In this episode of The Breakout CEO, host Jeff Holman talks with Alex Burdge, CEO of Shyft Global, about building resilience, leading with purpose, and finding opportunity in adversity.
Alex recounts his motivations as a founder, the evolution of Shyft Global, and the pivotal role of team building in his leadership journey. He shares candid insights into navigating global trade wars, cultural shifts, and the COVID-19 pandemic while explaining how adaptability and emotional balance helped him not just survive, but grow. Along the way, Alex highlights the impact of mentorship, the cycles of business challenges, and why true leadership means anchoring in purpose beyond profit.
The moment: Trade wars and a global pandemic threatened to upend supply chains and derail growth at Shyft Global.
When the first U.S.–China trade war hit, Shyft Global was just six months old and fully dependent on Chinese manufacturing. Overnight, tariffs threatened to erase their margins and their customers’ businesses. “We were sitting in a room wondering if this was it,” Alex recalls. “Our only option was to pivot.”
That pivot took them to Vietnam. Then, months later, the world shut down. With COVID came factory closures, halted logistics, and the realization that diversification wasn’t just strategy—it was survival. By the time the second trade war arrived, Shyft had established operations in China, Vietnam, and Mexico.
Each disruption forced a new level of operational maturity. What looked like setbacks became accelerators. The trade wars built Shyft’s multi-country infrastructure; COVID built its resilience muscle.
As Alex told Jeff, “Every single important thing that’s ever happened to our company happened on the back of something like this. If we didn’t have those moments, we wouldn’t have our offices in Vietnam or Mexico. We wouldn’t have evolved.”
The turn: Instead of retrenching, Alex leaned into adaptability—building stronger teams, listening to mentors, and reframing challenges as openings.
The breakout: By seeing disruption as opportunity, Alex and his team turned obstacles into growth levers. His leadership lessons, such as staying steady in the pendulum swings, seeking purpose over profit, and finding meaning in cycles of challenge, became the backbone of Shyft Global’s long-term strength.
The lesson for CEOs: Every challenge can deepen your roots. Whether it’s global disruptions or local setbacks, resilience and adaptability are what turn storms into springboards. If you anchor your leadership in purpose, build teams that inspire, and balance the pendulum swings with emotional steadiness, you’ll find opportunities where others only see obstacles.
The companies that survive aren’t those that predict the storm—they’re the ones building systems, teams, and legal frameworks strong enough to flex when it hits.
In moments like these, strategy becomes structure. From managing new trade regulations to navigating cross-border compliance, many scaling CEOs now partner with fractional general counsel or fractional legal teams for tech and ecommerce to help anticipate and mitigate risk before it lands.
Alex’s journey through turbulence proves it—clarity in chaos is a competitive advantage.
Listen to the full episode for Alex’s detailed story and insights.
Scaling isn’t about avoiding storms, it’s about navigating them. Alex Burdge’s story shows how trade wars, pandemics, and cultural disruptions can become catalysts for resilience and growth. For CEOs, the real breakout comes when you adapt quickly, lean on your team, and stay anchored in purpose beyond profit.
Alex Burdge is the CEO of Shyft Global, a company helping businesses navigate international supply chains and global trade. With years of experience building across cultures and markets, Alex focuses on resilience, adaptability, and finding opportunities in disruption.
Website: Shyft Global
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-burdge
Jeff Holman is a CEO advisor, legal strategist, and founder of Intellectual Strategies. With years of experience guiding leaders through complex business and legal challenges, Jeff equips CEOs to scale with confidence by blending legal expertise with strategic foresight. Connect with him on LinkedIn.
Intellectual Strategies provides innovative legal solutions for CEOs and founders through its fractional legal team model. By offering proactive, integrated legal support at predictable costs, the firm helps leaders protect their businesses, manage risk, and focus on growth with confidence.
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The Breakout CEO podcast brings you inside the pivotal moments of scaling leaders. Each week, host Jeff Holman spotlights breakout stories of scaling CEOs—showing how resilience, insight, and strategy create pivotal inflection points and lasting growth.
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Want to be a guest—or know a scaling CEO with a breakout story to share? Apply directly at go.intellectualstrategies.com.
00:01 – Introducing Alex Burdge and Shyft Global
Jeff welcomes Alex and sets the stage: Shyft sits at the intersection of design, logistics, and global manufacturing.
01:20 – The Drive to Create
Alex shares that his deepest motivation isn’t money—it’s creation. “Taking chaos and creating order with people I love to work with—that’s the purpose.”
07:55 – Building a SEAL Team Culture
Shyft’s “perfect seat for every player” mindset defines its 45-person team. Alex credits his father and business partner, Mark, as both mentor and co-builder in the company’s success.
12:21 – The Storm Sequence: Trade War → COVID → Trade War
Three crises in seven years became the backbone of Shyft’s evolution, forcing diversification and redefining resilience.
28:50 – Staying in the Middle of the Pendulum
Alex explains his approach to leadership: “Don’t let your emotions swing too far on either side. Celebrate wins quickly. Stay centered through losses.”
35:10 – Turning Fear into Fuel
Rather than resisting change, Alex challenged his team to see every disruption as an opening. “Let’s be the ones who build the shelters in the storm,” he said.
