In this episode, Casey Bickhardt, CEO of GEMCO Mixers and Advanced Powder Solutions, shares her journey from childhood values to leading two companies. She discusses the importance of hard work, accountability, and curiosity in leadership. Casey reflects on the challenges faced during economic downturns and emphasizes the significance of stakeholder engagement and core values in decision-making. Her experiences highlight how personal growth and adaptability are essential in navigating the complexities of business leadership.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Casey Bickhardt and Her Companies

02:15 Values growing up

04:43 Childhood Value • Learning from the Ground Up

06:01 Childhood Value • Process Planning and Efficiency

06:24 Childhood Value • Time Value of Money and Planning

07:49 Childhood Value • Service & Giving Back

08:17 Rules and their interpretations

09:40 Work, Values, and Differing Interpretations of Rules

10:47 Humility and Curiosity Yield Tools to Motivate Others

12:45 Curiosity and the 'Infinitely Curious'

13:23 The Family Business

16:38 Transition to CEO • Just before a CGMP Audit!

18:09 Working Two Shifts & Building Processes and Procedures from Scratch

18:59 Work Ethic + Ambition + Drive

19:33 Lessons Learned • Night Shifts, Deep Holes, Automation, and Faith

20:33 Increased responsibility increases faith

22:35 Managing Two Companies: The Journey Continues

24:14 Purchasing • Brings Insights about Processes, Parts & Manufacturing

25:29 Engineering • Leads to inquiring about engineering practices and reasoning

26:16 Cost Engineering • Informed by Hands-On APS Experience

26:48 Quality Feedback • APS Provides to Gemco

28:07 Sales • Cumulative Experiences Open Doors to Customers

31:23 Deep Experience Leads to Insightful Leadership and Orchestration

32:16 APS Challenge and Cold Call Selling

36:17 GEMCO's Core Values & Decision Making

36:52 Corporate Value • Stakeholder Awareness & Understanding Expectations

37:06 Corporate Value • Accountable

37:13 Corporate Values • Dependable

37:23 Corporate Value • Clearness and 'Speak Up' Leads to Unanimity

39:52 Corporate Value • Stakeholder-Driven Decision Process Affords Resilience

41:12 Corporate Value • Hiring Learners Who Foster Collaboration

41:58 Corporate Value • Understanding the Economics Affecting Capital Equipment Purchasing

44:25 Closing • Contact Information

45:01 Close

Links to Casey Bickhardt’s Contact and Companies

https://www.linkedin.com/in/casey-bickhardt-9713005/

https://okgemco.com

https://advancedpowdersolutions.com

Special Thanks

Shout out to Carrie Greene of Four Smart Girls, LLC (https://foursmartgirls.com/) for suggesting this episode's guest Casey Bickhardt.

https://workandworldview.com

keywords

Casey Bickhardt, GEMCO Mixers, Advanced Powder Solutions, leadership, values, business challenges, stakeholder engagement, economic impact, personal growth, curiosity