Character Over Competency: Why Blue Collar Leadership Starts with Vulnerability
Making Sparks Podcast for Fabrication Leaders
Release Date: 11/05/2025
Character Over Competency: Why Blue Collar Leadership Starts with Vulnerability
Making Sparks Podcast for Fabrication Leaders
Most leaders in manufacturing are focused on performance, process, and technical competence. But when a team is underperforming, the root cause often has nothing to do with skills or processes like Lean—it's about character. In this essential episode, the hosts sit down with Mac and Ria, founders of Blue Collar Leadership, live from the Fabtech show floor. Drawing from 20 years on the factory floor and extensive work in the Lean methodology, Mac shares why the most critical investment a company can make is in the personal growth and character development of its frontline employees. ...
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Why Showing Up Still Matters in Manufacturing
Making Sparks Podcast for Fabrication Leaders
Most people see Fabtech as just a trade show. But for those in the fabrication world, it’s where the entire industry comes together — to connect, learn, and see what’s next. In this episode, Casey Voelker sits down with Rick Snyder of Multipress and Matt Crosby of Pacific Press live from the Fabtech show floor. Together, they talk about what it’s really like exhibiting, the value of showing up in person, and why networking matters now more than ever. It’s not just about machines and demos — it’s about people, partnerships, and perspective. In this episode, you’ll learn: What...
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From Hands-On to High-Tech: The Real Future of Fabrication
Making Sparks Podcast for Fabrication Leaders
Most people think automation replaces welders. Graham Williams thinks it saves them. In this episode, recorded live at FABTECH, we sit down with Graham Williams of Vectis Automation to talk about how cobots are changing the game for small and mid-size shops — not by cutting people out, but by helping them do more, learn faster, and stay longer in the trade. From breaking the stigma around automation to using AI for smarter workflows, Graham shares how the best shops are blending tech and talent to create the next generation of fabricators. It’s not about robots replacing humans. It’s...
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Culture Under Fire: Building Values That Survive Growth Jesse Kleiman Part 2
Making Sparks Podcast for Fabrication Leaders
Most shop owners talk about culture. Few actually put it into practice. In Part 2 of our conversation, Jesse Kleiman shares how he’s building JR Metal Works on values that stick — from making hard work “cool again” to leading with “simple scales, fancy fails.” This isn’t theory. It’s how a fast-growing fab shop operationalizes culture, keeps people bought in, and builds a team that can scale. It’s not just about welding or leadership. It’s about what happens when you decide values aren’t posters on the wall — they’re how you run the business every day. In this...
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Grow Fast or Go Broke: The Truth About Scaling a Fab Shop
Making Sparks Podcast for Fabrication Leaders
Most fab shops dream of growth. Few are ready when it comes. Jesse Kleiman didn’t just grow JR Metal Works — he scaled it from a garage startup to a 70-person team taking on enterprise-level contracts. In this episode, Jesse opens up about the reality of rapid growth: the cash flow crunches, the leadership pivots, and the culture shifts that come with scaling faster than you planned. It’s not just about welding or expansion. It’s about what happens when your business outgrows you—and how to stay intentional through it all. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to know when it’s...
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The Hanna Golf Story: Building with Grit, Craft, and American-Made Pride
Making Sparks Podcast for Fabrication Leaders
Most golf brands take the shortcut: outsource, import, slap on a logo. Jared decided to do it the hard way. ⠀ In this episode, we dig into the Hanna Golf story — how a sales guy became a maker, bought a CNC, and built a boutique putter brand rooted in grit, craft, and American-made pride. From betting on himself to cutting through the noise of big brands, Jared shows what it really takes to build something that lasts. ⠀ It’s not just about golf. It’s about what happens when you actually make the thing you sell. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to stand out in a crowded industry...
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Trial by Fire: How Leadership Finds You on the Shop Floor
Making Sparks Podcast for Fabrication Leaders
In this MakingSparks episode, Casey and Matthew talk with Keith — a leader whose career has been shaped by both running a fabrication shop and now serving as General Manager at Fabrication Solutions & Technologies (FST). Keith’s path started with welding in the blazing heat, learning from old-school fabricators, and grinding his way up to shop management. Today, he uses that first-hand production experience to help shops across oil & gas, aerospace, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and more choose the right equipment, design smarter workflows, and maximize ROI. From process flow...
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Clueless CEO or Culture Genius? When Curiosity Beats Credentials
Making Sparks Podcast for Fabrication Leaders
What happens when a self-proclaimed “mechanically deficient” leader takes the reins of a 170-person fabrication business? For Brandon Stanchock, it meant leaning into curiosity, asking “dumb” questions, and spending a week in every department—boots on the ground, in the heat of summer. In this episode of Making Sparks, Brandon joins Casey and Matthew to talk about: How imposter syndrome shaped his leadership style Why asking the right questions beats having all the answers His mission to turn culture into a competitive advantage Practical ways he’s using AI and AR to improve...
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Your Process Is Only as Good as Your People
Making Sparks Podcast for Fabrication Leaders
What do you do when your fab shop isn’t broken—but you know it could be better? In this episode, Alfonso Aramburo joins us from Southern California to talk about the work he does turning around underperforming manufacturing companies. But his approach isn’t about flashy strategy or instant fixes—it’s about people, process, and product, in that order. Alfonso breaks down the three core problems most shops face, why culture is the engine that drives real improvement, and how small, consistent action wins out over big, clunky systems every time. This episode is for the shop owners...
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How to Grow a Small Fabrication Shop without Losing Control
Making Sparks Podcast for Fabrication Leaders
What does it take to run a fab shop, scale a personal brand, and merge two business models—without losing your mind? In this episode, the Ross Brothers, Rodney Ross & Austin Ross joined us from South Dakota to share how they're navigating their journey of running two different welding businesses. One is rooted in boots on the ground fabrication. The other? A YouTube channel that has turned into a full-blown brand & welding instruction hub. They talk openly about burnout, balancing visionary leadership with structured execution, and the real impact of building your personal brand...
info_outlineMost leaders in manufacturing are focused on performance, process, and technical competence. But when a team is underperforming, the root cause often has nothing to do with skills or processes like Lean—it's about character.
In this essential episode, the hosts sit down with Mac and Ria, founders of Blue Collar Leadership, live from the Fabtech show floor. Drawing from 20 years on the factory floor and extensive work in the Lean methodology, Mac shares why the most critical investment a company can make is in the personal growth and character development of its frontline employees.
They challenge the notion of "management" and introduce a unique, low-cost method for inspiring and identifying true leaders throughout your organization.
This conversation offers a powerful shift in perspective: leadership is influence, and by helping people become better spouses, parents, and community members, you organically create better employees.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why most manufacturing leadership training focuses on management, not influence.
- The personal cost of a career where leaders invested “zero dollars and zero minutes” in character development.
- The simple, non-judgemental "book study" method that leads to personal transformation.
- Why vulnerability and personal stories—especially when you got it wrong—are essential for connecting with blue-collar teams.
- How to let potential leaders self-identify based on their hunger for growth, regardless of their title.
- Why the culture you build must be about the people first, not just the ROI or the company.
Timestamps:
0:26 – The philosophy of "going slow to go fast" in business.
3:15 – The lack of leadership development in manufacturing: "4 or 5 hands" out of 130 attendees.
3:46 – Mac's 20-year journey from CNC operator to Lean Manager.
4:33 – Why the "Blue Collar Leadership" brand is a badge of honor, not a label.
5:40 – Discovering the Seven Habits and finding the missing piece of Lean.
9:01 – Ria’s story: leading as a Director of Compliance with influence, not authority.
10:57 – The biggest difference between Blue Collar Leadership and corporate training: the stories.
11:31 – The difference between universal principles and applicable practices.
14:00 – Why blue-collar workers are on alert for inauthentic leaders.
20:42 – The importance of leaders investing in their own development first.
32:41 – Learning the difference between learning about leadership and learning leadership.
33:16 – A free resource: the Book Study Training method.
36:21 – How to use humility and a micro-story to drive personal transformation.
43:36 – Mac's personal transformation after years of teaching others.
51:10 – Blue Collar Leadership’s unique business strategy: we don't chase clients.
52:03 – How focusing on character rebuilt Mac’s relationship with his estranged son.
57:02 – The results: great leadership will happen in your company if you make it about the people.
Resources:
Join our Facebook Group for conversations that will help grow your business: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Dspnz4Qt5/
Blue Collar Leadership: https://bluecollarleadership.com/
Free Book Study Training: bluecollarleadership.com/bookstudytraining
Free Course - The Five Types of Leaders: https://www.google.com/search?q=TheFiveTypesOfLeaders.com
Lights Out Podcast: https://makingchips.com/show/lights-out/
Buy the Numbers Podcast: https://makingchips.com/show/buy-the-numbers/