Episode 349: The Scottsdale Experience (Inside skucamp 2025)

We captured the moments from skucamp 2025 that had everyone taking notes—and if you've been wondering what industry leaders share when they're being completely honest, this is your backstage pass.

skucamp isn't your typical industry conference. No vendor halls. No speed networking. No safe corporate presentations. Instead, commonsku created something radical: a business bootcamp in the Sonoran Desert where industry leaders share what's really working, what's completely failing, and what's about to disrupt everything.

This year's Scottsdale gathering brought together CEOs who've grown family businesses from $6 million to $30 million, founders who implemented four-day work weeks that actually increased productivity, and supply chain activists who'll make you rethink every "ethically sourced" claim you've ever made. Dan Gingiss dismantled 20 years of customer service assumptions. Kyla Scanlon explained why your five-year plan is worthless. Daniel Stewart closed with analogies so memorable you'll actually use them Monday morning. Meghann Bezdikian revealed how moving a logo two inches doubles perceived value. John Henry decoded the DNA of impact players versus clock-watchers.

A Taste of What Went Down in Scottsdale

This episode isn't the full skucamp experience—that's impossible to replicate. But we captured the turning points, the mic-drop moments, and the insights that had attendees frantically scribbling in their notebooks.

Here's The Context: The Scottsdale sun was brutal outside, but inside the Andaz resort, industry titans were being brutally honest. Frank Mayers, Pierre Montaubin, and CJ Schmidt—three supplier CEOs controlling billions in industry volume went completely off-script, asking each other questions nobody prepped for. No talking points. Just truth about AI adoption, tariff preparation, and why print-on-demand isn't a trend but a transformation.

Shayna Cohen's segment captures her explaining how five letters—"E-T-D-B-W" —became a philosophy that quintupled revenue. 

Daniel Cardozo's moment on stage wasn't comfortable for anyone. Hired off a picket line to run Ethix Merch, he challenged every assumption about ethical sourcing. 

The glimpses of Joel Antymniuk explaining his four-day work week, Meghann Bezdikian demonstrating design thinking, and Daniel Stewart's unforgettable management analogies give you just enough to understand why attendees are already planning for skucamp 2026.

What Makes skucamp Different (And Why These Highlights Matter)

skucamp operates on radical transparency. Speakers share real numbers, actual failures, and strategies they're implementing right now. The breakout sessions force competitors to become collaborators. Morning swims create accountability partnerships. Dine-arounds produce joint ventures.

This highlights episode captures this energy—the vulnerability of leaders admitting mistakes, the excitement of discovering solutions, the relief of learning everyone faces similar challenges. You're not getting a conference recap. You're getting concentrated wisdom from people who've earned their insights through experience, not education.

The format breaks every rule: no hiding behind laptops, no sitting with your team, no escaping difficult conversations. What emerges is truth. Raw, actionable, profitable truth.

Your Preview of Industry Transformation

These highlights arrive at the perfect moment. While everyone's crafting 2026 strategies, you're getting intelligence from leaders who've already tested what works.

Each snippet we selected represents hours of deeper discussion, but even these highlights contain enough actionable intelligence to reshape your approach.

Press play and understand why skucamp tickets sell out!