The Manufacturing Shake-Up

Hannah Belmont took a winding path before landing at her family's manufacturing company. In fact, she didn't know she wanted to be in the industry until landing a job writing about manufacturing...and slowly but surely fell in love with it! 
 
Now in the role of Talent Development Manager, she continues the important work that Westminster Tool has put in over the past 15 years – attracting the next generation of manufacturers by continually transforming company culture. Creating a phenomenal place to work and developing lifelong careers.  
 
Westminster Tool is known for having a hiring waitlist with a diverse set of employees. They put a huge amount of work into hiring for key values such as being dynamic, being motivated, being curious and having integrity. 
 
Then they take their obligation seriously as they offer an in-depth onboarding program where new employees work on soft skills such as emotional intelligence, mindfulness, communication skills, conflict management, and continuous improvement, for 2 weeks before ever even touching a machine.  
 
That's some serious commitment to company culture and it's paying off in great employees doing great work!        
 
Where to find Hannah: 
Westminster Tool: https://www.westminstertool.com/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coombshannah/  
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Podcast hosted by The Bolder Company: https://www.theboldercompany.com/ 
Podcast executive production by Gael Communications: https://www.gaelcommunications.com/  
Podcast technical production by Miceli Productions: https://miceliproductions.com/  

Tea, leadership insights, giving back, speaking up, and more tea! 
As a third-generation leader, Cindi Bigelow, CEO of Bigelow Tea, shares her remarkable journey of growing through many roles before taking on the role of CEO of her family-owned tea company. She talks about the value of prioritizing – you can't do everything! 
Cindi shares her incredible passion for both Connecticut and for manufacturing. She talks about her belief in being a B-Corp organization and the importance of giving back to the community.   
Cindi says, "people want to work with people who lift the room." And that is exactly what she does. In her final point on the podcast she explains that we all need to be aware of being role models every day.  
Where to find Cindi: 
Bigelow Tea: https://www.bigelowtea.com/  
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Podcast hosted by The Bolder Company: https://www.theboldercompany.com/ 
Podcast executive production by Gael Communications: https://www.gaelcommunications.com/  
Podcast technical production by Miceli Productions: https://miceliproductions.com/  

Sit down with us and Farnosh Sadler from TRIUMPH. Farnosh has had an inspiring career journey. It's all about building strong relationships. Farnosh describes how she transitioned from her first job in retail and developed a meaningful career in aerospace manufacturing thanks to a business relationship she developed along the way.  
Her journey is a testament to the power of taking leaps of faith, embracing challenges, and continuously growing. Farnosh discusses how she navigated various roles by saying yes first, and then 'figuring it out' second. Now she plays a crucial part in enhancing company culture and employee engagement.  
She also talks about the support she has had from male allies in her company as well as the opportunities she sees for women in the manufacturing industry.  
This episode is filled with great stories, lifelong learning, empowering relationships, and believing you can really make a difference. 
 
Where to find Farnosh: 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/farnosh-sadler/  
TRIUMPH: https://www.triumphgroup.com/  
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Podcast hosted by The Bolder Company: https://www.theboldercompany.com/ 
Podcast executive production by Gael Communications: https://www.gaelcommunications.com/  
Podcast technical production by Miceli Productions: https://miceliproductions.com/  

Episode 2 of The Manufacturing Shake-Up and our first with a woman in manufacturing! We welcome the fabulous Sara Fradette, Production Planner at Bead Electronics. Sara shares her journey from studying economics to thriving in manufacturing. Find out how her role in production planning keeps her days dynamic and exciting. 
In this episode, Sara tells us all about the supportive culture at Bead Electronics, where female leadership and core values make a massive difference in employee happiness. 
Sara shares a few key tips for young women in manufacturing - like 'don't be afraid to ask questions'. It's this inquisitiveness and fearlessness that brought her to where she is today.  She says you need to stay open-minded – she started off knowing very little about manufacturing, and now loves what she does.  
Learn more about how Sara balances professional growth with her personal life and how Bead Electronics has fostered her development through mentorship and opportunities. 
 
Mentioned in this episode: 
Vistage's Emerging Leaders program: https://www.vistage.com/membership/programs/emerging-leader-program/ 
Entrepreneurial Operating System: https://www.eosworldwide.com/ 
 
Where to find Sara: 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-fradette-0b6656159/ 
Bead Manufacturing: https://www.beadelectronics.com/  
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Podcast hosted by The Bolder Company: https://www.theboldercompany.com/
Podcast executive production by Gael Communications: https://www.gaelcommunications.com/ 
Podcast technical production by Miceli Productions: https://miceliproductions.com/ 

Welcome to the very first episode of the Manufacturing Shake-Up! We're so glad you're here! None of us would be here listening to this podcast right now if it weren't for today's podcast guest, Paul Lavoie, CT's Chief Manufacturing Officer.  
After realizing that some of the smartest people he knows in manufacturing are women, Paul knew he had to do something to make sure that women had more opportunities to develop and grow in their manufacturing careers. And so the idea for the podcast began... 
There are so many incredible women working in this field – listening to their experiences is like a masterclass in how to build, develop and grow your career.  
To round out the episode, Paul shares a bit of his own journey in manufacturing and some lessons he's learned along the way.  
Finally Paul turns the tables on our hosts, Jenny and Ellen, to discover why they are so passionate about the podcast and about helping women develop in their manufacturing careers. 
We are so excited to get started with this podcast...there are many more great stories to come! 
Make sure to subscribe to this podcast so you don't miss any great episodes, and follow us on social media to join other women in manufacturing with thoughtful conversations on each episode. 
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-manufacturing-shake-up/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560427737775 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mfgshakeup/  
 
Follow Paul Lavoie or the CT Office of Manufacturing to get the scoop on everything happening in the manufacturing ecosystem:
Paul's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulslavoie/Office of Manufacturing website: https://manufacturing.ct.gov/Office of Manufacturing Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CTManufacturingOffice of Manufacturing LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ctmanufacturing/
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Podcast hosted by The Bolder Company: https://www.theboldercompany.com/
Podcast executive production by Gael Communications: https://www.gaelcommunications.com/ 
Podcast technical production by Miceli Productions: https://miceliproductions.com/ 

What are we doing and why are we here? 
Manufacturing needs a shake-up! A recent 2024 study forecasted that the US manufacturing industry needs up to 3.8 million jobs filled within the next decade. At the same time, women represent only 29% of the manufacturing workforce. With such a large gap now and into the future, there are massive growth opportunities for women in manufacturing!
 
The Manufacturing Shake-Up is dedicated to transforming the manufacturing landscape for women and other under-represented groups. Not just filling the gaps but creating real opportunities for growth and development. More than a call for change; it's a means of empowerment. This podcast shares compelling journeys, valuable insights, and lessons learned from women in manufacturing while building a community that relates to their stories, learns from shared knowledge, and is inspired to forge their own path in manufacturing. 
 
Join hosts, Jenny Drescher and Ellen Feldman Ornato, as they speak to women at all levels of their manufacturing careers. In addition to uncovering their guests’ educational and career journeys, they’ll pull out key lessons learned along the way: tips for a stronger career, strategies for creating thriving and inclusive work cultures, ideas for personal and professional development, and advice for building career-advancing networking skills. 
    
Jump into the Manufacturing Shake-Up and discover your own path to a successful and fulfilling career in manufacturing!