Sarah Barnes Humphrey is a logistician, 10, supply chain mogul, passionate about collaboration, transparency, diversity and doing better business. As the host of the popular podcast. Let's talk supply chain. Sarah puts people right at the front of an industry that's traditionally been about stock stats and numbers. From thought provoking questions and lively discussions to championing diversity and real people's industry success. Let's talk supply chain and its sister shoes, women in supply chain and blended, bring the breath of fresh air to logistics.
Katherine Ann Byam 0:03
Sarah, welcome to the show.
Sarah Barnes-Humphrey 1:21
Thank you so much for having me. And congratulations on your show. I'm just super excited to be here with you today.
Katherine Ann Byam 1:28
Oh my God, thank you so much for bringing that up. It's been such an honour to be recognised in that way to have achieved the number seven podcast in the UK on innovation topics, which is just tremendous and extraordinary. Thank you.
So Sarah, I wanted to get into how you got started in 2016, you started to babes talk supply chain, and they sort of went back to see how you started. And I love the original concept because back in 2016 women in the supply chain area was certainly still working hard to find their place at the table. Right?
what inspired you to get into the supply chain in the first place?
Sarah Barnes-Humphrey 2:10
Yeah, so my parents owned a freight forwarding company. And so freight forwarding is like a travel agent for freight or for products that are moving across by air ocean truck. And so I remember talking about supply chain and logistics at the dinner table since I could remember. So I kind of see that supply chains in my blood, it kind of got in my blood early. And once you get into supply chain, you never leave because it's just a lot of fun that people are amazing. And so I worked at my dad's company, I did operations while I got hands on experience. Well, I got education by correspondence.
And so I did my diplomas and different things while I was working. And so I got the opportunity to do all sorts of operations. And then I got the opportunity to sell all of those services. And then I got the opportunity as Director of Sales and Marketing. And we really needed to tell our brand story. And I was listening to a lot of podcasts at the time. And I was like, well, if Lewis Howes can have his own podcast, why can't Sarah Barnes Humphrey, and why can't it be about supply chain? And you know, things like marketing and supply chain at the time were really stuffy? And I was like, how do we push the boundaries of this? So I asked a guy from my customs department and tongue in cheek, my team and I decided to call it to babes talk supply chain.
Katherine Ann Byam 3:29
It is really brilliant. And I think it's probably what changed the trajectory of success for you. Because I think it's important for us to show up as we are. And I think you've done that brilliantly. So thank you for that. Thank you. So So I've spent pretty much the last seven years working in supply chain after sort of 10 years in finance and five years and internal audit. And supply chain was like a real growing up experience for me, like when I entered that function, because I kind of realise it blends everything, right? It takes a bit of the finance, you have to think about the finance, you have to think about the cost of things moving, you have to think about the customer, you have to think about a lot of things.
What are your thoughts on sort of the challenges facing supply chains to be post-pandemic? And as we start to re-examine how to make them more resilient?
Sarah Barnes-Humphrey 4:17
Who so many thoughts? I think the disruption that we've seen in the last 18 months is not something that I've seen in my whole, you know, 20 year career, you know, and I talked to people from different walks of supply chain, and you know, the ones that are really dealing with it on a daily basis, as far as the disruptions are concerned to, you know, CEOs of tech companies who are coming up with the solutions that can really help us move forward in the industry. And you know, it's so it's been tough, right? It's been tough for a lot of people to really, I mean, we're problem solvers.
That's what supply chain owners are, we're problem solvers. And so we thrive, but when it's a lot, it's a lot, you know, and when brands are starting to compete on supply chains, it really elevates the level of which supply chain, the role of supply chain has played in any organisation, poll, you know, pre-pandemic, I don't think we're out of the woods yet. I mean, I showed an article on my live show a couple of weeks ago about how Costco has invested in three vessels until the end of 2022. So that really, I mean, nobody has a crystal ball, we don't know what's going to happen. However, that's a really good indication that Costco is kind of like, this isn't going anywhere, we need to double down on our supply chain risks until the end of 2022.
So really, really good indication of what that's going to look like. I think supply chains are resilient because of the people behind them. And I think we've got some amazing people in this industry. And if anybody can get us through that, it's them.
Katherine Ann Byam 5:57
Yeah, I think it's also heavily relationship-based as well. And I think it's something we underestimate.
Sarah Barnes-Humphrey 6:03
Yeah. Oh, absolutely. I mean, people are the heart of supply chain, and you can't really get around it. I mean, we need tools, we need technology, we need to be able to move forward and have the data to enable and empower everybody to make the right decisions all the way through the chain. Right. And so yeah, we've just got some amazing people that we need to empower.
Katherine Ann Byam 6:28
So we agree, and sort of post-CoP 26 as we are now I know that you know, there's an increasing look at how we get to a net-zero commitment. There certainly bigger fish to fry in terms of, you know, stuff cutting trees, and a number of these things. But what innovations are you most excited about in the supply chain space that will help us deal with the crisis, especially around moving? And freight, especially air travel?
Sarah Barnes-Humphrey 6:55
Yeah, so from a sustainability standpoint, I literally just put out a LinkedIn learning course called fundamentals of sustainable supply chain. So if you're looking for sort of a course to take, that's easily digestible, about how to sort of start on that journey. That's a really, really good place to start. I give a lot of examples. And so definitely check that out. So as far as sustainability, I mean, just the fact that everybody's talking about it, and the fact that we are seeing organisations put more emphasis on it. I just ran a panel last week at the procurement foundry event with Francis Edmonds, and she's the head of sustainability at Dell. And she was like, if you're not thinking about it right now, then it's too late. Right? You really need to be starting to think about it right now. And you really need to be implementing what that looks like. There's a lot of different technologies. She talks about starting with procurement, and starting with your suppliers and making sure everyone in your supply chain is aligned with the same sustainability goals. And what does that look like for them? And how can you support them? How can they support you? So again, going back to the people going back to the communication?
Katherine Ann Byam 8:07
Yeah, certainly, it's part of the ESG framework now as well, to look at your scope two, scope three. So it's definitely something that must happen with procurements, other other functions optional, but we need to get started everywhere we can vary. So sharing your experiences as a woman in the field, and what helped you to rise? And what challenges did you face as well.
Sarah Barnes-Humphrey 8:29
So many challenges. I mean, I started working in the industry, I mean, I started working in the industry when I was 16. But that was mostly like filing and different things like that. And so that was in the late 90s. But I really started my career in supply chain in the 2000s. And, you know, if you think about that, if you know anything about that era, we were still very, very, very male dominated. So I was one of maybe three women at any industry conference that I would go to from, because from a sales standpoint, I was very lucky. And a lot of people don't know this. But in the supply chain, you get to travel, you know, in a variety of different positions, but you get to travel a lot in the supply chain.
And so I was very fortunate to do that. But again, I was one of like three women at an interesting Industry Conference. And so that was a little bit daunting, but I was kind of in sales very early on in my career. And I was just sort of told to go out there and start talking to people. And so you know, I was pounding pavement and knocking on doors. And so very early on, I kind of found, I guess, my voice in that way. You know, and there were a lot of things still around the family, right? You're gonna get pregnant and you're not going to worry about a career. Well, that wasn't me. I mean, I have wanted to be an entrepreneur since I was 16. I wanted to take over my dad's company and unfortunately that wasn't you know what was meant to be. But it also then led me down this path of Let's Talk supply chain, which to be honest with you has been so amazing because I've been able to just be myself, a lot of times when you're in different shadows for a variety of different reasons, especially in your career, you know, you get lost in some of those things, and you kind of lose yourself. And so I was able to bring that back.
Katherine Ann Byam 10:22
Yeah, I think one of the challenges I faced as well was pretty much being able to speak the language of the testosterone in the room. Right?
Sarah Barnes-Humphrey 10:31
Right. Well, that was kind of it, I kind of had a double whammy, right? Because I was a woman in the industry, but then I was also my dad's daughter, and I was also the daughter of the owner. You know what I mean? So there was a mixture of challenges that kind of came out of that show.
Katherine Ann Byam 10:50
We will get into that in another in another episode and share with us advice would you give to other women in the supply chain space on building their careers and amplifying their voices,
Sarah Barnes-Humphrey 11:03
Just do it, I'm going to take a page out of Nike, just do it, okay. Because at the end of the day, you don't know what you like, and what you don't like, unless you try it. And that is invaluable to your career because it can take you in different places that you never even thought possible, right. And then to find your voice, I mean, I still get very nervous speaking in person in public, I've gotten a lot better digitally. And it's from some childhood trauma that I'm sort of working through at this moment. But when I was looking at, you know, finding my voice and being able to speak in public, I went a different path.
So I would not voluntarily sign myself up for Toastmasters, like my hand literally shook every time I tried to press send, and it didn't work for me. So I ended up getting a talent agent. And I went to auditions. And I got laughed out of and guiled out of so many audition rooms. But it was okay because I wasn't going for a career as a, you know, as an actress, I just needed to get used to being in front of people and trying to memorise lines and try to you know what I mean. And I ended up on TV with Denise Richards a couple of times, and for the shopping channel, I was in a dog food commercial. So it really gave me some really, really, really cool opportunities. While I was still trying to figure out what that looked like. So I guess, you know, in all, some of my advice is really just to try something new. And if the traditional method isn't for you, that's okay, just find a different way to think outside of the box and what that might look like for you.
Katherine Ann Byam 12:48
I thought it was so very interesting when you talked about dealing with trauma from your childhood, and I just wanted to touch on what does it take to be able to bring yourself to the public in this way, and how much self work you've had to do, just give us a picture.
Sarah Barnes-Humphrey 13:04
So I am a very big fan of therapy. I've always had a therapist, I was bullied from grade five all the way till grade 12 in a variety of different ways, from a variety of different people for a variety of different reasons. So you know, there's certain things right, you've got triggers all the time that certain things come up. But when I kind of resigned to who I am as a person and who I want to put out into the universe, and be my authentic self, that's when the magic happened.
And, you know, if you talk to anybody, they'll say anybody that you see on like, if you see me on the screen, and then you meet me in person, a lot of people will say to me, you're the same person. And I'm like, Yeah, I can't, I can't pretend to be anybody else. And so that has really been how I've built my brand is just on who I am and how I treat people on screen and off-screen.
Katherine Ann Byam 14:06
I love this. I know that you can't speak very long. I'm grateful for you coming on to the show. Please let my listeners know how they can get in touch with you and how they can fully work.
Sarah Barnes-Humphrey 14:16
Yeah, so many different ways. We've got a great community on LinkedIn. So follow let's talk supply chain on LinkedIn. I'm also very accessible on LinkedIn. So it's Sarah Barnes-Humphrey. Our website is letstalksupplychain.com And we're on a variety of different social media platforms. We do have a supply chain dictionary that we're giving away for free. So if you go to let's talk supply chain on Instagram, and DMS talk with the number one you can actually get our supply chain dictionary for free and it's like 107 pages so tell me a little bit about blended. So blended is the newest conversation in diversity and inclusion. It's like red table talk for podcasts, where I bring five different people from different walks of life to talk about different diversity and inclusion topics, but we've taken it one step further into a non for profit.
And so corporations as well as individuals can actually donate to the cause. And we're going to be creating an impact visually on imperson stages, digital stages, and in audiences at conferences. So we're gonna, we want to see a visual impact on diversity and inclusion in those three areas in the supply chain. And so we've got a GoFundMe page for individuals, and then we'll be looking at corporate sponsorships. And we'll be providing scholarships to those that have speaking opportunities but can't potentially pay for the travel to get there. Oh, my God, I'm so looking forward to that. You know, I just want to applaud you because, you know, I think like you said, it's not easy to get out there and, you know, talk about yourself, talk about your story, interview other people, get perspectives and really provide value to the community. So congratulations, because, you know, I think that what you're doing is making an impact on the industry. And, you know, thank you for doing that.
Katherine Ann Byam 16:13
Thank you so much for the accolades and, and let's celebrate together. Thanks for joining the show.
Sarah Barnes-Humphrey 16:19
Thanks so much, Catherine.
Katherine Ann Byam 16:24
Season Four of where radius launch was brought to you today, a Katherine Ann Byam business resilience and strategy consulting services. Catherine provides business assessments and strategic support to help guide your business toward a netzero future. Get in touch with Katherine Ann Byam on LinkedIn