Sarah Barnes-Humphrey, the Founder & Host of Let’s Talk Supply Chain– a supply chain Media Company- is set out on a mission to bring great content and the community of the supply chain together, featuring diverse voices and highlighting the unsung heroes of the supply chain. A CITP (Canadian International Trade Professional) at Let’s Talk Supply Chain, Sarah brings along with her 20 years of experience in logistics & supply chain management. Hailing from a family of logistics entrepreneurs, Sarah is known for her in-depth knowledge and industrial expertise. An excellent example of passion into action, Sarah was named Top 100 Most Influential Women Leaders in Supply Chain by B2G and Top 100 Most Influential Women in Canadian Supply Chain by SCMA. 

In an interview with PerceptivX, Sarah shared some key insights about her personal and professional life. Let’s dive deeper into her journey towards entrepreneurial success.

Bringing stories to life

Sarah Barnes-Humphrey: “My parents owned a freight forwarding company so we have been talking about supply chain and logistics at the dinner table since I can remember. When I graduated high school, I decided to go into the family business so that I would get hands-on experience in the industry while also taking a variety of classes at night to figure out what I wanted to do. I stayed in the family business, learned everything in operations, and then in sales. Eventually became Director of Sales and Marketing. I knew as a freight forwarder we needed to tell our brand story and I was listening to a lot of podcasts at the time so I thought “well, hey if Lewis Howes can do it, why can’t Sarah Barnes-Humphrey”. I had a male co-host and with a tongue in cheek, we called our podcast 2 Babes Talk Supply chain. In the fall of 2017, we closed the doors to the family business and I was out of my own. I had to learn social media, graphic design, and website design. In January of 2018 I started our Women in supply chain series on the podcast and by April 2018 the Women didn’t relate to our name so I re-branded to Let’s Talk Supply Chain in one week and the rest is history! To this day we feature companies on the show so that supply chain professionals can understand what offerings are on the market to help them solve their most pressing challenges in a fun and unique way, plus we create content in a variety of unique ways including regular live shows on our LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter channels and we expanded into a second podcast called The Blended Podcast which is about Diversity and Inclusion. We bring a variety of people from different walks of life on every show to talk about DEI topics from a variety of perspectives.”

Succeeding together

Sarah Barnes-Humphrey: “I have a great team and we wouldn’t be where we are today without them. We are a team of freelancers who are passionate and hardworking and we believe in the content we are creating. As we work in digital marketing every single role in the organization demands creativity. I look for individuals who aren’t afraid to work hard, are self-reliant and motivated, and who like to try new things. I stand for authenticity, creating a safe space for impactful dialogue and a collaborative mindset. I am the proudest when someone reaches out and lets us know how much our content has impacted them, from our women in supply chain series to our Blended podcast and everything in between. So, I would say our culture is one of making an impact.”

Embracing uniqueness

Sarah Barnes-Humphrey: “In the beginning and middle of my career, there were many obstacles and a male-dominated environment but luckily I was self-motivated and enjoyed the industry so my passion never waned. When I went out on my own, I stayed true to myself, stayed consistent in the content we were delivering. Like Nike Saying “Just do it” I literally just do it. If it works it works and if it doesn’t it doesn’t, we learn and move on. As far as new ideas I get inspiration from a number of places, like zoom meetings, our community, and sometimes even in the shower (laughs). I surround myself with amazing people and we figure it out together. I think having a female perspective has set me apart because I show up differently, I think differently and I contribute in different ways and that is what makes me unique.”

Using fear to tap into the superpower

Sarah Barnes-Humphrey: “My biggest fear is public speaking, so early on in my career, I knew I needed to get over it but I also knew that I wouldn’t voluntarily sign myself up for Toast Masters so I decided to get a talent agent instead. I went on all sorts of auditions, laughed, and yelled out of audition rooms but it didn’t faze me because I didn’t want an acting career, I just needed to gain experience and get over my fear of public speaking. It also lead to some of the most incredible experiences like being featured in a national commercial and being on live TV with Denise Richards twice, I’m still not over my fear but I do get a little less nervous with every opportunity I say yes to. Saying yes despite the fear and just doing it is our greatest superpower.”

Unplugging for better

Sarah Barnes-Humphrey: “I enjoy what I do. It does result in burnout sometimes, and it’s my body’s way of telling me to slow down. I make sure I have time for self-care. I love the beach! I try to get to our home away from home in Florida a few times a year and in the summer get to a local beach every weekend, I like to read mystery novels and I like to sing. To decompress, facials and massages are something that I do regularly. One of my tricks is “prioritize and shift”. I take a look at the tasks I have for that day, prioritize them and then shift anything to another day or the weekend. I have also gotten better at delegating. However, my number one hack is my paper agenda and my task list for the week to keep me organized.”

The future looks promising

Sarah Barnes-Humphrey: “We will be rolling out new live shows across our social media, featuring the best and brightest in the industry and talking about topics that will bring value and encourage discussion in the supply chain industry. I am so excited to roll this out and empower the voices in our community.”