Using Social Media to Grow Your Brokerage Business and Personal Brand

In this episode of "Everything is Logistics host Blythe Brumleve welcomes CEO of Scale Logistics, Shay Lynn Dixon, to discuss using social media to grow your brokerage business and personal media brand.

They chat about their personal histories in the logistics industry and how they got to where they are today. Dixon shares how she started in the industry and how her previous job taught her the basic skill set that she needed for her current business. The episode emphasizes the importance of leveraging social media to build a brand and connect with potential clients.


WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

The listener will learn about using social media to grow a brokerage business and personal brand, the importance of structuring a business from the beginning, the benefits of staying within a niche, and the challenges of shifting away from it. They will also learn about the founding of Scale Logistics, the speaker's passion for the aerospace industry, and their approach to social media and content marketing. The episode also discusses the importance of building relationships in business, following up with contacts, and using AI tools for writing and fact-checking. Additionally, the episode covers the accuracy of various statements related to shipping aerospace parts, the benefits of using freight forwarding services, and the Freight Broker community.


LINKS:

• Check out the Scale Logistics website
• Connect with Shay on Linkedin

TIMESTAMPS:

[00:02:22] Restarting a freight brokerage.

[00:03:44] Freight Brokerage Partnerships.

[00:07:29] Aerospace and STEM education.

[00:11:24] Rebranding and Personal Branding.

[00:15:21] Social media strategy planning.

[00:18:25] Small business marketing education.

[00:22:07] Standing out in logistics industry.

[00:25:11] Creating content for trust.

[00:29:01] Strategies for building business on LinkedIn.

[00:32:04] Trade Show Strategy.

[00:35:19] Approaching potential clients.

[00:39:07] Developing relationships for business growth.

[00:43:39] Small talk in the South.

[00:48:26] ROI on social media strategies.

[00:51:55] Saying no to bad fits.

[00:54:11] AI tools for business.

[00:57:19] AI in the freight industry.

[01:00:16] Shipping aerospace parts internationally.

[01:03:02] Solopreneurship and mentoring.

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Transcript

Unknown: 0:00

LinkedIn presents

Blythe Brumleve: 0:10

welcome into another episode of everything is logistics a podcast for the thinkers in freight. I am your host Blythe Brumleve. And I'm happy to welcome in Shay Lynn Dixon, She is the CEO of Scale Logistics. And we're going to be talking about using social media to grow your brokerage business as well as your own personal media brand, which is extremely valuable in today's business world. So Shay, welcome back into the show.

Shay Lynn Dixon: 0:36

Thank you for having me. I'm excited. It's been a little while. So I'm definitely looking forward to catching up.

Blythe Brumleve: 0:42

Likewise, but for folks who may not know, you know, I back in the NSA back in the day, I hosted a show called Cyber Lee that is still appears on Freightways. But che was my very first guest on that show for freightwaves. So it's been a long time coming to get her on everything is logistics. So when I say Welcome back, we've already kind of been having you know, these chats for a little while now we've even you know, before we started hitting, you know, record, we talked for literally 26 minutes before I hit record because we had so much to catch up on. But now it's a really good opportunity to sort of dive into because we both had a little bit of a career change within the last year. And so maybe for folks who are Shaffer folks who don't know your background, give us a little sense of your logistics, you know, sort of career history and what got you to today?

Shay Lynn Dixon: 1:29

Yeah, most certainly. So, I started in the industry about 13 years ago, I work for a polyethylene foam manufacturer. And that was a really intense, but like, I learned every basic skill set that I needed for my business. Now, I didn't know that then. But I worked for a small family owned business. And, you know, I was doing everything it was back in the day. So we didn't have technology I appreciate and value technology so much, because it makes my life so much easier now, but I've worked for a series of corporations and companies like UNF phi and a cold change storage, freight brokerage as well. And really, over the last 13 years, I just have kind of done a little bit of everything. And I've seen, you know, all sides from working in the warehouse to behind the scenes as a freight broker. So a couple years ago, about three years ago, we started our first our first freight brokerage Allegiant logistics. And we had that for about two years, we separated ways with our business partners, and my husband and I restarted scale, and I believe our authority went active March of last year. Yes, so we got, like, literally a little bit over a year back in business. And it has been nothing short of amazing. And I tell people all the time, like, I am living proof that if you just work really hard, and if you're not afraid to count on yourself, bet on yourself bet on your capabilities, that um, you can make relationships and partnerships that will grow your business tremendously. And that's, that's what I've done. And it's, it's been exciting. It's really has. So, you know, there's been so much changed since the last time we've talked. So

Blythe Brumleve: 3:13

girl, yes. Because I mean, you just talked about, you know, opening up a business, what in the middle of COVID? Yes. And then you start up another business kind of on the tail end of COVID. So, between those two companies, what did you learn from the first one that helped you launch scale?

Shay Lynn Dixon: 3:31

Yeah, so the way that you structure your business from the very beginning is so important. And the way I mean structure, what type of partnership agreements, what type of contracts you have in place, making sure you have an attorney review those, making sure that when you select your bond, or whoever's gonna hold the bond, that you're, you're selecting that as yourself, especially as a majority of owner, especially if you have multiple partners, because whoever has the bond in their name really controls whether the freight brokerage can operate. So that presents challenges when you have partnerships, right. I also learned that not going outside of my niche, actually was way, way better for my business. I know some people in sales and freight brokering they're like, they have to there's two opposite sides one's like, do it all move it all and other sides, like you know, lock in. Well, for me locking in was really helpful. And I think that I got a little discouraged at the tail end of my first business because volumes were kind of shifting, and so I was getting a lot of other opportunities and bringing on new agents. So we were shifting to you know, drive in and just, you know, kind of taking more freight we had purchased trucks during that time. And so we were like, Let's get you know, driving and trailers. Nobody wants to, you know, run a flatbed. So flatbed and hotshot was our specialty from the beginning and we kind of got away from that and so when Scale logistics started, I really took my time and I looked at my old business and like, what did I not like about it? What can I improve? And how can I restructure this? So when I started my brokerage now scale logistics, I made sure that I took every little, you know, I really took my time with it like, like literally baking a cake like, Okay, this is what I want down to the name, like everyone was like what scale they think scale is like a way like weighing product or scaling, like growing your business. But it's actually stands for supply chain and logistics, excellence, and promise, like I promised, and I'm going to operate with excellence, with my carrier and with my customer. And we really thought that out, we thought about what matters to us, we thought about how we want to be different. My husband has been driving for over 13 years. So now that he's out of the truck, he brings a completely different aspect to the business where I'm more sales customer, you know, that's me business development, my husband, he's more on the carrier side, he's building those carrier relationships. And because he was a driver, their conversation is really different than what I would have with the carrier. It's super

Blythe Brumleve: 6:13

interesting. It's totally different. Because you're coming from the brokerage standpoint, he's coming from the carrier standpoint, and now it's almost like your own little like logistics Avengers team.

Shay Lynn Dixon: 6:22

Exactly. We're really we really are like Batman and Robin. And I tell him all the time, I'm like, I'm so thankful for that perspective, because he's able to help our team and he's able to deal with issues with the carrier, you know, with all of our carrier partners. And I'm more so because I came from a corporate background and doing account management for a cold chain storage solution, like they did everything that a brokerage. And so I had to learn kind of how to handle like, like, I had cheese customers in the middle of Wisconsin, right? Like, I had to make sure those loads got covered, I had to handle I'm talking about I fell on the sword a lot, right. So I had to learn that. So both of us bringing unique experiences, I think that when we transitioned to this, because the two of us were the ones leading it and developing it and coming up with our main principles, we were really able to make it our own and true to who we are as people. And that really helped us build the foundation of our business for sure.

Blythe Brumleve: 7:26

What made you want to stick with aerospace?

Shay Lynn Dixon: 7:29

So the relationships I've built, honestly, you know, dealing with engineers, because most of the people that we build relationship versus relationships with our engineers, are former engineers. And it's so weird, because I really started researching all of this because my daughter kept saying she wanted to work for NASA. She kept I just want to work for NASA. And I'm like, so I started looking up STEM programs, different programs, and I started getting into aerospace, and I started seeing what all there is in Georgia for aerospace. And I'm like, I this is so intriguing. And I just kept diving more into it. And when I went to like visit my customers or walk through their facilities, and people are always like, what's that, like? They're like, you record you know, I'm like, you can't record in a secure facility. You know, so, you know, all I have is those memories internally. And it was it was really like I knew this was it like walking through there seeing all the different parts learning, you know, fan cows, trans sleeves, thrust reversers, like the different type, when I was still interested when it got really into the aerospace jargon, like the specific parts and I had to learn parts. And I still was interested in like, this is for me, I never felt that way about cheese or anything. Ever. And back when I started brokerage, I'm like, we can do anything. But reefer I'm traumatized.

Blythe Brumleve: 8:53

And I well, I feel like if you are talking to folks within aerospace to you stick out because you do know those phrases. Is that a safe assumption?

Shay Lynn Dixon: 9:01

Oh, most certainly. And I understand how they're before I even started prospecting and reaching out, I learned about what are the components? What are MRO facilities? How do these facilities support the aerospace industry. So I went even more sub niched and not just aerospace but working with a specific sector of aerospace that does the repair. And they kind of do aftermarket parts. So it's really along the lines of manufacturing. So I was really, really in depth. But it made it easier for me to connect with those people online and in person and I can have a realistic conversation because I understand how their business operates. And I understand their needs that are unique, right? And I honestly I get bid out all the time by like the larger companies that offer the same services, but I you know, talk to people on a conversational level, not like hey, send your quote. To this general email box is like, Hey, it's me and my assistant and we're going to help you and which part is this again, and I'm like doing research. So they're leveraging my passion and my understanding of their industry when they hire me as an outsourced logistics partner for sure.

Blythe Brumleve: 10:19

This episode is brought to you by SPI logistics the premier freight agent and logistics network in North America. Are you currently building your freight brokerages, book a business and feel that your capabilities are being limited due to lack of support and access to adequate technology? At SPI logistics, we have the technology, the systems and the back office support to help you succeed. If you're looking to take control of your financial future and build your own business, with the backing of one of the most successful logistics firms in North America, visit SPI three pl.com to learn more. So how does I guess you know, based on all of your experience within aerospace, and then within logistics, and then you had already started up one freight brokerage, you're out, you're starting up another one. It sounds like there was a lot of intentionality with your scale logistics and how you're approaching that business. So you've got your niche. And then on the social side of things, how did you start implementing the new social strategy around the new company?

Shay Lynn Dixon: 11:24

Yeah, so it was a transition. And it's so funny, because I have people all the time, and they're like, You really were smooth with that transition. So, three things really helped me, I, my branding is very similar, I changed our colors slightly, I took out the orange and replaced it with black and stuff with the blues and whites. So before I transitioned out of allegiance, I started using those new colors so that people would associate those colors with the Legion, right or with me, because what people don't understand is that the your personal brand is what drives people to your corporate brand and your business, right. So I have always even when I built a legion, I leveraged my personal brand. So I did the same during this transition, right? I started talking about changes and you know, being open to change and what change looks like and how you handle change, right? I started talking about those things that were happening, real life for the for our business, and I just kept reassuring my customers that things were going to be the same level of service just under a new name. You know, we kept our agents. So I kept a lot of the same customer relationships, despite challenges, you know, and they just kind of were like, Hey, we don't care what name you do and under Are you still going to be our point of contact. That's really what it came down to. So I made sure that the branding was consistent. And I also kind of made sure that I was talking about the change and kind of explaining and alluding to it before I actually announced it. And then once I announced it, I hit the ground running, promoting and representing our values and what we stand for with scale and who we are as leadership and who we are as ownership. And it really worked really well my customers responded well to it, and so did just people in our space, right? They never just credited me like, oh, you had a failed brokerage. I'm like, No, I, you know, I pivoted, I changed. And I learned a lot from the experience. And I always tell people that they're like you had did it fail? I'm like, No, we just decided to go separate ways. And that's okay, you don't have to hold on to a business, you just revamp it. And that's what I did.

Blythe Brumleve: 13:41

Right? It's still it doesn't necessarily and I think for a lot of folks and I, I put myself in this bucket too. Like sometimes it's really hard to separate yourself from the business. Yeah, and the business almost feels very personal. It's like your baby that you've seen, sort of grow up and to have even, you know, to hire somebody else to come in and care as much as you do or to you know, sell it off to somebody else, you would just hope that they would treat it that with the same care and attention that you have is and I would imagine that you have taken all of those learnings and all of that you know sort of appreciation for all of the lessons that you learned with one business and now it's full, full speed ahead at scale with with all of the things that you have learned and are continuing to learn

Shay Lynn Dixon: 14:29

most certainly most certainly. And so learning experiences they will they are better teachers than anyone anything you read anything someone tells you just dealing with it firsthand and having to do it with class and do with a smile because you know, that's what it is like we have to still show up regardless of the challenges that are going on. So I learned a lot.

Blythe Brumleve: 14:55

So with you know, building on on social media, so you you went through this process of, you know, kind of hinting to it. And then it was an announcement and then now that you're, you know, out now that that's done, what does sort of the I guess your social media strategy look like? Are you planning on a quarterly basis? A monthly basis? Give me those, I guess, sort of in the trenches details of how you're approaching social media now.

Shay Lynn Dixon: 15:19

Yeah. So I actually do it on a monthly basis. I just look at the month and I'm like, what events do I have? I have a basic calendar, and I'm just writing in there like, this day, I'm going to talk about this, I try to keep the flow of the week I start off motivational I try to educate, share something industry related, educate some more, and then I wrap up for the weekend and keep it light. Because on Friday, I'm not trying to learn anything, and most of us aren't, we're just like, where are you going? This again? What plans do you have? And I don't post on the weekends on LinkedIn, but I do. And sometimes I do. If I feel led most of my content, like my assistant, I'll gather and she'll pre schedule and like a third party tool, like later. And that's it I am, I have like a list. And I tell everybody, you know, planning in advance is half of the battle and then actually executing on it. And we talked about that earlier, like, execution is the challenge for me. So I have a plan, I have like 90 days of typical content, and a lot of my consulting clients, I'll give them like 90 days of prompts, I'm like, here's 90 Things you can talk about for the next 90 days, you can pick anything a video, article, photo, anything to go with it, and just put your thoughts. That's it just start there, right. So I tried to make it more personalized, sometimes I go really in depth. And then other times, I'm not, it really depends on what my goal is for that quarter. So like right now, we're about to transition into adding a new sales agents. So I'm going to be talking about a lot about sales, and team building and things that, you know, are centered around that. LinkedIn strategy is way different than Facebook and Instagram. And people try to share content to all three platforms, without adjusting it to the room, right, like you have to read the room in each area. And you can't do that. So finding that soft spot, I have a very diverse audience. So I have, like manufacturers, suppliers, prospects, C suite owners, small businesses, you know, people who are interested in getting in logistics, other businesses that are just, you know, trying to learn about logistics that are interested in maybe doing business, I'm like small package, stuff like that. So my audience is really unique. So being able to talk to all of them in every post doesn't happen. So I tried to talk to the carrier one day customer one day, my peers one day, so that I'm still engaging every aspect of my audience on LinkedIn.

Blythe Brumleve: 17:51

So for the audience, they kind of break down. So I guess the the consulting is different than the your responsibilities at scale, correct? You're with the consulting, your your consulting. What other kinds of businesses is like solopreneurs? Is it other logistics companies kind of give us a window into that?

Shay Lynn Dixon: 18:09

Yeah, so I'm consulting actually through scale. I'm just a consultant for our business. So what happened was, I noticed that a lot of customers needed help with other things besides just they're free, right? And I am a value added girl, I understand that the more value you bring, the less they go to other people. And then I become their source, their one stop shop for everything. So whether it's SEO, or the meaning of Google, my business profile, I'm helping my customers with education, like some of them wanted to start their own business, I'm like, Hey, let me guide you through that. Like, I'm pretty much helping people. And that's why I don't ever I really don't advertise the consulting because most of its like, referral base and I normally, you know, full of love and like, okay, I can help you with that I can help you with that, you know, so I do a little bit of everything through our business 90% of the people that I assist our logistics companies, I really work a lot with solopreneurs. So small fleet owners, maybe 20 trucks or less five to 20 trucks. That's where they start getting into a place where they want to build direct shipper, you know, direct distributor, direct export, direct, direct import relationships, so they need to elevate their marketing for that they need to elevate their their marketing materials, their branding materials, so I get a lot of that. So I do a little bit of it all. But for me, what the core of what I do is try to help other small business owners with the things that I had challenges with I felt like there wasn't like a playbook when I first started like, this is what you do. Make your Google profile make your Instagram they make your LinkedIn so I try to educate people on that so that they can stand out. You know, a lot of people go straight to getting their DBE or their MBE or their minority certification. Right woman or minute Already on businesses, and that's amazing. But no one can promote advocate or, you know, share your business better than you. And I think a lot of times, we skip over that. And we're like, oh, we'll just leverage these other things, instead of doing the scary thing of presenting yourself to the world. So

Blythe Brumleve: 20:19

I love that. And I love that you, you hit the nail on the head with that, because I know that historically, you know, associations and things like that have had a strong place in a lot of business. But now we have a say now, and social media has been around for you know, more than a decade. But for a lot of these companies, social media is still very new to them. And so being able to leverage both is almost like a superpower. So when you're coaching them through, you know what steps to take, as far as you know, establishing a social media presence, and then maybe kicking it up a notch. What are some of those, I guess, challenges that they're facing?

Shay Lynn Dixon: 20:57

I think a lot of time, it's lack of clarity. So they really don't know what they offer as a business. They don't have a unique selling proposition. They really don't know where, where they add value. And I always tell people, before we even to start, I need you to communicate to me what you do, who you serve, who's your target audience? How are you assisting them? How are you connecting with them outside of social, you know, because it's not just social, it's social plus cold calling, plus going to events plus networking, it's literally like a pie, and you have to really kind of do 25%, everything, you know, you might be able to get a little bit more with social, but you still have to put these efforts in and I think, lack of clarity about what they actually can offer as a service provider. I think the next thing is fear of rejection, fear of showing up online, maybe not knowing what to say or feeling, you know, unsure. And those go hand in hand, the clearer you are about what you offer, the easier it is to show up online. So most of what I do is I'm trying to help people figure out what do you actually want to do who you actually want to serve? And then once we have that, it's a lot easier for the middle like, oh, so I just talked about this, yes, just talk about it. Also, I just connect with these people, yes, connect with those people. And you will see yourself stand out, I think there's a there's 17,000 licensed freight brokers and 1000 more, you know, freight broker agents, and even 1000 worth double brokers. So your your your compete, you know, your competition, the pool of logistics providers is vast, you have to stand out, you have to

Blythe Brumleve: 22:36

That's it. 100%. And, you know, when it comes to social media, it's one thing, I think, to tell people that this is the extreme value that you can have, and that you can get to and that you can work towards. But I think a lot of people fall off in the working towards it part, if that makes sense. So they know that it's important. And then they start and then you know, the first you know, handful of posts, maybe even 1020 posts, they hear crickets, and then they get discouraged. And then they just stop and they don't pick it back up again. But I would make an argument that that's when you should absolutely sort of double down and keep going because your audience is either not right for you that's viewing that content, or you're not making the best post possible. And I know that we kind of talked, you know, before we started recording about how do you level up your your game on LinkedIn or your game on social media. So how are you? I guess, kind of thinking about that process of leveling up when it comes to social media.

Shay Lynn Dixon: 23:35

So me, for me, I'm always just like making sure I prospect and qualify, every person I talked to, right? I'm like, is there any way we can work together? I'm asking questions, because I want to understand what they do. So I can see, is there anything that I can offer to you or shares a resource? Is there anything that I can, you know, gather or gain in return? Right? I saw I'm always updating my LinkedIn profile, from my skill sets to who might as I get into a sub niche, I'm getting more specific about making sure I'm including that in my content strategy. I think that a lot of people like you said, they're they're stopping if they don't get traction right away. Every time I stopped posting, sometimes I'll go like a week and I just won't post because I just don't have it in me I have like a new customer. I've onboarded like, you know, I'm training a sales team, just something and I'm like, or I want a new direction with my content, you know, and when I start by posting for like, the first week, it's, you know, maybe it's very limited engagement, maybe five, you know, people interacting, like very, very minor and as I continue to show up, people will continue to engage. That's just how it works. And people give up too easily. I understand the process that people who are we talked about it, you know before but it's like dating when you're prospecting on the internet. So you have to treat your treat your content marketing strategy the same way like you're going in, you just want the people that are in your community to know you, you want them to like you, and you want them to trust you. So if you stick to content, and I asked myself, I'm like, is this gonna help someone know me like me or trust me? And if you say that before you post something, then you're good to go. If you're like, Yeah, they'll know me better. Yeah, they'll like me better, or they'll trust. And and that's a huge part. And, you know, I could go on for days about like, no trust. But

Blythe Brumleve: 25:29

I love that approach. Because I've posted about that before that it's called the kale team method like or No, like trust. And if you it's something like 7020 10. So the 70% of the information that you're sharing is knowledge base. And then 20% is like base. So what do you like? What do you enjoy? And then the 10%? Is that trust that vulnerability that I've been in these shoes before, I've had the experience. And so if you kind of think of like 10 posts on LinkedIn that you're going to create seven of them should be in the knowledge carrot category, two of them should be in the

Shay Lynn Dixon: 26:06

one, okay, like, Yeah, but learn.

Blythe Brumleve: 26:09

And then try, like or learn and then trust. And so that's how you can think about it. And especially with LinkedIn, you know, thinking about it from like a month perspective, if you say, Okay, well, we have four weeks, we have 30 days, if I have at least one post a week, I can now go to LinkedIn, and I can schedule those posts in advance. So then that way, when shit does it inevitably hit the fan during that month? Yeah, you don't have to worry about me, I got a post to LinkedIn today, and I haven't done it and then you lose that momentum that you've built, that that content snowball effect, so I could see your site, same boat, I could talk about this for hours.

Shay Lynn Dixon: 26:48

And I tell people, you don't have to post every day, sometimes I only post three times out the week, I don't post every single day, you're not required to post every day. And don't just post just to post let people know, when you're just sharing just, you know, make it a value. Yes, you know, make it have a purpose, and always have like an intended person that you're trying to land that message to. Right, instead of just putting out general content. I think that really helps.

Blythe Brumleve: 27:17

And you said something earlier to that, that I think brings us this, this part of the conversation full circle is that you're constantly tweeting, or tweeting or tweeting. You know, I don't know if you're tweeting, but you're constantly tweaking your LinkedIn profile, which is important. Because if you do start getting gaining traction, maybe you commented on somebody else's post, or maybe some, you know, one of your posts is doing fairly well, the first thing that people are going to do is they're gonna click on your profile, and see who you are and who you're talking to. And if your profile doesn't speak to that audience, then you're missing out on a conversion for for that person to see your profile and know, hey, I want to connect with this person, hey, I want to follow this person, or hey, I want to reach out and do business with this person. So constantly, you know, tweaking your profile in order to appeal to your target audience is another really hidden gem. What other I guess sort of I remember when we talked on on cyber Lee that you were using social media to also prospect carriers. Is that certainly an active strategy.

Shay Lynn Dixon: 28:19

Yes, I prospect carriers all the time. Now it's my husband doing it more than me. But in those LinkedIn groups, I'm going to every LinkedIn group, I'm trying to connect with people in the group, you know, whether it's I'm learning about different markets, or, you know, we get a lot of requests for like air cargo and warehousing, so that those are areas that we're expanding into over the next year. And so I'm connecting people with people who do that already. I'm learning from them. I'm reading and engaging with the content, seeing what type of trade shows they go to, because, you know, that's a hot topic. And I tell people all the time, I'm like, link, you know, your social strategy, what you do at trade shows and how you market your business is that they they're all coupled together with the cold calling, because people cold call and they're like that, like I called 400 people, and no one gave me an opportunity. I'm like, Okay, but what else did you do? What did you do before you cold call? What did you do before you even ask someone for the business? So I think there's multiple steps and strategies that people can leverage to really build their business on LinkedIn. There's multiple, I'm telling you the commodity related groups, or the industry related groups they are in that like they're so valuable when it comes to getting industry related information that I'm always I'm on LinkedIn scrolling, not because I'm looking for what people are, you know, where people are at. I'm on LinkedIn, trying to connect with people and learn from them. One hand

Blythe Brumleve: 29:54

and back to intentionality. So you're in that's another thing that I hear a lot of you Even I experienced myself is sometimes you'll be on social media and a couple hours go by and you won't even realize it. But if you're going there with intentionality, then you're less likely to get sort of sucked into the algorithm, and then, you know, not find anything of value. Now, you had also just mentioned, you know, implementing a conference strategy along with your social strategy. So I guess you know, it conference season, it feels like conference season is always now actually, I know, I was like, I don't I don't know when it starts. I don't know what it is. I just feel like I'm always in the tornado of conference season. So So give us a sense on on the conferences that you prioritize, and then we can get into a little bit of how you you tackle and strategize to actually go to the conference.

Shay Lynn Dixon: 30:43

Yeah. So I tell everyone, and I do it myself. I am very, very particular, about conferences I go to, I love the idea of networking with our peers. I love the idea of networking with carriers. So whether it's mats or you know, but before you go to a conference, you have to figure out what are your goals that quarter that month, and that conference has to align with it right. So right now I have carriers covering all my lanes, right? So I don't need to, you know, and I have carriers like beating down can you have any freight, I'm like, I'm sorry, like we're completely covered. So right now, I don't need to go to somewhere like Matt, because I'm not looking to build other carrier relationships. Now, if I wanted to go to network with industry, peers, and things of that nature, that will be fine. But I can do that effectively on social media and where I'm at with my business, I need to save my time. So I can use it to, you know, invest back in the business and into my team. Maybe when I have like an ops manager, and you know, other people are running the day to day and I don't have my own book of business, doing that would be fine. And it would be, you know, beneficial to my business. But you have to be really specific and intentional with the different conferences and trade shows you go to, and they have to be specific towards your goal. So find that, you know, determine what your goal is first, and then find them for me. I'm doing anything aviation related, anything aerospace related. I am in the building, I want to know every single person that operates in the space who my competitor competitors are, what are they doing that the customers like, right, I am not a recreate the wheel type of gal. I'm like, what's working for other people, I need to figure out how to do that for myself in our business. So be intentional. I tell people, the best place to start is start in your region. And with your commodity type. You don't have a commodity type, you need to you have bigger things that you need to figure out, like, what commodities are you gonna focus on, you know, don't pay

Blythe Brumleve: 32:44

the 1000s of dollars to go to a conference until you you know, that core structure of your business looks like right?

Shay Lynn Dixon: 32:49

So and people will spend $1,500 to go to a conference and leave with nothing a bunch of business cards that they really don't know what to do next, instead of you know, investing in coaching mentorship to build the foundation. So when they go into that trade show, they know exactly how to leverage it. I'm talking about I have a plan. My husband's like, where's your clipboard? And I'm gonna bring my clipboard I you know, I'm gonna

Blythe Brumleve: 33:16

have oh, it's a real clipboard. Yes, I have what's on the clipboard,

Shay Lynn Dixon: 33:19

clipboard? Well, I always actually print out like, the map of the expo hall, so that I can highlight prospects, and I put my prospects warm, so that I've connected with someone at the company, I've had relationships, some type of conversation, some type of, like engagement from them that they're interested and engaging and doing business with us. They just maybe don't like or trust me, they just know who we are. So I have to build the like, and trust, cool, I can do that. That's, that's the easiest. So I make those green because that's money. I'm like, God. So we split it up, especially when you have like 1900 vendors, you're not gonna be able to touch all of those people intentionally in one day. So I'm splitting I'm looking at the map and I'm like, Okay, we're gonna do the left side, the first day, middle section, we gotta hit these, I'm know what booth my prospects are at. I am reaching out to the customer in advance trying to find somebody in sales that may be there. So I can introduce myself and ask, you know, who in your company actually handles onboarding new vendors, I'll try to connect with them online as well. And then when I'm there, I'm getting a picture with the person from that company. So I can post it. And I'm like, I don't want John he's great. I'm really open that Oh, who we can do business. Or I'm sending it to the lead the prospect who's actually the person in charge. I'm like, Look, I met John at the Sales Event. He told me wonderful things, our core values align, I would love to be able to service you and get set up as a vendor partner. That's my conversation. I'm never like, I can help you. You're free. I've got capacity. I'm just not that person. So I have to have a strategy before I go it's all so bigger pillion

Blythe Brumleve: 34:56

i Okay, I want to do I want to dive a little bit deeper into this because I'm going to be taking notes and re listening back to the conversation. So when you walk up to them, so you know them, you've got them highlighted, you know who you're talking about, you already know that a little bit of the backstory. What are you saying like, as you walk up and talk to them is it it's not, you know, it's probably not the dating comparison that we mentioned before, where like, the guy just like, shows up and says, I'm going to take you out, you have no other choice, I imagine, it's probably a little bit easier of a conversation to have.

Shay Lynn Dixon: 35:29

So it's more like ballet, right? When you go to a ballet, you don't know this person, and you're trusting to give them your keys to your car, right. And the only reason you're trusting them and giving them the keys to your car is because you know, the business, you know, the establishment, and the establishment has already allowed them to do the valet. So Right. So there's a trust there, and you're just allowing it to go. So when I'm coming up to them, I am introducing myself and I'm just saying, Hey, I connected with so and so online, if I was unable to connect with someone which that happens, sometimes they just don't respond or like, a lot of my customers are like, I'm in the warehouse, I don't have time LinkedIn, call me my cell phone. They're like sending quotes via text, like, hey, you know, like, you know, every customer is different. That's why I tell them tailored services because I tailor my approach to the type of customer and to how their sales team operate. If it's just one person who does sales, sometimes they have huge sales teams. Depends on what state it's in, there's so many variables that change. But one thing is consistent, I have something to talk about, I have something to say. So whether it's like, you know, I just saw that you guys joined a 10 person group that is now making this component for you know, these new, you know, you know, biodegradable, whatever, whatever it is, I'm coming with that information. They'll be like, Yeah, we just did it, you know, this is this new part, this new, whatever, I have shown that I care enough about the company, I've done my due diligence, I'm coming prepared, I'm serious. I'm not here just for a photo op, but I do want to follow up. And let's have a conversation. And then after we have that, we start talking and then once we want to have the opportunity to showcase that I know the industry, all bets are off, then it's like shit, oh, when you're in New York, you have to come in, you know, and then blah, blah, blah. And then I'm like, Well, let me get your information. So we can catch up, and I'm going to share that article with you. I always find something to a value to them that I can share with them later, whether it's a company that may be able to help them from a technology standpoint, because I read a lot about technology. So I have other software and tools. I'm like, have you guys considered leveraging this? I'll send you information about it later, right, something so minor, but it's very significant. And now I've stood out there like Do you remember that girl? Yeah, she was talking about the aerospace. And she already knew about our company. And yes, she Oh, no. And then they go back to the office. And Liz, in marketing who I've already connected with on LinkedIn is like, Did you meet che, you know, it, it flows. And now I have multiple people that when I reach out to the logistics manager, or the procurement person, or the salesperson, and they I'm like, talk to Susan, she'll be able to tell you, you know more about us. And he talks her Susan is inside the company sponsoring and advocating for me as a business owner. So now I have other people talking for me, I don't have to say, you know, and I'm gonna trust their the credibility, right? So it works out it's full circle. But it doesn't always happen in a day. Sometimes it takes a year, right? It's, or I'll see them at another event or Susan will move to a new company and she'll be like, Shay, I'm working on someone's I'll remember you talking about you know, yes. So relationships,

Blythe Brumleve: 38:48

especially in this kind of, you know, job market where folks are, you know, if you're, I mean, especially with like a sort of the worker revolution, we kind of, you know, are not really experiencing that right now. But the freedom of movement from from job to job is something that we get to experience, unlike, you know, maybe feet past generations, like my parents, for example, where they were in one job for 40 years, that just doesn't exist anymore. So developing those relationships on a personal basis, that person moves to another company, guess what, that's a new opportunity that just opened up for you.

Shay Lynn Dixon: 39:20

I'm in I love when people get promoted, especially freight forwarders they get promoted from within a lot more. So I'm meeting and working with like, clerks, right, and they're, you know, just clerks, but you know, three years ago, they were just clerks and now they're operations of imports and exports for the southeast region. And I'm like, You remember when I helped you get that truck at the 11th hour? You know, you couldn't you had no money into it. I made no money on it. And I was okay with that for this relationship. And I phone call a friend. So I love having that. I love looking back and looking at a conversation on LinkedIn. and I connected with someone in 2020. We had a funny conversation and 2021. And then now it's 2023. And I go to prospect, someone at an event, and he's sitting at the table. And you know, we already have an established, he's like Shane said, you know, and I'm like, hey, this worked out. So those seeds you plant and water over time are really where you grow the business the most honestly,

Blythe Brumleve: 40:26

well said, and so how are you? Okay, so we talked about the pre conference planning, we talked about being at the event. So what are you so what I let me you tell me if this is the wrong way of thinking or maybe adjusted a little bit, because what I did at my last conference that I went to is I scheduled an additional two days of the out of office reminder or, you know, email alert. And I did that only because I wanted to be able to catch up on all of the conversations that I had at the conference so that I can reestablish those conversations now that everybody's back in the office. So I purposely extended the two day out of office, just so I could reconnect with other people. So what does I guess? Is that along the same lines of like, how you plan to post conference follow up? Or? Or do you make it you know, a little bit of adjustments?

Shay Lynn Dixon: 41:12

No, I get about a day, sometimes a half a day. And like, mass emailing everybody, like, Hey, do you remember me, but I don't send like a cheesy, it was so nice to meet you at this conference. So loved it, you know, I'm like, Hey, John, I love those shoes that you had on you remember me, I had lost some shoes to get the same color blue shoes, you know, whatever I connected with them on. I'm reminding them of that and just letting myself be known. And then I'm I'm asking for I'm giving them something, I'm sharing something inspiring, encouraging something, I always give them something. But I always ask for something in return, whether it's an email, a contact name, you know, just anything, I'm asking for something in return. And because you've built the report, they will give it to you. And because you followed up right after what was present in their mind, they're more willing to do it. When you do it, like a week or two later, people are like, I'm on to the next thing a little bit sooner, or the red,

Blythe Brumleve: 42:10

I imagine you're you're keeping Do you have like a CRM, that you're keeping tabs on all these notes on how you connected with people, because that would probably like my OCD brain is already like starting to filter out the Notes app on my phone of how I would keep track of all of these people and the things that we talked about,

Shay Lynn Dixon: 42:27

no, it definitely we use close CRM, and I use them for everything, email marketing, you can just have your strategies in there, my team keeps their leads. And our team is unique, because we can all see each other's leads. And the reason that is because we don't want to step on anyone's toes. So you put it in there first, it's yours. So yeah, it kind of also adds a little level of competition, even with me in them, because I like to keep my you know, sharpened. So, but no, I use my CRM, and I'm putting everything in there. And I track everything based off of that, and I update it while I'm on the phone. I have my email connected. So any emails in and out go through the CRM, it'll go through the CRM as well and archive in my inbox. So it helps me stay a little bit on point and respond because some people just like to talk, they want to give you the business, but they want to talk to you first. So I have that's a challenge for me, because I you know, I grew up up north, everyone's very transactional. And that's how logistics kind of is. It's like, you move a load, you do this, it's, you know, less relationships. So the small talk is something I definitely learned to master living in the South, because everybody wants to have a conversation they want to, and talk and converse. So you know, it's true,

Blythe Brumleve: 43:51

yes. I'm just doing a deep lie, because I'm thinking about all the media requests that I have in my inbox right now. And I'm just like, I want to get to you. I do I do. But I know

Shay Lynn Dixon: 44:01

a long time. Now if you want to talk about football, that's a little bit different. You can call football, we can talk about my team all day, especially because we were doing a little bit better than in recent years. So you know, I'm it's a joy for me, maybe not so much, you know, other years so.

Blythe Brumleve: 44:18

And for folks who may not know she's a big time Eagles fan and so we kind of had a good moment beforehand because coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, my favorite football team has the Super Bowl winning head coach or former Super Bowl winning head coach are the Eagles in Doug Peterson and so we I still attest that we deserve him after all the years of you know, just trial bottom of the barrel.

Shay Lynn Dixon: 44:42

Listen, I have drafted number one. Your you guys are just some diehard fans like us, you know, we last four years. Same thing with our basketball team. You know, I've just always been a fan. I'm loyal, loyal. I'm like, as long as they got. I'm okay. I can talk to anybody. As soon as they say I'm a cowboy Man, I'm like, Oh, I have a customer. I don't even need to talk. You know, it gets intense.

Blythe Brumleve: 45:05

Do you charge the Cowboys fans a little bit more?

Shay Lynn Dixon: 45:07

Um, I, I have a disdain for cowboys. I'm actually I sit on the customer satisfaction board with my factoring company with the gentleman who is on the cat, like he's a cowboy lover. And that was his background. And I immediately messaged him on LinkedIn. I'm like, take that down. Like, why are you letting people are automatically going to judge you. But they're from the great state of Texas. So

Blythe Brumleve: 45:33

yeah, it's like, okay, well, if you're a Cowboys fan, and you actually live in Texas, given.

Shay Lynn Dixon: 45:39

But if you live in Texas, and you're or you didn't grow up in Texas, there's no excuse. To get some inbox messages about the Cowboys.

Blythe Brumleve: 45:51

Yes. I love that. Because I've seriously thought about if I would ever do business for a Titans fan. And I don't know that I would. And I know that that comes from a very bitter place. But it is what it is. It's not that I would, I would do them wrong, I would just be very upfront, I think in the initial conversations that look, this is just not going to work for us at

Shay Lynn Dixon: 46:16

all. But post conference, I will say, taking the time to follow up, I normally only get maybe like 10% of people, I give my business cards to actually follow up, oh, well don't follow up. They just don't. So I stand out already. Because I'm like, Hey, it's me again. And they're like, and I'm like, Hey, happy Friday, I'm sharing articles with them about their company, and like, why your business is killing it. And I share it with them. And then they're like, oh, I can share this. And now they have content to share. So now I'm adding value as well. So I'm just trying to, you know, be in these logistics streets adding value as much as I can, and you know, helping as many businesses as I can. So

Blythe Brumleve: 46:59

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Shay Lynn Dixon: 48:28

Yeah, so from a LinkedIn standpoint, I've met so many amazing people. And a lot of times, if I don't have a seat at the table, or if I'm not in the room, those people are advocating or sponsoring me, right. So they're saying, hey, you know, I'm a packaging company, but I have a freight brokerage, that's a small woman owned company that could totally handle this, you know, she's sitting at the table with another woman own company, and they're like, the, you know, I'm working with these large freight brokers, and, you know, they're not treating the carriers, right. And, you know, we're getting sued because, like, half of the loads were double brokered, you know, what can we do? And she's like, Hey, I have a solution. And, you know, so building those relationships goes hand in hand with building the business, all the way. And the ROI has been, not only am I making an impact, but I'm making income and I can work for anybody. I work from home. As you can see, I'm in my home office, I have an office that I meet my team for training, you know, our conferences, but everything else, I'm right here at home, in the comfort of my own home, you know, business upfront, sweatpants at the bottom, you know, just go save as right? works, and that's my lifestyle. That's where I operate the best. That's where I strategize the best. Being able to go on site that flexibility. So the ROI for me has been business growth money, right, but I've made a lot of impact and I've been able to We'll help a lot of small businesses and large businesses. And that's, that's really, I feel like I'm changing how people feel about freight brokers. And even though I'm only one person, and even though I can't change everyone's opinion, I'm still showing carriers that there are some freight brokers out there that will partner with you and be an actual partner. And I'm showing customers that like, there's people that are transparent, and that are going to do good business. And they can follow through and have no problems being proactive and solution oriented. And I'm going to deliver every time that that's this, because that's why I am right, I don't accept it if I can't deliver on it. So the ROI is vast, and it's not just money, it's beyond that it's fulfilling.

Blythe Brumleve: 50:42

And I think too, with you know, the, the conversation, I guess always kind of comes back to money, especially for, you know, a lot of you know, the the social media people or they're working at like a freight brokerage, and you know, they go to the boss, but the things, you know, with everything that maybe we've talked about in this conversation, the boss is going to be the first one to say, well, what's the ROI on all of this? It's like, well, whatever you whatever the intentionality is, and how long you stay consistent with it, because then you could throw up a blanket, you know, sort of, you know, Happy Mother's Day from, you know, this XYZ logistics company. But what, what other per value? What, what is that that kale tea method that we've been talking about the know, like and trust, what other content are you making to help people develop a deeper connection with you, so you aren't just another number in their CRM, so you aren't just another email in their email inbox. And so, as we kind of, you know, sort of, I guess, bring it full circle, I would imagine that you are bringing in, you know, so much attention. But then there's also that challenge of and we kind of talked about this before the show started about the how do you say no? How do you say no to the opportunities that aren't a good fit for you? Or your business?

Shay Lynn Dixon: 51:55

Yeah, I tell them, I really appreciate the opportunity, but I have a partner that may be able to assist you. And I refer them to someone else. And I refer them to another broker I know or someone that I that can assist them, I stay single, like, all the way in my niche, because that's just where I have found the most ease, right? And I'm not the freight broker that's like, oh, I want to you know, I'm trying to do this, I'm gonna be a, you know, billion dollar company, I want to provide value and get in where I fit in, and I'm okay with not maybe being in every space or in every opportunity. And sometimes it's hard because you want the money. Yeah, you want the money. But I every every single time, I have accepted an opportunity that was not in my niche, it was life changing. It reminded me why I wanted to stick from lumber, Christmas trees, oh, lumber, Christmas trees. Oh my gosh, I can't even begin to just explain like poinsettias small, any type of manual labor required. You know, I just I learned that those type of opportunities are not for me, or my carrier base, because I've developed what I would call the creme de la creme of carriers. So my carriers, you know, they have very high standards, because they operate at a high standard, right? They, they invest in their business, and so they're expecting a lot from me and from my customers. So I'm constantly qualifying, okay, that's how I'm able to say no, because every person I talk to, I'm qualifying them, to see if I'm a good fit for them. And if they're a good fit for me, and if we're not, I don't say no, I just say not me, I have somebody else

Blythe Brumleve: 53:51

for you, I love that I'm gonna go back and listen to the conversation write down all of these notes. That was brilliantly put. So you had mentioned a few times, you know, your your love of technology, and how it helped, you know, sort of early days in your career and how it helps you now, I'm curious if you if you've tried any of the different AI tools or anything like that,

Shay Lynn Dixon: 54:12

yeah, so I've used AI just for email marketing to our carriers just to keep them engaged. I don't do compliance, I've never, you know, so a lot of things that are specific to the carrier that they need to know about compliance and things of that nature. I have not the slightest clue, but check GPT does reaching out, you know, I'm using that to leverage its knowledge to share with my carriers because I like to add value to them as well and refer them to different places or educate them on different things going on. So it's helped me with that. And I you know, Dibble dabble every now and again with writing press releases and things for small business owners. So I'll leverage chat GBT just to get a general idea of what I want to say and then kind of change it completely in my own words, but it at least gives me a blow, right? By using more to help me outline and brainstorm a place to start. And then I build from that. So it's helpful. Yeah, for sure.

Blythe Brumleve: 55:11

It is so challenging. And I think for a lot of business owners out there that are trying to think, you know, kind of goes back to our earlier topic about when you, you know, you have to publish a social media, but what the hell do you publish about, and Chachi Beatty can help you get from staring at the blank screen of what the hell you want to talk about to getting that post actually published, it might not write the whole thing for you, and it probably shouldn't. But it's one of those things where the ideation, the research, it can help get the brain flowing a little bit so that it can make the process of getting from blank screen to publish so much faster. That's really where it's helped me a ton. Yeah, I've

Shay Lynn Dixon: 55:49

actually learned to be really specific with it. So I'm like, write the social media posts in a black woman, millennial voice that's professional from se like I did, it will it will write it with it. I'm like, you know, to take out some of the yalls

Blythe Brumleve: 56:06

I was about to ask, what is it adding an extra for all the demographic like

Shay Lynn Dixon: 56:11

y'all and some some some of the slang is off. I'm like, I would never say that. So of course, I always say, you know, but I'm like, first person conversational, you know, educational, so I use it to I'm revamping our training manuals. So it's helping me with that just to get the verbiage proper. And then I actually just started using something called Sensi, and that's my first time using it makes the videos, so you can give it text and it makes video. So I'm gonna use that for some of my onboarding. So I don't have to because I'm perfectionist, I'm like recording this over and over. I'm like, other than that, and welcome to I'm like, I could just put this in AI and AI will, you know, do it for me? So yes, I love AI, I think it's good. And people are worried that it's gonna, like make our jobs obsolete? No, I think people are gonna be able to leverage it to maybe route plan or some, you know, meticulous, mundane jobs that people don't want to do anyways. So I see as a good thing, I don't see it as a bad thing at all.

Blythe Brumleve: 57:14

100%. And so, you know, I've been asking a lot of different leaders that come on the show, I have had Chet GPT write out a bio about them or their company, just to kind of test to see how accurate it is on the freight industry. Now, it only goes up to, you know, 2021, I think is cheap. 84. Yeah, of the limits of its knowledge base unless you have access to plugins, which is a whole other different discussion. Not everybody has access to those plugins yet, I'm on the waiting list. I'm hoping that I will get access to that soon. But it will then allow you access to more current information. So you will if you will placate me for a little bit. Yeah, I wanted. I wanted to sit well, I did I put your name in it. And then I put the business name in it. And I think because you're you know, the business is fairly new that it didn't have you know, really much to go off of, and then you know, sort of I guess I roll my eyes at this. It's like, oh, the parameters of AI tells me that it won't write me it won't write a bio for you or about you. For me, it's like okay, fine. We're her. It's so but I did ask it about shipping, aerospace parts. So I wanted to see if you could, you know, sort of fat check this for us. And so my idea is, we have five of these listed here. I'm going to read them off one by one and you tell me how accurate they are or not. So check GPT factor fo first one shipping aerospace parts requires compliance with strict regulations and safety standards. The transportation of these parts involves many safety considerations, such as the proper packaging, handling and documentation of hazardous materials.

Shay Lynn Dixon: 58:50

That is definitely true. Okay,

Blythe Brumleve: 58:51

so Fact number one, all right, number two, aerospace parts can be very large and heavy, so shipping them often requires special equipment and shipping methods. For example, some parts need to be shipped on flatbed trucks, while others may require specialized creating or pallets to prevent damage during transit.

Shay Lynn Dixon: 59:06

That is absolutely true.

Blythe Brumleve: 59:11

Number three, the cost of shipping aerospace parts can be quite high due to the size, weight and value of the items being transported shipping costs may also vary depending on the destination transportation mode and any additional customs or regulatory fees. That is definitely

Shay Lynn Dixon: 59:24

true, especially depending on the insurance amount if they want to 50 versus a half a million that's definitely a huge difference in rate.

Blythe Brumleve: 59:34

And that's where having expertise on the things that you're asking Chet GPT comes in handy because you know, we're so far three and and you are offering also additional nuance to each of these statements. So I think that that's a major plus as well okay. Number four. Shipping aerospace parts often involves coordination and collaboration between multiple parties, such as the manufacturer, the shipping company and the receiving party. It is important to have clear communication and document patien to ensure that the parts are delivered on time and in good

Shay Lynn Dixon: 1:00:02

condition. Yes, that's every product. Any product. Yeah,

Blythe Brumleve: 1:00:05

I was about to say that that was kind of a given. Yeah. So all right, well, we'll get it. Right. For for for so far. Last one. Shipping aerospace parts internationally may require additional documentation and compliance with custom regulations. This can include intake, obtaining proper export licenses and certifications, filling out customs forms, and paying import duties and taxes.

Shay Lynn Dixon: 1:00:27

That is absolutely correct. And I tell people all the time, do not use a freight broker to import and export get a freight forwarder because all the brokers doing is going to a freight forwarder to do it. And you've cut out the middleman don't kill me anybody that and I tell my customers all the time, I'm like, go directly to a freight border. You know, you can use it. That's why we're wanting to add freight brokered freight forwarding services because so many companies are importing parts now from outside of the US because their specialty parts and you can't find them here or they don't have enough of them. So definitely a lot of opportunity.

Blythe Brumleve: 1:01:02

No other line of business come in for scale Logistics is the future. All right. So yeah, you know, check GPT passou flying colors on this one, because it's been kind of hit or miss for a you know, in an rinky. For example, we have her episode, you know, we're recording this in on April 11. We have an drinkies episode dropping on Gosh, what is it like the the 13th, I believe, but it got her bio 95% Wrong. And I was like you at of all people, I feel you're well known. Yes. And it was I think there's another maybe like an rinky, who was like a yoga instructor. I thought she was a yoga instructor. So yeah, it is very important, like these technology tools are fantastic. But it does take that level of expertise to know okay, well, that's BS, that's true. So in this case, you know, no, it was all five of them. Were right. But it was also kind of standard answers, right. But then you're able to go in and add that additional nuance. And that's where I think the real sort of, I guess, positive outcome of all these AI tools is really having that expertise. And then using these tools in order to, you know, expedite the work that would typically take you hours to do most, sir. All right. Well, Shay, with all that said, I feel like we covered a lot of ground in this episode. And I could, I could honestly talk to you for hours longer. But for folks who you know, want to stay up to date with your work, they you know, maybe they're an aerospace manufacturer, and they want to reach out and do business with you. Where Can folks follow you follow your workflow, scale, all that good stuff. Most certainly,

Shay Lynn Dixon: 1:02:39

if you are a customer, if you are a distributor, aerospace MRO facility, I definitely would love to serve you at scale logistics on every social media site. Our website is shipped with scale.com. And I'm shaylen Dixon, I'm on every social media site as well connect with me on LinkedIn, you'll probably get a response a lot quicker. And to all of you small business owners and solopreneurs, I just want to tell you, if I can do it, you can do there's really nothing that's us amazing or special about me that you don't have as well. Just don't be afraid, show up for your business. Share your expertise and let people get to know you so they can give you an opportunity. So connect with me.

Blythe Brumleve: 1:03:24

Absolutely. Because you also offer, you know, like mentorship and sponsorship as well. And so did you want to maybe tell folks real quick about that, that different offering I'm sorry, I forgot I should have mentioned in the

Shay Lynn Dixon: 1:03:34

release, okay, I may 1, we'll be starting another cohort, the freight broker club and so it's just, you know, group of freight brokers community, helping people pivot during this time, a lot of people are having challenges, they need new strategy. So I'm just sharing that in a group setting. I also offer 30 minute strategy sessions, if you just want to run things by me if you need help if you are trying to do a plan. And if you're looking for content creation, I now have someone I can forward you to, I do not make content but I can give you a strategy and help you implement it so that you can hire someone on Fiverr to do it for you. So if you need help with your small businesses or putting your business in a position to win, I definitely can assist you with that as well.

Blythe Brumleve: 1:04:18

Love it and you I love to see people who are not only recommending services to other businesses, but are actively doing it themselves. And so you know from that your own work in the trenches of what's working well and what's not. And so you can help a lot of other businesses and a lot of other solopreneurs out there that are just looking to cut through the noise and just cut cut to the chase and and you can help them get there based on your years of of knowledge and expertise. So Shay, I mean, we waited too long to do this for a second time. We're not going to make that mistake again. So maybe we can connect, you know in the fall and then talk about all the different fall conference.

Shay Lynn Dixon: 1:04:58

For sure. Well It's amazing talking to you again, I always appreciate our conversations.

Blythe Brumleve: 1:05:03

Likewise, we'll probably be talking right after this call is done being recorded, but I unfortunately have a heart out at 230. Which I gotta I gotta run towards another interview, but hopefully, you know, no pressure to the next guest. But that will they got big shoes. All right, thank you Shay. I hope you enjoy this episode of everything is logistics, a podcast for the thinkers in freight, telling the stories behind how your favorite stuff and people get from point A to B. If you liked this episode, do me a favor and sign up for our newsletter. I know what you're probably thinking, oh God, another newsletter. But it's the easiest way to stay updated when new episodes are released. Plus, we drop a lot of gems in that email to help the one person marketing team and folks like yourself who are probably wearing a lot of hats at work in order to help you navigate this digital world a little bit easier. You could find that email signup link along with our socials and past episodes. Over at everything is logistics.com And until next time, I'm Blythe and go Jags