Podcasts

In between big furniture builds, I like to spend a little time catching up on shop organization and smaller side projects, like these cutting boards made from scrap wood. The post A Rare Day: I’m Actually Selling My Woodwork! appeared first on The Wood Whisperer.

TOPICS: Kern runs great now!   Normal days vs rework days High, Low, Buffalo Blade Show 2025 465 custom material Helicoil stories

Today on Talkin Shop — Today’s episode is a reminder for anyone feeling stretched thin: tune out the noise and reconnect with what makes you uniquely you. Plug in, get comfortable, and join us for another episode. Don’t forget to subscribe, drop a review, and join the CNC conversation online. Let’s talk shop! Episode Chapters: (0:00) Intro  (0:23) Open Customer Questions / Comments:  (2:42) 1. I cannot believe I struggled through 200 Episodes… Congrats (3:33) 2. Thank you for showing the world what we do with these Amazing Machines!   (4:49) 3. I’ve seen a video talking up Helical Rack and Pinion from a Competitor – Any rebuttal?(13:37) Main Topic – Silencing The Noise (32:16) Motivational Quote of the Week (32:38) Outro Follow us for daily CNC content on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopsabre Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shopsabre X/Twitter: https://x.com/ShopSabreCNC TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shopsabre LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shopsabre-cnc/ 

Before you spend a dime on advertising—or hire a marketing agency—you need to answer one foundational question: Who exactly are you trying to reach?  In this episode of the Machine Shop MBA series, Nick, Mike, and Paul sit down with Joe Sullivan, co-founder of Gorilla 76 and host of The Manufacturing Executive podcast, to break down the strategy behind smart marketing for job shops. Joe makes one thing clear from the jump: marketing isn’t just sales turned up louder. Instead, it’s about building trust before the buying conversation even starts. That means identifying your ideal customer profile (ICP), understanding their pain points, and crafting messages that speak directly to them—so when they’re triggered to buy, they already know who you are. The conversation dives into the practical side of marketing strategy: defining your total addressable market, publishing your ICP, understanding buyer personas, and turning a few high-quality content pieces into lead-generating machines. Joe also shares real-world tips for measuring ROI, why your content distribution matters more than volume, and how even a 10-person shop can build a consistent, credible marketing engine. Whether you’re starting your marketing journey or rethinking your current efforts, this episode gives you the roadmap to go from aimless activity to strategic growth. Stop being invisible—and start being the shop your best-fit customers call first. Segments (0:37) Grow your top and bottom line with CLA (2:50) Capturing demand vs. creating demand: Where shops go wrong (5:40) Defining and scoring ideal customers by fit and behavior (7:24) Why publishing your ideal client criteria helps filter leads (8:57) Step #1: Sizing your market realistically (13:00) “Riches are in the niches”: How tight positioning builds credibility (16:52) ICP vs. persona: company fit vs. human influencers (20:08) Foundational marketing steps to complete before execution (26:27) Moving from research to messaging: Strategy before tactics (30:15) Stay tuned: Top Shops 2025 registration coming soon (31:30) Playing the long game: Becoming next in line when a vendor fails (33:44) Content campaign thinking: Repurposing and repeating your core message (39:20) How to position your machine shop online (i.e. equipment list) (43:27) Bad blogs and lorem ipsum: When marketing is clearly an afterthought (44:43) Diving intro distribution—How to make content work for sales enablement (47:22) How do I know if it’s working? Metrics that matter. (50:10) The real role of marketing vs. sales (54:17) The shift from reactive to proactive: Marketing as a strategic function (58:57) Closing thoughts: Play the long game, be specific, stay consistent (1:03:57) Bonus question: The importance of personal branding vs. company branding (1:08:05) Why you need to listen to the Lights Out Podcast  Resources mentioned on this episode The Tech Stack Advantage The Manufacturing Marketer podcast Building a StoryBrand Obviously Awesome New Sales. Simplified.  Joe@Gorilla76.com The Manufacturing Culture Podcast Rapidfire Manufacturing  Next Gen MFG Connect With MakingChips www.MakingChips.com On Facebook On LinkedIn On Instagram On Twitter On YouTube

TOPICS: Coolant maintenance Kern is fixed!  We realigned B axis ourselves Johnny Five AI audio Setup sheets Automating bevel grinding

Today on Talkin Shop — Today’s episode is one every business owner, shop leader, or maker needs to hear: Not every day is a win—and that’s okay. Plug in, get comfortable, and join us for another episode. Don’t forget to subscribe, drop a review, and join the CNC conversation online. Let’s talk shop! Episode Chapters: (0:00) Intro  (0:23) Open Customer Questions / Comments: (4:18) 1. Why do you recommend Dry Vein Vacuum vs. Claw Vacuum? (7:21) 2. Isn’t using CNC cheating when it comes to woodworking? (11:25) Main Topic – The CNC Hustle: When Motivation Fails, Do This (29:36) Motivational Quote of the Week (31:04) Outro Follow us for daily CNC content on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopsabre Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shopsabre X/Twitter: https://x.com/ShopSabreCNC TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shopsabre LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shopsabre-cnc/ 

This might be one of the most important conversations we’ve had in the Machine Shop MBA series—because we’re unpacking a mindset that quietly limits the growth potential of so many shops: the “cashier model.” We’ve seen it time and time again—shops waiting at the counter for purchase orders to roll in, instead of actively building relationships, solving problems, and driving new revenue. That model might work for a while, but over time it leads to stagnation. That’s why we brought in Mike Fritz, a fellow host and the mind behind Machine Shop Growth, to break down exactly why shops get stuck—and how to break out of it. Together, we explore the three customer types every shop must understand: current, dormant, and new. We share how we approach each one, the psychology behind why they buy, and the specific tactics we’ve used to unlock more value from the accounts we already have—while building smart pathways to growth. If you’ve ever looked at your sales numbers and wondered why things aren’t growing the way they should, this episode might explain why—and what to do next. Segments (0:00) Getting back into the groove & introducing the sales topic (0:50) Top Shops 2025 is coming up in Charlotte, NC! (1:50) Welcoming Mike Fritz back to the show (5:30) The “cashier model” and how it quietly limits shop growth (13:38) Why you need to love on your current customers (21:43) Account management tactics that unlock growth (27:24) Psychology of current customers and how to earn more work (32:06) Grow your top and bottom line with CLA (34:00) Strategies to win new customers in your niche (42:00) The importance of top-of-mind awareness (45:30) Hiring for network strength and turning people into growth assets (47:55) How to leverage a CRM to get in front of customers (53:09) How to reignite a dormant customer (1:03:41) Being a sales-driven organization gives you options (1:07:58) 3 reasons to listen to Buy the Numbers Resources mentioned on this episode Brownies.com HireMFGleaders.com  Use Interviews to Discover Your Brand and Get More Business How to Build Manufacturing Buyer Personas Machine Shop Growth Podcast Connect With MakingChips www.MakingChips.com On Facebook On LinkedIn On Instagram On Twitter On YouTube

Join woodworking expert Rob Cosman as he demonstrates hand-cut dovetails for beginners. Perfect your woodworking skills today. The post She Never Cut a Dovetail Before – This Is What Happened appeared first on The Wood Whisperer.

TOPICS: Kern crashed VM3 coolant actually went bad Surface grinding with Robin Renzetti