In this episode, I share an interview with Patrick Adams, founder of Lean Solutions based in Michigan. We met virtually during the pandemic in the Lean Communicators Network, and later in-person at the Lean Six Sigma World Conference. He hosts an annual conference called Lean Solutions Summit that will take place in a few weeks in Detroit.







We discuss how he transitioned from a difficult childhood to the military to manufacturing leadership and ultimately running his own process improvement firm. He was inspired to start a nonprofit called Remembrance Ranch, and he shares how he teaches and supports them with Lean improvements, so they can help at-risk teenagers get the help they and their families need through summer camps and year-long mentoring.







00:17 Meet Patrick Adams: From Military to Manufacturing01:50 First Steps in Manufacturing04:53 Learning Lean: The Just-in-Time Experience09:14 Lessons from the Military13:28 Advanced Continuous Improvement16:43 Starting a Consulting Practice18:27 The Importance of Coaching21:02 Training and Hands-On Experience21:27 eLearning Transition21:44 The Importance of Live Coaching22:40 Hands-On Learning and Real-Life Projects23:15 Continuous Improvement and Community24:30 Introduction to Remembrance Ranch25:25 Personal Journey and Founding of Remembrance Ranch27:20 Programs and Impact of Remembrance Ranch32:25 Lean Principles in Non-Profit Organizations37:57 Lean Solutions Summit39:43 The Book: Avoiding the Continuous Appearance Trap41:21 Final Thoughts and Resources







Listen to the podcast on this page, download it on your favorite podcast player (search “Lean Six Sigma for Good”) or watch the entire interview at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXr-_KSSSXw



















Links









* Patrick Adams – LinkedIn







* Lean Solutions



* Lean Solutions Summit – Detroit Sep 23-25, 2025











* Book: Avoiding the Continuous Appearance Trap







* Past interview with Patrick Adams on Gemba Academy







* Remembrance Ranch









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