Fresh off the Gemba Summit in Belfast, Andrew shares lessons from across the pond with Jay. What starts as a deep dive into lean culture at the Titanic Belfast turns into a candid conversation about scaling small businesses, visiting your vendors, and rethinking what it means to “fix what bugs you.”
Andrew and Jay unpack how lean principles evolve when your company outgrows the two-second mindset. Andrews tells about conversations with Toyota UK’s Alan Weir, British Rototherm’s Oliver Conger, and Tom Hughes of GembaDocs. They also discuss the practical takeaways from Greg Crabtree’s Simple Numbers and Jerry Wright’s The Insanity Trap.
How do you lead your company through the chaos and cadence of a production year without burning out your team or yourself? In this episode, Jay and Andrew unpack Andrew’s “Four Quarter Business Rhythm” document, his framework for understanding seasonal production cycles, planning proactively, and preparing his team to thrive when it's go-time. From practical PTO policies to government fiscal-year quirks, from proactive inventory planning to Lean Day Trello boards, from baseball stats to busted CNC foot pedals, this episode is packed with leadership lessons, hard-earned shop wisdom, and actionable strategy.
Andrew and Jay dive into the art of optimization, from shaving seconds off CNC cycles to teaching kids the power of one-piece flow. Andrew shares how tuning a Brother machine saved 13 hours across a 5,000-part run and reflects on when optimization really pays off. The two discuss lean principles in action, shop tours, and the balance between efficiency and creativity before discussing the value of fractional expertise. From hiring a CPA who acts like a dashboard of financial sensors to bringing in part-time specialists who reveal blind spots and move the needle in tens of thousands, they show how smart leaders multiply impact by paying for precision, not guesswork. Along the way, they trade golf analogies, business lessons, and more.
In this episode, Jay recounts the story of a stolen trailer from his tiny home business, leading into a broader discussion on trust, theft, and logistics nightmares. Andrew follows with reflections on manufacturing safety, freight failures, and the unexpected lessons of customer service—both good and bad.
Jay and Andrew kick off with a quick story about “the yips” — that sudden moment when everything you know just disappears — and use it to launch into a deeper discussion about what makes great shops tick.
They unpack why even pros break down under pressure, how systems and habits keep you grounded, and why finishing what you start matters more than chasing shiny new projects. From compressor failures to confusing control panels to the “95% Rule,” this episode is packed with real shop-floor lessons on leadership, lean thinking, and culture.
Running a business means living in the tension between control and chaos—and this week, Jay and Andrew talk about both. From tariffs and supply chain headaches to the quirks of wire EDM and CO₂ lasers, they explore how shops adapt when material costs, sourcing, and technology throw curveballs. Along the way, they swap stories about spotless autobody shops, frustrating e-commerce platforms, website crashes, and even backup internet solutions.
Whether it’s stocking obscure steels, streamlining websites for Black Friday, planning redundancies that actually matter, or rethinking lean practices like “water spiders,” Jay and Andrew show how business owners can navigate uncertainty without losing sight of customer experience.
This episode of the Lean Built Podcast starts in the shop but ends up on stage. Andrew and Jay begin by discussing machining decisions—when to model details in CAD versus when to let CAM and shop standards handle them, edge breaks, chamfers, and the balance between aesthetics and efficiency.
But midway, the conversation takes a turn into music...concert stories, 90s Christian rock, ska bands, artistry, and musical creativity. Along the way, they draw parallels between toolpath textures and vinyl warmth, and talk about some of the influences that formed them into the men they would become.
What’s better: a locked-down, push-button system or total control over every parameter? In this episode, Andrew and Jay wrestle with that question across the shop floor and beyond. They start with Haas’ robotic pallet loader and the limits of locked waypoints, then branch into the bigger design dilemma—do customers really want simplicity, or do they crave flexibility? Along the way they swap stories about return policies that backfired, the surprising psychology of premium pricing, whether renting high-dollar workholding could make sense, and why clear communication matters more than working faster. It’s a conversation about autonomy, design trade-offs, and the real economics of running a modern shop.
Jay and Andrew unpack the recent sale of Heller to DN Solutions and what it reveals about brand value, culture shifts, and the economics of high-ticket, low-volume machines. They move from industry news to the shop floor, comparing palletized workholding with soft jaws, weighing costs against flexibility, and sharing how small changes can unlock significant productivity gains.
Along the way, they discuss intellectual property fears, the reality of knockoffs, and why continual improvement is often the best defense. Jay shares behind-the-scenes lessons from developing new vise palettes and running beta tests, while Andrew emphasizes the importance of building trusted feedback networks. They also look ahead at sensor-driven machining, acoustic analysis, and AI applications that could reshape how shops optimize tool life and performance.
Scarcity sells. But at what cost? In this episode of Lean Built, Jay and Andrew dig into the world of false urgency, hype marketing, and smoke-and-mirrors business tactics. From eBay nostalgia to NFT mania, they unpack how artificial scarcity (and a lot of other practices) can undermine trust while genuine value builds it.
Along the way, they share stories of radical honesty in business, saying no to misaligned customers, and why investing in truth creates stronger companies than any short-term marketing trick.
This week’s conversation covers a little bit of everything. Andrew shares stories from his trip to Japan, including what he noticed at Matsuura’s factory and a clever little chip briquetting machine that has everyone asking questions. Jay talks about viral video surprises on Instagram and YouTube, and the two compare notes on carts, pallet wrapping, and what lean looks like in real shops versus theory.
They also touch on shop culture: why hospitality matters as much as process, and the challenges of keeping things moving when the boss is out of town.
In this solo debrief, Andrew recounts his visit to Matsuura’s plants in Japan, where he observed firsthand the discipline and detail that define Japanese manufacturing. He describes how Matsuura trains new employees years in advance, the precision of their hand-scraping process, and the consistency achieved by grinding every pallet on a single master machine.
He also discusses the innovations he saw in Matsuura’s hybrid LUMEX metal 3D printing and machining technology, spindle balancing rigs, and integrated chip briquetting systems. Beyond the machines themselves, he reflects on Matsuura’s culture of multi-generational leadership, long-tenured employees, and a genuine curiosity about how customers use their equipment.
Andrew explains the real opportunities in palletized five-axis automation, from reducing setups to unlocking flexible, high-mix production. He emphasizes that these machines require not just investment, but vision and continuous learning to realize their full potential.
Jay and Andrew swap stories about the constant balancing act between buying, making, renting, borrowing, and outsourcing. From renting camera lenses for product shoots to resisting the emotional pull of a first CNC machine, they dig into the real-life decision-making that keeps a shop lean (or clutters it up). You’ll hear about scissor lift negotiations, the pain and payoff of liquidating unused gear, the “what if” trap that fills shelves with obsolete parts, and the unexpected warranty calls that arrive the day after you throw something away. Along the way, they share practical takeaways on optioning machines, standardizing tools, leveraging smart plugs, and even giving unused hardware back to suppliers.
Andrew and Jay unpack a thought-provoking article from The Systems Thinker on the tension between learning and performance. How do you actually learn from failure? Is it a given that you will? The conversation ranges from morning meeting rituals and positive failure culture to the dangers of over-relying on data.
Along the way, they talk chipped tools, misordered pipe, customized packaging, AI-assisted KPI dashboards, Harbor Freight, and more.
Jay and Andrew discuss the true cost of doing business with “big name” clients who act like bullies. You know the ones. They demand unfair terms, they're slow to pay, they're quick to add red tape. Jay shares a personal story about walking away from a prestige customer that wasn’t worth the stress, cost, or collection headaches. Andrew adds cautionary tales, including lessons from a fellow shop owner who took the bait on a massive PO and paid the price in blood, sweat, and sleepless nights.
They also talk about the power of peer advisory groups like Vistage and Convene. How do you avoid flying blind in your business? Get in a room with people who’ve already made your mistakes, and who won’t let you keep making them.
Plus: hear about their strategies for preventative maintenance, visual controls (including genius 3D-printed “No Touchy” signs), and the delicate balance between food trucks, team morale, and post-lunch productivity crashes.
Jay and Andrew dig into the difference between organization and orderliness, unpack how simply arranging clutter isn't true organization, and how failing to eliminate what’s unnecessary leads to inefficiency, wasted time, and blocked flow.
From red-tagging unused bandsaws to preserving museum-worthy prototypes, the conversation explores the emotional and practical side of decluttering. Jay shares a maintenance wake-up call involving a long-forgotten gearbox and walks through how proactive systems (like Trello and SOPs) can prevent downtime disasters. Then the duo touch on their favorite tools, ranging from $20 Japanese nippers to precision CMMs.
You can get those amazing Fujiya pliers Andrew mentioned here and here.
As this episode begins, Andrew shares the lessons learned from a recent Matsuura mishap—how a forgotten chip fan caused an unexpected repairs and expensel—and how these bumps in the road are part of owning the machine, not just using it.
This leads to Andrew and Jay digging into the balance between pushing limits and preventing crashes, using real-life examples of breaking tools (sometimes on purpose) to discover the edge of performance. The conversation also touches on company culture and the psychology of failure in machine shops, including the value of giving employees permission to experiment—and even fail—in healthy ways.
Later in the episode, the discussion pivots into leadership philosophy. Drawing inspiration from Perry Maughme's The Relentless Few podcast and Simon Sinek’s thoughts on measuring success, they challenge the traditional obsession with long-term goals. Instead, they advocate for direction, momentum, and principle-driven decision-making. The episode ends with a preview of a future conversation on healthy workplace conflict—and the importance of “normalizing awkwardness.”
Andrew and Jay trade stories and strategies around one of the most pivotal parts of entrepreneurship: risk.
Jay recounts signing the papers for a commercial building just weeks before the world shut down in 2020—and how faith, clarity, and conviction helped him stay the course. Andrew reflects on leaving his teaching job, taking out his first major equipment loan, and learning to distinguish between high-stakes risks and small, reversible bets.
Together, they explore:
The first half of this episode is all about Inbox Zero (riffing on this blog post): what it really means, why it might not matter, and how to manage information overload without wasting time or energy.
From there, Jay and Andrew dig into tool change times, Matsuura automation quirks, solenoid-driven air savings, and the oft-overlooked cost of compressed air. They also get nerdy about vacuum workholding—explaining the science behind efficient setups, the inevitability of leaks, and why not all vacuum systems are created equal.
In our 100th episode special, we take listener questions including:
Whether you’re new to the Lean Built community or you’ve been with us from episode 1, thank you for listening. Here’s to 100 more episodes of building freedom—one lean improvement at a time.
Book mentioned: The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber