The Fab Lab

In this episode, I share an idea I was exploring prior to selling my stone shop...Its unconventional, its out of the box, its a "blue ocean strategy" if you will. I dont suggest you should consider implementing this idea in your own stone business. What I am suggesting is that you should be thinking outside the box!  You should be open minded to doing the unconventional in the interest of make you...

In the last episode, I detail a list of the ways the counter fabrication business is just plain hard.  In this episode, I share the 3 most important tactics for positioning your stone shop to overcome those challenges and succeed in spite of them. 1. Do more direct to consumer work 2. Develop standards, process, and your daily operations meeting 3. Strategic relationships with suppliers, built on...

Running a stone shop is HARD!!! On its best day, its more difficult than just about any business you could run. As such, you deserve MASSIVE credit and honor for succeeding! In this episode, I rant and rave a little bit, I even vent some frustration at the inherent flaws in our industry that create a very difficult environment to run a legitimate and successful business in. Lack of Standards, low...

Gift cards, hams, and Christmas bonuses are GREAT ways to show your love your employees and share the fruits of their labor. But there are 5 other gifts that are worth their weight in gold, and it doesn't cost you a cent to give them to your staff this Christmas! 1. Appreciation 2. Trust 3. Side Work 4. Vision/Mission/Values 5. Healthy and Safe Work Environment Give them these gifts and they will...

If you're doing work for builders or remodelers, you're waiting to get paid.  The longer you wait the bigger risk you take, especially if your customer experiences a decline in sales and revenue. The fabricators that follow these tips wil get paid and get through an economic storm. Those that don't may not have the cash to weather the storm. 1. Visibility - Aging Accounts Receivables Reports 2. Te...

Better to have a plan and not need it than to be caught unprepared!  The simple principles in this episode will serve you well if an economic storm hits your business.  They will serve you well if a storm doesn't hit your business. 1. Know your #'s - what numbers should you know? 2. Cost Cutting Plan - "If...Then..." 3. Debt Plan - Keeping Reserves Enjoy and Happy Fabricating!

Times have been good in recent years, but will they continue?  Hopefully.  But if they dont, and the economic weather gets stormy, the companies that have prepared will be fine. Those that aren't prepared will make many mistakes like I did in the Great Recession, and some wont survive. In this episode, I share the 3 biggest mistakes I made so you can avoid them: 1. Not knowing the #'s 2. Hoping in...

We have much to be thankful for, but sometimes bad news and our perceptions can cloud reality to the point we really miss out…and forget how much we have to be thankful for. In this episode, we explore the POWER of gratitude and the positive effects it WILL have for those who practice it. We discuss the following: The Chemical Reality of Gratitude Positive Effects of Gratitude Discipline of Gratit...

Stone Shops are in a catch-22.  They can’t say no to the work otherwise their customers will go somewhere else. So when the customer wants a full slab island installed, the stone shops have to say yes. But what are they saying yes to? They are saying yes to enormous risk.  In this episode, we talk about the risk and the reality of moving full slab islands on site and the nuances that MUST be under...

If you run a stone shop, someone has to install those counters you’re manufacturing…We call them installers and we ask a lot of them. You might be shocked and you may not believe that we ask them to lift over One Million Pounds of stone per year. In this episode, I show the math, that proves this statement’s truth. Additionally, I explain the massive negative EFFECTS the Million Pound Problem has...

If you are in the stone fabrication business, you are creating airborne silica.  Its not a question of whether you or your employees are breathing it. The question is whether the levels are safe for you and your staff and whether they are below the OSHA PEL (permissible exposure levels). In this episode of the Fab Lab Podcast, we hear from Mark Meriaux from the Natural Stone Institute on changes t...

Safety might be the least popular, most uncomfortable, but all the while important topic a stone shop owner needs to face.  In this episode, I share my near-death experiences and the uncomfortable fact that we had many close calls in my stone shop.  This episode begins a short series where we will cover the following: Silicosis Slab Handling and Storage Installing – The Million Pound Problem Safe...

You may not be at a low point in your stone career, but you may know someone who is.  Don’t underestimate the power of an encouraging word, your friends in low places may really need to hear from you! Happy fabricating! Click Here to explore 90 minutes of complimentary coaching with me!  No strings attached, no cost, my gift you fellow fabricator!

We must have small victories, little wins, achievements along the way on the journey towards the big dream… In this episode we break down four areas of life where you can identify smaller dreams that can be achieved in the moment or in the short term, as you build your business to enable you to accomplish the big dream! Click here to watch the No Lift Install System Q&A Youtube Series Or click the...

The journey of a stone shop owner can be exhilarating and marked by success and profits.  Along the way, there can be roadblocks that either wear us out or prevent us from continuing the journey. In this episode I share the 6 stages of leadership growth and management capacity: The Doer The Director The Dictator The Delegator The Discipler The Dreamer If we get stuck managing in one of these stage...

Imagine what your family and friends will say when you tell them you’re taking a day off to spend with them and that you won't be on your phone! Once you’ve mastered the art and science of taking lunch breaks without being interrupted, you can start taking full days off! The steps are the same, they just require a little more communication and little more planning. With a little practice, it's onl...

What if you could leave for lunch and not get calls from the office or the crew?  What if you could take a day off of work and not spend half the day on the phone or computer putting out fires and apologizing to customers?  What if you could take a week-long “Non-Working” Vacation?    The fact is you can and I would go as far as to say you should!   In fact, in this episode, I teach you how to tak...

Conventional wisdom says we have to wait until we build and sell our business for millions before we can have the time and money to do the things that are important to us. In this episode, I challenge that idea and ask some tough questions that can actually have life-altering impacts on the way we build our businesses and the lives we experience as a result. How do you define rich: Income – money...

Breaking out of the “doing it” mentality and into the “delegate it” mindset and practice is HARD!!! No way of getting around that fact…   In this episode we discuss 3 simple principles to help you continue your journey of learning the skill of delegation: Start Small Stay Committed and Engaged Slow and Steady Wins the Race It's tough but so worth the effort! Happy Fabricating! Click here for 1/1 c...

It would be nice if we could just throw a document at an employee and magically see flawless execution…But that’s not reality and it's not a fair expectation. Furthermore, if that is our expectation we risk overacting and concluding that we can't trust our people or the PROcess. So how do you get traction with delegation, after you’ve done the hard work of creating a written document? Simple (but...

When your team is working at their maximum potential, everyone wins!   Your customers win, you win, and your team wins!   In this episode, we discuss two dimensions of trusting your people:   Believing they WANT to do great work Believing that they CAN do great work   We also discuss how a process enables good work to continue, grow and expand…eventually enabling you to grow your business and get...

Stressed out?  Pessimistic or Negative thoughts creeping in?  Disappointed over something?  If so, you’re just like me😊  But be encouraged, there is much you can do to transform that experience into strength, power and action! In this episode I cover 3 simple techniques to radically reshape your outlook and your circumstances: Express Gratitude Banish Negative Thinking Take Action There is a bonu...

Have you ever had a problem in your business, and you took action to solve that problem only to find out later that you still had the same problem?  Do you find yourself saying things like - I thought we fixed that a few weeks ago!  We already solved that problem, didn’t we?! In this episode, I’ll share some simple ways to generate lasting solutions to problems – and build the capability of your e...

When you start digging, it’s not hard to find what I call ‘Unsung Heroes’ in our industry.  In this episode, we talk with Gina Gardner who has worked with Cosentino, the Artisan Group, is a mentor for Women In Stone, and is currently with BB Industries.  Along the way, she shares some great suggestions on how you can improve the visibility and notoriety of your fab shop. Click here to access Gina'...

Are you ready for whatever this next recession or ‘soft landing’ is going to bring?  Do you know where you should spend marketing and ad money for the best impact?  Can you quantify which market segments – retail, big box, K&B, contractors, etc. – are more profitable for you?  Which jobs generate cash for you faster than you burn cash – and which don’t?   In this episode, I’ll dive into the mechan...