Karen Hastie of Chamber Perks App On How Businesses Can Address Supply Chain Management With The Looming Tariff Changes
An Interview With Vanessa Ogle
We have to come together as a community to deal with these sudden and uncertain changes in the economy. It’s important to adopt a proactive and dynamic supply chain strategy. This involves diversifying our supplier network, reducing our dependence on high tariff regions and prioritising sourcing locally, where possible.
With tariff policies constantly shifting, businesses are facing new challenges in keeping their supply chains efficient, cost-effective, and resilient. How can companies prepare for these changes, mitigate risks, and adapt their strategies to stay competitive? As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Karen Hastie.
Karen Hastie is a seasoned entrepreneur with 35+ years of experience in business ownership and leadership. After successfully running a retail business for three decades, she shifted her focus to business development, launching Serial Seller training workshops to equip entrepreneurs with branding, engagement, and sales strategies.
As a mentor at the Greater Sudbury Innovation Incubator, Karen has guided startups toward success. In 2022, she launched the Chamber Perks App, a digital platform helping Chambers of Commerce connect businesses with consumers and strengthen local economies. Through innovation and community-driven solutions, Karen continues to transform how businesses grow and thrive.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
My journey into entrepreneurship began out of passion for small business. I started with a fitness retail store and learned as I went along. After selling that business, I realized I had a ton of practical knowledge that I wanted to share with others. I saw many entrepreneurs struggle with the basis of branding, engagement, and sales. That’s when I launched the Serial Seller training workshops. I noticed a huge potential in startups and took on the responsibility of mentoring them at the Greater Sudbury Innovation Incubator.
Finally, as a business owner with a deep connection to the Chambers of Commerce, I also saw a gap in the resources they needed to support their members. I felt there was a need to modernise how businesses connect with consumers. That’s how the idea for Chamber Perks App came up. I wanted to create a digital platform that would not only help chamber members promote themselves but also encourage consumers to support local economies, which is the need of the hour. So, now my focus in on helping businesses survive this tariff turmoil while giving customers a reason to buy locally.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
Looking back, when I first started my fitness retail business, it was an industry dominated by men. The interesting part here is that, 35 years later, I discovered that my business was the longest privately owned fitness retail store in North America and definitely the longest run fitness retail store in the region led by a woman. All my businesses have been stemmed out of passion. Whether it was for fitness which led to the retail store, or a passion for marketing that evolved into training workshops and now a passion for technology, giving birth to the Chambers Perks App. It has always been about identifying a problem and finding a solution.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
As an entrepreneur, we have to wear multiple hats at once, and let’s just say that remembering names has never been my strong suit. Initially, while I was juggling about a hundred things together, I have addressed people with the wrong names.
The lesson I learned was that multitasking is great but not at the expense of attention to details. Using the right name matters and makes a huge difference in building trust, connecting with people genuinely, and showing respect.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are?
My brother-in-law, who is an entrepreneur himself, really inspired me in this journey. Moreover, I have always surrounded myself with other entrepreneurs and like-minded people, who influence me positively. I will always be grateful to them.’
Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
I love buying business books, but I have not finished a single one yet. I do have a collection of around 150 books, and I like to take insights and nuggets of wisdom from each of them. I am also a big fan of audio books. So, while there isn’t one specific book that I can call a life-changer, many of these books resonate with me because I pick up something unique from each book that I can apply to my life and business.
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life or your work?
My favourite life lesson quote will be, “Always be the bigger person”. It sounds simple, but I practice this often as an entrepreneur. One should also know when to step back and choose peace over proving a point. This has been relevant in my life and work because it allows you to be empathetic, a more present leader, and when others communicate with you and you listen, you can actually solve their problems.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
I believe that small businesses are the backbone of our communities, and if they thrive, we all will do. So, my goal has been to assist entrepreneurs with the tools and resources they need to succeed. It’s about making a positive impact in my local community. For instance, the Chamber Perks App is not just about discounts and perks for shopping locally, it’s more about creating a sense of community, encouraging consumers to support local businesses, and strengthening our economies.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. How can businesses proactively adjust their supply chain strategies to minimize the impact of sudden tariff changes?
We have to come together as a community to deal with these sudden and uncertain changes in the economy. It’s important to adopt a proactive and dynamic supply chain strategy. This involves diversifying our supplier network, reducing our dependence on high tariff regions and prioritising sourcing locally, where possible.
Businesses will have to move towards preparing a flexible contractual agreement that can be easily adjusted, when required. The processes must be better streamlined, implementing technology in the operations. Tech-driven supply chain software and AI predictive analytics can help businesses in accounting for costs and plan the various processes in advance.
Finally, building a strong network and actively engaging with industry experts is important for companies. Organisations like the Chamber of Commerce are great vehicles to help businesses achieve this.
What key factors should companies consider when deciding whether to absorb increased costs, pass them to consumers, or restructure their supplier network?
It needs to be a mix of all three. Companies facing increased cost can’t depend on one solution, but will require combining different approaches. When I had my fitness retail business, I realised that even if one of your partner’s parts ways, it can affect your overall operations, so you have to be ready to pivot. A good move right now will be to diversify suppliers, be flexible and negotiate with current vendors. If your customer is ready to pay more than you should be able to offer more value as well. Lastly, deciding whether to absorb costs depends entirely on each business’ profitability and how much of a hit they can take.
How do you assess the risks and opportunities that come with shifting manufacturing or sourcing to different regions in response to tariff fluctuations?
There are always a certain level of risks that come with new partnerships. It takes time to build trust and connection when it is a tough time for everyone. And that’s a chance you have to be willing to take.
If you ask about opportunities, you don’t know what you don’t know. At one point of time, we assumed we had the best trading partners and services. Now, this situation comes with an opportunity for us to identify newer avenues and develop other relationships.
Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. Can you please share “Five Things Businesses Can Do To Address Supply Chain Management With The Looming Tariff Changes”? If you can, please share an example or story for each.
1. Continue expanding and diversifying your network:
Get out of your comfort zone and seek new opportunities. You will find business partners, suppliers, and vendors who are eager to work with you within your economy. This will give you more options and reduce your dependency on potentially tariff affected sources.
2. Evaluate suppliers:
While choosing your potential partners, know your priorities. Seeing the current economic situation, it will be smart to prioritise supplier stability, reliability and long-term commitment over cost-driven decisions.
3. Adopt a flexible business model:
A flexible approach to business will help you keep evolving with time. Through this, companies can navigate through uncertainties and maintain stability. Respond to the changing demand and create adaptable pricing and contractual agreements.
4. Invest in technology and data analysis:
Implement advanced supply chain management software and data analytics tools to gain real-time visibility into your supply chain, track costs. This will help you make informed decisions for your business, manage your inventory better, and mitigate the impact of tariff changes.
5. Find partners that align with you:
Focus on partnering with people who align with your values, have a shared vision, and are willing to commit long term. Businesses must focus on building relations that withstand any ups and downs in the market and are able to survive amongst shifting landscapes.
What role does technology and data analytics play in helping businesses navigate supply chain disruptions caused by new trade policies?
Technology plays an indispensable role right now. For instance, apps like the Chambers Perks App have streamlined the way we can discover other suppliers and give us accessibility to vetted, reliable businesses. It’s the right time to embrace technology and use it to your advantage.
Can you share an example of a company that successfully adapted to a major tariff change and what lessons can be learned from their approach?
I wouldn’t go farther than my backyard. We created the Chamber Perks App so other companies can indeed successfully adapt to these major tariff changes. Over 20,000 businesses and 50 Chambers are already on board because it is the need of the hour for Chambers, businesses, customers. The lessons to be learned here are think on your feet, adapt systems that exist to help you grow your business, and be as nimble as possible.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
If I could inspire one movement, that would be to keep your money local. Through this, we can support jobs, infrastructure, and the community, which keeps the economy thriving. We have to come together as a community to build a stronger nation and slowly build manufacturing processes here.
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
I guess if I was to choose an author it would be Simon Sinek. Probably because I somehow feel we have a similar way of thinking. Our values align and we understand the purpose of what we do and why we do it.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Website | LinkedIn (Karen Hastie) | LinkedIn (Chambers Perks App)
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
About The Interviewer: Vanessa Ogle is a mom, entrepreneur, inventor, writer, and singer/songwriter. Vanessa’s talent in building world-class leadership teams focused on diversity, a culture of service, and innovation through inclusion allowed her to be one of the most acclaimed Latina CEO’s in the last 30 years. She collaborated with the world’s leading technology and content companies such as Netflix, Amazon, HBO, and Broadcom to bring innovative solutions to travelers and hotels around the world. Vanessa is the lead inventor on 120+ U.S. Patents. Accolades include: FAST 100, Entrepreneur 360 Best Companies, Inc. 500 and then another six times on the Inc. 5000. Vanessa was personally honored with Inc. 100 Female Founder’s Award, Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and Enterprising Women of the Year among others. Vanessa now spends her time sharing stories to inspire and give hope through articles, speaking engagements and music. In her spare time she writes and plays music in the Amazon best selling new band HigherHill, teaches surfing clinics, trains dogs, and cheers on her children.