Search engines are changing. The days of simply stuffing keywords and chasing domain authority are fading. Now, the focus is on Answer Engine Optimization (AEO). The goal isn't just to get a click: it is to provide the direct answer inside tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Google’s AI overviews.

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Kyler Nixon sits down with Wendy Sponaugle, Vice President of Marketing at SupplyOne, to break down this massive shift in digital discovery. Wendy explains why distributors must move from generic product descriptions to conversational content that solves specific problems.

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They discuss why "zero-click" searches are becoming the norm and how to structure your website to survive the change. You will learn why context now beats keywords and how to find the exact questions your customers are asking—sometimes by looking in unexpected places like Reddit or even their browser history.

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Guest Bio

Wendy Sponaugle is the Vice President of Marketing at SupplyOne, Inc., the largest independent supplier of corrugated and value-added packaging products in the U.S. With over 15 years of experience in manufacturing, distribution, and logistics, Wendy specializes in data-driven demand generation and transforming complex operational capabilities into clear market narratives. She focuses on aligning product positioning with the "Voice of the Customer" to drive measurable revenue growth.

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What We Cover

1. Defining AEO: The critical difference between traditional Search Engine Optimization and the new world of Answer Engine Optimization.
2. The Conversational Shift: Why content must sound human to rank in AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude.
3. Three Key Content Pillars: Wendy’s strategy relies on FAQs, Case Studies, and specific Blogs to capture traffic.
4. Context Over Keywords: Why describing the job site or the problem is now more effective than listing product specs.
5. Mining for Questions: How to use sales team feedback and platforms like Reddit to identify what customers actually need.
6. The Search History Strategy: Kyler shares a bold tactic for finding out exactly how procurement professionals search for products.
7. Value-Add Services: How moving beyond "lowest price" and offering expert consultation creates sticky customer relationships.

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Resources Mentioned

1. SupplyOne, Inc.
2. ChatGPT

Most business leaders try to keep their personal beliefs separate from their professional lives. Kyler Nixon sits down with Craig Penland to discuss what happens when you do the exact opposite. Craig opens up about the terrifying winter of 2009, when he dropped to his knees in a quiet office to seek direction, only to receive a call that saved the business days later.

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You will hear how Craig navigates the tension of being a "faith-based business" without forcing it on his team. He explains why he refused to remove religious messages from his invoices, even when a sales rep warned it would cost him business. Kyler and Craig also discuss the "NASCAR smoke" visualization that changed how Eurolink handled the uncertainty of 2020: instead of slowing down, they accelerated. This is a candid look at building a company that prioritizes people over profits and service over volume.

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Guest Bio

Craig Penland is the Founder, President, and CEO of Eurolink Fastener Supply Service. Based in Greer, South Carolina, Craig launched the company in 2000 to solve a specific problem in the industrial market: sourcing hard-to-find metric fasteners. Under his leadership, Eurolink has become a premier "master distributor" known for stocking C-class items that larger competitors ignore. Craig is also an active member of C12 and partners with nonprofits, including JUMPSTART SC, to provide employment opportunities.

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What We Cover

1. The specific prayer in 2009 that preceded a company-saving order from a lost customer.
2. How Craig handled a sales rep who wanted him to hide his faith to win more business.
3. Why does Eurolink pay for a chaplain to visit the office every two weeks?
4. The "NASCAR smoke" analogy: How to lead when you cannot see what is in front of you.
5. Navigating the hiring process as a faith-led company without being exclusionary.
6. Why does Eurolink focus on "No Quote" and "No Stock" items rather than competing on volume?
7. Separating your personal identity from the financial success of your business.

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Resources Mentioned

1. Eurolink Fastener Supply Service
2. C12 Business Forums
3. JUMPSTART SC

Most family business transitions happen quietly behind closed doors. For Andrew Johnson, the handoff included a meeting he now calls "The Apocalypse." Before he became the CEO of ShelfAware, Andrew was just a son trying to modernize his father's legacy company, O-ring Sales & Service.

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Host Kyler Nixon talks with Andrew about the messy reality of entrepreneurship. They discuss the friction between founders and the next generation, specifically how Andrew and his brothers-in-law presented a massive growth plan that led to them being "fired" for a night. Andrew also breaks down how constraints—like wanting to compete with giants like Fastenal without adding headcount—forced them to invent the RFID technology that eventually became ShelfAware.

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👤 Guest Bio

Andrew Johnson is the CEO of ShelfAware LLC and an Owner at O-ring Sales & Service, Inc. Growing up in the family business, he started inspecting parts in the warehouse before earning an accounting degree to prove his financial literacy to his father. Today, he runs a connected ecosystem of industrial businesses in the Greater Kansas City area. Andrew focuses on "Digital VMI" (Vendor Managed Inventory), using RFID technology to help independent distributors automate replenishment and compete with national chains.

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📌 What We Cover

1. The "15-15-15" Plan: The specific goal Andrew and his partners set to hit $15 million in revenue with 15 employees in 15,000 square feet.
2. Surviving "The Apocalypse": The story of the night, the next generation presented a modernization plan to the founder, and nearly lost their jobs.
3. Founder's Syndrome: Why creators often treat their company like a "fifth child" that no one else is allowed to raise.
4. Practical Education: Why Andrew’s father forced him to get an accounting degree instead of a marketing one before joining the firm.
5. Competing with Fastenal: How O-ring Sales & Service needed a VMI solution that didn't require expensive field reps or branch locations.
6. RFID Smart Labels: Transforming standard inventory shelves into "virtual vending machines" to track consumption without hardware-heavy investments.
7. The "False Start" in Succession: The consequences of executing major business changes—like a new ERP implementation—without fully communicating the vision to the founder or the staff.

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🔗 Resources Mentioned

1. ShelfAware VMI