Mike Kinder is the Co-Founder & CEO of Veryable and has an exceptional track record in the industrial manufacturing and supply chain operations world. He's been building teams, solving complex problems, and driving growth within companies for over 20 years. Now, he's taking on what is one of the most complex problems in manufacturing: finding the right talent to fill roles in manufacturing environments where production demands are constantly changing.

In this episode, we discuss where Veryable is now, where it’s heading, and how it expanded during the pandemic. Mike shares his opinion on why the pandemic exaggerated a growing problem and how Veryable is helping to solve it.

Mike shares his tips for others looking to become an entrepreneur in manufacturing, why Operations is a vital yet overlooked area, and how to act more like a start-up. We round the interview off with some leadership tips inspired by Ron Swanson, and Mike shares what he believes the key to innovation in manufacturing is.

In this episode, find out:

• How Veryable helps to solve the labor shortage problem in manufacturing
• How the company managed to expand over the pandemic
• Mike’s top tips for someone thinking of becoming an entrepreneur in the space
• The trends and challenges facing manufacturing
• Why you should play offense and act like a start-up
• Leadership lessons we can take from Ron Swanson
• Why you need to succeed and fail on your own terms
• Why the key to innovation is a strong vision

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Tweetable Quotes:

• “You got to stay true to yourself, even if that means following your intuition.”
• “Succeed and fail on your own terms.”
• “The key to manufacturing innovation, in my opinion, and Veryable is based on this. It starts with establishing a vision.”

Links & mentions:

• Veryable, an on-demand platform that helps to fix the labor shortage problem in manufacturing
• Billy Bob’s Texas, the world’s largest dance hall featuring country music, classic rock, and bull-riding, located in Ft. Worth, TX 

Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.