Manufacturing Talks

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Mark O'Brien and I have known each other for a few years, and I've always admired his writing. But when I read his piece entitled, "Give It a Shot," (https://www.bizcatalyst360.com/give-it-a-shot/) I knew I had to have him on here to chat about it.

"I don’t think we’re quitters. I think we don’t try." That's one of the many memorable lines. The article hit home for me in many ways, some good and some bad.

Go read the piece, and give our chat a listen.

And as always, please like, share, and subscribe!

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Tech Ed teacher Craig Cegielski of the Eleva-Strum School District in Wisconsin wasn't satisfied just doing the usual stuff when it came to teaching his students the craft and the business of machining. So he came up with an idea: make an actual business out of his upper-level students' work!

That's where Cardinal Manufacturing got its start, and now it's a functioning business that teaches not just machining, but other business skills like accounting, marketing, and fundamentals like how to dress, how to shake a client's hand, and how to address people in a business setting.

Now Craig wants to see the idea spread all across the US, so he's also become an advocate and a speaker encouraging other school districts to follow his lead.

It's an absolutely amazing story, and one that's much-needed in today's manufacturing world, where we not only don't have enough skilled trades workers - we don't have enough work candidates, period!

Tune in and check out the whole thing. And please like, share, and subscribe!

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Manufacturers in particular, but really any business in general, can learn a lot from Dave Yonkman! He's the President of his own PR firm, DYS Media, LLC, and he's got a wealth of experience on what works to attract and keep great customers, and how to grow your business.

Here's a preview of our superb chat: make your customers, not you, the heroes in their "stories"!

Dave shares a whole lot more excellent ideas - tune in and check out the whole thing.

And as always, please like, share, and subscribe!

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Jason Ray saw an opportunity with the antiquated processes machine shops used to quote their jobs. So he and a friend founded Paperless Parts to help shop owners bring how they do things into the 21st century.

In addition to being a guru on that, Jason is also a wealth of knowledge on the general topic of how to win in today's competitive manufacturing environment. And he should know - since I talked to him a few years ago for the Forbes article I did on Paperless Parts, he's grown his business substantially.

Tune in to hear his story, the story of Paperless Parts, and the tips on how you can do business better.

And as always, like, share, and subscribe, please!

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There was a whole collection of characteristics Nikke Gonzales has that made me want to interview her here on Manufacturing Talks: to highlight just a few, she's an expert in automation for industry and supply chain; she takes on seemingly way too much in her life, just like I do; she brings fresh new perspectives to the sometimes stodgy old "make it" and "move it" worlds; and she immigrated to the U.S.A. from Iceland, which was one of my favorite places I've ever visited!

She offered a whole bunch of great thoughts in our discussion. Tune in and listen to the whole thing, and please - if you dig it, like, share, and subscribe!

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I always love it here on Manufacturing Talks when I get to explore a business that's tied to one of my personal interests. As a lifelong bicyclist, then, it was an absolute pleasure getting to chat with Shane Cooper, President and Chief Sockologist of DeFeet International, producer high-quality American-made cycling socks and other apparel. Shane had so much to share - about establishing a business to solve a real problem, about catching the attention of the pro cycling world, and about coming back from setbacks that could have destroyed lots of entrepreneurs.

He has a great story. Tune in and catch the whole thing! And and always, please like, share, and subscribe!

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Where do I even start when it comes to Ashleigh Walters?

Some years ago she had left her engineering career in corporate America to be a stay-at-home mom. But then her father-in-law came calling; he needed her to sort out the finances at his company, Onex, Inc., in Erie, Pennsylvania which is both a product and service outfit for refractory materials and systems for the steel industry and others. Unfortunately, things were a mess, but Ashleigh buckled down and enlisted the frontline workers to help right the ship. She felt so good about the new direction, when the opportunity came along, she and her husband bought the company.

Then they decided that it was only right that all those workers share more fully in Onex's success. So Ashleigh did some studying and set things up to convert the company to employee ownership.

Then she took a long rest. Nah. just kidding! Actually, she set out to write a book to share her experiences in saving the firm and having her good folks get a part in its ownership. *Leading with Grit and Grace: A Journey of Organizational Culture Change* came out in 2020.

Tune in and hear all about all of the above!

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Titan Abrasive Systems started nearly 70 years ago, originally based in the founder's backyard shed, focused on equipment for sandblasting, surface preparation, and surface finishing. For our 20th episode, their President, Brandon Acker, joined me to tell how the company, based just north of Philadelphia, continues today to make high-quality blast room equipment, blast cabinets, dust collectors, and portable blast systems. Plus he educated me about the latest blast media and new applications for blast equipment, along with his own new manufacturing technologies that continue to make Titan one of the highest-quality providers out there.

Tune in for a great learning experience on a piece of the manufacturing world we all take way too much for granted! And as always, like, share, and subscribe!

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When the American flag they'd received as a wedding present quickly became worn and tattered, Katie and Wes Lyon went looking for something much better, and preferably made in the USA. They couldn't find it, though, so instead they teamed up with their friend Max Berry and founded Allegiance Flag Supply to make their own.

After some fits and starts, they found the business model that works, and they not only survived but thrived through the pandemic. Katie visits the "Wall of Metal" to tell us how they did it.

Tune in for the whole thing, and like it and subscribe to hear more great manufacturing stories!

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My pals all over the manufacturing world do amazing things. But let's face it: a lot of us were never educated in running a business. So I took advantage of the opportunity to have my friend Chris Panagiotu on the show to give us all some education. Chris is the owner of CAPitalize Your Finances, LLC. He's a wealth adviser and a certified financial planner. He hosts his own podcast, aptly named the CAPitalize Your Finances Podcast, and he also has a book coming out soon! And he's a heckuva great guy, too.

He delivered some really great advice on a few key things those of us in manufacturing should be thinking about and doing.

Listen to the whole thing - it's well worth your time! And as always, like, share, and subscribe!