In this episode of the Refit podcast, Kyle Killian speaks with Chris Brewer, the founder of River City Logistics, about the real challenges of leadership and entrepreneurship. Chris shares his journey from starting a logistics company to making tough decisions, including firing a close friend for the greater good of the organization. He discusses the importance of listening to team dynamics, the emotional costs of leadership, and the lessons learned from risky decisions. The conversation also touches on the significance of company culture, the impact of key hires, and the challenges of navigating personal and professional growth in a fast-paced business environment.
Chris founded River City Logistics in 2018, bringing a diverse background in transportation to the company. A graduate from Clarke University in 2013. Chris has held key roles in the industry including Fleet Manager, West Coast Operations Manager, and Sales Executive before starting RCL. Under his leadership, River City Logistics has grown into one of the most trusted transportation partners in the country, offering dedicated transportation solutions, warehousing and distribution and domestic truckload brokerage capacity. His leadership is shaped by hands-on experience across multiple facets of logistics.
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-brewer-88710a52/
Chris Brewer | President/CEO
River City Logistics | rclogistics.com
O: 563-227-8987 | C: 563-663-5645
Dubuque, IA
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#TheRefitPodcast #KyleKillian #Leadership #ExecutiveLeadership #BusinessLeadership #VeteranLeadership #HardThingAboutHardThings #LeadershipDevelopment #Entrepreneurship #CEOInsights #FounderStories #OperationalLeadership The Refit Podcast is where real leadership happens—no platitudes, no polished corporate speak, just honest conversations about the hard decisions that keep leaders up at night. Hosted by Kyle Killian, former U.S. Navy Intelligence Officer with nearly 30 years of military, corporate, and entrepreneurial leadership experience, this podcast dives into the moments when the playbook stopped working and leaders had to figure it out anyway.
What is The Refit Podcast?
Welcome to The Refit Podcast, hosted by Kyle Killian.
This is where we talk about leadership the way leaders actually experience it—messy, uncertain, and nothing like the books make it sound.
I'm Kyle Killian, founder of Kohora. I spent nearly three decades leading in military, corporate, and entrepreneurial environments—from intelligence missions in Iraq to senior roles at Nike, Converse, and Fanatics.
And here's what I've learned: every single thing in business is a leadership problem.On this podcast, I sit down with CEOs, founders, operators, and fellow veterans who've transitioned to business leadership. We're not here to recite frameworks or share motivational quotes.
We're here to talk about the hard thing about hard things—the decisions that didn't have a right answer, the conversations you couldn't avoid, and the moments that changed how you lead.If you've ever been in a situation where the playbook stopped working and you had to figure it out anyway, this podcast is for you.