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Episode Summary
Most mid-market manufacturers don't have a quality problem — they have an acceptance problem. Justin sits down with George Pesansky, a 30-year continuous improvement veteran who has trained 10,000+ professionals across six continents, to unpack the formula behind sustained performance: Success = Quality × Acceptance. George shares why airline kiosks won and self-checkout lost, how to spot the hidden "leaks" draining your operation, and why your shop floor superhero may be your biggest liability.
About the Guest
George Pesansky is a Six Sigma Master Black Belt and the author of Super Performance (Fast Company Press, 2025). He's the creator of the Deliberate Improvement Framework, a Forbes Coaches Council member, and founder of MyBlendedLearning.com. Over three decades, he has trained 10,000+ professionals in Lean Six Sigma and World Class Manufacturing across six continents.
Key Takeaways
Success = Quality × Acceptance Companies drown in quality and crater on acceptance. The Excel spreadsheet that worked yesterday and the veteran who's run things for 20 years are exactly what blocks buy-in for change.
Stop Filling the Cup. Fix the Leaks. Every mid-market manufacturer has superheroes who swoop in at 3 a.m. to patch problems. That's filling the cup. Growth comes from following those superheroes, identifying every leak, and asking what system would have prevented it.
Speedboats Beat Battleships Big organizations can't admit failure — careers are staked on it. Small and mid-size companies can pivot, learn from mistakes, and run circles around battleships. Failure isn't the enemy. Failing to learn from failure is.
Flip Training: Why → What → How Most compliance training is 80% how and almost no why. George's Learning Marketing System inverts it: lead with why it matters, define the benefit, then teach the how.
Have a question or want to talk about scaling your operation? Justin would love to hear from you.
Most manufacturers are great at building things. Far fewer are great at understanding whether those things are actually making them money — and that gap is costing them more than they realize.
In this episode, Justin sits down with Allen Engstrom, Managing Director of CFO Network, to break down the financial realities that every mid-market manufacturer needs to understand. With over two decades of experience — including a stint at Intel, where he helped oversee a 60-person team managing a $60 billion data storage market strategy — Allen has seen firsthand what separates manufacturers who thrive from those quietly taking on water.
They get into the cash flow mismatch that makes manufacturing uniquely brutal, the single metric Allen looks at first when he walks into a business, and why "we'll make it back next quarter" is a mindset that can sink a company. If you've ever wondered whether your financials are telling you the full story, this one's for you.
What you'll learn in this episode:
About Allen Engstrom: Allen Engstrom is the Managing Director of CFO Network, where he leverages over two decades of experience to provide world-class outsourced finance and accounting solutions for businesses of all sizes. Holding an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin with a specialization in IT entrepreneurship and finance, Allen blends deep technical knowledge with sharp business acumen. His career includes a significant tenure at Intel Corp, where he served as a program manager overseeing a 60-person team for a $60 billion data storage market strategy and managed M&A transactions totaling over $4 billion. Today, based in North Little Rock, Arkansas, he is known for transforming complex financial data into actionable growth strategies.
Connect with Allen: 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/allen-engstrom-4a436/
Enjoyed this episode? If this conversation added value, please take a moment to like, subscribe, and share the show. The more mid-market manufacturers we can reach, the more we can help move the needle on the bottom line — which is what The Allied Advisors Podcast is all about.
Episode Description
Most manufacturers have experienced the same gut punch: a major improvement project goes beautifully, everyone celebrates, and then six months later you walk back out on the shop floor and it's like it never happened. The problem isn't your people. It isn't your culture. It's the absence of a daily discipline to sustain what you built.
In this first-ever solocast, Justin Goethe goes deep on the Daily Leadership Routine (DLR) — the system he has seen transform some of the world's best manufacturing operations and the one he believes is the single biggest difference between companies that sustain gains and those that don't.
McKinsey research shows only 30% of organizational transformations fully succeed. VA & Company found that 70–80% of improvement projects fail within 24 months — not because the solutions were wrong, but because there was no system to hold the gains. The Daily Leadership Routine is that system.
What You'll Learn
Key Takeaways
Daily management is not a meeting — it's a leadership system. It connects leaders to the reality of operations every single day through a structured routine of monitoring, reacting, and improving.
Allied's Fractional CI Manager Program
Justin's Fractional CI Manager (FCIM) program is a 12-month embedded partnership designed to help mid-market manufacturers build the internal capabilities to run continuous improvement on their own. It's not traditional consulting — it's a teach-to-fish model.
The program includes:
Clients have achieved up to 80% increases in output with zero capital expenditure — no new equipment, no major investment. Just better management of existing processes.
Resources & Links
Connect with Justin
In this episode of the Allied Advisors Podcast, host Justin Goethe sits down with Christian Smith, a results-driven operations executive, former US Army captain, and Lean Six Sigma black belt. Christian has transformed operations and increased EBITDA for major organizations like Danaher, Target, and Nestlé.
Today, we dive deep into the "front door" signals of a struggling manufacturer, the critical difference between person vs. process, and why the "superstar problem solver" might actually be your biggest bottleneck.
Key Takeaways
Featured Guest: Christian Smith
Christian is a veteran operations leader specializing in building high-performing teams and driving sustainable growth. Trained through Danaher Business University, he excels at connecting operational discipline with commercial strategy to unlock new growth opportunities.
About Allied Advisors
We embed senior operators into mid-market manufacturing and supply chain organizations to unlock throughput, free up cash, and drive EBITDA growth. We focus on Installation over Advice through our Fractional Continuous Improvement Manager (FCIM) program.
Are you an "Exhausted COO" tired of firefighting? * Stop the Capital Leakage: Learn about our Proprietary AI Framework for managing procurement exceptions.
Visit us at: www.alliedadvisors.io
Email us at: [email protected]
Guest: Jay Carney, Co-Founder and President of My Solution Designs
Host: The Allied Advisors Podcast
Episode Summary
In this episode, we dive deep into the concept of "Product Wellness" with Jay Carney. While most manufacturers focus on immediate crises, Jay argues that products often suffer from a "slow fade" caused by normalized inefficiencies and hidden operational friction. We explore how traditional "green" metrics—like high aftermarket sales—can actually mask a product that is "getting sick" and how leadership can use AI and direct observation to diagnose these issues before they lead to a "heart attack" for the business.
Key Discussion Points
1. What is Product Wellness?
2. The Danger of "Normalized Inefficiency"
3. How Good Metrics Mask Bad Products
4. Future-Proofing with AI
Takeaways for Leadership
Episode Summary
In this episode, Justin sits down with Pat Eardley, a seasoned HR expert with over 25 years of experience. They dive into the common "people issues" that prevent mid-market manufacturing firms from scaling, focusing on the gap between creating policy and actually holding teams accountable. Pat shares her perspective on why "being clear is kind," how to handle the transition from the shop floor to management, and why the "family culture" model often backfires.
Key Takeaways
Memorable Quotes
"If you can't get the people part right, you can't get any of it [right]." — Justin GoetheFeatured Guest: Pat Eardley
Pat is the founder of Shift HR (founded in 2009). She specializes in streamlining HR strategies and fostering inclusive workplace cultures for small and mid-sized businesses. She is an alumna of Ashford University and a former Director of HR for Benchmark Hospitality.
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/pateardley/
In this episode of the Allied Advisors Podcast, Justin Goethe sits down with Braydon McCormick, C-suite operator, serial entrepreneur, and Co-Founder & Managing Director of Light Forge Works, to cut through the noise surrounding artificial intelligence in manufacturing.
Rather than dashboards, chatbots, and “AI for AI’s sake,” Braydon brings an operator-first perspective on how AI should actually be deployed inside mid-market and PE-backed organizations — focusing on real bottlenecks, measurable ROI, and execution on the shop floor.
This is a grounded, tactical conversation for leaders who want AI to drive margin, throughput, and enterprise value, not just check a buzzword box.
🔑 Key Topics Covered
🚨 Common AI Mistakes Braydon Sees in Manufacturing
💡 Big Takeaway
AI delivers value only when it’s tied to a specific business problem. The real power of AI isn’t flashy interfaces — it’s quietly eliminating friction between systems, people, and processes. When done right, AI dramatically compresses cycle times, reduces errors, and allows teams to operate at a higher level without adding headcount.
As Braydon puts it: Don’t ask what AI can do. Ask what problem you’re trying to solve — then apply AI surgically.
🧠 AI on the Shop Floor (What Actually Works)
The conversation dives deep into how AI can:
Rather than enterprise-wide transformations, Braydon advocates for small, high-impact AI applications that deliver fast wins and compound over time.
👤 About Today’s Guest
Braydon McCormick is a seasoned C-suite operator and serial entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience helping mid-market and PE-backed companies turn advanced technology into real operating results. As Co-Founder & Managing Director of Light Forge Works, Braydon has led companies from zero to exit-ready, built high-margin services businesses, secured FDA approvals, and developed defensible IP through patented innovation.
He specializes in AI-first software development, digital transformation, and operational scaling in complex, regulated environments.
📬 Connect with Braydon & Light Forge Works
In this episode of the Allied Advisors Podcast, Justin Goethe is joined by Reid Klosowsky and Bill Moroney, co-founders of Freight Think LLC and former senior leaders at Bed Bath & Beyond. Together, they unpack why freight and transportation spend is one of the most misunderstood — and most powerful — levers for improving profitability in today’s supply chains.
With decades of experience spanning transportation, vendor management, and retail supply chain operations, Reid and Bill share practical insights on how companies can move beyond averages, silos, and “default decisions” to truly understand the real cost of moving products.
🔑 Key Topics Covered
🚨 Common Freight Mistakes Reid & Bill See All the Time
💡 Big Takeaway
Freight isn’t just a logistics problem — it’s a profitability problem. When companies connect freight data to products, forecasts, service levels, and incentives, they unlock opportunities that directly improve the bottom line. As Bill puts it: a dollar is a dollar — whether it’s freight, inventory, or markdowns.
🤖 Freight, AI, and the Road Ahead
Reid and Bill also share a grounded, experience-based perspective on AI in freight and supply chain analytics. While AI can dramatically speed up analysis and surface insights, they emphasize the importance of clean data, context, and human oversight — especially when decisions impact margins at scale.
👥 About Today’s Guests
Reid Klosowsky is Co-Founder of Freight Think LLC and former VP of Global Transportation & Supply Chain Flow at Bed Bath & Beyond, where he led a $10B transportation network through massive disruption and transformation.
Bill Moroney is Co-Founder of Freight Think LLC and former VP of Vendor Management at Bed Bath & Beyond and buybuy BABY, with deep expertise in supplier performance, cost-to-serve models, and profitability optimization.
📬 Connect with Freight Think
Guest:
Steve Cook, Executive Managing Director, LFM Capital
MIT LGO (MBA/MSEE) | Former Dell Plant Manager | Private Equity Operator & Educator
🎙️ Episode Overview
In this powerhouse conversation, Justin sits down with Steve Cook, Executive Managing Director at LFM Capital, a private equity firm uniquely built and led by operators and engineers. Steve shares rare, behind-the-scenes insights on how LFM identifies, acquires, and transforms mid-market manufacturing companies—not through financial engineering, but through people-centric leadership, hands-on operational excellence, and a relentless commitment to long-term value creation.
With decades of experience leading industrial businesses, teaching at Harvard Business School, and mentoring future leaders at MIT, Steve brings a refreshing blend of humility, clarity, and practicality to the world of PE-backed manufacturing.
If you're a manufacturing leader, business owner, aspiring CEO, or private equity stakeholder, this is a must-listen.
🔥 Key Topics Covered1. Why LFM Capital Breaks the Traditional PE Mold
2. What PE Really Looks for in Mid-Market Manufacturing Deals
3. Leadership: The Make-or-Break Factor in Value Creation
4. The First 100 Days After Acquisition
5. Implementing Lean in Resource-Constrained Environments
6. How LFM Navigates Tough Deals & Upholds Values
In this episode of The Allied Advisors Podcast, Justin sits down with Rob Tykal—former President, COO, and VP of Global Operations at organizations like Danaher, GM, Daimler, and Superior Industries—for a deep, practical conversation on supply chain, materials management, and leadership.
While the video recording unfortunately cuts out around the 29-minute mark (lesson learned on DSLR limits), the insights captured are pure gold. Rob breaks down why forecast-driven systems consistently fail manufacturers, how consumption-based replenishment actually works in practice, and why great operational leaders must live at the gemba—not just in spreadsheets.
From Kanban design levels and safety stock logic to humility in executive leadership, this episode is a masterclass for mid-market manufacturers looking to improve flow, reduce inventory risk, and build sustainable operational cultures.
🎧 Full audio is intact, and Rob will be back for a follow-up episode.
⏱️ Episode Highlights
🧠 Key Takeaways
👤 About the Guest
Rob Tykal is a seasoned operational executive with decades of experience leading global manufacturing organizations. He has held senior leadership roles across automotive, industrial, and life sciences sectors and is widely respected for his ability to pair rigorous lean systems with people-centered leadership. Rob is known not just for improving processes—but for building cultures that sustain them.
📌 About the Podcast
The Allied Advisors Podcast is for mid-market manufacturers focused on scaling operations, improving material flow, and driving measurable bottom-line results. Hosted by Justin Goethe, each episode features operators, executives, and investors who’ve been in the trenches—and know what actually works.
🔔 Call to Action
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From the publisher's feed
The Allied Advisors Podcast is designed for mid-market manufacturers looking to scale and sharpen their competitive edge. Each episode features in-depth conversations with lean manufacturing…