Welcome to the third part of this sixpart series of Stories from the River. Host Charlie Malouf continues his conversation with business partner and close friend Charlie Workmon, President and CEO of Riverstone Logistics. This episode really focuses on recounting the events from the year 2015, a pivotal year in which Charlie W joined the River as well as a pivotal year for Broad River itself. After joining the River in January 2015, Charlie W details his initial hesitation and subsequent determination to stay and contribute to Broad River Retail amidst severe operational and financial challenges. He recounts the critical advice from his father Bud Workmon that influenced his decision to reject a stable job offer from a much larger company and instead tackle the issues at Broad River.

Charlie W discusses his promotion to Vice President of Operations that coincided with Broad River's midyear Bold Reset 100Day Challenge, and he outlines the ambitious fourpronged strategy he developed to revitalize the backend operations of a company that was really struggling at the time. The fourpronged strategy addressed (1) the need for a new 3PL (Home Delivery) provider to improve quality and secure better payment terms; (2) addressing inventory integrity and accuracy issues ("Inventory is foundational."); (3) fixing the Shop and the large salvage and damaged product issues; and (4) develop a plan to minimize the downtime with the warehouse move to Fort Mill, South Carolina (which consolidated a week's move into a little over a day).

Charlie M recounts that following the 100Day Bold Reset, which ended at the end of September 2015, they still needed an encore event to help prepare and facilitate the move to Fort Mill by the end of October 2015. That monthlong encore event was dubbed "The Bold Sprint" (to Fort Mill), and the move to Fort Mill had a massive project plan in and of itself, which included (1) Operational Readiness; (2) Inventory Readiness (shrinking the amount of product to transfer); (3) DC Readiness (ensuring that the new facility was ready itself); and (4) Move Readiness (preparing for the game day excitement of facilitating all of the product transfers from the old DC to the new DC).

Throughout the conversation, Charlie W highlights the significant roles in helping to turn around the operations played by his fellow Memory Makers — Burton, Cherie, and Tito — in the recovery process, emphasizing their efforts in retraining staff and restructuring the inventory system despite substantial hurdles. He reflects on the supportive and fun relationships with his team, particularly mentioning memorable times spent working on projects even on the night shift and on weekends.

Charlie W recounts that he had mentally burned the ships and hadn't looked back. And, that by the end of 2015, he was allin and all Broad River. He recalls 2015 as one of the most fun times he's ever had at work.

Charlie W discusses how his management style has evolved and matured. But, he acknowledges that different environments call for different approaches to management and leadership. 2015 was a year in which he felt that at times he had to make quick, rapid decisions without collaboration and consultation. And, he had never been a Vice President of Operations for a home furnishings retailer. But, he relied on reaching out to many trusted friends within the industry who helped him think through simplified solutions to their complex problems. He felt like he had been equipped to step in and figure it out. And, with a renewed spirit, he and the team did just that.

Charlie M and Charlie W also touch upon the broader implications of their experiences, discussing the value of trust, unity, and leadership in overcoming adversity.

Listen to part one of this conversation, Family Business to Logistics Leader: How Charlie Workmon Got Started:    • Family Business to Logistics Leader: ...  

Listen to part two of this conversation, Parenthood, Prayer, and Perspective Fuel Purpose for Charlie Workmon:    • Parenthood, Prayer, and Perspective F...  

00:00 Introduction
00:57 Last Mile United
02:09 Joining the Broad River team
06:44 Early tenure at Broad River
14:22 Working through hard times
17:24 Bold reset
23:06 Charlie's prongs
27:30 Renewed spirit
32:39 Conclusion

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This show is brought to you by Broad River Retail. Visit https://BroadRiverRetail.com

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