Noah Graff, used machine tool dealer and editor of Today’s Machining World, interviews machining company owners, equipment gurus, and experts with insight to help and entertain people working in the machining field. We discuss topics such as how to find quality employees, customer acquisition, negotiation, and the best CNC equipment options for specific jobs.
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The Benefits of a Manufacturing Business Sharing Financials with its Employees, with Reid Leland-EP 132
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It seems that today’s younger generations of workers, such as millennials, want to understand why they are instructed to do their jobs in a certain way more than their predecessors. Many of today’s employees are not content to just follow orders and take home a check. They want to feel invested in their work, they want it to mean something. So we a…
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Supplying Medical Parts Directly to Hospitals, with Thadd Mellott-EP 213
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My guest on today’s show, Thadd Mellott, called us at Graff-Pinkert because he needed a Star SB20 CNC Swiss machine. His company, Circle M Spring, in Warsaw, Indiana, produces medical parts, including implantable orthopedic components. Circle M Spring is currently merging with a medical component design company that specializes in sports medicine. …
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How to Market a Manufacturing Business by Becoming a Thought Leader, with Joe Sullivan-EP 137
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In the last year, our used machinery company, Graff-Pinkert, has been successfully growing our business brokering division. This podcast and Today’s Machining World have played a huge part in our marketing. They have established us as thought leaders in the machining industry, and that is bringing in customers. It only took 24 years of writing and …
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Breaking Your Machining Business Out of Its Goldfish Bowl, Roger Duffy (Part II)-EP 212
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Today’s episode is Part II of our interview with Roger Duffy, owner of F&F Machine Products. In Part I we touched on Roger’s natural entrepreneurial instinct and how he loves to push himself to get out of his comfort zone. In this episode, we’re delving further into Roger’s business adventures and philosophies. He believes in a theory he calls the …
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How to Turn a Business Failure Into an Opportunity—Seeking Serendipity EP 211
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How many times has something happened to you that really sucked but then eventually turned out to be a good thing or even a great thing that happened for you? Today, I’m going to tell you a story about when a big machinery deal went to hell and then how its failure led to an amazing turn of events—a way better result than if things had gone the way…
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How Do You Manage Employees When a Company is Acquired? With Jennifer Fondrevay—EP 175
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Recently, we have seen a growing number of mergers and acquisitions in the manufacturing space. After these deals are finalized there’s a lot of uncertainty for the employees caught in the middle of reorganization. Our guest on the podcast today is Jennifer Fondrevay. Jennifer is a best selling author and the Founder of Day1 Ready, a consultancy th…
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Growing a Thriving Shop by Creating Chaos and then Organizing it, Roger Duffy (Part I)-EP 210
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At Graff-Pinkert, I’ve sold a lot of machine tools to successful entrepreneurs, including my guest on today’s show, Roger Duffy, owner of F&F Machine Products. But, just a few people like him really have stood out for their outward ballsiness in business. Roger says he loves being an entrepreneur because it allows him to take risks, to dive into th…
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“I can’t hire a cam multi-spindle operator who knows what they’re doing! I’m throwing out my multi-spindles and going all CNC.” “These old Acmes, Wickmans, or New Britains pay for themselves every three months. They’ve left a wide open field for me!” Selling screw machines for our used machine tool business, Graff-Pinkert, we hear both stories ever…
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Becoming the Machining Doctor, with Erez Speiser- EP 208
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Have you ever dreamed about combining your expertise and passions to become an entrepreneur? My guess on today’s podcast did just that. Erez Speiser is the creator of machiningdoctor.com, a site for professionals in the machining industry to get technical information to simplify their work. The site offers resources such as a sophisticated feeds an…
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3D Printing Houses With Robots, Jonathan Ladouceur-EP 48
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As the housing market has slowed recently in our current economy, alternative types of construction such as 3D printing with concrete have become more and more relevant. It brought me back to a classic podcast episode we did a while back. The technology has advanced since we recorded this episode in 2019, but still you will be wowed. ******** Our g…
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Precision Machining Class in Session, with Jerod Dailey-EP 207
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My guest on today’s podcast, Jerod Dailey, could have been a mechanical engineer or even a doctor if he wanted to, but instead, he followed his passion and became a journeyman machinist right out of high school. Then he fell into a career 24 years ago, teaching precision machining to high schoolers at South Adams [...] The post Precision Machining …
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Selling Real Cow Bone to Machine Bone Screws! With Mary and Jim Rickert -EP 105
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Have you ever wondered if bone screws could actually be machined from real tissue? If that were possible, where could one get such bone? What animals would be safe enough? Here’s an old favorite episode. If you haven’t listened to it before, it is going to expand your mind. And you get to learn a [...] The post Selling Real Cow Bone to Machine Bone…
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Hard Lessons We Learned in the Machining World in 2023–EP 206
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Happy New Year everybody! On today’s podcast, Lloyd Graff and I reflect on the ups and downs of machining world in 2023 and give our thoughts about what we might see 2024. As you would expect, we discuss a number of topics in addition to precision machining, such as the US’s unpredictable economy, anti-semitism, and [...] The post Hard Lessons We L…
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Manufacturing in Israel, With Patrice Zamor–EP 45
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We originally published this episode in 2019. It was a better time in Israel’s history, before the country was savagely provoked to go to war to protect its existance. Israel is a country full of industry and world class innovative companies, such as the manufacturing company Ditron Precision. This interview contains insight on how Israel [...] The…
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Meeting People Project: My Fellow Treasure Hunter, Steve–EP 205
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Today I’m debuting a new episode series under the Swarfcast umbrella that I’m going to put out every so often. From April 19, 2018, until April, 19, 2019, I spent an entire year meeting at least one stranger every day and documented everyone I met. Some days I met 10 people, other days I was [...] The post Meeting People Project: My Fellow Treasure…
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Making Your Manufacturing Company Salable, With Damon Pistulka-EP 204
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Have you considered whether your business is salable? My guest on today’s podcast says only a small fraction of companies have built an organization and leadership structure that makes them attractive to buyers. Damon Pistulka is founder of Exit Your Way, a firm that helps businesses sell their companies. What’s unique about Exit Your Way [...] The…
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Running a “First Class” Cold Heading Company, with Joe Bennett-EP 135
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Our guest on today’s podcast is Joe Bennett, Vice President of Sales at Seaway Bolt and Specials, a privately held cold heading company in Columbia Station, Ohio, founded in 1957. In the cold heading process, coiled steel is cut into slugs, which are then hit multiple times, ultimately pounding them into a desired shape. The [...] The post Running …
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Freeing Humans One Robot at a Time, with Malachi Greb-EP 203
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Malachi Greb, my guest on today’s show, has a mission, “freeing humans, one robot at a time.” He is the founder of Elite Automation, a company that designs automated systems for manufacturing clients, taking manual processes and automating them with robotics, conveyors, vision, and more. They also provide robotic welding systems. Malachi and I talk…
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Should I Buy the Expensive or Cheaper CNC Machine? With Justin Tauber–Ep. 159
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When you’re shopping for machines do you find yourself wondering if the more expensive option for a machine is the better one? Does a taiwanese brand perform worse than a German brand? Will one machine last longer than another? Are some machines pretty similar between certain brands? The truth is, paying more money for a [...] The post Should I Buy…
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How to Think Like an Entrepreneur—Not a Technician, with Steve Preda-EP 202
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Do you ever ask yourself why the majority of businesses out there are struggling to survive while an elite handful are crushing it? On today’s podcast we are discussing that question. Our guest is Steve Preda, founder of Steve Preda Business Growth. He is also an author of three books and the host of the [...] The post How to Think Like an Entrepre…
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Last week, Lloyd Graff wrote a blog called “What Brings Me to Work,” which we think will speak to a lot of you out there, people who work in a family business, and people of retirement age who keep working—not because they have to, but because they get to. Maybe you’ve read the blog already, [...] The post What Brings Me To Work-EP 201 first appear…
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A 150-Year-Old Manufacturing Business Reinvented, Adria and Aaron Bagshaw–EP 200
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On today’s podcast episode, you’re going to hear the story of a thriving fifth-generation family manufacturing business that is constantly reinventing itself. I interviewed Adria and Aaron Bagshaw, owners of W.H. Bagshaw, a machining company in Nashua, New Hampshire, that started over 150 years ago! For 135 years, W.H. Bagshaw produced the same typ…
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How to Get More Done While Working Less, With Ari Meisel
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The last year and a half, I’ve been a rookie family man. I’m trying to balance selling sexy-ugly iron, podcasting, and being a good dad and husband. I’m a distractible person with mild ADHD. I like to have fun, get out of the house, and I sometimes have trouble pulling myself away from the TV. [...] The post How to Get More Done While Working Less,…
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A 67-Year Adventure in Swiss Machining Continues, with Paul Huber-EP 199
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Today’s guest on the show is Paul Huber, CEO of COMEX, in Monroe Connecticut. Paul is a machinery dealer specializing in cam Swiss automatics. That’s cam Swiss, not CNC. I’m talking about Bechlers, Stroms and Escomatics, not Citizens. Paul is 84, but proudly says feels like he is 60 as he raises his 17-year-old son. [...] The post A 67-Year Adventu…
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Business Pin Action: Seeking Serendipity-EP 198
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In college, one of my favorite elective classes was bowling—I took it twice. Maybe you poo poo the idea of taking bowling at an expensive institution like the University of Wisconsin, but that was the class where I learned about the powerful science of “pin action.” To the bowling novices out there, do you ever [...] The post Business Pin Action: S…
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What Should I Charge for My Parts?, Jay Jacobs (Part II) EP-197
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How do you know what to charge for your product? How do you negotiate with customers and leave the least money on the table? And not just for one transaction but for the long run? On today’s episode, Part II of our interview with Jay Jacobs, we discuss strategies that you can use the next time [...] The post What Should I Charge for My Parts?, Jay …
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How to Calculate the Value of a Machining Business, With John Habe IV
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As Graff-Pinkert has gotten more into consulting machining businesses who want to sell their companies, we are constantly learning new things about what determines the value of machining firms. Wednesday, I flew home after visiting a client we are helping sell its Swiss machining operation. On the plane, I thought back to a favorite episode [...] T…
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A Shop that Makes Promises Like Domino’s Pizza, Jay Jacobs (Part I) EP-196
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Imagine a sheet metal prototype shop that was so fast and reliable it never turned down a job if it were physically possible to complete and the customers were willing to pay the price. My guest today, Jay Jacobs, built his former company RAPID from a team of five to over 300. Before being acquired [...] The post A Shop that Makes Promises Like Dom…
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Ep. 112 Developing a World-Class CNC Turning Company with Mike Reader
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Today’s podcast is the fourth episode of our season interviewing people involved in CNC Swiss machining. Our guest is Mike Reader, owner and president of Precision Plus, a CNC turning company in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. Mike came into the machining business at 31 years old following a career in the fast paced finance industry. When he [...] The post Ep.…
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Manufacturing Watches is Complicated and Spiritual, with Josh Hacko – EP 195
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Josh Hacko is a fourth generation watchmaker. He says he was born into his vocation, but in reality his work is truly his own. Josh is Technical Director of two sister companies, NH Micro and Nicholas Hacko Watchmaker, which manufactures high-end wrist watches in Sydney, Australia, that can cost tens of thousands of dollars. The [...] The post Manu…
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Innovation from Playing with Machines, with Mike Taylor
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I love this classic episode because it emphasizes how having fun with your product (or service) and feeling free to experiment with it can lead to success and happiness. Mike Taylor inquired on a Tornos GT26 Swiss lathe Graff-Pinkert had for sale. He told me that for him the machine would be like buying a [...] The post Innovation from Playing with…
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How to Persuade Customers to Buy Your New Product–EP 194
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This podcast has been going for five years now, and those people who listen to it frequently might be tired of the Graff-Pinkert ad at the beginning of the show. I was tired of it, so I finally created a new ad. For people who are listening to this show for the first time, I’m [...] The post How to Persuade Customers to Buy Your New Product–EP 194 …
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How a Machinist Entrepreneur Retired at 40, with Tyler Jarosz—Ep. 154
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Editor’s Note: This podcast was recorded in Spring of 2022. Tyler has now been retired for over 2 years, and Noah is the proud father of a 1 year old. In early 2022, Tyler Jarosz sent me an email to ask if Graff-Pinkert would be interested in a used little parts washer he no longer [...] The post How a Machinist Entrepreneur Retired at 40, with Tyl…
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Robots that Know Where to Go, With George Konidaris–EP 193
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George Konidaris is the cofounder of the startup, Realtime Robotics. He’s also a Professor of Computer Science and the director of the Intelligent Robot Lab at Brown University. Right now, programming a robot arm to perform a repetitive task typically requires a robot integrator to program where every joint of a robot should go. It’s a ridiculous a…
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Listening to Customers and Selling Hammers with Joel Trusty – EP103
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On today’s podcast we continue our season talking to successful companies who produce their own products. Today’s guest is Joel Trusty, co-owner and President of Trusty-Cook, a company that manufactures a diverse group of industrial polyurethane products such as dead blow hammers and spindle liners for bar loaders. Joel says one of the keys to [...…
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How to Make Your Employees Want to Stay, with Adam Wiltsie–EP 130
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Last week, I heard a story about an old customer of Graff-Pinkert who lost three key machinists because a shop down the street was paying more. It led me to make a post on Linkedin, asking if machinists and setup people were paid enough to attract young people to the machining field. On the whole, [...] The post How to Make Your Employees Want to S…
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How a Small Manufacturer Becomes Secure Enough for the DoD, with Jayme Rahz–EP 192
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Today’s guest on the podcast is Jayme Rahz, CEO of Midway Swiss Turn, a small precision machining job shop in Wooster, Ohio. Around a quarter of Midway Swiss Turn’s business is supplying the U.S. Department of Defense. While supplying the DoD can be a lucrative opportunity for a manufacturer, the work comes with some hurdles [...] The post How a Sm…
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How Unexpected Help Creates Profitable Relationships: Seeking Serendipity–EP 191
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In November of 2015, our used machine tool company, Graff-Pinkert, bought a Schütte S32PC, mfd. 2002, in Cologne, Germany, from a dealer we didn’t know. It was a nice looking machine. A big 32mm CNC Multi-Spindle, painted red and cream because it came out of a Mercedes factory. We were excited to bring the machine [...] The post How Unexpected Help…
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Should I Hire Ex-Felons?, with Kathryn Shibelski–EP 125
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As a machinery dealer, very often I hear customers lament that they can’t find good people to work in their machine shops. To this I say, perhaps they need to be more creative in hiring practices. Maybe they could offer better pay, more flexible hours, or some other benefits that competitors don’t provide. Or, maybe [...] The post Should I Hire Ex-…
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Do You Have Any Business Starting a Podcast? With Kevin Chemidlin–EP 190
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Recently, I’ve talked to a few Swarfcast listeners who are considering starting their own podcast shows, so I thought it made sense to make an episode discussing the merits of hosting a podcast as well as some advice if you want to build one successfully. I’m really excited about my guest today because he is [...] The post Do You Have Any Business …
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Manufacturing Parts for the Department of Defense, with Mike Topolewski—EP 189
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Sometimes machining companies tell Graff-Pinkert they have long running, lucrative jobs supplying parts to the D.O.D., and it always has seemed a little mysterious to me. What are these parts they are supplying to the government? How does a company get to become a supplier to the D.O.D.? Is supplying parts to the U.S. Government [...] The post Manu…
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Connecting the “Right People” at the Right Times: Seeking Serendipity–EP 188
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Steve Jobs once said, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.” Today, I’m going to tell you a story about how dots in my past came together serendipitously to help me solve problems and [...] The post Connecting the “Right Peopl…
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Running a Machine Shop like a Tech Company, with David Wynn–EP 63
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Today’s Swarfcast is part one of an interview we did with David Wynn, CFO of ABF Engineering and Machining, a third generation screw machine shop in South Fulton, Tennessee. After earning an MBA, David joined his family’s business 17 years ago. His stated mission is to run a machining business composed of old cam screw machines as though it were a …
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Automating a Machining Business with David Wynn–EP 64
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Today’s podcast is part two of an interview we did with David Wynn, CFO of ABF Engineering and Machining, a third generation screw machine shop in South Fulton, Tennessee. Dave makes a lot of his profits on mechanical screw machines that are older than him, but he emphasizes using advanced technology to automate his business’s [...] The post Automa…
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How I Discover New Leads and Deals–EP 187
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On today’s episode, we’re shaking things up. We’re playing an episode from a podcast I guested on, the Business Growth on Purpose podcast with Jose Palomino. One of the topics we focused on in the interview was how I discover new leads and opportunities in our used machinery business by using strategies that create serendipity. [...] The post How I…
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Having the Courage to Become Your True Self, with Jackie, owner of PXR Machining–EP 116
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On April 1, Budweiser ran an ad on Instagram with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney promoting March Madness, as well as celebrating one year since she transitioned to becoming a woman. This one short ad caused a mass boycott of Budweiser and brought out the worst of the intolerance and divisiveness that plagues my country. I [...] The post Havi…
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Getting Customers to Buy an Unfamiliar Brand, With Salim Awad–EP 186
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Spinner is a German CNC machine tool brand that’s been around for 73 years. The company sold 1,200 CNC mills turning centers, and automation systems in Europe last year, yet in the United States, a large amount of people in the machining industry have never even heard of them. At the 2023 Precision Machining Technology [...] The post Getting Custom…
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How to be a Better Man, with Dr. Ari Graff–EP 185
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Today’s episode is extra fun for me because I had the pleasure of interviewing my brother, Dr. Ari Graff. Recently, Ari has shifted his career focus from practicing psychotherapy to life coaching. His coaching focuses specifically on helping men who feel unhappy and stuck in romantic relationships. It also helps single men who have difficulty [...]…
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For those who don’t know, I am a used machinery dealer, with a specialty in selling Screw Machines. I like to romanticize the used machinery business by referring to it as treasure hunting. We specialize in selling rare models of machinery, located in remote locations, owned by esoteric folk, serendipitously stumbled upon. Every used machine [...] …
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How to Revive Your Company’s Growth, With Jose Palomino–EP 183
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On today’s show we’re talking about what you do if your business’s growth becomes stagnant or even stops all together. Our guest is Jose Palomino, host of the Business Growth on Purpose podcast and founder and CEO of Value Prop, a consultancy that gives established B2B companies strategies to jump start growth when it has [...] The post How to Revi…
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