The Manufacturing Automation Podcast

Matt and Michael compare notes on a surprising truth: pushing lead times out actually improved close rates—and sanity. Michael shares how a few e-commerce fixes (cleaner checkout, aggressive email capture) plus Meta + Google PMax ads are finally delivering real ROAS, while Matt walks through shop-floor wins—from 1701’s palletized case-packing speeds to kicking off a multi-robot project. They dig into vendor-built subassemblies, a company-wide shift to metric, and email-gated Fusion CAD embeds that trade downloads for qualified contacts. The through-line: stop brute-forcing growth; eliminate steps, raise the bar, and let systems carry the load.

Matt and Michael open up about the hardest phase of growth yet—scaling while exhausted. From sorting through 500+ job applicants to navigating burnout, trade show fatigue, and the fine line between serving customers and setting boundaries, this episode gets real about what it takes to run a growing manufacturing business.They cover trial-day hiring tests, customer scope creep, and the chaos of being your own head of engineering, sales, and ops all at once. Matt shares lessons from three back-to-back trade shows, and Michael reflects on how to rebuild systems, protect margins, and stop living in the “urgent and important” quadrant.Along the way, they debate lifestyle business vs. growth company, what makes a good hire, and how to know when to pull back—or push forward. It’s a grounded, honest look at the messy middle of manufacturing entrepreneurship and the discipline required to build something sustainable.

Matt and Michael dive into the real-world challenges of scaling a manufacturing company—from letting go of control to navigating tough customers and trade show ROI. Michael reflects on learning to delegate, setting boundaries with unreasonable clients, and choosing which orders to take as demand grows. Matt, fresh off the MD&M trade show, shares how live events pressure-test both product and people—and how one broken AI sales tool turned into a valuable workflow lesson.Together, they explore the balance between sales velocity and buyer confidence, why faster isn’t always better, and how to decide when a trade show is worth the investment. The conversation expands into marketing automation, Shopify strategy, and 3D model integration, revealing how small process improvements compound into massive leverage.The episode closes with a candid look at leadership transitions, hiring discipline, and rediscovering excitement in “boring” systems—because in manufacturing, scaling isn’t just about building better machines; it’s about building better companies.

Matt and Michael sit down to unpack the growing pains that come with scaling from builder to CEO. From juggling trade shows and staffing shortages to fixing water jets and optimizing Shopify conversion rates, this episode captures what it really looks like to grow a manufacturing company in real time.They discuss the balance between speed and control, the discipline of hiring slowly, and the struggle to delegate when production pressure is high. Michael reflects on hitting the limits of what worked for a $2M company—and what it takes to evolve toward a $4M operation—while Matt shares how consistency, recurring revenue, and system thinking define sustainable growth.The conversation moves fluidly between cash flow, client terms, financing models, and trade show ROI, all tied together by one theme: learning to work on the business, not just in it. Whether you’re an engineer, entrepreneur, or operator trying to scale, this episode is a candid look at the mindset shift required to lead through growth.

Matt and Michael talk about what it really takes to show up well—at trade shows and in business. They break down their evolving trade show strategy: why it’s not just about leads, but about relationship-building, visibility, and operational readiness. From planning booth logistics and displays to clarifying who’s in the booth (and why), they share how events like WESTEC are forcing better systems back at home base.They also dive into team culture and hiring, discussing how to maintain high standards while keeping morale strong, plus lessons from recent hires who are reshaping how work gets done. The conversation touches on vendor relationships, R&D updates, and even a few AI workflow experiments—the practical kind that actually save time instead of adding noise.By the end, it’s clear: whether it’s a trade show floor or the shop floor, success comes down to the same things—clarity, consistency, and communication.

Matt and Michael get candid about what it takes to scale manufacturing companies in 2025. Michael shares how “caring less” and enforcing reciprocity with customers—matching their cadence and demanding payment before implementation—has improved both cash flow and relationships. They discuss dealing with late invoices from billion-dollar corporations, the reality of tiered customer rules, and why sometimes dropping uphill battles (like bead-blast anodizing) makes everything smoother.The conversation digs into vendor strategy: outsourcing only by referral, working with smaller shops as if they were part-time employees, and tracking accountability with a vendor Gantt chart. Matt pushes back, emphasizing long-term sustainable partnerships and highlighting the tradeoffs of Michael’s approach.On the sales and marketing side, they cover reshoring trends, smart website conversion upgrades (mobile checkout fixes, email capture, weekly newsletters), and the ROI of focusing on conversion over top-of-funnel leads. In R&D, both hosts share incremental product improvements—from new grippers and all-metal push-to-fit fittings to quick design tweaks for field failures.They wrap with company-wide updates: A3 certification prep, SOP consolidation, ISO/UL goals, and a renewed focus on employee career development through structured reviews. It’s an honest, practical look at balancing short-term tactics with long-term strategy in automation and manufacturing.

Matt and Michael unpack how they’re shifting from firefighting to systems. They talk about rewriting core values around reciprocity (no pay, no play—match the customer’s cadence), and how fixing a broken mobile checkout button quietly tripled Shopify conversions. They share an SOP that lets the team turn complex proposals in under 24 hours (11 proposals in ~10 days), prep for an A3 certification audit, and roll out vendor- and customer-facing Gantt charts to make dependencies—and delays—undeniably clear. They also get real about AI tools breaking in production (why leverage beats replacement), delegating with Loom to small vendors, and even the occasional two-by-four “field fix” when parts show up bent—all in service of building the companies and lives they want.

In this episode of the Manufacturing Automation Podcast, Michael and Matt reflect on how accountability—both with customers and within their teams—is reshaping the way they operate. From confronting delayed payments and setting clearer boundaries, to revising sales strategies and rethinking when to say yes to massive projects, they dig into the hard lessons of staying disciplined. The conversation also covers refreshing their marketing tools, updating the automation partner eBook, and the importance of hiring higher-caliber engineering leadership.

In this episode of the Manufacturing Automation Podcast, Michael and Matt open up about the stress of balancing heavy workloads with cash collection delays, vendor issues, and rising trade show costs. Michael shares how short staffing and delayed payments collided to create a frustrating crunch, while Matt reflects on managing questions from the team and keeping operations moving despite fatigue. Together they explore how to decide when to say no, avoid unnecessary scope creep, and keep product development disciplined—even when the pressure mounts.

In this episode of the Manufacturing Automation Podcast, Michael and Matt recap a whirlwind couple of weeks—from the headaches of a misconfigured turnkey install to the stress of managing short staffing and nonstop work. Michael shares how deals are finally starting to move after a slow stretch, while Matt reflects on team growth, updated marketing content, and refining sales SOPs. Together they dig into how quoting systems, AI tools, and continuous improvement efforts can help bring more rhythm to the business.