Claim Ownershipmy TRUE POSITION
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© my TRUE POSITION 2023
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Manufacturing Professionals will receive immediate and actionable insight into high-level issues of running a small to mid-sized manufacturing company. All communicated in an easy-to-digest 20 minutes by your expert podcaster and second-generation business owner, Jim Carr.
145 Episodes
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In this episode, Jim Carr breaks down why speed, tools, and constant updates don't build real relationships in manufacturing—especially in aerospace, where reliability, accountability, and early transparency matter more than responsiveness. This isn't about rejecting technology; it's about understanding when digital communication helps, when it hurts, and how operators build lasting trust with customers, suppliers, and teams in a high-stakes environment.
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.
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 requirements, or said "we've always done it this way," this episode will challenge that thinking. This is a real-world conversation about compliance, accountability, and protecting margin before the first chip flies. No theory. No checklists for the sake of checklists. Just the hard truths about what you actually agreed to.
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 stop thinking, and what disciplined empowerment looks like when it's done right. From the shop floor to operations leadership. If your business can't move without you approving every call, this episode will hit close to home. Listen in: And start building leaders, not messengers.
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.
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.
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.
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 American manufacturing, this is the episode you don't skip.
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 repair the damage of cultural drift, this episode gives you the clarity — and the roadmap — you've been missing. Hit play!
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 justified. If calibration has ever felt like a compliance box instead of a strategic tool, this episode will change the way you manage your entire gage program.
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.
Let's be real — the fastest way to torch your profit isn't a bad part or a missed deadline. It's when your labor starts running you instead of the other way around. In this episode of My TRUE POSITION, I'm breaking down the difference between direct and indirect labor — and why blurring that line could be quietly bleeding your margin dry. I'll walk through how to track it, what numbers to watch, and how a simple shift in visibility turned things around in my own shop. If you want to stop guessing where your money's going and start managing labor like a pro, this one's for you.
Most machine shops think marketing is fluff — that the work should speak for itself. But here's the truth: in 2025, if you're not telling your story, you don't exist. At CARR Machine & Tool, we built a marketing engine inside a machine shop — and it changed everything. From our website and brand standards to storytelling, SEO, and social, every piece of the marketing pie matters. It's not decoration — it's discipline. In this episode, I'm breaking down why every manufacturer needs to start thinking like a media company, how much of your revenue should fuel marketing, and what happens when you make the whole system work together.
It's been five years since COVID flipped manufacturing on its head. Back then, it was all about survival — keeping the doors open and the machines running. Today, labor's tight, rates are high, and margins are thin. But the shops that made it? They're smarter, leaner, and tougher than ever. In this episode, I'm breaking down how far we've come — from shutdowns and supply chain chaos to a new era of discipline, data, and leadership.
In 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.
LinkedIn was built for professionals — a place to connect, learn, and grow careers. But somewhere along the way, it turned into a stage for personal branding and performance. In this episode, I dig into how the world's largest job network lost its focus — and how real professionals can bring substance and authenticity back to the feed.
The first two weeks on the job set the tone for everything that follows. At CARR, we've built a structured onboarding playbook — with 5-day, 30-day, 90-day, and 6-month check-ins leading into annual performance and compensation reviews. It's not paperwork, it's leadership in action. In this episode, I dig into why onboarding is a make-or-break moment, how we keep new hires engaged from day one to year one, and what shop owners can learn to build loyalty that lasts.
The family-owned machine shop — once the backbone of American manufacturing — is disappearing. Private equity is rolling up independents, succession is drying up, and the cost of staying competitive is through the roof. In this episode, I dig into how small, family-run shops evolved over the decades, the metrics driving consolidation, and why investors are buying us up. Is this truly the end of the family-owned shop… or just the next evolution?
Degrees don't impress me. GPAs don't build careers. The real signals that matter? Showing up, asking questions, taking pride in your work. In this episode of My TRUE POSITION, I lay out exactly how I spot future talent in machining—and what separates rockstars from dead weight. This is the hiring playbook nobody else will give you.
College debt is crushing a generation—but there's another way. In this episode of My TRUE POSITION, I break down the real pathways into precision manufacturing—apprenticeships, certifications, and careers that pay while you learn. No tuition trap, no student loans—just a straight shot to six-figure potential.
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