The Manufacturing Executive

Content marketing is key in manufacturing, but video content is king.Let’s be honest, not everyone will sit down to read in-depth articles on a topic. They just don’t have the time.But a short video? Everyone has time for that.Jeff Long, Founder of True Focus Media, joins me to talk about why video content is an ideal way to showcase your expertise, demonstrate your products, increase leads and sales, and boost your SEO.In this episode, we discuss:- Why teaching is an underutilized marketing and sales strategy- A 3-step process for creating “video value bombs”- When to use professional videography and when to do it yourself- What tools to use and other pro tipsSubscribe to The Manufacturing Executive on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for The Manufacturing Executive in your favorite podcast player.

Founded in 1985, the Association of Manufacturing Excellence (AME) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the exchange of knowledge and advancement through tech.With over four thousand members across the globe, it’s a uniquely powerful force for the evolution of manufacturing.Our guests today are manufacturing experts, laser-focused on creating a courageous culture and fierce advocates for transparency:- Marc Braun: Executive Coach at MDB, Chairman for the AME, former President of Cambridge Air Solutions, author, and volunteer.- Jonathan Jones: Consortium Facilitator at AME, CEO Peer Advisory Board Leader, executive coach, author, and community leader.In this episode, we’ll dive into:- Building relationships between companies and sharing best practices- How transparency encourages employee pride and engagement- Creating the right culture to develop leaders- Growth is not a riskless adventure- Accelerating the speed of innovationSubscribe to The Manufacturing Executive on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for The Manufacturing Executive in your favorite podcast player.

Anyone in the industrial sector knows that we need to get the next generation excited about manufacturing. But what about the generation after that?How about starting with a story?That’s how Megan Preston Meyer, Writer/Publisher at Meyer Publishing, is doing it with her Supply Jane supply chain children’s stories.In this episode, we discuss:- Why you need more than data — you need stories- How Supply Jane and FIFO are teaching the supply chain- Why business doesn’t have to be boring (even in B2Subscribe to The Manufacturing Executive on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for The Manufacturing Executive in your favorite podcast player.

Manufacturing is the backbone of the modern world…But the manufacturing sector has been lagging severely in the marketing department for a long time.The good news?This only creates opportunity for you to get out ahead of your competitors.Today, I’m joined by Allison DeFord, Founder and Trailblazer at FELT Marketing for Manufacturers, for a discussion of 5 key concepts every manufacturer needs to understand about their marketing — from common missteps to untapped opportunities.We cover:Humanizing your brandFinding your unique selling point (or, rather, your “unfair advantage”)Aligning your marketing strategy with executionMeeting your customer where they are in the buy cycleMeasuring indicators that actually matterSubscribe to The Manufacturing Executive on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for The Manufacturing Executive in your favorite podcast player.

One of the biggest challenges in the industry today?Upskilling the country’s workforce for careers in advanced manufacturing.Training centers and technical schools need to step in to fill the skills gap, but many of them are still training for the jobs of yesterday.It’s time to modernize workforce education.Kathy Walker, Founder & CEO of eKentucky Advanced Manufacturing Institute (eKAMI), joins the show to discuss eKAMI’s innovative and unconventional training program, which is upskilling eastern Kentucky’s workforce after years of declining employment in the mining industry.In this episode, we discuss:- eKAMI’s role in workforce development and training- Why we need to modernize workforce education- Potential career paths for eKAMI graduates- Why soft skills are equally importantSubscribe to The Manufacturing Executive on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for The Manufacturing Executive in your favorite podcast player.

There’s no shortage of orders for most manufacturers out there —The problem is finding the talent to help fill them.How do we finally close the manufacturing skill gap?Mike Nager, Founding Member of the Solution Center within Festo Didactic, which helps students learn hands-on manufacturing skills through its innovative Learning Factory, believes it all starts with education — and manufacturers need to do a better job educating.In this episode, we discuss:- The root of the skills gap- The 3 paths to a career in manufacturing- How Festo Didactic is helping to make more students aware of the what manufacturing can offerSubscribe to The Manufacturing Executive on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for The Manufacturing Executive in your favorite podcast player.

At the outset of the pandemic, trade shows were one of the many facets of business imperiled by the crisis.But every crisis presents an opportunity for innovation.And for today’s guests, Clive White, CEO, and Zach Person, General Manager, at Ensitech, a company that heavily relies on trade shows for garnering business, pushing past the initial pandemic panic ultimately paid off — fast forward to today, and they’ve revolutionized the trade show booth.They join me to discuss:- Their digital-analog hybrid trade show booth- How they stayed well-prepared for the inevitable technological hurdles they knew they’d face- How their innovative approach can be applied to other facets of businessSubscribe to The Manufacturing Executive on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for The Manufacturing Executive in your favorite podcast player.

There are a couple of super easy ways to totally flop at a trade show:Not having a live demo. Not having enough personnel. Not prioritizing relationships. Not being selective with products. Not having strategic marketing on the other 363 days of the year. Not understanding the economics of the entire endeavor.Okay... more than just a couple.In this episode, I interview Gorilla76’s Matthew Sciannella, Thinker & Strategy Director, and Jon Franko, Thinker & Founder, about all things trade shows.In this episode, we discuss:- The future of trade shows in light of the recent past- What makes a successful booth- Why marketers should help their customers network with each other- Some trade show math about whether it’s worth it- Smaller footprints, bigger impact    Check out these resources we mentioned:- Matthew’s article, “The economics of your trade show are broken. Here’s the fix.”- The Industrial Market News Show    Subscribe to The Manufacturing Executive on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for The Manufacturing Executive in your favorite podcast player.

What manufacturers should do is stop moaning about the lack of skilled talent and start partnering with grade schools (yes, as young as eighth grade) to show young people, especially young women, how amazing it is to build a career in manufacturing and engineering.But how?In this episode, I’m speaking with Meaghan Ziemba, Owner, Copywriter, and Copyeditor at Z-Ink Solutions and Host at Mavens of Manufacturing, about her calling to create an educational network to inspire youth to pursue manufacturing.In this episode, we discuss:- Meaghan’s career journey into marketing for manufacturers- Strategies for attracting youth to manufacturing and engineering- Creating a work culture to support women and parentsCheck out these resources we mentioned:- Meaghan’s podcast- Meet the Makers tour- National Association of Manufacturers (NAM)- Technology & Manufacturing Association (TMA)...Subscribe to The Manufacturing Executive on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for The Manufacturing Executive in your favorite podcast player.

You probably don’t need another reminder that the pandemic changed the world — when it comes to manufacturing, the deepening labor shortage and increased supply chain difficulties are obvious.And there are two ways you can think about these issues:You can either hope that they’re temporary and wait for them to get better — or you can face the world as it currently is and do something about it.Today, I’m speaking with Rob Tracy , Consultant at Rob Tracy Consulting and author of How to Fix a Factory, and for him, the c hoice is easy — let’s do something about it.In this episode, we discuss:- The root of the supply chain and labor issues- 4 ways to proactively do something to address them- Why now is a good time to rethink your organization’s operating systemSubscribe to The Manufacturing Executive on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for The Manufacturing Executive in your favorite podcast player.