Episode
"We Can't Do This" Almost Sank a 25-Year-Old Manufacturing Business
- Podcast
- Outsource to Profits Podcast
- Published
- Jun 26, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 877
- Processing state
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Summary
Episode: 144 A manufacturing leadership team hits a wall during a sudden demand surge, convinced that hitting new production targets simply isn't possible. Bringing in outside expertise exposes a deeper divide: one group treats it as a lifeline, the other as a threat to their competence. The conversation digs into why pride and trust, not capability, are usually what keep teams stuck. ABOUT THE HOST:Jamie Shanks founded Get Levrg after building and scaling three separate agencies, learning firsthand what breaks when growing companies try to do everything in-house. He now hosts Outsource to Profits to unpack how founders and executives build leverage instead of bottlenecks. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamestshanks/ ABOUT THE GUEST:Ron Harper spent 18 years as President and CEO of JFE Shoji Power Canada Inc., supplying the electrical steel and components critical to motors and transformers, before recently stepping into semi-retirement. His career spans navigating major demand shifts in the electrical equipment supply chain, including the surge tied to grid expansion and EV growth coming out of the pandemic. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rjharper4/ EPISODE SUMMARY:Ron Harper shares how a post-pandemic demand spike pushed his team past what they believed was possible and how his own frustration at not solving it alone led him to bring in outside help. He breaks down why two internal teams responded to that help in completely opposite ways, what that revealed about trust and ego in leadership, and how clear goals and proactive communication closed the gap. WHAT YOU'LL WALK AWAY WITH: The real reason founders resist outside help, and it's rarely about cost What separates a team that leans into change from one that braces against it A 25-year CEO's honest t…