More often than not, critical pivots happen because of turbulence... and during turbulence. Smooth sailing is a luxury most owners never experience during times of pivoting. When it's time to pivot, owners need to know how to do it while in motion. Today's guest is Sue Nordman, CEO of Obsidian Manufacturing Industries. Sue is leading a company that is an OEM of critical technologies that are used in modern manufacturing. In this episode, we will discuss what Sue has learned over the last two years about pivoting through difficult times.  Sue Nordman is the president of Obsidian ..read more

At ValueProp, we help business owners get unstuck when they hit a plateau in their growth. On this show, we bring in experts who can speak to common points that owners get stuck on, like lead generations. Our guest today is Jack Reamer of SalesBread, an expert in getting leads and booking appointments with potential clients.   Jack started SalesBread to help B2B companies get 1 lead per day, even if they've had a hard time getting cold prospects to engage with them in the past. He accomplishes this by using familiar pla ..read more

Here at Value Prop, we have a specialization in working with industrial businesses. We've helped our fair share of clients in this segment, and we've interacted with the top thought leaders throughout the country. But few bring the kind of expertise that we found when we met Tony Rogers. His business, Creative Mechanisms, is a national leader in Design for Manufacturing (DFM), helping businesses  Solve critical design and prototyping challenges Increase profitability through design strategies Enter the do-or-die manufacturing stage with confidence in their design If you're in ..read more

The current labor market has been turned upside down by inflation, interest rates, and every other squeeze possible. To be successful, owners need to know how to attract and keep the talent they need to succeed. Our guest today is Lisa Ryan of LisaRyanSpeaks. Lisa is a specialist in recruiting engaging talent, especially in manufacturing. We will discuss if the current environment is the new normal, or if we will snap back to what it was pre-pandemic. We will also discuss what you can implement to make your company more attractive for the future of your company as well ..read more

For the businesses that survived the worst of this year's supply chain crisis, we're at a critical moment. In our recovery, do we go back to business as normal? Or do we learn? We are excited to be joined by our guest today, Hugo Fuentes of The Owl Solutions. Hugo is an expert in supply chains.  In this episode, we will discuss what is still happening, potential outcomes, and what you can do to improve your supply chain to foster growth.  Hugo is a passionate supply chain management expert, with more than twenty years of leadership experience managing various aspe ..read more

"Culture" is a difficult word for many leaders. It's either the fuel that's driving your growth or it's the weight that's holding you back. How do you wrangle this wild card to work for you, not against you? Today, we talk with Jim Rich, Chief Revenue Officer for Vbrick Systems. In this episode, we will talk about several topics, including changes in the sales environment, culture shifts in organizations, and a unique technology that streamlines communication between senior leadership and their troops.  Jim Rich has over 25 years of sales leadership experience in ..read more

Today's episode features an exciting guest: Lauren Goldstein, The Biz Doctor. In today's episode, we are going to talk about how to change your mindset to scale your business successfully.  Lauren Goldstein is the founder and CEO of Golden Key Partnership, a top business consulting firm that specializes in helping service-based entrepreneurs overcome obstacles in their business. She's known as "The Biz Doctor" and has over 12 years of experience advising Fortune 500 companies. Lauren's expertise lies in identifying the root cause of team and operational challenges so t ..read more

In our B2B strategy series, we've talked about identifying and finding your ideal customer so far. Today, we tackle the next critical step: connecting with your ideal customer. We get into key questions like: Topics and questions your ideal customer cares about How to use digital strategies to scale your footprint Actionable steps to deepen connections and convert business The key is no silver bullet – it's an articulate, intentional strategy. You can test theories and fine-tune your approach over time. Being "on purpose" is the best way to move forward.   ..read more

What do you get when you mix a business anthropologist with international-scale influencers? You get a perspective you're not likely to find on your normal podcast! Today's guest is cultural anthropologist turned business strategist Dr. James Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions. James is an expert in consumer packaged goods. This topic is a little off the beaten path of what we typically do here, but the lessons apply to marketing and strategy if you're in B2B. He has helped nearly 100 CPG brands with their strategic planning, including brands owned by Coca-Cola Venturing and ..read more

SEO is a topic that many owners think they need, but they don't understand it and got burned by expensive agencies in the past. Today's guest helps us to demystify the topic so you can either manage within your team or better understand the vendors you're considering. Our guest today is Jeremy Poland of CEO and founder of DIY SEO. And yes, in this episode, we are going to talk a lot about SEO and how it's not necessarily a dark, deep mystical art but something that can be learned and understood.   Jeremy Poland is a seasoned marketer, with a backstory in church le ..read more