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When most people hear “Lean,” they think factories, assembly lines, and manufacturing systems. But in this episode of the Lean Focus Podcast, host DAMON BAKER sits down with Martyn Etherington, Chief Marketing Officer of BMC Software, to explore how Lean principles can transform one of the least expected functions in business: marketing. Martyn is a transformation-driven Chief Marketing Officer who architects high-performance, data-driven growth systems for global enterprise software companies. He led Danaher Strategic Development and Deployment for Tektronix across four strategic cycles and implemented Lean operating models at Mitel and Teradata. When Martyn joined BMC, marketing was seen as a service bureau — an “all-you-can-eat buffet” with vanity metrics, poor accountability, and no direct tie to growth. Within months, he made bold moves that most CMOs would never attempt: halting all advertising, canceling 200 events, and betting his tenure on bringing Lean rigor into marketing. The result? Millions in waste eliminated, marketing ROI multiplied from 1:1 to 5:1, and BMC’s strongest year in four decades. In this candid conversation, Martyn shares how he: 💪 Went from Lean detractor to one of its strongest advocates, 💡 Broke cultural inertia by finding “positive deviants” and building around them, 📊 Gained credibility by relying on data, facts, and independent validation — not marketing spin, 💼 Balanced his leadership style (“50% Hugh Grant, 50% Gordon Ramsey”) to fit the culture, 📈 Proved that Lean isn’t just for operations — it’s for every part of the business that wants to grow. This is a playbook for CMOs, CEOs, and transformation leaders who want to drive accountability and results in functions that have historically been shielded from operational discipline. Listen now to hear how Martyn Etherington redefined the role of marketing at BMC — and why Lean might just be the secret weapon for growth in every corner of your business. 🔔 Listen to the Lean Focus Podcast on your favorite platform and if you subscribe, you’ll be automatically notified whenever a new episode drops. Episodes are posted monthly and are published on the first Tuesday of each month. Apple Podcasts – Spotify – Amazon Music – Pandora – iHeart – YouTube Music – Deezer – Castbox 📣 Know someone who would appreciate this episode? Help us spread the word about Lean thinking by sharing this post! #LeanFocusPodcast #BusinessTransformation #TransformationStory #LeanTransformation #CEOInterview #LeanInterview #LeanFocus #Spark

If you’ve newly arrived in your leadership position, then now’s the time to begin employing the extraordinary power of Lean principles. https://t2m.io/ZSAQU2Qx Whether your new company is currently using outdated, ineffective, disconnected Lean tools that need to be replaced—or the company doesn’t currently use a Lean business system—LBS 4U™ is the solution you’ve been looking for. https://t2m.io/ZSAQU2Qx Based on the tools of the Lean Focus Business System™, LBS 4U™ is the cost-effective, time-efficient, and proven way to obtain a world-class business system that’s customized and branded specifically for your company’s needs. You already know that to realize sustained, profitable growth, the tools contained within your business system must carefully match the unique circumstances of your organization—including its values, culture, and strategies. And to get the deepest level of buy-in from all stakeholders, the materials that represent a business system should look and feel like your company’s brand. By choosing LBS 4U™, you’ll be empowered to transform one or many business areas, including: sales, marketing, innovation, supply chain, operations, human resources, leadership, and beyond. LBS 4U™ is for publicly-traded companies, private enterprises, private equity, and everything in-between. And when you deploy a comprehensive set of tools through your Lean business system, total organizational transformation is possible, with an impressive bottom line as the result. With LBS 4U™, your new system will rival the most respected business systems in the world. The tools will provide your teams with repeatable and holistic solutions—regardless of the industry or the country you operate in. And staying true to the spirit of Lean, the tools available have been continuously improved, meaning that they will be relevant and effective—even in the midst of on-going, ever-changing business environments. A proven Lean business system is the answer you need as you take the helm in your new leadership role, and LBS 4U™ is the solution. So don’t wait a moment longer! Call us now at +1 (630) 800-8519, or click the link below to see why businesses like Stryker, MasterBrand, W.L. Gore & Associates, and JB Poindexter & Co power their businesses with a customized, branded business system with LBS 4U™. https://t2m.io/ZSAQU2Qx

LEAN FOCUS PODCAST What happens when you’re asked to build a challenger brand inside a Fortune 500 company — and the stakes couldn’t be higher? In this episode of the Lean Focus Podcast, Damon Baker sits down with Eric Conley, CEO of Chase Corporation, to unpack one of the most extraordinary growth stories in medtech: the launch and scale of Spark, Envista’s answer to Align Technology’s Invisalign. Eric didn’t inherit a burning platform. He inherited something harder: a business with huge potential, enormous demand, and a delivery system already buckling under the weight. Lead times were two months in a market that expected two weeks. Customers were lining up faster than the company could deliver. It was “do or die” from day one. Eric shares how he: 📈 Scaled Spark from 200 trial accounts to over 5,000 orthodontists in four years. 💼 Launched seven manufacturing lines and hired 500+ people in California in just seven months — during a global pandemic. 🌎 Expanded globally into Europe, Asia, Mexico, and China while building a 2,000-person team. 🦷 Made the critical strategic bet to focus on orthodontists instead of chasing general dentists or direct-to-consumer models. 📊 Drove Mexicali’s turnover from 50% down to 10%, proving culture change at scale. 💬 Leveraged automation, AI-driven treatment planning, and customer engagement to achieve both speed and quality. This isn’t steady-state leadership. It’s leadership in the crucible — scaling at hyper speed, balancing legacy profit engines with future growth bets, and making bold decisions when failure wasn’t an option. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to lead under extreme pressure, this episode is a masterclass in speed, focus, and people-first leadership. Listen now and hear how Eric Conley turned Spark from a risky bet into Envista’s growth story — and how that experience shapes his leadership today as CEO of Chase Corporation. 🔔 Listen to the Lean Focus Podcast on your favorite platform and if you subscribe, you’ll be automatically notified whenever a new episode drops. Episodes are posted monthly and are published on the first Tuesday of each month. Apple Podcasts – Spotify – Amazon Music – Pandora – iHeart – YouTube Music – Deezer – Castbox 📣 Know someone who would appreciate this episode? Help us spread the word about Lean thinking by sharing this post! #LeanFocusPodcast #BusinessTransformation #TransformationStory #LeanTransformation #CEOInterview #LeanInterview #LeanFocus #Spark DAMON BAKER

You already understand the extraordinary power of a proven Lean business system to deliver sustained, profitable growth. https://t2m.io/5rcNqvqe After all, a business without a Lean system is like traveler without a map! Whether you’re currently using outdated, ineffective, disconnected Lean tools that need to be replaced—or simply know that now’s the time to implement a Lean business system—LBS 4U™ is the solution you’ve been looking for. Based on the tools of the Lean Focus Business System™, LBS 4U™ is the cost-effective, time-efficient, and proven way to obtain a world-class business system that’s customized and branded specifically for your company’s needs. You know that to realize sustained, bottom-line improvements, the tools contained within your business system must carefully match the unique circumstances of your organization—including its values, culture, and strategies. And to get the deepest level of buy-in from all stakeholders, the materials that represent a business system should look and feel like your company’s brand. By choosing LBS 4U™, you’ll be empowered to transform one or many business areas, including: sales, marketing, innovation, supply chain, operations, human resources, leadership, and beyond. LBS 4U™ is for publicly-traded companies, private enterprises, private equity, and everything in-between. And when you deploy a comprehensive set of tools through your Lean business system, total organizational transformation is possible, with sustained, profitable growth as the result. With LBS 4U™, your new system will rival the most respected business systems in the world. The tools will provide your teams with repeatable and holistic solutions—regardless of the industry or the country you operate in. And staying true to the spirit of Lean, the tools available have been continuously improved, meaning that they will be relevant and effective—even in the midst of on-going, ever-changing business environments. LBS 4U™ is the key to the lock you’ve been attempting to open. So don’t wait a moment longer! Call us now at +1 (630) 800-8519, or click the link below to see why businesses like Stryker, MasterBrand, W.L. Gore & Associates, and JB Poindexter & Co power their businesses with a customized, branded business system with LBS 4U™. https://t2m.io/5rcNqvqe

If your business is consistently missing its revenue and profit targets, you know it’s time to get back to winning through the extraordinary power of Lean principles. https://t2m.io/yqDAyK9J Whether you’re currently using outdated, ineffective, disconnected Lean tools that need to be replaced—or simply know that now’s the time to implement a Lean business system—LBS 4U™ is the solution you’ve been looking for. Based on the tools of the Lean Focus Business System™, LBS 4U™ is the cost-effective, time-efficient, and PROVEN way to obtain a world-class business system that’s customized and branded specifically for your company’s needs. You already know that to realize sustained, profitable growth, the tools contained within your business system must carefully match the unique circumstances of your organization—including its values, culture, and strategies. And to get the deepest level of buy-in from all stakeholders, the materials that represent a business system should look and feel like your company’s brand. By choosing LBS 4U™, you’ll be empowered to transform one or many business areas, including: sales, marketing, innovation, supply chain, operations, human resources, leadership, and beyond. LBS 4U™ is for publicly-traded companies, private enterprises, private equity, and everything in-between. And when you deploy a comprehensive set of tools through your Lean business system, total organizational transformation is possible, with an impressive bottom line as the result. With LBS 4U™, your new system will rival the most respected business systems in the world. The tools will provide your teams with repeatable and holistic solutions—regardless of the industry or the country you operate in. And staying true to the spirit of Lean, the tools available have been continuously improved, meaning that they will be relevant and effective—even in the midst of on-going, ever-changing business environments. A Lean business system is the answer to missed revenue and profit targets, and LBS 4U™ is the solution. Don’t wait a moment longer! Call us now at +1 (630) 800-8519, or click the link below to see why businesses like Stryker, MasterBrand, W.L. Gore & Associates, and JB Poindexter & Co power their businesses with a customized, branded business system with LBS 4U™. https://t2m.io/yqDAyK9J

LEAN FOCUS PODCAST How do you create a sense of urgency when there’s no crisis? In this episode of the Lean Focus Podcast, DAMON BAKER sits down with Bret Snyder, CEO of W. L. Gore & Associates, to explore what it takes to lead transformation inside one of the world’s most admired companies — when everything looks fine from the outside. For decades, Gore thrived on its legendary innovations like GORE-TEX® Fabric and built a culture admired around the world — nimble, accountable, and deeply customer-focused. But by 2020, growth was slowing, decision-making had become cumbersome, and Gore was over-reliant on one materials set while lagging behind U.S. GDP growth. There wasn’t a consistent downward trend — just a slow drift and a growing concern from leadership about future relevance. Bret shares how he stepped into his first CEO role, embraced humility, and led Gore’s transformation by: 🔎Recognizing the dangers of success when it breeds complacency 🌱Reconnecting the organization to its roots of innovation, agility, and customer obsession 📈Addressing over-dependence on a single material science capability and unlocking new growth engines 🤝Introducing the Gore Business System — Lean principles tailored to Gore’s unique culture 🧱Building alignment without tearing down the company’s proud legacy This is a story of stewardship, courage, and leadership at the highest level — driving change, restoring focus, and painting a bold picture of the future when there’s no obvious burning platform. If you’re a CEO, senior leader, or business strategist, this episode is a must-listen. Listen now and learn how Bret Snyder is redefining what transformation looks like when “good” just isn’t good enough. 🔔 Listen to the Lean Focus Podcast on your favorite platform and if you subscribe, you’ll be automatically notified whenever a new episode drops. Episodes are posted monthly and are published on the first Tuesday of each month. Apple Podcasts – Spotify – Amazon Music – Pandora – iHeart – YouTube Music – Deezer – Castbox 📣 Know someone who would appreciate this episode? Help us spread the word about Lean thinking by sharing this post! #LeanFocusPodcast #BusinessTransformation #TransformationStory #LeanTransformation #CEOInterview #LeanInterview #LeanFocus #WLGore