Home of #AskMikeG

What is #AskMikeG? 
As a seasoned consultant, I specialize in empowering small business owners to navigate financial challenges, drive growth, and achieve predictable success. With a focus on practical, actionable solutions, I help business leaders improve cash flow management, enhance profitability, and elevate communication for long-term stability.

 I assist businesses by:

+ Identifying gaps in financial practices and building a clear roadmap to stability.
+ Establishing robust tracking and forecasting tools for informed decision-making.
+ Implementing strategies to elevate communication to all stakeholders.

I provide one-on-one, group coaching and consulting.  I have spent 25+ years creating, starting, marketing, failing, and succeeding in B2B and B2C environments. I will happily share with you or your team what I have learned so you don't make the same mistakes I did.

Author, Coach, Consultant, Good Human - Cash Flow is the Success Metric.

Whose Story Is It?

The podcast was created for curious business owners who learn from other business owners’ experiences (mistakes). You will learn from other business owners who have succeeded but not without their own mistakes. But the twist is you will learn about “who” they are as much as what they did. And you will learn all of this without knowing their name. Guest identities will be unveiled after each story in the last few minutes of the podcast. To subscribe go here https://www.michaelgrabham.com/whose-story-is-it-podcast-learn-from-business-owners-stories/

Podcast Host

Hatchet Ventures 🪓

“Hatchet Ventures is defining a new VC model that fits with the needs of today’s founders. With our Co-Op model, Hatchet Ventures surrounds your company with 40+ executives, advisors, and like-minded founders who openly share insights; connections; best practices; and solutions, forming the optimal sounding board for bouncing ideas. Hatchet simplifies access to the knowledge of those who have walked the startup path, and provides attainable support to hatch your venture!”

Advisor

Survive the Streets

My wife and I started this nonprofit to help the homeless. We had originally created an organization that helps hundreds of homeless each year on Thanksgiving day. Go to survivethestreets.org if you would like to get involved with our 501(c)(3) nonprofit..

Director

Orbit Health 

Orbit was started with a simple vision of saving lives in sub-Saharan Africa, by applying technology in healthcare.
Considering the overburdened and clogged up healthcare services in Africa, we wanted to help hospitals and clinics increase their capacity and capability so that they will increase the number of patients by a minimum 10-15 additional patients per day. In this approach,  and if only one fourth of the healthcare facilities are participating in Ethiopia alone, there will be an opportunity for over 10,000 new patients that will be able to see a doctor in a day.

The Door Gym

Help your loved ones maintain their independence with the gift of fitness.
Many of the problems facing our rapidly growing senior population are due to preventable muscle atrophy. This is why we created The Door Gym, a patent pending technology that allows for a new level of safety and security when anchoring resistance bands and straps to your door. Our app and cell phone holder economically deliver over seventy guided exercises that can be tailored to any fitness level.

Customise To Your Style With Samshek

Samshék embraces the fashion popularism that inspires and creates trends that appeal to the modern consumer. Samshék recognizes that not all customers fit the mainstream retail clothing offerings, but rather seek the clothing that better suits their body size and shape, mood, character, style, and temperament. With Samshék’s clothing customization option and timely delivery, the customer's wonderful lifestyle and fashion desires can now become a reality.

samaritan

Samaritan is a mobile IoT startup that enables cashless, effective giving the moment a citygoer sees someone in need on the streets. This is changing the way people can give to people on the streets by knowing that the money is goes to help the person get basic needs met.

Compassion 4 Paws

We are a mobile veterinary practice that specializes in comfort care and end-of-life care for pets. Out of the drive to start her own practice combined with her passion for end-of-life care, Dr. Sara Hopkins founded Compassion 4 Paws in late 2012. Since then, her devoted team of veterinarians and care coordinators continue to offer you and your beloved companion the support and care you need during this difficult time of navigating your pet’s end-of-life journey.

Head of Strategy

Startup Grind

Awarded Chapter Director of the Year 2015.
Startup Grind is the largest independent startup community, actively educating, inspiring, and connecting more than 1,500,000 entrepreneurs in over 600 chapters. We nurture startup ecosystems in 125 countries through events, media, and partnerships with organizations like Google for Startups. 

The cornerstone of our global community is monthly events featuring successful local founders, innovators, educators, and investors who share lessons learned on the road to building great companies. Founded in Silicon Valley, Startup Grind has helped millions of entrepreneurs build their businesses, connect with strategic partners, and secure funding.

We believe in making friends, not contacts. We believe in giving, not taking. We believe in helping others before helping yourself. We are truly passionate about helping founders, entrepreneurs and startups succeed. We intend to make their startup journey less lonely, more connected and more memorable.

Chapter Director Seattle

Consultant | Author | Helping Founders make better decisions to scale their company.

The Two Pillars of Business Success: CASH  & COMMUNICATION
As a business owner, you know that growth is essential—but sustainable, profitable growth requires more than vision. It demands a disciplined focus on two critical areas: managing cash flow and fostering clear communication.

I specialize in helping business owners like you turn strategic goals into actionable plans by focusing on these key areas:

Optimized Cash: By analyzing and enhancing your profits and monitoring your cash flow, I help ensure your business remains financially strong and agile, giving you the confidence to invest in growth and navigate challenges effectively.

Aligned Communication: Both internally and externally, effective communication is essential to align your team with your goals, foster collaboration, and deliver a unified message to customers and stakeholders.

This is a Real life result... I started working with a small service based business. They had few processes in place and almost no financial insights. Fast forward 2 years and they got an offer to sell. We decided to turn it down and fast foward another 2 years and they got an offer they had to take. The value when I started working with them was around $2.5M and they sold for almost 3X that number. The changes we made were about optimizing profits, managing cash flow and making sure the business could operate without the owners doing ALL the work. 

By nature, I am a curious leader who has experienced success, failure, and everything in between. (6X founder).  I have been lucky enough to sell a few of those and unlucky enough to go through bankruptcy. (not fun)

At age 28, a partner and I bought a struggling magazine for the travel industry. Four years later, after growing revenues by 7X and introducing a disruptive product we sold the company to a larger industry leader. (Winner)

I was also a partner in a services company that grew from $750k to $7M in just 3 years. We grew too fast and made some mistakes. Over the next 2 years, I managed to keep parts of it alive but by 2011 I had to close it down. I went through some very dark times with this venture and I learned a few things. (Cash Flow is King)

My wife and I started a nonprofit, Survive the Streets, 25 years ago, to help people who live in shelters or who are almost living on the streets. This has been extremely rewarding and eye-opening. (Helping Others is good)

Mike Grabham

WEPA

Responsible for the whole of converting operations.

Head Of Converting Operations 

SKEA EGG FARMS LIMITED

Key Responsibilities:

 Steering full site (comprising of 140 Operatives and 7 Managers) operations and performance.
including production, maintenance, technical, supply chain, hygiene, financial, health and safety, HR,
planning, as well as training departments.
 Developing and implementing innovative strategies to streamline operations, evaluating the efficiency
of business procedures according to organisational objectives; and applying improvements.
 Forcing change through continuous improvement initiatives, driving site KPIs and efficiencies to
ensure financial and budgetary targets are being met, propelling operational excellence and
leveraging relevant tools for problem solving.
Key Achievements:

 Mobilising the factory towards increasing operational efficiency by 20+%

Factory/Site Operations Manager

Moy Park

Key Responsibilities:

 Reported to the Factory Manager, oversaw the delivery of entire unit performance; including site
Personal Improvement Plans, all KPIs and budget.
 Controlled multiple shifts (24/7) and large departments/site with over 300+ staff; comprising of
Managers and Supervisors.
 Adopted continuous improvement and lean techniques to deliver best in-class operational excellence,
completed Individual Performance Reviews; provided staff with constructive feedback on their
performance.
 Ensured factory was audit ready at all times; and that the factory met customer, BRC, legal and other
requirements.
Key Achievements:

 Orchestrated a ‘Giveaway Reduction Project’, which saved approx £10k+ per week, and approx
£500k per year for 1 line.
 Coordinated a ‘Waste Reduction Project’, which resulted in savings reaching up to £3,200 per week
on 1 line.
 Led a project which increased lines efficiency by 40%, whilst reducing overtime hours, and saving the
company £15k+ per week.
 Strengthened the organisation’s H&amp;S culture, by maintaining high standards relating to onsite H&amp;S,
whilst promoting an environment whereby H&amp;S was a priority, which resulted in delivering the safest
factory within the Moy Park Group.
 Played a pivotal role in the organisation’s talent acquisition processes, by joining forces with HR in
the recruitment, shortlisting, selection and interviewing of candidates, supporting the on-boarding of
qualified and talented staff members.
 Delivered improved production efficiencies, across the output, quality, yield, labour utilisation,
packaging and utilities capacities, simplifying the achievement of variances within the factory.
 Up-skilled 300+ staff, by introducing impactful development, training, coaching and motivation
initiatives in conjunction with HR; which involved integrating Technical, Engineering, Planning,
Learning and Development, Procurement, Process Development and Services to create a focused
factory team.

Operations Manager

Key Responsibilities:

 Ensured that all requisite production, quality, profitability, continuous improvement and health and
safety targets and standards were met. 
 Guided performance management, objective setting, coaching, training, recruitment aspects of the
company, mentored and motivated staff, directed the production workforce of 400+ staff.
 Managed employment relations and dealt with all production staff disciplinary issues in-line with
company and statutory requirements. 
 Oversaw the maintenance and servicing of production equipment with Maintenance Engineers and
staff to maximise efficiency and working life of equipment; and to avoid lost production time. 
 Worked towards operational excellence, trained and coached employees, delivered staff appraisals
and performance reviews.
 Supervised the animal welfare and slaughter process of poultry, worked closely with VETs and PMIs
to ensure food safety.
Key Achievements:

 Marshalled a 400+ production workforce towards successfully delivering various improvement
projects.

Production Manager

Key Responsibilities:

 Ensured that department operated as efficiently as possible while also ensuring that quality, hygiene,
health &amp; safety and general housekeeping conformed to all current SOPs. 
 Liaised with maintenance to ensure any mechanical defects are addressed, ensured departmental
technical standards were met and products met customer specifications.
Key Achievements:

 Headed 11 Supervisors and 170+ Operatives towards meeting KPIs on service levels, DOTs, stock
rotation, and attendance targets.
 Masterminded results-oriented training, development and coaching initiatives for staff across the
Waste Management Recycling and Energy Saving capacities, which enforced a high-performing
department team, whilst facilitating the achievement of organisational objectives in Waste
Management Recycling and Energy Saving.
 Promoted to Production Manager in February 2013.

Department Manager

Key Responsibilities:

 Coordinated giveaway, dry goods reports, manning levels, as well as efficiency reports daily and
weekly.
 Collected/summarised data and presented to senior management, investigated any financial data,
variances and faults; and collected necessary information.
 Ensured minimum waste and losses within the factory; and KPIs in the areas of giveaway, waste,
labour, training, H&amp;S, volume, second choice, and yield were.
Key Achievements:

 Bolstered the organisation’s cost control measures, by overseeing standard costs, meticulously
carrying out product costing analysis, in addition to identifying any areas for improvement and
suggesting effective cost-effective methods.
 Promoted to Department Manager in June 2011.

Continuous Improvement Specialist

Key Responsibilities:

 Audited various areas within the factory, communicated with other employees and managers,
sampled, swabbed, and provided training for Process Controllers.
 Recorded and analysed data collected, reported NCNs, met customers/auditors and assisted during
audits, ensured factory and products met customer requirements; and was the best quality possible.
Key Achievements:

 Promoted to Production Supervisor in September 2008.

Production Supervisor

Key Responsibilities:

 Prepared work schedules and assigned workers production line tasks, evaluated incoming orders
and setup production line accordingly.
 Optimised production line efficiency by monitoring productivity and quality, identified and resolved
production line problems in a timely manner.
 Performed recordkeeping tasks; including inventory management and order tracking, trained and
supervised new production line workers.
 Collaborated with other departments to ensure that orders were completed on time, maintained a fully
operational, safe, and tidy work environment, ensured compliance with company policies and industry
regulations.
Key Achievements:

 Promoted to Quality Auditor in May 2007.

Line leader

Factory Manager Who Is Transforming Visions into Reality: Inspiring Leadership | Driving Results | Building High-Performance Teams | Fostering a Thriving Work Culture"

My mission is simple yet powerful:  
“To be an inspirational leader in the manufacturing industry and to empower others to become more than they ever thought possible—at work and in life.”

Who Am I?

I’m Modesta—a passionate and accomplished professional with over 20 years of experience in the manufacturing industry. My journey started humbly as an operator on a production line. Through grit, determination, and a hunger to learn, I worked my way up to senior leadership roles.

Today, I proudly lead teams, inspire others, and drive meaningful change in the manufacturing world @WEPA.

My career has been built on a foundation of excellence, problem-solving, and people-focused leadership. I’m known for my ability to:  
🔴 Build and lead high-performing teams  
🔴 Streamline operations to boost productivity and efficiency  
🔴 Develop and mentor future leaders  
🔴 Deliver innovative solutions to drive performance  
🔴 Foster diversity and inclusive workplace cultures  

Why Do I Do What I Do?

Because I believe people are the heart of every business. Leadership is not just about systems and processes—it’s about inspiring others, fostering growth, and helping people realise their own potential.

That belief aligns closely with WEPA’s people-centred approach. At WEPA, we don’t just manufacture hygiene products—we improve lives. We put our people first, invest in their growth, and create an environment where everyone can thrive. As a proud brand ambassador, I live these values daily and lead with purpose.

My story proves that no matter where you start, there is always a path forward. I’ve faced setbacks and tough times—but I never gave up. Resilience, self-discipline, and a commitment to growth can transform not only your career but your entire life.

I’m passionate about helping others do the same—whether it’s developing confidence, overcoming challenges, or stepping into leadership. I’m here to encourage and empower others to achieve their goals.

What Can You Expect from My Profile?

🟣 Career lessons and leadership insights  
🟣 Strategies for overcoming obstacles  
🟣 Confidence-building and mindset tips  
🟣 Guidance for career progression in manufacturing  
🟣 Motivation to take action and grow  

Let’s Connect

If you work in manufacturing, leadership, or simply enjoy real-world career insights—follow or connect with me. I love engaging with like-minded people who are eager to learn, grow, and lead.

Whether you’re looking for advice, mentorship, or just a bit of inspiration—I’m here to help.

taplio

The Battle

Mike Grabham

MODESTA FERREIRA

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