The Future of Logistics: Encouraging Girl Scouts to Dream Big

In this episode, join Bonnie Barczykowski, CEO of the Girl Scouts of the USA, and Jim Monkmeyer, President of Transportation at DHL Supply Chain, as they talk about our growing partnership and its impact on young girls. They’ll highlight the new Solutions Superstar patch program, which helps girls develop valuable life skills while sparking interest in logistics and leadership roles. Tune in to discover how this partnership embodies the Girl Scouts' core values of courage, confidence, and character. 

Transcript

00:00:08:17 - 00:00:28:14 

Welcome to All Business. No Boundaries., a collection of supply chain stories by DHL Supply Chain, the North American leader in contract logistics. I'm your host, Will Heywood. This is a place for in-depth discussions on the supply chain challenges keeping you up at night. We're breaking beyond the boundaries that are limiting your supply chain. Today's episode is: The Future of Logistics: 

00:00:28:17 - 00:00:52:03 

Encouraging Girl Scouts to Dream Big. Our guests are Bonnie Barczykowski, CEO of the Girl Scouts of the USA, and Jim Monkmeyer, President of Transportation, DHL Supply Chain. Let's dive in. Okay. Hello. Welcome to you both. Very happy to have you on the All Business. No Boundaries. podcast today. We'll start as we always do. I'll ask you to each introduce yourselves. 

00:00:52:04 - 00:01:20:14 

With your name, the organization that you're part of and what your role is there. So we'll start with you, Bonnie. So I'm Bonnie Barczykowski and I'm with Girl Scouts of the USA, and I'm the Chief Executive Officer. Terrific. And, Jim. Yeah, I'm Jim Monkmeyer, President of Transportation Services at DHL Supply Chain. Okay. So the Girl Scouts of America and DHL Supply Chain may appear to be sort of an unlikely partnership. 

00:01:20:16 - 00:01:44:10 

So I want to dive into that a little bit and peel back the onion. If you could, Bonnie, can you tell us, what the what the partnership is from your perspective? How it got started and, what you guys are looking to get out of it or are getting out of it currently? Yeah, absolutely. So Girl Scouts were the expert in girls, but we can't be experts in everything else. 

00:01:44:12 - 00:02:07:01 

So we love to partner. And this is a perfect example of to partner with organizations that our girls can get truly variety of experiences and that they otherwise would never have. So our partnership with DHL is all about helping our girls understand what exist out there today, and most specifically in the world of logistics. And along the way, they build amazing skills so that no matter what they're going to go into. 

00:02:07:03 - 00:02:32:00 

They've built the skills through this partnership. And our hope is that DHL in the future will get some amazing new employees out of this. Okay, Jim, I'm going to ask you the same question, but I want you to step back even further. I know you've had some experience with the Girl Scouts before, getting involved through work. So maybe starting with your Girl Scouts origin story and taking us up to the present moment? 

00:02:32:02 - 00:02:56:09 

Sure. Well, I'd like to start by saying my mom was a Girl Scout. My wife's a Girl Scout. And my daughters are both Girl Scouts. But, you know, my two girls are grown and out of the house now. And so, this wasn't top of mind, until I went to a meeting with, DHL and the Girl Scouts of Ohio's Heartland, led by Tammy Wharton, the CEO for the group. 

00:02:56:09 - 00:03:29:09 

And they really, got me excited, with the emphasis and focus on STEM. And so I could see a connection there and opportunity there. We do. Back in those days, this is about five years ago now. We do cookie drops, which, if you don't know, this is, the way that all of the cookies, the Girl Scout cookies every February get from trucks and pallets to the Girl Scout troops, they roll through different cities, in a freight yard. 

00:03:29:11 - 00:03:47:23 

And, we had the opportunity as DHL to participate with that, both in Columbus and later in Detroit. And we've done it in other cities as well. And from there, I was, kind of recruited to be on the board of Girls Scouts of Ohio's Heartland. I'm in my fifth year right now. In that role. 

00:03:47:23 - 00:04:11:05 

It's been extremely rewarding. Bonnie, and maybe pick up from where Jim started with the Girl Scouts of Ohio Heartland. And then how does that fit within the Girl Scouts USA organization? And how did the partnership sort of evolve from what was really a local thing, at the outset to where it is today? Absolutely. 

00:04:11:07 - 00:04:32:16 

So, Girl Scouts of the USA, I get the privilege every day of partnering with 111 Girl Scout Councils and Jim mentioning Ohio Heartland. That's one of those 111 and also our USA Girl Scouts overseas. So in a partnership like this amazing one with DHL, it started at that local council really working. And Jim's involvement really helped spearhead it. 

00:04:32:18 - 00:04:55:12 

To, to have a step back and go again. What could our girls really learn and do through this partnership? So there was a co-created program, our Solutions Superstar program, that, started at the local council and then expand it into a pilot, across ten other councils. I had the privilege of attending one of the pilots last year in Indianapolis, which was truly amazing. 

00:04:55:12 - 00:05:27:21 

And then this year it will scale nationally. So it's a great way to see a program start locally and now have national impact. Terrific. So describe the, the Superstar program. What are those events look like? Where they held, who attends, and what takes place then? Yeah, absolutely. So in the co-creation of the program, there's some amazing activities that are created so that our girls can actually do hands on with the employees that that actually lead that program in that local community. 

00:05:28:01 - 00:05:46:08 

So when I was in Indianapolis, it was wonderful to see all the DHL employees come together, not only our girls building the skills through the program itself, but they actually get the ability to, I always say, see what they can be when they partner with people who actually do this every day. So the program was again co-created, and there six different activities. 

00:05:46:08 - 00:06:04:12 

And our girls need to participate in a minimum of three of those six to earn, the patch, the DHL patch that they get at the conclusion of the program. But through it, they're doing they're solving real day challenges. So like one of the examples is what would my cookie route look like? What would be the best route for me to take. 

00:06:04:12 - 00:06:35:04 

And that is just one example. And they, they then do this program hands on again in that facility with those individuals. So, Jim, building on the skills that are part of the program, from DHL's standpoint as a, as a logistics provider, what kinds of things, you know, have you decided are important for that? That we've put into that program and, how do those translate into maybe some of the, the five other, activities that, the Bonnie started with? 

00:06:35:06 - 00:07:05:13 

You know, when you think about the, the, logistics and the supply chain area of, focus, a lot of people tend to think about warehouse workers and truck drivers first. And so we wanted to give the girls a much broader, perception and an understanding of, of logistics. And so some of the other programs involve the robotics and, that, that you see in our warehouses today, the girls have a chance to create their own robots. 

00:07:05:15 - 00:07:39:00 

They have the opportunity to see, you know, the s'mores, something that all Girl Scouts are familiar with, how that supply chain works, where those, initially ingredients come from. How do they get to your, to your campfire, for these girls. And so these are the kind of things that we found that the girls, can understand and relate to and get excited about and understand that logistics is a lot more than just, the basic, the basic operations within a warehouse or driving a truck. 

00:07:39:02 - 00:08:05:04 

So, Bonnie, what kind of feedback have you heard from the pilots? Oh, my God, phenomenal feedback. And it's and it's for multiple things. So, one is the actual skill. So the problem solving, the creative thinking, the team building that goes in like all those things come alive during this particular program. And then it's the exposure to an industry that I often say, unless their own family members are in the industry, they're not going to learn it at school. 

00:08:05:04 - 00:08:22:23 

They're not going to learn it necessarily in their community, but to learn it through something like this. You can actually see that spark for our girls. And then when I attend a program like this, I remind the girls at the end, our goal is a couple of things. Absolutely, build skills to actually expose them to specific careers that exist. 

00:08:23:01 - 00:08:43:20 

And then I also remind them that they may walk away that day going, I want to learn more about this. Also to know if their heart is in finance or human resources or marketing that DHL hires for all of those as well. So it's also about sparking an interest in an industry. So the feedback that we've gotten from girls and families has been tremendous. 

00:08:43:22 - 00:09:02:14 

That's great to hear. And I did want to play off of that. So, Jim, what types of, associates are coming to these events? And are they in work week or Saturdays, or how do they work? Yeah, they are, for the most part, they've been held on Saturdays. So these people are coming in on their free time. 

00:09:02:16 - 00:09:21:15 

We initially thought we would have to do a lot of recruiting, for these pilots, which had been in a about a dozen major cities around the country. We didn't have to do that at all. The people came out of the woodwork to volunteer to run these events. Many of them are Girl Scouts. 

00:09:21:15 - 00:09:54:11 

We're Girl Scouts, are Girl Scouts, or Girl Scout troop leaders, or fathers of Girl Scouts. And, and we've had 30 to 50 volunteers, without any real effort, in each of the cities to run these programs. So that's been great. And people are very excited to be involved in helping the girls. So, Bonnie, I liked your description of, connecting to an industry that maybe outside in wouldn't, wouldn't really resonate all that much with just somebody who doesn't have a family member in it or whatnot. 

00:09:54:13 - 00:10:15:11 

Are there other types of industries or organizations that Girl Scouts has taken a similar approach with? We have, a couple of even recent examples. We partnered with Stanley Black and Decker to help our girls understand the amazing career paths in the trades. And again, one that many of our girls would never know. It was a possibility. 

00:10:15:13 - 00:10:40:02 

And then we also partner, like with General Motors, we have automotive engineering badges, we have STEM exploration badges. So again, partnerships with experts in the fields that can really bring alive these concepts and these potential, possibilities for our girls. Great, great. Really interesting. So, back to supply chain and logistics and the cookie drop, in specific. 

00:10:40:02 - 00:11:10:04 

So I have not attended any of the, Solutions Superstar, workshops, but I, I have been to the cookie drop, and I think it's, it fares. Some time to describe what exactly it is. I know, Jim, you touched on it, but, it's really quite a technical, achievement. And, the volume of cookies that support what is, I think a pretty significant fundraising event for the Girl Scouts. 

00:11:10:06 - 00:11:29:23 

To get that all done with volunteers and various groups is something to behold. So I'll open it up to either of you, to talk about sort of on the day, what is what is it look like? And, what's the experience? I'll let Jim go first because I'd love to hear his perspective. Yeah, it's a little crazy. 

00:11:29:23 - 00:11:52:22 

And in February, it can be very, very cold. So you've got people with, with, big hats and mittens. You've got cars. It's kind of in Columbus. It was a steady stream of vehicles coming through. People are loading up 15 passenger vans. They're loading up trailers, they're loading up any other type of vehicle they can. 

00:11:53:00 - 00:12:10:05 

And it's a constant stream. Of and a lot of these, troop. It's a lot of troop leaders, obviously driving the vehicles, but they've got girls with them in many cases, and it's just a lot of fun to interact. And we're checking off lists, trying to make sure we get the right set of cookies. 

00:12:10:05 - 00:12:32:07 

So they continue to add new cookies. And so it can be pretty complex, but the team here, the DHL group, enjoys it. Every year. And correct me if I'm wrong, isn't there some sort of an app where you can you can cube out, the, the load by vehicle type. That. I don't know. 

00:12:32:12 - 00:12:57:13 

I was just going to say. Will, we're going to both follow up on that. Okay. Sounds like the next step here. Yeah. Somebody was telling me you could put in. You know, I have a suburban and, here's your here's my cookie order, and it tells you what percentage of it can fit in the car and what the configuration should could be, which, if true, is a very cool kind of thing that, that you'd see in the, in the DHL offices or facilities. 

00:12:57:15 - 00:13:19:15 

Absolutely. So you can help. Yeah. So, Bonnie, just maybe stepping back on the, on the, the cookie event annually, can you dimension, you know, the size of it? You know how many cookies are we talking about? I think every everyone who's listening, will have enjoyed, enjoyed them, but the, the scale is pretty impressive. 

00:13:19:17 - 00:13:43:10 

Yeah, the scale is impressive. And then it's nationally going on. I mean, the cookie it's a, it's $1 billion cookie program, and it's the largest girl entrepreneurship program in the entire world. So, for our girls to participate in it, it's one of the things I love when Jim was just, describing it, when girls do attend with the leaders, when they go for these, it's stepping back and going. 

00:13:43:10 - 00:14:01:19 

That in itself is an experience for our girls. That's a learning opportunity to go and see. Back to the point of how do the cookies even get to us and what have we already done, and working with our customer. And now how are we getting the cookies to our customers? So the program itself has so many aspects, including the delivery aspect. 

00:14:01:21 - 00:14:20:00 

But our girls are building so many skills through that program and it's, it's the number one thing adult women will speak to when they talk back to their experience of girls scouting, of how much in the business skills, the business ethics, the people skills and money management, all the things that they learned when they participate in the cookie program. 

00:14:20:01 - 00:14:41:23 

Yeah. Great. So I want to turn to kind of next steps. So the partnership is, I gather, 4 or 5 years old. What kind of what comes in the future? I would say the sky's the limit. Jim knows I say this, it just to watch how it's evolved over the last few years is truly amazing. 

00:14:41:23 - 00:15:01:20 

So to know where we're headed next, we're so excited. And actually, people who will be listening to the podcast will be the first to know. DHL is also now in support of our goal toward scholarship program. So we're looking at ways to evolve our partnership. That's meaningful for both of our organizations. And the Gold Award is the highest award a young Girl Scout can earn and Girl Scouting. 

00:15:01:22 - 00:15:23:02 

So we have thousands of girls each year who earn the Gold Award by identifying a community problem and creating a solution, and a solution can withstand after that girl has moved on to whatever's next in her life. So DHL is now a partnership and our Gold Award scholarship program. And we're thrilled and excited to see our partnership continue to grow. 

00:15:23:04 - 00:15:46:18 

We're really excited about that as well. Obviously, a big opportunity to support the Girl Scouts. But at the same time, you know, I, I like to call the Gold Award girls the over achievers of the over achievers in this category. And if we can have a play a role in helping with them, getting them excited as well about supply chain. 

00:15:46:20 - 00:16:15:00 

We are growing fast. Our industry is growing very fast. There's a lot of change and technology coming into the industry. It's a time where we need everybody on board. And so our focus here is to make sure that girls understand that this is a place for them, that they can feel comfortable in STEM 

areas of focus, including logistics and supply chain. 

00:16:15:00 - 00:16:37:22 

And, we're going to need them in, in the coming years. Yeah. And, Jim, maybe over the course of your career, the industry is no secret. Was fairly male dominated. What kind of change have you seen in the. I don't know couple decades, at least of, of experience in your, in your tenure. Yeah. 

00:16:38:00 - 00:16:58:19 

Yeah. Completely night and day, I would say, well, it's been, very much male dominated. And now, you see, in many of our offices and, facilities and warehouses, there are women running the warehouses, a lot of the, a lot of the sites that volunteered for the pilots of the patch program are run by women. 

00:16:58:19 - 00:17:20:03 

And so these girls come in and they see women in leadership roles, they see women, working with robots and things like that. And it just really, it's a complete change from, just a few decades ago and exciting to see and exciting to see the girls get excited about it as well. 

00:17:20:05 - 00:17:53:21 

And Bonnie, more broadly with your, Girl Scout alumni alumni base, how have you seen their career trajectories stay the same or change over time? Yeah, tremendously as well. And I would say, as our girls do, get excited and they get excited with industries that are evolving and going back to the robotics that we saw on site the day that I was, at the pilot, it's interesting for our girls to go, wow, I didn't even know all this was happening behind the scenes that you have these amazing robots and our girls are fascinated with those type of things. 

00:17:53:21 - 00:18:15:19 

I even tell them, you know, people say, what do you want to be when you grow up? Say, I'm probably going to be something that doesn't exist yet because things are fast changing. It's also I love that you ask because it's fun to watch our girls connect with these mentors. You know, you can say it all you want, but when they actually see what they can be to them, that makes it like truly available to them. 

00:18:15:19 - 00:18:39:07 

And so it's also why having the employees from DHL so involved adds a whole another dimension to this program. The opportunity to expose young people to the many interesting things that take place in our industry is really exciting. And, this is a terrific, partnership that's got really good momentum. Clearly. And like you said, sky's the limit. 

00:18:39:09 - 00:18:57:20 

So thank you both for coming on today to talk a little bit about it and tell us the history and the and where to from here. Exciting times ahead and look forward to hearing, what comes next. Thank you for having me. And so, so, so very grateful for the partnership. So thank you all. Thanks, Jim. 

00:18:57:20 - 00:19:03:10 

Thanks, Will. Thank you. Thank you for being here. 

00:19:03:12 - 00:19:19:20 

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