Kirk Phelps didn't just talk about starting a shop — he went and did it.

In Episode 34 of the Machine Shop Growth Podcast, Kirk gives you a raw, unfiltered look at the first 60 days of Omni Max Aerospace: two Haas machines, a 3,500 square feet building, no employees, and parts shipping in week one.

This is real-world startup content from someone in the trenches every day — not theory, not hypotheticals.

Key topics covered:

• Who to hire first (and why the answer might surprise you)
• Vendor negotiation tactics when cash is tight at startup
• Why machine brand doesn't matter — service does
• How Kirk's decade of standardization made lights out machining possible in month one
• The real math on buying special tools vs. using what you have
• Zero-point work holding and single-piece flow from day one
• The first crash, the $650 tool holder, and what he learned
  

"My standardization gives me a repeatable process right out of the box. I'm just repeating what I did last week, last month, last year, the last decade."

Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and all major podcast platforms.

2026 isn’t about staying busy—it’s about winning on purpose.

In this episode, Mike Fritz breaks down a simple, proven framework to grow your shop using Top Line, Bottom Line, and People. Learn how to clarify who your shop really is, cut loser parts, focus on winner work, and pull the lowest-effort, highest-impact levers for growth.

If you want to break through plateaus like the $2M ceiling and build a shop that’s profitable, scalable, and intentional—this episode is for you.

Subscribe to our new 2026 format:
✅ Sales/Marketing (1st & 3rd Tuesdays)
✅ Operations/Engineering (2nd & 4th Tuesdays)
✅ Bonus joint episodes on 5th Tuesdays

If this episode helps, please leave a quick review—it helps more shop owners find the show.

Your shop isn’t struggling because you’re too expensive.
It might be struggling because you’re still pricing like you’re afraid.

In this episode of the Machine Shop Growth Podcast, Mike Fritz breaks down one of the most dangerous habits in manufacturing:

USING PRICE AS YOUR MAIN SALES STRATEGY.

A lot of shops think lowering prices wins more work.
But in reality, it often wins the wrong work.

Mike shares why shops without a niche are forced to compete on price, how underpriced jobs quietly destroy your margins, and why “cheap work” can end up being the most expensive work you ever take on.

Inside this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why a shop without a niche is always left arguing on price
• How bad pricing creates chaos, burnout, and cash flow pressure
• Why quality and delivery matter more than being the cheapest
• How to find your differentiator and attract better-fit customers
• Why profitable growth starts with disciplined quoting

And here’s the twist:

One of Mike’s shops increased the price on a part by nearly 80%…
and got the PO back almost immediately.

That moment says a lot about what customers are really buying.

If your shop is constantly busy but still feels squeezed, this episode will help you rethink pricing, quoting, and what it really takes to grow.

Subscribe to our weekly format:
Sales & Marketing — 1st & 3rd Tuesdays
Operations & Engineering — 2nd & 4th Tuesdays
Bonus joint episodes on 5th Tuesdays

If this episode helps, please leave a review—it helps more shop owners find the show.