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BusinessEntrepreneurshipManagement

Lean Built: Manufacturing Freedom

Henry Holsters and Pierson Workholding

Two successful entrepreneurs talk about manufacturing, lean principles, and the freedom they are pursuing in life and business.

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  • 24 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 44 min
  • English

Episodes 24

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  • #143
    April 20 · 48 min

    What Actually Made The Machining Summit Worth It | Lean Built - Manufacturing Freedom E143

    Fresh off the Machining Summit on the Summit in Mammoth Lakes, Andrew and Jay sit down to unpack what actually made the experience worth it...and it wasn’t just the sessions. From gondola rides to small, living-room-style conversations, they talk about how being in the right environment with the right people leads to better conversations, clearer thinking, and relationships that actually matter. Along the way, they share some of the bigger takeaways that stuck with them, including why collaboration tends to win over competition, where they see the industry heading, real-world lessons on finances, building redundancy into your operations, and more.

  • #142
    April 13 · 1 hr 7 min

    The Factory Caught Fire—Here’s What Saved the Business (w/ Brian Meyers) | Lean Built - Manufacturing Freedom E142

    What happens when your factory catches fire without warning? In this episode, Brian Meyers (president of Fat American Mfg and host of Lean by Doing podcast) sits down with Jay and Andrew to share the story of a fire that broke out in his brand-new facility, and what it revealed about leadership, preparation, and the power of lean manufacturing. In short: what could have been a total loss wasn't at all. Because of the systems already in place due to a culture shaped by lean thinking, his team didn’t panic. They acted. And their decisions prevented far greater damage. But the story doesn’t end with the fire. Brian walks through the long aftermath: the disruption, the emotional weight on the team, the insurance process, and the slow return to normal operations. Along the way, he reflects on what he would and wouldn’t change, and how the experience reshaped his thinking on safety, culture, and resilience. Learn more from Brian: Lean by Doing Podcast YouTube

  • #141
    April 6 · 47 min

    When Selling Through a Dealer Backfires | Lean Built - Manufacturing Freedom E141

    Jay begins by talking about selling a machine, and when it's better to go direct versus using a dealer, with broader implications regarding alignment, control, and the hidden costs of outsourcing parts of your business. From there, the discussion shifts into shop operations: flow vs. batching, tool changes, and where efficiency actually comes from in real production environments. Jay and Andrew challenge common assumptions, showing how context matters: sometimes batching wins, sometimes ergonomics matter more than cycle time, and often the biggest gains come from reducing friction for the operator, not chasing theoretical efficiency. Plus: the perfect keyboard, how to get that most out of a conference or summit, and more.

  • #140
    March 30 · 47 min

    The Hidden Labor Cost That’s Killing Your Margins | Lean Built - Manufacturing Freedom E140

    Jay and Andrew begin with a deceptively simple question: what actually makes a company “lean”? Starting with a quote from Shigeo Shingo, they challenge the common misconception that lean is just Kanban, and explore the deeper reality that lean is less about specific tools and more about principles, tradeoffs, and context. From there, Andrew shares a deep dive into labor tracking and ERP data, uncovering how much work was happening that never made it into cost calculations, and why “door-to-door” time matters more than overly segmented tracking. Jay pushes back with the tension every shop feels: data is only valuable if it leads to action, and too much friction in systems can break team buy-in entirely. The episode then shifts into Andrew’s current challenge: producing tight-tolerance parts that his team can’t fully verify in-house. They take a candid look at outsourcing vs. vertical integration, the true cost of CMM capability, and the uncomfortable position of shipping parts you can’t independently validate. Jay talks about why he bought a CMM earlier than expected, what he regrets, and how fast feedback loops can change everything.

Showing 21–24 of 24 episodes