Beyond the Boring: How Variety and Care Create Lifetime Careers | Quinn Williams | Magic in the Cloud | Ep 106

In this inspiring episode of Magic in the Cloud, host Joseph Griffith welcomes Quinn Williams, Vice President of Marketing at Preco, for an authentic conversation about leadership, manufacturing innovation, and the unexpected ways our backgrounds shape our careers. From her roots on a Wisconsin dairy farm to leading marketing at a cutting-edge custom manufacturing company, Quinn shares how early lessons in discipline and responsibility continue to influence her approach to business and life.

Key Takeaways:

• Dairy farm discipline translates directly into business leadership and reliability
• Employee retention secrets: variety, collaboration, and genuine care create 35+ year tenures
• Manufacturing can be the most interesting industry when you embrace diversity of projects
• The importance of educating existing customers about your full service offerings
• Why "show your work" applies to everything, not just calculus
• Mentors shape us in ways we don't realize until years later
• Being present for your kids while maintaining career ambitions is possible
• Sometimes career pivots happen for the simplest reasons (like struggling with chemistry)
• Customer partnerships thrive when you can bridge the gap between "need now" and "ready later"
• Taking things less seriously as you mature leads to better decision-making

Chapters:

0:00 Intro

0:40 Meet Quinn Williams - From Dairy Farm to Manufacturing Marketing

2:15 Chemistry Class Career Pivot - Why Veterinary Dreams Changed

4:22 Preco's Evolution and Unique Market Position

6:18 The Gap-Bridging Service Model

8:45 Employee Retention Secrets - Why People Stay 35+ Years

12:30 Keeping Manufacturing Interesting and Diverse

15:42 Marketing Transformation at Preco

18:35 The "I Didn't Know You Did That" Challenge

22:15 Pivotal Mentor - Gary Bistrom, The Ag Teacher

26:48 The Importance of Thanking Your Mentors

28:30 Recharging Through Kids' Sports and Family Time

32:15 Farming Heritage and Modern Parenting

35:20 Personal Time and Disconnecting

37:45 Advice to Younger Self - Taking Things Less Seriously

40:30 Contact Information and Closing

Connect with Quinn Williams:

• Email: [e-mail]
• Company Website: PrecoLLC.com

Subscribe to Magic in the Cloud for more conversations with authentic leaders who are building lasting cultures and driving innovation through genuine care for both customers and employees. Like this episode if Quinn's journey from farm to factory floor inspired you, and share it with someone who could benefit from her insights on leadership and finding work-life integration.