I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Ben Greenfield for his podcast, The Ben Greenfield Life. The conversation covered a lot of ground, from health and entrepreneurship to the evolution of my company, M&M Quality Solutions. Reflecting on our discussion, one core idea kept surfacing: purpose. It’s the element that changes how you build, lead, and serve, especially in a logistics industry often defined by processes.
This isn’t just a theoretical concept; it’s a principle forged through personal loss and professional challenges. It reshaped my leadership philosophy and the very foundation of my business. For fellow leaders and entrepreneurs, I want to share some of the key lessons from that conversation, because I believe they apply to any industry where human connection is at risk of being automated away.
Moving Beyond the “Pick, Pack, and Ship” Mindset
When I started in this industry, logistics was largely transactional. The job was to get pallets in and pallets out. Efficiency was king, and success was measured by the smooth operation of systems. But over the years, I started to see the limitations of that model. It felt incomplete.
The logistics world has become highly automated. While that brings benefits, it has also created a disconnect. Many businesses have no real relationship with the people physically handling their products. When a problem occurs, a mis-shipment, a damaged item, an inventory error, they’re often met with support tickets and faceless systems instead of a person who owns the outcome. That realization was a major catalyst for change at M&M. We had to be different.
Why the Term “3PL” Has a Baggage Problem
During my chat with Ben, I explained why the term “3PL” (third-party logistics) often carries negative connotations for brands. Many leaders have been burned by experiences with partners who offered:
- Poor and infrequent communication.
- Rigid processes that couldn’t adapt to real-world needs.
- A frustrating lack of accountability when things went wrong.
Automation is a powerful tool, but it can’t replace human judgment. It can’t solve a complex, unexpected problem that requires critical thinking. Our goal became moving beyond the traditional 3PL label. We focused on building a model centered on true partnership, proactive communication, and clear ownership.
A Lesson from Health: Treating the Cause, Not the Symptom
A significant part of our conversation drew a parallel between business systems and personal health. For years, I was doing all the “right” things for my health, diet, and exercise, but was still dealing with persistent issues. It wasn’t until I dug deeper and discovered underlying environmental factors that I was able to address the root cause.
The same principle applies directly to logistics. A missed shipment isn’t just a one-off mistake. It’s a symptom. It often points back to a deeper, systemic issue like a communication gap, an unclear process, or a breakdown in responsibility somewhere upstream.
Fixing these recurring problems requires more than just correcting the immediate error. It requires people who see the entire system, understand how the pieces connect, and are empowered to address the source of the problem. That’s a human skill, not a function of software.
How Purpose Redefined My Approach to Business
My perspective on business and life shifted profoundly after losing both of my parents. That experience forced me to ask bigger questions about what I was building and why. Was I just building a company for the sake of scale, or was there a deeper intention behind it?
Purpose became the new filter for every decision. It guided:
- Who we choose to serve: We seek partners who value relationships and quality.
- How we empower our team: We give them the autonomy and trust to make smart decisions.
- What standards we refuse to compromise on: We prioritize integrity over expediency.
This shift didn’t just make the work more fulfilling for me; it permeated the entire organization. When your team understands the “why” behind their work, they bring a different level of care and commitment.
The Power of Empowering Your People
The strongest theme that emerged from my conversation with Ben was trust. At M&M, we don’t chain our team members to rigid scripts or inflexible workflows. We hire smart, capable people and trust them to think critically. We empower them to communicate directly with clients and take ownership of a problem until it’s resolved.
This approach yields tangible business results:
- Faster problem-solving: Issues are handled at the source, not escalated through layers of bureaucracy.
- Stronger client relationships: Our clients know they have a real person they can count on.
- Greater resilience: When a system inevitably fails, our people know how to adapt and keep things moving.
Technology should support great people, not replace them. When you build your business on that belief, you create a more robust and effective operation.
Relationships Are the Ultimate Differentiator
In an increasingly digital and automated world, it’s easy to think that relationships matter less. I believe the opposite is true. Technology is a commodity. True differentiators like trust, consistency, and genuine human connection are becoming more valuable than ever.
Fulfillment works best when it feels like an extension of your own team, not a black box you ship products into. That’s the standard we hold ourselves to. The insights from my discussion with Ben reaffirmed that putting people and purpose first isn’t just a feel-good strategy; it’s the most resilient and sustainable way to build a business.
To hear more about these insights and other topics like health, faith, and entrepreneurship, listen to my full conversation with Ben Greenfield. I believe it will resonate with you as a leader striving to build with purpose.
Listen to the full podcast episode here.
