Manufacturing Happy Hour

Greg Paulsen is the Director of Application Engineering at Xometry, offering industry-leading manufacturing and 3D printing on demand. While we can’t help but highlight Greg’s experience as a wine educator back in his college days, today, he leads the Application Engineering team at Xometry as an advanced manufacturing expert and 3D printing evangelist.In this episode, we talk about the inner workings of 3D printing and additive manufacturing. Greg is so passionate about his role in the 3D printing universe that it is sure to inspire you to follow your own passion in your career. Greg also shares some actionable tips to help advance your career before he debunks some of the biggest myths around 3D printing and lets us in on a few industry secrets. Finally, we wrap up the conversation with a discussion focused on Greg’s second passion – good wine and good company. In this episode, find out:How Greg adapted a unique perspective of 3D additive manufacturing Greg reveals how he got started in the wine industry How Greg went from working in wine education to his current role as Director of Application Engineering at XometryGreg debunks two common myths around 3D printingHow prototyping is like “going from an analog to a digital camera” Why Greg is so passionate about 3D printing Greg shares some great career tips and advice to help you get your dream jobHow manufacturing and real production as the new 3D printing frontier can scale in terms of customer acceptance, cosmetics, cost, output, etc.How the aerospace industry accumulates an amazing ROI The ROI benefits of adopting metal additive manufacturing in aerospaceGreg reveals what comes first – CAD or 3D printingWe wrap up our conversation with some wine recommendations, and Greg shares a simplified description of what Xometry doesEnjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!Tweetable Quotes:“Someone who's a fantastic communicator, who can also learn a technical expertise, is a jewel.” – Greg Paulsen“Manufacturing and real production is the new 3D printing frontier.” – Greg Paulsen“In 3D printing, you can put different features together in a way that you couldn't naturally combine.” – Greg PaulsenLinks & mentions:Xometry’s websiteGreg’s LinkedInGreg’s TwitterSteamChain.ioMake sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

We’re back with another cybersecurity edition of the podcast, only this time, we’re focused on ransomware. Today we’re joined by Ofer Shaked, Co-Founder and CTO of SCADAfence, an Israel-based security company with the most comprehensive OT and IoT cybersecurity platform for critical infrastructure and enterprises. He’ll be sharing the details of a targeted ransomware attack he and his team recently helped resolve.In this episode, we’ll cover why targeted cyberattacks are becoming more common, why manufacturing is such a hot target, and what it’s like being on the ground floor of a cyberattack. Ofer walks us through how the SCADAfence team responds and the steps they take to address these events. Finally, we’ll share what might be next in the cyberthreat landscape.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

Kristin Russum is a Director of Human Capital Services at TriNet. Having spent almost 2 decades as an HR leader across a number of companies, at TriNet, she’s now helping small and medium size businesses implement full-service HR solutions tailored by industry.In this episode, Kristin takes us through her journey in the HR world and shares some of her best tips HR tips that every manufacturing leader should keep in mind. From succession planning to creating workplaces that are diverse, equitable, and inclusive, Kristin makes it clear that creating a people-centric organization doesn’t just stop and start at the HR department.About TriNet:TriNet is a professional employer organization that provides small and medium size businesses (SMBs) with full-service HR solutions tailored by industry. To free SMBs from HR complexities, TriNet offers access to human capital expertise, benefits, risk mitigation and compliance, payroll and real-time technology. From Main Street to Wall Street, TriNet empowers SMBs to focus on what matters most—growing their business.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

Kristina Harrington is an eCommerce expert with no shortage of experience when it comes to easing the process of doing business with manufacturers. Having moved up the ranks with large equipment companies like Bucyrus and Caterpillar, she is now the President and COO of GenAlpha, a B2B eCommerce software business for equipment manufacturers.In this episode, we hear about Kris’ career journey and how her work experiences took her from Wisconsin to Latin America and back to cofounding GenAlpha. She gives us a rundown of GenAlpha’s Equip platform and how manufacturers should be leveraging eCommerce and analytics to grow their business. Finally, we’ll get to hear about Kris’ agricultural side hustle and the lessons she’s learned from farming that have helped her in her career.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

Paul Van Metre is a machine shop owner-turned-entrepreneur. After starting Pro CNC in Bellingham, WA in 1997, he recently went on to co-found ProShop, a cloud-based ERP software system that combines elements of an MES (a manufacturing execution system) with a QMS (a quality management system) into a single platform.In this episode, Paul shares his story about starting a company right out of college some Formula SAE buddies and how the challenges they faced as machine shop owners inspired them to create ProShop. In addition to hearing some of the lessons that Paul has learned throughout his entrepreneurial career, we discuss why systems, documentation, and business processes are the key differentiator for manufacturers – particularly machine shops – in today’s market. We even get into a little car talk before the interview wraps up, so make sure to stick around until the end!Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

Curt Anderson, author of the fantastic book “Stop Being the Best-Kept Secret: Manufacturing eCommerce Strategies,” and eCommerce Evangelist for Manufacturers at Ecommerce MGMT, is an eCommerce whizz with some great tips to share.In this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, Curt shares how he first dived into the world of eCommerce. He explains why he wants to help manufacturers get on that path too. He discusses the common mistakes that custom manufacturers make and why they should “niche down” and focus on their “soulmate” customers for the best chance of success.He shares his thoughts on the wider industry, why the big marketplaces are so successful, and why you should always aim to make a great first “webpression.”In this episode, find out:How when Curt discovered eCommerce, it was like “a dream come true”Why Curt wants to help custom manufacturers have a digital transformationWhat the entrepreneurial curse isWhy manufacturers need to niche downHow finding your “soulmate” customer can transform your growthWhy online marketplaces are the place to beWhy you should treat your website like a five-star resortEnjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!Tweetable Quotes:“Who is that ideal dream customer? In the book, I call them “soulmates” …basically, your website is a matchmaker, so who can we really connect with?”“There's a lot of different marketplaces that you can take advantage of. And what are they doing? They make that great first impression because they have multimillion if not billion-dollar budgets. So put your products on the marketplaces.”“Stop being the best-kept secret. So say you're rocking it, you've got the best website on the planet, you've got to dominate search.”Links & mentions:Ecommerce MGMT, a place for digital and eCommerce resources for manufacturers.Stop Being the Best Kept Secret: Manufacturing eCommerce Strategies, Curt’s fantastic book on building an effective eCommerce strategy.Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

Lisa Ryan has one of the most unique trajectories that you’ve ever seen in the industrial sector. She’s gone from welding to med device sales to where she is now as an author and keynote speaker that helps manufacturers solve their employee engagement and retention challenges. In addition to writing books like Manufacturing Engagement, she’s the Founder of Grategy, a training & coaching business dedicated to helping leaders keep their top talent from becoming someone else’s.In this episode, Lisa shares the ups and downs of her career and the lessons learned along the way. We also cover the importance of empathy and communication when it comes to employee engagement before wrapping up with a conversation about trade skills and career paths.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

Chris goes solo in this episode to share a podcast version of a keynote he recently gave at Content Marketing World 2020. While the majority of podcasts have less than 1,000 listeners per episode (and that's okay!), today you're going to learn how to make tens of thousands of impressions with every episode you release.Whether you're a brand or an individual that's considered adding a podcast to your content strategy - or maybe you already have one within your content repertoire - today's show contains the foundational skills and tools you need to create a goldmine of highly-sharable audio, visual, and written content. That way, you can meet your audience wherever they are spending their time, whether that’s on social media, YouTube, or your website.

We have a short episode for you this week folks, and it's because there are some exciting updates coming to Manufacturing Happy Hour! Tune in to hear all the details on Chris' latest career move, a new partnership, and an honest reflection on 11 years spent working for Rockwell Automation.

We have another security episode in store for you this week. We’re talking to Mark Carrigan, the COO of PAS Global, a company that reduces process safety risks and delivers software solutions that prevent, detect, and remediate cyber threats.In this episode, we kick things off by defining what “OT integrity” means while taking on some misconceptions about cybersecurity. We also discuss establishing a culture of safety and security in the process industry before covering the impact that digitalization is having on the cyber threat landscape. All of this while giving a couple of shoutouts to our favorite Houston, TX pubs.Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.