First Things First

by Mercado Labs

We live in a consumer driven world. $2.5T worth of products are imported annually, representing 15% of U.S. GDP. It’s time companies become fully connected to the people who make and move our products, and look for ways to improve the way we plan, buy, and move them around the world. First Things First is a supply chain show with a focus on the first mile, hosted by industry thought leader and Mercado CEO Robert Garrison. Eac ...   ...  Read more

Podcast episodes

  • Season 1

  • Ep 12: Supply Chain Predictions For 2023

    Ep 12: Supply Chain Predictions For 2023

    First Things First… The number one place to discuss, question, and learn all things first mile. Tune into First Things First as Mercado CEO Rob Garrison hosts the final episode of the series! Rob is joined by Pete Mento, Senior Vice President of Compliance at Traffic Tech and former Global Head of Products and Procurement at Wayfair. This episode Rob and Pete will be sharing their predictions for the 2023, diving into their perspectives on technology in the global supply chain and sharing the one thing they would fix in the import supply chain.

  • Ep 11: When Supply Doesn't Equal Demand

    Ep 11: When Supply Doesn't Equal Demand

    First Things First… The number one place to discuss, question, and learn all things first mile. Tune in to Ep. 11 of First Things First as Mercado CEO Rob Garrison is joined by John Fitzgerald, the Vice President of Business Development at project44. This episode will dive into the lack of digitization across the supply side of the supply chain and the parallel of how digitization has drastically improved the demand side of the industry.

  • Ep 10: An Importer's Guide On What Not To Do

    Ep 10: An Importer's Guide On What Not To Do

    First Things First… The number one place to discuss, question, and learn all things first mile. Tune in to Ep. 10 of First Things First as Mercado CEO Rob Garrison is joined by Scott Felsenthal — CEO of leading family-owned and family-run home wholesaler Whitmor. This episode will dive into the critical role that the import supply chain plays in the success of leading businesses like Whitmor, and provides first-hand insights into what not to do.

  • Ep 9: Transformation Through Technology

    Ep 9: Transformation Through Technology

    First Things First… The number one place to discuss, question, and learn all things first mile. Tune in to Ep. 9 of First Things First as Mercado CEO Rob Garrison is joined by Eric Johnson — international technology guru and senior technology editor for the Journal of Commerce. If you're curious about technology and how it can (and has) made huge waves in the import supply chain, then click the sign up link below! You can join Rob and Eric by tuning in on Tuesday, October 11th. Get involved and drop your questions for Rob & Eric in the chat!

  • Ep 8: Supply Networks are Shifting

    Ep 8: Supply Networks are Shifting

    First Things First… The number one place to discuss, question, and learn all things first mile. Tune in to Ep. 8 of First Things First as Mercado CEO Rob Garrison is joined by international thought-leader and founder of Tompkins Ventures, Jim Tompkins. If you're interested to hear how supply networks have changed as a result of the pandemic and how there is still a lot of room for improvement, then make sure you give this one a listen!