. His name is Baden Schaub. I met him at ASCM conference last week, and I'm delighted to have him. Baden, welcome to the show. Thank you for having me. I really appreciate it. Alright. Let's get right into it, man. Who are you? What do you do? Where do you go? What what are you studying? Where are you? All that stuff. Yeah. So my name is Baden Straub, and I'm currently a student at University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire. It's a small school up in North North Wisconsin, and I'm currently pursuing a degree in operations and supply chain management. I'm very excited to be getting into the industry. Had I've had a lot of, introduction into the industry, so I'm I'm excited to be able to go to the ASM conference, but then also get into it. Awesome. So I have this working theory that's been proven pretty well accurate that ninety percent of supply chain pros either, one, fell into it, and they will say the words fell into it directly, or they're coming from a legacy. So my mom, my dad, my aunt, my uncle, my grandpa, my grandpa. Somebody in my family or close relative was in the industry. What's your story? How'd you get here? I'm in the legacy, part. Yeah. My dad is in supply chain. He is the associate director of materials management at ProMEGA. It's a biotech company in Madison. Yeah. And I've just kinda been following in his footsteps, hoping to be as good as he is. So that's that's kind of the route that I took, and that's how I fell into it. But then also, I did an exchange program over the summer where, between my senior year of high school and my freshman year of college, and I went over to Germany, to Hamburg, and I stayed with a family. And the dad was the, I believe he was the global director of supply chain at Eppendorf. Oh, wow. Okay. Very cool. So, obviously, some influence here that that that steered you into the into this industry as a potential career path or as a growth path. What are the things you're most excited about? What what has you like, man, I can't wait to tackle this project or or that problem? Yeah. I would say the, the ever growing industry. It's it's going to grow. It's growing as we speak right now, and it's gonna continue to grow. So I I think that the industry growth is kinda what excites me. K. But then also, I I like the challenge of, you know, not everything is gonna go right. And I I like the challenge of I'm gonna be one of the people on the front lines helping to solve that solve the issue or solve the problem. And that's, I guess, what I'm really most excited about is just kinda stepping in and tackling it. Alright. So so, Baden, what year in school are you? I will be a or I am a junior. Okay. Very cool. So two years left. What's your perfect next step? So you're gonna graduate college. Presumably, you're gonna send out resumes. You'll do some internships, all of that stuff. What where where do you wanna end up? If we're talk we're we're talking two years from now, hammer down still exists by some act of God. You joined the show, and you're like, man, I got my first job. Here's what I'm doing. What's the perfect world answer? I would like to be somewhere in planning. I'd like to be somewhere close to Madison. That's that's where I'm originally from. But I would like to be somewhere in planning. It's it's what my dad has been doing and, I guess, just kinda following his footsteps and planning. I'm definitely a planner. I like to have stuff laid out. So just kinda helping do that for my job as well, I I would really like to to go that to go that route. I don't really have a specific company that I need to work for. Okay. I a a job out of college and and planning would be great for me, and that that's my steps right now. You know, it can change in two years. Oh, absolutely. It will change in two years, a hundred percent. You know? But that that's awesome to have, like, a a path lined up. What so, obviously, coming from the legacy background, that makes sense and understanding, like, hey. This is a cool industry. What are the things outside of it's what my dad does that have you kinda jazzed or thinking, man, this is really, really potentially interesting for me. So funny enough, COVID, actually. I saw the impacts that COVID had on supply chain, and it kinda made me realize that supply chain makes the world go round. I mean and I wanna be that person that makes it happen. I don't wanna be on the sidelines where I'm just there. I wanna be making stuff happen, and I wanna do stuff. So oddly enough, yeah, COVID was what kinda brought me into the industry for sure. I knew that I wanted to go into business in high school. I just didn't know where COVID hit. I said, yep. Supply chain seems like it. Got it. So Very cool. What are what are the things you're not worried about? That's the wrong way to phrase it. What are the what are the things you wish you knew going in? Or what are the what are the questions you've got or sort of the the pie in the sky kind of, hey. I wonder about that type of stuff that sits in the back of your head at night. I guess, kind of the day to day thing. You know? I've I've heard and it was prominent during, the ASCM conference of no day looks the same. If no day looks the same, how am I gonna know what I'm doing the next day? You know what I'm saying? So I think that is definitely in the back of my head because I do like stuff to be laid out, and I know that's not gonna happen with with supply chain. But I'm gonna work to make sure that it is. And Yeah. Of course. It it's funny. You know, like, the the the planner role is is sixty percent planning and and fifty yes. It is hundred and ten percent role. Yeah. Sixty percent planning and fifty percent fixing the the plan or or helping the execution. Right? Like, you can have a world's perfect plan, but if if the vessel coming into the port is four days late, your plan just went right out the window. And now it's a matter of how do we quickly get everything back on. Then You know, you kinda need to backtrack and plan again. So I think, you know, I wanna know the day to day stuff, but at the same time, there is no day to day stuff. That's true, man. So you're a college kid. I love to ask this question because we at at ASCM, I think the the number one trend that they they promoted, was AI. Three of the top five trends were technology focused. It was AI, big data, and cybersecurity, all security all referenced. You're that next generation who grew up, you know, with a laptop or a tablet in your hand. Where do you use AI in your day to day life? Like, is ChetGPT writing your papers, David? It's not writing my papers, but it's definitely giving me ideas for my papers. And then also, I'll have professors that'll say, you know, you're gonna need to use AI for this. Use AI. Quote it. So, I mean, I do have I use it probably almost daily. Okay. So AI in the in the school fact Are you a chat GPT, a Gemini guy? What's how about chat? What's your good team? Guy. Yeah. I I really like it. It's, you know, pretty easy just to pull up on the computer. You know, it's a couple clicks away. But then also outside of school, I've been using it. For example, when I was coming to Austin, I wanted to know what are some of the best restaurants in Austin. Quick chat, GBT gave me a list, and I went to a couple of those restaurants. It wasn't wrong. Awesome. Where where'd you? So I went to we we went to Stubb's Barbecue. That one was pretty good. And then Terry Black's Barbeque. We went there. It was a it was a quick walk for us, and that one that one's really good. I and then, we also did Gus' fried chicken. That one was really Got it. Nice. Yeah. Mike Lombard, who is in the in the industry, his parents ran Lombard Trucking, which was one of the biggest East Coast trucking companies for a bunch of years. He's now a physical trainer for drivers in the space. He lives in Austin. So at ASCM, I I tweeted out, hey. I'm gonna be here. And he was like, oh, let's catch up. The first thing he said was we're going to Terry Bluffs. Yeah. And I was like, okay. And he said, the second thing is I'm gonna change your life with this meal. And I think he was pretty accurate, man. That that brisket was Exactly. I went with two other two other guys from our ASCM chapter in Eau Claire to, Austin, and I kinda told them I didn't ask if we were going. I told them we're gonna go to Terry Black's, and you could kinda see the worry on their face. And we went, and all that worry went away, and all the faith was restored in me. So it was really, really There we go, man. Or or earning earning credits through barbecue. I love that. So speaking of ACM, so is was that the first trade show or first kind of supply chain focused event you've been to? Yes, sir. What what what was your impression? What was really cool? What do you wish was a little bit different? So I real I really enjoyed it. I really enjoyed my time. I haven't gotten into too many of my core classes quite yet. So there were a couple things where, we'd be talking in one of the panels and all of a sudden, acronyms would just flow out. And I'm like, you know, I'm retaining information, but I just missed three acronyms that I have no clue. And, you know, I do I do understand that it is a professional conference. There's not many students there. I think there were probably about twenty students total there. Yep. Not just from not not from our chapter, but total. And one thing that I wish they had is something for the students, like a panel where we could ask questions about the industry. And it was just kinda student focused. Because I can check. I'm speaking for myself, but I think I'm also kinda speaking for the group of students, is we were a little bit intimidated, by the the supply chain professionals. You know, John Melby, from the Twin Cities chapter. He was rolling off acronyms, and I was definitely a little bit intimidated to to ask questions. I had a couple of, Sure. Couple with that. But then also having that panel would also allow us to meet other students too. So, for example, like, I met another president at a, at the at Stubbs Barbecue for the little mixer after the first day. And, that was really nice to to meet her and exchange information and what we're doing for for our clubs. So I think having something just for the students as well would be really nice. Very cool. So you may know this. Abe Eskenazi, who is the CEO of ASCM, was actually a guest on Hammer Downer. I'm gonna send this over to him, see if we can actually do one of these. Maybe maybe it'll be a Hammer Down town hall style. Yeah. I don't know. I'm gonna steal it from you. At at that little mixture at, Stubbs Barbecue, I did I did run into Abe Eskenazi, and I did I did talk to him and had a had a good conversation with him. So it was it was really nice to meet him, you know, outside of the conference as well because, you know, he comes out for the, for the keynote every morning. And that that's a little bit intimidating too, you know, seeing someone so high. Sure. And I'm just a I'm not even out of college yet. Right. Understood. Brad, when when you said you were gonna come out of the podcast, were there any questions or any thoughts you had? You're like, man, I wanna make sure I talk about this, or I wanna make sure I hit on that. So I think the biggest thing for me is I wanna know what can I do to get my foot in the door on the industry now? You know? I want to get an internship this year and start working, in the industry this year. What are three main things that you would do or three big points of of advice that you have for someone like me just getting into the the industry? Yeah. So love that question. First off, go to more go to conferences. Right? You're a student. ASCM is a is an amazing opportunity. To your point of, hey. There's too many acronyms. Don't be afraid to ask those questions. I think that's a really important thing. There's curiosity always goes really well, and and is appreciated. But more importantly, in this industry, there's way too many acronyms. There's a guy over at a an analyst firm named c Intelligence named Alan Murphy. And one year, Alan hosted the TLA Awards, and TLA, of course, being three letter acronym. And his firm had gone through bills that shippers had received and started calling steamship lines and saying, hey. We saw this line item. Can you tell me what the acronym stands for? And they gave out awards for the craziest acronym, and they gave out awards for the acronym that was being billed that nobody in the steamship could actually answer what the hell it was. So when it comes down to it in in our industry, there is there to your point, there is a ton. We speak our own language. We really do. But some of it's made up. So I think, you know, it was option number number one, network as much as you can. Use LinkedIn. You know? Of course. So so go to conferences, but also use LinkedIn. Every person that was at ACM, and I know you got yeah. Go through it. See who the people that that really were inspiring or interesting, hang up a note on LinkedIn just like you did with me because I was like, oh, man. This is so cool. Kate reached out. This is awesome. Number two, don't be afraid to ask questions because there are things that I I've been in it for twenty years. I learn something almost every day, that's brand new and and interesting. Number three is be ready to have a sense of humor. This industry, more than any any other industry I've been a part of, really does tend to be fun if you can find the right group. And if you have a sense of humor about it, you're, by default, gonna find the right group of people. I was talking to so so Reid Loss A Lot, who was a guest a while back, and he's the guy that created the the please advise hats. Yes. He he had this running joke that we're people in the industry are only friends with people in the industry because we're the only ones that know what we're talking about. Like, we don't go to a bar and and talk about the football game. We talk about, hey. Here's what's happening in the quarter. Yeah. So have a sense of humor and then find your tribe that way would be probably my third one because there's a lot in this industry that's crazy. And you can either to your point of, you know, my day's never the same. You can either roll with the punches and enjoy the heck out of it, or you can feel like you're just beat up every single day. And I think the the folks that roll with the punches are are the folks that are gonna be successful long term. Exactly. Yeah. No. I and I I really appreciate the, the words. Ben, you know, as we're talking about it, what are what are the things that kinda as you think about getting into the industry, what keeps you up at night? Getting into the industry after you know, I did say that COVID got me into the industry. COVID also scared me. Of course. You know? So I appreciate the words. You know? Everything's not gonna go to plan. And, rolling with the punches, I I think that's a it's a great point. Alright. Hey. Listen. Ben Trump, I appreciate you joining the show so much, and I truly do mean it. Let's, let's reconnect offline. Let's put together sort of an ASCM, young group together. And I I'll I'll if you can get me three or four people that wanna attend it, I will find pros who will who will do this townhouse style. You guys bring the questions. We'll work it through aid and the whole nine. Let let's make let's make this a recurring thing. Yeah. That would be great. I would, I would love that. I know I have a couple connections from, the ASCM conference that are students. I could definitely get some of them together. Alright. We're I'm available for whatever you need me to. Let let's make this happen. Hey. Thank you.
