Best Practices

In this episode, I am joined by Cristy Gupton, a long-time business consultant who has helped numerous organizations improve the quality of the health insurance policies of their employees while simultaneously lowering the cost of those essential benefits and services.

Cristy touches on the problems surrounding traditional health insurance policies and then gets into what alternatives look like.  These alternatives include Direct Primary Care (DPC) medical services and health share programs that puts the power back into the hands of the individual instead of disconnected bureaucrats, strengthens the doctor-patient relationship, and allows more money to stay in the pockets of all those involved.

Get in touch with Cristy via her LinkedIn profile linked below:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristygupton/

Jared Wall on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-wall-792590120/

Despite being prematurely derailed by technical difficulties, this was another great conversation between Jared Wall and his guest, Derek Rinaldo.

Derek is a very accomplished and impressive professional in the industrial world with a wide array of experiences and expertise.  In this conversation, Derek delves into his work as someone who's been directly responsible for facility operations at a variety of manufacturing companies, and they share some very illuminating anecdotes from their respective career's in the industrial world.

Derek's LinkedIn profile:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/derek-rinaldo-94426719/

Jared Wall on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-wall-792590120/

In this episode, I sit down with William Davis, co-founder of Saipan Team, to uncover one of the most surprising and untapped opportunities for entrepreneurs, remote professionals, and manufacturers alike: the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). From its unique tax and tariff advantages, this U.S. territory offers a rare blend of offshore flexibility and American stability.

William shares firsthand insights from living and working in Saipan — covering everything from affordable housing and internet speeds to a rebate-based tax system that can drop your effective income tax rate to as low as 4.5%. Whether you’re a digital nomad, startup founder, or business owner seeking smarter ways to manufacture and distribute goods to the U.S. mainland to beat tariffs or pad your retirement, this conversation is a revival of America's golden age of economic freedom.

Get in touch with William and his Saipan Team at the link below:

https://saipan.team/

Jared Wall on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-wall-792590120/

Alton Stokes, having spent his entire career up to this point in the compressed air world, shares his history in the industry, details the education he has received over the years, and imparts the immense expertise he has acquired through his experiences.

Did you know that a compressed air system can account for 20-40% of a facility's electricity consumption?  And oftentimes, that 50% or more of that consumption is waste?  Alton and his team at Case IZ have an impressive expertise that not many in the industry possess.  Their business model doesn't rely on selling you more air compressors, rather it is tailored entirely around the goal of saving money for their customers.

Learn about all that and more in this episode, and get in touch with Case IZ via the link below:

Case IZ - Guaranteed Compressed Air Solutions

Jared Wall on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-wall-792590120/

Bill Shriver, CEO of Setech, shares his expertise as it relates to managing the purchase and supply chain of all the things that don't go into your manufacturing facility's production; i.e. everything OTHER than your raw materials.

Setech provides tremendous value by allowing their customers to focus on their core competencies while Setech, by taking over these more mundane responsibilities where they possess unparalleled expertise, is able to both drive profit to their customers' bottom lines and improve their operational efficiencies at the same time.

https://www.setech.com/

Jared Wall on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-wall-792590120/

Join Jared as he learns all about what it looks like to implement the entrepreneurial operating system, and how the EOS works to help improve all aspects of a business.  

Walt Brown is one of the original implementers of EOS here in the US, and he possesses a striking expertise in providing businesses with the tools and the framework necessary to bring all players into alignment toward a common vision. Walt's businesses and books are linked below:

• BOOK: "Seeing The Invisible: Strategic Thinking as a Process, the "strategic tactic" of business moguls and captains of industry throughout time."
• Walt's Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/waltbrown

The Business Operating System Garage: https://thebosgarage.com/

Flower Power Software:  https://flowerpower.software/

BITE7 - The Best Employee Engagement Survey for Businesses Implementing an EOS: https://bite7.com/

Jared Wall on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-wall-792590120/

Brian McIlwain is the Founder and President of Echelon Performance Solutions and Kurt Christian is the Plant Manager of NEG's nearly 1-million square-foot Lexington, NC manufacturing facility.  Having worked together for many years, Brian and Kurt share some impressive insights into the benefits and very tangible results that have followed from NEG's implementation of Echelon's BARS system.

Contact Brian and Echelon Performance Solutions at the links below:

Brian McIlwain:

• Via Email: [email protected] 
• Cell Phone: (336) 971-6239
• On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-mcilwain-6088961a0/

Echelon Performance Solutions: https://echelonperformancesolutions.com/

Jared Wall on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-wall-792590120/

I am happy to be joined by the engineering mentor, Sol Rosenbaum.  Sol brings home the bacon via his commercial real estate engineering firm. We get that towards the end of the episode, but the bulk of what we'll talk about is his passion project, mentoring young engineers.

Entry level roles for up and coming professionals has come up repeatedly on this show and in this episode, we'll look at this idea from the opposite end, specifically the skills, tactics, and strategies that can be useful for engineering students or young professionals as they begin their careers.

In this discussion, you'll discover:

• Sol's journey to becoming a mentor to young engineers...01:30
• The most important thing for a young engineer job seeker to
  remember...05:15
• Communication skills are just as important as your network...07:30
• Toastmasters a terrific tool to increase public speaking and communication skills...10:05
• The best ways to begin building your network...12:30
• Introverts can succeed in building a great network!...16:00
• Ways for a new job seeker to set themselves apart from the rest...22:10
• Which certifications and licenses should you pursue?....27:00
• Recruitment strategies for firms who are looking for quality employees...32:00
• The unique services Sol provides with his company, SR Engineering...35:30
• And much more!

Resources mentioned:

• Toastmasters
• The Fine Art of Small Talk
• Never Eat Alone

About the guest:

"The Engineering Mentor" It’s about realizing that the skills and credentials that truly matter in having a successful engineering career are not necessarily the ones that
everyone thinks they are.

I went to an Ivy League school and have a BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering. I have over 17 years experience in the mechanical/energy engineering field. Along the way, I gained several solid licenses/certifications; most notably my PE (Professional Engineer) and CEM(Certified Energy Manager) licensure. 

So you’d think I have it made, right? Well not exactly. As I have reached greater and greater success in my career, I have come to understand that it is just the foundation. To truly build a successful career, you need other skills that I call one’s “peripheral” skills. What are these skills? They are primarily:

• Developing a network – Do you know that most jobs are attained through connections. Do you have these connections to find a good job? What would you do if you were fired tomorrow?
• Social/communication skills – Public speaking, writing, making first impressions, interviewing with confidence etc.
• Continuing education, licensing – Not all licenses are created equal. It’s important to know how to determine the valuable ones and not waste your time on secondary ones.

Over the years, I have been helped along by many great bosses &
supervisors who have been mentors to me. In my effort to pay it forward,
I started writing articles and mentoring younger engineers to help them
along the path towards success.

Jared Wall on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-wall-792590120/

Diana Meneses is the Marketing Director at Donnelly Energy.  She joins our host, Jared Wall, on the show to shares insights into her area of expertise - brand development & marketing.  It's a fun chat between these two long-time energy efficiency industry insiders.  Follow Diana as well as Donnelly Energy at the links below:

Diana Meneses on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianameneses/
Donnelly Energy: https://www.donnellyenergy.com/

Jared Wall on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-wall-792590120/

Jared Wall on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-wall-792590120/

A great conversation with Adam Weltz, President and CEO of Criterion Labs.  This is a fascinating story about the founding of a business, that business's passing from father to son, and the entrepreneurial realities & challenges that often go underappreciated.

Our host, Jared Wall, learns a great deal about what goes into managing the ubiquitous presence of health & safety hazards such as asbestos & lead that are often found in older buildings.  Thanks to the work of Adam and his team, parents of the Philadelphia School District can rest assured that the dangerous materials surrounding their children is meticulously monitored for potential problems.

Criterion Labs: https://www.criterionlabs.com/
Adam Weltz on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-weltz-75240626/

Jared Wall on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-wall-792590120/