Patti Nowak is a business leader in tech with stories so inspiring you’ll want to take notes. In this episode of the Manufacturing Happy Hour, we grab a beer with Patti, Owner of Control+M Solutions, to talk about mid-life entrepreneurship, mentoring women in manufacturing, and what it takes to build a thriving tech business.
Patti started her career in accounting but quickly found her passion in IT and software, where she discovered a talent for turning complex technology into real business results. That blend of business acumen and tech know-how eventually led her to launch multiple successful companies – all at the age of 50.
Through it all, Patti’s built her career on empathy, mentorship, and level-headed leadership. Whether she’s guiding a client through digital transformation or helping the next generation of women find their voice in manufacturing, Patti shares her advice on how to handle any situation with equal parts confidence, compassion, and common sense.
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3 Quick Things from this Episode
- Success doesn’t happen overnight. It’s built through years of learning, networking, and developing expertise. It’s important to lean into the groundwork you lay today, because it will become the foundation for future success.
- When people, especially young women, see other women succeeding in roles they aspire to, it opens doors. Sharing your experience, mentoring others, and being authentic can inspire confidence and help build a stronger, more inclusive manufacturing community.
- Improvements start when you actually see what’s happening on the floor. From misplaced equipment to outdated processes, the small thing you overlook every day usually holds the biggest opportunities for efficiency and growth.
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Tweetable Quotes
- “You start your business ten years before you open it.”
- “Technology is just a tool no different than a hammer for a carpenter. Used right, it can build your business. Used wrong, it can cost you a lot of anxiety and money.”
- “You can never really give anything away. That anything you give to the community, it will give back to you.”
- “Younger women really need to see older women in a successful position so they know that route exists.”
- “Great leadership is about trust. If you hired someone for their expertise, let them use it.”
Please Scroll Down for Recommended Resources from this Episode
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What We Discuss with Patti
- How the path to entrepreneurship is not a destination but a journey that, in Patti’s case, started a decade before she opened the door to her first business
- Why starting a business later in life is an advantage
- Why Patti sees ERP as one of the most powerful tools manufacturers can adopt today
- Why mentoring women in the industry matters more now than ever, and why young women need to see other women in leadership positions
- The leadership lessons behind how Patti handles tough conversations
- How the smallest process change can sometimes make the biggest difference on the shop floor
Recommended Resources
- Control+M Solutions, project management, configuration, testing and data conversation assistance for Plex users
- Plex by Rockwell Automation, the smart manufacturing platform that connects your people, systems, machines, and supply chains
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