The Leverage Podcast - Alrick Warren

Discover how to build business leverage through innovation in this episode of The Leverage Podcast. Host John Davidson sits down with Al Warner, the owner of Bass Printing Company, to explore his decades-long career in engineering and corporate problem-solving. If you want to scale your operations, learning how to build business leverage is the ultimate key to sustainable growth. In this episode, Al shares incredible stories from his time as a chemical engineer at Procter & Gamble. He details the complex, two-and-a-half-year journey behind inventing the chemistry to print high-quality images on Bounty paper towels using water-based inks. You will learn how his team applied this exact printing technology to other famous products, including Charmin toilet paper and Pampers diapers, to solve major manufacturing and consumer challenges. Al also pulls back the curtain on his transition from a corporate environment to entrepreneurship after acquiring Bass Printing Company in 2018. He discusses navigating the immense challenges of the 2020 pandemic by pivoting into unique markets, such as producing realistic prop money vetted by Homeland Security. Throughout the conversation, Al highlights his core principles for corporate problem-solving: staying calm under pressure, gathering collaborative feedback, and testing multiple solutions. Finally, he explains why business leaders must balance digital marketing with physical, tangible print media to build lasting client relationships. Whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur or an established leader, this interview provides a roadmap on how to build business leverage through strategic thinking and mentorship. Need a VA to keep your backend operations running smoothly? Grab a quick spot right here: https://bit.ly/4pXoJpo 00:00 - Podcast Introduction & Guest Welcome 02:18 - What is Bass Printing Company? 04:22 - Al Warner's Career Origins at Procter & Gamble 05:34 - The Chemistry & Challenges of Printing on Bounty Towels 09:25 - Search and Reapply: Adapting Tech to Charmin and Pampers 11:16 - Corporate Innovation: Navigating ROI, Risk, and Failure 16:15 - Transitioning to Business Ownership & Acquiring Bass Printing 17:36 - Facing the 2020 Pandemic & Making Tough Business Pivots 20:04 - Printing Prop Money & Collaborating with Homeland Security 22:54 - Corporate Problem-Solving: How to Discover Business Leverage 26:47 - Career Advice: The Three Essential Legs of Business Marketing 29:52 - The Value of Human Connection and Tangible Media in a Digital Age 33:43 - Al Warner's Legacy: The Fulfilling Power of Mentorship 36:47 - Givers Gain: The Southern Mentality of Generosity in Business 38:03 - How to Connect with Bass Printing Company & Closing Thoughts #BusinessLeverage #TheLeveragePodcast #BassPrinting #ProcterAndGamble #Entrepreneurship #corporateinnovation