Adam Lawrence 2/5/26 Adam Lawrence 2/5/26

An Incorrect Measure of Success

I used to think customer acquisition was the most difficult and challenging aspect of my business. Once I realized customer retention is top priority, it changed my perspective and approach.

A green field with the image of a score in white, 1:0

Adam Lawrence 1/22/26 Adam Lawrence 1/22/26

Butt Ugly by Friday

Kaizen is messy. It should be so accessible that anyone can do it. So, I use a phrase that I was taught many years ago, to make it okay to try and fail and learn quickly. The phrase? Butt Ugly by Friday!

An ugly looking bug, with four arms and two legs

Adam Lawrence 1/8/26 Adam Lawrence 1/8/26

Creative Problem Solving Happens at any Age

Problems are everywhere. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and give up, thinking there are more problems than solutions. While it’s true we can’t solve everything—and some things are simply out of our control—my advice is to focus on the problems you can solve and be willing to experiment until you get the results you’re looking for.

A child, building a tower with long blocks

Adam Lawrence 12/25/25 Adam Lawrence 12/25/25

Does Continuous Improvement Have to be Industry Specific?

I often meet people who are interested in the work I do, and sometimes, these conversations turn into future business opportunities. One statement I hear quite frequently goes something like this: “I see you’ve made great strides working with manufacturers in [insert industry here]. But we’re different, so I want to know what experience you have in my industry.”

An image of a factory that is white and purple with three smoke stacks

Adam Lawrence 12/11/25 Adam Lawrence 12/11/25

Hope is a Precious Commodity

Once the workers in Mississippi saw how quickly the reliability techniques made their line safer and more efficient, they became unstoppable.

An egg, held in the palm of a left hand, in front of a wooden sign that says, "Raising Hope"

Adam Lawrence 11/27/25 Adam Lawrence 11/27/25

Know Your Niche

You can't be all things to all people. Once I narrowed my focus, I changed my approach and helped the most people.

Eight wooden cutouts of people, arranged in a circle on top of a wooden surface

Adam Lawrence 11/13/25 Adam Lawrence 11/13/25

Working Like a Business Owner

The hourly operator knew more about the science of board drying than anyone on the benchmarking team. This ownership correlated to the best running factory in our company.

A smiling man, holding a sign that says, "OPEN" in his hands, in front of his wedding cake store

Adam Lawrence 10/30/25 Adam Lawrence 10/30/25

Simpler is Safer, Lighter, and Better

With focused questioning, we were able to eliminate a process that was challenging, dusty, and unsafe. And, we saved the plant over a million dollars.

An open notebook, with the word "Simplify" written in blue ink, with a red circle around it. Two hands are surrounding the notebook, with a pencil in the right hand.

Adam Lawrence 10/16/25 Adam Lawrence 10/16/25

The Birth and Quiet Death of Definitions

We created a beautiful, highly complicated product that no one bought. In the end, it led to many great innovations.

Adam Lawrence 9/1/25 Adam Lawrence 9/1/25

A Brilliant Invention

We were losing some of the most expensive veneer due to defects in the sheets. Jack had an idea and when he figured out how to solve the problem, he changed the furniture industry.