In this episode of The Manufacturers Network Podcast, host Lisa Ryan talks with Sameer Narkar, Founder and CEO of Konnect Insights, a bootstrapped SaaS company that’s redefining how enterprises manage customer experience.

What started as a small team of engineers in India has grown into a platform used by 400+ global brands in 35+ countries, managing over a billion customer interactions every year. Konnect Insights helps businesses unify social listening, omni-channel ticketing, analytics, and publishing all in one place.

Sameer shares what it takes to grow a tech company without external funding, how AI can actually simplify work instead of overcomplicating it, and why passion and trust, not just technology, win customers and retain top talent.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• What “omni-channel” really means for customer experience (and why most companies get it wrong)
• The difference between plug-and-play AI and purpose-built, “home-cooked” AI
• How to scale globally using partnerships instead of massive ad budgets
• Why emotional connection often lands your first five clients before product maturity does
• How to navigate language, culture, and local regulations when expanding internationally
• The three factors that keep core employees loyal for the long haul

About Sameer Narkar: Sameer Narkar is the Founder and CEO of Konnect Insights, a unified customer experience management platform combining social listening, omni-channel ticketing, analytics, and publishing. Under his leadership, Konnect Insights has grown organically into a trusted enterprise solution for global brands across 20+ industries.

Connect with Sameer: LinkedIn: Sameer Narkar

Website: Konnect Insights

Connect with Lisa: Website: LisaRyanSpeaks.com

LinkedIn: Lisa Ryan, CSP

Listen now to learn how Sameer turned curiosity, persistence, and partnerships into a global success story and why staying human is still the smartest growth strategy of all.

In this episode of The Manufacturers Network Podcast, host Lisa Ryan sits down with Brent Hagan, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Lob, to explore what it really means to lead with impact: in business, in culture, and in community.

With experience at Amazon, Deliver, Eaton, and Lob, Brent brings a rare perspective on how to scale operations without losing the human connection. He shares stories from massive fulfillment centers to small-town manufacturing plants, where leadership goes far beyond efficiency metrics. From creating bus routes for workers to strengthening local schools, Brent’s approach shows that true supply chain success isn’t just operational, it’s personal.

What You’ll Learn:

• How leaders can leave the communities they enter better than they found them
• The balance between autonomy, accountability, and culture on the shop floor
• Why technology should simplify, not replace, human problem-solving
• The biggest mistakes companies make during mergers and acquisitions—and how to avoid them
• How small and mid-sized manufacturers can use digital tools without losing their people-first approach
• Why something as simple as a whiteboard can outperform high-tech dashboards

About Brent Hagan: Brent Hagan is the Chief Supply Chain Officer at Lob, where he leads logistics, supply chain, and operations strategy for a platform powering billions of personalized mail pieces. With leadership experience at Amazon, Deliver, and Eaton, Brent specializes in bridging traditional operations with technology-driven innovation—while keeping people and community at the heart of every strategy.

Connect with Brent:

LinkedIn: Brent Hagan

Connect with Lisa:

Website: LisaRyanSpeaks.com

LinkedIn: Lisa Ryan, CSP

Listen now to learn how to build a culture that scales and a company that leaves every place it touches better than before.

In this episode, host Lisa Ryan sits down with Eric Wick, founder of Safety Team Technologies. Drawing from over 15 years of experience in insurance and hands-on safety consulting, Eric shares his journey from the financial sector to creating innovative solutions for blue-collar safety and OSHA compliance.

Key Topics & Takeaways:

• From Finance to the Shop Floor:
• Eric recounts his early career pivot from finance to industrial sales and, eventually, risk management for blue-collar businesses. Learn how his dedication to supporting small business owners shaped his approach to safety and compliance.
• The Pain Points of OSHA Compliance:
• Discover the two sides of OSHA compliance—the written Injury Illness Prevention Program (IIPP), which is easier to create than ever before, and the real challenge: implementation and documentation of ongoing safety meetings and hazard assessments.
• Insurance Premiums & Experience Mods Demystified:
• Eric explains why manufacturers face higher workers compensation premiums and illustrates, with real-world examples, just how costly workplace injuries can be. He offers practical steps to reduce claims and improve your insurance rates.
• The Power of Recurring Safety Training:
• Consistency is key! Eric shares why regular, relevant safety trainings (especially with quizzes and gamification) not only reduce accidents but can translate into significant cost savings for businesses.
• Leveraging Technology & Automation:
• Eric provides actionable tips on using automated software for tracking safety meetings, hazard assessments, and employee attendance, making compliance less of a headache and more of a business asset.
• Building a Safety-First Culture:
• Eric and Lisa discuss the importance of showing employees that safety initiatives are about caring for their well-being—not just checking the OSHA compliance box.
• Practical Tools & Resources:
• Eric highlights a free OSHA compliance checklist available on the Safety Team Technologies website and explains how their automated platform can fit any manufacturer’s workflow and budget.

Who Should Listen:

Manufacturing leaders, HR professionals, safety managers, insurance brokers serving blue-collar industries, and anyone interested in practical strategies for safer, more compliant workplaces.

Resources Mentioned:

• Download a Free OSHA Compliance Checklist: oursafetyteam.com
• Schedule a no-pressure demo or enroll in automated safety training starting at just $5/employee/month

Connect with Eric Wick:

Discover how to simplify OSHA compliance and enhance your safety culture at oursafetyteam.com.

Don’t miss this episode if you want to streamline compliance, lower insurance premiums, and send your people home safer every day!