Support the show __________________________________________________________________ 🎙 About Automation Ladies Automation Ladies is an industrial automation podcast spotlighting the engineers, integrators, innovators, and leaders shaping the future of manufacturing. __________________________________________________________________ 🎤 Want to be a guest on the show? https://www.automationladies.io/guests/intake/ __________________________________________________________________ 👩‍🏭 Connec...

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Season 7

Support the show

__________________________________________________________________

🎙 About Automation Ladies

Automation Ladies is an industrial automation podcast spotlighting the engineers, integrators, innovators, and leaders shaping the future of manufacturing.

__________________________________________________________________

🎤 Want to be a guest on the show?
https://www.automationladies.io/guests/intake/

__________________________________________________________________

👩‍🏭 Connect with the Hosts

Nikki Gonzales: https://linkedin.com/in/nikki-gonzales

Courtney Fernandez: https://linkedin.com/in/courtneydfernandez

Ali G: https://linkedin.com/in/alicia-gilpin-ali-g-process-controls-engineering

__________________________________________________________________

🎟 The Automation Ladies Community Conference: https://otscada.com

Learn more about the hosts’ industrial automation conference OT SCADA CON attended by 100+ automation professionals, engineers, integrators, and technology leaders for hands-on learning, real-world case studies, and meaningful industry connections.


🎬 Credits

Produced by: Veronica Espinoza
Music by: Sam Janes

P.S. - Help our podcast grow with a 5-star podcast review if you love us!

 

 

--------------------------------------------------

 

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00:00 - Welcome, Loss, And New Season Plans

02:47 - Sarah’s Path To WTWH And Digital Roots

08:27 - Branding, Names, And Rescue Dogs

11:27 - Why Manufacturing Stories Hook A Journalist

16:32 - Mentors, Creative Freedom, And New Podcasts

20:17 - Trade Shows As Year-Round Content Engines

26:17 - How Sarah Plans And Shoots On The Floor

31:47 - Relationship-Driven Industry And Associations

37:17 - FaceTime Factory Tours And GIF Magic

41:47 - Neurodiversity, Personality, And Work Style

46:47 - Top Trends To Watch In 2026

51:17 - Where To Find Sarah And What’s Next

01:06:30 - Closing, Community, And Calls To Connect

WEBVTT

00:00:47.500 --> 00:00:53.179
Welcome to Automation Ladies, the only podcast we know of where girls talk about industrial automation.

00:00:53.420 --> 00:00:54.460
Sarah Wynn.

00:00:54.619 --> 00:00:56.219
Welcome to Automation Ladies.

00:00:56.460 --> 00:00:56.939
How are you?

00:00:57.579 --> 00:00:58.219
Hi, Nikki.

00:00:58.299 --> 00:00:58.780
I'm doing well.

00:00:58.859 --> 00:00:59.659
How are you doing?

00:00:59.899 --> 00:01:00.700
Very good.

00:01:00.859 --> 00:01:03.899
Um at this very moment, I'm very good.

00:01:04.140 --> 00:01:09.900
Uh I my day has involved some crying, but right now I'm having a really great time.

00:01:10.539 --> 00:01:14.859
Well, so I I hope no, I don't cause you any tears.

00:01:15.019 --> 00:01:16.060
It's not my intent.

00:01:16.219 --> 00:01:18.939
Uh I hope we can have a nice, nice little back and forth.

00:01:19.019 --> 00:01:20.219
I'm really excited to meet you.

00:01:20.299 --> 00:01:24.939
This is the first time we've ever talked on Zoom or you know, video chat.

00:01:25.020 --> 00:01:28.859
Uh and we've gone back and forth for a while on LinkedIn, so I'm really excited.

00:01:29.180 --> 00:01:29.420
Yeah.

00:01:29.500 --> 00:01:34.780
And for those of you that are listening on audio, um, we're hoping that this episode is also now video.

00:01:34.859 --> 00:01:38.859
We're planning to make the series both video and audio depending on how you like to consume.

00:01:39.099 --> 00:01:44.060
Sarah's got a lovely home office with Christmas decorations up already, because it is the beginning of December.

00:01:44.539 --> 00:01:49.979
And we will should be publishing this episode in January as part of the next season.

00:01:50.219 --> 00:01:58.780
And because Sarah happens to be the first episode I'm recording since this happened, I'll just throw this out there and try not to take make it too much of this episode.

00:01:58.939 --> 00:02:01.419
But I recently went through a personal loss.

00:02:01.580 --> 00:02:03.659
I lost my partner, my husband.

00:02:03.900 --> 00:02:09.500
Um, and if you guys have listened to the show for a while, you know I have two little kids.

00:02:09.580 --> 00:02:21.979
Um, I work a lot, and and so my husband was kind of my at-home rock keeping things going while I was out traveling too much and working too much and doing the stuff that I'm super passionate about.

00:02:22.139 --> 00:02:24.699
Um, I have a career that I can't stop doing.

00:02:25.020 --> 00:02:26.379
And uh he didn't.

00:02:26.539 --> 00:02:30.060
So that was our arrangement, and that's changed.

00:02:30.300 --> 00:02:33.740
And so I haven't been able to record an episode in a while.

00:02:33.979 --> 00:02:37.099
Um, Allie and Courtney have also been busy.

00:02:37.180 --> 00:02:39.979
Uh, Allie got a new job at Relativity Space.

00:02:40.139 --> 00:02:42.379
And did I say Allie or did I say Courtney?

00:02:42.620 --> 00:02:43.900
Courtney got a new job.

00:02:43.979 --> 00:02:45.580
Um, Allie's moving.

00:02:45.819 --> 00:02:47.819
And yeah, so we got a lot of stuff going on.

00:02:47.900 --> 00:02:57.340
And so um Sarah is the first person I've caught up with since then because we've been trying to talk forever, and I just didn't want to keep putting it off.

00:02:57.500 --> 00:03:00.060
We were rescheduled, she was traveling.

00:03:00.219 --> 00:03:02.860
Um, we she goes to a lot of shows as well.

00:03:03.020 --> 00:03:06.460
So, like she mentioned, we've gone back and forth on LinkedIn a bit.

00:03:06.540 --> 00:03:12.620
I've started consuming a lot of her content from the shows that I can't go to, which reminds me a lot of how I met Allie.

00:03:12.780 --> 00:03:19.500
I started consuming her content from Pac Expo on LinkedIn, and then we talked, and then we met at Automate.

00:03:19.659 --> 00:03:24.620
So I will probably meet Sarah at a trade show next year, I'm guessing, in 2026.

00:03:25.180 --> 00:03:29.099
Uh so I'm very excited to hopefully make a new friend.

00:03:29.500 --> 00:03:41.340
And as it goes on automation, ladies, it's, you know, this is a space for us to be able to talk about the stuff that we do at work in a way that's, I don't know, fun and relatable to us.

00:03:41.580 --> 00:03:45.260
And so if you're in on this conversation and that speaks to you, that's awesome.

00:03:45.420 --> 00:03:49.420
And we look forward to getting to know you hopefully as well, in person or online.

00:03:49.900 --> 00:03:54.460
Uh, but yeah, with that, Sarah, thank you for coming on to my uh our crazy show.

00:03:54.540 --> 00:03:55.659
I'm the only one hosting today.

00:03:55.819 --> 00:03:59.420
Allie is actually driving a truck with her belongings down to Louisiana.

00:04:00.620 --> 00:04:04.300
And Courtney is working her rocking her awesome new job.

00:04:04.460 --> 00:04:07.740
Um, they're gonna be doing lives next year.

00:04:07.900 --> 00:04:12.939
Um, we're gonna try to do at least two live demos a month, and Allie and Courtney will be leading most of those.

00:04:13.099 --> 00:04:23.980
And then I'm gonna keep doing the talking show because as much as I love seeing tech demos, um, I love the connections I get to make with people in this industry across this medium.

00:04:24.219 --> 00:04:38.779
So, Sarah, um, I should start with the standard question that we have on here on Automation Ladies, which is really just in your own words, and as much as you want to include and not include, tell us how you got here to be an editor at WTWH Media.

00:04:39.099 --> 00:04:39.579
Definitely.

00:04:39.740 --> 00:04:42.939
And first I want to say, Nikki, thank you for the invite.

00:04:43.099 --> 00:04:46.620
I am really excited, like I said at the top, to be on Automation Ladies.

00:04:46.699 --> 00:04:49.899
And um, I'm so sorry to hear about your loss.

00:04:50.060 --> 00:04:52.060
My thoughts and prayers are with you.

00:04:52.300 --> 00:04:57.259
I hope we can make this next hour uplifting and fun for you.

00:04:57.740 --> 00:05:01.180
Um and I thought we were we were already friends.

00:05:01.420 --> 00:05:02.939
I thought we were already friends.

00:05:03.019 --> 00:05:05.579
So yeah, you know, there's just it kind of goes in stages.

00:05:05.660 --> 00:05:12.620
I'm glad you thought that because I am sometimes a weirdo and think I'm friends with people, and then I look, they look at me and they're like, huh, okay.

00:05:12.699 --> 00:05:12.939
Yeah.

00:05:13.180 --> 00:05:17.660
No, I am very friendly, um, and I like to make friends.

00:05:17.900 --> 00:05:19.100
So I appreciate that.

00:05:19.340 --> 00:05:19.660
Yes.

00:05:19.819 --> 00:05:21.180
So all about me.

00:05:21.420 --> 00:05:23.340
Um, my name is Sarah Wynne.

00:05:23.420 --> 00:05:25.740
I am a senior editor for WTWH Media.

00:05:25.819 --> 00:05:28.379
I primarily work on packagingoem.com.

00:05:28.459 --> 00:05:31.579
Sometimes I contribute to controlengineering.com as well.

00:05:31.900 --> 00:05:33.420
How did I get here?

00:05:33.579 --> 00:05:35.900
It's a long road.

00:05:36.220 --> 00:05:44.699
I would um I will say that I've been a digital journalist for almost a decade.

00:05:44.860 --> 00:05:49.100
And when I say digital journalist, and I should point out that I am not an engineer.

00:05:49.259 --> 00:05:53.100
I I cover engineering topics, but I am not an engineer.

00:05:53.340 --> 00:05:59.100
Um I don't think that we would be receiving the content we are from you if you were.

00:05:59.259 --> 00:06:02.540
So yes, I like to say I'm the queen of the gifts.

00:06:02.620 --> 00:06:04.780
Uh, if you you can add me on LinkedIn, feel free.

00:06:04.939 --> 00:06:06.139
But how did I get here?

00:06:06.459 --> 00:06:08.379
Been a digital journalist for about 10 years.

00:06:08.459 --> 00:06:10.699
I worked in local news in Columbus, Ohio.

00:06:10.780 --> 00:06:15.980
I also worked in national news, but before I was ever a digital journalist, I was a digital marketer.

00:06:16.300 --> 00:06:19.340
Might make sense now with some of the content that I make.

00:06:20.300 --> 00:06:29.420
Um, I've done social media really in a part-time capacity for about 15 years and a full-time for about 12 or 13.

00:06:29.980 --> 00:06:39.740
I started, and I should just say, Nikki, I went to the Ohio State University and I'm really into it, and it'll probably come up again.

00:06:39.980 --> 00:06:42.540
But I know some people that are really into that.

00:06:42.699 --> 00:06:43.740
It's that's a thing.

00:06:43.980 --> 00:06:44.860
It's a thing.

00:06:45.100 --> 00:06:49.500
Uh, I started doing social media for the athletic department when I was in school.

00:06:49.579 --> 00:06:57.980
I worked with the men's and women's basketball teams that kind of propelled me to work with Nike for about a year on digital activations around Ohio State when I was a student.

00:06:58.139 --> 00:07:04.139
Uh, post grad, I did social for Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, and then I started my news career.

00:07:04.220 --> 00:07:07.340
So that's a very fast-track way to say how I got here.

00:07:07.500 --> 00:07:10.220
Um, I've been with WTWH Media for a year.

00:07:10.379 --> 00:07:13.420
I work, like I said, primarily on packagingoam.com.

00:07:13.660 --> 00:07:15.819
We are a B2B company.

00:07:16.060 --> 00:07:18.699
WTWH stands for willing to work harder.

00:07:18.939 --> 00:07:21.900
I get a lot of questions what the acronym means, and that's what it is.

00:07:22.300 --> 00:07:24.540
I was about to ask if you hadn't brought it up.

00:07:24.780 --> 00:07:30.620
Uh, I say I aim to do that each and every day, along with making hashtag winning content.

00:07:30.699 --> 00:07:33.500
My last name is Win, and it's very much a personal brand.

00:07:33.660 --> 00:07:37.900
So I've been with WTWH for a year covering packaging OEMs.

00:07:37.980 --> 00:07:43.420
We cover machine builders, our audience manufacturers, technology suppliers, some components as well.

00:07:43.579 --> 00:07:45.740
Um, yeah, so that's very high level.

00:07:45.819 --> 00:07:47.500
I know I threw a lot at you.

00:07:47.819 --> 00:07:48.620
No, that's great.

00:07:48.699 --> 00:07:54.540
Um, I'm my mind has gone like 10 different directions, including I'm gonna start with the least relevant one.

00:07:54.780 --> 00:07:55.100
Okay.

00:07:55.500 --> 00:08:01.819
If you ever come to Houston, um, you'll have fun looking at the billboards for various lawyers, law firms.

00:08:01.900 --> 00:08:08.379
They're everywhere where you and uh injured in a truck crash, or you know, it's just that seems to be a huge industry here.

00:08:08.540 --> 00:08:13.180
And there's this law firm um that these partners, uh push and win.

00:08:13.420 --> 00:08:24.620
And it used to be, uh, I believe, and I probably shouldn't say this, but I believe it to be like a a name of Polish origin, maybe P-U-S-C-H, something like that for push.

00:08:24.780 --> 00:08:29.259
Yeah, and then um the Vietnamese win spelling, N-G-U-Y-EN.

00:08:29.980 --> 00:08:36.459
And so it was push and win, and like they had a lot of clever ads for we push, so you win sort of stuff.

00:08:36.860 --> 00:08:38.939
Yeah, and like in that industry, like perfect.

00:08:39.100 --> 00:08:42.620
Yes, names and personal brands built on your names.

00:08:42.699 --> 00:08:51.500
If your name is like industry relevant or relevant to what you do, or relevant to the outcome that you bring, like what a fun and and cool coincidence that you can capitalize on.

00:08:51.819 --> 00:08:55.019
Yes, I didn't I didn't like my last name, Nikki, growing up.

00:08:55.100 --> 00:08:57.500
My teachers would make fun puns off of it.

00:08:57.579 --> 00:08:59.019
I thought it was so embarrassing.

00:08:59.259 --> 00:09:03.819
And then all I do is win came out the the song, and it changed my life.

00:09:03.980 --> 00:09:06.299
So I there's a lot of Sarah's you'll meet in the world.

00:09:06.459 --> 00:09:11.980
I usually say Sarah Win, as in I'm Sarah, all I do is win because most people don't forget that.

00:09:12.299 --> 00:09:13.579
Yeah, that's great.

00:09:13.819 --> 00:09:23.739
And then the the the twist on the on the law firm story here is um yes, the partnership broke up, but push had such good branding that he found himself another win.

00:09:23.819 --> 00:09:30.939
So now it's another guy with long hair and a beard, and it's last name is spelled W Y, like yours, but with an E at the end.

00:09:31.099 --> 00:09:32.459
W-Y-N-N-E.

00:09:32.939 --> 00:09:33.339
Yes.

00:09:33.579 --> 00:09:36.219
And and he ignored they acknowledge it in their marketing.

00:09:36.299 --> 00:09:47.099
They've got some um new billboards, and one of them is like, it's complicated, push and win, and it shows them like laying together in a like it just it's I don't know.

00:09:47.179 --> 00:09:48.539
I think it's kind of hilarious.

00:09:48.620 --> 00:09:50.459
And uh I don't know if that really works.

00:09:50.539 --> 00:10:02.379
I guess maybe it works for uh legal clients, but like to me, I look at these things from a branding perspective, a marketing perspective, like and and it's also just kind of funny.

00:10:02.459 --> 00:10:03.099
Um yes.

00:10:03.259 --> 00:10:05.739
Well, I I'll add that I do have a Houston connection.

00:10:05.819 --> 00:10:08.299
I was just in Houston a few months ago.

00:10:08.459 --> 00:10:11.979
Um, and my I have three rescue dogs outside of work.

00:10:12.139 --> 00:10:14.299
Animal rescue is one of my biggest passions.

00:10:14.459 --> 00:10:20.620
One of them is from Houston, and my mom and I actually drove from Cleveland to Houston to pick him up.

00:10:20.939 --> 00:10:21.259
Yeah.

00:10:21.500 --> 00:10:26.059
Oh, that's well, I'm glad you didn't get in a wreck and need to call one of these crazy lawyers.

00:10:26.459 --> 00:10:28.059
You need to call push and win.

00:10:30.299 --> 00:10:33.019
Um sports angle is pretty cool too.

00:10:33.179 --> 00:10:34.459
Um starting there.

00:10:34.620 --> 00:10:39.899
What I mean, what possible path brought you into manufacturing?

00:10:39.979 --> 00:10:42.699
How did that door open or that opportunity come to you?

00:10:42.939 --> 00:10:43.099
Yeah.

00:10:43.419 --> 00:10:45.659
Was it something you wanted, or it just came?

00:10:46.219 --> 00:10:52.459
Um, I'll say that I'm a storyteller and I think manufacturing and packaging have a lot of stories to tell.

00:10:52.620 --> 00:10:56.299
Uh, and I thought my skill set would translate pretty well.

00:10:56.379 --> 00:10:59.099
And when I say my skill set, I mean digital.

00:10:59.259 --> 00:11:01.739
I'm not a traditional print magazine editor.

00:11:01.819 --> 00:11:05.819
I have a lot of respect for them, but my background has always been in digital.

00:11:06.059 --> 00:11:17.579
Uh, so I was looking for a new role about last fall, a little over a year ago, and I saw this one come across.

00:11:17.979 --> 00:11:27.819
And one of the big pieces of my life and my success, it's really credited to people who've believed in me and who've supported me along the way.

00:11:27.979 --> 00:11:39.739
So I knew, and if I were to make a role switch, I would need someone, especially on the topic of packaging and manufacturing, that knew their stuff and would be willing to teach me.

00:11:40.219 --> 00:11:46.699
Because I'll admit, Nikki, a year ago I didn't know that flexible packaging didn't come just in a pouch.

00:11:46.859 --> 00:11:47.979
I know this now.

00:11:48.299 --> 00:11:55.979
And I learned, but I saw this role and I did some research, and I actually found my supervisor now, Stephanie Neal.

00:11:56.059 --> 00:11:58.299
She's been in the space for a long time.

00:11:58.379 --> 00:12:02.620
I will not say how many years, but she's I have met Stephanie a couple times.

00:12:02.779 --> 00:12:03.739
Yeah, she's great.

00:12:03.979 --> 00:12:05.259
I would love to spend more time with her.

00:12:05.419 --> 00:12:06.539
She seems really, really cool.

00:12:06.699 --> 00:12:11.899
And I love I she's made some content in our booth at she made some content with us at Automate this year.

00:12:12.299 --> 00:12:15.419
Um, so that is about the extent I've had interacting with her.

00:12:15.579 --> 00:12:22.859
Um no, also, uh, I and I just posted this on LinkedIn today, but the A3 Business Forum, I actually met her there.

00:12:22.939 --> 00:12:30.219
That's the first time I met her, and I had a drink with her, and we just chatted all about her renovating her house and all kinds of stuff.

00:12:30.299 --> 00:12:33.579
So, yes, I have actually hung out with her a bit, and she's great.

00:12:33.819 --> 00:12:34.539
She's awesome.

00:12:34.699 --> 00:12:35.659
I say she's the GOAT.

00:12:35.739 --> 00:12:40.139
So if you're gonna learn packaging and manufacturing, you want to learn from the best, I I think she's the best.

00:12:40.939 --> 00:12:45.899
So uh I knew if I was making this switch, I had to have someone who was willing to teach me.

00:12:46.059 --> 00:12:47.259
Uh, and she's been that.

00:12:47.339 --> 00:12:50.139
So it really was several factors.

00:12:50.299 --> 00:12:56.539
I thought the the industry's topics could be told digitally in different ways.

00:12:56.699 --> 00:13:04.299
Um, and then there was a mentor who was willing to take me under their wing and teach me everything, kind of like a karate kid situation.

00:13:04.379 --> 00:13:04.539
Yeah.

00:13:04.859 --> 00:13:05.019
Yeah.

00:13:05.259 --> 00:13:08.459
That is like huge value when it comes to looking at a job.

00:13:08.620 --> 00:13:19.659
You can look at like the job description and the pay and your duties and everything, but like I've always thought to myself too, like, what am I what else am I learning?

00:13:19.739 --> 00:13:22.139
Who am I getting to learn from as part of this?

00:13:22.459 --> 00:13:33.099
Um I think, yeah, working for different people over the years, a such a big part of whether you succeed or not in your job and whether you like it or not is who you're working for.

00:13:33.339 --> 00:13:41.979
Um and whether they are the person that teaches you or they provide you with the right person to teach you, right?

00:13:42.059 --> 00:13:44.139
Either one, but super, super important.

00:13:45.179 --> 00:13:46.219
So that's really cool.

00:13:46.779 --> 00:13:50.939
Yeah, and I know I am I'll we said at the top, weird.

00:13:51.019 --> 00:13:53.259
I I'll admit I'm a little weird, I'm a little kooky.

00:13:53.419 --> 00:13:59.019
Some of my ideas, like, oh, let's take a pick and place robot and make it a gif, and then it did really well.

00:13:59.179 --> 00:14:00.539
So we did it again.

00:14:00.699 --> 00:14:13.259
Um, but she she always is open to my creative ways I go about this, and she keeps me on track in terms of uh, you know, the coverage and angles and things like that.

00:14:13.419 --> 00:14:14.139
She's always there to help.

00:14:14.219 --> 00:14:15.419
So yeah, Stephanie's great.

00:14:15.500 --> 00:14:16.620
I knew she would come up in this.

00:14:16.699 --> 00:14:20.620
So if you're listening, Stephanie, you're you're the I shouldn't say you're the best, you're the goat.

00:14:20.779 --> 00:14:21.579
There you go.

00:14:21.979 --> 00:14:25.099
Well, we'll probably end up having Stephanie on the show sometime in the future.

00:14:25.419 --> 00:14:26.299
I don't see why.

00:14:26.539 --> 00:14:27.819
She, this is a nice plug.

00:14:27.899 --> 00:14:29.579
She has away from that.

00:14:29.819 --> 00:14:31.019
She has a new podcast too.

00:14:31.099 --> 00:14:32.379
It's on controlengineering.com.

00:14:32.459 --> 00:14:32.859
Control all.

00:14:33.259 --> 00:14:33.979
Oh, I'm not kidding.

00:14:34.539 --> 00:14:36.379
I have been totally out of the loop for a while.

00:14:36.459 --> 00:14:39.500
So, like, yes, I well also, that's great.

00:14:39.659 --> 00:14:41.019
How long has that been going?

00:14:41.419 --> 00:14:42.539
Uh, a few months.

00:14:42.620 --> 00:14:44.459
It's up, it's all on control engineering.

00:14:44.699 --> 00:14:47.179
New episode uh recently came out.

00:14:47.339 --> 00:14:53.979
I'll just say that because I uh we know this will we will make sure that um we link to that podcast in the show notes.

00:14:54.059 --> 00:14:58.939
It like the most recent episode won't be the most recent because our episode will be coming out in a few weeks.

00:14:59.099 --> 00:15:03.419
Um, but we'll just go ahead and link to the main show so that you can catch the latest episode.

00:15:03.579 --> 00:15:09.019
Um I should add that I have a podcast too.

00:15:09.339 --> 00:15:09.979
Well, of course.

00:15:10.139 --> 00:15:12.219
I I do know that I was gonna ask about that.

00:15:12.299 --> 00:15:14.059
So yeah, way to way to go.

00:15:14.139 --> 00:15:14.939
Uh bring it up.

00:15:15.019 --> 00:15:17.019
So, what is your podcast all about?

00:15:17.579 --> 00:15:19.500
And why should people listen to it?

00:15:19.579 --> 00:15:20.539
Or who should listen to it?

00:15:20.779 --> 00:15:25.179
Who should listen to it if you're a oh yeah, manufacturer, plant engineer?

00:15:25.339 --> 00:15:27.259
I would say that's that's our target audience.

00:15:27.419 --> 00:15:29.579
So my podcast is called The Downtime.

00:15:29.659 --> 00:15:35.339
I co-host it with Sherry Kasperzek, she's executive editor of WTWH Media's Automation and Control Brands.

00:15:35.500 --> 00:15:42.059
Sherry and I pitched this podcast back in the spring to Stephanie, and she said, Go for it, go for it.

00:15:42.219 --> 00:15:44.699
And within a week, we had our first episode up.

00:15:44.859 --> 00:15:47.819
We were we'll finish 2025 with 34 episodes.

00:15:47.899 --> 00:15:50.299
It's a weekly show, it comes out every Thursday.

00:15:50.539 --> 00:15:54.139
Um, we've had some really interesting conversations.

00:15:54.219 --> 00:16:01.819
We talked with Atlantic Packaging and how they automated the vinyl record pressing line for Memphis record pressing.

00:16:01.899 --> 00:16:03.019
That was a neat episode.

00:16:03.179 --> 00:16:09.099
We've talked VFDs with Nord, uh, we've had Schneider Electric on, we've had Who's Your Feeder?

00:16:09.339 --> 00:16:10.219
Like I could go on and on.

00:16:10.299 --> 00:16:13.419
I mean, there's 34 episodes, so I'm not gonna name every single one.

00:16:13.579 --> 00:16:20.299
But yeah, it's a it's a nice little show, and I will tell you, it is not a traditional um manufacturing kind of podcast.

00:16:20.379 --> 00:16:22.459
I think Nikki would appreciate it.

00:16:22.699 --> 00:16:28.939
We when I say this, I mean we might be talking VFDs one second and like pumpkin spice the next.

00:16:29.019 --> 00:16:31.659
Like we we are chattering.

00:16:32.539 --> 00:16:33.099
Yeah.

00:16:33.739 --> 00:16:42.699
And I mean, honestly, that's that's really kind of what the point of well, not I have like a million points to automation ladies, so I say this a lot.

00:16:42.859 --> 00:16:58.219
Uh but yeah, just to be able to talk about it the way that we do when we hang out, like or or when we are having conversations with people that are not like sales pressure conversations, like when you randomly meet someone at a trade show and you're talking shop with them, but you're also just kind of like having fun.

00:16:58.459 --> 00:17:05.900
That is the only way that I get these episodes done because if it felt too much like work, I I can't have too many jobs.

00:17:06.140 --> 00:17:08.779
Um but this is obviously part of your job.

00:17:09.099 --> 00:17:21.099
But it's it's really good that you guys I I appreciate that you're not doing it the kind of corporate-y style, where all you can do is talk, or or I guess in your case it would be like just journalistic.

00:17:21.339 --> 00:17:33.099
Um I feel like just our industry is kind of plagued with very technical and dry stuff, which you need when you're at the stage of like figuring out your specifications.

00:17:33.339 --> 00:17:42.620
Um, stay up to date and like learn new stuff and relate with people and learn new applications, like it doesn't have to be so serious all the time.

00:17:43.019 --> 00:17:49.579
Yeah, and I'll add one of my favorite parts about my role is being able to tell the human stories behind the machines.

00:17:49.819 --> 00:17:53.019
I think cold water, we have a story up on cold water distilling.

00:17:53.100 --> 00:17:55.820
I think that's where you and I initially connected, Nikki, on this story.

00:17:55.980 --> 00:17:56.539
Oh, yeah.

00:17:56.860 --> 00:18:02.380
They um uh have distilling dreams and they have a copking line to fund those dreams.

00:18:02.620 --> 00:18:05.660
Um it's an awesome story.

00:18:05.900 --> 00:18:09.180
It goes back, it starts with reality TV.

00:18:09.420 --> 00:18:11.340
Kentucky basketball players are involved.

00:18:11.420 --> 00:18:22.220
I'm not gonna give the whole story away, but yeah, I love telling the human side, and it's probably the consumer news piece of me that still lingers around, but it is one of my favorite things.

00:18:22.539 --> 00:18:23.420
No, I love that.

00:18:23.500 --> 00:18:32.380
I like that a lot, and I love that story, and I think that's why I like e probably reached out to you or I commented on it or something immediately because it was it was just a pleasure to read.

00:18:32.539 --> 00:18:52.940
It didn't hurt that like I uh I guess Hamric Packaging, I think, is one of the co-investors in the co it in the facility, and they're one of our customers that use our HMI on um their machines, and so just to see like to be able to read something related to something that I know and it'd be that interesting and entertaining.

00:18:53.019 --> 00:19:01.820
Yeah, because it did remind me of something I would read in a regular back when I did used to read like newspapers or well, and once that we're not just focused on like doom and gloom.

00:19:01.900 --> 00:19:02.220
I don't know.

00:19:02.299 --> 00:19:05.019
I just feel like now I've I'm kind of allergic to news.

00:19:05.100 --> 00:19:08.779
Like I like my industry stuff, and then my family at home.

00:19:08.860 --> 00:19:15.980
I feel like the rest of the world that not to get into any of that, it's just it's a lot, and I come I come from that industry too.

00:19:16.060 --> 00:19:16.940
So, yes, I know.

00:19:17.100 --> 00:19:19.259
So I was looking for a role.

00:19:19.420 --> 00:19:25.660
I could use my skill set and tell an industry stories, and I've been fortunate I've had that opportunity to do that with packaging, with manufacturing.

00:19:25.820 --> 00:19:27.420
Um, but Hamric's a great example.

00:19:27.580 --> 00:19:28.620
I live in Northeast Ohio.

00:19:28.779 --> 00:19:30.779
Hamrick is very close to my house.

00:19:30.860 --> 00:19:32.299
I was there over the summer.

00:19:32.460 --> 00:19:33.660
I saw your HMIs.

00:19:33.820 --> 00:19:35.259
I have some pictures if you want them.

00:19:35.340 --> 00:19:37.660
But uh, anybody, seriously.

00:19:37.900 --> 00:19:51.980
Okay, I'm gonna go a little off track here, but I've gotten a lot of messages from people and thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone that sent me a message while I've been away or like condolence messages, like I don't know what to say, but I just wanted to say we're here for you kind of messages.

00:19:52.539 --> 00:19:58.140
Like, I when people around me have had losses, like it's super weird and I don't know what to do.

00:19:58.220 --> 00:20:02.779
And I want to do the right thing, but I also don't want to be like the hundredth person to ask, How are you doing today?

00:20:02.940 --> 00:20:04.220
Like, whatever.

00:20:04.299 --> 00:20:06.220
It's just it's weird, you don't know what to say.

00:20:06.299 --> 00:20:09.740
And a lot of people message, they're like, hey, I don't I don't want to bother you, right?

00:20:09.980 --> 00:20:18.140
Um so if you want to send me a message, if you are A, if you're listening to the show and you're not connected to me on LinkedIn, you're welcome to go ahead and do that.

00:20:18.220 --> 00:20:19.019
I would love that.

00:20:19.180 --> 00:20:22.700
Um, B, you're welcome to send me a message, it will not bother me.

00:20:22.860 --> 00:20:33.580
Um, I may not respond or respond right away, but I it made me feel really, really good in a really crappy time to get so many nice messages from people that I work with or that I know from industry.

00:20:33.900 --> 00:20:44.460
Um and one of the things that people have asked, like, I don't know what I can do from far away, you know, I don't know you that well, but I if there's anything I can do to help, like, what can I do to help?

00:20:44.779 --> 00:20:57.100
And one of the things that's a challenge, I'll just be honest, is like juggling, being a single mom, um, having side things like the podcast and the and the conference, and then having a job and you know, just all of that.

00:20:57.420 --> 00:21:09.900
And uh a lot of my stuff that I had planned this year, because I basically lost a quarter of this year, like plus a little bit, um, was some of my initiatives around going out to more shows, creating more content.

00:21:10.060 --> 00:21:14.460
Um, I have a lot of stuff planned that like now just get pushed into next quarter or next year or whatever.

00:21:14.539 --> 00:21:17.820
And thankfully, like WinTech is just being super awesome about all of this.

00:21:17.980 --> 00:21:21.340
Um, but one of the things I asked two people was exactly that.

00:21:21.500 --> 00:21:23.740
Just if you, hey, they're like, hey, I'm going to this event.

00:21:23.820 --> 00:21:28.060
I'm like, hey, if you see any HMIs or WinTech HMIs, like send me a picture.

00:21:28.220 --> 00:21:30.539
Because I'm not out there, but they're out there everywhere.

00:21:30.700 --> 00:21:35.500
And the more people I know that can, because people tell me that all the time, they're like, oh man, I see Wintech everywhere.

00:21:35.740 --> 00:21:37.340
Like, please, yes, send me a picture.

00:21:37.420 --> 00:21:39.660
So if you hear this, just keep this in your brain.

00:21:39.740 --> 00:21:44.460
If you ever want to help Nikki, if you see WinTech anywhere, just send me the picture.

00:21:44.779 --> 00:21:45.900
Tell me where it is.

00:21:46.060 --> 00:21:49.180
If you if you have that extra time, if not, just send it.

00:21:49.340 --> 00:21:58.620
Um, that's a super nice little helpful way uh to add some value to my day and to help me do my job to the best of my ability at the moment.

00:21:58.779 --> 00:22:05.500
So well, I will go through my my archives of my hamrick pictures, and uh, I'm sure I have at least one.

00:22:05.580 --> 00:22:06.860
So I'll send it over.

00:22:07.100 --> 00:22:14.140
I do have um, it's not on my desk right now, but if you follow me on LinkedIn, I have this little Win Hot Wheels van I take around.

00:22:14.220 --> 00:22:15.980
I put it on conveyors, things like that.

00:22:16.140 --> 00:22:21.420
I have a picture of the the van on an HMI, but I'm not sure if it's a if it's a WinTech.

00:22:21.500 --> 00:22:22.299
I'm not sure.

00:22:22.539 --> 00:22:22.779
Yeah.

00:22:23.580 --> 00:22:26.620
It would be fitting though to have a WIN van on a WinTech HMI.

00:22:26.860 --> 00:22:27.580
I know, right?

00:22:27.820 --> 00:22:34.860
Okay, so that's yeah, people um I didn't know this, but a lot of people call it WINTEC because it's spelled differently.

00:22:35.019 --> 00:22:36.220
It's actually an acronym.

00:22:36.539 --> 00:22:47.019
Um for some uh but it's it's the name, uh I guess it's up to interpretation, but our our interpretation is that we like to win, not wine.

00:22:48.140 --> 00:22:49.019
Oh, I love that.

00:22:49.100 --> 00:22:50.220
I might take it.

00:22:50.539 --> 00:22:51.180
Yeah.

00:22:51.820 --> 00:22:55.900
So what sort of content when you came into this role?

00:22:55.980 --> 00:23:12.460
You came into B2B, you came into manufacturing from this consumer background, from sports, from college stuff, from um what what were your observations on what you felt like was glaringly needed or yeah, that we could do that we weren't doing?

00:23:12.860 --> 00:23:18.380
Um, well, I'll just add most a large large portion of my background is in social media and social media management.

00:23:18.460 --> 00:23:23.740
I managed for most of my career, including in local and national news.

00:23:23.820 --> 00:23:25.340
I worked on social campaigns.

00:23:25.580 --> 00:23:28.940
Um, so that was kind of my first crack at it.

00:23:29.019 --> 00:23:35.420
I I started and within my first week or two, I had a story up and I said, Can I have an Adobe license?

00:23:35.500 --> 00:23:38.940
I want to make graphics, and from there, off it went.

00:23:39.019 --> 00:23:41.259
And it's interesting, we talked talked about Hamric.

00:23:41.420 --> 00:23:45.660
Hamric was one of the first uh to repost packaging OEM.

00:23:45.740 --> 00:23:51.180
So when I when I started a year ago, we had 115 LinkedIn followers on our packaging OEM account.

00:23:51.340 --> 00:23:53.500
We are almost to 1400 present day.

00:23:53.580 --> 00:23:54.539
We're very close.

00:23:54.779 --> 00:24:02.380
Um, so we have really grown this community, and it's it's been one of the my most favorite things I've done in my career.

00:24:02.539 --> 00:24:04.860
I grew audiences at Ohio State.

00:24:04.940 --> 00:24:10.220
I kind of inherited audiences at some other roles, but this one we built it from the ground up.

00:24:10.299 --> 00:24:15.180
And most of these people I've met in person, I've met at shows, we've had them on the podcast.

00:24:15.420 --> 00:24:17.740
Um, so it's it's very rewarding.

00:24:17.980 --> 00:24:32.940
But yeah, so what did I notice mainly how I could leverage social to one get traffic to my content and share the industry stories in a way that hasn't that I didn't I hadn't seen it be done.

00:24:33.900 --> 00:24:36.779
Yeah, no, that's that's actually that's a great observation.

00:24:36.860 --> 00:24:45.420
So I will say most of the industry coverage that I do read in the and I read the online versions of these trade magazines, right?

00:24:45.660 --> 00:24:57.740
Uh, but my path has been following the person that wrote the story and then subscribing or starting to read the rest of the publication, not so much the other way around.

00:24:58.140 --> 00:25:06.539
Um when I just read the publication, unless it was and I now I can't remember, I probably came across your That's how we met, I think.

00:25:06.860 --> 00:25:12.700
You're probably the only person whose story I've read and then like wanted to follow.

00:25:13.100 --> 00:25:27.100
Oh, versus the other way around, where I usually read something and then like because I found a lot of journalists aren't even on social media or they're on Twitter or they're on like someplace I'm not, so I don't really do social media other than LinkedIn.

00:25:27.420 --> 00:25:34.700
Um, so oftentimes when I go out, try to like connect with journalists or follow them, it's just they're not like where I am, which is LinkedIn.

00:25:35.019 --> 00:25:42.620
Yeah, well, that was a huge shift for me because the B2C audience, LinkedIn was never my main platform.

00:25:42.940 --> 00:25:43.259
No.

00:25:44.140 --> 00:25:56.700
So when I came on a year, I I've increased my my personal brand quite a bit as well, but um I knew coming into this role I would have to really leverage LinkedIn and find different ways to make content stick.

00:25:56.779 --> 00:26:01.660
Uh, we've done we've had some good posts, but yeah, I think I think you and I connected initially.

00:26:01.820 --> 00:26:05.740
It was either the HH Barnum automation trailer video.

00:26:06.060 --> 00:26:07.259
I did a little video and for the video.

00:26:07.420 --> 00:26:08.700
Oh, it could have been that one too.

00:26:08.860 --> 00:26:09.100
Yeah.

00:26:09.340 --> 00:26:11.820
And then I had cold water right after, right after.

00:26:11.980 --> 00:26:12.140
Yeah.

00:26:12.220 --> 00:26:25.259
Obviously, now since we're both like now, I'm so um, because of my position with Wintech and us working primarily with OEMs and a lot with packaging OEMs, um, all of a sudden now, like we are in the same orbit, right?

00:26:25.420 --> 00:26:28.779
So it's not surprising that you're covering like more customers.

00:26:28.940 --> 00:26:32.220
H H Barnum is one of our big uh is our biggest distributor, probably.

00:26:32.380 --> 00:26:34.779
So I file follow what they're doing.

00:26:35.019 --> 00:26:44.860
Um and I also, you know, it's it's hit or miss whether or not like our distributors are doing a lot of social, um doing a lot of multimedia type marketing.

00:26:45.100 --> 00:26:47.500
Um definitely depends on size.

00:26:47.580 --> 00:26:49.420
Some of them are more aggressive about it than others.

00:26:49.660 --> 00:26:50.060
Yeah.

00:26:50.299 --> 00:27:02.539
I'll say that HH Barnum, the reason the photos or videos even exist is because PBC Linear posted that they were at the event on LinkedIn, which was about five miles from my house.

00:27:02.779 --> 00:27:04.539
So I took my lunch break.

00:27:04.700 --> 00:27:06.860
I I didn't know about it until the day of.

00:27:06.940 --> 00:27:08.299
I took my lunch break, went over there.

00:27:08.380 --> 00:27:09.580
I said, Hey, how are you doing?

00:27:09.820 --> 00:27:11.019
They're like, You want to do a video?

00:27:11.180 --> 00:27:11.900
I said, Absolutely.

00:27:12.060 --> 00:27:14.380
I was like, let me grab my equipment in my car.

00:27:14.539 --> 00:27:16.700
Oh, yes, I brought it just in case, just in case.

00:27:16.860 --> 00:27:19.180
So yeah, that's what it's all about.

00:27:19.500 --> 00:27:23.500
Everything I a lot of people are hesitant with social.

00:27:23.980 --> 00:27:25.180
I just grew up with it.

00:27:25.259 --> 00:27:27.180
I've done it for so long.

00:27:27.420 --> 00:27:31.180
It's it's like a it's just the way I kind of go about things.

00:27:31.259 --> 00:27:33.500
But yeah, that's how the HH Barnum content came about.

00:27:33.580 --> 00:27:34.539
And thank you to them.

00:27:34.700 --> 00:27:36.779
They they did it all on the spot.

00:27:37.100 --> 00:27:37.500
Yeah.

00:27:37.660 --> 00:27:43.420
Uh and honestly, that's how I like to do too, like the the live demos that we do on automation ladies and stuff.

00:27:43.660 --> 00:27:48.060
I mean, people are obviously we schedule them in advance, so they are allowed to prep.

00:27:48.299 --> 00:27:53.740
But I just try to say, grab a person that does this on a regular basis and just let them do their thing.

00:27:53.820 --> 00:27:59.180
I don't want anything special, I don't want anything like scripted specifically for me or prepared for our audience.

00:27:59.420 --> 00:28:02.140
Just bring on someone that knows the thing real well.

00:28:02.299 --> 00:28:05.580
And they typically talk about it, no problem, off the cuff.

00:28:06.299 --> 00:28:06.779
Go at it.

00:28:06.860 --> 00:28:07.100
Yeah.

00:28:07.340 --> 00:28:07.740
Exactly.

00:28:07.900 --> 00:28:15.100
Which is why, like at trade shows and stuff too, I always think it's kind of interesting when I walk up and I want to hear from someone, they're like, oh, oh, I'm not the person to talk to.

00:28:15.259 --> 00:28:20.460
And I clearly I know the engineers are not going to be the people that are gonna want to talk to media usually.

00:28:20.700 --> 00:28:28.140
Um and big companies have to be, you know, afraid of all their different PR rules and stuff like that.

00:28:28.299 --> 00:28:40.060
But I operate kind of in the in the smaller uh arenas because I feel like it's easier to have more impact and you can do a lot more when you're not super constrained by a lot of red tape.

00:28:40.299 --> 00:28:50.779
Um, and it sounds like WTWH is kind of a place like that as well, like Stephanie letting you experiment and just approving something or didn't you know, like let's just okay, approve it and then just get it done.

00:28:50.860 --> 00:28:51.820
Let's give it a shot, right?

00:28:52.140 --> 00:28:55.019
She gives me a lot of creative freedom and I appreciate that.

00:28:55.259 --> 00:28:59.580
Um, she likes I work pretty autonomous independently, I guess you could say.

00:28:59.660 --> 00:29:04.620
Um, but if I ever have a question, uh I'll add too, I'm not like most millennials.

00:29:04.779 --> 00:29:06.940
I am not afraid to call on the phone.

00:29:07.100 --> 00:29:13.900
So I will FaceTime her, I will call her, say, I need help, and she'll answer or she can't, she'll get back to me.

00:29:14.060 --> 00:29:15.019
But yeah, she does.

00:29:15.340 --> 00:29:18.299
It's it's a great place to be, a lot of creative freedom.

00:29:18.620 --> 00:29:24.299
Really, it's kind of like a sandbox, and whatever I kind of envision I can build.

00:29:24.460 --> 00:29:29.259
Um, I just had this idea this week, and by the time this airs, this will be out, so it's okay.

00:29:29.500 --> 00:29:32.620
We we did photo galleries for every trade show we went to this year.

00:29:32.700 --> 00:29:36.620
Um, PacExpo Southeast, Pac Expo Las Vegas, Automate.

00:29:36.860 --> 00:29:39.420
Um, and I'm missing one, Pro Mat.

00:29:39.820 --> 00:29:52.779
So we're bringing them, we brought them back for flashback Fridays, just pulling photos that we had already taken and getting vendors and brands in the feed that you don't necessarily see every day.

00:29:52.940 --> 00:29:56.140
Uh, one I met this year at Lynmont USA.

00:29:56.380 --> 00:29:57.340
They were they're excellent.

00:29:57.500 --> 00:29:58.700
We yeah, I know them.

00:29:59.980 --> 00:30:01.340
Peter Zafaro.

00:30:01.580 --> 00:30:05.740
We had his son Zaren Zafaro, Zaren Zafiro, I'm sorry, on the podcast.

00:30:05.900 --> 00:30:07.180
He has a great episode too.

00:30:07.259 --> 00:30:08.620
He was back on in the summer.

00:30:08.700 --> 00:30:14.940
But yeah, just just spotlighting as many people as I can and really making that that digital connection.

00:30:15.420 --> 00:30:24.539
Yeah, and I think a lot of people right now are they're realizing that the trade show marketing is really important, but it's also like you have to stretch it just all year, right?

00:30:24.700 --> 00:30:36.460
Like and you create that content at the shows, and then you have you have to be communicating with your ecosystem like almost all year about, even from that like one show.

00:30:36.940 --> 00:30:42.380
Um but the the way to get ROI out of the shows now is different than it used to be.

00:30:42.700 --> 00:30:50.860
And I still see some people like only showing up at the show and then again next year, and like maybe trying to call the leads in the meantime.

00:30:51.340 --> 00:30:55.340
Um but I'm guessing they're probably not getting as much as they could out of it, right?

00:30:55.660 --> 00:30:57.500
If if they're not producing the content.

00:30:57.740 --> 00:31:00.220
Or if you're not a company that produces the content, right?

00:31:00.299 --> 00:31:09.180
Like initiatives like this helps keep those, like those just those huge efforts, expenditures of time and money that these trade shows are.

00:31:09.340 --> 00:31:13.019
And let's be honest, for like machinery, OEMs, these things are no joke.

00:31:13.180 --> 00:31:23.740
You're shipping tons across, you know, who knows how far the setup and all that, all those fees for all the booths and all that, the internet and the carpet and stuff is crazy.

00:31:24.060 --> 00:31:24.940
The carpet.

00:31:25.259 --> 00:31:27.660
I've seen some really interesting carpet this year.

00:31:27.820 --> 00:31:28.460
Yeah.

00:31:28.940 --> 00:31:29.580
Yeah.

00:31:29.900 --> 00:31:33.900
Uh I was I was just at the Schneider Electric Innovation Summit.

00:31:34.060 --> 00:31:37.500
They had the greenest carpet I had ever seen.

00:31:38.140 --> 00:31:40.539
Oh, was it like all branded by Schneider because it was their event?

00:31:40.620 --> 00:31:41.980
So they was their event, yeah.

00:31:42.060 --> 00:31:43.180
So they invited us.

00:31:43.259 --> 00:31:47.900
Um, and it's but we don't have to talk all about carpet, it just made me think of it.

00:31:48.140 --> 00:31:48.940
It just popped up.

00:31:49.259 --> 00:31:49.660
Yeah, yeah.

00:31:49.740 --> 00:31:55.180
No, it's one of those incidental things that if you're involved in the trade show business, you start to notice and learn.

00:31:55.340 --> 00:32:06.700
And I think us with like these, I don't know, engineering type brains, you you spot anomalies and patterns, and then there's things that are outliers, and you're just like, Oh my god, why is carpet so expensive?

00:32:07.019 --> 00:32:10.779
Um well, I had never been to a trade show until this year.

00:32:11.019 --> 00:32:13.500
So okay, so that was actually another thing I was gonna ask.

00:32:13.660 --> 00:32:21.500
Like, uh not coming from the B2B world, like what what impressions, if any, do you have um about our trade show world?

00:32:21.820 --> 00:32:29.900
Woo! The the event that really stands out, the booths were just beautiful, was ProMat at McCormick Place in Chicago.

00:32:30.060 --> 00:32:30.940
That one okay.

00:32:31.180 --> 00:32:33.420
And it was I have still never made it to ProMat.

00:32:33.660 --> 00:32:38.460
As a person that works in this OEM space with HMIs, would you recommend I go to ProMat?

00:32:38.779 --> 00:32:41.980
Yes, I had a I really enjoyed I enjoyed every event I went to.

00:32:42.060 --> 00:32:43.580
Uh, I really enjoyed ProMat.

00:32:43.900 --> 00:32:48.220
We had some good stories that came out of out of that that you can read on packagingoam.com.

00:32:48.380 --> 00:32:54.620
A big one, Ranpak brought this uh sustainable paper palette wrap to the North American market.

00:32:54.700 --> 00:32:55.980
This was back in the spring.

00:32:56.140 --> 00:32:59.820
It was through a collaboration with Ranpak and Paperwrap Green by Orange.

00:32:59.900 --> 00:33:04.700
That's they're based in Austria, and Mondi Group, who supplies the stretch stretchable paper.

00:33:04.779 --> 00:33:05.900
So that was a good demo.

00:33:06.380 --> 00:33:08.620
Is it the kind with like those little bitty slits in it?

00:33:08.860 --> 00:33:11.259
No slits, and we we have a gif of it.

00:33:11.340 --> 00:33:12.779
This gif was my best gift.

00:33:13.820 --> 00:33:14.779
This gift was the best.

00:33:16.380 --> 00:33:17.980
Let's link to this gift because now I'm curious.

00:33:18.380 --> 00:33:20.779
Listen to this, yes, it's my best gift of the whole year.

00:33:20.860 --> 00:33:21.100
Yes.

00:33:21.580 --> 00:33:21.900
Okay.

00:33:22.380 --> 00:33:24.299
Yeah, that was ProMet was great.

00:33:24.380 --> 00:33:27.580
Yes, had it and met some great people that work with MHI.

00:33:27.820 --> 00:33:34.140
Um, they're everyone, I will say too, in this industry has been extremely welcoming to me, very nice.

00:33:34.380 --> 00:33:39.100
Um, when you come from consumer news, you work with a lot of personalities.

00:33:39.259 --> 00:33:46.380
I'm not saying there's not personalities in this space, um, but everyone has really embraced me and welcomed me with open arms, and I appreciate that.

00:33:46.700 --> 00:33:55.259
Yeah, I do find that um kind of depends on what where you where you sit in the industry, whether it feels extremely welcoming or not.

00:33:55.500 --> 00:34:03.500
Um, but I think at your level where you're coming in, especially you know, on the media side, and I've never been in the like in the media rooms at the trade shows and stuff before.

00:34:03.580 --> 00:34:07.100
So I again I wouldn't be able to speak to how friendly those people are.

00:34:07.420 --> 00:34:11.980
Um but I do find in general like this industry is full of really great people.

00:34:12.380 --> 00:34:21.900
Uh and I I think you are also with the right group to be coming in and and to be like really welcomed.

00:34:22.139 --> 00:34:29.340
Um I think they're yeah, I will speak to I'll just I know people that have had terrible trade show experiences.

00:34:29.420 --> 00:34:31.659
I've personally had a terrible trade show experience.

00:34:31.820 --> 00:34:41.659
Um, and I and then also a really great one at the exact same show, just different years and different circumstances and different ways that I was coming to the show, presenting or not presenting, but like walking up to booths.

00:34:41.820 --> 00:34:42.059
Yeah.

00:34:42.219 --> 00:34:46.860
Um, it really depends on too, like what you say you're doing, whether people are gonna be nice to you or not.

00:34:47.099 --> 00:34:52.139
Uh luckily, hey, can I give you some of the coverage uh and media and whatever?

00:34:52.299 --> 00:34:56.379
Like that typically I think gets to be uh received really, really well.

00:34:56.619 --> 00:34:58.460
But I'm glad you're finding that you're liking that.

00:34:58.539 --> 00:35:05.339
I personally uh have found that like also the industry associations that run the shows are full of like really, really great people.

00:35:05.579 --> 00:35:19.019
Um I've been going to for the last few years mostly A3 events, which is they run Automate and several other uh conferences and things that are smaller than Automate.

00:35:19.179 --> 00:35:29.019
Um and I've really, really gotten to love and know like a lot of the people that are in that association and longtime members of the association and people that are on the board and so on.

00:35:29.179 --> 00:35:32.940
Same thing with um another one called the Association for High Tech Distribution.

00:35:33.019 --> 00:35:35.739
So those are the distributors that sell the brands.

00:35:35.899 --> 00:35:41.739
Um do a lot of the value added helping the customer select what they need, that sort of thing.

00:35:41.980 --> 00:35:46.699
Um, yeah, like you know, HH Barnum, like not like you don't know what a distributor is.

00:35:46.940 --> 00:35:56.139
Uh so the association that HH Barnum belongs to, um, and a lot of the manufacturers that work with that network of distributors, I found to be an amazing group of people as well.

00:35:56.940 --> 00:36:18.940
And I've been actually part of the selection that I had um when I chose this job with Wintech at the beginning of this year was the ability to stay involved with these organizations because I really enjoy the people that I've met there so much that I think I would feel a slight loss in my life if I took a job that made me leave those associations.

00:36:19.659 --> 00:36:19.899
Yeah.

00:36:20.779 --> 00:36:21.500
I understand.

00:36:22.059 --> 00:36:57.259
And that really like speaks to kind of like yeah, the people side of the business, even though it's tech it's a tech business, but it's really a manufacturing, it's really supporting like yeah, just making all the stuff that we all use, but the tech side of it, um but like it's so much about the people and the relationships, and I think telling those stories in that sense is so important and being able to form those relationships in a different way than we used to, because it used to be those personal relationships were made, I don't know, on the golf course and doing things that people used to be able to do and used to you know connect over.

00:36:57.500 --> 00:37:04.779
And now with demographics changing in the workforce and the way that we work changing, um, a lot of those opportunities aren't there.

00:37:04.859 --> 00:37:12.460
So, how do we still have this industry built on relationships have those opportunities to make the relationships?

00:37:12.539 --> 00:37:25.419
And I think that like now, really these associations, these events, and then the online interactions that are made in between those events are what are creating a lot of the new relationships for me anyway, um, that used to be a lot more local.

00:37:25.899 --> 00:37:34.299
So I live in Houston now, but like honestly, most of my best business relationships and stuff um are people that are that live elsewhere.

00:37:34.460 --> 00:37:38.859
I just I see them a few times a year at conferences or yeah, uh whatever.

00:37:40.219 --> 00:37:47.339
And uh yeah, so there's a couple now that I'm with uh WinTech, I need to get more into the OEM side of things.

00:37:47.500 --> 00:37:50.219
And so MHI is an association, right?

00:37:50.299 --> 00:37:53.019
The material handling institute, is that what that stands for?

00:37:53.259 --> 00:37:54.139
I believe so, yes.

00:37:54.379 --> 00:37:55.179
I think so, yeah.

00:37:55.339 --> 00:37:59.419
I'll I'll let them correct me if anybody from them listens to the show if that's wrong.

00:37:59.579 --> 00:38:13.019
Um that's one that I've never made it to because I've never been big on the logistics side of the industry, more so on the discrete manufacturing, packaging, um, and working with systems integrators and stuff.

00:38:13.259 --> 00:38:15.179
So, and then the other one is PMMI.

00:38:15.419 --> 00:38:16.299
So that's PACE.

00:38:17.339 --> 00:38:24.460
And we I just joined PMMI, and so I'll probably be attending more of their events next year.

00:38:25.019 --> 00:38:29.980
Um problem is I can't clone myself and be traveling at every event.

00:38:30.219 --> 00:38:30.379
Right.

00:38:32.539 --> 00:38:34.460
If only if only.

00:38:34.699 --> 00:38:47.980
Um, so that is why I also I rely on coverage and interacting with people that are at the shows that when I'm not there, um, which is why I just posted today, like I can't go to A3 business forum next year, but I highly recommend it.

00:38:48.059 --> 00:38:58.379
I've been going for years, and if somebody is going for the first time, um, and I highly recommend you know going if that is the group that you need to be networking with.

00:38:58.699 --> 00:39:10.460
Um I'm happy to make introductions to anybody, even if I'm not gonna be there, because I can see the coverage, I can see pictures on LinkedIn, I can message people that are there, and you can message me, right?

00:39:10.539 --> 00:39:14.539
So I don't have to be completely disconnected from the event just because I'm not there.

00:39:14.779 --> 00:39:22.619
Um, which helps my helps with my FOMO a little bit because now I can't I probably can't travel as much um without a partner with my kids and stuff.

00:39:22.779 --> 00:39:24.059
So that's a challenge for me.

00:39:24.299 --> 00:39:28.219
Um, I really have this like I want to do everything personality.

00:39:28.779 --> 00:39:30.779
I I think that's where we're the same.

00:39:31.099 --> 00:39:33.659
I I think we have that, is what I'm trying to say.

00:39:33.899 --> 00:39:37.819
But I was at Automate, I was with Stephanie, but we weren't together at the booth.

00:39:37.899 --> 00:39:38.699
We could have met then.

00:39:38.859 --> 00:39:39.259
It's okay.

00:39:39.899 --> 00:39:40.940
It worked out, yeah.

00:39:41.179 --> 00:39:51.739
Yeah, I do have to be better about my doing trying to do everything at trade shows because even this year at Automate, I thought I pared down like what I was doing so that I would have a little bit more calmness.

00:39:52.139 --> 00:40:00.940
Um yeah, creating content and then like just walking between like different sections of the halls, it takes so much time.

00:40:01.179 --> 00:40:04.539
I overbooked myself again, like big time.

00:40:04.940 --> 00:40:09.819
Yeah, I think I did 27 booth visits at PEC Expo Las Vegas.

00:40:10.059 --> 00:40:10.539
Wow.

00:40:10.940 --> 00:40:21.179
So my goal, my goal going in, I I always do a walk the floor, and if something's interesting, I'll uh I'll make sure to say hello.

00:40:21.339 --> 00:40:27.899
Uh, but I try to have appointments and I like to have some questions in in mind going in.

00:40:28.219 --> 00:40:32.539
Uh because I do a lot of videos and I most of my interviews are on video.

00:40:32.940 --> 00:40:40.619
Uh so there's that, and then I like to do obviously photo galleries, I mentioned those, and a little recap video each day.

00:40:40.859 --> 00:40:43.179
A little recap video with a popular song.

00:40:43.339 --> 00:40:47.099
So when we were in Detroit, we did Kiss, Detroit Rock City.

00:40:47.259 --> 00:40:47.899
That one was cool.

00:40:47.980 --> 00:40:48.219
Yeah.

00:40:48.379 --> 00:40:51.339
And Fanic had a robot moving the guitars.

00:40:51.419 --> 00:40:52.379
That was cool.

00:40:52.619 --> 00:40:53.099
Yeah.

00:40:53.419 --> 00:40:57.899
So if you're not already following Sarah on LinkedIn, um definitely do.

00:40:58.059 --> 00:41:01.179
And we do do this at the end as well, but I think we're coming up on the end here.

00:41:01.259 --> 00:41:03.659
Um, oh, we got maybe a little bit of time.

00:41:03.819 --> 00:41:06.460
I'm trying to keep the episodes more concise.

00:41:06.859 --> 00:41:11.339
Um, I was gonna ask, yeah, how do you plan what you're covering at shows?

00:41:11.500 --> 00:41:13.579
So you already just gave me a glimpse of that a little bit.

00:41:13.659 --> 00:41:16.699
You like to try to have a plan of who you're visiting and what you're gonna ask them.

00:41:16.859 --> 00:41:17.179
Yeah.

00:41:17.339 --> 00:41:18.619
But how how do you know?

00:41:18.699 --> 00:41:22.219
Like, do you look through the exhibitor list and just decide what you're interested in?

00:41:22.299 --> 00:41:28.379
Is it people that you are somehow aware of already in your network and you have some plan that you want to go see them?

00:41:28.779 --> 00:41:38.619
Um being in that this is my I guess you could call this my rookie year in packaging, going into Pac Expo Southeast, I I want to meet everyone.

00:41:38.699 --> 00:41:42.059
I wanted to put a face to the name.

00:41:42.379 --> 00:41:45.739
Um now I'm a little bit more selective.

00:41:45.899 --> 00:41:48.299
I'm definitely looking for the new innovations.

00:41:48.460 --> 00:41:52.699
There are some OEMs I've built a good relationship with over the past year.

00:41:52.859 --> 00:42:00.619
Uh, even if I don't necessarily write about them from that event, um, Morrison Container Handling Solutions is a good one.

00:42:00.940 --> 00:42:06.940
I did an OEM profile on them in the fall and made sure to stop by and say hello when we were in Las Vegas.

00:42:07.099 --> 00:42:10.219
So uh just trying to meet as many people as possible.

00:42:10.299 --> 00:42:14.859
And if the one thing you should probably know about me is I am extremely organized.

00:42:15.019 --> 00:42:18.940
It might not look like it with my background because it's a little chaotic.

00:42:19.019 --> 00:42:22.219
Uh, but when it comes to work, I'm like a spreadsheet queen.

00:42:22.379 --> 00:42:24.139
So I go in with a schedule.

00:42:24.379 --> 00:42:31.980
Everything is I try as much as I can to keep myself in certain halls if it's a big show because I learned the hard way.

00:42:32.299 --> 00:42:36.139
Going from one hall to the other is not fun very quickly.

00:42:36.379 --> 00:42:40.139
Um, I just go in and I have a few topics in mind.

00:42:40.379 --> 00:42:51.339
The the one thing I did a little different for Pac Expo Las Vegas, I talked to dozens of dozens of OEMs, component suppliers, and really asked what the big trends were at the show.

00:42:51.500 --> 00:42:55.659
And then when I got home, I wrote up a Pac Expo trend story, did a little video on that.

00:42:55.819 --> 00:43:03.579
I've also been putting my face more much more on the content the last few months than I did at the beginning, probably because I feel a little bit more comfortable with it now.

00:43:03.739 --> 00:43:10.059
Uh, not that I wasn't comfortable showing my face, just that I was, I mean, I was and still am learning the industry.

00:43:10.219 --> 00:43:12.940
Um, and I want to make sure I tell it properly.

00:43:13.099 --> 00:43:17.659
That's that's the the organization in me, probably, and the perfectionist quite a little bit.

00:43:17.819 --> 00:43:23.739
But yeah, so I I go in and sometimes we have some research reports too that are up in packaging.

00:43:24.379 --> 00:43:25.980
That there's those are great to check out.

00:43:26.139 --> 00:43:28.539
Energy efficiency and packaging machineries one.

00:43:28.699 --> 00:43:29.980
We have one on biologics.

00:43:30.139 --> 00:43:32.539
I just did one on material handling in October.

00:43:32.699 --> 00:43:36.379
We have a few more coming out in 2026 that I'm working on now.

00:43:36.460 --> 00:43:41.419
So if I'm going to a show, I know I have this report coming, I'll make sure to make contacts.

00:43:41.579 --> 00:43:43.739
So I knew the material handling ebook was coming.

00:43:43.819 --> 00:43:51.899
I met a lot of material handling and conveyance companies in the meantime uh to build those relationships and uh very fortunate for them.

00:43:52.139 --> 00:43:55.419
And I I also, Nikki, I just talk a lot.

00:43:55.579 --> 00:43:57.019
You might have noticed this.

00:43:57.179 --> 00:44:01.899
Uh, I have met people at the airport that I've gone on to do stories about.

00:44:02.059 --> 00:44:05.980
Um, I just see it and I kind of go for it.

00:44:06.299 --> 00:44:10.539
Yeah, somebody at once asked me at a trade show how I pick who I talk to.

00:44:10.779 --> 00:44:14.699
Um because I yeah, typically have worked as a sales engineer.

00:44:14.779 --> 00:44:18.139
Um, and some usually we'll have applications engineers also in the booth.

00:44:18.219 --> 00:44:20.219
And yeah, they were just like, How do you do it?

00:44:20.460 --> 00:44:21.419
You talk to everyone.

00:44:21.500 --> 00:44:22.619
Like, how do you decide?

00:44:22.779 --> 00:44:25.179
And I was just like, No, you don't decide.

00:44:25.339 --> 00:44:27.339
You start the conversation with everyone.

00:44:27.500 --> 00:44:41.899
What you have to learn how to do quickly is is decide where to take the conversation, and it may be to shut it down very quickly, or it may be to it's you know, hey, see you next year, or maybe it's hey, go see this booth down there because that's really what you're looking for.

00:44:42.139 --> 00:44:46.299
Or, you know, maybe it's hey, uh, bring your coworker by tomorrow, or you never know.

00:44:46.460 --> 00:44:46.779
And the person.

00:44:47.500 --> 00:44:51.179
May not be the right person to talk to, but you never know who they know or what they're there for.

00:44:51.259 --> 00:44:53.739
So I always try to start the conversation.

00:44:53.980 --> 00:44:59.339
Um, because yeah, I think and some of us, yeah, you just kind of like sometimes get a vibe or whatever.

00:44:59.500 --> 00:45:08.940
I've also met some people at the airport or in the airplane that yeah, I think sometimes like uh I think the universe brings everybody those opportunities all the time.

00:45:09.099 --> 00:45:11.500
Some of us are just more eager about finding them.

00:45:11.819 --> 00:45:18.539
Um I think they've done some studies, like pessimistic people will like walk past money on the ground because they're just not looking.

00:45:18.779 --> 00:45:28.059
Um, but like more positively minded people that are always like on the lookout for opportunity, like they literally just see the money on the ground and the other people don't.

00:45:28.219 --> 00:45:37.579
Um it's well, I'm an only child, so I I grew up around adults, so I grew up just having to read the room and be able to talk to adults as you know, a little kid.

00:45:37.819 --> 00:45:39.179
I think it's really helped.

00:45:39.419 --> 00:45:44.139
Um and I just I walk in the room, I I I feel vibe.

00:45:44.219 --> 00:45:49.419
It sounds silly, but I kind of like I when you and I just messaged on LinkedIn, I was like, okay, I like her, I can just tell.

00:45:49.579 --> 00:45:53.659
And it's when I first met with Stephanie Neal, uh, we did a zoom and I was like, okay, I like her.

00:45:53.739 --> 00:45:55.419
I can, I can just, I can just tell.

00:45:55.659 --> 00:46:00.699
Um, so yeah, I go in with the mindset, but I and I try to meet everyone I can.

00:46:00.779 --> 00:46:05.019
And I'm all I always ask, hey, can I add you on LinkedIn while we're here?

00:46:05.179 --> 00:46:09.579
Because if I do content on them, I want to make sure I'm tagging the right, the right person.

00:46:09.739 --> 00:46:15.419
Some people there's a lot of Sarah wins in the world, believe it or not, but I want to make sure we have the right connection.

00:46:15.579 --> 00:46:24.539
So yeah, that's that's one thing, but the shows are a lot of fun, they're a lot of work, and they seem to make even more work when I get home.

00:46:24.940 --> 00:46:25.739
Of course, yes.

00:46:25.819 --> 00:46:31.579
That is they are uh definitely generators of more follow-up work, always a lot, yeah.

00:46:31.739 --> 00:46:39.179
But I love work while you're there, because in the case of like stuff that you would normally be doing, and then all the new stuff that comes from the shows.

00:46:39.339 --> 00:46:50.139
Um, but it's also just it's a great way to have that consistency of being able to like catch up with people on a regular basis that you would never go like visit them on purpose, like travel um just for that.

00:46:50.539 --> 00:47:05.339
And it allows, yeah, just to just build these cross, I don't know, these relationship, these industry relationships that also, I mean, our industry is kind of like you once you know a certain area, you know, you can do a lot of things within that.

00:47:05.579 --> 00:47:13.579
There's a lot of transferable skills between like whether you're at the component supplier or at the OEM or at the manufacturer, the your plant engineer for a while.

00:47:13.819 --> 00:47:21.500
My some of my favorite people are are ones that have played multiple of those roles because you start to you just see so many different sides of kind of the same problem.

00:47:21.659 --> 00:47:32.139
You become more well-rounded, you can relate more to the people around you, you can relate more to whatever either solutions you're buying or selling or supporting or writing about or whatever that is, right?

00:47:32.299 --> 00:47:46.940
So um I personally think, yeah, the media world and the in-person kind of the events and the digital, like it all ties together with with the digital content tied to the personal brand.

00:47:47.419 --> 00:47:52.460
Because that's how we can kind of keep that thread of knowing people even if we're not seeing them all the time.

00:47:52.779 --> 00:47:55.980
Yeah, I I've even FaceTimed with OEMs.

00:47:56.299 --> 00:47:58.779
So uh whatever way I can.

00:47:59.099 --> 00:48:08.539
I when we did the cold water story, I knew I couldn't physically go to Tennessee, but I saw Jordan Hamric was there and I said, Can I FaceTime with you so I can see it?

00:48:08.699 --> 00:48:10.779
Because I would like to write it accurately.

00:48:10.859 --> 00:48:13.019
And and we went around and it it was awesome.

00:48:13.179 --> 00:48:16.139
So we've done with Hamrick, we've done it with some others too.

00:48:16.219 --> 00:48:20.619
So if any OEM is listening wants to do a FaceTime tour, I'm definitely down for it.

00:48:20.940 --> 00:48:21.179
Okay.

00:48:21.339 --> 00:48:28.379
Yeah, maybe that's maybe that is the way to do it, and that's an awesome idea because I've been wanting to do more like shop tours, factory tours.

00:48:28.619 --> 00:48:32.460
Um, I really, yes, I I can see why your gifts are so popular.

00:48:32.619 --> 00:48:39.099
I've been wanting to do short videos of like machines of what they when they spit something out.

00:48:39.339 --> 00:48:52.940
Like that motion, like that's so satisfying to me to see whatever the product, even if it's in the middle of the line and it's like a a work in progress, still like whatever high volume thing that machine spits out, it's so satisfying.

00:48:53.419 --> 00:48:54.059
Satisfying.

00:48:54.139 --> 00:48:54.699
I love that.

00:48:54.859 --> 00:49:01.259
Uh, it's funny you bring up the gifts because I've been obsessed with gifts long before they were even had gift keyboards.

00:49:01.339 --> 00:49:08.779
I if I don't know if you remember Tumblr, I used to go on Tumblr and save gifts to my phone and like had a little gift folder.

00:49:09.019 --> 00:49:14.139
So I had like instant like gifts to send to my friends in terms of texting.

00:49:14.460 --> 00:49:22.539
So we did some when I when I worked in local news, I was the Ohio State digital reporter for for football, for basketball.

00:49:22.779 --> 00:49:27.819
And when you're in Columbus, Ohio, it's it's a religion, it's a very big deal.

00:49:28.059 --> 00:49:29.739
So I wanted to experiment.

00:49:29.819 --> 00:49:33.179
We did some gifts with them, team running out, different players.

00:49:33.339 --> 00:49:35.500
So yeah, the gifts have always been a part of me.

00:49:35.579 --> 00:49:38.539
It's it's fun to be able to integrate it, integrate it into this.

00:49:38.619 --> 00:49:44.059
And they're gonna toss out some packaging lingo unadvertently, but yeah.

00:49:44.379 --> 00:50:00.139
Yeah, I love, and it's fun to be able to take like, I don't know, and I don't pay attention to these trends much because I'm not on other social media, but there are like social media trends that you can kind of stick uh niche, you know, industry stuff on, and it's really funny.

00:50:00.219 --> 00:50:05.019
And like the only people that get it are the ones that get your industry lingo or whatever.

00:50:05.179 --> 00:50:05.500
Yeah.

00:50:05.659 --> 00:50:13.339
Um, so it's like, yeah, inside your the it's like the automation dad joke, but now it's like now it's a meme, right?

00:50:13.579 --> 00:50:14.219
Yeah, yeah.

00:50:14.299 --> 00:50:15.099
I love memes too.

00:50:15.259 --> 00:50:21.179
Out of controls is a is a is an account that does a lot of like automation, like funny controls engineering.

00:50:21.259 --> 00:50:24.139
Um you should follow them.

00:50:24.219 --> 00:50:25.739
I think they're on TikTok or something.

00:50:25.980 --> 00:50:32.219
Okay, yeah, we we met um, we did a podcast uh a few months ago with Flex Line Automation's Kathy Rinney.

00:50:32.619 --> 00:50:35.099
She is on TikTok as the conveyor cougar.

00:50:35.259 --> 00:50:36.699
She has got a fun story too.

00:50:36.779 --> 00:50:38.699
Uh we love her.

00:50:38.779 --> 00:50:40.539
We've had her and Lauren on the show.

00:50:40.779 --> 00:50:42.139
So you guys can listen to that.

00:50:42.219 --> 00:50:43.259
I talked to them.

00:50:43.339 --> 00:50:49.019
Um, I think I recorded one on my phone at Automate one year, or no, it was the A3 Business Forum.

00:50:49.099 --> 00:50:51.659
And then I think they came on for a live another time.

00:50:51.899 --> 00:50:58.219
Um, but they are great, and they're also big into Kathy's huge into animal rescue, so I'm sure you guys connected over that.

00:50:58.460 --> 00:51:00.299
She's seen my dogs, yes.

00:51:00.460 --> 00:51:02.379
Yes, they're three of them.

00:51:03.579 --> 00:51:07.500
But I try not to go on too many tangents, even though I do.

00:51:07.739 --> 00:51:10.460
It's my it's my brand, it's my style of ADHD.

00:51:10.539 --> 00:51:11.259
I've learned.

00:51:11.500 --> 00:51:29.659
I used to think I was just weird, and now it's like, I don't know if it's disappointing or or just nice to know that it's not really just weirdness, it's just like I have a lot of what I thought were my quirks are very common symptoms for people with uh ADHD or like my type of thinking.

00:51:29.980 --> 00:51:35.579
And I just met up with a college friend that I haven't seen in a really long time, and uh, he's an engineer.

00:51:35.659 --> 00:51:44.219
And I mostly had engineering friends in college, even though not an I'm not an engineer, I just kind of gravitate to that style of thinking or something.

00:51:44.779 --> 00:51:46.059
And I asked him this question.

00:51:46.219 --> 00:51:51.500
I was like, did you ever think that my weirdness like, did you think that I had ADHD?

00:51:51.579 --> 00:51:53.659
Because that now I'm like, how did I not know this?

00:51:53.819 --> 00:51:59.500
Like all of my up all these people were like taking Ritalins to stay up for for tests and stuff like that.

00:51:59.579 --> 00:52:05.579
And I thought it was, I don't know, I just thought it was cheaty because I didn't and then it's like I could have legitimately had that prescription.

00:52:05.659 --> 00:52:06.940
I just had no idea.

00:52:07.179 --> 00:52:07.579
Yeah.

00:52:07.819 --> 00:52:11.019
And I asked him, I was like, Did you ever think that uh that might be it?

00:52:11.099 --> 00:52:14.859
And he's like, Well, did you think that I had the uh I got autism?

00:52:14.940 --> 00:52:19.579
And I was like, Oh yeah, no, we're just both weird, and like we're just both weird, yeah.

00:52:19.819 --> 00:52:25.579
And you can label it as weird, or or you can, you know, go with the official letters of whatever your diagnosis is.

00:52:25.739 --> 00:52:36.859
But the truth is, us in the kind of this engineering field, um, we attract a lot more uh neurodivergent people, I think, with with the the types of skill sets and things that we need.

00:52:37.099 --> 00:52:43.019
And it's typically less reliant on good social skills and not and being super normal, right?

00:52:43.099 --> 00:52:48.859
Like a little bit of weirdness is accepted because our whatever other skills we bring to the table.

00:52:49.099 --> 00:52:54.699
And then I think now we're bringing out a lot of the human side of our business into this content and stuff.

00:52:54.859 --> 00:53:06.139
Like it's becoming blatantly obvious how weird we are, and it's cool, and it's nice to be able to connect with each other because it's very relatable when you're in a room of people that are similarly weird to you.

00:53:06.219 --> 00:53:11.819
I wouldn't say equally because all our weirdnesses are different, but well, I mean, I can't really see it.

00:53:11.980 --> 00:53:13.099
I'll move my chair.

00:53:13.339 --> 00:53:17.339
I mean, I have two wrestling WWE championship belts hanging in my office.

00:53:17.739 --> 00:53:18.619
I see those, yes.

00:53:18.940 --> 00:53:19.899
I think that's pretty weird.

00:53:19.980 --> 00:53:27.739
Here, I'll move so the last one was actually given to me when I was promoted in local news by my news director.

00:53:27.899 --> 00:53:31.659
So we aired a wrestling show and WWE sent us this belt.

00:53:31.819 --> 00:53:33.099
She offered me this promotion.

00:53:33.179 --> 00:53:35.339
I said I'll do it, but I would like the belt too.

00:53:35.419 --> 00:53:36.299
And she said, done.

00:53:36.460 --> 00:53:37.259
Here you go.

00:53:37.419 --> 00:53:38.699
So I like to see it every day.

00:53:38.859 --> 00:53:41.419
It is a little kooky, it's a little weird, but it makes me happy.

00:53:41.579 --> 00:53:45.179
So it's always in the background of the podcast too when we record it.

00:53:45.500 --> 00:53:46.460
Okay, yeah.

00:53:47.019 --> 00:53:49.259
That is um that's a great setup.

00:53:49.419 --> 00:53:52.619
I actually am in the process of trying to sell my house.

00:53:52.859 --> 00:54:03.659
So I have nothing permanent set up right now for podcasts, but that is one of my goals for next year is to set up like just a good podcasting spot in my next house.

00:54:03.819 --> 00:54:05.819
Because I guess I'm doing this now for a while.

00:54:05.980 --> 00:54:13.259
Uh we did debate whether or not we should just shut down the show, and we all realize that we love doing it too much, and so we'll be keep doing it.

00:54:13.419 --> 00:54:17.500
And I can't believe that it's been close to four years.

00:54:17.739 --> 00:54:21.339
I guess about three, like it said three and a half or something last time I checked.

00:54:21.419 --> 00:54:23.179
And it feels a lot shorter than that.

00:54:23.819 --> 00:54:27.419
But I guess that is uh time flies when you're having fun.

00:54:27.899 --> 00:54:28.379
Yeah.

00:54:28.940 --> 00:54:29.419
Yeah.

00:54:29.739 --> 00:54:33.500
So back to I guess maybe a little bit more of a oh go ahead.

00:54:33.819 --> 00:54:35.980
Oh, I was just gonna say any burning questions.

00:54:36.779 --> 00:54:42.460
Yeah, I was gonna, I did, I did prep some, you know, in case this hadn't wouldn't be an interesting conversation.

00:54:42.699 --> 00:54:45.739
In case I was clearly didn't need to go back to any of my notes.

00:54:46.299 --> 00:54:59.259
Uh, but I did want to ask you, since you've been at the shows and I haven't, and you've been asking people this, um, even though I feel like these usually result in such uh vague answers that like it, they're not super exciting.

00:54:59.419 --> 00:55:02.299
But what are the top trends that you think are exciting?

00:55:02.460 --> 00:55:07.659
And I guess maybe I'll reframe the question based on what we talked about about the shows.

00:55:07.819 --> 00:55:13.099
What are some of the topics that you think you're planning on going to try to talk to people about next year that are new?

00:55:13.579 --> 00:55:20.539
I mean, it AI continues to every event I go to, especially the later in this year, AI, AI, AI.

00:55:20.779 --> 00:55:21.659
So that will be one.

00:55:21.819 --> 00:55:24.460
Digital transformation and packaging will be one.

00:55:24.779 --> 00:55:27.659
Um hope to expand my horizons a bit.

00:55:27.819 --> 00:55:30.299
Remote management will be one.

00:55:30.539 --> 00:55:33.019
Um, predictive maintenance again.

00:55:33.179 --> 00:55:36.940
So, like I said, this was um, I could say my rookie year in packaging.

00:55:37.099 --> 00:55:38.859
So learning the foundation.

00:55:38.940 --> 00:55:40.219
Now I have to build the house.

00:55:40.299 --> 00:55:43.099
I want to execute, I want to do more feature stories.

00:55:43.259 --> 00:55:49.980
You'll see some more OEM profiles um coming up from unpackaging OEM's website, along with research reports.

00:55:50.219 --> 00:55:53.419
We did a flexible packaging deep dive a few months ago.

00:55:53.500 --> 00:55:57.339
I'd like to do a part two uh focused on the machinery.

00:55:57.500 --> 00:56:05.659
Uh, the first one was really about the materials, and that's how I told you about my flexible pouch story, and I learned a lot along the way.

00:56:05.819 --> 00:56:08.539
Uh so yeah, there's a lot going on.

00:56:08.699 --> 00:56:09.579
I'm really excited.

00:56:09.739 --> 00:56:19.179
Obviously, too, when I go to these shows, I want to meet everyone, I want to hear stories that we can share on our platforms to to others to read.

00:56:19.259 --> 00:56:23.019
And that's not just the podcast, it's written content, videos, all of the above.

00:56:23.179 --> 00:56:23.980
I love quotes.

00:56:24.139 --> 00:56:29.019
Obviously, I'm a writer, so uh I I hear sound bites like when people say them.

00:56:29.099 --> 00:56:36.460
I like I have a Jordan Hammer quote I haven't used yet, and I'm like waiting for the right moment because I know it's it's just gonna land.

00:56:36.699 --> 00:56:40.460
Um, he knows what the quote is, but no one else, just us.

00:56:40.539 --> 00:56:45.099
So, anyways, I just I think of things like that, and things just come to me in the moment.

00:56:45.500 --> 00:56:49.659
I will be on the couch with my dogs, and I have a great idea.

00:56:49.980 --> 00:56:52.379
I'm very well known for writing on my phone.

00:56:52.539 --> 00:56:54.619
I I literally will write stories on my phone.

00:56:54.699 --> 00:56:57.739
I just did it going to the event I went to a few weeks ago.

00:56:57.899 --> 00:57:02.859
Um, there's a story on Intars Vision Group with AI in their pre-filled syringe detection system.

00:57:02.940 --> 00:57:04.779
That story's up on Packaging Williams website.

00:57:04.859 --> 00:57:06.539
Most of it was written on my phone.

00:57:06.779 --> 00:57:11.899
So, like, well, I'm kind of getting on a tangent, but if I have an idea, I just start writing it out.

00:57:12.059 --> 00:57:14.139
I'm I have to write, I have to see it.

00:57:14.299 --> 00:57:15.739
I'm a visual learner.

00:57:16.059 --> 00:57:16.299
Okay.

00:57:16.619 --> 00:57:19.899
So that's that's kind of that's a very long-winded answer.

00:57:19.980 --> 00:57:21.259
I apologize.

00:57:21.980 --> 00:57:22.699
That's okay.

00:57:22.859 --> 00:57:27.739
You just uh you're making me feel very good about myself because why?

00:57:28.139 --> 00:57:29.339
Well, because no, no, no.

00:57:29.419 --> 00:57:32.219
Um, well, because that that's exactly what I do all the time.

00:57:32.379 --> 00:57:32.619
Okay.

00:57:32.779 --> 00:57:46.779
Um and and it's I just feel like a certain kinship to how you think or how how you work, uh, because just I mean, honestly, before this podcast, I had planned to give myself uh what I don't relate to as much is the is the organizing.

00:57:46.859 --> 00:57:53.259
Like I I I have given up on thinking that I am a very good organizer or organized person.

00:57:53.500 --> 00:57:56.219
I am, but in like very sporadic kind of ways.

00:57:56.379 --> 00:58:01.179
Um I I I do better with help organizing myself.

00:58:01.500 --> 00:58:12.379
But I started something today that like was a new idea, and I just I couldn't stop myself from getting it to a place that like and and I would have if I didn't have the show, I'd still be working on it.

00:58:12.460 --> 00:58:14.940
But we had the scheduled and I knew I needed to do it and stuff.

00:58:15.099 --> 00:58:30.539
But like some people work really well having everything planned out and they can work towards these goals, and like it's just a type of linear thinking that I don't have, and I require for me to like use my powers, I need to be intensely interested in something.

00:58:31.019 --> 00:58:40.619
And so sometimes my focus jumps around a bit because I become interested in something, and then it's hard to bring me back to something that no longer carries my interest.

00:58:40.859 --> 00:58:41.819
Yeah, I get it.

00:58:41.980 --> 00:58:53.419
Um, and the industry is so cool in the sense that like it's never boring as long as you like have like kind of a playground or a sandbox within that you can play and like try out different things that you're interested in.

00:58:53.579 --> 00:59:03.579
And so I feel like I'm in the same type of position now because I have a job that is very they've also given me a lot of leeway of like, hey, bring your ideas.

00:59:03.739 --> 00:59:09.179
We hired you for your ideas in addition to you know, skills and things to do the job.

00:59:09.339 --> 00:59:16.940
But like part of it is we don't know what the job is until you come up with the idea, also, you know, and that is like really fun, right?

00:59:17.179 --> 00:59:22.460
Because you know you have a set of goals, you know what where you're trying to go, you know where that you're steering the ship, like as a company.

00:59:22.779 --> 00:59:33.819
But I think as far as especially when it comes to smaller things like tactics or trying new things, or uh it's like sometimes you just need to act on them when they come.

00:59:34.059 --> 00:59:46.619
Yeah, and if they succeed, then you've done something pretty extraordinary because it would have taken a long time, probably, if you had like gone for approval and thought about it too long and planned it out, and then like maybe the moment would have even passed for that to have been successful.

00:59:47.019 --> 01:00:00.460
But it, you know, it's just a certain type of thinker or person that can like run with an idea immediately and make something out of it that's actually worthwhile, and then you know, make some hopefully good judgments about whether to continue that or not.

01:00:00.539 --> 01:00:06.619
You don't sink too much time into it into you know a fool's errand while you're in the middle of something important.

01:00:06.779 --> 01:00:09.019
But these are some of the things that I struggle with constantly.

01:00:09.179 --> 01:00:16.139
Yeah, because I have all kinds of ideas and I like to actually remember, I worked in consumer news and breaking news.

01:00:16.219 --> 01:00:25.019
I've handled presidential elections, I've handled Ohio elections, I've handled COVID, uh sports, Supreme Court decisions.

01:00:25.259 --> 01:00:30.619
So when something comes down, your focus has to instantly shift entirely to that topic.

01:00:30.859 --> 01:00:34.460
So I think that's kind of where I get it from.

01:00:34.539 --> 01:00:44.619
But my in terms of the ideas and making content, I feel much more in this role, like I have a sandbox and I can test an experiment and see what does well, and I really love that.

01:00:44.699 --> 01:00:59.419
And so my goal is to make packagingoam.com as good as it can be, and social media, of course, it's a huge factor, a huge piece of what I do, but um and and be able to share the industry's stories and spotlight OEMs and spotlight machine builders behind the machines.

01:00:59.500 --> 01:01:09.179
Yes, I want to see the machine uh making the flexible pouch, but I want to hear the expert behind it why what he thinks about it or what she thinks about it.

01:01:09.339 --> 01:01:10.779
I shouldn't assume it's a man.

01:01:10.940 --> 01:01:16.940
Uh, so that's that's I'm just about to interview a director of manufacturing for an OEM that's a woman next next week.

01:01:17.099 --> 01:01:18.299
So absolutely.

01:01:18.699 --> 01:01:22.139
Yeah, we have a lot of female guests on the downtown podcast.

01:01:22.219 --> 01:01:26.940
Um, and the other thing I'll say when I talked about quotes, quotes are one of my favorite things.

01:01:27.099 --> 01:01:30.059
Uh, my favorite being closed mouths don't get fed.

01:01:30.219 --> 01:01:32.139
If you never ask, you will never know.

01:01:32.379 --> 01:01:36.699
So when Nikki asked me to be on the show, said yeah, of course, I'll do it.

01:01:36.859 --> 01:01:37.339
She asked me.

01:01:37.500 --> 01:01:42.859
Yeah, and I would like to encourage more people in this industry to not be afraid to ask what they think might be dumb questions.

01:01:43.019 --> 01:01:45.899
Again, you're never gonna get the answer if you don't ask.

01:01:46.059 --> 01:01:51.659
And I think we're as engineers, and I I I don't I won't lump myself in.

01:01:51.739 --> 01:01:53.019
I just I know enough of them.

01:01:53.179 --> 01:01:57.339
And oftentimes they feel like they need to know or they should know everything.

01:01:57.579 --> 01:02:02.779
What you end up learning later on in your career is that nobody knows anything and everybody needs to ask all the time.

01:02:02.859 --> 01:02:06.859
And you learn most of the things through experience, through the hard way, on the job.

01:02:07.019 --> 01:02:29.179
And so you might as well save yourself a little bit of that by asking because you'll still learn way too much just on the job, because this automation packaging, you know, machinery, manufacturing world, there's a lot of stuff that's been done, but a lot of it, it's just constantly like new stuff, unique situations, things that we have to deal with.

01:02:29.259 --> 01:02:31.019
So everybody's learning all the time.

01:02:31.179 --> 01:02:38.539
Um, and it really is a place where you'll find people are more happy to help than I think would judge you for asking questions.

01:02:38.779 --> 01:02:42.219
Um my last question, and you've already answered quite a bit of this.

01:02:42.299 --> 01:02:45.099
Um and I am known for my compound questions.

01:02:45.179 --> 01:02:59.419
I'll double I say one question, no, but really it's just what um what should people do if they want to engage more with you, your content, where should they go to follow you, um, and what should they expect to see from you next year?

01:02:59.500 --> 01:03:01.980
So I think we've kind of already we can just recap it, right?

01:03:02.139 --> 01:03:07.099
We've podcast, where can they read, see your content, and shows they're gonna see you at next year.

01:03:07.339 --> 01:03:07.739
Definitely.

01:03:07.899 --> 01:03:12.619
So you can find me on LinkedIn, linkedin.com slash s arwyn.

01:03:13.019 --> 01:03:13.739
Sarwin.

01:03:14.059 --> 01:03:15.099
Sarah Win was taken.

01:03:15.179 --> 01:03:16.219
We went with SARWin.

01:03:16.460 --> 01:03:19.980
Uh you can also find my content at packagingoem.com.

01:03:20.059 --> 01:03:24.379
The downtime podcast lives on packagingoam.com and plant engineering's website.

01:03:24.619 --> 01:03:27.019
Um, and what shows will I be at next year?

01:03:27.179 --> 01:03:31.259
I will be bringing my I have a little stabilizer, Nikki, for my iPhone.

01:03:31.339 --> 01:03:32.859
When we meet in person, you'll get to see it.

01:03:32.940 --> 01:03:38.699
I'll have my stabilizer with me, taking videos for gifts and social and all the above and interviews.

01:03:38.859 --> 01:03:42.059
I will be at PacExpo East in February.

01:03:42.299 --> 01:03:45.019
I believe I'm going to Modex in April.

01:03:45.179 --> 01:03:48.460
And Automate is on the table for June.

01:03:48.619 --> 01:03:49.819
That's in Chicago.

01:03:50.059 --> 01:03:55.899
Uh, and then Pac Expo in Chicago, going back to Chicago, which is which is fine with me because it's pretty close.

01:03:55.980 --> 01:03:57.099
It's about an hour flight.

01:03:57.339 --> 01:04:01.019
Um, so those that's what's on deck, but you never know.

01:04:01.259 --> 01:04:16.940
I I had some invitations come my way this year where I was able to learn more about industrial automation and cover that topic, which we didn't go into a bit quite a bit, but there's links to that on my social um in terms of open software defined automation.

01:04:17.019 --> 01:04:19.179
There's podcasts on that as well in the downtime.

01:04:19.419 --> 01:04:21.980
But yeah, that's uh that's where I will be.

01:04:22.059 --> 01:04:23.500
But you can always find me online.

01:04:23.579 --> 01:04:24.539
You can send me an email.

01:04:24.699 --> 01:04:27.739
My work email is on packaging OEM's website, so check that out.

01:04:27.819 --> 01:04:31.419
And the last thing I will say is subscribe to the packaging OEM newsletter.

01:04:31.500 --> 01:04:33.339
Subscribe to the packaging OEM newsletter.

01:04:33.419 --> 01:04:37.819
That one is uh that's my big project going into 2026.

01:04:37.899 --> 01:04:40.139
Try to make it and revamp it.

01:04:40.460 --> 01:04:43.019
Um make it the place to be.

01:04:43.099 --> 01:04:45.179
And you'll see that I've got some good ideas.

01:04:45.259 --> 01:04:48.699
I'm not gonna spill it all my tea, but some okay.

01:04:49.179 --> 01:04:58.139
Well, I look forward to having you hopefully as a return guest sometime later this year, assuming it's January now, um, or or somewhere around there.

01:04:58.219 --> 01:05:00.779
Uh, I hope to maybe see you at the Pac Expo East.

01:05:00.859 --> 01:05:04.779
If not, um I'm gonna send Nick Moss, but I'm hoping to meet him there.

01:05:04.859 --> 01:05:08.539
He's one of our sales guys that handles the East Coast.

01:05:08.859 --> 01:05:12.619
Uh but yeah, you'll find me at some more PMMI events next year.

01:05:12.699 --> 01:05:18.299
And I'll definitely, well, you said automate's on the table, so I will see you somewhere next year for sure.

01:05:18.460 --> 01:05:20.139
Um, and I will also send you an invite.

01:05:20.299 --> 01:05:26.299
You've now been invited to OT Skatecon as well in Houston in the summertime if you want to come with the sweltering heat.

01:05:26.539 --> 01:05:27.419
Uh H time.

01:05:27.739 --> 01:05:29.419
We like to get an Airbnb with the pool.

01:05:29.500 --> 01:05:30.299
I highly recommend that.

01:05:30.779 --> 01:05:33.579
Oh my gosh, I have an Airbnb story I can tell you offline.

01:05:33.819 --> 01:05:37.899
Um well, with that, thank you so much for joining me, Sarah.

01:05:38.059 --> 01:05:43.980
Um, those of you that are listening, there will be some changes, but hopefully we have this is a new season out.

01:05:44.139 --> 01:05:48.139
Um, we also have a newsletter you can subscribe to, would appreciate that.

01:05:48.219 --> 01:05:51.339
Uh, we are going to be putting some more effort into our YouTube channel.

01:05:51.500 --> 01:05:54.219
So if you're watching this and this is on video, thank you.

01:05:54.379 --> 01:05:58.460
Um, I guess like and subscribe, like my seven-year-old knows how to say.

01:05:58.539 --> 01:06:01.259
Uh, those of them that grew up with all this natively.

01:06:01.980 --> 01:06:05.419
And we are going to keep making our content.

01:06:05.659 --> 01:06:20.539
Um, it's taken us longer than we thought to get a lot better at it, I think, in terms of production quality, but we are working on it and we really appreciate all the relationships that we've made, um, including with media that we get to learn from.

01:06:20.699 --> 01:06:22.779
Honestly, that's another, you know, piece of this.

01:06:22.940 --> 01:06:34.539
When I see you creating your content on uh these shows and things like that, that's all stuff that uh I pick up from because although we're not a media company, I mean, I guess this is kind of this is another form of media.

01:06:34.619 --> 01:06:38.219
We just don't we do it from our kind of grassroots angle.

01:06:38.299 --> 01:06:46.859
Um, and it's really, really great to see other outlets doing similar stuff because I think more fun, relatable, where you can see the real stories.

01:06:47.339 --> 01:06:51.980
Real people content is what I would like to be consuming, and I'm assuming the rest of you.

01:06:52.059 --> 01:06:59.980
So yeah, follow Sarah, connect with her, and I hope to see you at our next LinkedIn Live or catch you on the next episode.

01:07:00.219 --> 01:07:02.299
Thank you for listening to Automation Ladies.

01:07:02.460 --> 01:07:14.219
If you like our content and you want to stay in touch, please connect with us on LinkedIn, follow the show page, subscribe to our YouTube channel, and you can send us a message or a coffee on our website, automationladies.io.

01:07:14.779 --> 01:07:16.460
We look forward to getting to know you.

01:07:17.179 --> 01:07:22.139
Our producer is Veronica Espinoza, and our music is composed by Samuel James.