Dry Ice Sales and Supply Chains with Stephanie Vaughan

Episode SummaryDry ice is bigger than Halloween, and Stephanie Vaughan explains why it matters. Stephanie shares how she went from a communications degree and a COVID-era job search into sales at CMC, a dry ice manufacturing startup. She breaks down where dry ice shows up in the real economy, from cold shipping to essential manufacturing steps like dry ice blasting that keeps production lines moving. She also explains why customer service and reliability can outweigh price when a missed delivery can shut down a plant, plus what makes the industry hard to enter, including sourcing liquid CO2 and facility requirements. The conversation closes with what CMC is building next and how Stephanie approaches learning and staying motivated.Key TakeawaysDry ice is used across far more industries than most people realize, and many applications are invisible to end consumers.In manufacturing, dry ice blasting functions like power washing with dry ice pellets, cleaning molds and equipment in ways that can be critical to keeping production running.In a niche market, customer service and delivery reliability can be a real differentiator, especially when downtime costs customers far more than the price difference.Entering dry ice manufacturing is constrained by access to dependable liquid CO2 supply, along with infrastructure and permitting requirements.Speaking at industry conferences can create credibility fast and generate inbound opportunities, especially in specialized B2B markets.Building relationships through referrals, multi-site customers, and face-to-face meetings can reduce reliance on cold outreach over time.TimelineEarly00:00:00 Brian introduces Stephanie Vaughan and CMC, and sets up the dry ice theme00:01:00 Stephanie shares how she found the industry after graduating during COVID00:03:00 What “used everywhere but seen nowhere” means, and where dry ice shows up00:04:00 Dry ice blasting explained through a power washing analogy00:06:00 Working in a family business and separating personal from business communicationMiddle00:07:00 How Stephanie built confidence selling in a technical, specialized market00:10:00 How CMC grew from an existing network and cold calling into referrals00:12:00 Why availability matters when customers lose money during shutdowns00:13:00 Standing out with in-person meetings and product knowledge in male-dominated facilities00:14:00 Why more companies do not easily enter the space, including CO2 supply constraintsLate00:17:00 How CMC thinks about expansion and replicating service in new regions00:18:00 The second facility in Wilmington, Delaware and what the footprint looks like00:21:00 Sales motion today, mostly referrals plus conferences and speaking00:23:00 Why speaking roles create authority and accelerate relationship building00:25:00 What Stephanie is focused on in 2026, including expansion and the CO2 summit00:27:00 How she learns and stays motivated, including an active lifestyle00:28:00 How to contact Stephanie and closing remarksLinks and ResourcesLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-vaughan-/Company: https://www.cmcdryice.com/