Manufacturing, Marketing & Machining Careers | Machining Summit

In this Chairlift Conversations episode of The Radical Job Shop Show, host Emily Joann Wilkins rides up Mammoth Mountain with a group of manufacturing professionals from across the machining industry—including Justin Wilkins of MillerKnoll, Paul Clauss of Toolpath, Ethan Patane of Centric Iterations, Matthew Matyash, Paul Van Metre of ProShop ERP, and David Liu of finalREV.What starts as casual conversation quickly turns into a deep discussion about machine shops, entrepreneurship, automation, marketing, CAD/CAM software, content creation, and how younger generations are building careers in manufacturing differently.From Harbor Freight CNC conversions and Formula SAE to AI editing tools, ERP systems, Instagram marketing, and five-axis machining, this episode captures the kind of real-world shop talk that happens when manufacturing people get together outside the booth floor.The conversation explores:– Why machine shops still grow through relationships and word of mouth– How social media is changing manufacturing marketing– The challenge of balancing engineering and entrepreneurship– Why consistency matters more than perfection in content creation– How younger machinists are building businesses through Instagram and YouTube– Automation, software, and reducing friction in modern manufacturingWhether you're running a CNC machine shop, learning CAD/CAM, building a manufacturing brand, or trying to grow your customer pipeline, there’s something in this ride for you.Thanks to our friends at Toolpath for bringing the Machining Summit to life and inviting us to capture these conversations from the chairlift at Mammoth Mountain, California.🚀 Want a brand that attracts better-fit customers?Start with The Setup:https://www.marketingmetal.com/the-setupExplore more at:https://www.marketingmetal.comTimestamps00:00 – Intro: Chairlift Conversations at the Machining Summit00:58 – Sales, engineering, customer success, and wearing multiple hats01:23 – Toolpath customer success and onboarding01:49 – Meet David Liu from Final R02:06 – Reducing friction through software and automation02:42 – Herman Miller engineering and workspace optimization03:30 – Standing desks, walking pads, and productivity04:22 – Meet Paul Van Metre of ProShop ERP05:18 – Machines, automation, EDMs, lasers, and prototyping05:37 – Word-of-mouth marketing for machine shops05:45 – “Don’t should on yourself” about social media06:23 – AI tools for editing manufacturing content07:06 – Why repeating your marketing message matters07:51 – Five-axis machining videos and content strategy09:17 – CAD/CAM software talk: Fusion, HyperMill, SprutCAM, and more10:22 – Building a machine shop through Instagram10:52 – Why networking beats traditional advertising11:14 – Formula SAE and getting started in machining12:27 – Woodworking camps, engineering projects, and homemade machines14:08 – Harbor Freight CNC conversions and startup stories15:02 – How documenting projects became a business16:22 – Winning a Fadal CNC auction and the panic that followed