Buck Wild Media

Founder & CEO

Chief Executive Officer

Harmon Brothers

Owner/Creative Director

Jamestown Films

Founder/Creative Producer/Creative Director

CEO | CHIEF CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Disney Interactive Studios

Shot, Directed, screen captured and edited various interviews and montages for internal purposes.

Videographer/Editor

Whitehall Ventures

Created and Organized a fully-functioning mobile studio for the firm that can be used anywhere in the world.

Studio Manager/Videographer/Editor

Over the past 7 years, I’ve been Producing and Creative Directing some of the world's most Powerful Conversion Videos that have massively scaled companies and products. 

Just imagine, watching your brand becoming a household name, your Revenue skyrocketing, cash in your Business checking account accumulating, and having the freedom to turn down clients if you wanted to just because your product/service is in high-demand.

That’s what most DREAM about, yet never seem to accomplish...

After servicing over hundreds of Clients over the past 10 years, I've noticed a pattern of why most Entrepreneurs can't scale.

I've distilled it down to 3 key forces:

Force #1. Guts — It’s hard for clients to pull a trigger on a video that doesn’t look like everything else.

People don’t want to lose their job, so they take the safe bet.  They create content that looks like EVERYTHING else.  The crazy thing is that usually the safe bet is actually the riskier bet as those videos turn into noise the market ignores.

Force #2. Messaging — Clients don’t know their own message or even target demographic.

I can’t tell you how many times multi-million dollar companies have shared who they think is their target demographic that buys and prime message that sells only to find out that they had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars inefficiently on the wrong person using the wrong message.

Force #3. Clarity — When clients do finally try to do something “different’ it typically runs away from the core message.

A Clear Message will always sell than a hilarious video with clarity around what a customer gets out of it.  Ever watched a funny commercial and then asked, “Now, who was that for again?”  It’s imperative that strong entertainment is paired with razor sharp messaging.

Now, if you're facing any of these forces, I have a good news! These are completely avoidable and reversible if you just follow the right process.

For me personally, I am obsessed with helping companies of ALL sizes succeed by filling in these gaps. My "North Star" is my clients, focused on this axis; Fastest, most predictable and cost-efficient way possible to help you grow. My goal is to help my clients make at least $1M in the first year.

And based on my track record.  I’m pretty great at doing just that!!

Don't take my word for it — check out my personal video resume at https://www.jamesdayton.media/

Want to learn more?
→ https://www.jamesdayton.media/

James Dayton

Lean Focus

Every business has the same goal in mind: an increased bottom line. To this end, we specialize in business transformations. And when we say transformation, we don’t mean surface-level adjustments; we mean foundational changes to culture, process, and more. These transformations are based on Lean principles, and the application of those principles goes far beyond just manufacturing, reaching into all aspects of a business—no matter the industry.

Lean Focus transformations are uniquely-enacted through the application of the Lean Focus Business System™. LBS™ is proven, effective, and repeatable. Developed by globally-recognized Lean thought leader and founder of Lean Focus, Damon Baker, the Lean Focus Business System™ has been utilized time-and-time again across dozens of industries, by world-class companies including the Fortune 1000.

The use of the tools contained within LBS™ happens in one of two ways. The first is the Hands-On Method, in which our team of experts, across 6 Practice Areas, work shoulder-to-shoulder with our client and their team to enact transformation. The second is the Hands-Off Method, in which the client is provided products and services—customized for them by Lean Focus—to implement the tools of the Lean Focus Business System™ themselves.

It's for these reasons—and more—that Lean Focus is known globally as the One-Stop Transformation Shop — Transforming Businesses for Good™.

Fieldpiece Instruments

As the only company solely dedicated to creating tools and test instruments for HVACR professionals, Fieldpiece Instruments is an international powerhouse known for solving real-world industry problems with its rugged, feature-rich tools – precision-engineered for HVACR pros, by HVACR pros.

Member Board of Directors

Coltala Holdings

We unlock the potential in human and financial capital by establishing a foundation for each strategic platform where both Mission & Margin are given equal priority. Our experience working in mission driven organizations has taught us that Mission and Margin are mutually inclusive concepts. Achieving operational excellence in our businesses equips us to protect and steward the mission of each of our businesses for the long term. This is yet another way that Coltala distinguishes itself from the rest.

Private Equity Partner | Managing Director - Coltala Enterprise System

Danaher Corporation

Danaher is a leading global life sciences and diagnostics innovator, helping to solve many of the world’s most important health challenges. Ultimately improving quality of life for billions of people today, while setting the foundation for a healthier, more sustainable tomorrow.

Sr. Corporate Director | Global Danaher Business System Office

General Manager | Danaher Corporation

Corporate Director | Global Danaher Business System Office

Videojet (Best Plant Worldwide - 2 years)

Global Director - Danaher Business System | Product Identification Platform

Argo Consulting

ARGO-EFESO helps companies, with significant and complex operating asset structures around the world, improve their profitability by increasing revenue and customer service and satisfaction while reducing operating costs, fixed overhead, and working capital.

Lean Project Manager | Client Engagements

Winegard Company

Winegard Company is the trusted leader in connectivity focusing on designing and manufacturing the most reliable products available for use over various applications including with technologies such as Bluetooth, WiFi, 4G LTE, and more. The Winegard Company footprint spans multiple states over multiple locations to better serve our customers and provide a breadth of antenna and manufacturing knowledge.

Director of Continuous Improvement | Focus Factory Manager

HNI Corporation

HNI is a leading provider of workplace furnishings. We offer a broad collection of workplace furnishings solutions that support work environments from the home office to the large commercial campus and everything in between.

Manufacturing Team Leader | Hearth & Home Technologies (Shingo Prize Winning Plant)

Experian

We gather, analyze and process data in ways others can’t. We help individuals take financial control and access financial services, businesses make smarter decision and thrive, lenders lend more responsibly, and organizations prevent identity fraud and crime.

Production Group Leader | Project Manager - Facility Expansion

KPI Concepts

KPI Concepts started in a small production area in a Burlington, Iowa, garage. It has grown into a nationally-respected industry leader in retail design concepts that has revolutionized the field of commercial cabinetry. For over 40 years, KPI Concepts has prided itself on innovative, durable and dependable work superior to our competitors and tailored to the individual needs of our wide base of customers.

Production Supervisor

As the Founder and CEO of Lean Focus, I draw from over 25 years of deep expertise in lean business system methodologies, spanning industries like private equity, med-tech, aerospace, defense, and automotive. My career has been shaped by leadership roles with transformative companies such as Danaher, Coltala Holdings, HNI, Argo Consulting, Experian, and Winegard, where I implemented lean systems that delivered real, sustainable results.

My foundation is rooted in the Toyota Production System, where I trained under its leading disciples, and further sharpened my skills at a Shingo Prize-winning facility. As a former Shingo Prize Examiner, I’ve built a reputation for operational excellence that extends far beyond theory. With over 500 kaizen events across 100+ companies in 19 countries, my global experience speaks to the tangible impact I’ve made on lean transformations worldwide.

At Danaher, I had the privilege of overseeing the Danaher Business System (DBS) on a global scale, driving operational success for the Product Identification Platform—recognized as the “Best Plant in the World” two years running. My work in co-developing Danaher’s Problem-Solving Process played a key role in shaping the operational strategy that drives their continued success.

These experiences culminated in the creation of the Lean Focus Business System™—a holistic approach that goes beyond traditional lean thinking. To date, it has empowered over 600 organizations globally to achieve sustainable business improvements and long-term growth.

In addition to my work in corporate roles, I’ve served as an operating advisor to private equity firms, leveraging lean business systems to drive value creation across their acquisitions. My expertise spans operational due diligence, strategic planning, acquisition integration, and creating problem-solving cultures. I also specialize in enhancing sales force efficiency, pricing margin analysis, and implementing lean tools like 6S, Standard Work, Setup Reduction, and Total Productive Maintenance (TPM).

As a board director at Fieldpiece Instruments, I’m helping to shape the future of their business through the development of a monetizable SaaS platform that supports their HVAC instrumentation.

My passion is simple—transforming organizations through lean principles and guiding them toward long-term success. To learn more about my journey and how Lean Focus can help your business, visit us at leanfocus.com.

DAMON BAKER

🦃 Happy Thanksgiving to Our Clients, Team, and Partners

As we head into Thanksgiving, I want to pause and reflect on something we don’t say nearly enough in business:

Thank you. Truly.

To our clients — thank you for trusting Lean Focus with your biggest challenges and boldest ambitions. You invite us into your factories, boardrooms, and leadership teams to help shape the future of your organizations. Your willingness to embrace change is what makes our work meaningful.

To our Lean Focus team — you are the heartbeat of this company. Every transformation, every breakthrough, every culture shift starts with your commitment and your leadership. You make us the gold standard in this industry. I’m proud of what we’ve built—and even more excited for what’s coming next.

To our supplier and strategic partners — thank you for standing with us as we scale, innovate, and deliver world-class results. Great partnerships don’t just support the mission; they accelerate it. We appreciate you.

Today, I’m grateful for all of you.

Grateful for the trust.
Grateful for the collaboration.
Grateful for the impact we get to create together.

From my family and the entire Lean Focus team—

🦃 Happy Thanksgiving!

Founder & CEO, Lean Focus | Board Director | Ex-Danaher Leader

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Every manufacturing CEO standing on a stage complaining about the “skilled-trades shortage” with Gen Z should answer a few uncomfortable questions about their own company first:

1. When was the last time you read your own skilled-trades job descriptions—through Gen Z’s eyes?
Would you apply?

2. Have you ever tried applying to your own company on a phone?
How many clicks before you quit?

3. Do you actually know which employers Gen Z is choosing instead of you—and why?

4. Have you ever experienced your own hiring process end-to-end as a candidate?
Most CEOs would be horrified.

5. When was the last time you tested your employee value proposition with real 18–25-year-olds?
Assumptions aren’t data.

6. Does your job posting sell a career—or just list chores?
“Lift 50 pounds.”
“Other duties as assigned.”
“Must work any shift.”
This is not a value proposition.

7. Have you asked your youngest employees why they joined you—or why their friends won’t?

8. Does your careers page inspire anyone?
Or does it look like a 1997 breakroom?

9. If you had to recruit yourself today using your public messaging… would you be convinced?

You don’t have a labor shortage.
You have a value-proposition shortage.
A storytelling shortage.
A leadership shortage.

If you want Gen Z, you must win Gen Z.
Right now, most manufacturers aren’t even in the game.

I was sitting in a monthly review with a global division.

It was the usual rhythm, slides, forecasts, head-nods.
The CEO asked, “Are we on track?”
Everyone said yes.

But the air said no.
You could feel it...that subtle stillness that settles in when people are protecting something.

I didn’t say anything clever.
I just broke the silence and said,

“It feels like we’re not telling the whole story.”

No humor. No judgment. Just truth.

That small line cracked the surface.
After a pause, one executive finally admitted,

“We’ve been pulling next month’s orders ahead to keep the numbers green.”

The room went quiet again, but this time it was relief, not fear.

That moment stuck with me.
Not because I said the right thing,
but because it reminded me how much pressure leaders carry to perform certainty.

No one wants to be the first to say, “We’re struggling.”
Especially when the system punishes honesty more than mistakes.

I’ve learned time and again that leadership isn’t about asking smart questions.
It’s about creating space for real answers.

The best leaders don’t expose the truth, they make it safe to surface.

🚨 New Lean Catalyst Article: “The Missing Discipline Behind Every Big Corporate Failure — Why Leaders Don’t Red Team Their Biggest Bets.”

Every CEO says their company is “data-driven.”

But when it comes to their biggest decisions — M&A, transformation, strategic bets — almost none of them are truth-driven.

They present flawless decks.
They celebrate alignment.
They call it “strategic clarity.”

And then six months later, it quietly dies in execution — another brilliant plan undone by untested assumptions.

That’s what happens when you don’t Red Team your strategy.

The military invented Red Team / Blue Team to expose blind spots before the battle — not after.

One team defends.
One team attacks.

And together, they find truth before reality finds them.
In business, almost no one does this.

Because it takes humility, courage, and the willingness to be wrong — in public. But that’s the discipline that separates the companies that learn fast from the ones that fail slowly.

If you’ve been in business long enough, you’ve seen it: the shiny strategic plan that looked brilliant on PowerPoint, died quietly in execution, and n

Open article: The Missing Discipline Behind Every Big Corporate Failure: Why Leaders Don’t Red Team Their Biggest Bets by DAMON BAKER • 7 min read

The Missing Discipline Behind Every Big Corporate Failure: Why Leaders Don’t Red Team Their Biggest Bets

When Lean Systems Become Scripture

Somewhere along the way, the system became sacred.
What started as a way to think turned into a set of "lean commandments".

You didn’t question it.
You applied it.
Every problem had a “system-approved” answer — even when common sense had a better one.

If you challenged the framework, you weren’t “improving.”
You were “noncompliant.”

That’s how dogma works.
It begins as truth.
Then it becomes tradition.
Then it becomes control.

And once a business system crosses that line, it stops evolving.
It stops listening.
It starts punishing the very behavior it was designed to create — critical thinking.

Every great system eventually faces the same choice: keep learning, or start protecting itself.

Dogma is the tax you pay on past success.
And the longer you worship it, the faster it dies.

Lean was never meant to be a religion.
It was meant to be a rebellion.

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The Battle

James Dayton

DAMON BAKER

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The Battle

James Dayton

DAMON BAKER

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}DAMON BAKER's LinkedIn Performance

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