The Manufacturing Executive
Episodes
Revitalize Manufacturing Through Employee Wellness
24 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Our workforce has changed drastically over the decades. The highly desirable and stable manufacturing industry of the past has struggled to retain wor...
100 Weeks of Podcasting: The Business Impact
17 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this milestone 100th episode, the hosting tables are turned. Joe Sullivan is interviewed by Logan Lyles of Sweet Fish Media about his learnings fro...
The Future Is Here: AI Based MES Solutions
10 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The manufacturing industry has been slow to adopt new technology. But with the continued improvements in technology, updating your systems has become ...
Focusing on the Constraint to Drive Meaningful Results
03 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Are you making the right decisions to optimize productivity? Most organizations don’t. Most get distracted by efficiency and ultimately fail to m...
Agency or Internal Staff? How to Hire a Marketer
26 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Internal marketing employee or marketing agency? Entry level hire or seasoned marketer? Broad range of skill sets or deep specialist in a few core ski...
Changing Lives While Growing Profits By Hiring Disabled Workers
19 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s guest, Tony Lopez, Vice President, Manufacturing & Logistics Services, Pride Industries, provides insight about delivering business excellen...
How to Retain Your Manufacturing Workforce w/ Dan Johnston
11 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's never been more costly to watch your people walk out the door.Today’s guest is Dan Johnston, Co-Founder and CEO, WorkStepWorkStep is a software...
Adapting to Change: Manufacturing Leadership Excellence w/ Dan Burgos
05 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What are the best manufacturing executives doing to combat labor shortages and supply chain issues and thrive in this industry? Today’s guest is ...
The Intersection of Engineering and Content Marketing
29 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What if your engineering bonuses were tied to blog post writing? Today’s guest, Chris Grainger, Podcast Host and Engineering and Services Manager,...
Why Influence Matters In Manufacturing
22 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When most people hear “influencer,” it might conjure up images of YouTube icons and Reality TV stars…Influencers don’t matter in manufacturing...
Why Sticky Notes and Spreadsheets are not a CRM
15 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How do you convince both reps and execs in manufacturing that the CRM is not a deterrent but a path to next-level improvement?In this episode, I talke...
Strategic Sourcing During Volatile Times w/ Jim Pratt
08 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Underlying supply chain problems, only exacerbated by pandemic disruption, have plagued every industry the past few years.But our guest today thinks w...
The Digital Warehouse: A Look Inside Additive Manufacturing w/ Melanie Lang
01 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Additive manufacturing technologies are rapidly disrupting the old practices.The adoption rate is increasing, leading to exciting advancements in perf...
How Next-Gen Robots Are Revolutionizing Manufacturing w/ Nan Li
22 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to a new era of robotics!Robots of the past were defined by their tasks. They went through pre-planned motions and they weren’t able to adap...
The Coming of the All-Electric Society w/ Jack Nehlig
15 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The biggest obstacle to renewables is a lack of knowledge on the subject.But once everyone knows the money they can save while helping the environment...
How to Retain Your Manufacturing Workforce w/ Dan Johnston
09 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's never been more costly to watch your people walk out the door.Today’s guest is Dan Johnston, Co-Founder and CEO, WorkStepWorkStep is a software...
The New ROI of Automation w/ Scot Lindemann
08 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Too often, we’re having the wrong conversation about automation ROI.In a time when simply finding labor is the biggest challenge many manufacturers ...
How Colocating R&D Drives Manufacturing Innovation w/ Martin DeBono
01 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It’s no secret why so many companies have sent their manufacturing overseas: It’s to save money.But are you really saving when the hassle costs yo...
8 Ways Manufacturers Can Nail Their Marketing In 2022 w/ Joe Sullivan
25 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Manufacturers aren’t typically marketing-driven companies.But they should be.Because their existing customer bases and referrals aren’t enough to ...
Go Where Your Audience Is (Which May Be TikTok) w/ Todd Clouser
18 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tell me a platform where you can post 15 times and have 40,000 followers.Today’s guest throws out a TikTok in five minutes before breakfast every mo...
It’s Time to Get Serious About Ethics & Compliance w/ Emily Miner
11 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to improving your company's ethics and compliance…Any changes you make will only be as good as the culture supporting them.And today’...
Going Global: How to Expand Your Reach & Revenue Internationally w/ Wendy Pease
04 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Companies that go international are 20% more profitable on average.For most manufacturers, the only thing stopping them from reaping the rewards of go...
How to Consumerize the Industrial Supply Chain w/ Todd Leebow
28 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Consumers adopt technology faster and adapt their behavior more readily than businesses do. How can we bring those positive consumer traits into manuf...
Boosting Your Marketing Efforts w/ Video Value Bombs w/ Jeff Long
21 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Content marketing is key in manufacturing, but video content is king.Let’s be honest, not everyone will sit down to read in-depth articles on a topi...
Advancing the Manufacturing Community by Banding Together w/ Marc Braun & Jonathan Jones
14 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Founded in 1985, the Association of Manufacturing Excellence (AME) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the exchange of knowledge and advancement ...
What Manufacturers Can Learn from Children’s Stories w/ Megan Preston Meyer
07 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Anyone in the industrial sector knows that we need to get the next generation excited about manufacturing. But what about the generation after that?Ho...
5 Ways Manufacturers Can Level Up Their Marketing w/ Allison DeFord
30 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Manufacturing is the backbone of the modern world…But the manufacturing sector has been lagging severely in the marketing department for a long time...
Why It’s Time to Modernize Workforce Education (& How to Do It) w/ Kathy Walker
23 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
One of the biggest challenges in the industry today?Upskilling the country’s workforce for careers in advanced manufacturing.Training centers and te...
The Learning Factory: Closing the Skill Gap Starts with Education w/ Mike Nager
16 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
There’s no shortage of orders for most manufacturers out there —The problem is finding the talent to help fill them.How do we finally close the ma...
How to Innovate the Tired Trade Show Booth w/ Clive White & Zach Person
09 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
At the outset of the pandemic, trade shows were one of the many facets of business imperiled by the crisis.But every crisis presents an opportunity fo...
Your Guide to Trade Show Booth Success w/ Jon Franko & Matthew Sciannella
02 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
There are a couple of super easy ways to totally flop at a trade show:Not having a live demo. Not having enough personnel. Not prioritizing relationsh...
Starting Young: The Next Generation of Manufacturing & Engineering Talent w/ Meaghan Ziemba
26 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What manufacturers should do is stop moaning about the lack of skilled talent and start partnering with grade schools (yes, as young as eighth grade) ...
Planning for the Long Haul with Supply Chain and Labor w/ Rob Tracy
19 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
You probably don’t need another reminder that the pandemic changed the world — when it comes to manufacturing, the deepening labor shortage and in...
IoT Data: An Untapped Goldmine of Marketing Insights w/ Jan Pingel
12 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Traditionally, marketing teams in manufacturing have depended on CRM supply data to get a picture of their customers.However, there’s an untapped we...
Leveraging Ecommerce for Manufacturing’s Digital Immigrants w/ Curt Anderson
05 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
If you think ecommerce isn’t for you, you’re wrong.You need to leverage ecommerce immediately (arguably with pricing, too) to increase your visibi...
8 Ways to Make it Easy for Your Buyers to Buy w/ Joe Sullivan
28 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Only a tiny fraction of your total addressable market is ready to buy right today.Does that mean you ignore everyone else?Of course not. You need to g...
Why Is Manufacturing Still Dominated by Men? w/ Lesley Ledwell Dukelow
21 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
There is no reason manufacturing needs to be dominated by men — even if it, historically, always was.Yet today, as other sectors become more represe...
Why the Employee Bathroom Is the Key to Leadership w/ Mark Whitten
14 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve ever been curious how well management takes care of its employees at any given organization, there is one really simple way to find out: ...
How to Solve the Technology Hesitancy Issue in Manufacturing w/ Erik Nieves
07 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
You hear people talk a lot about a labor shortage in manufacturing and automation and robotics are a great way to tackle it. Not just to replace jobs...
Fixing the Manufacturer-Distributor Relationship w/ Tom Paul
31 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Without our dealers and distributors, who would sell our products? Without us, what would they sell? We need each other. Why then is the relationshi...
Make Content for Your Audience – Not for Google w/ Grace Wright & Aaron Weekes
24 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
If your content strategy starts with whether there’s keyword search volume around your SEO terms, you’re starting at step five.Here’s step one: ...
Get Started w/ Data Collection & Robotics Today w/ Aaron Prather
17 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Data collection, automation, robotics — these are things reserved for the budgets of the biggest companies out there, right? Wrong. Anyone can do it...
The NFL Draft, The NBA Draft and... The Manufacturing Skills Draft? w/ Dr. Jason Scales
10 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
You’ve probably heard about the infamous skills gap in manufacturing — a problem only made worse by the pandemic. It has the potential to affect o...
Why We’re Proud to Be Manufacturers & Engineers
03 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
At first, his entry into the manufacturing industry was out of a need for survival. But it quickly grew into a passion to encourage those who want to ...
Diversity in the Manufacturing Sector w/ Andrew Crowe and Justin Sherman
27 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The manufacturing sector is desperate for more diversity in gender, generation, race, ability, and other underrepresented populations. Quite frankly, ...
Add a Powerful Human Element with Video Messaging w/ Ethan Beute
20 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Video messaging is not just a new technology to learn, it's a way to connect with human beings that aligns better with how people prefer to communicat...
Mining Customer Insights From Search Data w/ Derek Mabie
13 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
You know you need clearer insight into your customer to build better products or deliver more valuable services. One way to get that insight is by lis...
Problem-Solving Digitization w/ Adam Keating
06 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Manufacturing got left behind as the software industry progressed rapidly over the years. It’s time to catch up, and innovators like Adam Keating ma...
Restoring Glory and Dignity to Manufacturing w/ John Kramer and Marc Braun
29 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Would you rather focus on people or profitability in your business? You can’t have it all. But maybe you can…Maybe people and profitability go han...
How Technology is Changing the Manufacturing Game w/ Dr. John Mitchell
22 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
There’s this perception that manufacturing jobs are dirty and dangerous. But in the modern era of manufacturing, that perception is changing as jobs...
Manufacturing's Past, Present, and Future w/ Jim Carr
15 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Remember fax machines? They were going to revolutionize the way we did business. Then came dial-up modems and email. Now, our customer gives us a CAD ...
Perspectives on Automation, AI, & the Future w/ Andy Lonsberry
08 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
If the Wright Brothers lived in the 21st century, they might be the Lonsberry boys. Andy Lonsberry earned his Ph.D. by researching machine learning an...
Bring 5 Million Manufacturing Jobs Back to the U.S. w/ Harry Moser
01 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
If we want to balance America's $800 billion trade deficit, we need to bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. — 5 million manufacturing jobs to b...
Filling the Skills Gap One Student at a Time w/ Matt Guse
25 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Baby Boomers are retiring. Manufacturing is booming in 2021. And emerging generations aren't considering careers in the field. There just aren't enoug...
Measuring Marketing Success in Manufacturing w/ Joe Sullivan
18 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How do you define marketing success? Many manufacturing organizations are sales-centric. They may not even support a marketing department beyond a co...
Working On the Business, Not In the Business, w/ Paul van Metre
11 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A lot of companies are started by people who are experts in their craft, but are not great at building companies. But how do you learn to let go of th...
Options for Ownership Transitions in Manufacturing w/ Chris Redmond
04 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Are you prepared to exit your company?Many business owners haven't thought about transitioning from their position of leadership. But it's inevitable ...
Custom Machine Vision & Robotics Solutions w/ Jonathan Berte
27 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Mass production alone is not enough. We all want customized products. Twenty years ago, it was easy. Educate your workers about your single unique pro...
Building a Manufacturing Community Online w/ Sam Gupta
20 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
If you want to build thought leadership around a product category, you need to create a community. The longer your sales cycle and the more complex yo...
Timeless Sales Principals and Fundamentals w/ Mike Weinberg
13 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
15 years ago, Mike Weinberg had a bold perspective on sales which was to stick with the fundamentals and don’t fall for the ‘shiny new toys.’His...
Amplifiers of the workforce: The future of robots in manufacturing w/ Ryan Lillibridge
06 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Robots have been around since Mamie Eisenhower presided over the White House. But recent advancements in robotics have helped bring automated workers ...
Leading by Listening w/ Joe Molesky
30 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Don't think. Just make parts. Ever had a manager tell you that when you offered a suggestion for process improvement? Leaders' words carry weight and ...
Creating a Well-Designed Sales Playbook w/ Kevin Roach
23 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
If you have a defined sales process, you're ahead of 50% of the manufacturing companies out there. But without one, you can't measure efficacy or deli...
The Brightest Generation: New Leadership in Manufacturing w/ Paul Brauss
16 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The younger workforce in manufacturing is looking for more out of leadership. In particular, millennials want to know why the organization is doing wh...
Building Trust Through Webinars w/ Matt Sciannella
09 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Audio is huge right now. Podcasts are part of that, of course, but so are webinars. The unique magic of the webinar lies in its interaction. Your view...
Not By Accident: Risk Management for Manufacturing Executives w/ Van Carlson
02 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Risk management isn't an accident. If we're going to survive, then we have to plan for unforeseen events. Like 2020… and 2021. But you can't insure ...
Thinking like a Marketer: Reframing the Sales Mindset w/ Chris Luecke
23 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Manufacturers love trade shows. But for a year, we've had to do without them. Plus, shows may never come back the way they once were. How can manufact...
The Organizational Impact of EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System] w/ Luke and Joel Wittenbraker
16 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Every company has an operating system that determines how people solve problems, plan, prioritize, communicate, and measure success. Often, an operati...
Human Input in a Data-Driven World w/ Martin Cloake
09 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Does technology have to be all or nothing? Is it possible that in our increasingly data-driven manufacturing environment, we're losing sight of the va...
Breaking the Stigma on Podcasting w/ James Carbary
02 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Video- and- audio-based content humanizes the people behind the information. You can see someone's face in a video or hear their voice in a podcast. T...
How to Solve the Manufacturing Recruitment Puzzle w/ Patrick O'Rahilly
26 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The industrial sector's labor market has shifted over the past decade. From the emergence and adoption of recruiting technologies by Indeed and Linked...
Giving Your B2B Customer a B2C Buying Experience w/ Sultana Mangal and Annie Dohle
19 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Think about the experience of walking into an Apple store. Or the ease and simplicity of making a purchase on Amazon — 30 seconds, one click, and yo...
Fill Your Sales Funnel in 2021 w/ Joe Sullivan
12 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In today's podcast, I break down a simple three-step framework for what a mid-sized B2B manufacturer should be doing to fill the sales funnel in 2021....
Industry 4.0 is now Industry 4.5 w/ Justin Goldston
05 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Artificial intelligence...machine learning...blockchain...digital transformation. All buzzwords marking the transition from Industry 4.0 to Industry 4...
Why Voice of Customer is Essential in Marketing w/ Dave Loomis
29 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What is Voice of Customer? How can Voice of Customer be used to curate tailored content across your industry? Why is this important?These are a few of...
Mitigating Risk Through Smart Procurement w/ Aaron Brimer
22 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Somewhere along the way, we all run into that guy...The customer's procurement guy...The buyer.And with supply chain disruption fresh in all our minds...
Expanding Into International Markets w/ Ashley Madray
15 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
I asked listeners what topic they wanted to learn more about on the podcast. You said "expanding into international markets."So I put the word out am...
Creating an Award-winning Culture w/ Jon Franko
08 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The workplace is experiencing a massive transformation.I thought we should start at a high level and talk about that.So we did.In this episode of the ...
Thrilled to Be Asked: How to Build Leaders on the Frontline w/ Gayle Noakes
01 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
If we create an environment where people on the production floor can help the company be better, they're more than happy to use their knowledge to do ...
The Incredible Shrinking Pie: Why the Future Lies in E-Commerce w/ Kevin Haar
24 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It's time to face reality about sales channels, technology, and how people buy. E-commerce is going to dominate sales. Business was moving in that dir...
Content Distribution: Getting Your Ass(ets) in Front of People Who Care w/ Matt Sciannella
17 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We'd all love to create content and then sit back and wait for the phones to start ringing. But that doesn't work. You have to be proactive. Learn how...
Servant Leadership in the Manufacturing Sector w/ Dan Erschen
10 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
You know the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. But do you practice that philosophy as a manufacturing leader? Does it in...
A Conversation with the Manufacturing Millennial w/ Jacob Hall
03 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When the mandated industry shut down in Michigan happened, one Millennial sought new ways to engage his current customers and share the benefits of au...
Getting Clear About Thought Leadership w/ Bill Sherman
27 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The term thought leadership has gotten tossed around a lot the last few years. But what exactly does thought leadership mean? Does it simply imply tha...
Create a Dashboard Effect: Drive Your Work With Data w/ Jon Thompson
20 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Twenty years ago, we barely had enough info to measure our impact. Today, manufacturing marketers are overwhelmed with data, and everyone wants to sel...
Make It Right: Growth and Stability in Manufacturing Companies w/ Kevin Snook
13 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What comes to mind when you think of a great business leader? Someone with all the answers? Someone who grinds away working long hours? Someone with...
Start With the Problem, Not the Technology w/ Jonathon Hensley
06 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
From Industry 4.0 to 3D printing to wearable technology, there are so many advancements happening in manufacturing. But it's easy to get sidetracked b...
How to Sell Your Industrial Business w/ Nick Jackson
29 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
After I go, what happens to my company? Every successful business owner eventually faces that question. In some cases, the succession plan seems obv...
3 Things Manufacturers Can Do In The Absence of Trade Shows w/ Joe Sullivan
22 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Many manufacturers rely on events to generate pipeline. What do you do when events shut down? On this episode of the podcast, I share three tangible i...
Doing the Dirty Work: How to Find Qualified, Consistent Labor w/ Gary Konarska
15 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We hear grumblings about automation taking away job opportunities. But inside the manufacturing sector, companies are struggling to find high quality,...
I Need What's In Your Brain: Extracting Expert Knowledge for Content Marketing w/ Toby Wall
08 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when your competitors are talking about themselves but you are producing resourceful content? You win! So how can you write helpful tec...
Be Careful With the Internet: How B2B Inbound Marketing Exploded w/ Brian Signorelli
01 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It's 2010. Apple has just released a new product called the iPad. The Lakers just won their fifth championship under Phil Jackson. And the BP oil spil...
Right People, Right Companies: How to Launch ABM as a Manufacturer w/ Sangram Vajare
25 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
You can market your products just about any way you want to. You can pour money into trade shows, pay-per-click campaigns, or print ads. Personally, I...
Finding the Fit: How the Seller and Buyer Can Work Together so Everyone Wins w/ Ian Altman
18 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Back in May, I wrote an article entitled Summer Reading 12 lessons from 12 books for 12 weeks. The author of one of those 12 books, Ian Altman, is my ...
The 7 Core Elements of an Industrial Marketing Strategy w/ Joe Sullivan
11 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A few years ago, we at Gorilla 76 took a close look at the common components among our most successful manufacturing clients. Then, we boiled these do...
The Robots Are (Not) Coming: How Wearable Technology Augments But Doesn't Replace Human Labor w/ Tracy Hansen
04 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Automation cannot replace human labor. Rather, the key is to augment the workforce by equipping humans with the technology they need to be more effect...
How to Fix a Factory: Influencing the Direction of Your Company w/ Rob Tracy
28 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Something's not going well, and it's your job to fix it. Where do you start? You can't rely on your charm and good looks to make a change happen. In...
How to Create Video Marketing that Drives Results in the Industrial Sector w/ Danny Gonzales
21 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
By 2022 online videos will make up more than 82% of consumer internet traffic. That's 15 times more than in 2017, according to a recent study by Cisco...
Stop Giving Away Engineering and Consulting Services for Free w/ Joe Sullivan
14 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
I did something a little different in this episode. As opposed to bringing in an outside guest and interviewing them, I did a solocast. It's just you ...
The Power of the CAD Model w/ Adam Beck
07 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Are you really doing content marketing if you don't create white papers, write blog posts, and deliver long speeches about the benefits of your produc...