ON THE MOVE: Transportation Sales & Marketing Success Stories

Launching Something New: Brand, Community, and Momentum at Manifest with Whitney Cowell

Seven thousand people, endless noise, and a brand reveal...without the press release. We sit down with Whitney Cowell, Revenue Marketing Manager at Knight-Swift Supply Chain, to unpack how a soft launch at Manifest turned a crowded floor into a focused pipeline moment. Instead of chasing flash, Whitney shares how her team shifted the story from warehousing to end-to-end supply chain, refreshed the visual identity with intent, and set up simple systems to make every conversation count.We dig into the mechanics that matter: aligning with seasoned sales pros, treating the booth as a routing hub, and using clear criteria to move high-intent leads straight to reps while nurturing the rest with message-consistent follow-up. Whitney explains why narrowing your audience expands your impact, how a single color change can signal strategic direction, and when to keep legacy elements so customers aren’t left behind. The theme is discipline over spectacle, measure what moves revenue, then build brand equity around those wins.Beyond tactics, we explore community as strategy. Whitney helped launch TMSA’s GiveBack program, turning service projects into low-pressure networking that actually connects people. She makes the case that purpose-driven culture attracts talent, strengthens partnerships, and drives the kind of word-of-mouth money can’t buy. We close with practical advice for first-time launch leaders: master budgets in context, know when to pivot, say no with grace, and avoid imposing a marketer’s checklist. Not everyone needs a new website or a TikTok, but the right move, at the right time, changes everything.If this conversation sparks ideas for your next launch, share it with a teammate, leave a quick review, and hit follow so you never miss what’s next.Check out the Transportation Sales and Marketing Association (TMSA) website or engage with us on LinkedIn.

Designing Role-Based Learning For Transportation Sales And Marketing with Don Friddell

Want professional growth that actually sticks? We walk through how TMSA is replacing generic programming with focused tracks for company leaders, sales leaders, marketing leaders, sales practitioners, and marketing practitioners, so every session maps to real work and real outcomes. Don Friddell, TMSA’s president-elect, joins Jennifer Karpus-Romain to unpack why agility beats tradition in a market shaped by AI, rate swings, nearshoring, and lean teams.You’ll hear how we’re turning long, hard-to-rewatch recordings into crisp, role-specific takeaways with optional full sessions, plus how cohort-based conference paths make it easier to meet peers who solve the same problems you do. We dig into practical examples, like turning freight fraud from a headline into sales conversations, marketing content, and differentiation. We also address search fatigue head-on with curated learning paths, so a junior marketer can see the steps to director, and a sales VP can zero in on enablement, forecasting, and social selling that moves the number.Cross-functional networking remains a core strength. Tracks give you a home base, while mainstage content and open mixers keep the sales-marketing feedback loop strong. Volunteering takes it further, offering hands-on leadership experience you can’t always get in a one-person team. Expect more measurable value, clearer outcomes, and smart use of AI and digital tools to make TMSA a daily habit—not just a conference you forget by Monday.Ready to see the new tracks in action and plan your next career step? Subscribe, share this episode with your team, and register for ELEVATE in Denver at events.tmsatoday.org. Check out the Transportation Sales and Marketing Association (TMSA) website or engage with us on LinkedIn.

Launching What’s Next: Growth, Leadership, and the Formula L Vision with Holly LaBoda

Growth shouldn’t feel like getting dragged behind the wagon. We sat down with Holly LaBoda, Chief Growth Officer and Founder of Formula L, to unpack why logistics sales so often stall despite high effort and how to make results feel smoother, faster, and far more predictable. Holly has spent decades building sales strategies and leader capabilities across transportation and logistics, and she shares a clear blueprint for turning alignment into momentum.We start by exposing the subtle frictions that sabotage execution: proposal tools that encourage commodity pricing when leaders want consultative selling, incentives that chase RFP volume instead of value, and a patchwork of processes that confuse sellers about the “right way” to win. Holly explains why outcomes are visible but misleading, and why coaching the behaviors behind those outcomes matters more than policing dashboards. From there, we break down a smarter order of operations; strategy first, systems and enablement next, and technology last, so organizations stop buying tools for problems they haven’t defined. The conversation gets practical about implementation, ongoing onboarding, and the leadership habits that keep change sticky when calendars are full.Holly also introduces Formula L, a sales operating system made for logistics teams. We explore each stage - Illuminate to assess and roadmap growth, Leverage to refine processes, Lead to equip managers as coaches, and Lift to sharpen seller skills - built on a quarterly loop that keeps strategy, incentives, and tools aligned. The result is less chaos, more clarity, and a path where reps sell better, not just faster. If growth feels heavy, this conversation shows how to remove the drag and build a system that does the pulling.If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a teammate who’s wrestling with alignment, and leave a quick review so others can find it. Your feedback helps us bring more conversations that turn effort into outcomes.Check out the Transportation Sales and Marketing Association (TMSA) website or engage with us on LinkedIn.

Designing Sales Incentives That Drive Results In Transportation And Logistics with Beth Carroll

Want sellers to chase profit instead of empty volume? We sat down with Beth Carroll, CEO of Prosperio Group, to unpack how compensation design can sharpen focus, strengthen culture, and keep teams motivated through freight cycles. We walk through the foundations - target total compensation, target incentive, and the mechanics that fit each role -then dig into the real differentiator: role-based pay mix. Hunters who ask for the signature thrive on higher risk and upside; account managers who protect and expand existing business need stability to think long term. Get the mixes right and behavior follows.From there, we talk strategy. Flat commissions on linehaul or margin are simple, but they often pay for the wrong wins. If profitability matters, tie pay to the customers, lanes, and deals that actually create value. If goals matter (and when don’t they?)make them matter in the paycheck with quota kickers, accelerators, or tiered rates above target. Beth shares practical fixes you can deploy fast, plus a reminder that incentives act like a megaphone for priorities. Choose a small set of metrics that align with your vision and culture, then make the math crystal clear.Transparency and compliance carry the plan across the finish line. Standardize documents by role, respect state-by-state rules on commission timing, and give sellers calculators with source data from your TMS and CRM. That clarity turns every pay cycle into a coaching moment: here’s what you earned, why, and how to earn more next time. We also explore how marketing incentives can support sales through team-based goals and modest at-risk pay, and why shared targets across pods can dissolve friction between functions.If you’re ready to stop rewarding the wrong behavior and start paying for the outcomes that matter, this conversation is your playbook. Subscribe, share with a sales leader who needs it, and leave a review to tell us the one change you’ll make to your comp plan this quarter.Check out the Transportation Sales and Marketing Association (TMSA) website or engage with us on LinkedIn.

What Really Matters at Logistics Trade Shows with Ash Thoms

In this kickoff-to-trade-show-season episode, host Jen Karpus-Romain sits down with Ash Thoms, Senior Trade Show & Events Manager at ITS Logistics, to talk about what’s shaping logistics trade show season in 2026. From emerging trends at major conferences to how logistics professionals prepare for the whirlwind of events ahead, Ash breaks down what matters most to her, and what listeners should be thinking about as the industry’s calendar fills up. We’ll also cover the TMSA Awards program (with nominations due by March 6, 2026) and TMSA’s own networking event at Manifest in the ITS Logistics booth. Tune in for practical insights on handling the logistics behind logistics events, career-building at tradeshows, and why recognition within the TMSA community matters now more than ever.Register for our Manifest Connection Event - If you’re at Manifest Vegas, join TMSA at the ITS Logistics Booth #732 on Tuesday, February 10 from 10:00–11:00 a.m.Check out the Transportation Sales and Marketing Association (TMSA) website or engage with us on LinkedIn.