Welcome to Drip Talk - An Exclusive with Julie Storey (S2.1)

Welcome to our new podcast, Drip Talk — where we dive into the conversations shaping our industry, one story at a time.

Today’s episode is a special one. We’re sitting down for an exclusive conversation with our President, Julie Storey, to talk leadership, vision, and what’s next for the future of Boshart.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hey everyone, welcome to our rebranded podcast, Drip Talk, no longer contract relate. I'm still your host, Bradley McEwen. We are in a new setup, as you can see here. We got some new stuff. We've got new cue cards all about drip talk. So this podcast will be the same as contractor leads to the same things you loved about it. We will still be talking to our industry experts. We will still be posting once a month. And you can still find it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music now, and YouTube. So that will all still be the same. The only difference is you will now find this podcast on our Beauchard exclusive. So our Bauchard exclusive newsletter will come right to your inbox. It is an email newsletter and it has all the exclusives about Bauchard, the industry, all of our education information. So be sure to sign up for that. You can find that at bowshark.cl.com slash exclusive. So again, sign up for that and you will receive the podcast a week before everyone else. So it will be on Spotify, it will be on YouTube a week after we send it in our Bouchard exclusive. So if you want it before it goes live to everyone, we um want you to sign up for that. So to help us reintroduce our new platform, Drip Talk, we sat down with our president Julie Story. She chatted with us for a couple of minutes uh just to give her insight, to talk about being a leader in this industry, what um about innovation and what things are changing in the industry. So it was a great episode. So I encourage you to continue listening to that. And then we will uh see you next month. Make sure you stay in the drip. All right, Julie. Welcome to Drip Talk. Thanks for joining me today.

SPEAKER_02 1:41

Thanks, Braylon. I appreciate you asking me.

SPEAKER_00 1:43

Uh, if you want to just start with kind of introducing yourself and telling us who you are.

SPEAKER_02 1:47

My name's Julie Story, and I'm the president of Beauchart Industries. I've been with the company for over 30 or over 34 years. I started in inside sales and had the opportunity to grow up with the business, uh, learning it from the ground up and taking on different roles and building experience over time.

SPEAKER_00 2:07

How do you feel like your early hands-on experience being in this company has influenced the way you are a leader today?

SPEAKER_02 2:14

Certainly had a huge impact. Starting in a hands-on role gave me a real understanding of what it takes to serve customers and understand the day-to-day pressures of the business. In the way I lead today, I try to keep customer delight front of mind, whether that's an external customer or an internal one. If we're not making things easier, better, or more valuable for someone, then we need to rethink that. It also reinforced for me, it's not always about the big, grand scale things that make the biggest impact. It's also the small, everyday actions that improve someone's experience. To me, it doesn't mean you say yes to everything. It's about being intentional with priorities. But when something is committed to, the follow-up is critical. Those small moments of follow-through are often what builds trust. And I would say that mindset has kept me grounded and reminds me that everyone in the organization plays a role in delivering that experience.

SPEAKER_00 3:21

And what why would you say it is important for a leader to understand those day-to-day operations in a business?

SPEAKER_02 3:29

I think it's important, but maybe not in the way people traditionally think. Early in my career, understanding the day-to-day certainly helped me to learn the business and build credibility. But as a leader, I would say my role has evolved. I'm not just there to manage every detail. I'm there to make sure we have a strong team in place who understands those details and can execute really well. Ultimately, all of that connects back to delivering for our customers and supporting each other internally. So for me, it's a lot about balance. I need enough understanding to ask the right questions and make informed decisions. But I also need to stay focused on where we're going. Strong leadership to me is about building trust in your team, being clear on the priorities, and following through because consistency is what builds credibility with both internal and external customers.

SPEAKER_00 4:28

Now you mentioned where Beauchart is going. So what would you feel is what role does innovation play in staying competitive in today's market?

SPEAKER_02 4:38

So to me, innovation, it's not just about being a big disruptor or it's not to cause a big disruption. I would say for me, it's about continuous improvement. A lot of it comes back again to the customer experience, both external and internal. You know, how do we make things easier for the customers? How do we make it smoother for our teams so that they're able to serve those customers better? You know, sometimes innovation is about, as I would say, less about the big breakthroughs and more about the small practical improvements that make everyday work better. You know, the companies that stay competitive are the ones that stay curious, challenge how things are done, and are willing to evolve in ways that improve that overall experience.

SPEAKER_01 5:24

All right.

SPEAKER_00 5:25

So how would you, as a leader, approach change in the industry?

SPEAKER_02 5:31

I think it starts a lot with respecting the history. You know, there's a lot, there's a reason a lot of things in our industry have worked well for a long time. Uh, what's really changed is the pace. You know, change is coming at us so much faster now. You know, whether it's economic shifts, tariffs, geopolitical factors, companies have to really be able to pivot and pivot quickly. For me, it's about staying grounded in what's made us successful, but also willing to adapt and move faster than we have in the past. I would say most importantly, though, is bringing the people along, helping them understand the why so they can see how change ultimately improves how we serve customers and support each other.

SPEAKER_01 6:16

All right.

SPEAKER_00 6:16

So, what major changes do you feel are shaping the future of this industry?

SPEAKER_02 6:22

I would say we're seeing a few big shifts. You know, technology definitely playing a bigger role. You know, you look at AI and how that's impacting businesses today. Customer expectations are continuing to rise. There's more pressure on efficiencies across the supply chain. At the same time, I would say there's also a generational shift in the workforce, which is changing how we think about leadership and development. All of it really comes back to the same thing. You know, how do we continue to improve the experience for our customers and make it easier for our teams to deliver?

SPEAKER_00 6:59

All right. So you are a woman in the industry, you are a woman president. How do you approach mentoring or supporting other women in the industry or even internal at BoSharp?

SPEAKER_02 7:10

I think mentoring is really about being open and accessible. And I don't see it as limited to gender. Um, you know, I've had both male and female mentors throughout my career, and both have been incredibly valuable in different ways. For me, it's about learning from people who have experience, perspective, and a willingness to share honestly. At the same time, though, I think it's really, really important, especially in a male-dominated industry, that, you know, we encourage and support other women to step forward and see what's possible. Ultimately, I feel the best mentoring relationships are built on trust, openness, and learning from whoever you can to grow.

SPEAKER_00 7:56

Now, you're not only president, but you mentioned that you've almost been with Beauchard for 35 years. So, and you did talk about a little bit about the history of Beauchard, and that that's really important. So, what values do you think Beauchard has continued?

SPEAKER_02 8:11

I would say the company's always been built. The company's been built on strong relationships, trust in doing what we say that we're going to do. So I think that's been pretty consistent. Um, as president, I've focused on reinforcing those values, but also working to build a culture of accountability and continuous improvement. It's about honoring what got us here, but also making sure we're ready for the future. I really believe, again, going back to the small things, it's how we show up every day, how we treat each other, and whether we follow through that ultimately define our culture.

SPEAKER_00 8:50

So, what would you say is the key to nourishing uh long-term employee relationships?

SPEAKER_02 8:57

I would say it really comes down to respect, communication, and consistency. You know, people certainly want to feel heard and valued. They also want to know that what they do matters, you know, whether it's impacting an external customer or supporting someone internally who does. Um, it's not about saying yes to everything, it's about being intentional with what we commit to and then following that through. That consistency, I say, builds trust over time. And often it's the small things that matter most. You know, taking the time to listen, recognizing an effort, or simply doing what you said you would do.

SPEAKER_01 9:39

All right.

SPEAKER_00 9:39

Now, this is the last question I have for you, and it's a very important one. You travel a lot for your job. Can you tell us about um one of the favorite places that you've ever been able to travel to because of an opportunity from work?

SPEAKER_02 9:53

So, yes, I've been some people would say fortunate, some people would say not fortunate to travel quite a bit with work. Um, I do really, really enjoy it. I love meeting people. Um I can't honestly say I have a favorite place. You know, I've traveled Canada, the US, uh, Asia, which has been incredible, you know, great to see the different cultures. I I think it's probably for me less about the place, though, and more about the people. Um, I would say the relationships I've built with customers and partners over the years, like that's definitely what stands out and what I'm gonna remember. Um, those experiences I would say have been the most meaningful part of the travel.

SPEAKER_00 10:45

That's a good answer. Would you say there's a place that you haven't been to that you'd love to be to? Like go to?

SPEAKER_02 10:53

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 10:54

Can you share that or no?

SPEAKER_02 10:56

Uh there's still so many. I think now, like I would say with younger kids or younger grandkids, I would say finding experiences to do with them. So I don't know if it's again about the place or what we do together. So last year I did a trip with my grandson, um, and we just random road trip, took a flight, um, just hung out, did things he wanted to do. This year I'm going with my granddaughter. Same type of thing. We're gonna fly somewhere, rent a car, just tour random spots and enjoy that.

SPEAKER_01 11:35

But so again, I think again, more about the experience than the place. All right. Well, I think that is a good way to end it. Thank you, Julie, for joining me today. Welcome. Thanks for having me. Welcome.