PODCAST · business
The Fab Lab
by Aaron Crowley
Running a stone shop is HARD. We make it easier. Resources to help you reduce frustration and increase profits in your stone shop.
Episodes
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Direct Sales - 5 Advantages
Running a countertop shop is hard enough without giving someone else control over how you run it. In this episode of The Fab Lab Podcast, Aaron breaks down five major advantages of developing a direct-sales strategy and building a sales system that reaches customers who value what you do. Direct...
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Sealing the Deal & Adding Value (Contract Creation)
Your customer said yes. Now you create the contract, email it over, and wait for a signature—right? That could be a huge missed opportunity. In this episode of The FAB LAB Podcast, Aaron explains why the contract should be presented, not just sent, and how the contract meeting can become another...
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A System For Getting to YES!!!
Following Up on Quotes: Give Them the Opportunity to Say Yes I hated following up on quotes. It felt pushy, uncomfortable, and completely at odds with my personality—until I stopped treating follow-up as a personality trait and turned it into a system. In this episode of The Fab Lab Podcast, we...
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Killer Quotes = Closed Sales
The quote isn't just the price at the end of your sales process. It's part of the sales presentation. In this episode, we cover three principles of a killer quote: 1. Understandability — Make it clear what the customer is buying, what's included, and what options they have. Remember: we speak...
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7 Steps to a Killer Sales Presentation
A great sales presentation shouldn’t be improvised. It should be purposeful, documented, scripted, and repeatable. In this episode of The Fab Lab Podcast, Aaron breaks down seven steps to building a sales presentation that differentiates your company and demonstrates why you're the better choice....
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Killer Sales Presentation = More Sales!
Most countertop companies simply measure, quote, and hope to win the job. A killer sales presentation does much more. In this episode, Aaron breaks down the three essentials of an effective sales presentation: Build Trust – Create confidence and connection from the start. Differentiate Your…
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Sales Presentation 101
Most countertop companies think the sales presentation is about discussing colors, measurements, and price. It's not. A great presentation is about giving customers confidence that they're making the right decision. In this episode, we cover three essentials of every successful sales…
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Don’t Keep Grinding Alone
If you need to reach out: [email protected] Keep Grinding, Aaron Crowley
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How to Say No to a Job… and the One Exception
Most fabricators think every lead deserves a quote. I don't. In this episode, I share why learning to say "no" to the wrong jobs can reduce stress, improve close rates, and create a healthier business. In this episode: The story from a Cosentino event in San Francisco that changed the way I think...
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Million Dollar Script - Qualifying Customers
How much time is your team spending quoting jobs that were never yours to win? In this episode, I share a story from 2011 that changed the way we approached retail sales and led to the development of a simple qualifying process that saves time, improves close rates, and helps your team focus on…
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New Series Begins & Happy 4th!
Friends, enjoy this coming weekend and the 4th of July! We will begin a new series on retail sales next week, and the topic of qualifying customers… Until then…keep grinding! Make sure to support the sponsors who make the Fab Lab possible: Noliftsystem.com Fabricatorsfriend.com Action Flow Spring...
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The Easiest Way to Grow Profit
Most shops assume the path to more profit is more jobs. But what if the easier path is increasing the value of the jobs already on your schedule? In this week's episode of The Fab Lab Podcast, I discuss: Why adding capacity is often a major leap The difference between growth and profit A simple...
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Daily Dollar Demand Part 3: From Theory to Implementation
In this final episode of the Daily Dollar Demand series, Aaron shares how to move from understanding the concept to actually implementing it in your business. In This Episode: Start with one job — Apply Daily Dollar Demand from quote to schedule and build momentum through small wins. Make the...
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Hug 'em if you got 'em!
Hey friends and fellow fabricators, short episode this week, but important, enjoy and keep grinding! Sponsors: Action Flow Spring CRM - Free 14-day trial available Fabricators Friend - Dry = Warm = Productive Keep Grinding, Aaron Crowley aaroncrowley.com
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Stop, Just Stop! (Then Pause and Reflect 😊)
Hey there friend… worn out and beat down with too many things to do already? Well, no worries, just relax and listen to a story of a broken bar top that nearly sent me over the edge…but ended better than I could have expected! Take a minute or two and breathe, fellow fabricator…you deserve it!...
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Scheduling Profit not Square Feet
In this episode of The Fab Lab Podcast, Aaron breaks down a simple equation for scheduling profit instead of square feet… The 3 Core Principles: Daily Cost — Understanding the true daily operating cost of your business by calculating overhead, labor, equipment, software, fuel, and recurring...
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Was Your Stone Shop Profitable Today?
In this episode of The Fab Lab Podcast, Aaron Crowley introduces the concepts of the daily profit demand, aka - “throughput" drawing from lessons learned during the 2007–2008 downturn. Main Points: Why square footage and gross sales are often poor predictors of actual profit The value of...
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Never a Good Time to Leave
We can’t get the time back, friends, so the decisions we make today determine whether we will look back with regret or gratitude… Does our stone shop dictate our lives outside of work, or are we in charge? Enjoy and keep grinding! Aaron Crowley aaroncrowley.com
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Top 10 Coaches in the World: Interview With Michael Bungay Stanier
Hey there friends, 6 years ago I interviewed Michael Bungay Stanier, one of the top 10 executive coaches in the world! He is a best-selling author, leader, and coach… oh, and he’s an amazing speaker, too! Check out his viral TED Talk here:...
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Why Your Shop Is Busy But Not Profitable – Ed Young on The Goal
In this episode, Aaron sits down with Ed Young of FabricatorsCoach.com to explore powerful principles from The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt. Ed breaks down the Theory of Constraints and how it applies directly to stone shops and small fabrication businesses. The conversation centers on identifying…
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Toxic Employees - Remove Them Like a Sliver!
In this episode, I break down the parallel between removing a sliver and dealing with a highly capable—but toxic—employee. We cover: The Fear Is Worse Than Reality The Hidden Damage of a Toxic Employee You Don’t Need Courage—You Need a Plan Key Takeaway: Short-term discomfort beats long-term...
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Why Delegating is so Hard - The Neuroscience of Delegation
To become a capital D - Delegator, we need tools like the MAP we discussed in the last episode. But we also need to understand what happens to our bodies when we begin to let others do the work we have mastered. In this episode, we delve into the neuroscience of delegation to see how the...
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Gap, Trap, Map
Mastering your craft and doing great work has its drawbacks…usually, more requests for your great work than you have hours available. The natural response is to hire help…but it doesn’t always work out that way. In this episode, we delve into the Map, Trap, and Gap…a framework for helping Master...
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Who is Deming? And Why We Need To Know
Unhappy with the results in your stone shop? Before you blame the stone supplier, customer, or your employees, look at the system that produced the results! In this episode, we delve into the nuts and bolts of systems and processes: The difference between Processes and Systems Systems in a Stone...
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Interview - Co-hosts of the Stone Chatter Podcast
I interview Rich Katzman, Eric Rapp, and longtime friend and guest host of the Fab Lab, Ed Young, in this episode. These 3 industry leaders have launched a new show: the Stone Chatter Podcast, and they share a bunch of very important and interesting news about the industry. Look for the Stone...
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Part 2 - Full Self-Driving Stone Shop
Friends and Fellow Fabricators! In this episode, we discuss 3 practical steps to getting your stone shop to a place where it can drive itself! Philosophy or Full Self Driving companies Boundaries for fab shop owners Start small with simple tasks that free you up to do more important work Want to...
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Full Self Driving - Stone Shop Mode
Running a stone shop is like driving a car...you have to keep your hand on the wheel and eyes on the road at all times, otherwise you "may not get there"... Unless you have a TESLA with Full Self Driving Mode. Then you plug in the address and hit the button. The reality is you can evolve your…
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Keep Grinding
Happy fabricating or keep grinding? Thanks for tuning in to this exciting new season of the Fab Lab! Make sure to subscribe, so you know when new episodes are live! Action Flow - Spring - management software for stone fabricators! Watch video on Spring:...
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The Fab Lab Is Back!
We are back with a brand new season. Please subscribe so you know when new episodes are available! And please support the podcast by supporting our sponsors! Get premium fab gear for your shop crew...keep them dry, warm, and productive with Fabricators Friend gear! www.fabricatorsfriend.com Get...
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A Bit More History
There are some important elements to starting a successful side hustle and I share them in this episode. The good news fellow fabricator is that you already have them! 1. Examples 2. Practice 3. Encouragement So if you have an idea or a solution to a problem that your fellow fabrciators could...
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Banking Crisis Protection - Stone Shop Owner Edition
In this episode, I explain what happened with SVB - Silicon Valley Bank - and its failure over the weekend. What does it mean for those of us in the stone industry? Well, we get into that in this episode:) If you'd like to contact me to discuss it further, visit me here: aaroncrowley.com In the...
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The Best Business Model in the World!
Please consider donating to Rancho Santa Marta! Your donation will fund the work at this amazing orphanage in Baja Mexico. RSM was the first special needs orphanage in the region and they care for orphans with mental, emotional, and physical disabilities. Donate here: (use "Living Water Spanish"…
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5 Reasons a Side-Hustle Makes Sense
Please consider donating to Rancho Santa Marta! Your donation will fund the work at this amazing orphanage in Baja Mexico. RSM was the first special needs orphanage in the region and they care for orphans with mental, emotional, and physical disabilities. Donate here: (use "Living Water Spanish"…
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A Bit of History
This may sound crazy, but starting a side hustle can contribute massively to making life easier in your stone shop...I know, I know, that does sound crazy, but it may not be as crazy as you think, especially once you've listened to this episode. In this episode, I share the story of how I started…
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A Riff on an IDEA That Would Make the Stone Business Less Hard!
In this episode, I share an idea I was exploring prior to selling my stone shop...Its unconventional, its out of the box, its a "blue ocean strategy" if you will. I dont suggest you should consider implementing this idea in your own stone business. What I am suggesting is that you should be...
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The Stone Business is HARD, Here’s What to Do About It
In the last episode, I detail a list of the ways the counter fabrication business is just plain hard. In this episode, I share the 3 most important tactics for positioning your stone shop to overcome those challenges and succeed in spite of them. 1. Do more direct to consumer work 2. Develop...
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Why Is This Business So $#@! HARD?!?!?!?!?!?!
Running a stone shop is HARD!!! On its best day, its more difficult than just about any business you could run. As such, you deserve MASSIVE credit and honor for succeeding! In this episode, I rant and rave a little bit, I even vent some frustration at the inherent flaws in our industry that…
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5 Best Gifts For Stonecutters (AKA Your Employees)
Gift cards, hams, and Christmas bonuses are GREAT ways to show your love your employees and share the fruits of their labor. But there are 5 other gifts that are worth their weight in gold, and it doesn't cost you a cent to give them to your staff this Christmas! 1. Appreciation 2. Trust 3. Side...
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3 Tips to Getting Paid - Economic Storm Series - Collections and Receivables Strategy
If you're doing work for builders or remodelers, you're waiting to get paid. The longer you wait the bigger risk you take, especially if your customer experiences a decline in sales and revenue. The fabricators that follow these tips wil get paid and get through an economic storm. Those that…
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Storm Tactics - 3 Part Plan for Preparing for an Economic Storm
Better to have a plan and not need it than to be caught unprepared! The simple principles in this episode will serve you well if an economic storm hits your business. They will serve you well if a storm doesn't hit your business. 1. Know your #'s - what numbers should you know? 2. Cost Cutting…
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3 Massive Mistakes I Made During the Great Recession - Economic Storm Stories - Pt 1
Times have been good in recent years, but will they continue? Hopefully. But if they dont, and the economic weather gets stormy, the companies that have prepared will be fine. Those that aren't prepared will make many mistakes like I did in the Great Recession, and some wont survive. In this...
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The Neuroscience of Gratitude (Happy Thanksgiving 2022!)
We have much to be thankful for, but sometimes bad news and our perceptions can cloud reality to the point we really miss out…and forget how much we have to be thankful for. In this episode, we explore the POWER of gratitude and the positive effects it WILL have for those who practice it. We...
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The 1000 Pound Problem – The Risk and Reality of Full Slab Islands
Stone Shops are in a catch-22. They can’t say no to the work otherwise their customers will go somewhere else. So when the customer wants a full slab island installed, the stone shops have to say yes. But what are they saying yes to? They are saying yes to enormous risk. In this episode, we talk...
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The MILLION Pound Problem & The Effects
If you run a stone shop, someone has to install those counters you’re manufacturing…We call them installers and we ask a lot of them. You might be shocked and you may not believe that we ask them to lift over One Million Pounds of stone per year. In this episode, I show the math, that proves this...
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Interview – NSI’s Mark Meriaux on OSHA and Silicosis
If you are in the stone fabrication business, you are creating airborne silica. Its not a question of whether you or your employees are breathing it. The question is whether the levels are safe for you and your staff and whether they are below the OSHA PEL (permissible exposure levels). In this...
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Near Misses and Close Calls – It’s a Dangerous Business
Safety might be the least popular, most uncomfortable, but all the while important topic a stone shop owner needs to face. In this episode, I share my near-death experiences and the uncomfortable fact that we had many close calls in my stone shop. This episode begins a short series where we will...
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Friends in low places
You may not be at a low point in your stone career, but you may know someone who is. Don’t underestimate the power of an encouraging word, your friends in low places may really need to hear from you! Happy fabricating! Click Here to explore 90 minutes of complimentary coaching with me! No strings...
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Dream Small
We must have small victories, little wins, achievements along the way on the journey towards the big dream… In this episode we break down four areas of life where you can identify smaller dreams that can be achieved in the moment or in the short term, as you build your business to enable you to...
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The 6 Stages (AKA the 6 D’s)
The journey of a stone shop owner can be exhilarating and marked by success and profits. Along the way, there can be roadblocks that either wear us out or prevent us from continuing the journey. In this episode I share the 6 stages of leadership growth and management capacity: The Doer The…
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Part 2 – Simple Path to Taking Time Off (Without Interruptions!!!)
Imagine what your family and friends will say when you tell them you’re taking a day off to spend with them and that you won't be on your phone! Once you’ve mastered the art and science of taking lunch breaks without being interrupted, you can start taking full days off! The steps are the same,...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Running a stone shop is HARD. We make it easier. Resources to help you reduce frustration and increase profits in your stone shop.
HOSTED BY
Aaron Crowley
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Fab Lab have?
The Fab Lab currently has 193 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Fab Lab about?
Running a stone shop is HARD. We make it easier. Resources to help you reduce frustration and increase profits in your stone shop.
How often does The Fab Lab release new episodes?
The Fab Lab publishes regularly with 193 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to The Fab Lab?
You can listen to The Fab Lab on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Fab Lab?
The Fab Lab is created and hosted by Aaron Crowley.
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