How Melissa Ramos Leveraged Social Media to Create a Manufacturing Movement, 522

What happens when a young woman with zero machining experience gets handed the keys to two CNC mills and told, "Figure it out"? For Melissa Ramos, it became the start of a journey that's equal parts grit, creativity, community, and stubborn determination. In this episode of MakingChips, we sit down with the founder of M95 Machining to unpack how she went from crashing machines, crying in shop bathrooms, and being dismissed in trade school… to building a respected machining brand with a massive social media following and partnerships across the industry. Melissa shares the real story behind learning CNC machining from the ground up, the pressure of working alongside her father, and the moments that nearly made her quit. But this conversation goes far beyond tooling and G-code. It's about building a business while building confidence. Melissa opens up about the challenges of being a woman in manufacturing, the ugly side of internet criticism, and why storytelling and content creation have become just as important to her business as making parts. From balancing customer work and brand partnerships to literally moving into the shop to chase bigger goals, her story captures the modern reality of manufacturing entrepreneurship. The episode also dives into automation, mentorship, social media, family dynamics, and Melissa's vision for creating a safe learning space for women entering the trades. Whether you're a shop owner, aspiring machinist, parent, or someone trying to carve out a path in manufacturing, this conversation is packed with honesty, perspective, and a refreshing reminder that there's no single blueprint for success in this industry. If you've ever wondered what the next generation of manufacturing leadership looks like, this episode delivers a pretty compelling answer.  Segments (0:00) The MakingChips crew welcomes Melissa Ramos to MakingChips: GenCNC (2:17) Melissa shares how her dad introduced her to CNC machining with two Haas mills (4:33) Melissa discusses the challenges of being a woman entering manufacturing (6:04) Melissa opens up about her negative trade school experience and being dismissed by an instructor (8:29) How a group of classmates helped her learn programming despite lack of support (10:01) Discovering Fusion 360 and teaching herself CAM programming (11:56) Learn more about IMTS 2026 (and why you should join us) (13:14) Building M95 through family connections, word of mouth, and social media (15:52) Melissa discusses workload balance, shop growth, and finding ideal customers (17:50) Balancing machining work with growing content partnerships and brand opportunities (18:32) Why Melissa prefers prototype and quick-turn work over repetitive production (19:30) Lessons learned from a difficult automation experience with a robot cell (22:08) Melissa shares the story of meeting her boyfriend through tooling recommendations (22:55) Paperless Parts uses secure AI to take busy work off your estimators (24:07) The influence of Melissa's father and the family dynamic behind the business (26:24) Why Melissa's dad originally brought machining in-house (29:53) How social media unexpectedly transformed into a business opportunity (32:53) Why you should listen to the Lights Out Podcast (33:20) Melissa explains why she's moving into the shop to focus fully on growth (37:07) Melissa reveals her vision for a women-focused manufacturing meetup and mentorship space (38:42) Advice for young people entering manufacturing and entrepreneurship (39:43) Where to connect with Melissa Ramos and M95 Machining online Resources mentioned on this episode 12. Inspiring a New Generation of Female (and Male) Machinists Learn more about IMTS 2026 (and why you should join us) Paperless Parts uses secure AI to take busy work off your estimators [email protected] Connect with Melissa on LinkedIn M95 Machining on YouTube M95 Machining on Instagram Connect With MakingChips www.MakingChips.com On Facebook On LinkedIn On Instagram On Twitter On YouTube