Dean E. Carter is the CEO of Instill, a company dedicated to driving cultural transformation within organizations through advanced AI and real-time organizational intelligence. With a proven track record of stabilizing at-risk engagements and building billion-dollar businesses, Dean has held senior executive and board leadership roles at renowned companies such as Patagonia, Sears, Fossil, and Guild, and is the co-author of the #1 bestselling book Employee Experience Design. He is widely recognized for developing innovative employee experiences, nurturing the next generation of leaders, and shaping workplace cultures that balance both business performance and human wellbeing.

Uncertainty has a way of exposing the cracks in leadership. When pressure mounts and answers are unclear, what actually keeps people aligned, motivated, and willing to stay in the boat together?

According to Dean E. Carter, a longtime people-first leadership thinker, trust is built through everyday actions, not grand speeches. He points to simple but powerful moments, like keeping your word, listening with intent, and leaving people and organizations better than you found them, as the real foundations of leadership. In times of disruption, those habits become the difference between teams that fragment and teams that rise together

In this episode of In Good Company: Where Relationships Drive Results, Lisa Kilrea is joined by Dean E. Carter, CEO of Instill, to discuss how leaders build trust in uncertain times. They explore why trust breaks down when leaders default to process over people, how relationships drive performance even in crisis, and what it means to design employee experiences with — not for — your teams. Dean also shares advice on using transparency, consistency, and learning to lead people through change with confidence.

Eric Strickler is the Head of Marketing at Functional Devices, a company that manufactures electronic control products for HVAC, building automation, and industrial control systems. Under Eric's leadership, Functional Devices produces more than 4 million products annually, with a field failure rate of less than one in 16,000, and its Relay in a Box line has become synonymous with quality and reliability in the sector. With a diverse background spanning sales, marketing, and B2B consulting, Eric brings a customer-centric and data-driven approach to driving growth and operational excellence.

Manufacturing in the US has never been simple, but staying innovative while keeping customers at the center is a different kind of challenge. What does it really take for a manufacturing company to remain relevant, competitive, and trusted over decades without losing sight of the people it serves?

According to Eric Strickler, a seasoned manufacturing and operations leader, the answer starts and ends with genuine customer focus. He explains that at the strongest companies, this mindset isn't a slogan but a shared behavior, from leadership all the way to the production floor, where even the smallest component is treated as mission critical. That kind of discipline creates reliability, trust, and staying power in an industry where failure of a single part can bring an entire system down.

In this episode of In Good Company: Where Relationships Drive Results, Lisa Kilrea is joined by Eric Strickler, Head of Marketing at Functional Devices, to discuss redefining customer focus and innovation in US manufacturing. They explore how customer-centric thinking drives long-term competitiveness, why simplicity and quality fuel product longevity, and how marketing and operations must align to create demand.

Joel Onyshuk is the Vice President of Sales at Formic, a company that helps manufacturing leaders address labor and operational challenges through robots-as-a-service for end-of-line automation. Under Joel's leadership, Formic has worked with thousands of manufacturers to deliver rapid automation solutions that drive operational savings, such as 20% reductions in OPEX costs and dramatic productivity improvements. Joel is also a podcast host and content creator, known for his relational approach to leadership and insights on innovation, growth, and building strong business cultures.

As manufacturing demands intensify, automation is no longer a luxury — it's a necessity. Yet automation still feels out of reach for many. What if the biggest barrier isn't the technology itself, but the way we think about adopting it?

According to Joel Onyshuk, a seasoned manufacturing sales leader with extensive experience in high-growth environments, the answer lies in removing friction from the process entirely. He explains that automation works best when it's treated like a service, not a massive capital gamble, allowing teams to point to a problem and have it solved without disruption. That shift doesn't just accelerate adoption, it changes how manufacturers compete, adapt, and stay resilient in a fast-moving industry.

In this episode of In Good Company: Where Relationships Drive Results, Lisa Kilrea is joined by Joel Onyshuk, Vice President of Sales at Formic, to discuss making automation accessible and effective for modern manufacturers. They explore how robots-as-a-service lowers barriers to automation, why software is becoming just as critical as hardware, and how automation helps address labor and productivity challenges.