Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Jennifer Barbosa.
She is a visionary entrepreneur, business leader, and supply chain specialist with a strong focus on procurement and logistics. As the CEO and Founder of International Supply Partners (ISP), she leads a company dedicated to streamlining the sourcing and distribution of essential goods for businesses and government entities. With a passion for supplier diversity and economic empowerment, Jennifer has built ISP into a trusted provider in the industry, ensuring efficiency and reliability in supply chain solutions. Her expertise and leadership have positioned her as a key figure in business development and strategic partnerships across multiple industries.
Company Description *
International Supply Partners (ISP) is a premier provider of essential products and procurement solutions, specializing in safety, PPE, industrial, janitorial, and construction supplies. Founded by CEO Jennifer Barbosa, ISP is dedicated to delivering high-quality, cost-effective sourcing solutions tailored to businesses, government agencies, and large-scale enterprises.
At ISP, we streamline supply chain operations by leveraging our extensive network of trusted manufacturers and distributors, ensuring that clients receive the best products at competitive prices. Our commitment to efficiency, reliability, and customer satisfaction sets us apart in the industry, allowing organizations to focus on their core operations while we handle the complexities of procurement.
With a strong emphasis on supplier diversity and innovation, ISP partners with corporations and institutions looking to meet their procurement goals while supporting minority-owned businesses. We are proud to be a certified minority-owned business, committed to fostering economic growth and sustainability in the communities we serve. #BEST
#STRAW
#SHMS
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi.
Speaker 2 (00:00):
I am Rashaan McDonald. I host this weekly Money Making
Conversation Masterclass show. The interviews and information that this show
provides are for everyone. It's time to start reading other
people's success stories and start living your own now. If
you want to be a guest on my show, please
visit our website, Moneymakingconversations dot com and click the BO
(00:21):
guest button. If you have a product or company that
you want to talk about on my show, you're an entrepreneur,
please take the time to fill out the BO guest button.
Press submit. It comes directly to me. Now we've got
that out the way, let's get this show started. My
guest is the CEO and founder of International Supply Partners ISSP.
(00:42):
International Supply Partners is a premier provider of essential products
and procurement solutions, specializing in safety, PPE, industrial, janitorial, and
construction supplies. Please welcome to the Money Making Conversation Masterclass.
Jennifer Barbosa.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
How you doing, Jennifer, I'm wonderful for Sean, how are
you now?
Speaker 2 (01:04):
This doesn't sound like one of those jobs that you know,
just you. I want to go out there and be
a supply I want to go out there be a supplier.
How did you get in the supply of business?
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Well, I first started just by deciding that I wanted
to do business with the government, and I thought of
what can what does the government need that they will
always need and can potentially keep me in a lasting business, right,
So I first started with office supplies. The government needs
(01:39):
to supply. They're the largest customer, they spend the most
money in the world, and they do not do everything themselves.
They always contract out. So they were my first target.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Now as it is from Jennifer. Now, you know, I
would think that they would already have a relationship with
like a big company. You're talking about supplies. You talking
about when you say supplies, we talking about notepads, pencils
or janitor everything.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Okay, anything you can think of the government purchase.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Why wouldn't they have a relationship already and how were
you able to get into that Because a lot of
people want to do business with the government, so they do.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Have standing relationships. But the government is required to consistently
look for best cost prices on services and products that
they consume and purchase, so they do that through RFQs
or RFPs, and sometimes they give out contracts for a
(02:43):
certain period of time and then they reassess their budget
and costs.
Speaker 4 (02:48):
And also they.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Have what are called p cards, which are purchase cards
where office departments can make smaller purchases below a certain
threshold without requiring UH to go out for a bid
and requesting multiple quotes. And as long as the vendor
(03:11):
or company is registered within their system, is in good standing,
UH pays their taxes, then they can then purchase and
do business with them.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Okay, now you are in a male dominated business. I'm
assuming and very much he lands when I say that,
that's a nond just statement and in your small business
trying to crack through that door. How did Jennifer pull
it off?
Speaker 3 (03:44):
I think some of it was probably delusional and not
that's how you're I just went made a decision and
went for I didn't didn't have to that we think
about all of the challenges come up again, I think
(04:04):
was probably what most entrepreneurs do, and in our own
best interest, because if you make you decide that you
want to go into business, and you consider all of
the challenges, all of the hurdles, all of the setbacks
that potentially can UH come up against you, then that
(04:24):
can be very daunting and make you second guess about
going into business. And so I'd say I really did
not consider that I was going to be in a
male dominated industry. I just knew that I wanted to
start up another business that had other businesses and actuality.
Most of the businesses that I've owned were male dominated.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
There was no fear. There was no fear.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
No fear, no fear. That's a good thing or bad things.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
A good thing because sometimes tear stops us, stops us
from pursuing our dreams. People, fear stops us relationships. Fear
just stops us from moving seeing an opportunity because you
don't know what that opportunity you will be. The fear
of moving in that direction will stop us and it
may be the best decision in your life. So in
that person's life, So you say, Rashan, maybe I was,
(05:19):
Maybe I should have had. I love the fact that
you were fearless, and that's important. But here's an interesting question.
Now when you say you're a supplier, the number one
question that comes in my mind do you have to
have inventory? Do you have to have money set aside
to be able to buy supplies? So when somebody calls
you for supplies, you have to immediately deliver. How does
(05:41):
that work?
Speaker 3 (05:43):
So it all depends on your business model. If you
are doing business with the government or most corporations, you
would need to have money because most of their payment
systems of processes are on term payments, which means that
they provide a purchase order to you. You supply and
(06:06):
deliver the items that they requested at the cost that.
Speaker 4 (06:10):
You've agreed upon, and then they.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Will and then once you've delivered, you can then invoice
them and that invoice is due for payments, whether it's
NET thirty which is thirty days from date of delivery,
or NET fifteen or NET sixty, net ninety, whatever that
agreement is. So that means that you would need.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
To have the funding or the credit.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Readily available to be able to source supply ship at
your cost and not receive payment until the due date,
which is usually NET thirty. But then of course you've
got to consider, you know, not everyone pays on time.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Right now, let me ask you this. Jennifer Bobosa, she's
the CEO and founder of International Supply Partners i s P.
Now let's go back a few years because I introduced you.
In your introduction, I said a word that I never
knew nothing about until COVID PPE. What does PPE mean?
Speaker 3 (07:19):
PPP stands for personal protection equipment.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Now, when I okay, continue so I can get into
my next question, I apologize.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
No, that's fine, and so it literally means what it says,
personal protection equipment. But it can what it identifies is
going to vary according to the industry that you're in.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
Well, when I when I heard it, it was tied
to mask. That's what I heard. Mask. You know, all
I heard was Ppe deliverables, Ppe deliverable masks. Now doing
that era of that period, which is the country got
shut down and we had distances and you had to
fly our fly on the plane with a mask. But
(08:05):
I noticed during that period it was a mean I
was paying fifteen twenty dollars a mask when it first
came out. Okay, talk about that pricing discrepens and how
did that happen like that?
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Well, it was a combination of things. One a demand,
a huge influx of demand on the product. And whenever
there's an influx of demand there costs will go up. Right,
whether the well price will go up rather cost may decrease,
(08:44):
may increase or may stay the same, but demand will
always dictate pricing.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Now, so where were you at, you know, when the
when the COVID had happened, and did you see it
coming because you you know, you supplyed PPEs, you know,
the whole mask situation, the supply chain, that's all I
heard these There was a lot of buzzwords that was
out doing COVID. The supply chain. Part of your vernacular
(09:16):
is that word? So when you how did you react
when you saw these tremendous pricing differences on masks and
what were your thoughts?
Speaker 3 (09:27):
So I was very close to a lot of the
manufacturing and understand what was going on. Before we were
shut down. I was receiving communications from my manufacturers, who
we had sourced a lot of our office and janitorial
supplies from, asking inquiring if we wanted any ppe whether
(09:49):
it was masks or gloves, coveralls, a variety of different items.
And at first I was, you know, perplexed, because I'm like, well, well,
you guys make paper or you make plastic bags, Like
why are you selling these medical products? But what was
happening and the other part of the world is they
(10:12):
were already aware of what was going on and what
was to come, and so a lot of factories were
converting their production from what they typically produced to producing
these ppe that were going to be in high demand.
So that was the first indication that I had. Now
(10:33):
also understanding, being that close to the manufacturing is understanding
what the true cost is. And because of the demand also,
you know the price is going to go up, and
part of it has to do with what was going
on in the supply chain. So there was a demand
of raw materials that needed to get to the factories.
(10:57):
Then there was a demand of increase of production, which
means there is a demand of the machinery to make
those products. And then there's a demand for the logistical
shipment of those products, which means containers that move products
are now being reserved or being monopolized by these ppe.
(11:25):
So other essential products that we're needing, or toys or
anything our everyday items were being kind of pushed to decide,
so it becomes a domino effect. Now at the same time,
there was an influx of people and businesses who were
not in the medical industry. We're not in the supply industry,
we're not in supply chain whatsoever, but saw an opportunity,
(11:48):
whether it's because of their access to the financing or
the relationships that they had, jump into this industry. So
you saw a huge influx of new businesses that were
supplying PPE for whatever reason, and they knew that the
demand was there. The government was purchasing at astronomical volumes,
(12:15):
and hospitals and facilities and schools and government and local
state governments and other agencies were all purchasing and business
was not as usual. And what that puts at put
to that is where now the sellers of these PPE
have maths and they have more power in regards.
Speaker 4 (12:40):
To demanding the payment terms.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
So the net term payment was no longer an option
for hospitals and the government. Everyone was paying upfront because
there's a huge frenzy of getting everything as quickly as
possible and it was almost like a grab. And then
also who paid the most got the most or got
their products first and fastest. So something that may have
(13:05):
typically cost like a case of masks, for example, may
have before the pandemic cost a case of one thousand
masks might have cost let's say one hundred dollars during
the pandemic, that same case of one thousand masks could
have easily cost one thousand dollars.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Well, I know I was a person who purchased high
price mask, you know, because I didn't have another option.
You know, my employees, I wanted them to come to work.
I didn't like I work at a creative media company
and to achieve that, you know, you're engaging with each other.
And so I purchased masks, and I was paying anywhere
from ten to fifteen dollars. So if you hear Rasheon
(13:49):
McDonald paying ten to ten to fifteen dollars for a mask,
what would you say? Am I being ripped off? Or
was I being ripped off?
Speaker 3 (13:58):
Personally, I would have felt that you were definitely being gouged,
definitely paying more than necessary.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
Okay, Jenn, What's what's the difference between ripped off and gouged?
You know, I'm just trying to help, you know, I
said ripped.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
Off thanks an over exaggeration of aw.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
I thought you want to be professional, you know, I'm
just going, hey, does somebody rip me off? Where rashion?
You may have been guys, I don't want to.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
I don't know what their true making those master but
that was.
Speaker 5 (14:29):
As please don't go anywhere. We'll be right back with
more money Making Conversations Masterclass. Welcome back to the Money
Making Conversations Masterclass hosted by Rashaan McDonald. Money Making Conversations
Masterclass continues online at Moneymakingconversations dot com and follow money
(14:52):
Making Conversations Masterclass on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
I would like to bring guests guests on my show
that only education and hopefully educates me because products that
are being made available out there locally, nationally, internationally, is
being produced right in or being being manufactured, being distributed
right in this city of Atlanta. And the CEO of
founder of this company, International Supply Partners, is Jennifer Barbosa. Now,
(15:19):
when we talk about procurement and specializing in safety PPEs,
which we just had a long conversation about industrial, janitorial
and construction supplies, and we're talking construction flies. If you
need them in New York, if you need them in California,
you need them in Texas, you need them in Chicago.
She makes them available through her company. Now, how are
(15:39):
we able to be able to pull that vision out
because everybody starts local, Jennifer, But then all said, you see,
you know, something I really can become, you know, nationwide
and then global. When did that hit you or what
enabled you or did you get investors into your company
that enabled you to see that vision and make that
vision happened.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
So originally I was working through distributors, local distributors and
finding that I could not compete, especially against big box companies.
And then I realized, you know, coming from you know,
an international immigrant family. My parents are from the Cape
(16:23):
Bird Islands in West Africa. They both worked in manufacturing
when they moved here to the US, so I had
the experience and knowledge of manufacturing. And my grandfather used
to import and export abroad between the US and Cape
Verds and as well as my grandmother, so they were
(16:43):
entrepreneurs as well. And so I when I realized that
I could not compete with the business model that I
had at the time, I was like, well, let me
just I need to get to the source. And so
I started reaching out to manufacturers both local as well
as international and developing those relationships, establishing partnerships and figuring
(17:08):
out how can I be more competitive?
Speaker 4 (17:13):
And during the pandemic, my network.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
Grew exponentially because of my current relationships and continuously looking
at what was going on and figuring out what the
supply chain is. So if you understand supply chain, it's
a map, it's a puzzle, and you want to understand
(17:39):
how things move and how things are made from the
very beginning. So even understanding, okay, plastic, how many things
do we utilize on a day to day that is
made out of plastic. If there's a shortage or something
in plastic, why is there a shortage? What is plastic
made of? Well, plastic is made out of petroleum is
(18:01):
only source in certain parts of the world, So then
you have to look at why is there a shortage
of plastic? There must be something that's happening with petroleum.
And then you look at what's going on in the
different parts of the world to understand what is changing
impacting the movement of that raw material or petroleum in
(18:21):
this instance, that is slowing things down or causing a shortage,
and then follow the dots and so when you do that,
you'll understand, Okay, where are things sourced. Every part of
the world is good at making something, whether it's sourcing
(18:44):
the raw material or producing manufacturing a certain product. And
so if you understand that you'll understand where things are done,
where it's made, and how it travels across the world, and.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
That's how you compete. Now here's something that's been making
a lot of buzz in the news is diversity, equity
and inclusion. And how's your company? Well you heard that
versus basically public announcement and what was your thoughts and
how did you react to that as far as your
company and how you are going to champion or you
(19:18):
understand to go with the flow? What was your thoughts, Jennifer.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
So, we've been certified as minority owned, woman owned, disadvantage
owned certification both federal and state, local, city, local, and
other associations since we started the company. So we started
in twenty sixteen November twenty sixteen. We were certified by
(19:43):
March of twenty seventeen.
Speaker 4 (19:45):
But that is not.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
How we've led in business. They were tools to leverage opportunities,
but I never wanted to lead the company and what
we do as well, just you know, you should do
business with us because we're a black owned company, or
you should do businesses because we're a woman owned company.
(20:07):
You should do business with us because we provide quality
products and services and we operate as a partner and
understand what is going to improve your operations.
Speaker 4 (20:20):
And so this.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
The way that they're trying to disseminate THEI is just
a manner of trying to, in my opinion, deter businesses,
whether black, small women owned, from doing business. Now, there
will always be challenges, and we're constantly challenged. But if
(20:46):
you are only looking to or expecting people to do
business with you because you're a small business or a
minority owned or a woman owned, then you're not going
to be in business much longer anyway.
Speaker 5 (21:00):
Mm hm.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
So my response to it was no response.
Speaker 4 (21:04):
It doesn't matter.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
We're going to still continue to do business. We have
clients that do business with us because of what we
do and how we support them, not just because of
who started a company.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
Agree with you or do I really do? And I
appreciate your response to that because I tell people all
the time. I remember in the summer this past summer,
I told my staff, I said that, you know, as
far as I'm concerned, DEI stopped it like two years ago.
You know, it always celerated with you, George Floyd, and
they start backing off of it, and you start seeing
(21:37):
Republican l at states because politics play a role in it,
started accusing and start pointing out educational flaws they thought
would happened in a certain institution. And I'm not even
giving creteness things to say that out loud, But what
I will say is that you are approaching it definitely
the right way from a competitive standpoint. I just happened
(21:57):
to be a minority. I just happened to be a
person of color. But when you're doing business, now, there's
a beauty of it. Now, if you want to do
business with me because I am a minority, because I
am a person of color, I welcome you. But my
company is designed to do business no matter who or
what I am, and that's how you win long term.
(22:18):
And I really appreciate you making that statement out loud
because people need to understand it. Don't allow people to
slap you in the face or denounce you, or belittle
of you or make you feel like you inferior. Now,
if you, like you said Jennifer, if you base your
company on that type of model, I'm black, I'm a woman,
do business with me. I think as what you are
(22:40):
not going to last because and I like to believe
that most people have not done that model like that,
because that's not a fair model to yourself and that's
not a winning model because in the end, you're going
to get the small budget, the EEDBD budget that they
set aside for companies that are seeking that type of relationship.
You trying to get the big budgets. You better come
(23:02):
in there competing with a with a platform and a
presentation that you can deliver. No matter who you are.
You just happen to be a minority. Now when we
talk about you as a company and you as an
inspiration because you are a woman, you're a single mom,
you know, and you're in a male dominated industry. How
(23:22):
does one reach out to you or how does one
find your website to be able to, you know, participate
in the type of supplies that you offer both locally,
both for domestically and internationally.
Speaker 3 (23:36):
So you can find us online at International Supply Partners
dot com. Are handles for social media is also the
same International Supply Partners dot com. You can also email
us at info that's I NSS and Frank Oh at
(23:56):
biz that's b as in Bravo i Z as a
Zebra supply s upp l y orders O R D
as in Delta E R S as in Sam dot Com.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
Well, I'll tell you some Jennifer. I still have some
of those masks that I was ripped off. I saw
him the other day. So when you when I saw
I was prepared for this interview, I gotta ask Jennifer
about these mans. Did I get ripped off? And she goes, no,
you just price gouged. You're fantastic. Thanks you for coming
on Money Making Conversation master Class. And I always know
(24:34):
this is your home, your voice. I built this show
with my fans and with people wanting to hear about
influencer and you are an influencer. You are a motivator,
and you're an entrepreneur and more importantly, you make people.
And everyday people realize it's possible. If you had a
closing statement that say to my listeners, what would it be, Jennifer.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
I would say, you know, sometimes you just how to
operate fearlessly and delusional if you want to attain certain dreams,
and listening to everyone is definitely not going to get
you where you want to be. So you've got to
ignore the noise and focus on what you're wanting to do.
(25:20):
I mean, it's your only capable of what you believe
you're capable of, and go after it.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
I appreciate you well again. Thank you for coming on
money Making Conversations master Class and I hope people use
the contact information to grow your brand and your business
even larger. Thank you for coming on our show. Appreciate you.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
This has been another edition of Money Making Conversation Masterclass
posted by me Rashaun McDonald. Thank you to our guests
on the show today and thank you our listening to
the audience now. If you want to listen to any
episode I want to be a guest on the show,
visit Moneymakingconversations dot com. Our social media handle is money
Making Conversation. Join us next week and remember to all
(26:00):
always leave with your gifts.
Speaker 2 (26:01):
Keep winning.
Speaker 5 (26:03):
Mm hmmmmm
Hi.
Speaker 2 (00:00):
I am Rashaan McDonald. I host this weekly Money Making
Conversation Masterclass show. The interviews and information that this show
provides are for everyone. It's time to start reading other
people's success stories and start living your own now. If
you want to be a guest on my show, please
visit our website, Moneymakingconversations dot com and click the BO
(00:21):
guest button. If you have a product or company that
you want to talk about on my show, you're an entrepreneur,
please take the time to fill out the BO guest button.
Press submit. It comes directly to me. Now we've got
that out the way, let's get this show started. My
guest is the CEO and founder of International Supply Partners ISSP.
(00:42):
International Supply Partners is a premier provider of essential products
and procurement solutions, specializing in safety, PPE, industrial, janitorial, and
construction supplies. Please welcome to the Money Making Conversation Masterclass.
Jennifer Barbosa.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
How you doing, Jennifer, I'm wonderful for Sean, how are
you now?
Speaker 2 (01:04):
This doesn't sound like one of those jobs that you know,
just you. I want to go out there and be
a supply I want to go out there be a supplier.
How did you get in the supply of business?
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Well, I first started just by deciding that I wanted
to do business with the government, and I thought of
what can what does the government need that they will
always need and can potentially keep me in a lasting business, right,
So I first started with office supplies. The government needs
(01:39):
to supply. They're the largest customer, they spend the most
money in the world, and they do not do everything themselves.
They always contract out. So they were my first target.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Now as it is from Jennifer. Now, you know, I
would think that they would already have a relationship with
like a big company. You're talking about supplies. You talking
about when you say supplies, we talking about notepads, pencils
or janitor everything.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Okay, anything you can think of the government purchase.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Why wouldn't they have a relationship already and how were
you able to get into that Because a lot of
people want to do business with the government, so they do.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Have standing relationships. But the government is required to consistently
look for best cost prices on services and products that
they consume and purchase, so they do that through RFQs
or RFPs, and sometimes they give out contracts for a
(02:43):
certain period of time and then they reassess their budget
and costs.
Speaker 4 (02:48):
And also they.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Have what are called p cards, which are purchase cards
where office departments can make smaller purchases below a certain
threshold without requiring UH to go out for a bid
and requesting multiple quotes. And as long as the vendor
(03:11):
or company is registered within their system, is in good standing,
UH pays their taxes, then they can then purchase and
do business with them.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Okay, now you are in a male dominated business. I'm
assuming and very much he lands when I say that,
that's a nond just statement and in your small business
trying to crack through that door. How did Jennifer pull
it off?
Speaker 3 (03:44):
I think some of it was probably delusional and not
that's how you're I just went made a decision and
went for I didn't didn't have to that we think
about all of the challenges come up again, I think
(04:04):
was probably what most entrepreneurs do, and in our own
best interest, because if you make you decide that you
want to go into business, and you consider all of
the challenges, all of the hurdles, all of the setbacks
that potentially can UH come up against you, then that
(04:24):
can be very daunting and make you second guess about
going into business. And so I'd say I really did
not consider that I was going to be in a
male dominated industry. I just knew that I wanted to
start up another business that had other businesses and actuality.
Most of the businesses that I've owned were male dominated.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
There was no fear. There was no fear.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
No fear, no fear. That's a good thing or bad things.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
A good thing because sometimes tear stops us, stops us
from pursuing our dreams. People, fear stops us relationships. Fear
just stops us from moving seeing an opportunity because you
don't know what that opportunity you will be. The fear
of moving in that direction will stop us and it
may be the best decision in your life. So in
that person's life, So you say, Rashan, maybe I was,
(05:19):
Maybe I should have had. I love the fact that
you were fearless, and that's important. But here's an interesting question.
Now when you say you're a supplier, the number one
question that comes in my mind do you have to
have inventory? Do you have to have money set aside
to be able to buy supplies? So when somebody calls
you for supplies, you have to immediately deliver. How does
(05:41):
that work?
Speaker 3 (05:43):
So it all depends on your business model. If you
are doing business with the government or most corporations, you
would need to have money because most of their payment
systems of processes are on term payments, which means that
they provide a purchase order to you. You supply and
(06:06):
deliver the items that they requested at the cost that.
Speaker 4 (06:10):
You've agreed upon, and then they.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Will and then once you've delivered, you can then invoice
them and that invoice is due for payments, whether it's
NET thirty which is thirty days from date of delivery,
or NET fifteen or NET sixty, net ninety, whatever that
agreement is. So that means that you would need.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
To have the funding or the credit.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Readily available to be able to source supply ship at
your cost and not receive payment until the due date,
which is usually NET thirty. But then of course you've
got to consider, you know, not everyone pays on time.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Right now, let me ask you this. Jennifer Bobosa, she's
the CEO and founder of International Supply Partners i s P.
Now let's go back a few years because I introduced you.
In your introduction, I said a word that I never
knew nothing about until COVID PPE. What does PPE mean?
Speaker 3 (07:19):
PPP stands for personal protection equipment.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Now, when I okay, continue so I can get into
my next question, I apologize.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
No, that's fine, and so it literally means what it says,
personal protection equipment. But it can what it identifies is
going to vary according to the industry that you're in.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
Well, when I when I heard it, it was tied
to mask. That's what I heard. Mask. You know, all
I heard was Ppe deliverables, Ppe deliverable masks. Now doing
that era of that period, which is the country got
shut down and we had distances and you had to
fly our fly on the plane with a mask. But
(08:05):
I noticed during that period it was a mean I
was paying fifteen twenty dollars a mask when it first
came out. Okay, talk about that pricing discrepens and how
did that happen like that?
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Well, it was a combination of things. One a demand,
a huge influx of demand on the product. And whenever
there's an influx of demand there costs will go up. Right,
whether the well price will go up rather cost may decrease,
(08:44):
may increase or may stay the same, but demand will
always dictate pricing.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Now, so where were you at, you know, when the
when the COVID had happened, and did you see it
coming because you you know, you supplyed PPEs, you know,
the whole mask situation, the supply chain, that's all I
heard these There was a lot of buzzwords that was
out doing COVID. The supply chain. Part of your vernacular
(09:16):
is that word? So when you how did you react
when you saw these tremendous pricing differences on masks and
what were your thoughts?
Speaker 3 (09:27):
So I was very close to a lot of the
manufacturing and understand what was going on. Before we were
shut down. I was receiving communications from my manufacturers, who
we had sourced a lot of our office and janitorial
supplies from, asking inquiring if we wanted any ppe whether
(09:49):
it was masks or gloves, coveralls, a variety of different items.
And at first I was, you know, perplexed, because I'm like, well, well,
you guys make paper or you make plastic bags, Like
why are you selling these medical products? But what was
happening and the other part of the world is they
(10:12):
were already aware of what was going on and what
was to come, and so a lot of factories were
converting their production from what they typically produced to producing
these ppe that were going to be in high demand.
So that was the first indication that I had. Now
(10:33):
also understanding, being that close to the manufacturing is understanding
what the true cost is. And because of the demand also,
you know the price is going to go up, and
part of it has to do with what was going
on in the supply chain. So there was a demand
of raw materials that needed to get to the factories.
(10:57):
Then there was a demand of increase of production, which
means there is a demand of the machinery to make
those products. And then there's a demand for the logistical
shipment of those products, which means containers that move products
are now being reserved or being monopolized by these ppe.
(11:25):
So other essential products that we're needing, or toys or
anything our everyday items were being kind of pushed to decide,
so it becomes a domino effect. Now at the same time,
there was an influx of people and businesses who were
not in the medical industry. We're not in the supply industry,
we're not in supply chain whatsoever, but saw an opportunity,
(11:48):
whether it's because of their access to the financing or
the relationships that they had, jump into this industry. So
you saw a huge influx of new businesses that were
supplying PPE for whatever reason, and they knew that the
demand was there. The government was purchasing at astronomical volumes,
(12:15):
and hospitals and facilities and schools and government and local
state governments and other agencies were all purchasing and business
was not as usual. And what that puts at put
to that is where now the sellers of these PPE
have maths and they have more power in regards.
Speaker 4 (12:40):
To demanding the payment terms.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
So the net term payment was no longer an option
for hospitals and the government. Everyone was paying upfront because
there's a huge frenzy of getting everything as quickly as
possible and it was almost like a grab. And then
also who paid the most got the most or got
their products first and fastest. So something that may have
(13:05):
typically cost like a case of masks, for example, may
have before the pandemic cost a case of one thousand
masks might have cost let's say one hundred dollars during
the pandemic, that same case of one thousand masks could
have easily cost one thousand dollars.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Well, I know I was a person who purchased high
price mask, you know, because I didn't have another option.
You know, my employees, I wanted them to come to work.
I didn't like I work at a creative media company
and to achieve that, you know, you're engaging with each other.
And so I purchased masks, and I was paying anywhere
from ten to fifteen dollars. So if you hear Rasheon
(13:49):
McDonald paying ten to ten to fifteen dollars for a mask,
what would you say? Am I being ripped off? Or
was I being ripped off?
Speaker 3 (13:58):
Personally, I would have felt that you were definitely being gouged,
definitely paying more than necessary.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
Okay, Jenn, What's what's the difference between ripped off and gouged?
You know, I'm just trying to help, you know, I
said ripped.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
Off thanks an over exaggeration of aw.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
I thought you want to be professional, you know, I'm
just going, hey, does somebody rip me off? Where rashion?
You may have been guys, I don't want to.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
I don't know what their true making those master but
that was.
Speaker 5 (14:29):
As please don't go anywhere. We'll be right back with
more money Making Conversations Masterclass. Welcome back to the Money
Making Conversations Masterclass hosted by Rashaan McDonald. Money Making Conversations
Masterclass continues online at Moneymakingconversations dot com and follow money
(14:52):
Making Conversations Masterclass on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
I would like to bring guests guests on my show
that only education and hopefully educates me because products that
are being made available out there locally, nationally, internationally, is
being produced right in or being being manufactured, being distributed
right in this city of Atlanta. And the CEO of
founder of this company, International Supply Partners, is Jennifer Barbosa. Now,
(15:19):
when we talk about procurement and specializing in safety PPEs,
which we just had a long conversation about industrial, janitorial
and construction supplies, and we're talking construction flies. If you
need them in New York, if you need them in California,
you need them in Texas, you need them in Chicago.
She makes them available through her company. Now, how are
(15:39):
we able to be able to pull that vision out
because everybody starts local, Jennifer, But then all said, you see,
you know, something I really can become, you know, nationwide
and then global. When did that hit you or what
enabled you or did you get investors into your company
that enabled you to see that vision and make that
vision happened.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
So originally I was working through distributors, local distributors and
finding that I could not compete, especially against big box companies.
And then I realized, you know, coming from you know,
an international immigrant family. My parents are from the Cape
(16:23):
Bird Islands in West Africa. They both worked in manufacturing
when they moved here to the US, so I had
the experience and knowledge of manufacturing. And my grandfather used
to import and export abroad between the US and Cape
Verds and as well as my grandmother, so they were
(16:43):
entrepreneurs as well. And so I when I realized that
I could not compete with the business model that I
had at the time, I was like, well, let me
just I need to get to the source. And so
I started reaching out to manufacturers both local as well
as international and developing those relationships, establishing partnerships and figuring
(17:08):
out how can I be more competitive?
Speaker 4 (17:13):
And during the pandemic, my network.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
Grew exponentially because of my current relationships and continuously looking
at what was going on and figuring out what the
supply chain is. So if you understand supply chain, it's
a map, it's a puzzle, and you want to understand
(17:39):
how things move and how things are made from the
very beginning. So even understanding, okay, plastic, how many things
do we utilize on a day to day that is
made out of plastic. If there's a shortage or something
in plastic, why is there a shortage? What is plastic
made of? Well, plastic is made out of petroleum is
(18:01):
only source in certain parts of the world, So then
you have to look at why is there a shortage
of plastic? There must be something that's happening with petroleum.
And then you look at what's going on in the
different parts of the world to understand what is changing
impacting the movement of that raw material or petroleum in
(18:21):
this instance, that is slowing things down or causing a shortage,
and then follow the dots and so when you do that,
you'll understand, Okay, where are things sourced. Every part of
the world is good at making something, whether it's sourcing
(18:44):
the raw material or producing manufacturing a certain product. And
so if you understand that you'll understand where things are done,
where it's made, and how it travels across the world, and.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
That's how you compete. Now here's something that's been making
a lot of buzz in the news is diversity, equity
and inclusion. And how's your company? Well you heard that
versus basically public announcement and what was your thoughts and
how did you react to that as far as your
company and how you are going to champion or you
(19:18):
understand to go with the flow? What was your thoughts, Jennifer.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
So, we've been certified as minority owned, woman owned, disadvantage
owned certification both federal and state, local, city, local, and
other associations since we started the company. So we started
in twenty sixteen November twenty sixteen. We were certified by
(19:43):
March of twenty seventeen.
Speaker 4 (19:45):
But that is not.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
How we've led in business. They were tools to leverage opportunities,
but I never wanted to lead the company and what
we do as well, just you know, you should do
business with us because we're a black owned company, or
you should do businesses because we're a woman owned company.
(20:07):
You should do business with us because we provide quality
products and services and we operate as a partner and
understand what is going to improve your operations.
Speaker 4 (20:20):
And so this.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
The way that they're trying to disseminate THEI is just
a manner of trying to, in my opinion, deter businesses,
whether black, small women owned, from doing business. Now, there
will always be challenges, and we're constantly challenged. But if
(20:46):
you are only looking to or expecting people to do
business with you because you're a small business or a
minority owned or a woman owned, then you're not going
to be in business much longer anyway.
Speaker 5 (21:00):
Mm hm.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
So my response to it was no response.
Speaker 4 (21:04):
It doesn't matter.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
We're going to still continue to do business. We have
clients that do business with us because of what we
do and how we support them, not just because of
who started a company.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
Agree with you or do I really do? And I
appreciate your response to that because I tell people all
the time. I remember in the summer this past summer,
I told my staff, I said that, you know, as
far as I'm concerned, DEI stopped it like two years ago.
You know, it always celerated with you, George Floyd, and
they start backing off of it, and you start seeing
(21:37):
Republican l at states because politics play a role in it,
started accusing and start pointing out educational flaws they thought
would happened in a certain institution. And I'm not even
giving creteness things to say that out loud, But what
I will say is that you are approaching it definitely
the right way from a competitive standpoint. I just happened
(21:57):
to be a minority. I just happened to be a
person of color. But when you're doing business, now, there's
a beauty of it. Now, if you want to do
business with me because I am a minority, because I
am a person of color, I welcome you. But my
company is designed to do business no matter who or
what I am, and that's how you win long term.
(22:18):
And I really appreciate you making that statement out loud
because people need to understand it. Don't allow people to
slap you in the face or denounce you, or belittle
of you or make you feel like you inferior. Now,
if you, like you said Jennifer, if you base your
company on that type of model, I'm black, I'm a woman,
do business with me. I think as what you are
(22:40):
not going to last because and I like to believe
that most people have not done that model like that,
because that's not a fair model to yourself and that's
not a winning model because in the end, you're going
to get the small budget, the EEDBD budget that they
set aside for companies that are seeking that type of relationship.
You trying to get the big budgets. You better come
(23:02):
in there competing with a with a platform and a
presentation that you can deliver. No matter who you are.
You just happen to be a minority. Now when we
talk about you as a company and you as an
inspiration because you are a woman, you're a single mom,
you know, and you're in a male dominated industry. How
(23:22):
does one reach out to you or how does one
find your website to be able to, you know, participate
in the type of supplies that you offer both locally,
both for domestically and internationally.
Speaker 3 (23:36):
So you can find us online at International Supply Partners
dot com. Are handles for social media is also the
same International Supply Partners dot com. You can also email
us at info that's I NSS and Frank Oh at
(23:56):
biz that's b as in Bravo i Z as a
Zebra supply s upp l y orders O R D
as in Delta E R S as in Sam dot Com.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
Well, I'll tell you some Jennifer. I still have some
of those masks that I was ripped off. I saw
him the other day. So when you when I saw
I was prepared for this interview, I gotta ask Jennifer
about these mans. Did I get ripped off? And she goes, no,
you just price gouged. You're fantastic. Thanks you for coming
on Money Making Conversation master Class. And I always know
(24:34):
this is your home, your voice. I built this show
with my fans and with people wanting to hear about
influencer and you are an influencer. You are a motivator,
and you're an entrepreneur and more importantly, you make people.
And everyday people realize it's possible. If you had a
closing statement that say to my listeners, what would it be, Jennifer.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
I would say, you know, sometimes you just how to
operate fearlessly and delusional if you want to attain certain dreams,
and listening to everyone is definitely not going to get
you where you want to be. So you've got to
ignore the noise and focus on what you're wanting to do.
(25:20):
I mean, it's your only capable of what you believe
you're capable of, and go after it.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
I appreciate you well again. Thank you for coming on
money Making Conversations master Class and I hope people use
the contact information to grow your brand and your business
even larger. Thank you for coming on our show. Appreciate you.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
This has been another edition of Money Making Conversation Masterclass
posted by me Rashaun McDonald. Thank you to our guests
on the show today and thank you our listening to
the audience now. If you want to listen to any
episode I want to be a guest on the show,
visit Moneymakingconversations dot com. Our social media handle is money
Making Conversation. Join us next week and remember to all
(26:00):
always leave with your gifts.
Speaker 2 (26:01):
Keep winning.
Speaker 5 (26:03):
Mm hmmmmm
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