Dave Gulas attended the University of Michigan-Dearborn prior to his 20+ year of sales/executive career within the medical and pharmaceutical industries. He since Co-Founded EZDC 3PL, a third-party logistics firm and he hosts the Beyond Fulfillment podcast, a weekly YouTube interview focused on entrepreneurial journeys. EZDC 3PL launched in 2022 and is headquartered in Kentucky, with an additional location in Maryland. They provide warehousing, fulfillment, and transportation services to manufacturers and ecommerce companies – reliably and affordably. Known for personal service, fast response time and flexibility, EZDC3PL takes the “headache” out of fulfillment and helps customers grow as a true extension of their business. Visit them at ezdc3pl.com
Company: EZDC 3PL
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company
Dave Gulas: I’ve had a lifelong career in sales, mostly in the medical/pharmaceutical industry. In 2022, we started EZDC 3PL which provides warehousing, fulfillment, and transportation services to emerging e-commerce brands. I quickly realized on my startup founder journey the necessity & the value of a personal brand. I began posting daily on social media. In Octoer 2023, I launched the Beyond Fulfillment Podcast which spotlights the entrepreneurial journey. Despite having no prior podcast knowledge or experience, I published 50+ episodes within 9 months. The podcast has helped our company immensely with inbound leads & conversion, it’s also been a powerful networking tool.
If you were in an elevator with Warren Buffett, how would you describe your company, your services or products? What makes your company different from others? What is your company’s biggest strength?
Dave Gulas: EZDC 3PL helps emerging e-commerce brands scale by allowing them to outsource their fulfillment reliably & affordably. Many e-commerce companies eventually reach a point where they must outsource the “headache” that is logistics (maintaining a lease, managing employees, negotiating carrier rates, inventory software, etc.) to keep growing. However, many 3PLs will either not take on or not service properly brands that don’t already have a high monthly order count. They can feel like just a number in one of large national 3Pls & they often don’t receive clear communication or timely responses to customer service issues. Our biggest strength is our customer-centric approach, which includes clear communication and being flexible to help our clients succeed. We understand we’re truly an extension of our customers business & we take that very seriously.
Quiet quitting, The Great Resignation, is an ongoing trend causing many businesses to struggle to keep talent engaged and motivated. Most are leaving because of their boss or their company culture. 82% of people feel unheard, undervalued, and misunderstood in the workplace. In your experience, what keeps employees happy? And how are you adapting to the current shift we see?
Dave Gulas: In our experience, we’ve found a culture of ownership & open communication are the key to employee happiness. We believe in empowering our team members & giving them the tools to succeed. We ensure our team members understand how their work impacts the success of our customers. We prioritize regular reviews, clear 2-way communication & we recognize achievements both big & small. We believe employees crave purpose, connection & a sense of being valued. By focusing on these aspects, we can create a team that’s fully engaged & thus reduce the risk of quiet quitting.
Online business keeps on surging higher than ever, B2B, B2C, online shopping, virtual meetings, remote work, Zoom medical consultations, what are your expectations for the year to come and how are you capitalizing on the tidal wave?
Dave Gulas: We expect these trends to continue & we see it as all the more reasons that brands need fulfillment partners who are flexible & adaptable. We continue to keep our focus on a positive customer experience while leveraging technology & other resources to keep up with the changing times.
Business is all about overcoming obstacles and creating opportunities for growth. What do you see as THE real challenge right now?
Dave Gulas: The real challenge for everyone is meeting rising customer expectations while maintaining healthy margins in the face of inflationary pressures. We see collaborative relationships as a key factor in meeting these challenges. We aim to have strong partnerships across our entire supply chain where each player understands each other’s needs & capabilities & can work together to deliver results in a way that’s sustainable for everyone.
In your experience, what tends to be the most underestimated part of running a company? Can you share an example?
Dave Gulas: When starting a company, you don’t know what you don’t know. Initially, our biggest challenges were proving ourselves to potential clients as a young startup. As we’ve grown, we continue to face new challenges from navigating software complexities, scaling our team & infrastructure, managing vendor relationships, etc. It seems every level of growth brings with it a whole set of new challenges.
On a lighter note, if you had the ability to pick any business superpower, what would it be and how would you put it into practice?
Dave Gulas: I’d love the ability to read people’s minds so I could know exactly what issues or concerns are most important to them & address those promptly whether it be prospects, customers, team members or vendors. This way I could proactively address these issues, creating better & more productive relationships across the board.
What does “success” in 2024 mean to you? It could be on a personal or business level, please share your vision
Dave Gulas: Success for us is when a customer, who has placed their trust in us, says thank you & tells us what a difference our service has made for their business. Continuing to improve our offerings & creating more of those customer success stories is what success looks like for us.
