Innovative Approaches to Supply Chain Management | Disney Petit from LiquiDonate 

Ernesto Quezada: Pathmonk is the intelligent tool for website lead generation. With increasing online competition, over 98 percent of website visitors don’t convert. The ability to successfully show your value proposition and support visitors in their buying journey separates you from the competition online. Pathmonk qualifies and converts leads on your website by figuring out where they are in the buying journey and influencing them in key decision moments with relevant microexperiences like case studies, intro videos, and much more.

Stay relevant to your visitors and increase conversions by 50%. Add Pathmonk to your website in seconds and let the AI do all the work and get access to 50 percent more qualified leads while you keep doing marketing and sales as usual. Check us on pathmonk.com. Welcome to today’s episode. Let’s talk about today’s guest. We have Disney with LiquiDonate, founder and CEO with them. How are you doing today, Disney?

Disney Petit: I’m doing well. How are you doing, Ernesto?

Ernesto: I’m doing great. Thank you so much for asking. You did mention something before the episode, which I’m really excited to hear, and I’m sure our listeners are tuning in, wondering what LiquiDonate is all about. Let’s kick it off with that in your own words. Can you tell us a little bit more?

Disney: Yeah, of course. So LiquiDonate is the sustainable solution for excess inventory. Through a simple software integration, we are able to match all of the excess inventory in the world with the schools and nonprofits that need it. In the past two years that we’ve been in business, we’ve been able to donate over 10 million items that otherwise would have ended up in landfills.

Ernesto: Oh, wow. That’s huge. So, that way we could get a good understanding of your company, who would your clients be, or how would you sum it up? What would be a key problem that you solve?

Disney: On the supply side, we mostly work with retailers that have excess inventory sitting in warehouses, maybe they over-purchased items, or have last season’s products they need to get rid of. Currently, the solution for those items is often sending them to the landfill, which we want to avoid. Retailers use our tool to automatically upload all the products they have, whether in boxes, pallets, or truckloads. Our system then matches those with the nonprofits and schools that need them using our matching algorithm, and we coordinate all the logistics to get them there.

Retailers also face the issue that 80 percent of returns end up in landfills. It’s costly to the environment and the retailer, who has to pay to get the item back just to throw it away. Our system matches those unwanted returns with a nearby nonprofit or school, instantly producing a shipping label for the customer to send it directly to them. This way, we solve the problem of excess inventory and returns for retailers while providing nonprofits and schools with much-needed donations.

Ernesto: That’s awesome to hear. So, would it be fair to say that you have two types of clients: retailers and nonprofit organizations?

Disney: Yes, on the demand side, we support nonprofits and schools.

Ernesto: Okay, perfect. So then someone like a regular consumer would not be able to shop on your platform but could donate?

Disney: Yes, you would need to be a nonprofit organization to shop on the platform. However, if you want to donate, we do have a community platform on our website. You pay a $3 convenience fee, and your products will be matched with a nonprofit or school. We’ll provide a shipping label for you to send it or have the nonprofit pick it up directly from you. It’s not a core part of our business but very useful for consumers.

Ernesto: Definitely. So, how does someone typically get in contact with you or find out about LiquiDonate? Is there a top client acquisition channel?

Disney: We know which retailers are a good fit through various ways. One key indicator is if they use Shopify. We target Shopify retailers with easily shippable and likely unsellable products, like shoes or bedding. We do a lot of outbound outreach. Recently, we had a booth in the innovation lab at NRF, the National Retail Federation’s big show, which brought us many great leads and conversations. We’re seeing a significant increase in inbound leads from that, which is exciting. We’ve mostly done outbound, but we’re thrilled to see our inbound grow as a newer company, just over two years old.

Ernesto: That’s exciting. For our listeners who want to check you out, they can visit LiquiDonate.com. What role does the website play in client acquisition?

Disney: The website plays a huge role. It’s important for companies, especially those offering unique solutions, to have a clear, informative website. Our website tells the story of what we do, balancing the message of cost savings and environmental benefits. It provides enough information to get potential clients interested in having a conversation with us. It took some time to find that balance, but our team did a great job.

Ernesto: That’s great. Are there any tools, tips, or methods you would recommend for lead generation?

Disney: Definitely having a demo button on your website. It’s crucial for driving conversion. People want to see a demo, whether it’s prerecorded behind an email capture form or a live demo form. Being able to quickly book a demo and spend just 10-15 minutes learning about your service can make a big difference.

Ernesto: Perfect. Let’s switch gears a bit, Disney, and talk about you as a leader. As the co-founder and CEO of LiquiDonate, what are some key tasks you focus on in your day-to-day work?

Disney: Oh my gosh, whatever needs to happen. I’m primarily responsible for supporting the sales and operations teams, while my co-founder and CTO, Chai, handles all things technical, engineering, and product-related. I focus on ops, HR, sales, and everything that ensures the product is a delightful experience for the customer.

Ernesto: Great to hear that. It sounds like you both have full plates. Let’s jump into our next section, which is rapid-fire questions. Are you ready?

Disney: I hope so.

Ernesto: First off, what is the last book you read?

Disney: I love reading, and I rotate between books for pleasure and work. The last book I read for pleasure was “Paranormality” by Richard Wiseman. It’s about the psychology behind why we want to believe in things like magic being real and how psychology can help others see things differently. It’s always interesting to get new perspectives.

Ernesto: Great read. Next, what is one single thing that your company is focused on the most at the moment?

Disney: Revenue generation is our number one focus for a company of our stage and size.

Ernesto: If there were no boundaries in technology, what would be the one thing you would want to have fixed for your role as a marketer today?

Disney: Marketing is challenging, especially keeping up with the latest platforms and trends. If I could see into the future to know the next big thing in advertising, it would be a huge advantage.

Ernesto: If there’s one repetitive task that you could automate, what would that be?

Disney: Getting people to sign up. It’s our biggest focus—reaching the right people at the right time with a small team.

Ernesto: Lastly, what is one piece of advice you would give yourself if you were to restart your journey as a marketer today?

Disney: Pay more attention to all the classes and advice on marketing throughout your life. I did my undergrad in organizational communication with a focus on PR, and if I had focused more on that, I would be better at marketing today. Now I’m relearning those things to be a good presenter, podcast guest, and speaker. Follow the principles and guidelines taught in undergrad and don’t forget them by the time you’re 34.

Ernesto: Great advice. You’re doing great, by the way. Thank you for that. Disney, thanks a lot for being on the show with us today. I want to give you the last word. If someone forgets everything about the interview today, what is the one thing they should remember about your company?

Disney: We would love for folks to go to our website, LiquiDonate.com, check out what we do, and reach out if they have any questions or need our services.

Ernesto: There you have it. You can always check them out at LiquiDonate.com. Disney, thank you so much for being on today’s episode. To our listeners, thank you for tuning in. Looking forward to our next episode at Pathmonk Presents. Thanks a lot, Disney.

Disney: Thanks for having me.