profile

Ralph Merhi, CEO @ERP.ero

SkyboundOps conversation with my fiend Kelly Carlson

Published 3 months ago • 1 min read

This conversation stayed with me

Hi all,

I wanted to personally share this episode with you because it’s one of those conversations that didn’t end when we hit stop.

I sat down with Kelly Carlson for #Skybound Ops — founder of Extrinsic Aviation — and what struck me immediately wasn’t a bold claim or a polished narrative. It was how grounded the thinking was. Her path into aviation didn’t start in the obvious places. It started in accounting, operations, systems, and process — the unglamorous work where small decisions quietly compound and show up later as very real consequences.

At one point, Kelly said,

“My superpower is to not accept the status quo. There is always a way to look at data differently.”

That line alone explains a lot about how she operates.

We talked about inventory that technically exists but can’t move. About data that’s available but not actionable. About sustainability that only works when it’s operational — when it respects time, people, and execution.

What I appreciated most was the mindset. No rush to solutions. No acceptance of “this is how it’s always been done.” Just a calm, operator-level discipline of understanding the full system before touching the answer.

If you’ve ever felt the gap between knowing something is off and having the space to actually fix it, I think this episode will resonate.

Here’s the link to listen — I’d genuinely love to hear what stood out to you.

– Ralph

video preview​

​Check out our best episodes and subscrive here.

2252 Hayes Street, Hollywood, FL 33020
​Unsubscribe · Preferences​

Ralph Merhi, CEO @ERP.ero

Aviation moves fast—and, so does life. That’s why your ERP should be keeping up, not holding you back. At ERP.Aero, we’re all about cutting through the clutter: lightning-fast RFQs, no data fees, and real support whenever you need it—day or night. No wasted time. No busywork. Just smart, built-for-aviation tools that help you stay ahead and scale with confidence. Because every second really does count. Let’s make sure your ERP isn’t slowing you down.

Practical insights for aviation suppliers, distributors, brokers, and manufacturers who refuse to settle for inefficiency. I believe in cutting through the noise—delivering real strategies to make things better. No fluff, no wasted time—just the knowledge, both business and personal, and tools to help you succeed. If you want my newsletter, drop your email below 👇 or feel free to look as much as you want.

Read more from Ralph Merhi, CEO @ERP.ero

If AI Is Still the Glue, Your System Is Still Broken TL;DR Most of the market is using AI to connect broken systems. That makes things faster, but it doesn’t remove the fragmentation—it just hides it. As long as context has to be passed, interpreted, or rebuilt, friction remains. The real shift isn’t smarter connections. It’s eliminating the need for connection altogether through unified architecture. The Question That Sounds Right — But Isn’t They asked, “how do you put AI in silos?” It’s a...

about 7 hours ago • 3 min read

A weekend at the lake 12 MIN READ TL;DR: The End of "Human-Centered" Administrative Friction Aviation brokers are currently capped by a "Typing Speed Ceiling"—a state where growth is physically limited by manual data entry and "shadow workflows." Legacy systems force teams into "Treasure Hunting" for data across fragmented portals, leading to significant revenue leakage and high admin-to-sales ratios. ERP.Aero transforms these friction points into fluidity through AI-powered email parsing,...

8 days ago • 5 min read
What Still Matters in Aviation (A Real Conversation)

Some conversations stay with you longer than expected. This was one of them. I recently sat down with Stefan Fletcher from AVSpares, and what started as a simple discussion quickly turned into something deeper—an honest look at what actually works in aviation, and what quietly breaks behind the scenes. Early in the conversation, Stefan said something that set the tone: It’s a process flow. It’s nothing to do with the IT in the end. Did we think about human issues? That line captures a reality...

10 days ago • 1 min read