The Unshakeables

Who’s Running the Shop?: Gretna Machine Shop

Nubia Perez had a plan for her life — marry abroad, raise trilingual kids and build something global. But when her father fell ill, Gretna Machine Shop needed her more than her plans did. The family business was suddenly without direction, and Nubia stepped in to put out fires. But the business didn’t need a firefighter — it needed a leader. For a decade, both Nubia and the company muddled through what she calls the "dark ages," until one day, a children's movie gave her the answer she'd been looking for.  Join Ben Walter and Kathleen Griffith as they talk to Nubia about stepping up unexpectedly, building an oil and gas business in Houston (it’s a good place for it!), and why flat leadership doesn’t mean leaderless. These are The Unshakeables. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

How to Stop Work From Taking Over Your Life

Work doesn’t end when the workday does. Even after we close our laptops, our minds keep replaying awkward meetings, looming deadlines, and unfinished to-do lists. Over time, that “always on” mentality can quietly hijack our relationships, our health, and our happiness. Dr. Laurie sits down with psychologist and bestselling author Guy Winch (Mind Over Grind: How to Break Free When Work Hijacks Your Life [https://books.apple.com/us/book/mind-over-grind/id6747038189]) to explore the science of work stress — and why so many of us get stuck in fight-or-flight mode long after we’ve left the office.  Plus, Ben Walter, host of “The Unshakeables [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-unshakeables/id1725983618]” and CEO of Chase for Business, shares what he’s learned from working with small business owners who don’t have the option to simply “clock out.” If you’ve ever felt like work is bleeding into everything, this episode offers science-based tools to help you take your life back. Resources mentioned in this episode: Mind Over Grind: How to Break Free When Work Hijacks Your Life [https://books.apple.com/us/book/mind-over-grind/id6747038189] "Burnout: A Review of Theory and Measurement [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8834764/]" "The Relationship Between Workplace Stressors and Mortality and Health Costs in the United States [https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/10.1287/mnsc.2014.2115]" "How Small Businesses Drive the American Economy [https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinesscouncil/2022/03/25/how-small-businesses-drive-the-american-economy/]" "Small Business Facts [https://advocacy.sba.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Job_Creation_fact_sheet_FINAL_0.pdf]" “The Unshakeables [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-unshakeables/id1725983618]” "Yerkes-Dodson Law Of Arousal And Performance [https://www.simplypsychology.org/what-is-the-yerkes-dodson-law.html]" “The Use of Imagery to Manipulate Challenge and Threat Appraisal States in Athletes [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20587822/]” “Rebuilding After a Blaze: Luna Gourmet Coffee & Tea [https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/rebuilding-after-a-blaze-luna-gourmet-coffee-tea/id1725983618?i=1000642623023]” See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

For the Love of Dogs: Cleveland Veterinary Rehabilitation

There are movies about how a dog can change your life — but for Dr. Laura Surovi and Michael Sivo, it actually happened. Laura had recently built a successful mobile vet practice, but the long drives were exhausting. Then in 2016, they met Chauncy, a rescue with serious injuries and no local rehab options. Watching him struggle they knew their community needed something better. So Laura built a veterinary rehab service herself and business took off. Then Michael pitched something bigger: a 6,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility. It was a bold, risky and expensive move, but just what they needed to scale.  In this episode, Ben Walter and Kathleen Griffith talk with Laura and Michael from Cleveland Veterinary Rehabilitation about going all-in when the market isn't quite ready, building for what's next and trusting your gut when no one else sees your vision yet. These are The Unshakeables. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

The Business of Early Detection: Breath Diagnostics

Dr. Victor Van Berkel lost his father to lung cancer — the deadliest cancer in the U.S., in part because it’s so difficult to detect early. That loss inspired Breath Diagnostics, a start-up using breath samples and microchip technology to identify cancer. But groundbreaking science doesn’t always translate into a sustainable business. After years of stalled leadership and mounting debt, investor Ivan Lo stepped in — buying the debt, restructuring the company and becoming CEO. When a Mayo Clinic partnership revealed they needed to fix some technical issues first, they hit pause to get it right — even if it meant going it alone for a while.   In this episode, Ben Walter and Kathleen Griffith speak with Victor and Ivan about making hard bets, the real costs and rewards of scientific startups and why leading with conviction sometimes matters more than consensus. These are The Unshakeables. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Inspiring the Future of Manufacturing: CHAMPION Now!

Terry Iverson grew up in the family machine tool business, eventually becoming the third-generation CEO of Iverson & Company. But as American manufacturing declined, Terry knew the legacy he inherited wasn’t enough — he needed to create something new.     In this episode, Ben Walter and Kathleen Griffith sit down with Terry to talk about what it means to walk away from a century-old business, and why he created CHAMPION Now! to rebuild interest in American manufacturing, using songwriting, youth outreach and hands-on education as tools for change. This one’s about legacy, reinvention and the long game of saving an industry. These are The Unshakeables. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.