The Industrial Side

Brian Kabisa
  • 5.0 (13)
  • Entrepreneurship

The Industrial Side features conversations with operators across industrial, distribution, and field service businesses. Each episode focuses on how these businesses actually run, with practical lessons on execution, working capital, labor, and day-to-day operations.

  1. Sep 25

    Season One Recap: Be the Steak, Not the Sizzle

    After a month away from the mic, Brian re-listened to every Season One conversation and pulled out the themes that kept coming up, whether the guest ran a one-person shop or a 50-person operation. It started as a search for a better way to do sales and marketing. What he found was that the companies winning are the ones executing better than everyone else on the operational side. Start with one question: if you took a month off starting Monday, what would actually break? Not slow down. Break. In this episode: Everything runs through the owner. Why pushing decisions down to the people closest to the work matters whether your company is 10 years old or 30.Knowledge stuck in people's heads. Once others can make decisions, the next step is documentation and process, so your team becomes utility players who understand the full scope of the job. Jose Di Geronimo of Amalga Composites on how hard skilled talent is to find and how much rides on what those people know.You're probably underpriced. Rachel McGrath of Tower Products on reviewing pricing on a schedule, tracking costs in real time, and telling customers plainly why prices change. Brian shares how explaining the costs behind a job has raised his own average revenue per project.A quote is a promise. Jess Stahl of Metric Marine on why accurate specs, reliable delivery times, and early communication beat being the cheapest option.How people buy has changed. Buyers want to do their research before they ever talk to you. Transparent catalogs and websites cut friction, and gated information adds it.Inbound through execution. Dan Verboski of Leon's Signs on running 100% inbound with no outbound, by delivering so much value that customers do the selling for you.The takeaway: In a boring industry, you don't have to be the most entertaining company out there. Just be the best at the work. If you know an operator, with or without a title, who'd add to this conversation, reach out. Season Two is coming soon.

  2. Aug 26

    Buying and Selling Series Part 2: The Operator-to-Owner Path with Stephanie Quay

    Most conversations about business acquisition focus on preparing an owner to sell. This episode flips that lens. Brian sits down with Stephanie Quay, founder of Five Experts, whose work centers on preparing a buyer to buy, and unpacks what it actually takes to move through the five phases of acquisition: aspiration, search, deal financing, ownership and value creation, and eventual exit or succession. Stephanie breaks down why proprietary search tends to outperform brokered deals for many searchers, how to build (and constantly adjust) a buy box without losing focus, and the discipline required to avoid falling in love with a deal before the numbers earn it. She and Brian also dig into a newer model Five Experts has been piloting: matching searchers directly with founders who are one to three years out from exit, letting an operator step in early, reduce founder dependency, and build value before a sale is ever finalized. The conversation closes on a simple but often overlooked point: a value creation plan isn't really about the exit. It's about staying exit-ready, whether that means a sale, an ESOP, or just knowing exactly how much more valuable the business has become five years in. In this episode: Why proprietary search creates less competition than brokered deals, and what it takes to source that wayBuilding a buy box, and why searchers need to keep adjusting it based on market signalsThe danger of falling for a deal before the diligence is doneFive Experts' operator-to-owner model: bringing a searcher in years before an exit is signedWhat value creation actually means in practice, beyond growing revenueWhy passion for the industry may matter more than prior industry expertiseConnect with Stephanie Quay: Five Experts: fivexperts.comEmail: team@fiveexperts.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniepalmer2/

  3. Aug 19

    Buying and Selling Series Part 1: The Real Number — Preparing Your Company to Sell with Anthony Perez

    Guest: Anthony Perez, Harvest Wealth Strategies Episode Summary Most business owners think about selling their company once — usually when someone finally makes them an offer. Anthony Perez says that's backwards: the exit plan should start the day you open the doors. In part one of this two-part Buying and Selling series, Anthony breaks down the "blind spots" that quietly kill company value — owner dependency, client concentration, missing systems, thin bench strength — and walks through what actually happens when a business owner gets an exciting offer that turns out to be far less than it looks on paper. This one's essential listening for any owner who's ever wondered what their business is really worth, and what it would take to actually see that number in the bank. What We Cover (00:00) What this Buying and Selling series is about, and why succession planning starts on day one, not year 29(02:08) What a wealth advisor for business owners actually does — and how it's different from a business broker or investment banker(04:52) The four blind spots that quietly kill company value: owner dependency, client concentration, weak systems/processes, and bench strength(10:29) The emotional side of stepping back: owner guilt, team trust, and why "20% involved" beats "0% or 100%"(12:14) The customer concentration trap — why the "easiest" way to run a business (build everything around your best client) is also the most dangerous(15:02) Lifestyle business owner vs. wealth creator: the two mindsets that determine how you should actually run your company(17:35) Finding your "real number" — and the $20M offer that was actually only worth $4M after structure and taxes(19:50) Earnouts and seller notes, demystified — including the stat that over 70% of earnouts never get fully paid(23:08) How buyer type changes the risk calculus: strategic acquirer vs. first-time entrepreneur-through-acquisition(25:34) Lifestyle vs. wealth-building trade-off: hire a strong leadership team and increase your EBITDA multiple, or run lean and stay dependent on a perfect successor(30:03) The 3-year roadmap: what to actually do in year one, year two, and year three before an exit(32:29) The Lakers sale, HBO's Succession, and what family businesses get wrong about passing the company down(38:02) Where to find Anthony and get a free value gap assessmentKey Takeaway Buyers aren't primarily paying for your cash flow — they're pricing risk. Every blind spot Anthony describes (you being the bottleneck, one client being 80% of revenue, no real leadership bench, no systems) is really just a different flavor of "what happens to this business if something changes." Fix the risk, and the multiple — and the number that actually lands in your pocket — moves with it. Connect with Anthony Perez Website: harvestwealthstrategies.netLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyperezj/Instagram / Facebook / YouTube: Harvest Wealth StrategiesFree Value Gap Assessment available via the website or by emailing Anthony directly

  4. Aug 13

    How Kaufman Logistics Wins (and Keeps) Clients in a Trust-First Business Part 2

    Sammy and Elizabeth Kaufman are back for round two. In our first conversation, we broke down what freight forwarding and customs brokerage actually is. This time, we go deeper into how Kaufman Logistics actually runs the business day to day — how they price their services, how they win new clients in an industry where trust matters more than a pitch deck, and why logistics is fundamentally a relationship business dressed up as a technical one. We cover Incoterms (EXW, FOB, DDP) and why understanding who owns the risk at each stage of a shipment can save a buyer from getting stuck holding the bag. Sammy and Elizabeth explain where their margin actually comes from, why they see themselves as service providers rather than middlemen, and how they've built a reputation on being proactive — calling clients with bad news before the client even knows there's a problem. We also get into the slow, trust-based sales cycle in freight forwarding and customs brokerage, why new clients test a broker with a single shipment before handing over the full book of business, and why growth in this industry comes from a mix of new client acquisition and adding more "touches" to existing accounts. Sammy and Elizabeth also share why diversification — across verticals, regions, and product types — is critical to building a resilient logistics business, and why they're actively looking at acquisition opportunities as a growth lever. In this episode: Breaking down Incoterms: EXW, FOB, and DDP, and who's responsible at each stageWhere a freight forwarder and customs broker actually make their marginService provider vs. middleman — and why that distinction mattersWhy proactive communication is the biggest differentiator in logisticsHow new clients are earned and tested before winning full account trustThe "octopus strategy": diversifying across verticals, regions, and product typesWhy any dollar saved in shipping goes straight to a client's bottom lineKaufman Logistics' interest in acquiring custom brokerages and forwarding companies as owners retireConnect with Kaufman Logistics 🌐 Website: kaufmanlogistics.com 📧 Email: info@kaufmanlogistics.com Catch Part 1 Haven't listened to the first conversation with Sammy and Elizabeth yet? Start here: Cheap or Fast: Why You Can't Have Both in Global Shipping w/ Kaufman Logistics

  5. Aug 4

    Sales Knows the Pain Point. Marketing Knows How to Say It.

    Abigail Lind writes content for manufacturers and industrial companies. She started out as a high school English teacher and cheer coach, picked up a master's in English, spent time in outside sales, and now works with everyone from mid market shops to Fortune 500 manufacturers on messaging and content. We got into why marketing is still a hard sell inside industrial companies, how to prove value when the sales cycle runs three years, and where the handoff between sales and marketing actually breaks down. What we covered Why marketing is still treated as overhead in traditional industries and how that shows up as agency churnMarketing qualified leads versus sales qualified leads, and who really owns the pipelineWhat happens to your customer data when a salesperson walks out the door with the spreadsheetThe AMAROK campaign: security guards versus electric fencing, a 35 page research guide, and 20 leads handed to sales off the first emailWhy one big research piece should turn into five or six othersHow to get real information out of technical subject matter experts who do not want to be on your callWhether anyone reads blogs anymore, and why that is the wrong questionSEO as the foundation for AEO and GEO, and why your LinkedIn and Reddit presence now feed the same machineWhy search engines can spot AI written language and deprioritize itAbigail's definition of good writing: clear on the first read whether or not you are in the industryTimestamps 01:05 From high school English teacher to industrial content04:05 Why manufacturers do not value marketing06:50 Sales enablement and where alignment breaks08:06 MQL versus SQL and who owns the pipeline11:00 What it costs to have sales doing marketing's job14:55 The AMAROK electric fencing campaign17:51 Content is recyclable18:29 How they actually distributed it21:47 Getting time with subject matter experts25:05 Writing for humans versus writing for AI30:36 What separates good writing from badFind Abigail Website: abigailgracewriting.comLinkedIn: Abigail G Lind, or the Abigail Grace Writing company pageSpeaking at Content Marketing World in Denver this fall on how to interview subject matter experts about their content

  6. Jul 28

    Inside the IRS Network: How Independent Restoration Services Builds Owner-Operators

    This one's a little different — Dustin Walter is the founder of Independent Restoration Services, the network Brian is a partner in. In this episode, Brian gets to ask questions as an insider, and Dustin breaks down how IRS's ownership model works, why he built a centralized back office instead of a traditional franchise, and what he actually looks for in the people he partners with. What we cover: Dustin's path from a decade in the insurance industry (adjuster, supervisor, manager) to founding a restoration companyWhy IRS operates as a "network" or "cooperative" rather than a franchise, and how partners can own roughly a third of a location while capturing more value than 100% ownership elsewhereWhat the centralized back office actually does: call center, Xactimate estimate writers, insurance negotiators, accounting, and marketingHow a location can go from zero employees to a fully staffed team on day one, and why that changes the economics of the first two yearsWhat Dustin looks for in a partner: availability, grit, and a long-term mindset over industry experienceHow restoration companies function as both first responders and advocates, helping homeowners understand what's actually covered under a "sudden and accidental" water damage clauseWhy insurance claims are more gray area than black and white, and how that shapes the way IRS approaches each jobWhere Dustin sees the insurance and restoration industry heading over the next 10-20 years, including AI adoption, preventative tech like water shutoff switches, and shifting deductible structuresWhy Dustin sees a major opportunity in blue collar trades right now, and what he'd tell someone considering itConnect with Dustin: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustin-walter-209686239/Company: https://irs-247.com/

  7. Jul 21

    Metal, Margins, and Mission-Critical Parts with Mick Montesi

    Mick Montesi runs an aerospace components manufacturer supplying structural metal parts to defense, commercial, and space OEMs like Boeing and Airbus. In this episode, Mick breaks down what it actually takes to become an approved aerospace supplier, why the onboarding process can take up to two years, and how his company competes on speed and in-house capability rather than price. What we cover: What an aerospace components manufacturer actually does and who the end customers areWhy defense and commercial customers have completely different priorities (speed vs. price)How Mick's company wins work through in-house heat treating, painting, and welding instead of outsourcingThe two-year supplier onboarding process and why most companies buy their way into aerospace instead of starting from scratchHow quality control works when a single defect can be a life-and-death issue, including in-process inspection, first article inspection, and third-party source inspectorsThe difference between AS9100 and NADCAP certifications, and why not having the right certifications in-house can cost you the jobHow staffing and capacity planning work when no two parts made in a day look the sameThe mix of sheet metal and CNC machining that makes Mick's company unusual among competitorsWhy CapEx requirements and long growth timelines make aerospace one of the hardest industries to break intoConnect with Mick: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mickmontesi/Company inquiries: Quotes@ValleyTL.com

  8. Jul 14

    Cheap or Fast: Why You Can't Have Both in Global Shipping w/ Kaufman Logistics

    Sammy and Elizabeth Kaufman run Kaufman Logistics, a freight forwarding, customs brokerage, and 3PL company handling the physical movement and compliance side of importing goods into the US. In this episode, Brian sits down with the husband and wife duo to break down an industry most business owners rely on constantly but rarely understand. What we cover: What freight forwarding actually is, and how it differs from customs brokerage and 3PL (most companies think these are the same thing)Why nearly every shipment starts with the importer, not the manufacturer, and why control over the shipping process matters more than people realizeThe real tradeoff in logistics: you can have it cheap or fast, but not both, and how to figure out which one your business actually needsWhy smaller and mid-sized buyers often get better treatment from a boutique freight forwarder than they would going direct to a large manufacturerThe two things Sammy wishes every customer knew before calling: understanding your shipping terms, and calling before your goods are already on the waterWhat a customs exam actually looks like, and why some shipments get flagged even when nothing is wrong (the granite from Italy story is a good one)Why cheap sourcing decisions early on (Alibaba, unclear suppliers) tend to get expensive fast once goods hit US customsThe difference between a freight forwarder who just makes deals happen and one who holds every license in house, air, ocean, customs, and truckingNotable line: "Cheap becomes expensive a lot of times." Sammy's grandfather's rule for supply chain decisions, and it shows up constantly in this conversation. Want to learn more? Reach out to the Kaufman team at info@kaufmanlogistics.com

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About

The Industrial Side features conversations with operators across industrial, distribution, and field service businesses. Each episode focuses on how these businesses actually run, with practical lessons on execution, working capital, labor, and day-to-day operations.

Information

  • Creator
    Brian Kabisa
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Brian Kabisa 2026
  • Show Website
    The Industrial Side