TRACTION, Re-Engaged: How Leadership Discipline Drives Growth at CARR Machine
Release Date: 10/17/2025
If You’re Not Obsessing Over Cash Flow, You’re Already in Trouble
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In this episode, Jim Carr breaks down how real small business owners actually keep the lights on—managing AR, AP, lines of credit, savings, and credit cards without a finance department. No theory. No spreadsheets for show. Just hard-earned cash discipline and the decisions that separate surviving from shutting down.
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You Agreed to WHAT?! Flowdowns, AVLs, and the Silent Killers of Margin
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Most manufacturing shops don’t lose margin on the shop floor—they sign it away during contract review. In this episode, Jim Carr breaks down how customer flowdowns, quality clauses, and Approved Vendor Lists quietly redefine your risk profile the moment you accept a PO. We’ll cover why contract review is an executive control point, why risk analysis must happen before production starts, and why your Quality Manager needs to be in the room—not cleaning up the mess afterward. If you’ve ever assumed your certification covered you, trusted tribal knowledge to manage customer...
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Leadership Through Empowerment
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Most leaders say they want empowered teams. What they really want is compliance without pushback. That mindset is exactly why so many manufacturing businesses stall out. In this episode, Jim Carr breaks down what real empowerment actually looks like inside a manufacturing shop—where quality, delivery, and margin are on the line every day. This isn’t soft leadership theory. It’s about decision rights, guardrails, accountability, and removing the owner as the bottleneck without losing control. You’ll hear why empowerment fails in most shops, how leaders unintentionally train people to...
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Why I’m Back at the Table: The Real ROI of Networking and Board Service
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I spent ten years active in industry boards, then disappeared for seven. Nothing broke—but nothing grew either. In this episode, Jim breaks down why serious leaders can’t afford to sit out networking, what board service actually delivers, and how to choose the right rooms that create real leverage—not wasted time.
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Simple Marketing Fixes Every Shop Owner Should Do Before 2026
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If your marketing looks the same as it did last year, you’re already behind. In this episode, Jim breaks down five simple, no-bullshit ways to clean up your marketing before 2026—from tightening your hero statement and elevator pitch to taking a hard look at your website data and SEO. No buzzwords. No hype. Just practical fixes every business owner can actually do.
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GD&T Isn’t Harder — Manufacturing Just Got Less Forgiving
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GD&T didn’t get harder — manufacturing got less forgiving. Thirty years ago, drawings were guidance and experience filled the gaps. Today, drawings are contracts, inspection is digital, and there’s no gray area left. Same symbols. Whole different consequences. If you’re still applying GD&T like it’s 1995, you’re not experienced — you’re exposed.
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End of 2025 Reflections: Five Decades of Precision, Perseverance, and Progress
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As 2025 comes to a close, CARR Machine & Tool marks 53 years in aerospace manufacturing — spanning three generations and five decades of grit, reinvention, and precision. In this special episode, Jim Carr takes you decade-by-decade through the pivotal moments that shaped the company’s evolution, from the manual-machine days of the ’70s to the automation-driven transformation of today. It’s raw reflection, real leadership, and a candid look at how a multi-generational shop stays relevant in a fast-changing industry. If you lead a team, run a shop, or care about the future of...
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Fixing Toxic Culture: The Blueprint, the Metrics, and the Reality
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In this episode, we get brutally honest about toxic culture — what causes it, what sustains it, and what it really takes to fix it. I’m breaking down the blueprint for rebuilding a healthy, high-performance culture using real metrics, real behaviors, and real leadership discipline. We’ll talk core values, accountability, communication rhythms, and the no-nos that tank culture faster than any bad hire ever could. And yes — I’ll give you the truth about turnaround timelines. Spoiler: it’s not quick, and it’s not painless. If you’re leading a team, running a shop, or trying to...
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Calibration Frequency: How to Set It, Prove It, and Defend It
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In this episode, we dig into one of the most misunderstood parts of any aerospace quality system: calibration frequency. I’m breaking down how to set intervals based on risk, usage, and real performance data — not tribal habits or ‘because we’ve always done it that way.’ You’ll learn how to build a defensible calibration strategy, how to use verification checks to extend intervals safely, and how to walk an auditor through your logic with confidence. I’m also sharing real-world examples of what to tighten, what to relax, and the metrics that prove your intervals are fair and...
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Relocation Regrets: When a New Hire Becomes a $30,000 Mistake
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Think hiring from out of state is the answer to your talent shortage? Think again. Between relocation costs, lost productivity, and cultural misfires, that “perfect” new hire could set you back thirty grand before they even hit stride. In this episode, I break down the real numbers — from why relocation is more common now than ever, to how to protect your company from costly mistakes. We’ll talk hidden expenses, relocation policies, and why you should never, ever pay those moving costs upfront. If you’ve ever hired across state lines — or you’re about to — this one’s for you....
info_outlineIn 2018, we implemented TRACTION for the first time — and like most small teams, we were figuring it out as we went. Fast forward to today, and CARR Machine has evolved into a focused, disciplined organization led by four seasoned managers driving finance, technology, operations, and quality.
This episode dives into what happens when experience meets structure — how re-committing to TRACTION brought clarity, accountability, and renewed energy to our culture.