Manufacturing Happy Hour

It’s the final episode of our Sales & Marketing Game Changers mini-series! Chris is responsible for hosting duties this week, and he’ll be joined one last time by 5 other sales & marketing experts to take on the topic of leadership in 2020.In this last installment of our 4-part series, we’ll be sharing our observations about leadership since the world changed in March 2020. Our panelists will each boil leadership down to a single word, share stories of where they’ve seen leaders emerge, and wrap things up with advice that anyone can use to step up and lead in this brave new world.After you listen, forward this podcast to your company’s sales and marketing leaders. Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com/GameChangers for a full list of resources from these episodes and to connect with the other panelists. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

What are the top solutions for manufacturers that we’ve come across in our first year of this podcast? This week, we’ll be sharing the best technologies and companies we’ve come across through our podcast interviews and virtual events since we started the show last summer. From technologies that address the workforce skills gap to those that reduce your bottom line without sacrificing new business and revenue, these companies are taking on the biggest issues facing manufacturers in 2020.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

Welcome back to another episode of our Sales & Marketing Game Changers mini-series! The third edition of our 4-part panel discussion features Chris and 5 other sales & marketing gurus sharing their thoughts on the most pressing topics for B2B business leaders in 2020 and beyond.Are there things getting in the way for you and your organization to make sales? Part three is all about identifying and eliminating those roadblocks impacting sales and marketing. We share our perspectives on the top roadblocks, how to detect them, and wrap up with pointed tactics on how to reduce them.After you listen, forward this podcast to your company’s sales and marketing leaders. Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com/GameChangers for a full list of resources from these episodes and to connect with the other panelists. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

We’re moving right along in our Sales & Marketing Game Changers mini-series! In the second edition of our 4-part panel discussion, Chris is once again joined by 5 other sales & marketing experts to take on some of the most pressing topics for B2B business leaders in 2020.In part two, we’re shifting the focus from marketing to sales as we discuss the importance of listening, tracking outcomes, and creating a marketing strategy that is all about the customer. Said another way, it’s not about you! We’ll all share 1 thing that leaders can change to not only impact sales, but gain a ton of authentic customer feedback in the process. Finally, we’ll wrap up with a conversation about leveraging data so that you never have to “sell naked” ever again.After you listen, forward this podcast to your company’s sales and marketing leaders. Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com/GameChangers for a full list of resources from these episodes and to connect with the other panelists. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

Jason Ray is the CEO of Paperless Parts, a company on a mission to make manufacturing more accessible. After spending 8 years in the Navy in leadership roles ranging from Supply Corps Officer to Additive Manufacturing Lead, Jason co-founded Paperless Parts, and through their cloud-based sales and quoting software solutions, he's helping job shop manufacturers quote faster, win new customers, and increase revenues.In this episode, Jason takes us through his story as a military leader and how it ultimately led to the creation of his current company. On the surface, this episode is about Paperless Parts’ software solution that’s streamlining the quoting and sales process for job shop manufacturers. But beyond the ins-and-outs of their software, we’ll cover bigger topics like customer experience, digital transformation, and the workforce skills gap. Whether you’re in a job shop or not, this one is jammed with lessons for leaders across the manufacturing sector.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

Welcome to the Sales & Marketing Game Changers mini-series, a 4-part bonus edition of Manufacturing Happy Hour where we’ll be tackling the most pressing topics facing B2B business leaders through weekly panel discussions. Your host Chris Luecke is joined by 5 other B2B sales & marketing experts to take on some of the most pressing topics for business leaders in 2020.In our first edition of the Game Changers, we’ll be focusing on authentic, modern marketing. We start by debunking some of the biggest misconceptions about marketing before hearing multiple perspectives on what effective marketing looks like today. Finally, we share actions you can take right now to make your marketing more impactful.After you listen, forward this podcast to your company’s sales and marketing leaders. Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com/GameChangers for a full list of resources from these episodes and to connect with the other panelists. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

Wendy Covey from TREW Marketing rejoins us for a bonus episode where we get into the details of content marketing to a technical audience. In this short episode, we’ll cover the specifics of both publishing and promoting content. We start by focusing on a company’s website as the primary publishing platform and why it needs to be an effective marketing tool, from responsiveness to frequency of updates, even to the code behind it. We also cover why having a marketing automation platform and an integrated CRM is essential for measuring how marketing is performing. Finally, Wendy covers inbound and outbound strategies, including how to attract people to your site and move them through the buyer’s journey, as well as working with industry publications and LinkedIn strategies for pulling in new clients.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

Wendy Covey is a maven of technical marketing. She is the CEO & Founder of TREW Marketing, an agency that educates middle-market engineering companies on technical buyer behavior and how to utilize inbound marketing and sales methodologies to generate more demand. She is also the creator of Content Marketing, Engineered, a podcast, book, and now a digital training course focused on building trust and converting technical buyers with compelling content.In this episode, Wendy shares plenty of tips for engaging a technical audience, but not before she shares her own story that got her to create a marketing agency of her own. We’ll discuss the type of content that technical buyers are looking for, as well as how to make technical content cool, interesting, and informative. Wendy has plenty of stories to share from her decades of experience, and we’ll even walk you through the steps companies should take to start creating better technical content.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

Joe Sullivan has been making his mark on B2B marketing for well over a decade. He's the Founder of Gorilla76, an industrial marketing agency that helps mid-sized B2B manufacturers identify, attract, engage, and drive sales opportunities with ideal-fit customers. Most recently, he launched The Manufacturing Executive Podcast, a show focused on conversations with passionate manufacturing leaders who have compelling stories to share about their successes and struggles.In this episode, Joe gives us a thorough crash course in marketing for industrial clients. We debunk some common misperceptions around marketing before Joe shares Gorilla76’s Industrial Marketing Roadmap strategy. The best content comes from the minds of your experts, and we’ll cover how to extract knowledge to create material that solves your customers’ problems and draws in new clients. From budgeting to pillar content to social media, we’ll cover plenty of strategies that will turn your marketing from an expense into a sales-generating machine.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

We’re back with the Q&A segment of our live fireside chat in this bonus episode on the brewing industry. This time, the attendees from one of our recent “virtual happy hours” with our Manufacturing Happy Hour Industry Community get to ask the questions. We discuss why people, process, and technology are so critical to digital transformation in brewing, while tackling recent events and their impact on brewers. From COVID-19 & remote work to flexibility in markets like Germany where purity law is king, there’s more great discussion amongst our panelists from the Canadian beer market.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty. 

We invited a panel of industrial brewing experts onto one of our recent “virtual happy hours” with our Manufacturing Happy Hour Industry Community, and the conversation was too good not to turn it into a podcast! This episode features a fireside chat that we co-hosted with Steve Grundy, the Founder & CEO of Top 5 Solutions, who assembled a rockstar cast of beer industry leaders, including:Connor MacDonald, a Brewing Automation and Controls Expert at McRae IntegrationStephen Rich, Brewmaster and Director of Innovation & Education at Cowbell BrewingNicholas Chan, Owner of ICONICK Project GroupIn this first episode of our 2-part deep-dive into the beer industry, our panelists cover:Smart manufacturing and brewing industry technologyTrends impacting manufacturing and the associated need for flexibility in beer-makingAn in-depth discussion on sustainability, including examples of lowering your carbon footprint and reducing water usageMake sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty. 

Jim Quinn knows a thing or two about successfully scaling companies. Throughout his long career as an operations leader, Jim has optimized supply chains for profitable growth at companies like Apple, FitBit, and Applied Materials, just to name a few.Jim is now the CEO at Plethora, a company that provides flexible Manufacturing as a Service options for making custom parts in as fast as 3 days. In this episode, we discuss how Plethora’s novel software automates the quoting, DFM, and CAM processes for manufacturers looking to bring their CAD files to life quickly and economically through precision CNC machining. Beyond Plethora, Jim shares some of his best operations & supply chain lessons with stories and strategies from all points of his career. From Buddhism to cucumber-basil gimlets, this episode has it all.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty. 

When it comes to digital transformation in manufacturing, no one has more experience and passion than Bob Murphy. Bob is the Sr. VP of Connected Enterprise Consulting at Rockwell Automation and one of the organization’s leaders that led Rockwell through their own digital transformation across their global manufacturing facilities.In this episode, Bob links up with Scott Feldmann from Accenture’s Industry X.0 team to share the strategies and stories of a successful enterprise-wide MES implementation. From aligning the right people, processes, and technologies to expanding a transformation beyond the four walls of the enterprise – creating a ‘digital thread’ that starts with your suppliers and ends with your customers – Scott and Bob share real-world examples while addressing listener questions during one of our recent virtual happy hours.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty. 

Galina Antova is a security savant and the Co-Founder of Claroty, a leader in cybersecurity for operations technology for critical infrastructure. But, we cover a whole lot more than attack vectors and the current security threat landscape on today’s show.In this episode, we kick off our interview discussing OT security strategies before moving to discussions on startups, managing rapid growth, and taking on unconscious bias in the workplace. Galina has thrived as a leader in a male-dominated industry, and she shares her story as well as the actions everyone can take to even the playing field.From leading through uncertainty to navigating through a “perfect storm” in OT cybersecurity, this episode is packed with value from start to finish.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty. 

How do you rebrand an iconic St. Louis beer that’s 169-years-old? You need to understand the cultures it connects with, create a customer base that drives the brand forward on your behalf, and have passion that allows you to make courageous decisions.No one knows this better than master marketer and “conductor of creativity” Corey Smale. Corey is the Brand Manager for Stag Beer, one of Pabst Brewing’s regional beers. Over the past year, Corey has reshaped the brand while still respecting its heritage, and it’s reflected in the beer’s sales growth.In this episode, Corey walks us through his journey as a marketer – most recently leading the Stag brand – and how they’ve connected with their audience and executed on “dope ideas” – from live events to user-generated content – that have resulted in gaining market share for the first time in years. There are plenty of actionable marketing ideas that B2B brands can pull from this beer-fueled conversation.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty. 

In this last episode of our cybersecurity mini-series with Rockwell Automation, we’re switching our focus to industrial control system product security. This includes an overview of security standards like ISA/IEC 62443 and how they apply to ICS providers of products and services.Seasoned security experts Megan Samford and Shoshana Wodzisz jump on the show this week to walk us through our topic. With their focus on global product security, we’ll dive into how ICS security fits into critical infrastructure, as well as the ins-and-outs of IEC 62443. From the importance of 3rd party certification to why it's important to avoid repurposing IT standards, our series wraps up with some actionable details that every information security leader should hear.After you listen, forward this podcast to your company’s IT Manager or Chief Information & Security Officer. Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com/Cybersecurity for a full list of industrial security resources from Rockwell Automation. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

We probably all remember where we were when news started to break about COVID-19 shutting down the world around us. Dan Stutterheim was at the NCAA Big 12 Tournament when he got word that sports – and everything else – were going on hiatus. As it became clear that life as we know was about to change, he quickly doubled-down on protecting his team and his business.Dan is the CEO of Kasa, a Salina, KS-based controls and automation company that is known just as much for their resilient culture as they are for their engineering expertise. In this episode, Dan walks us through the steps he took to keep his people and his business healthy at the start of COVID-19. This includes activities Kasa had been focused on long before the pandemic, including courageous culture dialogues and narrowing focus to a few key success metrics. Dan also shares lessons he’s learned from his team as they navigate these uncharted waters, and new business practices they plan to maintain moving forward.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty. 

We just finished discussing what manufacturers can learn about operations and customer experience from the amusement park industry, so now let’s have some fun. Josh Liebman from the AttractionPros podcast is back for another episode, only this time, it’s all about roller coasters.Josh and I have each ridden our fair share of coasters around the world and it’s a wonder that we kept this episode to less than an hour. We’ll be sharing some of our favorite rides, trips, and stories about some of the craziest coasters on the planet. While we might not be talking about industry best practices in this episode, there’s no better topic to give us a short “vacation” from our typical content.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty. 

Do you love roller coasters? Great! Then you’ll love this episode! Once you look behind the curtain, amusement parks are basically one giant industrial operation. Today, we’re going to be pulling some manufacturing lessons from the world of attractions and entertainment.From ride operations to consulting, Josh Liebman has made a career out of having a fun. He’s the co-host of the AttractionPros podcast and has worked in the amusement industry for over a decade. Having picked up a thing or two about keeping a park running and creating an unforgettable customer experience, Josh shares what he’s learned through stories from his days operating roller coasters and leading guest service communications at some of the world’s most renowned theme parks. From Universal Islands of Adventure to Cedar Point, this episode covers some thrilling ground while providing cross-industry advice for leaders in fast-paced environments.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

Asset inventory. Anti-malware strategy. Risk assessments to look at your overall OT readiness. There are more than a few investments that need to be made to have a robust industrial cybersecurity program. But it doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing, let alone a massive capex investment.In this episode, Rockwell Automation’s Global Services Portfolio Commercial Team Lead Kamil Karmali returns to Manufacturing Happy Hour for the 3rd installment of our cybersecurity mini-series. Kamil first takes us through Defense in Depth, a multifaceted layering approach to security including policies, physical requirements, and even device-level requirements. Then, we define the NIST Framework and its 5 functional topics: identifying, protecting against, detecting, respond to, and recovering from cyber threats.Kamil gives some great detail on “good, better, and best” approaches to cybersecurity that any manufacturing leader can act on regardless of the time and capital they have available. We even provide the perfect starting point along with some great case studies so that you know there’s more than one way to run a successful cybersecurity program.After you listen, forward this podcast to your company’s IT Manager or Chief Information & Security Officer. Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com/Cybersecurity for a full list of industrial security resources from Rockwell Automation. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty. 

Tim Shope and his team at Avid Solutions are redefining what it means to be a systems integrator. While they specialize in process control and integrated solutions, they’re taking their craft a step further and offering true industrial IoT solutions, from wearables to remote access.In this episode, Tim and I discuss smart manufacturing in the context of the collaborative work Avid has been doing with CESMII: The Smart Manufacturing Institute. We’ll discuss the impacts of AI on controls programming, the democratization of application libraries, as well as some cool examples of smart manufacturing projects that Avid Solutions is doing in conjunction with CESMII and the University of North Carolina.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty. 

“Shiny Object Syndrome” is a big issue when it comes to cybersecurity investments. That last thing you want to do is invest a lot of money into cybersecurity solutions before having a grasp on the fundamentals.In this second installment of our cybersecurity mini-series, we’ll cover the basic steps all enterprises should take to improve cybersecurity. Umair Masud – Rockwell’s Director of Technical Security Oversight to the CISO – will walk us through the the fundamentals of cybersecurity, focusing on 3 essential pieces of a good security program: Processes, People, and Technology.We’ll explore these fundamentals, or “cyber hygiene” as they’re often called, in the context of security programs & risk assessments, specialized cybersecutiry jobs, and a deep-dive discussion around patch management.After you listen, forward this podcast to your company’s IT Manager or Chief Information & Security Officer. Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com/Cybersecurity for a full list of industrial security resources from Rockwell Automation. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty. 

Welcome to the first ever Manufacturing Happy Hour mini-series. For the course of this 4-part series, we’ll be teaming up with Rockwell Automation’s cybersecurity team to bring you actionable security advice for industrial manufacturers.Steve Ludwig – Program Manager for Safety & Security at Rockwell Automation – joins us for our first episode. We start off with the basics as Steve shares why cybersecurity matters and why it’s a vital piece of a digital transformation journey; security isn’t just about protecting data and intellectual property, but assets, workers, and the environment as well.We’ll cover security in the context IT and OT integration, discuss the inherent link between safety and cybersecurity, and wrap up with some discussion on where these cyber threats are actually coming from.After you listen, forward this podcast to your company’s IT Manager or Chief Information & Security Officer. Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com/Cybersecurity for a full list of industrial security resources from Rockwell Automation. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty. 

Bottom Line Concepts is helping companies save jobs and protect employee benefits. How do they do this? They partner with companies – from manufacturers to retailers to professional sports organizations – to reduce their costs by auditing for refunds and negotiating for future savings.CEO Josh Fox jumps on the show today to share his story and walk us through Bottom Line’s performance-based business model. Josh shares stories and great examples from inside and outside of the manufacturing industry, as well as ways for both companies big and small to partner with Bottom Line. We’ll also get to know Josh a bit more as he shares why he’s been driven to keep at this business for over a decade.We traveled down to Beverly Hills for this conversation, and it was actually the last in-person interview we did before shelter-in-place took effect in March 2020. Honestly, when it comes to identifying cost savings to protect jobs and benefits, the timing couldn’t be better.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty. 

Matthew Putman is a Renaissance Man for the 21st century. He’s a scientist, author, teacher, and jazz pianist, as well as the CEO of Nanotronics, a science technology company that brings together robotics, automation, 3D imaging, and artificial intelligence for powering factories. They’re on a mission to redefine manufacturing for the future.In this dynamic interview, Matthew provides an overview of Nanotronics’ Brooklyn Navy Yard Smart Factory, manufacturing supply chains and leadership in the face of a wartime situation like COVID-19, as well as the intersections of art and science as it relates to his work in AI. From examples of their technology in practice to actionable tips for leading through uncertainty, few guests are able to cover such a range of topics as thoroughly as Matthew Putman.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty. 

In our last full-length episode, Chuck Swoboda joined us for a discussion about innovation at Milwaukee Brewing Company. Since we recorded the show in front of a live audience, in this bonus episode, we’re answering your questions about innovation, covering everything from risk-taking to getting organizational buy-in on your innovative ideas.Make sure to check out our full interview in Episode 13, and subscribe to Chuck’s podcast Innovators On Tap. 

Chuck Swoboda had an illustrious career at Cree, Inc., and even as a retired CEO, he’s still keeping busy and learning. Chuck now hosts the podcast Innovators On Tap, a show that explores what innovation really looks like through interviews with leaders and change-makers across a range of industries. He’s distilled these lessons through his upcoming book The Innovator’s Spirit, which comes out on May 5, 2020.Chuck and I met up for a live podcast at Milwaukee Brewing Company in – you guessed it – Milwaukee, WI. After throwing a literal happy hour with industry leaders from Rockwell Automation, Marquette University, and Milwaukee manufacturing community, we sat down for a discussion on what innovation really means and how it’s played a role in our respective careers. Make sure to check out Chuck’s podcast Innovators On Tap, and I hope you enjoy this first ever 2-way interview here on Manufacturing Happy Hour.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

Social distancing might be a thing right now, but that won’t stop Manufacturing Happy Hour from bring together a bunch of industry leaders for a drink! Tune in this week to hear live footage from the first ever “Virtual Happy Hour” hosted by the Manufacturing Happy Hour Industry Community. Over 10 marketers, systems integrators, recruiters, and professional association leaders gathered on Zoom for a conversation about the impact the Coronavirus is having on manufacturing, but also to share optimism as to how this “new normal” could result in tremendous opportunities in digital transformation, E-learning, and virtual training just to name a few.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty. 

COVID-19 – better known as the Coronavirus – continues to spread and disrupt the global economy in the process. The manufacturing industry is not immune to its effects, especially as the virus’ origins and highest number of cases are in China, a country which plays a key role in almost every manufacturer’s supply chain.So whether the Coronavirus is a pandemic or not, what can you as a manufacturing leader do to understand its effects on your business and, more importantly, what actions can you take to keep running and growing your business? In this timely bonus episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we’ll take a look at how the virus is impacting global supply chains and how leaders in operations, sales & marketing, and the C-suite can respond in turn.This episode barely scratches the surface of an issue worth discussing further, so make sure to join the Manufacturing Happy Hour Industry Community on LinkedIn to join the conversation. 

Veryable just might be the solution to the workforce shortage challenges we as manufacturing leaders are all too aware of. Veryable is an on-demand marketplace for manufacturing labor, essentially making it “The Uber of the Factory Floor.” You can ramp up and ramp down your workforce as needed, while operators that use the platform have the benefit of creating a flexible work schedule. It’s a win-win for both the manufacturers and the people that keep those plants running.Veryable CTO Noah Labhart jumps on the show this week to share his own story going from developer to company co-founder, as well as some stories about the Veryable platform that really showcase its power to bring manufacturing into the 21st century by taking on one of the biggest issues facing manufacturers today.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty. 

A3 is the Association for Advancing Automation, and at the beginning of every year, they host their annual business forum. Michael "Sully" Sullivan from the automation industry talent search firm Miller Resource Group had the opportunity to attend this past January, and in this edition of "3 Quick Things," Sully shares his 3 biggest takeaways from the event. From evolving perceptions around automation's role in job creation to the economic outlook for the manufacturing industry in 2020, this bonus episode is great food for thought as manufacturing leaders continue to navigate the year - and decade - ahead.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty. 

Workplace safety: One of the most important priorities for any manufacturer. Joe Geng has spent his entire career focused on helping people stay safe even in the toughest of work environments through his work at Superior Glove, the largest producer of work gloves in Canada. Now, he’s captured some of his biggest findings on workplace safety through his new book Rethinking Hand Safety: Myths, Truths, and Proven Practices.In this episode, Joe takes us through his journey into the family business, and his most important findings about workplace safety, including how trust is the foundation of a safe work culture as well as the psychology behind wearing (and not wearing) proper PPE. You’ll hear plenty of stories from the new book and actionable tips that will allow you to assess the state of your culture of safety within your own business or operation.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty. 

Travis Sheridan really does have the coolest job in the world. As the former President of Venture Café Global Institute (and the current Chief Community Officer of Wexford Science & Technology), he’s traveled the globe helping establish innovation communities in cities like Warsaw, Tokyo, and Philadelphia. He’s basically the Anthony Bourdain of startups.In this episode originally recorded for the show Pubcast Worldwide, Travis shares his thoughts on innovation and whom it should benefit. From scalable venture-backed startups to solving systemic societal issues, we cover a lot of ground, including:Why failure shouldn’t be celebratedWhose human condition is being improved by technologyHow innovation and collaboration vary from culture-to-cultureWe’ll even take a deep-dive into some of the specific Venture Café communities Travis has helped establish, including St. Louis, Rotterdam, and Sydney. There are plenty of parallels between startup life and the challenges manufacturers face – regardless of where you are in the world – and Travis has the passport stamps to prove it.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

As 2019 draws to a close, we jump into another edition of “3 Quick Things” that’s all about gratitude. In this bonus episode, we cover daily habits for exercising gratitude that can help any manufacturing leader stay focused and think bigger as they lead their teams and businesses into the next decade.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned for all of our full-length episodes. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

As a manufacturing company, how is social media currently playing a role in helping your business grow? Is it generating leads? Is it engaging your existing customer base? Are you regularly participating in conversations on LinkedIn, or are you just posting from time-to-time, usually in the form of some arbitrary holiday post?Whether you answered yes or no to any of these questions, you’ll want to tune into this episode as Chris walks through 6 strategies that you as a manufacturing leader can use to build your brand, community, and funnel while strengthening your overall business. From advanced tactics to actions that any employee can take to start using social media more effectively, Chris covers the specific tools and habits you need to increase your online presence and keep your brand at the front of your customers’ minds at all times.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

With 2019 coming quickly to a close, we have a short episode for you this week to help you jumpstart the new year. In this first ever bonus edition of “3 Quick Things,” Chris takes lessons from the first round of Manufacturing Happy Hour interviews and distills those into easy actions you can take in 2020. From creating & communicating a vision for new manufacturing technologies to leveraging a community of mentors that can help you take your business to the next level, tune in for this quickie of an episode, and make sure to come back next week for another full-length edition of the show.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

Anastasia Kraft loved her engineering career in project management but hated the bulky, made-for-men work boots she had to wear on job sites. Realizing that she wasn’t alone in this feeling, she created a company that would solve this problem for her and all other women in the industry…Ana is the Co-Founder & CEO of Xena Workwear, a new Milwaukee-based industrial apparel company that’s leveling the playing field for women in engineering, manufacturing, and construction thanks to their stylish steel-toe shoes. She believes that what you wear impacts your confidence at work, but more importantly, she’s on a mission to make STEM-related fields more accessible to women.In this episode, Ana shares her entrepreneurial journey of starting Xena Workwear, why female role models in industry are critical for getting girls interested in STEM, and how male allies can take an active role in supporting women in these industries. There are plenty of startup stories, travel tales, and Wisconsin beers to go along with these topics, so grab a cold one and join us for the conversation.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty. 

Have you been hearing about “Digital Transformation” and “Smart Manufacturing” but want to know if these are anything more than buzzwords? Are you wondering how to start taking advantage of the Industrial Internet of Things in your manufacturing operation? Wouldn’t it be nice if someone just simplified and explained these topics in a way that you could understand them while hanging out at a bar? Well, our panelists answered all of these questions and more during our first ever LIVE episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, recorded at the unofficial Automation Fair 2019 Kick-Off Party in Chicago.We were joined by 3 experts in Digital Transformation for this episode – including Tom Gaudet from PTC, Beth Parkinson from Rockwell Automation, and Ryan Wasmund from Concept Systems – who shared their insights and examples of successful Industrial Internet of Things implementations throughout this beer-fueled discussion. And, in an effort to avoid excessive industry jargon, we kicked the conversation up a notch by playing “The Digital Transformation Drinking Game” from start to finish. Curious how that turned out? Then tune in to this week’s episode for actionable advice, starter tips, and a little bit of fun around Digital Transformation.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty. 

Like many entrepreneurs, Joe Carson was leading a successful career at a large company. After spending his first 5 years out of college at Rockwell Automation, he didn’t want to risk living with regret and couldn’t resist the startup urge any longer. Joe is the Founder of Pacific Blue Engineering, a Long Beach-based control systems integrator that’s been growing across California and beyond for over 4 years.In this episode, Joe walks us through his own journey of building Pacific Blue Engineering and the investments he makes in himself and his team to stay on top of their game – both technically and physiologically. We even get his perceptions on the future of automation, and why the opportunity to migrate legacy control systems and enable the Connected Enterprise have Joe excited for what’s ahead.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty. 

SteamChain.io is fundamentally changing the way that equipment manufacturers and end-users collaborate with one another. Their new “Machine-as-a-Service” solutions not only improve machine productivity and performance, but allow businesses to accelerate toward mutual desired outcomes.Co-Founder Michael Cromheecke jumps on the show to dissect this new business model and illustrate where it’s already seeing success in the manufacturing sector. He shares the story of his own corporate-turned-entrepreneurial journey before taking a technical deep-dive as to how SteamChain is leveraging blockchain to ensure secure agreements and transactions between OEMs and end-users. After hearing the financial, technological, and relationship impacts outlined in this episode, every manufacturing executive will want to start exploring this as-a-service business model.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

Dr. Kris Ropella is Dean of the Opus College of Engineering at Marquette University, and a true enabler of the engineer of the future. In this episode, Dr. Ropella meets up with us at Caffrey’s Pub on Marquette’s campus to discuss how engineering education is evolving to incorporate more creativity, diversity, and leadership while better preparing engineers for the manufacturing industry and beyond. From ballroom dancing to learning through failure to the changing face of engineering, this episode is packed with stories you won’t want to miss.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty. 

How do you turn areas that were once manufacturing powerhouses back into regions with thriving economies? Brandon Cornuke & Michael Goldberg believe developing strong manufacturing ecosystems is a big part of the answer.Brandon Cornuke is the Vice President of Startup Services at MAGNET, a Cleveland-based organization that helps manufacturers in Northeast Ohio grow their operations, workforces, and startups. Michael Goldberg is a Professor of Design & Innovation at Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management and leader of the successful Coursera MOOC “Beyond Silicon Valley.” These two individuals are on a mission to help budding entrepreneurs in Cleveland and other transitioning economies get the education and resources they need to build successful companies.In this episode, we discuss how the future of manufacturing is technology-driven, the type of support ecosystems that are necessary to help manufacturing companies grow and prosper, and the role that education will continue to play in enabling the manufacturing workforce, all the way down to the trade level. Michael and Brandon have plenty of examples to share about manufacturers that are taking advantage of the resources they have available, regardless of whether they’re in Bosnia, Indonesia, or Cleveland.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty. 

Krisztina “Z” Holly has had quite the illustrious career in tech and manufacturing. Her list of accomplishments includes creating the first ever TEDx events, working for multiple successful tech startups, spearheading innovation centers at USC and MIT, and currently, serving as the Founder & “Chief Instigator” for MAKE IT IN LA – LA Mayor Garcetti’s regional maker-focused non-profit – and her own podcast “The Art of Manufacturing.”Z joins us on the show today to tell us how manufacturing is “sexy” while covering a range of topics – from iterative design processes to sustainable manufacturing. We focus on the importance of manufacturing ecosystems, exercising that entrepreneurial mindset, and why manufacturers need to dream big.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty. 

Dan Voit is the CEO of Blentech, an industrial equipment manufacturer specializing in advanced cooking and mixing technologies based in Santa Rosa, CA. It’s no simple task to run a profitable manufacturing company in the middle of Sonoma County, but with cutting-edge technologies like their CookerCloud coupled with an ultra-strong company culture, Dan and the team at Blentech continue to find ways to win and grow.In our conversation, Dan walks us through his journey into the food sciences world and why he chose to step up as a leader at the company. As both a Chief Executive Officer and a seasoned CrossFit athlete, Dan shares several his key habits for setting and maintaining goals, and how he still carves out time to make culture-building at Blentech a top priority.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.