Your Phone Is Your Adult Pacifier with Matt Guse

This week we welcome back Matt Guse, owner of MRS Machining, for his second appearance on the show. Matt is also a board member of the Chippewa Economic Development Corporation and Chippewa Valley Technical College, and an NCAA Division III football official. We talk about the shifting employment landscape and how younger workers often expect to leapfrog straight to leadership without putting in the time to earn it, and how Matt approaches building real leaders on his shop floor instead. He shares how bringing in a new robot to the shop, something everyone initially feared, ended up becoming one of the team's favorite tools once people saw it as something that made their jobs easier rather than a threat. We also get into how Matt built MRS's reputation in the community, from being known by name at the local school and gas station to a customer who was won over before ever stepping through the door just from what he heard around town. Matt also opens up about writing his first book to preserve MRS's story and legacy for his family, and how that same book unexpectedly turned into a business development tool that brought in over a million dollars in new work. We close out talking about presence, self-care as a leader, and why face-to-face connection still matters more than anything digital. Highlights Why younger workers often expect leadership before they've earned it, and how Matt addresses that. How MRS turned a feared new robot into one of the team's most valued tools. Building a business reputation in the community, one gas station and diner conversation at a time. How writing a legacy book for his family turned into a surprise business development win. Why real, face-to-face connection matters more than ever in a distracted, phone-first world. Get in touch with Matt: Website LinkedIn Book Get in touch with us: Check out the Blue Collar BS website. Steve Doyle: Website LinkedIn Email Brad Herda: Website LinkedIn Email This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy