Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

The Right Approach: Reflections on 50 Years in the Business, Part 3

The final installment of this three-part series, looking back on my 50 years in the business, will focus on my current state as an owner of a quality management consulting business, an author, and certified leadership expert.

The Consulting Years
Waking up that first day in 2013 after being informed my position of 15 years had been eliminated, I realized that everything I had done in my career had positioned me for a new chapter. This included the hands-on leadership experience in PCB manufacturing, learning from over 1,000 global companies, and my industry exposure while working at Plexus. My passion for writing, educating, speaking, and passing along my experience to others made it clear that this was the time to pursue my dream job: owning a consulting company.

The past 15 years of evaluating manufacturing companies had taught me that, while many were operating at a world-class level, just as many could benefit from my unique experience, education, and coaching skills to improve their business processes. I felt this provided an underserved market opportunity, so after a long discussion with my amazing wife Nancy, who was fully supportive and willing to take the risk, we decided it was time to reinvent myself.

Time For My Dream Job
Whenever I’m prompted to answer one of those security questions that asks, “What’s your dream job?” I invariably answer, “consultant.” I think I have always wanted to use my unique experience and perspective to help others. A consulting business made sense on so many levels, but starting a small business is hard, and I made many early mistakes. This journey inspired me to title one of my PCB007 columns, Branding: A Small Business Perspective, with the hope it would help others venturing out on their own.

On the first day of my new company, I thought, “I have a company, I have services, but I have no customers. What now? Would other professionals be willing to pay to utilize my skill set?” I leaned on friend and fellow entrepreneur,  Dan Beaulieu, who provided early instrumental guidance in the “art of consulting.” Dan and I continue to work together for a variety of clients, and 13 years later, I still learn from him every day.

At Plexus, I was famously known for having little appreciation for salespeople. I preferred working directly with the owners and presidents of companies—the decision-makers. But I’ve made and maintained friendships with many of those salespeople (despite my attitude), and I frequently run into them through my clients and at trade shows. I always make a point to apologize for undervaluing their roles and, as someone now selling my own services, I have a much greater appreciation for how difficult their jobs are.

The early years of my business were lean, as I lived paycheck to paycheck while building a customer base and reputation as a consultant. Fortunately, Nancy had a long-term career at the corporate offices for Kohl’s, along with excellent insurance, which helped us get by.

My goal was to become the industry-recognized go-to consultant for all things related to quality management. I specialized in quality certifications: ISO 9001 (commercial), AS9100 (aerospace), ISO 13485 (medical), IATF 16949 (automotive), and MIL-PRF-31032 (specific to PCB manufacturers). As the needs of my client base grew, I added ISO 14001 (environmental management) and ISO 45001 (occupational health & safety management) to my areas of expertise. I am very proud that, after 13 years, dozens of clients, and hundreds of audits, I have a 100% track record in client certification to all international standards.

In 2016, after a year of intensive training, I became a John Maxwell-certified independent leadership consultant and have now helped hundreds of individuals and leadership teams improve their leadership effectiveness.

I have found that one of the biggest mistakes companies make is to promote their best workers into supervisory roles without any formal leadership training. For example, promoting your best salesperson to sales manager can be a double-whammy because developing and closing a sale and managing a sales/rep team require two distinct skill sets. You may lose your highest-earning sales professional while also creating dysfunction in the overall sales organization.

I’ve also seen this happen frequently in manufacturing. Of course there are exceptions, but success is typically improved after providing structured leadership training.

This led to writing my sixth book, and the first on leadership, Notorious: Leadership Lessons From History’s Most Notorious Leaders, which has now become a complete platform, including an online learning course. I have a passion for sharing my experience and lessons learned through consulting, writing, and speaking engagements. The most satisfying moments for me are a great client testimonial or when someone (other than my mom, who reads everything I write) says, “I love your articles, I learned something, and you made me laugh a little.” It is always humbling to have your worth validated, and I was honored to be a 2020 recipient of the I-Connect007 “Good for the Industry Award,” which plaque still occupies a prominent space on my bookshelf.

50 Years of Innovation
I have been so fortunate to witness firsthand such a wide range of advancements in both technology and equipment. I developed my own top 10 list, knowing that if you ask 10 people in the industry, you’ll get 10 different lists. I’ve dated them based on when the technology became somewhat mainstream, not the first developmental application.

Conclusion
I hope this journey down memory lane has brought a smile to my fellow board rats still banging out boards and helped you recall some great memories of the proverbial good old days. It certainly has for me. After 50 years, I have no desire to retire. I will provide value to my clients until it stops being fun. And right now, I’m still having a blast.

This column originally appeared in the March 2026 issue of I-Connect007 Magazine.