In this episode of the Manufacturing Automation Podcast, Michael and Matt unpack the reality of stepping back from growth mode to refocus on execution, culture, and systems. Michael shares how working in the business revealed bottlenecks in machining and sparked a deeper investment in lean shop floor improvements. Matt reflects on Automate trade show wins, shifting team energy, and integrating AI into lead follow-up and sales workflows. They also dive into quoting friction, CRM constraints, inventory cleanout, and the tension between chasing growth and staying operationally stable. If you're rebalancing priorities or scaling through simplification, this episode is full of hard-earned lessons.