my TRUE POSITION

Jim Carr
  • 4.7 (15)
  • BUSINESS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

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.

  1. 5D AGO

    Digital Is Fast. Relationships Are Slow.

    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.

    25 min

  2. JAN 30

    If You're Not Obsessing Over Cash Flow, You're Already in Trouble

    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.

    28 min

  3. JAN 23

    You Agreed to WHAT?! Flowdowns, AVLs, and the Silent Killers of Margin

    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.

    29 min

  4. JAN 16

    Leadership Through Empowerment

    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.

    25 min

  5. JAN 2

    Why I'm Back at the Table: The Real ROI of Networking and Board Service

    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.

    30 min

  6. 12/26/2025

    Simple Marketing Fixes Every Shop Owner Should Do Before 2026

    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.

    28 min

  7. 12/19/2025

    GD&T Isn't Harder — Manufacturing Just Got Less Forgiving

    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.

    32 min

  8. 12/12/2025

    End of 2025 Reflections: Five Decades of Precision, Perseverance, and Progress

    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.

    31 min
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4.7
out of 5
15 Ratings

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Jim Carr
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    145
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © my TRUE POSITION 2023
  • Show Website
    my TRUE POSITION

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