Make It Right

The Manufacturing Podcast

Make It Right - The Manufacturing Podcast

Manufacturing industry experts discuss the advancements, challenges, solutions and opportunities in this highly technical industry.

Do it right. Don't compromise with right.

- Jim Rohn -

The Industry Experts

Episode 155: Solving the $3Billion Absent Employee Challenge

It was estimated that last year alone absent employees, due to illness or lateness, cost business $3Billion. In manufacturing, if a key person is missing on your manufacturing line, the last thing you want to have to do is shut down the line. This week on Make It Right Kevin Snook and Janet Eastman speak to Vocantas CEO Gary Hannah about a shift fill solution they designed at the request of a large manufacturer. Absent employees notify the system and it automates the shift fill process in real time to keep things moving in your manufacturing business and give employees peace of mind that their shift is covered.

Episode 154: Transformational Manufacturing Part 2

Last week on Episode 153 manufacturing executive Lionel Moss shared how he has transformed a number of plants. by dissecting the manufacturing company’s purpose and aligning that purpose and the individuals to team goals that transform the success of the company. In part 2 of our conversation we focus on the power of dialogue across the plant.

Episode 153: Transformational Manufacturing

Manufacturing is about transforming materials into products. By its very process manufacturing is transformational because the forces applied to materials makes something totally different. This week on Make It Right our guest believes manufacturing can be transformational for everyone involved. We can make better products, and in the process, we can also all become better people, provided that the forces applied are deliberately designed to enable that to happen. Lionel Moss is a manufacturing executive who has worked in Belgium, South Africa and the US in various roles including plant manager. He is now the VP & GM at KDC/one. He has worked the ideas he shares on Make It Right to achieve success in manufacturing.

Episode 152: Whatever You Walk Past Becomes Your Standard - The Factory Tour in 2021

“Whatever you walk past becomes your standard.” This is a comment from manufacturing leadership advisor Kevin Snook and it really rings true in business, and in life. You cannot let things that are not right just slide. And as a leader if you are not getting the results you want from your team that too is your responsibility. On part 2 of Walking the Factory Floor in 2021 Kevin shares some simple approaches to implement change and start getting the most out of your team.

Episode 151: The Factory Tour in 2021

One of the most important things a manufacturing leader can do is walk the factory floor and engage with the team members. This gives the leader the opportunity to understand the challenges, obstacles and ideas for improvement that these frontline employees have. Unfortunately this activity is often missed or given just cursory attention. In his 30+ year career manufacturing leadership advisor Kevin Snook has been on thousands of factory tours and this week he shares his observations and best practices on how to do this right so the entire business can benefit.

Episode 150: Augmented Reality - Futuristic Tools for NOW Manufacturing

On Episode #150 we look at the use of augmented reality maintenance and training tools to understand what they are and how they can work for manufacturers to improve training, recruitment, maintenance, knowledge capture and safety. Kevin Snook and Janet Eastman talk Dirck Schou, CEO of augmented reality technology company Taqtile.

Episode 149: The HOWs of Leadership in Uncertain Times

For many leaders the big question right now is HOW?…how do we move forward, how do we succeed in this current uncertainty, how do we motivate our teams, how do we come out the other side successfully? These are questions that can keep you awake at night. This week on Make It Right manufacturing leadership advisor Kevin Snook and I unpack some of those questions with Dave McKeown. Dave is a leadership consultant and author of “The Self-Evolved Leader” and he has been on the show a number of times. Both he and Kevin are on the frontline working with leaders everyday and they provide a current world reality perspective on this episode of Make It Right.

Episode 148: Positive Results with Positive People Treatment

Low morale, poor productivity, errors etc are all signs of an organization with a civility problem. Dr Lew Bayer is a civility expert and she joined us on Make It Right to share how to identify and fix incivility issues to improve your manufacturing results. This is part 2 of our conversation and in it Lew shares how to use the Civility Culture Continuum Brief, a tool you can use in your organization to work through your incivility issues in your company.

Episode 147: The Rewards of Civility in Manufacturing & Continuous Improvement

Dr. Lew Bayer believes that practicing civility in the workplace is its own reward – because it is the right thing to do – but it can also have a huge impact if you are looking for measurable improvements in your continuous improvement practices. Dr Bayer is an internationally recognized expert on Civility at work and CEO of Civility Experts. She shares how you can understand if you have a civility problem in your factory and how to fix it on this episode of Make It Right.

Episode 146: Organizational DNA – Part 2

Daniel Edds is the author of Leveraging the Genetics of Leadership – Cracking the Code of Sustainable Team Performance and through his research he has discovered some key factors that high impact organizations leverage to huge success. This week on the show it is part 2 of our conversation and Daniel explains the 3 value areas that can have a tremendous impact on your business…people, money and knowledge.

Episode 145: Organizational DNA – Setting the Code for Unparalleled Success

When you are looking at your business and its ability to succeed do you ever consider its organizational DNA? This may be a new concept to you but this week on Make It Right our guest says that “Forward-thinking individuals and organizations are begin­ning to realize they can custom-engineer their organizational DNA to a specific genetic code that will unleash the basic human capacities for creativity, innovation, and problem solving. The result is unparalleled organizational success.” Daniel Edds, the author of Leveraging the Genetics of Leadership – Cracking the Code of Sustainable Team Performance is this week’s Make It Right guest.

Episode 144: Attention = Currency, Legendary Brand Building

As a leader of a manufacturing company how do you see your role? Are you focused on the internal side of your business or are you looking outward at how others see you and your brand? This week on the Make It Right podcast we look at how companies can build irresistible brands that attract customers by showcasing what makes them special and worthy of that customer loyalty. Standing out in a global marketplace is getting more and more challenging but you can build brand loyalty if you connect to customers through stories on an individual level. This week on Make It Right, international speaker and author Gair Maxwell explains how.

Episode 143: Digitalization - Shaping the Future of Manufacturing

Digitalization – Industry 4.0, IiOT, Smart Factories – or whatever you choose to call it is changing the manufacturing landscape. Sensors littered throughout factories collect and share data to monitor and enhance operations, and data collection can start as far back as the source of a product’s raw materials. This mountain of data will have a huge impact on four primary areas; 1) operational efficiency; 2) predictive and preventative maintenance; 3) supply chain management; and 4) inventories and logistics. This week on Make It Right we talk digitalization with Gary Mintchell, an independent podcaster and blogger for the manufacturing sector.

Episode 142: Automation Transformation - Automate for Team Safety & Business Success

Automation and robotics can bring huge gains to your manufacturing business and your team and it doesn’t have to be an all or nothing approach. Rolling out automation as the need arises can bring productivity gains through increased throughput and by shifting frontline workers to more skilled tasks. This is part 2 of our discussion with Justin Stephens of Kaitech Automation who outlines how automation can be done with an eye on the ROI and the reskilling of your team.

Episode 141: Strategic Automation - The Benefits for Frontline Workers & the Business

Automating the repetitive, mundane tasks on your manufacturing line can increase your throughput and the enhance the lives of your frontline workers by shifting their activities to more engaging and skilled work. Installing robotic solutions for repetitive tasks can be rolled out in a graduated manner that makes that automation transformation easy to achieve and afford. On this episode of Make It Right Kevin Snook and Janet Eastman discuss the transformative power of factory line automation and the ROI is can achieve with Justin Stephens of Kaitech Automation.

Episode #140: SMART Factories-Keeping It Simple in Complex Environments

Factories are made up of people, processes and technology and when you bring them all together to operate in an aligned manner you establish a smart approach that raises productivity, increases efficiencies and leads to revenue growth. This week on Make It Right James Crean, the President and CTO at CREAN Inc discusses how SMART factories work and how sometimes the simplest, low cost, non-tech solution is the key to success.

Episode #139: Napoleon Hill's Major Attributes of Leadership

Napoleon Hill’s seminal book “Think & Grow Rich” was released in 1937 but it was based on research he conducted prior to that, over some 25 years, as he interviewed the great leaders of his time – Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Andrew Carnegie, John D Rockefeller and Alexander Graham Bell…just to name a few. In the book there is a section entitled “The Major Attributes of Leadership” and on this episode manufacturing leadership advisor and author Kevin Snook shares his thoughts on how those leadership attributes are holding up some 80+ years later.

Episode #138: Understanding the Spokes on the Continuous Improvement Wheel

“There are several proven CI methodologies that work and guess what, they all centre around ensuring that the people who do the work are empowered, involved in and trained on continuously improving the processes they do every day at work.” That comment is from Shane Wentz, a Certified LEAN Six Sigma Master Black Belt who has worked with the US Army, Siemens, Nike and others on their Continuous Improvement mandates. Shane is the co-owner of A Change in Latitude Consulting www.acilconsulting.com and he joins Kevin Snook and Janet Eastman to discuss the 5 key spokes on the continuous improvement wheel that all feed the centre … the frontline employees.

Episode #137: The Evolving Impact of IoT & IIoT on Life & Business

The fourth industrial revolution has been underway for a number of years with many in the manufacturing sector embracing the Industry 4.0 path to increased productivity, reduced costs, better products. But the factory of the future will need more than just good data and understanding it. IoT and IIot are playing an ever larger role in our world and our businesses. This week on the show we’re doing some future gazing with Greg Orloff, Senior Analyst and Chief Business Development Officer @ IIoT World. It’s a conversation about the various impacts the Internet of Things and the Industrial Internet of Things may have on our lives and our businesses.

Episode #136: A Pandemic Pivot on the Road to World Class

How do you post 30% growth, with just 30% of your workforce during a pandemic? Compassionate leadership, continuous improvement and laughter is how AP&G Co. did it. AP&G’s Plant Manager Vladimir Floresca was originally a guest on Make It Right (Episode 60) in the summer of 2019 when he discussed the plant’s continuous improvement processes and their goal of world class manufacturing. On this episode Vlad discusses the company’s progress, the integration of an acquisition into their processes, all while riding through the challenges and opportunities of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Episode #135: Proing Up Your Procurement for Supply Chain Success

Aaron Brimer has been in procurement for the last decade and in those years he has weathered some supply storms and learned from those experiences. He has a procurement philosophy that has helped him through challenges, even during a crazy year like 2020 when the way we all do business changed. In October Aaron began to share his passion for procurement with his “Manufacturing Procurement Guy” podcast. This week on Make It Right Aaron joins Janet to talk about how manufacturers can mitigate their risk, manage their procurement and avoid surprises that can seriously impact their business.

Episode #134: Part 2 - The Challenges & Opportunities of Reshoring US Manufacturing

This is Part 2 of our conversation with Harry Moser, the founder and president of the Reshoring Initiative. He discusses how some US companies can successfully reshore their manufacturing activities. You can also listen to Part 1 of this conversation in Episode 133 where Harry explains how COVID-19 has shone a light on some of the aspects of offshoring that have had a negative impact on US manufacturing.

Episode #133: The Challenges & Opportunities of Reshoring US Manufacturing

The US at one time was a powerhouse of manufacturing but over the last few decades, in an effort to reduces costs, North American companies began offshoring manufacturing to other parts of the world. Some manufacturing began to boomerang back to these shores in recent years and the industry was growing. Then in 2020 COVID-19 shone the light on some of the negative aspects of offshoring as supply of necessary goods from across the world was just not available. This has got the US government and manufacturing thinking reshoring – the opportunities and the challenges. This week on Make It Right our guest is Harry Moser, the founder and President of the Reshoring Initiative and he discusses the how some US companies can successfully reshore their manufacturing activities.

Episode #132: LinkedIN Relationships for Business Growth

Relationship building is the key to success in business because people do business with people they like and trust. So how can you build new relationships when the traditional methods of meeting people at functions, conferences etc are simply not available to us now? Online tools can help and one of the key relationship building tools for business is LinkedIN. This week on Make It Right our guest is Justin Stephens and he shares his proven success tactics for using LinkedIn to build your network.

Episode #131: Pursuing Engaged Leadership & Communication

When you are in the thick of it, dealing with the daily issues of a manufacturing business, it can be difficult to understand the impact of your leadership. This week on the show our guest is Phil Van Hooser, an Award-winning Keynote Speaker, Leadership Trainer and Author whose focus in on Engaged Leadership & Communication. After watching one of his LinkedIN video posts Janet invited Phil to Make It Right to share that illustrative manufacturing leadership story and many others that offer nuggets of how to achieve engaged leadership and communication.

Episode #130: Failing Forward - Learning to Lead & Coach Your Team

In business middle managers are sandwiched between the C-suite and the people they are “Leadership is to serve and develop people through human interactions and relationships towards the achievement of goals that support purpose.” That is how this week’s guest, Jamie V. Parker, views the role of leadership. A recovering command and control leader Jamie now works with manufacturing leaders helping them find balance between leading and coaching their teams while on their lean journey.

Episode #129: The Self-evolved Middle Manager

In business middle managers are sandwiched between the C-suite and the people they are leading. They have to navigate the demands of their bosses while working with, and leading, their own teams. They are trying to hold it all together, keep everyone happy and move the business forward. They are stressed and looking for help. This week on Make It Right leadership consultant Dave McKeown returns to the show. Dave is the author of “The Self-evolved Leader and he shares his perspective and some solutions to the challenges middle managers are facing in a conversation with manufacturing leadership advisor Kevin Snook and MIR host Janet Eastman.

Episode #128: Leading in the Disposable Diaper Industry

Carlos Richer has spent more than 30 years in the disposable diaper industry providing consultation services to factories around the world. He is also the founder of the Disposable Diaper Network LinkedIN group. This week on Make It Right he and manufacturing leadership consultant Kevin Snook look at the challenges of a changing diaper market and the areas of opportunity that diaper manufacturers should be considering.

Episode #127: The 3 Ls: Leadership, Lean & Learning with Katie Anderson

A chance meeting with Toyota Leader Isao Yoshino has propelled consultant and coach Katie Anderson on a leadership journey most would dream of. Over the last 5 years Mr Yoshino has shared his successes and failures during 40 years at Toyota and together they now share his story at conferences and in a new book Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn: Lessons from Toyota Leader Isao Yoshino on a Life Time of Continuous Learning. Katie Anderson joins Kevin Snook and Janet Eastman as they discuss leading with intention and from the heart.

Episode #126: Pursuing World-class Leadership

What makes a world-class leader? This week on Make It Right Peter Gibbons, CEO of TireHub, and leadership advisor Kevin Snook share stories and insights from their careers and personal lives as they discuss how they see the role of the leader, how leadership is evolving and why it is a privilege to lead.

Episode #125: Psychological First Aid: A Health & Safety Must in COVID-19

According to John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Centre, COVID-19 has reached 34 million cases & 1 million deaths for a death rate of 3% worldwide as of October 1 2020. However, these numbers are all lower than actual because of the inability to test and report in some countries. As countries open up and necessary employees return to work business leaders have a new, significant health and safety challenge to address. This week on Make It Right we look at the role of leadership in the workplace in light of COVID-19 with Health and Safety consultant Andrew Morris and manufacturing leadership advisor Kevin Snook.

Episode #124: Manufacturing World-class Leaders

Good results is the goal of any manufacturing leader and even with a wealth of education and knowledge of business, engineering, supply chain management etc. they can still run into challenges that have them beat. Often, on closer inspection those challenges are rooted in people. Why aren’t people performing at their highest level? Why is there apathy within the team? Why don’t they admit when things are going wrong. These are all challenges manufacturing leadership advisor Kevin Snook has dealt with as a manufacturing leader and consultant. This week on Make It Right he speaks with Janet Eastman about how he helps manufacturing leaders meet these challenges and achieve the results they have been looking for.

Episode #123: The GOLD in Manufacturing R&D Tax Credits

American manufacturers can save a significant amount of money by using R&D tax credits. While many think that it is just technology and drug companies that can benefit from the credits, in fact 70% of all tax credits are claimed by manufacturers. There are 9 common activities that manufacturers perform – things like determining requirements and quoting on sales projects to trial production runs and quality approvals – that can qualify for R&D tax credits. The money generated by these tax credits can be used to grow the business. This week on Make It Right Janet’s guest is John Madsen, Vice President & Manufacturing Practice Leader at Black Line Group. He is a tax credit expert with decades of experience in manufacturing and he shares how manufacturers can make the most of this opportunity.

Episode #122: Meeting the Manufacturing Challenges of Making It HUGE

Manufacturers who produce large products – such as those companies in aerospace, construction, milling and mining – often have requirements for large scale, unique products. Sourcing those products or a manufacturer who can create them is a challenge because it takes a unique set of skills and technical understanding to be able produce products to spec in a timely and cost effective manner. This week on Make It Right Janet Eastman talks with John Meyer about his company MetSource which solves these large scale product manufacturing challenges for a variety of sectors, including providing the massive tubing required for the Trans Bay Transit Center construction project in San Francisco.

Episode #121: Willert Home Products - Carving Out a Niche Amongst Manufacturing Giants

Willert Home Products is a family owned business that started out in 1946 with a single product…mothballs. It now has 100 products, does business around the world and operates 5 plants, with locations in St Louis and Philadelphia and 3 in Asia, employing approximately 500 people. Willert manufactures everything from flyswatters and pest control products to air freshener products and toilet bowl cleaner Ty-D-Bol. This week on Make It Right we look at how this 75 year old family-owned manufacturing company has carved out a niche amongst manufacturing giants. Janet Eastman’s guest is Derek Winters, VP of Sales at Willert Home Products.

Episode #120: Sales Enablement - Aligning the Process for Success

Manufacturing a product and Making It Right takes process and people alignment. Selling that product to a customer who needs it also requires alignment. This week on Make It Right Sale Enablement Expert Ryan Bretsch of Spoke Marketing outlines why and how alignment from the management team through to marketing and sales needs to be in place to achieve success for your customer and your manufacturing business.

Episode #119: This Technology Trip – Aligning Your Journey for Triumph Not Tragedy

We are surrounded by technology and it comes to hand in almost everything we do. Using technology right can transform your business, your experience, your customer’s experience and your results. But getting technology right is difficult. This week on Make It Right guest Jonathon Hensley of Emerge Interactive provides insights and tips on how he helps companies get it right. He has helped Fortune 500 brands, business leaders, entrepreneurs and others to achieve valuable digital experiences.

Episode #118: BUSINESS BOOMERANG. From Furloughed to FULL ON! - One Plant's COVID Pivot

COVID-19 initially forced Spartech’s Paulding Ohio plant to reduce its workforce by 65%. When a new product was requested this plant got fired up with a plant conversion and a new process. It is now on the path of 40% employment growth and one of their best years ever. This week on Make It Right Gary Buckland, Senior Plant Manager at Spartech in Paulding shares the story of the company’s COVID pivot.

Episode #117: Why Alignment & Engagement Matter to Performance

With more than 30 years of manufacturing and business experience working with companies like Harley Davidson and Chrysler, lean thought leader Jamie Flinchbaugh has learned the power of alignment, engagement and trust on a company’s performance. You may recognize Jamie’s name as he is the co-author of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Lean”, a book released in 2006 that shares real life learnings and stories from lean journeys. On this episode of Make It Right Jamie offers tips and approaches he now uses as a lean consultant to achieve success for manufacturing companies.

Episode #116: Manufacturing Hub - St Louis, MO

Manufacturing is a quarter of the St Louis MO region’s economic activity. With a longstanding heritage in aerospace and defense manufacturing, and a growing role in biomedical, St Louis is also home to companies who manufacture a variety of items including well known household products. This week on Make It Right Janet Eastman talks with Marc Bowers, the Executive Director of St Louis Makes, an industry funded manufacturing association that supports its members with deep industry knowledge and a focus on new product and business development.

Episode #115: Seeing is Believing - Manufacturing Processes Under the Lens

When something is going wrong in your manufacturing process it’s important to be able to quickly and easily identify where things went off course. For many manufacturing companies that job entails the quality control manager on the shop floor with their stopwatch. Enter drishti, a video analytics and video traceability solution for the factory floor. This week on Make It Right Dave Prager, Head of Marketing and Business Development at drishti discusses how the solution works and how the company will use its new Series B funding of $25million.

Episode #114: Adjusting Your Communication in the Remote Reality

Pete Winiarski is a manufacturing veteran and consultant who has written a book called Virtual Teams That Thrive. It defines a clear path to help leaders and their teams adjust, to successfully work and engage outside of the business location. Working virtually is here indefinitely so early adaptation is key to your company’s success. On last week’s show we discussed how to get properly set up to work remotely indefinitely and this week Pete explains how to engage virtually with your shop floor and your customers for maximum value all around.

Episode #113: Virtual Teams That Thrive

Working virtually is here and may be the way of work indefinitely. Adjusting ourselves and our teams to successfully work and engage outside the standard business environment is key to your company’s success. Pete Winiarski has worked in the manufacturing industry and as a consultant throughout his career. He recently wrote a book called Virtual Teams That Thrive that defines a clear path to creating a work structure that benefits everyone – teams, customers, leaders and the business.

Episode #112: Unlocking Your Creator Mindset for Business Prosperity

Manufacturing is about making things and at the core of making things is creativity. This week on Make It Right Janet Eastman’s guest is creativity expert Nir Bashan who believes creativity isn’t just for the “artist”. He believes it is fundamental to success and he teaches business leaders and individuals how to harness the power of creativity to improve profitability, increase sales, and ultimately create more meaning in their work by unlocking their creator mindset.

Episode #111: Who Will Replace Manufacturing's Retiring Workforce?

It’s predicted that by 2030 there will be 10,000 retirements per day in both the US and EU. This will create a huge hole in manufacturing and a massive brain drain. The sector has an image problem as young people don’t see it as a highly technical and skilled industry with significant career opportunity. What needs to change to attract this much needed workforce? Just Piferrer is a supply chain expert and a professor at a number of business schools in Barcelona. He joins Janet Eastman to share his ideas and thoughts on how manufacturing can adjust to meet this challenge head on.

Episode 110: 3 Tips to Manufacturing Success in a Post COVID-19 World

Over the last number of weeks Make It Right has featured interviews with leadership and marketing experts who have shared their expertise in an effort to help manufacturing businesses weather the COVID-19 storm. This week on the show we share 3 key tips curated from three guests with the hope that they may trigger some ideas for you and your business.

Episode #109: Adjusting Your Manufacturing Business to the Post COVID-19 World

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a game changer for business. Last week on Make It Right Episode 108 supply chain expert Filippo Mauri discussed its impact on globalization, how it will affect supply chains, manufacturing businesses and company culture. This week Filippo shares his European perspective on how the shifting business landscape is impacting developing countries and how social distancing has flattened the hierarchal playing field.

Episode #108: Kicked Into the Future - Manufacturing Post COVID-19

The world of work has gone through a rapid readjustment since the onset of COVID-19. The last number of months have been a shock to the systems – personal, professional and technological – but the world still functions and some of those forced changes have been positive. This week on Make It Right supply chain expert Filippo Mauri of IMUNDO Global shares a European perspective on the transformation that has taken place and what he thinks will be the lasting impacts.

Episode #107: Behavioral Science based Sales Generation

The science of behavioral change can help you amplify your sales. Sean M. Doyle as been working with B2B clients for more than 25 years, focusing on long term value creation though a sales-first, scientific approach to driving revenue. The approach has achieved significant success for his clients. This week on Make It Right Sean shares the science behind this approach, he identifies the stages where the sales and marketing wheels often fall off and he explains how to avoid that in the future.

Episode #106: People Driven, Results Focused Branding

Scott Aaron is an internationally acclaimed, award-winning online marketer, a best-selling author, top podcaster and speaker and the go-to specialist when it comes to converting traffic and establishing connections using LinkedIn. From experience he as defined the path to building a strong personal brand. On this episode of Make It Right he shares how manufacturing leaders can build and leverage their personal brands to boost their business and he explains how asking the right questions can tap you into the real needs of your customers.

Episode #105: Free Gets No Respect

Free sounds great in theory but enticing prospects and customers with free design samples, analysis or reports may not win you business. In reality people tend not to place value on something that is free and this approach may be negating the value of your time and expertise. This week on Make It Right Janet Eastman’s guest is Joe Sullivan the founder of Gorilla 76, a St Louis company that works with mid-sized manufacturing companies on their marketing initiatives. Joe expands on a 2 part article he recently wrote about how low-commitment, high-value consulting engagement is a better alternative.

Episode #104: Crisis Marketing for Manufacturers

“Within crisis are the seeds of opportunity.”

Are you looking at your manufacturing business with this in mind? Branding expert Jeremy Miller has walked the economic crisis path before and has been able to help his clients’ and his own business thrive. He shares his approach on this episode of Make It Right.

Episode #103: Open for Business! Making Your Website Accessible to All Users

When was the last time you looked at your B2B website to determine if all of the information is up to date and that the site is functioning properly. If you are like many business leaders it has probably been a while. Now when was the last time you looked at your website from a user accessibility view? Is the information provided accessible to the hearing and visually impaired or the physically challenged? Approximately 15% of all website users have an accessibility challenge so is your website locking out 15% of your potential customers? On this episode of Make It Right website usability expert Jeff White explains how to open it up for business to all users.

Episode 102: Become Best in Class - Establish Your Manufacturing Niche Part 2

Are you willing to audit your manufacturing business to find out where your sweet spot is, that area of expertise that you really stand out in? If you are willing to find out what your manufacturing company is truly world class at you could rise above the many to become THE One. This week on Make It Right James Soto of INDUSTRIAL shares how to find your manufacturing niche and capitalize on it.

Episode 101: Diaper Manufacturing – Shutdowns & Shortages in 2020

Carlos Richer, the founder of the Disposable Diaper Network shares his expectations for the state of the diaper manufacturing industry post COVID-19. Following the current shutdowns, and the expected supply shortages once manufacturing ramps up again, the industry is going to need to make adjustments. Carlos draws on his more than 30 years in the diaper manufacturing industry to share his thoughts and expectations on how diaper manufacturers can adjust their businesses to remain viable for the return to production post COVID-19.

Episode 100: Isolation Communication - Engage with Customers!

As COVID-19 makes its tour around the world some countries are slowing getting back to business while some are looking at what business will be like when they can turn the lights back on. The financial impact associated with the business shut down and now the heavy cost of preventing a relapse has given the manufacturing industry a lot to contend with. On this episode of the Make It Right podcast leadership advisor and manufacturing consultant Kevin Shook shares how you can engage with and support your clients in this time of need so they are moving forward in a progressive direction.

Episode 99: Nailing Your Niche in Manufacturing

Are you brave enough to audit your manufacturing business to find where the best work is and to “Go for It” in that market/industry sector? James Soto is the founder of INDUSTRIAL, a B2B marketing company that has nailed its niche by helping manufacturers find their unique offering and market it in the digital age. James says he was born industrial, raised digital and that’s the perspective he puts on the marketing challenges of today’s manufacturers. This week on Make It Right he shares ideas on how manufacturers can move from traditional to technology based marketing to get the most out of their business. And FYI, James and his company also branded and co-produced Manufacturing Day, the largest industrial sector promotion in US history.

Episode 98: Forego the Heroics - Leading for Team Empowerment

Helping others become the best versions of themselves is one of the key traits of a good leader, what leadership consultant Dave McKeown calls a self-evolved leader. By doing this you can open up your time to proactively plan the future of your business, to make creative and innovative decisions and to mentor and coach your people, to truly make a difference. This week on Make It Right Dave discusses the path to self-evolved leadership and how to get started.

Episode 97: Socially Distant, Dynamically Engaged B2B Sales & Marketing

Change. Sometimes we pursue it and sometimes it is forced upon us. Perhaps you are well settled in to your sales and marketing process but what is it doing for you now in this time of social distancing? Are you providing real value to your customers? On this episode of Make It Right Todd Hockenberry of Top Line Results shares effective approaches to elevate the value you are providing to your customers so you can give them what they need right now.

Episode 96: B2B Marketing for Manufacturers - Getting It Right

Marketing is ever evolving and now more than ever having effective digital experiences is what will help manufacturers engage buyers, serve customers, and outpace their competition online. So how do you do that? This week on Make It Right Janet Eastman’s guest is Carman Pirie, lead marketing and sales counsel at Kula Partners, a company that works with North American manufacturers to help them achieve that. He addresses some of the challenges manufacturing marketers are facing including how to develop effective marketing personas and how to avoid “paying the stupid tax” by choosing the right search terms for your business.

Episode 95: Phenix Rising - An Inspiring Story of Business Success

“Respect for people and continuous improvement” is the proven path to success at Phenix Technology, a family own company making helmets for firefighters and first responders. This approach completely transformed their business in just 6 years creating an environment of success, engagement, personal growth and job joy as well as an increase in sales, staff and profits. Angel Sanchez Jr shares Phenix Technology’s truly inspiring people culture and unique approach to business this week on Make It Right.

Episode 94: Business Transition: Creating Your Second Half Game Plan

Eventually we are all going to retire. We may want to, or we may be forced to, but either way one day we will stop working. So then what? Do you know what you are going to do 24/7/365? When business leaders and owners transition to retirement they prepare the company for their departure but often times they don’t have a plan for their time in retirement. That time can weigh heavy on someone who has been working for several decades and Patrick Bradley of Manufactured Financial Solutions LLC has seen it happen. He now helps business leaders set up their “Second Half Game Plan” so they can truly lead a happy, connected, on purpose retirement. In this episode of Make It Right he shares his process.

Episode 93: Knowledge Management - A Business Brain Trust

There is a wealth of knowledge swirling around in the brains of your employees, acquired through projects and processes they have been involved in. There is gold in this knowledge that can help companies identify issues that are holding them back and opportunities that can propel them forward. Unfortunately many companies neglect to collect this information and catalogue it for future reference. This week on Make It Right Janet Eastman talks with Continuous Improvement expert Sam Yankelevitch about why and how to do Knowledge Management effectively.

Episode 92: TireHub - Positioning for Success

This week it is the story of a new start-up with a twist. TireHub is a national tire distributor that provides tire dealers and retailers in the US with a comprehensive range of tires from two of the world’s leading tire companies, Bridgestone and Goodyear. In just 2 years TireHub has build, launched and grown its tire distribution footprint across the US to 71 Tire Logistic Centres. TireHub CEO Peter Gibbons joins Janet Eastman to explain how they did it.

Episode 91: Hands On! A Solution to The Skills Gap

The 4th industrial revolution is transforming the world of manufacturing and the job skills required. With the rapid pace of change it is hard to know what skills will be necessary in 10 years or even in 2 years. According to a 2018 skills gap study from Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute it isn’t a lack of jobs that manufacturing is facing, it’s a lack of skilled workers to take on new and previously unknown roles. This week on Make It Right Janet Eastman talks with 30 year manufacturing veteran Gene Sherman who launched a California training centre in 2012 to offer hands training in a collaborative environment to give people the necessary skills to engage in this rapidly changing manufacturing world.

Episode 90: Leadership Lessons from Literary Greats

What can the past teach us? Well, it seems quite a lot when you read some of the writings John Jantsch has curated from literary greats such as Thoreau, Whitman, Alcott and Emerson. Jantsch has written 5 previous books – all on marketing – but his latest offering is for the entrepreneur and it is designed to kick start the entrepreneur’s day with some positive and inspiration reading. On this episode of Make It Right John Jantsch discusses the hows and whys and benefits of collecting classic literary quotes for his 6th book the Self Reliant Entrepreneur.

Episode 89: The Gains of Self-evolved & Aligned Leadership

Being busy has become a badge of honour in our professional and personal lives. With all that activity you would think that we would be getting lots done, feeling accomplished and happy but the reality is we are both overwhelmed and underwhelmed with our lives. Leading a team in this “age of distraction” takes focus, and finding and maintaining that focus can be difficult. This week on the Make It Right podcast leadership advisors Dave McKeown and Kevin Snook discuss how their approaches to self-evolved and aligned leadership can help you elevate your focus so you can lead with purpose.

Episode 88: LUSH Cosmetics - Going for It in the Long Game

With a unique corporate structure and high employee engagement LUSH Cosmetics North America has been named one of the Best Places to Work multiple times. Success didn’t happen over night. It’s been a 24 year journey so far with many ups and downs. This week on Make It Right Janet continues her conversation with LUSH Director of Product Graham Brown who discusses how they’ve weathered the good and not so good times as well as sharing thoughts on company culture, employee engagement and how he sees his role as a leader.

Episode 87: LUSH Cosmetics - Manufacturing Success in North America

Launching handmade cosmetics in North America 24 years ago wasn’t a “no brainer” but over the course of those years LUSH North America has established an enviable position – $700M business, with 250 stores in the US, 50 stores in Canada, 2 manufacturing facilities, 8,000 employees, and a corporate culture that has resulted in being named among the top ten Best Places to Work by Best Company multiple times. This week on Make It Right Graham Brown, Employee #1 and Director of Product talks about how a small group of Canadians took the LUSH opportunity from one store in Vancouver in 1996 and turned it into an innovative North American manufacturing and retail success.

Episode 86: Part 2 - Thrive in the Age of Distraction

Alignment in the Webster’s dictionary is described as “a condition of close cooperation”. Leadership advisor Kevin Snook designed his ALIGN manufacturing process to do just that for factories around the world. Now he also uses that same process in his personal life to bring close cooperation to all aspects of his life and to the lives of the leaders he works with. On this episode of Make It Right he explains how it works and how it helps him thrive in this age of distraction.

Episode 85: Thrive in the Age of Distraction

We are living in what is being called the age of distraction. Too much information, too little time. We are mining shallow holes looking for the nugget that answers our challenges but not digging deep enough to hit that golden vein. As a leader how do you sort through the distractions to keep your eyes on the prize? How do you support your team so they can do the same? In this episode of Make It Right leadership advisor Kevin Snook shares his proven techniques that help manufacturing leaders thrive personally and professionally in the age of distraction.

Episode 84: Why Corporate Culture is Key to Business Success

Cal Misener is a People and Culture Consultant who has navigated workplace alignment challenges within large corporations. He has seen the positive impact alignment can have on a business and its people. This week on Make It Right he shares some of those stories and also measurement tools and frameworks leaders can use to understand the state of their own company culture. This is part 2 of Janet’s conversation with Cal, who is also the author of “The Freedom Framework – The Business Owner’s Guide to Earning More and Working Less”.

Episode 83: Corporate Culture Alignment for Business Success

We all know the standard work week is 40 hours but in truth you probably spend much more than that thinking about work. Are those thoughts positive or negative? Do you enjoy work or dread it? And what about your team? If it’s filled with people “working for the weekend” you’ve got a problem. This week on the Make It Right podcast Janet’s guest is Cal Misener, he is a people & culture consultant and Chief Happiness Officer at High Performance Culture and he shares how letting your people do what they enjoy is invaluable to fuelling your business success. This is part one of their conversation.

Episode 82: Brewing Up Organic Skincare

Batch Twenty-one is a small batch organic skincare line for men made from 2 key ingredients, hops and hemp. As the company prepares to enter large retail outlets founders Chett Boxley & Chris Rebsamen discuss the lessons they have learned along the way, from sourcing ingredients to meeting the needs of retailers, to some of the simple things that keep them engaged and make the journey that much more enjoyable. It’s patience and pints in necessary measure.

Episode 81: A Hops & Hemp Entrepreneurial Endeavour

What do you get when you bring together a love of beer brewing and chemistry? For Dr Chett Boxley, a chemist and a Certified Natural and Organic Skincare Formulator, it became a hops and hemp based organic skincare line for men. This week on Make It Right Janet’s guests are Chett Boxley and marketer Chris Rebsamen who together have launched Batch Twenty-One, a small batch skincare line.

Episode 80: The Challenge of Making It Right for Food & Beverage Customers

Food and beverage manufacturing is highly competitive and ever changing as manufacturers work to tap into the needs and wants of the consumer while differentiating themselves and rising above their competition. This week on Make It Right Janet Eastman continues her conversation with Rajeev Ranjan, a manufacturing leader who has worked with Coca Cola and YHS in India and Singapore. They discuss his approach to the challenges he has addressed in his career as a manufacturing and supply chain executive trying to transform food and beverage companies.

Episode 79: Making It Right in Food & Beverage Manufacturing

Differentiating your manufacturing business and products to achieve continuous success is an ongoing process. This week on Make It Right Janet’s guest is Rajeev Ranjan, a manufacturing executive who has worked with Coca-Cola and YHS in India and Singapore/SEA. He recently transformed an Indian beverage company to a right-size supply chain infrastructure, optimizing systems, processes and the operating model. He discusses his philosophy and approach.

Episode 78: Master Your Thoughts, Master Your Business

The goal of business is to grow, evolve and succeed and so too is life. In this fast paced world we sometimes forget that we need to grow to meet life’s challenges, personally and professionally. So if you are looking for growth and transformation what Steve Polaski has to say may resonate with you. He’s has been there professionally and personally. After his pursuit of more and more business success transformed him into a hospital patient he set out on a path to find success of a different kind; one that brings personal and professional fulfilment. In this episode and episode 77 he shares what he’s learned and how he now helps business leaders transform their personal lives and their businesses.

Episode 77: Business Transformation Starts with Personal Transformation

Steve Polaski has spent years successfully navigating manufacturing businesses to growth and transformation as a business executive and manufacturing leader in both the West and the East. He too has been transforming and now he shares what he has learned as a life coach. On this episode of Make It Right Steve Polaski talks about his approach to personal growth and fulfilment and discusses how a change in perspective has impacted his life, his businesses and people he coaches.

Episode 76: Manufacturing's Big Opportunity with Small Challenger Brands

As a manufacturer are you effectively supporting small challenger brands so you can be on their A Team when they reach their potential? That early support can forge lasting commitment and trust.

Mattias Hulting, co-founder of Ramblin’ Brands, has been working with manufacturer’s over the last number of years and he has encountered a number of manufacturing roadblocks as his company brought consumer products to market. On this show he shares what he learned about navigating that journey and how he believes innovative manufacturers can work with challenger brands to their mutual benefit.

Episode 75: Manufacturing Good Vibrations

Mattias Hulting the co-founder of Ramblin’ Brands has been on a very interesting 8 year journey bringing to market smilemakers, a line of sexual wellness products for women that are now available in department stores and other retail outlets around the world. In this episode of Make It Right he talks about the development and design journey as well as roadblocks he has encountered in the manufacturing process as a small challenger brand.

Episode 74: Manufacturing Femcare to Make It Right for Women in India

Four years ago Niine began a journey to make femcare products for women in India. Niine Director Gaurav Bathwal shares key takeaways on how they built their plant and team and he also discusses the extensive thought behind the company’s unique approach to branding, marketing and social education.

Episode 73: Opening Up Minds & the Market for Femcare in India - One Company's Journey

A family owned company enters the Indian femcare market where the vast majority of young girls and women use homemade solutions. Changing the collective mindset is part of the challenge but it is key to the health of Indian women. Gaurav Bathwal, Niine partner and director talks about the company’s four year journey and first year of successes with Janet Eastman.

Episode 72: Taming the Manufacturing Beast

A manufacturing plant can seem like “an overly complicated beast that’s hard to tame” but Peter Gibbons also says that “the joy comes from taming it”. We can learn a lot from other people’s experiences and with 40 years in manufacturing Peter has had his share of unique, interesting and funny “experiences”. This is part 2 of Janet’s conversation with manufacturing executive Peter Gibbons on Make It Right.

Episode 71: Manufacturing is a Source of Wonderment

Peter Gibbons has had a fascination and love for manufacturing ever since he first set foot in a plant more than 40 years ago and through the years he has encountered many manufacturing challenges while leading toy, coffee and paint production operations. Not only is Peter a business and supply chain executive, he is also is an engaging storyteller and on this episode of Make It Right you are right there with him as he rides the rollercoaster through some engaging encounters, endeavours and insights on the factory floor and in the boardroom.

Episode 70: TRUST Your Business Can't Thrive Without It

Do you trust your team? Do they trust you? If not, why not? Is it you and your actions? If you want your business to thrive you need TRUST. In fact none of us can excel without it…not at work, at home, anywhere. This week on the Make It Right podcast we examine the value of Trust in the workplace. Kevin Snook, author of Make It Right shares how to develop and nurture trust in the manufacturing environment and elevate your business.

Episode 69: Conversation Highlights from Summer 2019

The Make It Right podcast was incredibly fortunate in the summer of 2019 to have amazing guests who kindly took the time to share their stories and insights with us. From launching your first product, getting a factory on the path to world class, understanding all the big and little things that make a work environment safe, as well as targeted tips on sales and marketing, it has been a summer of interesting conversations. This week on the show selected conversation highlights from 3 shows that looked at disruptive innovation, the hiring process and understanding your customers wants and needs.

Episode 68: The Evolution of Supply Chain Management - Part 2

Daniel Stanton is know as Mr Supply Chain. He is also the author of Supply Chain Management for Dummies. In Part 2 of this podcast Daniel Stanton, discusses the rapid evolution of supply chain management and he outlines the skills and career development programs for people looking to stay on top and expand their opportunities in the industry.

Episode 67: Trends & Disruptors - The Evolution of Supply Chain Management

New technologies and trends are morphing and evolving supply chain management. There are new trends and new approaches to innovation and new disruptors. Mr Supply Chain, Daniel Stanton talks about how the industry trend to continuous improvement needs to evolve to include disruptive innovation in the supply chain and he discusses some possible approaches on this episode of Make It Right.

Episode 66: Meeting the Needs & Wants of Today's Highly Engaged Consumer

Constantly tweaking your product will not “feed the lion”. Only strong sales and marketing can do that. Chris Rebsamen shares his insights from 30 years in the consumer packaged goods industry on this episode of Make It Right.

Episode 65: Giving Your Customers the Product They Really Want

5 seconds. That’s all the time you have to get a customer’s attention and entice them to buy your CPG product and not your competition’s. This is the sales and marketing challenge. How do you know what your customers really want and how do you prove, in those few seconds that your product is the answer. This week on Make It Right it’s a “knowledge and wisdom share” gained from 30 years in the Consumer Packaged Goods trenches with Chris Rebsamen, President of Jupiter Sales & Marketing.

Episode 64: Custom Manufacturing Matchmaking for Parts & Prototypes

Xometry is a US company that offers on demand manufacturing, playing matchmaker to designers and manufacturers so they can produce prototypes, and custom parts in large and small quantities with ease. The company recently raised $55M in series D financing with participation in the round from Dell and BMW. Greg Paulsen, Director of Application Engineering talks with Janet about the Xometry approach and how it is enabling even small companies and individuals create and test out their product ideas.

Episode 63: Turning the Impossible Into the Possible

When it comes to innovation are you really innovating or simply making incremental improvements? On this edition of the Make It Right podcast Dr Adam Malofsky discusses how he and his colleagues have used adaptive innovation and transformative innovation to bring about seemingly impossible results. From painting cars without heat to revolutionizing the sound of the guitar string….how to ask the right questions to innovate for real change.

Episode 62: Taking Your Idea to Manufactured & Made Right

It’s a many staged journey from idea to product, with unexpected twists and turns along the way. On this episode of the Make It Right podcast Adam Hahn, CEO of Leaf Shave shares the trials and triumphs as he brought his alternative to the disposable razor “from idea to manufactured”.

Episode 61: Establishing a Second in Command Manufacturing Leader

Tom Marini joined the family owned manufacturing company fresh out of school and through the years he supported his grandfather and father as he learned the business. After assuming the leadership role in the company he sought out that same support but as the father of young children his journey took him beyond family. In this episode of the Make It Right podcast Tom shares a thoughtful and enlightening account of how he went about that process, discussing his missteps and ultimate success.

Episode 60: Pushing to World Class – One Plant Manager’s On-going Journey

When Vladimir Floresca joined a growing manufacturing operation as the new plant manager his mandate was to bring the operation to world class. He and his team have been on this journey for a year and a half and on this episode of the Make It Right podcast he shares his process, his challenges and the teams achievements so far on this road to world class.

Episode 59: In Pursuit of the Circular Economy for the Disposable Diaper Industry

Is the Circular Economy possible for the disposable diaper industry? With babies, adults and even dogs using an estimated 150+ billion disposable diaper units per year the industry has a big waste problem. This week on the Make Right Podcast we get the poop on biodegradable diapers and current recycling solutions from Diaper Industry veteran Carlos Richer. He outlines solutions the industry is pursuing to bring disposables into the circular economy. Listen to Episode 59.

Episode 58: Customer Focused – What It Really Means and How to Achieve It

How your customers want you to market, sell, and service them is changing and most companies don’t know how to meet that challenge. If you think your business is truly customer focused but you aren’t getting the results you expect, listen to what Todd Hockenberry has to say. He is the owner/founder of Top Line Results and he works with B2B, manufacturing, technology and capital equipment companies to achieve top line revenue growth. Todd is also the co-author of Inbound Organization: How to Build and Strengthen Your Company’s Future Using Inbound Principles.

Episode 57: Keeping Your Team Safe - Is Your HSE Policy Meeting the Challenge?

Every work environment has its hazards but the combination of machines, equipment, chemicals, noise and speed can make the manufacturing environment particularly dangerous. Andrew Morris is a Health, Safety and Environment consultant based in Bangkok and on this episode he offers a number of insights, from how to recognize safety issues on the job and how to get started with some practical tips, to how an HSE program can benefit your Corporate Social Responsibility.

Episode 56: How Safe is Your Work Environment? Getting HSE Right

No one goes to work on a daily basis with the thought that they are going to get injured or killed on the job but in reality, such things do happen. You may not even realize that your workplace is a minefield of accidents waiting to happen. This week on the Make It Right podcast Janet’s guest is Andrew Morris a Health, Safety and Environment consultant who believes that “there is no reason for a workplace injury or illness – it’s just an excuse, and all losses of containment can be prevented”. Workplace safety is everyone’s responsibility. Andrew provides insights on the safety challenges and changes he has seen around the world as he takes us on the HSE journey from the factory floor to the cutting board.

Episode 55: Communicate for Common Understanding Across Your Supply Chain

Manufacturing companies face complicated communication challenges as they do business across countries and supply chains, timezones and cultures. The fundamental goal of any communication is to achieve “common understanding” and this week on the show Janet’s guest Sam Yankelevitch provides insights on how to engage in effective communication so you can avoid costly misunderstandings. Sam is a veteran of the manufacturing industry, as well as a manufacturing coach, author and speaker and last week he shared the story of how the simple use of an exclamation point in a company email that crossed cultures cost a company hundreds of thousands of dollars. He explains how to pursue effective communication in part 2 of this conversation.

Episode 54: The Role of Communication in the New Gemba

Manufacturing today is often a series of distanced interdependent processes that need to be integrated. Supply chain and project management and change management have become integral parts of manufacturing. Physical processes remain important of course but communication has become a critical process that is necessary to help connect separated processes. Before anything gets done, we must communicate. Coming up this week on the Make It Right podcast Janet’s guest is Sam Yankelevitch, a manufacturing coach as well as an author and speaker. He discusses how to use effective communication strategies to ensure your business is pursuing Gemba.

Episode 53: Protect your Cashflow from the Impact of a Cyber Attack

Cyber attack statistics are shocking and they hit companies of all sizes. In the US alone half of all small and midsize businesses (SMBs) experienced a data breach in 2017 and 55% experienced a cyber attack. A typical firm experiences 130 security breaches each year. Depending on the impact, a cyber attack can destroy a business. On this episode of the Make It Right podcast we look at how to protect your cashflow from the impact of a cyber attack on your supply chain. Janet’s guest is Kent Paisley, the Senior Vice President, Accounts Receivable Insurance Global Crisis Management Division – Allied World Specialty Insurance Company.

Episode 52: Aligned Leadership Approaches to Make It Right

This episode marks the first anniversary for the Make It Right podcast and the first anniversary since Kevin Snook published his book Make It Right 5 Steps to Align Your Manufacturing Business from the Frontline to the Bottom Line. Kevin dedicated the book to the thousands of frontline manufacturing employees he meets on his travels around the world as he works with their leaders who are trying to Make It Right. This week on the show we look back at the podcasts that launched Make It Right and the aligned leadership approaches that lead to success for the leader and their teams.

Episode 51: The Risk Mitigation & Growth Opportunities of Receivables Insurance

Could your business survive if suddenly a customer or customers were unable to pay you? How would you pay your suppliers, your staff and your expenses if you didn’t get paid? Receivables can make up as much as 40% of a company’s assets which is significant exposure. This week on the Make It Right podcast we look at Receivables Insurance, also known as Trade Credit Insurance, to understand how it protects what is probably the largest asset on your balance sheet and how it can be used as a tool for growth. Janet’s guest is Kent Paisley, Senior Vice President, Accounts Receivable Insurance in the Global Crisis Management Division at Allied World Specialty Insurance Company.

Episode 50: The Challenges of Leadership - How to Get It Right

Being the leader of a company requires an array of knowledge and skills – sales, marketing and finance. But the softer skills of people management are often the final requirement when companies engage in the search for a new leader. And yet studies are showing that if employees feel valued and supported they can be motivated to take your company forward fast. This week on the Make It Right podcast Janet Eastman and guest Kevin Snook look at how to understand your leadership qualities and make them work to everyone’s benefit.

Episode 49: Preparing a Successful Transition to Exit Your Business

As a business owner or a partner in a business do you have an exit strategy in place for when you retire? Do you have a plan in place if you or your partner dies, or one of you gets escorted from the company? Businesses transition to new owners all the time but the process takes a lot of thought and consideration to get it right and having a shareholder agreement or a buy sell agreement is an essential document for your business. This week on the Make It Right podcast we continue discussing how to make sure your business is transition ready with Patrick Bradley of Manufactured Financial Solutions. Patrick is based in the US but the interesting questions he prompts are valuable for all business owners to consider.

Episode 48: Business Transition - Getting It Right

We all know change is difficult and often avoided for as long as possible but with so many people – employees, their families, suppliers and customers – relying on the business, it is important to make sure the “owner and leader transition” is done smoothly and effectively. This week on the Make It Right podcast we look at how to set your company up to successfully transition and avoid costly and emotionally draining mistakes. Janet’s guest is Patrick Bradley of Manufactured Financial Solutions.

Episode 47: The Way We Work - Leadership for the 21st Century

Dave McKeown has spent years investigating and digging into what makes a good leader. As the Founder & CEO of Outfield Leadership, he works with leaders and their teams as a coach and trainer to help them reimage the Art of Leadership so that it is authentic and purposeful. He is also an in-demand keynote speaker. Join us this week on the Make It Right podcast as we continue our conversation looking at what Dave has seen as the 3 levels of leadership maturity and how they can impact decision making and business success.

Episode 46: Reimagining the Art of Leadership

The 21st Century leader cannot possibly achieve success operating as leaders of the past have. The leadership landscape is shifting to keep pace with business in this era of rapid change. On this episode of the Make It Right podcast Janet’s guest is Dave McKeown, founder and CEO of Outfield Leadership, who believes we need to reimagine the Art of Leadership and he provides insights on how to examine who you are as a leader and imagine who you want to become.

Episode 45: Taking Your Safety Record to the Bank

Having a great safety record in your workplace is good for your employees and for your business and you should be rewarded for that in your insurance. This week we look at how Performance Based Insurance (PBI) rewards “safe” companies by returning some of their premiums to them. Janet’s guest is Bob Phalen, the author of “The Cost of Ignorance – What you don’t know about Performance Based Insurance Can Save Your Company Millions” and they continue their discussion on PBI and Bob explains why you probably have never heard of this type of insurance.

Episode 44: Cash In on Your Safety Record with Performance Based Insurance

Having insurance is part of the cost of doing business but did you know that if you have no claims it is possible to get part of your premiums back and save your company money, big money? This week on the Make It Right podcast we discuss insurance, in particular Performance Based Insurance and how it can really benefit your business. Bob Phelan, author of “The Cost of Ignorance – What you don’t know about Performance Based Insurance can save your company millions” is Janet Eastman’s guest.

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The Week on Make It Right

Seagull Leadership

Make It Right - The Book

“One of the best books and concept about manufacturing that I’ve read in 37 years of manufacturing management.”

– Steve Polaski, CEO Asia Solutions

I wrote this book for the thousands of frontline manufacturing employees I meet on my travels around the world. Without these dedicated and far too often unrecognized individuals there would be no production.

Kevin Snook

The Show Hosts

Janet Eastman is a broadcaster who worked as a radio and television host for more than 25 years. She has talked rock n roll, sports, business and politics with famous and not so famous people from around the world. She believes everyone has a story we can all learn from if we only listen.

Kevin Snook is the author of Make It Right. After 17 years as a manufacturing leader at P&G Kevin Snook now advises manufacturing CEOs around the world in more than 25 countries, helping them transform their businesses and deliver breakthrough results by giving frontline employees the information, tools, and capability to make the very best decisions every minute of the day. Kevin has a deep sense of what it takes to deliver the magic combination of growth and stability in manufacturing companies and from experience he has learned how to make that outcome simple.

Episode 43: It's a Small World - The Benefits of Workplace Diversity

The 21st Century workplace is full of diversity with people from many cultures, religious backgrounds, demographics and genders working together. This diversity turns the workplace into an excellent place to share and learn about, and from, each others different approaches and ideas. This week on the Make It Right podcast Manufacturing Guy Kevin Snook talks about the positive impact diversity is having in factories he visited in the UK.

Episode 42: A Connected Industry - The Challenges & Opportunities

Manufacturing leaders are grappling with a number of concerns regarding the connected industry – can data security be maintained? What does it cost to be “connected” and how do you get started? Industry 4.0 is a reality and this week on the show Janet gets insight on these questions and more from Greg Orloff, Chief Innovation Officer of IIoT World.

Episode 41: IIoT & Your Factory

Are concerns about security hampering your move to Industry 4.0? Are you anxious about what it might cost or unsure about how to get started? Wondering what is actually out there that can help you? This week on the Make It Right podcast Janet gets insight on these questions and more from Greg Orloff, Chief Innovation Officer of IIoT World, a digital publication focused on the connected industry.

Episode 40: The Brave New Factory

Tee Vachiramon and his team at Sertis are working on cutting edge technologies that are transforming manufacturing and other business sectors. He believes in the power of technology to transform our lives for the better and he offers a positive outlook. On Episode 40 of the Make It Right podcast he gives us his vision of the future factory and discusses how his company is using Blockchain to transform the energy sector in Thailand.

Episode 39: R U Ready for AI

AI, Augmented Reality and other technologies are making their mark across industry sectors. This week on the Make It Right podcast a conversation with Tee Vachiramon, CEO at Sertis, a leading data and AI company, who explains how these technologies are being used to benefit the manufacturing process and the employees.

Episode 38: The Leader as Psychologist - Rallying the Troops for a Business Turnaround

After 5 years losses how do you, as the “new guy”, come in and rally the team for another shot at change? Steve Polaski is a manufacturing executive who recently completed the successful 4 year transformation of a business unit in Thailand that had suffered 5 years of losses. He shares his strategies on how he turned around his battered team, regained the trust of customers and achieved profitability.

Episode 37: Finding a Sweet Spot in the Multi Billion Dollar Plush Toy Market

$11 billion is the projected value of the plush toy market by 2026. That is a lot of soft and cuddly love for sale. This week on the Make It Right podcast I continue my conversation with Marissa Louie, founder, chief designer and CEO of Animoodles, a line of specialty plush toys with interchangeable body parts to allow children to create their own unique plush toy. With designers from Disney and Pixar working on the Animoodles collection it’s no surprise there is a whole storyline behind characters.

Episode 36: Making It Right for Kids - Adventure & Opportunity in the Plush Toy Market

We’ve all had a favourite stuffed toy that we loved. They seem like a simple item but in reality it takes a lot of thought to develop a cute cuddly toy that children love and is safe. This week on the Make It Right podcast we venture into the world of plush toy manufacturing with Marissa Louie, a web and app designer who has turned her plush toy passion into Animoodles, a line of plush toys with interchangeable parts. She is also a 2019 nominee for Rising Star for Women in Toys.

Episode 35: Making It Right in 2019: A Disrupter Approach

This week on the Make It Right podcast Kevin Snook provides his take on some of the technologies, changes and challenges in the industry that could have an impact in 2019. Among the topics we cover, a look at the staffing challenge in manufacturing and opportunity of blockchain technology, which according to Forbes magazine could be a game changer for manufacturing.

Episode 34: Let's Pursue Hope & Possibility for Manufacturing in 2019

This week on the Make It Right podcast Janet Eastman and Kevin Snook kick off 2019 with a look back at manufacturing trends and challenges of 2018. Kevin also discusses how the ALIGN process is helping manufacturing companies improve their businesses and their employee engagement and he outlines how it can be used with the technologies that are evolving manufacturing.

Episode 33: A Look Back at 2018

This week on the Make It Right podcast we close out 2018 with a look back at some comments and discussions from the year that was – from lessons in leadership to industry insights and the impact the consumer is having on manufacturing.

Episode 32 -We're All in this Together - The Role of Unions in the 21st Century Factory

The 21st century is a brave new world. Technological advancements role in like waves on a beach. The attitudes and expectations of employees are changing. People don’t just want a job anymore and they don’t just want to be told what to do. These changes are having an impact across manufacturing and their unions. This week on the Make It Right podcast Janet Eastman continues her conversation with manufacturing consultant and plant manager Jan Beunder. They discuss how leadership and employees can push for engagement and change in union environments to improve total employee involvement and output. They also look at the impact a younger workforce will have on changing the role of unions in factories.

Episode 31 - Making It Right with Unions on the Factory Floor

This week on the Make It Right podcast Jan Beunder shares the labour/employee relations insights and experiences he has gained working in senior manufacturing and supply chain leadership positions in Europe, Asia Pacific and the US. He talks about the variety of roles unions play in factories around the world and how, depending on how you work with them, they can be a hinderance or help to the success of the factory.

Episode 30 - May the 4th Industrial Revolution Be With YOU!

Purchasing the tools and equipment to compete in the 4th industrial revolution can be costly and unachievable but there are alternatives. This week on the Make It Right podcast Greg Thomas, Managing Director at 375 Park Associates shares more proven alternative solutions to huge capital investment that can help you compete and succeed in the 4th industrial revolution.

Episode 29 - Alternative Solutions for Manufacturing Growth & Expansion

In the arms race to win the 4th industrial revolution, the moral is “to the winner goes the spoils”. This week on the Make It Right podcast Greg Thomas, Managing Director at 375 Park Associates is Janet’s guest with a variety of proven solutions to help you compete in the 4th industrial revolution.

Episode 28 - Culture & Its Impact on Communication Along Your Supply Chain

Communication without Comprehension is CHAOS. Even at the best of times communicating can be difficult. When you add in language and cultural differences it becomes very complex. This week on the Make It Right podcast Janet’s guest is Mark Yudell, President of Remy Chic. He has worked for years sourcing raw materials and working with manufacturing processes in multiple countries and he provides insights on how to engage in effective communications along the supply chain.

Episode 27: Brand Loyalty & the Impact of Organics in the Beauty & Health Products Industry

This week on the Make It right Podcast it is part 2 of Janet’s conversation with beauty and health products industry veteran Patty Schmucker. With 40 years in the industry she provides valuable insights on the power of brand loyalty. She also discusses the organics product industry from her perspective as a pioneering distributor who was right at the forefront of the organics industry.

Episode 26 - Making It In the Beauty & Health Products Industry

This week on the Make It Right podcast a fascinating look at the highly competitive, highly regulated beauty and health products industry. Patty Schmucker, leader of strategic business development with the Kirschner Group and President of American Made Beauty talks about sourcing ingredients, managing regulations, brand loyalty and what exactly is in that jar.

Episode 25 -The Power Shifts of Transformational Change

In the last decade consumers have become more vocal and selective about what goods they support. This has pushed large manufacturers of consumer goods to pursue significant changes across their businesses. These changes require a huge culture shift. This week on the Make It Right podcast we discuss the challenges with Donzel Leggett, Vice President, Global Manufacturing Excellence at General Mills.

Episode 24 - Achieving Continuous Improvement & ROI Along the Supply Chain

Neal Dellett has 30 years as a Continuous Improvement consultant and practitioner working with billion dollar name brands. This week on the show we discuss the ROI of continuous improvement, how to bring around the skeptics and how to get all the teams to work together.

Episode 23 - Continuous Improvement = Continuous Change

Neal Dellett has more than 30 years as both consultant and practitioner leading continuous improvement programs in the industry and for several “billion dollar brand” supply chains. This week on the Make It Right podcast he explains how pursuing continuous improvement is a process of continuous change and he discusses best practices on how to manage this change.

Episode 22 - The Impact of Automation on the Competitiveness of Emerging Markets

Supply chain strategist Filippo Mauri has extensive experience working with and leading teams around the world. In part two of their conversation he shares his insights with Janet on the growth he sees in emerging markets and how companies who upgrade their machinery and improve their labour standards in those markets will be a force in the coming years.

Episode 21 - How to Succeed as a Leader in a New Country & New Culture

When you take a leadership position in a new country and new culture there is a lot you need to learn and understand if you want to be accepted and successful in your new role. Gaining trust and support is not easy but extensive experience has taught supply chain strategist Filippo Mauri that openness and curiosity are key. He has extensive experience working with and leading teams around the world. He shares his insights on how to succeed as a leader in a new country and new culture and what you need to know before you even get there.

Episode 20 - The Visibility Benefits of Supply Chain Digitization

Vaneet Khurana, a Global Operations & Supply Chain leader and an expert in vendor collaboration & compliance discusses the visibility benefits of supply chain digitization and the role it can play in a company’s success.

Episode 19 - Establishing a Cost & Quality Balance in the Supply Chain

Vaneet Khurana is a Global Operations & Supply Chain leader and an expert in vendor collaboration & compliance. This week on the Make It Right podcast we discuss the challenges of establishing a balance between cost and quality in the supply chain.

Episode 18 - What to Look for on the Factory Tour

In Episode 18 of the Make It Right podcast Kevin Snook discusses what CEOs and other leaders should be looking for on the factory tour so they can propose changes that can improve the process and support the success of the business. With decades of experience in manufacturing he also shares where to get started making those changes to achieve maximum impact.

Episode 17 - The Dos and Don'ts of the Factory Tour

The Factory Tour is an important part of a leader’s job as it has the power to motivate or obliterate the confidence of your front line team. Kevin Snook, author of Make It Right, shares some cautionary tales on what not to do as a leader on the factory tour. He also shares insight on how leaders can inspire with the right approach to get maximum impact and engagement from their team.

Episode 16 - Using Tax Credits to Fuel Manufacturing Growth

John Madsen is Vice President & Manufacturing Practice Leader at Black Line Group, an organization that provides R&D Tax Credit Expertise to companies. He shares stories on how manufacturing companies have saved tens of thousands of dollars via tax credits and have used that money to reinvest, become more competitive and in some cases completely transform their businesses.

Episode 15 - Extracting the Value from Customer Complaints

Customer complaints can provide huge value and insight to a company. Kevin Snook talks to Janet Eastman about how best to handle and manage through customer complaints to extract that value and secure a loyal customer.

Episode 14 - The Time Value of Data for Fast Moving Manufacturing

In Episode 14 Janet speaks with Vincent Casagrande, CTO of LUCIDi4, about the time value of data for fast moving manufacturing and offers tips for getting started with real time data.

Episode 13 - Artificial Intelligence, Enemy or Enabler

In Episode 13 Janet and Kevin look at the impact Artificial Intelligence is having on the manufacturing industry and how that impact varies in different countries. They also discuss the prevention power of Quality Assurance.

Episode 12 - The Future of the Diaper Industry with Carlos Richer

This is part 2 of Janet’s conversation with diaper manufacturing industry expert Carlos Richer. He joins Janet to discuss the future of diapers and how those in the industry should try out their products occasionally. :>) Carlos wants to develop the next generation of disposable diaper experts and he is hosting an intensive KnowDiaper event for people working in the industry on October 16-17 in Houston, TX. Visit KnowDiaper.com for more information.

Episode 11 - The Tweeting Diaper!

You will be amazed at the technologies used and required in the materials and manufacturing of diapers. Carlos Richer is a diaper manufacturing industry expert with more than 30 years in the business. He is also the founder of the Disposable Diaper Network (DDN) – one of the largest LinkedIN groups of its kind. He joins Janet to discuss the evolution of the diaper and how the industry is taking advantage of current technologies and social platforms to improve the product. Carlos is also hosting an intensive KnowDiaper event for people working in the industry on October 16-17 in Houston, TX.

Episode 10 - Cranking Up the Dimmer Switch to Achieve Employee Engagement

Maintaining enthusiasm on the job day after day is not easy for employees or management. Perhaps your manufacturing company is unknowingly suffering from the dimmer switch effect which produces a culture of disengagement and lethargy. On this episode of the Make It Right podcast Kevin Snook provides insight on how to “crank up the dimmer switch” and re-energize your employees.

Episode 9: Automation, Artificial Intelligence and Pursuing Safety to Lower Insurance Rates

Kevin takes questions from listeners regarding manufacturing automation, artificial intelligence and the ALIGN process. He also discusses how pursuing safety can lower a manufacturing company’s insurance rates.

Make It Right - The Book Series

In this series Kevin expands on the ALIGN process as detailed in the “Make It Right” book.

Chapter Eight - Possible Roadblocks on the Journey

How the ALIGN process will put you in good shape to adjust to the roadblocks you will encounter on your journey to improving your business. Please note it may take a few seconds for audio to play.

Chapter Seven: N - Nurture Feedback & Recognition

People work because they have to but they also work because they want to make a contribution. In this chapter Kevin discusses the power of positive feedback and recognition and how it can be a powerful motivator within an organization when delivered with sincerity and authenticity. Please note it may take a few seconds for audio to play.

Chapter Six: G - Give Help and Support

In the 21st century it seems we are all short on time. In this chapter Kevin Snook redefines “the Meeting” in a way that frees up people’s time and cuts to the chase on decision-making. Please note it may take a few seconds for audio to play.

Chapter Five: I - Inspire with Information

This chapter gets into the data dig that is required to “Make It Right” and it looks at why real-time data is so key to achieving success in manufacturing. Kevin has worked with manufacturing companies in 26 different countries and he as seen the power of data first hand. Please note it may take a few seconds for audio to play.

Chapter Four - L - Lead with the Frontline

How to create a master plan to move your business forward that has “buy in, input and support” from all employees – from the front line to the C suite. Please note it may take a few seconds for audio to play.

Chapter Three - A - Aim from the Heart

Kevin outlines what is involved in Step 1 of the ALIGN process – Aim from the Heart – and why it works. Please note it may take a few seconds for audio to play.

Chapter Two - The Manufacturing CEO

Kevin discusses the challenges of the 21st Century Manufacturing CEO and how the ALIGN process can rescue them from the day to day emergencies to focus on the growth potential of the business. Please note it may take a few seconds for audio to play.

Chapter One - Breaking the Mold

Chapter One – Breaking the Mold:  Kevin Snook discusses how he came to develop a simple and proven approach that aligns the frontline with the bottomline to achieve significantly improved results for consumer goods manufacturers. Please note it may take a few seconds for audio to play.