In the Mind of a Distributor
No one teaches you how to run a distribution business. There’s no playbook for navigating shifting markets, growing sales, or making the right bets on technology. The best distributors figure it out by talking to the right people and learning from experience.
That’s what In the Mind of a Distributor is all about. Each month, Benj Cohen—founder of Proton, the CRM built for distributors—sits down with industry leaders, from owners to operators to sales pros, to break down what’s working, what’s not, and where the industry is headed.
If all goes well, listeners will leave each episode a little sharper, a little more informed, and a step ahead of the competition.
In the Mind of a Distributor
Creating a winning growth culture | Gary Corless
In this episode of In the Mind of a Distributor, Benj sits down with Gary Corless, former CEO of PSS World Medical (now McKesson Medical-Surgical), to unpack how the company scaled from a $15M startup pulling orders in shopping carts to a $2B industry leader.
The key to that growth was a rich company-wide culture where everyone (not just sales) owned the number.
Gary walks through how PSS built a true growth culture that aligned teams from the warehouse to the C-suite, turning everyday roles into expansion engines. He also breaks down:
- Why hungry college grads often outperform seasoned industry vets
- How to push reps hard without burning them out
- Why most reps hate CRMs and how to build systems they want to use
This conversation is packed with practical insights for distribution leaders looking to scale sustainably. If you’re trying to reignite growth, build real accountability, or figure out what’s getting in your team’s way — this episode is for you.