🎙️ From Hotel Front Desk to Tariff Navigator Creator: Deanna Harner's 25-Year Supply Chain Transformation Journey
In this inspiring episode, Deanna Harner, US Executive Supply Chain & AI Strategist at Avanade and Founder/CEO of RPE Solutions, shares her remarkable journey from managing 900-room hotel front desks to designing airline menus for Continental while traveling the world at age 20, then leading Fortune 100 supply chain transformations including fixing 30-ERP chaos at Cornerstone Building Brands and creating breakthrough Tariff Navigator tool helping companies solve $millions in tariff costs within two months using AI agents and Microsoft technology. Through candid stories about pivoting from hospitality to supply chain because hotels meant no weekends or holidays, learning that personality tests revealed data analysis was bottom of her strengths list (and staying there), taking courageous leap from corporate security to independent consulting late in career discovering unpaid project work wasn't sustainable, and undergoing gastric bypass surgery only to suffer year of mysterious passing-out episodes before connecting dots to post-surgery complications doctors rarely discuss—Deanna reveals why next economic disruptor demands agile data layers NOW, how bad data entry plummeted one business unit from 80% to 50% performance overnight (then fixing it within six months), why AI won't steal jobs but workers who don't learn prompting will fall behind, and how authentic connection sharing career/parenting/health struggles became her superpower through darkest consulting challenges.
✨ Key Insights You'll Learn:
Continental Airlines at 20: designing menus, traveling world, learning penny equals millions
Network-driven career: every door opened by someone who knew capabilities
"Network like you're unemployed even when employed"—fearless coffee chat philosophy
Independent consulting reality: unpaid project work, no deal signature means no income
Tariff Navigator launch: two-day assessment, two-month fix using Microsoft AI agents
Eight hours daily tariff calls May-September 2025: HCS codes, biggest business problem
Cornerstone 30-ERP chaos: same window different names, couldn't see own inventory
OTIF metric shock: took business unit from false 80% to accurate 50% overnight
Six-month data turnaround: behavior change through accountability, reached real 75%
COVID-tariff parallel: both exposed broken data, manual processes, need for agility NOW
AI agent reality: intern needing guidance, not autonomous genius stealing jobs
Prompting as essential skill: bad data in equals bad results out, no silver bullet
Gastric bypass transparency: 140 pounds lost, year of passing-out episodes, hidden complications
Authentic storytelling superpower: career/parenting/health struggles helping others through dark times
🌟 Deanna's Key Mentors & Influences:
Respected Comcast Leader
Consulting Boutique Firm Friends
Cornerstone Building Brands Experience
Clients Across Industries
Students at Houston Community College
👉 Don't miss this powerful conversation about networking fearlessly even when employed, why next economic disruptor demands data agility now, how AI agents need guidance like interns not autonomous superpowers, and why authentic storytelling about struggles—career, parenting, health—became one woman's superpower through darkest professional and personal challenges.
🔗 Connect with Deanna Harner:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannaharner
Avanade: https://www.avanade.com/
📄 Transcript Available: Supply Chain AI Implementation: Deanna Harner's Approach at Avanade
📺 Watch on YouTube: Inspired Stories Podcast
🌐 Our Website: The Inspired Stories Podcast
📄 Special Thanks to Anthony Codispoti & AddBack Benefits Agency: AddBack Benefits Agency - Providing innovative employee benefits solutions that improve employee well-being while optimizing your bottom line Website: addbackbenefits.com
