Meet Mike Price | Supply Chain & Replenishment

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mike Price and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mike, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
When I was younger, I thought I had to do any and everything that was asked of me by my employer regardless of the time of day beyond the expected work hours. Part of that is just my work ethic to get things accomplished and to please others. Now that I am older, and hopefully wiser, I just see I was directly or indirectly being taken advantage of. Now I work for a company and especially a manager, that fully understand the term “work life balance” and actually follow through on it. It makes all the difference in the world. Now I don’t worry about answering emails after hours or if I can make an event for my daughter or wife.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I currently work for a cpg company that deals in home and garden items. I’m a replenishment manager there and ensure that my customer, an extremely well known and large retailer, has all the items they need at their stores. Previously, I worked for a large transportation company and dealt in logistics and pricing. I utilized those skills along with my Excel and Power Point knowledge to make the jump to my current role. Of course, it wasn’t easy to break in but it helps when you a friend or two that can help open doors to get you in. I put in the time and effort to learn the ropes, vernacular, new apps and made myself into a trusted expert on several reporting tools across several divisions within my organization. One lesson is to take the time to invest in yourself. By that, I mean if your company has training on tools like Excel, Power BI, or other certifications and is willing to pay for them, take them up on it. It makes you better as well as helps your company. It’s a win-win proposition.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Luckily, I live in Fayetteville, Arkansas, home of the University of Arkansas. The Razorbacks are about as close to a professional franchise as you can get around here. The past year or two, we have seen a resurgence and turnaround in several major sports, including football and basketball. Baseball is also a hot commodity the past 10 years or so. So depending on the time of year, I would take you to one of those events, then go to dinner somewhere along Dickson Street or up near the Fayetteville Square. We have several institutions like Hugo’s, Wright’s BBQ, Sassy’s, JJ’s, Theo’s and Bordino’s. We also have a lively food truck thing happening around town. We also have a very solid arts and theater scene with the Walton Arts Center, Theater Squared as well as a world class museum just up the road in Bentonville called Crystal Bridges. If outdoors is your thing, we have world class dirt bike trails, hiking trails or just a little over an hour away, you can be floating the Buffalo National River and camping.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Obviously that would be my wife, Shannon. We have been married for 20 years now and together over 25 years. We have a wonderful 16 year old daughter, Emma. My main hobby is photography, which is also a little bit of a side hustle as well. She always knows when we go on vacations or road trips, I’m looking for shots and scenes to add to my portfolio and rolls with my “quick detours”. We even have friends we have traveled with and when going to see something scenic, they have asked how much time do we need to allow him to shoot.

Instagram: @mikepricephotography

Twitter: @mikepricephotog

Facebook: Mike Price Photography