UnPACKed with PMMI Podcast

Lisa Sun, Founder and CEO, GRAVITAS, discusses how personal stories shape leadership journeys. She dives into the power of immigrant experiences, the role of self-confidence in achieving success, and her groundbreaking "superpower methodology." From identifying limiting beliefs to redefining confidence and ambition, Lisa shares actionable insights for embracing your unique strengths and living authentically.

Guests: Angela Hall, Associate Professor, Michigan State University and Joyce Longfield, Principal of HPP applications, Good Foods Group

In this episode we delve into the crucial topic of negotiation. Negotiation is a skill that holds significant importance in career development, yet it's not always innate for many individuals. The question we're exploring today is: Can negotiation be learned? Joining the pod is Angela Hall, an expert in negotiation skills development and Joyce Longfield – Principal of HPP applications, Good Foods Group and member of PPWLN. The pair are here to shed light on the art of negotiation, offering insights and strategies that can empower individuals to enhance their negotiation skills and navigate various career scenarios successfully.

Guest: Manjit Minhas, Co-Founder and CEO of Minhas Breweries, Distilleries and Winery

On a special Packaging and Processing Women’s Leadership episode of unPACKed with PMMI, CPG Next Editor-in-Chief Stephanie Neil has the privilege of sitting down with the Baroness of Brewing Manjit Minhas. Minhas is a powerhouse entrepreneur, philanthropist, investor, and even a dragon on the hit Canadian TV show Dragons' Den. In their candid conversation, Neil delves into Minhas’s journey, from building a thriving business empire to navigating the intricacies of work-life integration. Minhas shares invaluable insights on negotiation, overcoming imposter syndrome, and finding the courage to take risks. But that's just the beginning. Neil also explores Minhas’s passion for STEM education, giving back to the community and reveals her secret to getting 1% smarter every day.

Guests: Nancy Wilson, the CEO of Morrison Container Handling Solutions and Melanie Denny, a personal branding consultant and self-marketing expert

In this episode, we delve into the world of networking within the packaging and processing industry. The Packaging and Processing Women’s Leadership Network, powered by PMMI, has launched a series of educational Learning Circles, and this one focuses on the essential skills that can propel your career forward, no matter your role.

Stephanie Neil sits down with two accomplished experts: Nancy Wilson, the CEO of Morrison Container Handling Solutions, and Melanie Denny, a personal branding consultant and self-marketing expert. Together, they explore the best strategies to excel at networking both within your own organization and throughout the broader packaging industry.

Discover invaluable tips and insights on how to build meaningful connections, leverage your personal brand, and navigate networking challenges with confidence. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting in the field, this episode will equip you with the tools you need to become a standout networker and advance your career in packaging and processing. Tune in now and learn how to unlock the power of networking for your professional growth!

Guests: Lisa Propati, VP & GM at WLS, a ProMach brand, and Bob Hersh, national managing principal at Grant Thorton

The Packaging and Processing Women’s Leadership Network (PPWLN) takes over the unPACKed reins as OEM Magazine Editor-in-Chief Stephanie Neil hosts PPWLN’s new Learning Circle series. Lisa Propati, VP & GM at WLS, a ProMach brand, and guest speaker Bob Hersh, national managing principal at Grant Thorton, dive into business acumen with Neil, exploring why understanding the financial side of manufacturing, is important to career development, regardless of role.

Guest: Dawn Hudson, Former Chief Marketing Officer at the National Football League and Former President and CEO of Pepsi Cola North America and PepsiCo Foodservice, Stephanie Neil, Editor-in-Chief of OEM Magazine

Stephanie Neil, Editor-in-Chief of OEM Magazine interviews Packaging and Processing Women’s Leadership Network keynote speaker Dawn Hudson after she headlined the massively successful PPWLN breakfast at PACK EXPO International. Neil and Hudson detail her journey from the advertising industry to designing packages as a brand manager for Clairol to executive leadership roles at Pepsi and the NFL. Every step of the way, Hudson was the minority simply because she was a woman. She describes her earliest days when only 1 in 10 in advertising were female and navigating the male-dominated rooms she walked into in the NFL. She also provides insight into how to navigate microaggressions and the importance of authenticity in the workplace.

Guest:  Lisa Rathburn, VP of Engineering, T. Marzetti Company

Not only does PMMI’s OpX Leadership Network bring together CPGs and OEMs to develop best practices and protocols for free industry adoption, but it also serves as a resource for tackling more significant industry issues. This unPACKed with PMMI episode revisits women in manufacturing with Lisa Rathburn, VP of engineering at T. Marzetti Company and active member of OpX Leadership Network and the Packaging & Processing Women’s Leadership Network. Hear Rathburn provide success stories, inspiration, and tips that will help and encourage women currently in the industry and offer guidance for young women looking to manufacturing as a career.

Guests: Kathy Miller, Co-founder, OPSisters and Shannon Karels, Co-founder, OPSisters

A foray into advising manufacturers on proper lean methodologies in their operations grew into a book about not only lean manufacturing but building inclusive and diverse cultures. OEM Editor Stephanie Neil discusses the book “Steel Toes and Stilettos” with authors Kathy Miller and Shannon Karels, complete with advice for women on navigating a career in manufacturing.

Guest: Tracey Noonan, CEO and co-founder, Wicked Good Cupcakes and Stephanie Neil, Editor in Chief OEM Magazine

OEM Magazine Editor in Chief Stephanie Neil takes the interview chair for a special one-on-one with PPWLN keynote speaker Tracey Noonan, CEO and co-founder of Wicked Good cupcakes. Noonan kicked off the sold-out Packaging & Processing Women’s Leadership Network (PPWLN) networking breakfast at PACK EXPO Las Vegas and Healthcare Packaging EXPO. Neil discusses with Noonan how she and her daughter began their cupcake journey, the need to accept and learn from mistakes and even delves into how Wicked Good Cupcakes could find a more sustainable package for its product. 

Guest: Stephanie Neil, Editor in Chief, OEM Magazine

It’s 2021 and we are hopefully approaching the tail end of a global pandemic that shuttered businesses and eliminated thousands of jobs. Despite these factors, the packaging and processing workforce continues to struggle to fill career providing positions. Today we talk with Editor in Chief Stephanie Neil for the inaugural unPACKed with OEM Magazine. Neil goes beyond the numbers and the data points and gets to the real crux of the issues causing manufacturing to continue to have a hard time filling well-paying positions. She also provides added perspective with her expert-level knowledge of women in the workforce due to her role in PMMI's Packaging and Processing Women's Leadership Network.