The Fab Lab

Times have been good in recent years, but will they continue?  Hopefully.  But if they dont, and the economic weather gets stormy, the companies that have prepared will be fine. Those that aren't prepared will make many mistakes like I did in the Great Recession, and some wont survive. In this episode, I share the 3 biggest mistakes I made so you can avoid them: 1. Not knowing the #'s 2. Hoping instead of cost cutting 3. Too much debt I've never been shy about my many mistakes in running a stone shop, you wont be disappointed in this episode. Happy Fabricating! 

We have much to be thankful for, but sometimes bad news and our perceptions can cloud reality to the point we really miss out…and forget how much we have to be thankful for. In this episode, we explore the POWER of gratitude and the positive effects it WILL have for those who practice it. We discuss the following: The Chemical Reality of Gratitude Positive Effects of Gratitude Discipline of Gratitude I hope this finds you well, taking time with loved ones this Thanksgiving weekend.  If you have some spare time and want to read the source articles I mention in the episode, enjoy! workplace https://www.whartonhealthcare.org/discovering_the_health chemical reality https://www.whartonhealthcare.org/the_neuroscience_of_gratitude gratitude study https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_gratitude_changes_you_and_your_brain   If you’d like to reach out, visit aaroncrowley.com Or just email me:  [email protected] Happy Fabricating & Happy Thanksgiving!

Stone Shops are in a catch-22.  They can’t say no to the work otherwise their customers will go somewhere else. So when the customer wants a full slab island installed, the stone shops have to say yes. But what are they saying yes to? They are saying yes to enormous risk.  In this episode, we talk about the risk and the reality of moving full slab islands on site and the nuances that MUST be understood if we are going to solve the problems installers face while installing. Safe Installing! No Lift Install System is the official sponsor of the Fab Lab podcast. Learn more about the No Lift System at www.NoLiftSystem.com 

If you run a stone shop, someone has to install those counters you’re manufacturing…We call them installers and we ask a lot of them. You might be shocked and you may not believe that we ask them to lift over One Million Pounds of stone per year. In this episode, I show the math, that proves this statement’s truth. Additionally, I explain the massive negative EFFECTS the Million Pound Problem has for the installer and your stone shop. Fellow Fabricator (and installer), this problem is as widespread and important as the risk of moving slabs and the silica in the air in your shop. We as an industry must address it. Happy Installing! Learn more about the No Lift Install System at www.NoLiftSystem.com

If you are in the stone fabrication business, you are creating airborne silica.  Its not a question of whether you or your employees are breathing it. The question is whether the levels are safe for you and your staff and whether they are below the OSHA PEL (permissible exposure levels). In this episode of the Fab Lab Podcast, we hear from Mark Meriaux from the Natural Stone Institute on changes to OSHA and what it means for you as a shop owner as well as what you can do to minimize the risk to your employees as well as the risk to your company. Its sobering but good stuff. Safe Fabricating! Resource Links: Natural Stone Institute Safety Page: https://www.naturalstoneinstitute.org/safety/ Natural Stone Institute Silica Page: https://www.naturalstoneinstitute.org/silica/ Natural Stone University (online learning platform) with free safety courses: www.uofstone.com