Jason and Marshall on harnessing the power of peer networks

"By working together, you can really improve the quality of the solutions that you bring to bear against, you know, the problems that you deal with day in, day out." - Marshall Jones As years go, 2020 didn't leave much behind to recommend it...or did it? Amidst the difficult aspects of the last ten months, distributors managed to string together small but mighty bright spots. In this episode, Jason is joined by business partner Marshall Jones to discuss their favorite takeaways from the last year.  The pair also debut an exciting new leadership forum focused on peer support. If you're ready to commit to 2021's promise or simply looking to banish a few overexposed phrases, Marshall and Jason have you covered. Last year's silver lining is easy to find - if you know how to look. Instead of searching for a considerable gain, Marshall urges owners and management to add up their small wins instead, then build upon them. "Everyone that survived this [2020] walks away with a really strong sense of accomplishment. They've learned a lot about themselves and their teams and their strengths and what they're capable of doing." But what should leaders do with that information? How do they transform 2020 hindsight into 2021 insight? And who can they turn to address the challenges that lay ahead? Peers.  Connected Peers, to be precise, our professionally moderated, industry-specific peer-to-peer forums. Our new concept fosters growth for members and their companies by harnessing the power of experience sharing. "These peer to peer networks have been fantastic," Marshall says. "They really create an opportunity for professionals within the distribution industry that really are often alone in their companies."  With Connected Peers, leaders can interact with their counterparts in other companies and even in different verticals to share best practices, exchange ideas, and fend off stagnation in an environment of inclusive collaboration Thanks to last year, members of Connected Peers forums have an entirely new catalog of professional experiences from which to share and learn. Masterful pivots, tech triumphs, quick-changes. The pandemic hastened in months transformations that, historically, have taken years to complete. "In the past, for us to find these innovations," Marshall says, "we've had to have a recession or a depression to get us to make these changes." Not this time. Distribution adapted to incredible pressures in months or, in some instances, weeks.  That's the kind of in-the-trenches expertise Connected Peers aims to harness. Listen in to learn more about this incredible forum as well as the words Jason hopes to banish in 2021. CONNECTED PEERS  *** Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.    This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.  Connect with Jason Bader on LinkedIn. Connect with Marshall Jones on LinkedIn. http://www.distributionteam.com