world class manufacturing – Karico International Inc. | Employee Engagement and Motivation in the Manufacturing Sector

Manufacture Your Day by OVERCOMING YOUR FEARS

karin — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 06:50:15 +0000

It’s fascinating that despite everything I’ve learned over the past few years, it still takes hard work and conscious effort to focus on the positive.

People often approach me, assuming I have it all figured out. Yeah, right!

To be honest, sometimes I’m not sure if I write these messages for you or for myself. All I know is that I need these constant reminders just as much as you do.

The only difference is that I write them, and you read them.

Fear often tries to overcome us.

Here’s what I do in these moments:

I notice when a thought isn’t serving me (staying mindful of what’s happening in my head).
I immediately say, “Stop. Here’s my bullshit story again.” (This helps me break the negative thought pattern.)
I reframe the fearful thought into a positive one. For example, instead of thinking, “There’s no way I’ll get this new business,” I tell myself, “Of course I’ll get this new business—why wouldn’t they want to work with the best in the industry?”
I smile (because smiling always helps me feel good) and shift into a state of expectancy, fully expecting it to happen.
If it doesn’t happen, I trust that it wasn’t in my best interest and move on right away.

I have to remind myself constantly that fearing things going wrong doesn’t create the path I’m meant to follow.

Can you see that we cannot reach our full potential if we allow fear to hold us back?

Always remember that FEAR stands for “Face Everything And Rise.”

If you’re going to imagine something, why not picture a positive outcome? Deal?

Food for Thought:

Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.

Can you relate?

Napoleon Hill identified these 6 Basic Fears: The Fear of…

Poverty
Criticism
Ill Health
Loss of Love of someone
Old Age
Death

Please read the following article:

Hot to Overcome Fear and Find Success

Curious about coaching and wondering if it’s the right fit for you?
Let’s talk. Schedule a no-obligation Exploratory Intro Call and get a behind-the-scenes look at how coaching works.

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Manufacture Your Day by BEING COACHABLE

karin — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 07:50:56 +0000

It’s Wednesday and it’s time for our “Manufacturing Leadership Minute” with Karin and Adrian.

Make sure to watch our video by clicking the picture below:

VIDEO ⇒

It can be one of the most difficult things to acknowledge that we are not always right. That’s true, especially for women.

Just kidding. Deep down men know that women are always right.

On a more serious note, have you ever noticed that there are some people who have a tremendous need to show how smart they are?

That’s exactly why I keep recommending this leadership book.

“What Got You Here Won’t Get You There” by Marshall Goldsmith

Did you know that it’s incredibly difficult for smart people to listen to someone explain something they already know, without saying, “I already know that”?

Fingers crossed that you don’t fall into that trap.

Whenever I start a workshop with a new group of managers or executives I tell them 2 things up front:

Please don’t say “I know that” because you won’t be able to take in new information. As soon you say that, the “blinds close”, so to speak. Say instead, “What can I learn from that?”
Avoid saying, “This won’t work for me.” Say instead, “How can I make this work for me?”

Can you see the difference?

Everybody is an expert in something, and we can learn from everyone we meet. Over the years the people in my workshops have become my greatest teachers because I listen to what they have to say and this gives me the opportunity to learn more about their needs, fears, motivators, challenges and desires.

Not everyone is coachable but you, you are definitely not one of them. Right?

Here is to you striving to become the best you can be.

Food for Thought:

Excerpt of Marshall Goldsmith’s book – “We need to win people’s admiration. We need to let them know that we are at least their intellectual equal if not their superior. We need to be the smartest person in the room. It usually backfires. Many of us do this covertly and unwittingly all day long.”

My strategy is different, I usually recommend to my coachees and workshop participants to “play stupid” (ask questions such as “I have no idea. You are the expert. What is your recommendation?”). That’s what I do and that’s when I learn most.

Curious about coaching and wondering if it’s the right fit for you?
Let’s talk. Schedule a no-obligation Exploratory Intro Call and get a behind-the-scenes look at how coaching works.

Ready to connect?
Reach out by email or phone — just click here to get started.

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Don’t miss out — click here and stay inspired.

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Manufacture Your Day by STRIVING FOR PERSONAL EXCELLENCE

karin — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 07:50:04 +0000

“When I first started my business, I found myself surrounded by countless people who told me I would never find clients as a corporate trainer. I heard comments such as, ‘Why would someone hire you when there are so many big training companies around?’ ‘Your English isn’t good enough.’ ‘You don’t have enough experience.’ and ‘You’ve only been in Canada for three years and your network isn’t big enough.’”

Today I know all of these comments were only a test for me to demonstrate how much I wanted to turn my goal into a reality.

Pretty soon I realized that I had to aim to become the very best corporate trainer for leadership, communication and employee engagement in the manufacturing industry.

It has been said that you should become so good that they can’t ignore you. I remind myself daily of this lofty goal.

To be honest, I have never paid too much attention to what my competition does. I never wanted to compete. I want to be the best.

For me, uniqueness and excellence in everything you do are key.

Have I made mistakes? Absolutely.

Have I learned from them? You bet.

Do I still make mistakes? Yes and I intend to make many more.

People who tell me that they don’t make any mistakes, never leave their comfort zone, and play it safe.

I put my energy into developing a methodology that helps me to be a sought-after corporate trainer and leadership coach. However, my main driver has always been to change people’s personal and professional lives for the better. It is all about creating a win-win situation for the business owner, the management team, the supervisors, and last but not least the workforce.

How can you connect personal excellence with operational excellence?

Know what you want and set goals – if you don’t know where you’re going, how can you get there?
Mindset – develop a growth mindset: if you don’t achieve something right away, you are not a failure, you just have to put more effort into it.
Positivity – you cannot deliver positive results with a negative mind. Be positive and it will help you to get further faster.
Aim for personal excellence and put some love in whatever you do – your job is to go above and beyond at all times. It does not matter how others treat you, you do this for yourself and for your own self-satisfaction. This will always pay off for you. Always!
Accountability – be brutally honest with yourself and measure your progress and the progress of your team.
Commitment – get into the state of being dedicated to becoming a little bit better each day.

The worst behavior you see in the company you work for exists because it is accepted.

Stop complaining and focus on self-improvement.

Operational excellence is not a skill. It’s an attitude.

What do you think? Are you determined to get on the road of personal excellence?

Curious about coaching and wondering if it’s the right fit for you?
Let’s talk. Schedule a no-obligation Exploratory Intro Call and get a behind-the-scenes look at how coaching works.

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Food for Thought:

How do you strive for personal excellence?

Please read:

10 Beliefs You Need For Personal Excellence

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Manufacture Your Day by REFRAMING THE WORD FAILURE

karin — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 07:50:17 +0000

I know so many people who are afraid to fail.

Many people are actually so afraid that they don’t even get started, and that’s how people get in a rut and stay in a rut without using their ability to get things done.

Would you like to know a huge mental game-changer?

There is no failure, only feedback.

This means the results in your personal and in your professional life provide feedback about what works and what doesn’t.

This insight comes from NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) and it is just such an incredible way to reframe the word failure. Reframing means that you put a word, situation or person in a “new frame”. It means shining a different light on it or looking at it from a different perspective.

In the manufacturing industry the words “fail” and “failure” are overused. If you don’t get the results you would like to see, it’s time to do something different.

Ask yourself these questions:

What emotional impact does the word “failure” have?
Who wants to feel like a failure?
Doesn’t failure mean that we have stopped trying?
If people are afraid to fail, how can they be creative and innovative?

Looking for feedback is awesome. Talking about failure not so much.

Here are 3 things that you should take into consideration:

1. Shift Your Perspective:

If you don’t get the expected results, change your approach or the way you look at things.

2. Put People First:

Resistance from a person or from a team means that there is not enough human connection (lack of rapport).

3. Learn the Lesson:

Make the time to find out what’s missing to get to the next level or you will have to do it over and over again. In other words: If you don’t pass the test, you will repeat the lesson. It’s as simple as that.

Repeat after me:

“There is no Failure. There is only Feedback.”

Yes!!! You’re getting warmer.

Curious about coaching and wondering if it’s the right fit for you?
Let’s talk. Schedule a no-obligation Exploratory Intro Call and get a behind-the-scenes look at how coaching works.

Ready to connect?
Reach out by email or phone — just click here to get started.

Have you subscribed to my YouTube channel yet?
Don’t miss out — click here and stay inspired.

Food for Thought:

How do you keep your stress level in check?

Read this article:

7 ways to reduce stress and keep blood pressure down

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Manufacture Your Day by DISCOVERING WHAT CAN AND WILL SET YOU APART

karin — Fri, 02 Jan 2026 07:50:12 +0000

The results you will get in your life are based on your mental attitude. It is about taking initiative, trying new things, pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and never ever giving up.

I always tell myself that I didn’t come this far to only come this far. Onwards and upwards, while acknowledging my progress and having fun along the way! Isn’t this what life is all about?

A positive attitude will do many things for you but here are 3 key points that you should keep in mind.

1. Health = Wealth

What if a more positive approach to life would affect your health and well-being? Would you put more effort into it? It has already been scientifically proven that positivity helps with the ability to deal with life’s challenges in a more effective way. From personal experience, I know that a positive mindset is definitely helpful when you are in the process of overcoming obstacles.

2. Growth Mindset

People like to be around people who have positive energy. They are known for having a natural sense of curiosity, which makes them lifelong learners. It’s all about self-improvement. They tend to learn from others, from situations and from their own mistakes so that they can get further faster.

3. Productivity

A positive attitude will help you to be more productive in your personal and professional life. People with a positive outlook on life also have more confidence to set goals and achieve them.

Truth is, life can be difficult at times and the main thing that will help you is to shift your perspective by finding a more positive approach.

That’s right. I am pretty sure you’ve noticed this already.

Now go and evaluate your attitude towards life.

Food for Thought:

Have you read the following book by Napoleon Hill?

Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude

Curious about coaching and wondering if it’s the right fit for you?
Let’s talk. Schedule a no-obligation Exploratory Intro Call and get a behind-the-scenes look at how coaching works.

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Manufacture Your Day by ACKNOWLEDGING THIS SIMPLE INSIGHT

karin — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 07:50:55 +0000

Who do you want to become as a person? Have you ever thought about this?

If we are honest with ourselves, it can be pretty difficult to be a “good” person, especially when we are stressed.

It is easy to judge others but it is difficult to acknowledge our own shortcomings. Am I right?

Do you make a conscious effort to become a better person?

Here are some thoughts on how to get started:

1. Be Kind

In a world where we experience so much hatred and violence, every person who is kind and compassionate makes a difference. In a world where you can be anything you want to be, choose to be kind.

2. Be Authentic

Authenticity means that you don’t have to change your behaviour when you are in certain personal or professional situations. You feel good about who you are, rather than pretending to be someone else.

3. Be Helpful

Helping others creates a lot of fulfillment and self-satisfaction. This means that if you help others, you help yourself. If you want to challenge yourself even more, help someone that you don’t like.

4. Be Respectful

You should never be too busy or ignorant to say “hello, please and thank you”. Emotional control also plays a big part in demonstrating respectful behaviour at all times. The highest form of respect you can give is allowing others to use their brain.

5. Be Curious

Curiosity is a wonderful way to get into a growth mindset. This means using a lot of open-ended questions and learning from every situation and person. Be curious instead of furious.

I write these daily messages for 2 reasons:

It’s my personal reminder to become who I am meant to be.
It’s a personal reminder for YOU to become who YOU are meant to be.

Are you ready to rock’n roll?

Food for Thought:

What’s your strategy to become the person you’re meant to be?

Read this Success Article:

10 Tips to Achieve Anything You Want in Life

Curious about coaching and wondering if it’s the right fit for you?
Let’s talk. Schedule a no-obligation Exploratory Intro Call and get a behind-the-scenes look at how coaching works.

Ready to connect?
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Don’t miss out — click here and stay inspired.

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Manufacture Your Day by ACKNOWLEDGING THAT YOU ARE ONE OF A KIND

karin — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 07:50:43 +0000

How often do you think of yourself as being a difference-maker?

Probably not too often. Am I right?

With all the crazy demands in the corporate world, most people feel stressed, overwhelmed, and out of balance. My observations show that the main reason many people have a difficult time connecting with others is that they have lost connection with themselves.

They are disconnected from their own thoughts, feelings, emotions, values, wishes, and dreams. In other words, they have lost their authenticity and try to fit into someone else’s world. This is how people become frustrated, discouraged, and negative.

Are you one of them? It doesn’t have to be this way. Why fit in when you were made to stand out?

The building, the machines, the processes, and the procedures are important, BUT the people who work there can either make or break the success of the business.

I care about YOU, your health, and your well-being.

I want you to know that you are awesome and that your daily contribution matters. It matters a lot.

Think, feel, and act as if every action you set will make a positive difference. Act as if because it does.

“Do more than…

belong: participate.
care: help.
believe: practice.
being fair: be kind.
forgive: forget.
dream: work.”
― William Arthur Ward

Aren’t you glad that I reminded you?

Food for Thought:

What conversation can you have with someone today that could make all the difference? Someone may count on you.

I invite you to read the following article:

The Difference-Makers

Curious about coaching and wondering if it’s the right fit for you?
Let’s talk. Schedule a no-obligation Exploratory Intro Call and get a behind-the-scenes look at how coaching works.

Ready to connect?
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Manufacture Your Day by THINKING ABOUT YOUR INTENTION

karin — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 07:50:55 +0000

Getting a little bit better day by day is a simple intention. It’s my intention.

I want to get better and better in my personal and professional life. I can tell you firsthand that this is far from easy but it is very rewarding when you learn to manage difficult situations a little bit better.

Acknowledging my shortcomings and becoming more forgiving of other people’s flaws and mistakes are at the top of my priority list.

Yes, other people make mistakes and so do I.

Most people are not aware that they are not aware of the impact of personal growth, and I was one of them.

Life has become so much better when I started to learn from…

my mistakes
my clients and coachees
fellow trainers
business associates
the people in my workshops
past experiences
my husband
the cashier in the grocery store
the waiter in the restaurant
salespeople in retail
people who show me how I don’t want to be.

Life is filled with learning opportunities wherever we go, and it is important to take advantage of them. Instead of bitching and complaining about others, we can change our attitude and very likely our approach.

Over the years I have started to become more observant:

In what situations do I get angry or upset?
When do I get impatient?
What are my stress triggers?

I also always ask myself the question, “How much will this matter 1 month / 1 year from now?

Have you ever heard that we teach best what we have to learn the most?

Here you have it. As a trainer and leadership/executive coach I have to constantly work on myself to see the results I want to see in my clients. I gotta give in order to get.

Here are my top 3 that will help you to get a little bit closer to your personal best:

Get along with yourself and others: The relationship you have with yourself and others matters. It matters a lot.
Become friends with your mistakes and learn from them: Making mistakes is awesome, as long as you learn from them. It shows that you are willing to try new things.
Share your knowledge with others: If you help others to get where they want to be, you really help yourself to get further faster.

Keep improving yourself. Have you ever noticed that improvement starts with “I”?

I love it when I see you are getting so very close.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

How are you striving to get to your personal best?

I encourage you to read the Success article:

3 Ways Self-Improvement Can Change Your Life

Curious about coaching and wondering if it’s the right fit for you?
Let’s talk. Schedule a no-obligation Exploratory Intro Call and get a behind-the-scenes look at how coaching works.

Ready to connect?
Reach out by email or phone — just click here to get started.

Have you subscribed to my YouTube channel yet?
Don’t miss out — click here and stay inspired.

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Manufacture Your Day by BEING AUTHENTIC

karin — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 07:50:14 +0000

Would you agree that we need more authentic people in the workplace?

Authenticity means to be true to yourself and to your character.

The “old school” management style in manufacturing companies has forced many people to become pretenders. They pretend to be somebody else.

Just recently, somebody said to me, “Karin, I feel so good when I can go home because that’s when I can finally be myself.”

How productive can employees be when they have to waste so much energy on hiding who they really are?

Everybody is different and people want different things. Some are motivated by money, others by a promotion/title, creative thought or having an impact on other people’s lives. We have to stop trying to fit people into a mould.

Here are the first steps on how to live an authentic life:

1. Know What You Want And “Why” You Want It

Most people know what they don’t like, don’t have and don’t want and they complain about it all day. Knowing what you want and thinking about your values (what is important to you) is a great first step. Your “why” will help you when the going gets tough.

2. Set a Goal and Make it SMART

If you know what you want, you have to set a goal. A goal has to be S (specific), M (measurable), A (achievable), R (realistic) and T (time-bound). We cannot improve anything if we cannot measure it.

3. Make a Plan

Many people make it to step 2 but they don’t know how to implement it. If I train for a marathon, I know exactly what days of the week I will run my short runs, my tempo runs, my speed runs and my long runs. The same is true for any kind of goal. If you don’t have a plan, somebody else will make the plan for you, and this plan may not be what you had in mind.

4. Take Action, Action, Action

Take tiny steps towards your goal. As long as you move forward it’s a win. It’s never about speed, it’s about doing something to get closer to your goal. Here is one of my favourite quotes that helps me to stay action-oriented:

“No Matter How Slow You Go, You’re Still Lapping Everyone on the Couch!”

It is about progress, not perfection. Have the courage to be authentic! It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved.

Have a great weekend!

Food for Thought:

Do you feel you can really be yourself at work?

Read the article:

The Secrets of Being Authentic

Curious about coaching and wondering if it’s the right fit for you?
Let’s talk. Schedule a no-obligation Exploratory Intro Call and get a behind-the-scenes look at how coaching works.

Ready to connect?
Reach out by email or phone — just click here to get started.

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Don’t miss out — click here and stay inspired.

The post Manufacture Your Day by BEING AUTHENTIC appeared first on Karico International Inc. | Employee Engagement and Motivation in the Manufacturing Sector.

Manufacture Your Day by UNDERSTANDING WHY MINDSET MATTERS

karin — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 07:50:51 +0000

It’s Wednesday and it’s time for “Manufacturing Leadership Minute” with Karin and Adrian.

Make sure to watch our video by clicking the picture below:

VIDEO ⇒

One of the things that I have noticed in the corporate world is that everyone seems to be searching for the causes of failure. I have to ask myself why no one seems to be searching for the causes of success.

“Understanding the cause of failure is important. Understanding the cause of success is far more powerful.”

~ Ed Oakley

Focusing on targets, profits, numbers and facts is the norm in the most workplaces, but most leaders forget that in order to achieve those numbers, they need to have their employees on board.

A while ago a General Manager said, “Karin, we know what has to happen and what needs to change, but what we know and what we do are two very different things. There is simply no sense of urgency and as long as we can drag it out, we will.”

Today I want to ask you:

Why don’t we think that the pursuit of perfection is everyone’s job?
Why have we settled for mediocrity?
How do you think the bottom line is impacted when employees are negative, frustrated and stressed?
Why are we trying to secure the right answers instead of pursuing the right questions?

Be determined to have the mindset to win, to succeed and to start serving your team. After all, your team is the secret to your success.

What are you waiting for?

(excerpt from my book “How Can We Make Manufacturing Sexy?”)

Food for Thought:

How high are the stress levels in your work environment? What do you think is the impact on people and the bottom line?

Please read the following article:

What is the impact of stress in the workplace?

Curious about coaching and wondering if it’s the right fit for you?
Let’s talk. Schedule a no-obligation Exploratory Intro Call and get a behind-the-scenes look at how coaching works.

Ready to connect?
Reach out by email or phone — just click here to get started.

Have you subscribed to my YouTube channel yet?
Don’t miss out — click here and stay inspired.

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