Molly Conn

I attribute my success to a hunger for knowledge, honestly. Once I got into manufacturing, I was like, oh my gosh, this is it. I really picked out mentors in different departments or different areas I was in and partnered with them. Because I was young and I was eager to learn, and I didn't act like I knew everything, I had some old skilled trades guys take me under their wing. I'd say, show me what pneumatics is, show me what hydraulics is, show me why does this coupling work like this. I had such a desire to learn, they were thrilled to teach me. That hunger for knowledge and willingness to seek out mentors who could share their wisdom has been the foundation of everything I've accomplished.

The best career advice I've ever received is that you don't have to know all the answers, you have to know who to ask. Who's your go-to person? Who's that silent influencer on the floor that they're waiting to be asked? They won't just automatically come up and say, hey, how about this, this, and this. They're waiting for you to seek out their wisdom and guidance. That advice has shaped how I lead and how I approach challenges throughout my entire career.

My advice to young women entering manufacturing is to never, never quit learning. Always seek to understand. The field is constantly evolving, and that curiosity and commitment to continuous learning is what will set you apart and help you succeed in this industry.

The biggest challenge in manufacturing right now is finding technically knowledgeable employees, enough of them. A lot of people don't want to get dirty anymore, but they don't understand that modern manufacturing is completely different from what they teach about the Industrial Revolution. The manufacturing I was running was a level 7 clean room, literally one step below wearing the complete white bubble suit. People come in in their designer clothes and go home in their designer clothes with not a lick of dirt on them. The misconception about what manufacturing looks like today is a huge barrier to attracting talent. We need to educate people, especially young people, about the real opportunities in modern manufacturing, which is why I've worked to partner with high schools to create training programs that show students what the industry actually looks like today.

It's really people first for me. I know that there is a corporate bottom line, but if you don't have any people, your people are your success. No people, no business. You want happy people, and the culture that you build, where you see, and I mean really see your employees, you treat them with respect, you're honest, and you value them as people, the rest will come along automatically. They want to work for you because of that trust and transparency. I often say to people, my job is to make the best decision for this company that I can with the information we have today, which also benefits you. So I need you to do your part, because I'm not down on the floor telling them which button to push. I need to count on you doing your part so that I can do my part. Building those relationships with people, whether they like the decision you made or not, if you give them an answer and you're honest, if you don't know, say you don't know and you'll get back to them, or I'm not at liberty to discuss that right now, they respect that. They just want to know that you're not jerking them around.