Automation Ladies

Your digital transformation plan is probably not failing because you picked the wrong protocol. It’s failing because IT and OT are solving different problems with different timelines, different risk tolerance, and zero shared language. We sit down with David Ariens and Willem van Lammeren from the ITOT Insider podcast to get honest about what it really takes to make IT/OT convergence work inside real manufacturing and critical infrastructure. We trace how they went from plant roles at BASF to building IT/OT Insider as a “therapy session” that turned into a blog, a podcast, a live online academy, and now a new book, The IT/OT Handbook. Along the way, we talk industrial cybersecurity after Stuxnet, why vendors struggle to position products, and why most teams are not limited by technology as much as cooperation, politics, ownership, and decision-making. We also dig into scaling, because proofs of concept are cheap and production is brutal. From “pilot purgatory” to the bus factor (or lottery problem), we unpack what it takes to move from a clever demo to something secure, supportable, and sustainable. If you care about DataOps, unified namespace thinking, industrial data platforms, or AI in manufacturing, this conversation keeps the focus where it belongs: the operating model around the tech. Bonus: we’re giving away free copies of The IT/OT Handbook. Post on LinkedIn, link to this episode, tag Automation Ladies and IT/OT Insider, share what you liked (or didn’t), and say you want the book. First 10 people get a copy. Subscribe, share this with one OT or IT friend who needs it, and leave a review so more automation folks can find the show. Support the show _________________________________________________________________ 🎙 About Automation Ladies Automation Ladies is an industrial automation podcast spotlighting the engineers, integrators, innovators, and leaders shaping the future of manufacturing. __________________________________________________________________ 🎤 Want to be a guest on the show? https://www.automationladies.io/guests/intake/ __________________________________________________________________ 👩‍🏭 Connect with the Hosts Nikki Gonzales Courtney Fernandez Ali G __________________________________________________________________ 🎟 The Automation Ladies Community Conference: https://otscada.com Learn more about the hosts’ industrial automation conference OT SCADA CON attended by 100+ automation professionals, engineers, integrators, and technology leaders for hands-on learning, real-world case studies, and meaningful industry connections. 🎬 Credits Produced by: Veronica Espinoza Music by: Sam Janes P.S. - Help our podcast grow with ...

Edge computing sounds clean on a slide deck, but the factory floor is where the definition gets real fast. We talk with Zoie Rittling, an edge computing specialist at TEGUAR, about what “compute close to the data” actually means when you’re dealing with heat, dust, vibration, uptime pressure, and constant change. If you have ever wondered why a normal laptop dies on a production line, or what makes an industrial box PC, panel PC, or edge server the right fit for OT workloads, we break it down in plain language with concrete examples like machine vision and quality inspection. From there, we shift into the human side of industrial automation: how consultative B2B hardware sales works when you cannot manufacture demand and budget cycles run the show. Zoie shares why cold outbound is really a relationship game, why patience pays dividends over nine to eighteen month deal cycles, and how trade shows succeed or fail based on the planning and the post-show follow-up. We also talk about building a collaborative inside sales culture that protects customer experience instead of letting reps compete over the same account. We wrap by busting two expensive myths: industrial computers can be powerful, and edge AI does not automatically require a massive GPU. The goal is right-sizing hardware to the workload so performance is solid and ROI is real. Along the way we get into mentorship, imposter syndrome, and the value of being humble enough to ask questions, whether you are a new account executive or an engineer leaning on vendors and applications teams for expertise. Subscribe for more conversations on industrial automation, edge computing, OT hardware, and the people who make it work, then share this episode with a coworker and leave a review with your biggest edge deployment lesson. Support the show _________________________________________________________________ 🎙 About Automation Ladies Automation Ladies is an industrial automation podcast spotlighting the engineers, integrators, innovators, and leaders shaping the future of manufacturing. __________________________________________________________________ 🎤 Want to be a guest on the show? https://www.automationladies.io/guests/intake/ __________________________________________________________________ 👩‍🏭 Connect with the Hosts Nikki Gonzales Courtney Fernandez Ali G __________________________________________________________________ 🎟 The Automation Ladies Community Conference: https://otscada.com Learn more about the hosts’ industrial automation conference OT SCADA CON attended by 100+ automation professionals, engineers, integrators, and technology leaders for hands-on learning, real-world case studies, and meaningful industry connections. 🎬 Credits Produced by: Veronica Espinoza Music by: Sam Janes P.S. - Help our podcast grow with ...

“We do it with AI” is easy to say. Making robots work through contact, uncertainty, and variation on a real factory floor is the hard part. We sit down with Whitney Dills from Thought Forge AI to unpack an approach to industrial robotics control that flips a common assumption: more data does not automatically mean better performance. Whitney explains active inference, a neuroscience rooted framework that treats robot control as continuous prediction and correction using real time sensory feedback. Instead of bloated backpropagation models that demand huge datasets and retraining for every edge case, Thought Forge trains quickly on small amounts of data and adapts after deployment. We talk about why that matters for insertion and complex manipulation, where torque, joint state, and haptics decide success or failure. If you have ever watched a slick picking demo fall apart the moment parts vary, lighting shifts, or fixtures drift, this conversation connects the dots. We also get practical about adoption: edge AI that can run on a CPU, the risks of GPU dependence, and how data ownership and IP concerns shape buyer trust. Whitney shares why their models stay on premise, why off the shelf robots and sensors often win over novel vertically integrated stacks, and how to think about cobots versus humanoids when reliability and cycle time are non negotiable. Subscribe for more conversations that cut through robotics hype, share this with someone evaluating “physical AI” for manufacturing, and leave a review with the one automation task you most want AI to finally handle. Support the show _________________________________________________________________ 🎙 About Automation Ladies Automation Ladies is an industrial automation podcast spotlighting the engineers, integrators, innovators, and leaders shaping the future of manufacturing. __________________________________________________________________ 🎤 Want to be a guest on the show? https://www.automationladies.io/guests/intake/ __________________________________________________________________ 👩‍🏭 Connect with the Hosts Nikki Gonzales Courtney Fernandez Ali G __________________________________________________________________ 🎟 The Automation Ladies Community Conference: https://otscada.com Learn more about the hosts’ industrial automation conference OT SCADA CON attended by 100+ automation professionals, engineers, integrators, and technology leaders for hands-on learning, real-world case studies, and meaningful industry connections. 🎬 Credits Produced by: Veronica Espinoza Music by: Sam Janes P.S. - Help our podcast grow with ...

Paper schematics feel “reliable” until they are the reason a shutdown drags on, a cabinet print is wrong, or a tech makes a split-second mistake under pressure. We sit down with Dylan from Lightstream, a Belgian family-owned industrial automation company, to get brutally practical about what it takes to move maintenance from binders and drawers to a digital workflow that technicians will actually use. We unpack Cabinet Manager, which Dylan calls the digital Swiss pocket knife for technicians. The promise is simple: scan a code at the machine and instantly pull up the right electrical schematics, manuals, procedures, and diagrams in one place, tailored to who you are (electrician, mechanic, PLC programmer). From there, updates and annotations are captured as the work happens, so “as-built” documentation stops being a fantasy and starts becoming a habit. Then we go deep on augmented reality in manufacturing. Dylan shares real demo data comparing troubleshooting by paper, tablet, and AR, and why AR can slash time because the information is in your field of view and your hands stay free. We also challenge the easy narrative around AI: manuals are not the same as experience, and the real win is capturing tribal knowledge from veteran technicians before it retires out the door. Along the way, we talk safety and lockout tagout, labor shortages, retention pressure from data centers, and why humanoid robots may be more PR than practical in today’s plants. If you care about digital transformation in industrial maintenance, OT reliability, and safer troubleshooting, this one is for you. Subscribe, share it with a maintenance leader, and leave a review with your take: what is the biggest barrier to going paperless where you work? _________________________________________________________________ 👾 Connect with Dylan Linkedin Lightstream BE Linkedin Lightstream BE website Support the show _________________________________________________________________ 🎙 About Automation Ladies Automation Ladies is an industrial automation podcast spotlighting the engineers, integrators, innovators, and leaders shaping the future of manufacturing. __________________________________________________________________ 🎤 Want to be a guest on the show? https://www.automationladies.io/guests/intake/ __________________________________________________________________ 👩‍🏭 Connect with the Hosts Nikki Gonzales Courtney Fernandez Ali G __________________________________________________________________ 🎟 The Automation Ladies Community Conference: https://otscada.com Learn more about the hosts’ industrial automation conference OT SCADA CON attended by 100+ automation professionals, engineers, integrators, and technology leaders for hands-on learning, real-world case studies, and meaningful industry connections. 🎬 Credits Produced by: Veronica Espinoza Music by: Sam Janes P.S. - Help our podcast grow with ...

Your engineering degree taught you equations. Then your first job asks you to troubleshoot a VFD, commission a skid, and explain the problem to five different people without melting down. That jump is real, and it’s exactly what we dig into with Alice Ristoff and Cassie Gardner from eTech Group. We talk about the many on-ramps into controls engineering and industrial automation and why there isn’t one “correct” major. Chemical engineering, bioengineering, mechanical, electrical, and even biology backgrounds can thrive when you bring curiosity, solid problem solving, and the willingness to learn PLC programming and SCADA basics. Alice and Cassie share concrete ways to break in, including finding mentors, running informational interviews, and building marketable skills like Ignition SCADA credentials that can help you get your foot in the door. From there, we move to what makes technical teams actually work: active listening versus presuming, validating what you heard, asking clarifying questions, and naming the feelings behind the facts. We also challenge the idea that management is the only path to career growth, talk about handling conflict directly, and share how to support engineers across different generations. You’ll also hear honest stories about commissioning, making expensive mistakes, and why ownership plus documentation beats panic every time. If you’re trying to enter industrial automation, level up as a controls engineer, or lead better on projects without scope creep, this one is for you. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s breaking into automation, and leave a review so more engineers can find the show. Support the show _________________________________________________________________ 🎙 About Automation Ladies Automation Ladies is an industrial automation podcast spotlighting the engineers, integrators, innovators, and leaders shaping the future of manufacturing. __________________________________________________________________ 🎤 Want to be a guest on the show? https://www.automationladies.io/guests/intake/ __________________________________________________________________ 👩‍🏭 Connect with the Hosts Nikki Gonzales Courtney Fernandez Ali G __________________________________________________________________ 🎟 The Automation Ladies Community Conference: https://otscada.com Learn more about the hosts’ industrial automation conference OT SCADA CON attended by 100+ automation professionals, engineers, integrators, and technology leaders for hands-on learning, real-world case studies, and meaningful industry connections. 🎬 Credits Produced by: Veronica Espinoza Music by: Sam Janes P.S. - Help our podcast grow with ...

AI isn’t just a software story, it’s a power story, a controls story, and a “how do we actually build this stuff” story. After the EPC show in Houston, I sit down with Dennis Ganson from Schneider Electric to unpack what’s changing in industrial automation and energy, and how you can stay useful as the pace picks up. Dennis shares his career path from West Point and the US Army into GE Energy, field service, project leadership, and strategic sales, eventually landing in process automation. We talk about what he leads at Schneider Electric across the Foxboro and Triconex world, and why process automation and discrete automation are different in practice even when customers need both. If you’ve ever felt boxed into one niche, this conversation makes the case for learning laterally and building a strong technical network. We also dig into what we heard at EPC: data center buildouts, utility constraints, gas turbine bottlenecks, and the craft labor shortage that no spreadsheet can wish away. Then we bring it back to technology, how modern control systems unlock more plant data, why that changes predictive maintenance and optimization, and what “software-defined automation” and truly open architecture can mean when supply chains get messy. If you’re navigating DCS vs PLC decisions, tracking AI infrastructure demand, or just trying to understand where automation is headed next, you’ll leave with clearer mental models and better questions to ask. Subscribe, share this with a friend in controls or energy, and leave a review telling us what topic you want us to chase next. Support the show _________________________________________________________________ 🎙 About Automation Ladies Automation Ladies is an industrial automation podcast spotlighting the engineers, integrators, innovators, and leaders shaping the future of manufacturing. __________________________________________________________________ 🎤 Want to be a guest on the show? https://www.automationladies.io/guests/intake/ __________________________________________________________________ 👩‍🏭 Connect with the Hosts Nikki Gonzales Courtney Fernandez Ali G __________________________________________________________________ 🎟 The Automation Ladies Community Conference: https://otscada.com Learn more about the hosts’ industrial automation conference OT SCADA CON attended by 100+ automation professionals, engineers, integrators, and technology leaders for hands-on learning, real-world case studies, and meaningful industry connections. 🎬 Credits Produced by: Veronica Espinoza Music by: Sam Janes P.S. - Help our podcast grow with ...

ROI math can be brutally simple, and that’s exactly why it often fails in industrial automation. If your spreadsheet only asks “how many heads are we replacing,” you might get a clean payback number, but you also risk approving the wrong projects and rejecting the right ones. We’re joined by Christine Busch, who leads Schneider Electric’s Robotic Center of Excellence, to talk about what return on investment should look like when you’re trying to make robotics deployments truly successful. We dig into the payback expectations Christine sees most often, typically 18 to 24 months, and why finance teams still push for 12. Then we widen the lens to the costs and constraints plants routinely overlook: turnover in high-churn roles, recruiting and training spend, performance instability, and the cultural damage that happens when automation is framed as “replacing humans.” Christine argues that many of the best robotics wins come from automating the dirty, dull, and dangerous work no one wants to keep, then empowering operators to run the line better through upskilling and clearer ownership. From there, we introduce a practical way to rethink the business case with what Christine calls a plant vitality index: reliability, downtime, maintenance burden, aging equipment and spare parts risk, KPIs like OEE, digital transformation readiness, and how well you use data for productivity, energy management, and sustainability goals. We also get real about cobots, why the space is more mature now, and why safety depends on whether the application is actually collaborative. To wrap, we touch on Schneider’s bigger vision, including software-defined automation, EcoStruxure Automation Expert, and the Universal Automation ecosystem. Subscribe for more conversations on industrial automation and robotics, share this with a teammate building ROI cases, and leave a review if you want more practical frameworks like this. Support the show _________________________________________________________________ 🎙 About Automation Ladies Automation Ladies is an industrial automation podcast spotlighting the engineers, integrators, innovators, and leaders shaping the future of manufacturing. __________________________________________________________________ 🎤 Want to be a guest on the show? https://www.automationladies.io/guests/intake/ __________________________________________________________________ 👩‍🏭 Connect with the Hosts Nikki Gonzales: https://linkedin.com/in/nikki-gonzales Courtney Fernandez: https://linkedin.com/in/courtneydfernandez Ali G: https://linkedin.com/in/alicia-gilpin-ali-g-process-controls-engineering __________________________________________________________________ 🎟 The Automation Ladies Community Conference: https://otscada.com Learn more about the hosts’ industrial automation conference OT SCADA CON attended by 100+ automation professionals, engineers, integrators, and technology leaders for hands-on learning, real-world case studies, and meaningful industry connections. 🎬 Credits Produced by: Veronica Espinoza Music by: Sam Janes ...

“Manufacturing is still the place where you can start out sweeping the floor and end up running the company” is a bold claim, so we brought on someone who has lived the full arc. I’m joined by Matt Kirkner from the Tech Ed Podcast to unpack how advanced manufacturing, industrial automation, and technical education can still deliver real upward mobility and why the American dream is less about nostalgia and more about building better opportunities for the next generation.  We get practical about what has to change inside manufacturing companies to make that promise believable: clean and modern plants, serious attention to safety, and a culture that treats people as long-term investments rather than quarterly expenses. Matt shares why layoffs for convenience poison trust, how “destination employer” thinking improves workforce retention, and the non-obvious reasons employees stay: they like their coworkers, feel respected and heard, have freedom from micromanagement, and believe in a mission that goes beyond profit.  On the education and workforce development side, we dig into the real gap between what industry needs and what students learn, including why exposure must start early, especially for girls who often self-select out of STEM by middle school. We also talk Industry 4.0 and digital transformation in plain terms, from smart sensors at the edge to PLCs and HMIs, OT cybersecurity, and how applied AI is showing up in robotics, drones, and modern manufacturing systems.  If you care about building a stronger manufacturing workforce or you’re carving out your own path in automation, listen, share this with a friend in the field, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Support the show __________________________________________________________________ 🎙 About Automation Ladies Automation Ladies is an industrial automation podcast spotlighting the engineers, integrators, innovators, and leaders shaping the future of manufacturing. __________________________________________________________________ 🎤 Want to be a guest on the show? https://www.automationladies.io/guests/intake/ __________________________________________________________________ 👩‍🏭 Connect with the Hosts Nikki Gonzales: https://linkedin.com/in/nikki-gonzales Courtney Fernandez: https://linkedin.com/in/courtneydfernandez Ali G: https://linkedin.com/in/alicia-gilpin-ali-g-process-controls-engineering __________________________________________________________________ 🎟 The Automation Ladies Community Conference: https://otscada.com Learn more about the hosts’ industrial automation conference OT SCADA CON attended by 100+ automation professionals, engineers, integrators, and technology leaders for hands-on learning, real-world case studies, and meaningful industry connections. 🎬 Credits Produced by: Veronica Espinoza Music by: Sam Janes P.S. - Help our podcast grow with a 5-star podcast review if you love us! 

Most automation projects stall long before the first robot moves. Not because the technology isn’t ready, but because buying feels like a maze: vague budgets, endless “it depends” quotes, and months of back-and-forth just to learn what something costs. We sit down with Wes from FANUC to talk about a different path for manufacturers, especially in food and beverage packaging: standard, scalable robotic solutions you can pilot quickly and then replicate across lines or plants. We dig into what “automation made simple” looks like on the ground, including FANUC’s CRX cobots and the growing partner ecosystem behind ready-to-deploy applications like cobot palletizers. We talk about why transparent pricing and show-floor demos can lower the barrier to trying automation, how lead times improve when systems are standardized, and why some suppliers can even support trial periods or quick evaluations before you fully commit. If you’re newer to robotics automation, we share a practical way to approach evaluation: define your SKUs, speeds, payloads, and KPIs before you get distracted by a shiny demo. We also get real about what drives success after install: operator-friendly HMIs, changeover flexibility, safety and risk assessment choices like area scanners, and the small day-to-day tweaks that keep a system running for years. If this helps you think more clearly about your next automation decision, subscribe, share the episode with a teammate, and leave a quick review so more manufacturers can find it. Support the show __________________________________________________________________ 🎙 About Automation Ladies Automation Ladies is an industrial automation podcast spotlighting the engineers, integrators, innovators, and leaders shaping the future of manufacturing. __________________________________________________________________ 🎤 Want to be a guest on the show? https://www.automationladies.io/guests/intake/ __________________________________________________________________ 👩‍🏭 Connect with the Hosts Nikki Gonzales: https://linkedin.com/in/nikki-gonzales Courtney Fernandez: https://linkedin.com/in/courtneydfernandez Ali G: https://linkedin.com/in/alicia-gilpin-ali-g-process-controls-engineering __________________________________________________________________ 🎟 The Automation Ladies Community Conference: https://otscada.com Learn more about the hosts’ industrial automation conference OT SCADA CON attended by 100+ automation professionals, engineers, integrators, and technology leaders for hands-on learning, real-world case studies, and meaningful industry connections. 🎬 Credits Produced by: Veronica Espinoza Music by: Sam Janes P.S. - Help our podcast grow with a 5-star podcast review if you love us! 

Most workforce development advice sounds good until you try to scale it. Today we get specific, practical, and a little disruptive with PJ McGrew, Senior Vice President of Talent Strategy and Programming at Conexus Indiana, on why the Swiss apprenticeship model works and what it takes to adapt it for modern manufacturing in the United States. We talk about the real bottleneck nobody wants to admit: education systems cannot sustainably deliver dozens of employer-specific training plans. PJ shares how an industry talent association can bring manufacturers together to define shared occupational standards, then translate those standards into repeatable high school CTE courses and work-based learning. The goal is a clearer, employer-led pathway that starts in a student’s junior year, navigates hazardous occupation rules, and builds job-ready skills that reduce retraining on day one. We also zoom out to the bigger picture: changing how families define a “good job,” opening factory doors so students can see clean, tech-enabled facilities, and building foundational skills that let people specialize later. That includes CNC, automation and robotics, PLC concepts, and especially troubleshooting and adaptability. We wrap with what manufacturers can do right now to start small, train supervisors to mentor teens, and connect talent strategy with digital adoption, including the rising pressure to add AI literacy and prompt-writing skills. If you found this useful, subscribe for more conversations on industrial automation careers, share the episode with a manufacturer or educator, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Support the show __________________________________________________________________ 🎙 About Automation Ladies Automation Ladies is an industrial automation podcast spotlighting the engineers, integrators, innovators, and leaders shaping the future of manufacturing. __________________________________________________________________ 🎤 Want to be a guest on the show? https://www.automationladies.io/guests/intake/ __________________________________________________________________ 👩‍🏭 Connect with the Hosts Nikki Gonzales: https://linkedin.com/in/nikki-gonzales Courtney Fernandez: https://linkedin.com/in/courtneydfernandez Ali G: https://linkedin.com/in/alicia-gilpin-ali-g-process-controls-engineering __________________________________________________________________ 🎟 The Automation Ladies Community Conference: https://otscada.com Learn more about the hosts’ industrial automation conference OT SCADA CON attended by 100+ automation professionals, engineers, integrators, and technology leaders for hands-on learning, real-world case studies, and meaningful industry connections. 🎬 Credits Produced by: Veronica Espinoza Music by: Sam Janes P.S. - Help our podcast grow with a 5-star podcast review if you love us! 

Cloud-first AI sounds great until you remember what a factory actually is: proprietary recipes, fragile uptime, legacy controls that still run fine, and a small team expected to keep everything profitable. We sit down with Brian Thykin, Head of Revenue at Sorba AI, to talk about what industrial AI and machine learning should look like when it’s built for OT instead of for slide decks. The through-line is simple: the people closest to the process should be the ones shaping the models, and the tech should meet them where they work.  We break down Sorba’s end-to-end on-prem AI ML platform, from industrial data connectors and unified data access to no-code AutoML that can produce anomaly detection, forecasting, advanced process control, and digital twin models. Brian explains why “AI needs the cloud” is often the wrong assumption for manufacturing, how closed-loop control can drive more consistent yield than reactive PID hunting, and why the best results come from rapid iteration that proves value in minutes rather than burning months on a traditional data science cycle.  Then we zoom out to careers and credibility. Brian shares his hot takes on what skills survive automation, why fundamentals and hands-on troubleshooting still matter, and why “one size fits all” pre-trained models rarely match how your specific plant behaves. We also call out the difference between a real digital twin that enables what-if optimization using time-series data and the kind that looks nice but doesn’t move KPIs.  If you care about industrial AI, OT security, predictive maintenance, digital twins, and the future of controls engineering, this conversation will sharpen your filter for hype and help you spot practical wins. Subscribe, share this with a plant engineer who’s skeptical of AI, and leave a review with your take: where do you think AI truly belongs in manufacturing? Support the show __________________________________________________________________ 🎙 About Automation Ladies Automation Ladies is an industrial automation podcast spotlighting the engineers, integrators, innovators, and leaders shaping the future of manufacturing. __________________________________________________________________ 🎤 Want to be a guest on the show? https://www.automationladies.io/guests/intake/ __________________________________________________________________ 👩‍🏭 Connect with the Hosts Nikki Gonzales: https://linkedin.com/in/nikki-gonzales Courtney Fernandez: https://linkedin.com/in/courtneydfernandez Ali G: https://linkedin.com/in/alicia-gilpin-ali-g-process-controls-engineering __________________________________________________________________ 🎟 The Automation Ladies Community Conference: https://otscada.com Learn more about the hosts’ industrial automation conference OT SCADA CON attended by 100+ automation professionals, engineers, integrators, and technology leaders for hands-on learning, real-world case studies, and meaningful industry connections. 🎬 Credits Produced by: Veronica Espinoza Music by: Sam Janes P.S. - Help our podcast grow with a 5-star podcast review if you love us! 

Everyone’s talking about AI, humanoids, and the “factory of the future” but plenty of plants are still held together with undocumented panels, obsolete PLCs, and the same hard production constraints they’ve had for decades. Nikki sits down with Rylan Paishack from Cleveland Automation Systems to sort out what actually works when you’re responsible for keeping equipment running and delivering automation projects that survive real life. We get into Rylan’s path through manufacturing, Rockwell co-ops, OEM work, and system integration, then the leap into building his own automation business. Along the way we talk about why the integrator role forces nonstop learning, how good vendor relationships and honest communication save projects, and why a site assessment and full line walk can reveal the “missing truth” that never shows up in a scope document. If you’ve ever inherited a machine built in the 1950s, you’ll recognize the problems instantly. Then we dig into the tension between shiny new tech and the basics: modern connectivity, new HMIs that still talk to PLC5 and SLC systems, and what has to happen before advanced tools can deliver value. We also talk about CodeSys adoption, subscription fatigue across industrial software, and where AI can genuinely help controls engineers with debugging and repeatable work without pretending it can replace human judgment on a production line. If this conversation helps you think more clearly about modernizing legacy equipment, choosing technology that will be supportable long-term, or building a healthier automation career path, subscribe to Automation Ladies, share the episode with a teammate, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Support the show __________________________________________________________________ 🎙 About Automation Ladies Automation Ladies is an industrial automation podcast spotlighting the engineers, integrators, innovators, and leaders shaping the future of manufacturing. __________________________________________________________________ 🎤 Want to be a guest on the show? https://www.automationladies.io/guests/intake/ __________________________________________________________________ 👩‍🏭 Connect with the Hosts Nikki Gonzales: https://linkedin.com/in/nikki-gonzales Courtney Fernandez: https://linkedin.com/in/courtneydfernandez Ali G: https://linkedin.com/in/alicia-gilpin-ali-g-process-controls-engineering __________________________________________________________________ 🎟 The Automation Ladies Community Conference: https://otscada.com Learn more about the hosts’ industrial automation conference OT SCADA CON attended by 100+ automation professionals, engineers, integrators, and technology leaders for hands-on learning, real-world case studies, and meaningful industry connections. 🎬 Credits Produced by: Veronica Espinoza Music by: Sam Janes P.S. - Help our podcast grow with a 5-star podcast review if you love us! 

“Digital transformation” sounds exciting until you’re standing in front of a 30-year-old panel with missing drawings and a line that cannot go down. Nikki sits down with Carrie Brown and Krista Beyhaut from Wesco to get real about what modernization actually looks like across manufacturing, especially for plants that are stuck spending their entire budget on downtime instead of upgrades.  We talk career journeys that don’t follow a straight line and why that’s normal in industrial automation. Carrie shares how a mechanical engineering background and years in telecom and analytics led her into distribution sales, while Krista breaks down how early sales leadership training and deep plant exposure shaped her approach to automation strategy. Along the way, we dig into what it’s like to find community as women in automation when you care more about how things work than fitting a mold.  From there, we zoom into the plant floor: varying stages of modernization, the hidden cost of “black box” legacy systems, and the uncomfortable truth that AI in manufacturing can’t deliver much if you can’t reliably access PLC data. Carrie and Krista explain why an assessment or modernization health check is often the best first step, how Wesco brings the right specialists into the room, and how vetted partners like AI integrators can turn the right data into real ROI with predictive models. We also hit labor shortages, cobots, AGVs, Spot, and the rising curiosity around humanoid robots and AI copilots.  If you enjoy grounded automation talk with practical takeaways, subscribe, share this with a friend in manufacturing, and leave a review so more people can find Automation Ladies. Support the show __________________________________________________________________ 🎙 About Automation Ladies Automation Ladies is an industrial automation podcast spotlighting the engineers, integrators, innovators, and leaders shaping the future of manufacturing. __________________________________________________________________ 🎤 Want to be a guest on the show? https://www.automationladies.io/guests/intake/ __________________________________________________________________ 👩‍🏭 Connect with the Hosts Nikki Gonzales: https://linkedin.com/in/nikki-gonzales Courtney Fernandez: https://linkedin.com/in/courtneydfernandez Ali G: https://linkedin.com/in/alicia-gilpin-ali-g-process-controls-engineering __________________________________________________________________ 🎟 The Automation Ladies Community Conference: https://otscada.com Learn more about the hosts’ industrial automation conference OT SCADA CON attended by 100+ automation professionals, engineers, integrators, and technology leaders for hands-on learning, real-world case studies, and meaningful industry connections. 🎬 Credits Produced by: Veronica Espinoza Music by: Sam Janes P.S. - Help our podcast grow with a 5-star podcast review if you love us! 

Getting laid off can either shrink your world or force it open. When we sit down with Yogashri Pradhan, she walks us through how she’s navigated the reality of a cyclical oil and gas industry and why she chose entrepreneurship anyway, building Iron Lady Energy Advisors and taking on fractional leadership roles that keep her close to real operational problems and real outcomes.  We talk about what it actually means to “choose your hard” and how discipline, grief, and career reinvention can exist in the same season of life. Yogashri shares how she thinks about staying marketable, why internships and hands-on experience matter so much in engineering, and how continuous learning becomes a professional safety net. Along the way we connect the dots between industrial automation, field operations, and knowledge management, including how teams can capture hard-won field context so it doesn’t disappear during shift handovers or retirements.  Then we nerd out in the best way: Yogashri’s Petro Papers podcast and her mission to demystify technical papers by interviewing the authors and elevating technical voices. We also touch on applied AI realities, the growing energy demand tied to modern computing, and her upcoming quantum computing symposium at Rice University, plus her book Fueling Impact on building a brand and credibility in oil and gas.  If you’re looking for practical career development advice, mentorship insights, and a clear view of how technical curiosity can turn into leverage, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share this with a colleague, and leave us a review with the biggest “choose your hard” moment you’ve faced. Support the show __________________________________________________________________ 🎙 About Automation Ladies Automation Ladies is an industrial automation podcast spotlighting the engineers, integrators, innovators, and leaders shaping the future of manufacturing. __________________________________________________________________ 🎤 Want to be a guest on the show? https://www.automationladies.io/guests/intake/ __________________________________________________________________ 👩‍🏭 Connect with the Hosts Nikki Gonzales: https://linkedin.com/in/nikki-gonzales Courtney Fernandez: https://linkedin.com/in/courtneydfernandez Ali G: https://linkedin.com/in/alicia-gilpin-ali-g-process-controls-engineering __________________________________________________________________ 🎟 The Automation Ladies Community Conference: https://otscada.com Learn more about the hosts’ industrial automation conference OT SCADA CON attended by 100+ automation professionals, engineers, integrators, and technology leaders for hands-on learning, real-world case studies, and meaningful industry connections. 🎬 Credits Produced by: Veronica Espinoza Music by: Sam Janes P.S. - Help our podcast grow with a 5-star podcast review if you love us! 

In this episode of Automation Ladies, we step away from the technology and talk about something just as important: the people behind it. From nonlinear career paths to the pressure of “doing everything right,” this conversation dives into what work really looks like in today’s world, especially in industrial automation and manufacturing. Our guest shares her journey from engineering to technical writing and media, proving that careers don’t have to follow a straight line to be meaningful. Along the way, we explore how skills evolve, why curiosity matters more than rigid plans, and how combining different strengths can open unexpected doors. We also get into the realities we don’t talk about enough at work:  – Managing stress while staying professional  – Balancing personal life with career demands  – Navigating uncertainty in a rapidly changing industry  – Learning to lead, grow, and stay human in the process This episode is a reminder that behind every job title is a real person, figuring things out, adapting, and trying to make an impact. If you’ve ever questioned your path, felt stuck, or wondered what’s next in your career, this conversation is for you. Support the show __________________________________________________________________ 🎙 About Automation Ladies Automation Ladies is an industrial automation podcast spotlighting the engineers, integrators, innovators, and leaders shaping the future of manufacturing. __________________________________________________________________ 🎤 Want to be a guest on the show? https://www.automationladies.io/guests/intake/ __________________________________________________________________ 👩‍🏭 Connect with the Hosts Nikki Gonzales: https://linkedin.com/in/nikki-gonzales Courtney Fernandez: https://linkedin.com/in/courtneydfernandez Ali G: https://linkedin.com/in/alicia-gilpin-ali-g-process-controls-engineering __________________________________________________________________ 🎟 The Automation Ladies Community Conference: https://otscada.com Learn more about the hosts’ industrial automation conference OT SCADA CON attended by 100+ automation professionals, engineers, integrators, and technology leaders for hands-on learning, real-world case studies, and meaningful industry connections. 🎬 Credits Produced by: Veronica Espinoza Music by: Sam Janes P.S. - Help our podcast grow with a 5-star podcast review if you love us! 

Something shifted for us this year: the more we commit to doing less, the more we’re actually building. Nikki, Courtney, and Allie get together for a real catch-up on work, life, and what’s next for Automation Ladies, with stories that range from bigger robotics and better work-life balance to a brand-new view outside a bayou window in Louisiana. We also dig into OT SCADA CON and why it keeps feeling more like a community than a conference. OT SCADA CON runs July 22-24 at the Endress+Hauser Houston Campus in Pearland (south of Houston), and we share what’s new this year: fresh speakers, updated sections, the same 30-minute talk format, and the kind of fun that makes people stay late (taco trucks and karaoke included). If you care about operational technology, industrial automation, controls engineering, and modern data skills, you’ll especially want the part about databases and process historians and why that knowledge still runs so much of industry. Then we get practical about AI in manufacturing. No hype, no magic: we talk about where tools like Claude and OpenAI Whisper are finally saving real time, from generating documentation and polishing write-ups to building a custom raffle app that runs the way we want. We also lay out the guardrails we take seriously: review everything, don’t leak sensitive information, and follow your company AI policy. We wrap with where you can find us at Automate and other events, how we’re expanding the show with more correspondents, and our push for more live demo episodes (including a PID loop tuning software demo). Subscribe, share this with an automation friend, and leave a review so more people can find women-led conversations in industrial automation. Support the show __________________________________________________________________ 🎙 About Automation Ladies Automation Ladies is an industrial automation podcast spotlighting the engineers, integrators, innovators, and leaders shaping the future of manufacturing. __________________________________________________________________ 🎤 Want to be a guest on the show? https://www.automationladies.io/guests/intake/ __________________________________________________________________ 👩‍🏭 Connect with the Hosts Nikki Gonzales: https://linkedin.com/in/nikki-gonzales Courtney Fernandez: https://linkedin.com/in/courtneydfernandez Ali G: https://linkedin.com/in/alicia-gilpin-ali-g-process-controls-engineering __________________________________________________________________ 🎟 The Automation Ladies Community Conference: https://otscada.com Learn more about the hosts’ industrial automation conference OT SCADA CON attended by 100+ automation professionals, engineers, integrators, and technology leaders for hands-on learning, real-world case studies, and meaningful industry connections. 🎬 Credits Produced by: Veronica Espinoza Music by: Sam Janes P.S. - Help our podcast grow with a 5-star podcast review if you love us! 

Humanoid robots are getting real, and the biggest question isn’t “Can they dance?” It’s “Who’s going to understand them well enough to build, program, and fix them?” We sit down with Dr. Elliot Hefling Jr., founder of Reality Tech Academy, to talk about why he brings full-scale humanoid robots into education and why waiting until college is too late for most students, especially in underserved communities.  We get into what it looks like to teach robotics with Pepper and NAO using Python programming, live demos, and simulation tools like Choregraphe. Dr. Hefling explains his “plant the seed” approach: show students how the code works behind the scenes, let them test wild ideas safely, and help them see technology as something they can create. We also explore what social robots can realistically do today, from multilingual interaction to machine vision, obstacle avoidance, indoor navigation, and even early ideas for elder care support like reminders, guidance, and simple object retrieval within payload limits.  Along the way, we zoom out to the workforce problem: if humanoid robots become as common as computers, we’ll need an entire pipeline of people who can troubleshoot and maintain them. That’s where the episode lands, on becoming producers not just users, and building local skills so robotics doesn’t become a black box. Subscribe, share this with a friend in STEM education or industrial automation, and leave a review with one thing you’d want a humanoid robot to help with. Support the show __________________________________________________________________ 🎙 About Automation Ladies Automation Ladies is an industrial automation podcast spotlighting the engineers, integrators, innovators, and leaders shaping the future of manufacturing. __________________________________________________________________ 🎤 Want to be a guest on the show? https://www.automationladies.io/guests/intake/ __________________________________________________________________ 👩‍🏭 Connect with the Hosts Nikki Gonzales: https://linkedin.com/in/nikki-gonzales Courtney Fernandez: https://linkedin.com/in/courtneydfernandez Ali G: https://linkedin.com/in/alicia-gilpin-ali-g-process-controls-engineering __________________________________________________________________ 🎟 The Automation Ladies Community Conference: https://otscada.com Learn more about the hosts’ industrial automation conference OT SCADA CON attended by 100+ automation professionals, engineers, integrators, and technology leaders for hands-on learning, real-world case studies, and meaningful industry connections. 🎬 Credits Produced by: Veronica Espinoza Music by: Sam Janes P.S. - Help our podcast grow with a 5-star podcast review if you love us! 

You don’t need a perfectly planned career to become a manufacturing leader. Megan, Director of Manufacturing at Sentry Equipment, started in hospitality and landed in manufacturing because she wanted a more predictable schedule for family life. What happened next is the part most people miss: she fell in love with the shop floor, learned continuous improvement tools like QRM, Lean, and Six Sigma, and kept choosing roles that expanded her skills until she was leading manufacturing operations. We also get specific about what strong manufacturers do differently when hiring and developing people. Sentry runs a culture interview before a skills interview, betting on coachability, attitude, and learning speed. We talk about recruiting challenges, why marketing matters for hiring, and what companies can change right now to attract more women in manufacturing and a more diverse workforce without treating it like a checkbox. Then we go deeper into the hard parts of scaling a shop: building teams with complementary strengths, using personality assessments to improve training, and capturing tribal knowledge before it walks out the door. Megan shares how they’re moving toward clearer work instructions and easier access to process knowledge, plus where AI can save time in everyday work when used responsibly. If you want real-world manufacturing leadership insights and a clearer picture of how modern industrial companies grow talent, you’ll get a lot from this conversation. Subscribe to Automation Ladies, share the episode with a friend in manufacturing, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Support the show __________________________________________________________________ 🎙 About Automation Ladies Automation Ladies is an industrial automation podcast spotlighting the engineers, integrators, innovators, and leaders shaping the future of manufacturing. __________________________________________________________________ 🎤 Want to be a guest on the show? https://www.automationladies.io/guests/intake/ __________________________________________________________________ 👩‍🏭 Connect with the Hosts Nikki Gonzales: https://linkedin.com/in/nikki-gonzales Courtney Fernandez: https://linkedin.com/in/courtneydfernandez Ali G: https://linkedin.com/in/alicia-gilpin-ali-g-process-controls-engineering __________________________________________________________________ 🎟 The Automation Ladies Community Conference: https://otscada.com Learn more about the hosts’ industrial automation conference OT SCADA CON attended by 100+ automation professionals, engineers, integrators, and technology leaders for hands-on learning, real-world case studies, and meaningful industry connections. 🎬 Credits Produced by: Veronica Espinoza Music by: Sam Janes P.S. - Help our podcast grow with a 5-star podcast review if you love us!

Support the show __________________________________________________________________ 🎙 About Automation Ladies Automation Ladies is an industrial automation podcast spotlighting the engineers, integrators, innovators, and leaders shaping the future of manufacturing. __________________________________________________________________ 🎤 Want to be a guest on the show? https://www.automationladies.io/guests/intake/ __________________________________________________________________ 👩‍🏭 Connect with the Hosts Nikki Gonzales: https://linkedin.com/in/nikki-gonzales Courtney Fernandez: https://linkedin.com/in/courtneydfernandez Ali G: https://linkedin.com/in/alicia-gilpin-ali-g-process-controls-engineering __________________________________________________________________ 🎟 The Automation Ladies Community Conference: https://otscada.com Learn more about the hosts’ industrial automation conference OT SCADA CON attended by 100+ automation professionals, engineers, integrators, and technology leaders for hands-on learning, real-world case studies, and meaningful industry connections. 🎬 Credits Produced by: Veronica Espinoza Music by: Sam Janes P.S. - Help our podcast grow with a 5-star podcast review if you love us!

Season 7 kicks off with Cathy “Conveyor Cougar” Rinne, President of FlexLine Automation, a 15-person, woman-owned integrator known for moving fast, shipping when it counts, and adapting the playbook—from conveyors and robotics to a TikTok presence that actually reaches engineers. We talk about what leadership really means in a family business, how FlexLine is using AI to automate drawings and quoting, and why an automation company that won’t automate itself will eventually get noticed. Cathy also shares how her agricultural roots shape how she approaches factory problems: use what you have, fix what breaks, and design for reality. From autosteer tractors to rural manufacturing, we explore why some of the most important automation work happens outside major tech hubs. We also challenge a common myth: going direct isn’t always faster or cheaper. Custom automation often requires an integrator’s experience, inventory, and responsiveness. If you care about practical automation—AI that saves engineers time, robotics that fit the job, and service that actually shows up—this episode is for you. 🔗 Connect with Cathy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%F0%9F%90%86-cathy-rinne-a1764a11/ Website: https://flex-lineautomation.com/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theconveyorcougar Support the show __________________________________________________________________ 🎙 About Automation Ladies Automation Ladies is an industrial automation podcast spotlighting the engineers, integrators, innovators, and leaders shaping the future of manufacturing. 🌐 Podcast Website: https://automationladies.io __________________________________________________________________ 🎤 Want to be a guest on the show? Fill out the guest registration form here: https://www.automationladies.io/guests/intake/ __________________________________________________________________ 👩‍🏭 Connect with the Hosts Follow us on Linkedin and YouTube for live videos, demos, and other content! Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for episode updates, job announcements, and more! Get in touch with us at automationladies.io! Nikki Gonzales: https://linkedin.com/in/nikki-gonzales Courtney Fernandez: https://linkedin.com/in/courtneydfernandez Ali G: https://linkedin.com/in/alicia-gilpin-ali-g-process-controls-engineering __________________________________________________________________ 🎟 The Automation Ladies Community Conference: https://otscada.com...