Monday Manufacturing Motivation – with DiAnn Beyer

Curt Anderson 0:00
Okay, hey, Damon. Happy Monday, my friend. How are you brother?

Damon Pistulka 0:05
I’m great Kurt. Happy Monday to you.

Curt Anderson 0:07
Hey, how? You know what let’s do a little stretching. Let’s get Come on. Let’s let her know why we’re you know Damon while we’re at it how about a little cheer for today? You’re ready I don’t know if I have problems with spelling but ready we’re gonna do a little cheer ready? Let’s go. Give me a T. T. Give me an A. A give me another a.

Damon Pistulka 0:34
nother a give me a Si. Si

Curt Anderson 0:42
demon. What does that spell? Tak Tak alright guys hey Happy Monday Thank God it’s Monday Welcome to Manufacturing Monday motivation and I’m with my partner in crime my brother from another mother out in Seattle Damon Pistulka Damon, great to have you here brother. And today with this sunshine this breath of fresh air with with DiAnn Beyer.

Happy Monday. How are you?

DiAnn Beyer 1:05
Okay, Monday to you. I’m fabulous. Manifesting greatness today and every day.

Curt Anderson 1:11
That is awesome. So that was a great little cheer that you had going on, by the way. So thank you very much for participating. So we spelled a word T AC C and we’re thinking maybe tic tac toe. I love tic tac toe. Everybody loves tic tac toe. We’re talking about a different tack today. We are i and could you please just we’re gonna do a quick intro. We won’t take a deep dive just yet. But what does tak What does T AC stands for? Please? T AC

DiAnn Beyer 1:36
stands for Trade Adjustment Assistance Center. And that is for a trade adjustment assistance for firms program or TANF program. And that is a manufacturer’s resource for cost sharing funding.

Curt Anderson 1:53
Cost Sharing funding now, you do offer funding. Is that? Is that what I’m understanding? Is that what you’re saying?

DiAnn Beyer 2:00
So firms that have been negatively impacted by trade, who also are significantly I shouldn’t say significantly who are suffering from declines in employment and in sales will meet the eligibility requirements. And then they can participate in our program in which we could match funding for programs to for projects up to $75,000.

Curt Anderson 2:32
Damon, did you hear 75 70,070 $5,000? Guys, if your curiosity is piqued, if you are a manufacturer out there, you need to stick around with us because we’re gonna explain what that means. But what you heard was DiAnn has a program that she is part of is a nationwide program for all manufacturers that qualify for this program for funding up to help you up to $75,000. DiAnn, before we dig deep into that, and boy, we are going to dig deep. Let’s learn a little bit about DiAnn, your background. You’re a tempo gal. Let’s watch. How did you end up here at Tech? Let’s go through let’s learn a little bit more about Diane.

DiAnn Beyer 3:10
So I wish I hadn’t great story. I wish I could say I grew up with family in the business manufacturing has been in my blood. Then I followed my father through the manufacturing before him but no, no. Truth be told, I went to temple as an accountant, accounting major. And at that time, all accounting majors were being groomed and, and told that if you want to be best of the best you needed to go through, and get your degree and get your CPA and follow up with a big game for what happened just as I was graduating, Big Eight started merging and consolidating and collapsing within the industry. And we had corporate America going into their shutdowns and I was competing as a new grad with people with 15 years experience. And so, you know, I took some odd jobs here and there but my story really is I just needed a job and it was the manufacturing industry that opened the door and bless me and and it’s that path of least followed, you know, pave my own way and persevere and I got into manufacturing and all doors and roads lead here to the TAP program and now instead of just working for one firm and helping them internally with performance metrics and accounting information systems I am blessed to work here at the tech center at Maine tech and how many manufacturers

Curt Anderson 4:43
is so so again so folks out there are millennials who are pursuing different degrees and we’re trying to dispel that myth of you know, man manufacturing down dirty there are incredible wonderful opportunities at manufacturing. You are a testament to that you’ve had It’s a wonderful dynamic career. So let’s, let’s explain. So your M, I’m sorry, I am a tack. Right?

DiAnn Beyer 5:08
We are. We are midlantic Trade Adjustment Assistance Center. Yes. We we are known for work. For aviation’s, we are miserable the Trade Adjustment Assistance Center. Yes.

Curt Anderson 5:22
So let’s share with everybody what states and again, this program is an all 50 states plus Puerto Rico, just share a little bit on your region, what states fall under the Mid Atlantic

DiAnn Beyer 5:31
area, certainly. So currently Mid Atlantic tech, what we focus on our firms in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and the great Washington DC.

Curt Anderson 5:43
Wonderful, nice. So that’s quite a that’s quite a scope, heavy population, lots of great manufacturing, Pennsylvania, obviously, wonderful state of manufacturing, and even the smaller states, West Virginia, lots of wonderful lecture in the state of Virginia. So let’s take, let’s take it another step further. Let’s start going into tech how you explain $75,000. Let’s start walking through some of the processes.

DiAnn Beyer 6:09
So let’s let me start with saying there’s firms who are suffering with sales declines and employment, might not know that they are being negatively impacted by global trade. And that’s fine, because we have an excellent eligibility analyst next door, who is the master of making it happen, he will know and help them with that. Fortunately, some firms do now and they know that they’re being patent infringed upon, and they know exactly what company and what country is impacting them. But if you meet the eligibility requirements, we actually have two ways. And one can go up to 75%. For example, if you need to do a project to adjust and compete globally, but only cost $30,000, let’s say you want a website enhancement, anybody who’s been following you, Kurt knows that we want to clean up the way on websites, right? Or maybe we want to do in E commerce and get that salesman 25 24/7 online. Or maybe cybersecurity is very important. And we’ve got a $30,000 project or less that case there need tech pays 75% and the firm can get $30,000 project for some for $7,500. Let me tell you the difference. Now, if there’s funding for projects, greater than that, from 30,000 to $150,000, me check picks up that 5050 split and cost shares with the firm.

Curt Anderson 7:40
Wow. So alright, let’s just do, David, let’s do a little recap on the math on that one. Okay, so just to recap, if there’s a $30,000 project, Diane, tack, will cover 75% of that program.

DiAnn Beyer 7:55
Last week cover 75% We will pay 22 out of five on that four, factor. Usually it’s a lower small small arm of manufacturer who wants to do that. Maybe it’s a manufacturer that because of the negative impact, they are having cashflow issues, and they can’t commit to a larger project, whatever, you know, each individual manufacturer is different in their own needs. So we do have the funding to change and adjust to what they

Curt Anderson 8:26
need. Right. So as you mentioned, so it could be say a $30,000 project. Now it could be lean, maybe lean would help them be more competitive. You mentioned ecommerce, it could be ISO, you mentioned e commerce, it could be cybersecurity. You mentioned e commerce.

Damon Pistulka 8:46
I heard ecommerce in there.

Curt Anderson 8:48
Yeah, I think now it could be a SaaS product, it could be other software, it could be customers, right?

DiAnn Beyer 8:54
Absolutely, absolutely intangible projects, you know, manufacturing engineering, IT solutions, even training for employees. It cannot be capital it can for capital building or equipment. It cannot be salaries. In fact, we don’t even provide this funding directly to the firm. This goes directly to the consultant when the project is completed so that the firm does not have a income tax issue on their on their balance sheets and income statements.

Curt Anderson 9:29
Perfect. So now 30,000 $30,000 project you cover 75% of it skin in the game for the manufacturer is that 70 525% As you mentioned, let’s take a deep dive into the 150 that you mentioned. I believe I heard $150,000 Yep, so let’s say manufacturers out there to like man, I have a whole new ERP system. I’m going to tackle Jen are our beloved Krista Harrington Jennifer technology. We wanted to get super deep dive dive into building out a configurator or more ecommerce, let’s walk through what does that $150,000 look like for a manufacturer.

DiAnn Beyer 10:06
So for a manufacturer who wants to do more than a 30 $30,000 project to increase, increase their global competitiveness and turn their situation around, we pay 5050 split on a cost share program, which we will pay up to $75,000 on those projects.

Curt Anderson 10:26
Yep, moment of silence 50% $75,000. So let’s, let’s take that another step further. If a manufacturer, okay, 150,000, that’s a big number. That’s a big juicy number. What’s the timeframe on that Diane? Like, what’s my what’s my, what’s the bandwidth that I have to do that project?

DiAnn Beyer 10:45
Okay. So once you’re at the part of having your adjustment proposal, approved by EDA for the project’s funding, and you are in place of starting the projects, you have six months to start your first project and then you have up to five years to get the projects implemented and done. Five years is that is our third phase. That’s our final phase. Because now you’re jumping ahead to projects. We’ll get through petitions and

Curt Anderson 11:17
I was cutting the line, Damon, you know that so yeah, that’s that. So let’s walk us through that process. DiAnn, let’s take a deep dive right there.

DiAnn Beyer 11:24
So the TANF program, trade adjustment assistance for firms was established through Congress and legislation through the Trade Act in the 1970s. And we’ve been reauthorized and affirmed through the decades. This is since it’s enacted by Congress, we have to follow the rules and firms must meet eligibility requirements. That is handled through our eligibility department with my colleague, Ted Lee, who is steamed colleague, you know, we’re so blessed to have him on the team. He walks firms through and does all the heavy lifting with the petition, there is no cost to affirm for the petition, we complete the petition, which basically means we go through the and analyze the data and the information, and basically create an application of sorts to EDA to prove that the firm has been treated impacted, right, we call it a petition that gets submitted and accepted by EDA, which then will certify it. Now that’s our terminology, that just means that EDA agrees that you’ve been trade impacted, or the certifying that your trade impacted and that you’re eligible for the program. So once you’re certified through your petition phase, you move to the adjustment proposal phase, which you’d meet with my colleague down the hall here, Nathan Hankinson, who is our senior project manager, and he works with the management team. To analyze the industry, you’re in your strengths or weaknesses, opportunities and threats does a full walkthrough of the projects you want to. And when create an adjustment proposal, some people in the industry call it a business recovery plan. I prefer just one proposal, that’s our internal talk. Because not everybody was in recovery, you might just be in a place where you have to move to a better place. And then just in doing so we then have to submit that again for EDA is approval that the projects we’re recommending and that the company would like to do meets the projects that are approved through the plant, once we have EDA approval, which basically let’s unpack that right to unpack is federal funding comes from taxpayer dollars. So basically, we went to second approval on the adjustment proposals they were in mind we’re meeting the requirements of the approved projects. And these are projects that EPA is okay with paying for. Once you’re approved on your projects, you may start up your projects and get moving on global competitiveness and improving your situation.

Curt Anderson 13:59
That man, there’s so much uncover right there. So I want to I want to touch on, you just glow when you talk about your team. Now, you mentioned a couple of teammates here. I know you have an amazing director, can we run through your your roster who’s

DiAnn Beyer 14:12
absolutely I would love to thank you so much for this opportunity. First of all, our main tack, Mid Atlantic trade adjustment center is run by our fabulous and most wonderful director Adrian Woodruff we would be lost without her guidance and direction. Then the next person on our team is Reverend David Simon, our director of business development. If anybody is curious and wants more information about the tech eye, please reach out to Robin immediately. She has all information and can help you through that. If you are firm who’s like sign me up, I need help. Let me get a free eligibility now. Nemesis, that mediately content Ted Lee. He’s our eligibility analyst and then wrapping up is me me Ben Hankinson, who is our senior project manager, he helps everybody with their AP APs and their projects. And then there’s me and one of the best things about my job, or the best things about my job is once a firm complaints, the programming and they are finished their projects, I get to fall back up and write their confidential success story and turn that into EDA as another program success. That is awesome. Awesome.

Curt Anderson 15:29
I’d say Damon Knight, we’ve had the honor and privilege of interviewing a couple of your teammates around the country. We were talking before we went live and so a big shout out to tres a Stockton. She was with the New York tack. She covered New York, New Jersey and Puerto Rico. Her and her husband just wonderfully moved down south. And so she’s now with the tech down south. God bless her she’s super excited just getting her feet landed planted there. So we have to have her on the program some time. Jenny hatchet if Janie if you’re out there, our dear friend up in Ann Arbor, she covers Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. We have Jack die who covers the Great Lakes or I guess Janie’s woods, Great Lakes. Jack die covers. He’s out of Chicago, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota. We have David Hilbert and nicey. Hilbert covers Damien’s part of the world, Oregon and Washington, I think, Idaho, in Montana. What’s that? And

Unknown Speaker 16:25
Alaska and Alaska? And Alaska? Yeah,

Curt Anderson 16:28
our dear friends in Alaska. Now, you mentioned you on your team. So I know like David has Patrick, they do a great job. Tressa. She always talks about how they do a lot of the heavy lifting for the manufacturer. So again, the man there Jamie just strapped to Hi, hey, Janney, Happy Monday to you, my friend. Welcome. So, Diane, what regardless of what state the manufacturer is in, they are going to connect with somebody that is passionately helping their manufacturer. Just what does that process look like? Like, you know, let’s take a step back. Just like okay, man, you’ve You’ve piqued my curiosity. I want to just start that process. Okay. They reach out to you and just kind of like, what would their expectations be? As far as communication process timelines? What would that look like for the manufacturer?

DiAnn Beyer 17:16
So if you reach out to me, and you’re part of our service area, you know, we immediately get you involved with if you’re looking for more information, we’ll get you more information, you can always visit our website. But if you’re saying, I need to know, an eligibility analysis right now, yeah, immediately tech takes over and sits down with them and goes through all the requirements. You know, timing on them. Going from petition, it can vary, depending on where firm is and how quickly information comes in and how long, we can quick a turnaround, we can get the petition completed and turned in. I’ll be honest, Ted is amazing, right? First of all, no firm should ever disqualify themselves. That’s like my father. Yeah. On the table, if you don’t know for sure you, you’re eligible. And you need to have a conversation with Ted, I turned the phrase, it’s a go until Ted says no.

Unknown Speaker 18:16
To go until Ted says, No, yeah,

DiAnn Beyer 18:19
need to have a conversation with Ted and he does all the heavy lifting on our petitions and gets down there to EDA and gets approved. When I say he makes it happen. He will evaluate your situation, he may come out and say to the firm, you don’t qualify now, but looks like you might qualify in two to three months, let’s have a follow up conversation. One of his successes is just recently in the last six months, he did have a firm touch base with us earlier in the week, he did a quick review and said, You qualify. But you qualify this month, and the month is over Friday. So within a week, the firm and Ted moved mountains to make the petition get down there. So timing is variable depending on circumstances and situations. But you have to have that eligibility, you know, call. You have to know can’t leave

Damon Pistulka 19:15
table. Yeah, that’s the big thing, I think because you know, you can easily say Well, I’m not affected. Well, you really don’t know me. Then somebody that’s working on it every day knows all the pieces where you can look to see if you have been affected,

DiAnn Beyer 19:29
right. Here’s the thing, right? We get so caught up in our immediate worlds that we don’t realize we have now moved to a global network. Now move globally. And there could be a firm halfway around the world who like we discussed, ecommerce has a 24/7 website available and people are clicking on it and making purchases without even realizing that there’s somewhere else right. So you might not know that you’re impacted.

Curt Anderson 20:00
All right, absolutely. So again, anybody out there listening, catching this with regards to when you catch us in another name, I want to give a shout out, we have Amy up in New England, she does an amazing job. So. So again, whatever state that you’re in there, you’re covered by the tech program, there is somebody reached out to, you know, connect with anybody at the PTAC. If you just do a Google search for, you know, if, again, if you’re in the mid Atlantic area, one of the states that Dianne just mentioned, you can reach out to her, and if not, she can guide you to whatever state or whatever center that you need to get lined with. And what I absolutely love. Like we mentioned, Patrick, Ted, every center has like that, that expert that watchdog that is there. And as Diane just said, until they say no, it’s an old man. So just you know, explore it, check it out, it is worth at least having that conversation. So Diane, you mentioned we kicked things off, you talked about, you know, you’re counting by trade, your temple grad, all these wonderful things, you found this wonderful fulfillment in manufacturing, just for any young folks, or maybe somebody has taken a career shift. What type just your why is manufacturing so exciting for you? Why do you love what you do and love being in this world?

DiAnn Beyer 21:09
You know, you meet the greatest people and only factures I’ve got, you know, we are the creative thinkers were the innovators, we’re the doers. We’re the we’re the people that are coming up with new products, but that nobody’s ever heard before. Right. You know, like, my kids teased me. I went to school back in the land of the dinosaurs. Right? And, you know, yeah, because when we went to school, you know, I’m old enough to admit, no cell phones, no computers, no, Google, you got to do research paper. You had a walk to the library. Yeah. Where the dinosaurs chased. And you’re on your way in right? Yeah.

Curt Anderson 21:46
Barbaric back then. How did we survive?

DiAnn Beyer 21:50
Look at all of the things that have been developed and created that we do and in manufacturing industry has so many incredibly right wonderful people. I mean, these

Curt Anderson 22:03
it, you know what, and think about this, there is not a piece of technology that can take place. Without manufacturing. There is not a single piece of technology that can take place without manufacturing. And it’s just you know, there’s a so much wonderful opportunity for in manufacturing here, Diane. So I love going in that direction. So we talked about your team. We’ve talked we threw out a bunch of teammates around the country tech is just absolutely wonderful nowadays, and we’ve become fast wonderful friends. I love our friendship. I love your emails. Hysterical man when I when I just makes my day whenever I see Diane in my inbox, I’m just like, Man, my smile, smiles already perking up. What Where did you get like this just as contagious enthusiasm, this killer sense of humor? Who inspires you? How did we get here?

DiAnn Beyer 22:52
So so there’s a difference between people who inspire me and people who influenced me, okay. And major influencers in my life are obviously my family. My father had a quote, and he lives it. You know, attitude is everything. Make sure you get yours right. And years ago, he had a stroke and was told he’d never walk again. He won’t watch me. And he not only walked again, but he drove to Florida many times and back. Mom is great. She’s school teacher, and she gave us that great. You want to be growth mindset, and you want to be an active learner and learn things something new every day. But man mom was ahead of her time because mom said, be kind to everyone. There’s enough ugliness in the world don’t add to it. And know that everybody comes to a situation with what she called their own picture book. She’s an art teacher. So put your book you know, but basically, she was dei right? diversity, equity inclusion before that was even a key great. We impact each other we need to know everybody comes from a different place different background experiences, right? Obviously my husband, you know, keeper of my heart, my soul mate. One who makes me a better person, right? Makes me laugh through all the dark times and is my heavyweight happily ever after. Right? And my three great kids, man, they challenge me, but who inspires me is a different question. Right? So many people who who can inspire we have greats you know Martin Luther King, Dalai Lama, Gandhi, you know, Princess Diana, I’m sure I’m gonna miss a million and I definitely think we need more greats now in our time. But Inspiration is everywhere, right? We and if we take it back to simple science, simple science, every action has reaction. We impact with each other. So who inspires me you and Damon? I am a much better person today. From knowing you guys meeting you guys last year. You’ve helped me grow tremendously. So thank you, Arlene. Do connections they share, you know, and through them we learn. You know, my I had an opportunity with a little Diane secret here, I had an opportunity to teach middle school for four years, you want inspiration, talk to a sixth, seventh and eighth grades. But a friend of mine called me years ago and said, Diane, I need to thank you nicely for what he said the greatest gift we can give is to give of ourselves in a way that it positively impacts a stranger in a way you’ll never know. For a person you never know you’ll never meet. And that had me look at things completely different right now that like I didn’t get a sense of accomplishment because there was no connection he wouldn’t tell me who I helped that he left me hanging but that right there, put a pivot on anytime you see something somebody witnessed reaction, you know, if we make the relationships most important inspirations everywhere we inspire we impact we cause each other to change and grow and become better people. So I thank you for that. Thank you so much. Man that was

Curt Anderson 26:17
dropped the mic Damon,

Damon Pistulka 26:19
what do you even say after that? I mean, speaking and

Curt Anderson 26:25
being so good today my Yeah, gracious. And I packed it I can Yeah, so we’ve got Shannon job to know man our wonderful Nicole Donnelly just chopped a note what an inspiration she shared. Hear me pull that up on the stage. Thank you, Nicole man. Neck with DiAnn is perfect Nicole’s in your she’s in your corner of the world. She might help. She’s right outside of DC she might help you get to see me home

DiAnn Beyer 26:49
and I are connected. Yes. She’s one of the wonderful LinkedIn community we have that person connects with

Curt Anderson 26:56
us. I do. We do need a scratch surface here in a couple of things. How about a lotta dad? Okay. Yeah, I bless dad for being relentless. You know, Dad might not ever walk again. Watch me. Kudos to dad, man. And I. And I know when you and I met, I think there was a couple of things going on. And you we’ve gone back and forth and shared on that. So thank you for sharing that. What an inspiration. What a words of wisdom from mom. Just great. And you know, you’ve we’ve talked about kids and stuff. Just great inspiration here. And what’s this have to do with business? Absolutely everything because guys, when you connect with somebody at the Tech program, this is what you get. It’s just just this and this contagious enthusiasm, this unapologetic attitude and relentlessness to help manufacturers succeed, and just a woman of high integrity. Diane, let’s go here for a second. What’s the and do on the weekends what? Personal what interests hobbies, saving, naturals by day? What what and do for little hobbies and interests? Let’s go let’s get a little personal.

DiAnn Beyer 28:01
So I am a photographer. I love my photography. I do nature and portraits. I’m an amateur but it’s it’s a passion. I journalize every day I absolutely do. And you know, and one of the amazing things you want, you want to feel fabulous. So I am in January 1 Baby, so resoling working to me. But if you want to have a feeling of accomplishment, get a journal and journaling it every day and start on your birthday since January is so far away now. And then the feeling to have completed it and have 365 days where you’ve stuck with just even if it’s just two minds even you know, that’s incredible. And so it’s got the journaling has got me into writing some search Sportster stories, children’s stories. I’m avid gardener. I’m great at weeds and waiting for weeds to make a great comeback. All bases so, and I’m addicted to ancestry and genealogy. I am constantly chasing down the family and I think I’ve found a grandfather so

Curt Anderson 29:19
nice. Pretty exciting.

Damon Pistulka 29:22
I mean eight seats back. Yes. Whoa.

Curt Anderson 29:26
Yeah, that’s pretty deep. That goes back that goes back a few centuries or two. Yes. So so let’s do this as we wind down I know you’re super busy. I want to be mindful of your time here. DiAnn. So let’s talk Okay, let’s come back to tack let’s talk a little bit about manufacturers and so I just want to kind of recap so manufacturers if you I liked I liked it. I don’t like the term but i The term is trade injured. If you’ve been trade injured or another word you know I hate to use the word

DiAnn Beyer 29:55
impacted negatively trade impact negatively trade

Curt Anderson 29:59
impact I like that much better, we’ll see if you’ve been negatively trade impacted. And it’s really hard to think of a manufacturer or an industry that hasn’t had a negative impact in some way or another. So what we want you to do is reach out to somebody at Tech reach out to somebody on her team. Dan, what were some of the projects that you’ve seen over the years, I know everything’s confidential. So without revealing anything, but any success situations, any success stories, any types of projects that you feel like really resonate? Or do well, when folks come into the tech program?

DiAnn Beyer 30:33
So I’m not going to answer it that way. Because each firm is different and unique on its own, right. So each firm is going to have their own needs and want to put in projects, they’re going to help them. Some of the projects, maybe there’s a marketing project, or maybe they want to implement a new product and want to do some product studies, or we’ve already discussed the website or ISO certification, or maybe they need some management training, maybe, you know, one of the things I’ve hear a lot is that, you know, those new level managers, employee employees to management, you know, top managers know what they’re doing, and they’re delegating down, but that new management might need some training in there. Or maybe, maybe a new piece of equipments come in, that employees need some training on efficiently. I mean, it all depends on each firm’s needs. The great thing is, and really, this is one of things I love about my job, it doesn’t matter what the firm’s issues are, or the what resolutions they want to put in place with the projects, they always leave the tax program better than the NRA, they always have a success story. Great. There’s never a time where I sit down and write a stack and make it out. Now, because they’re implementing projects that are going to make things better. Our good friend, Jack da, you’ve mentioned to him he refers to us as the 50% or 75%. off coupon? Yep. You know, we could be like the genie in the bottle or the fairy godmother, right, ya know, or the lottery ticket, you know, but no matter what they implement, there will be a success story. And that’s the other thing. Like, that’s what’s so great about manufacturing industry, right? We’re working with a firm who wants to do better. And therefore, they’re going to do better with their employees, and they’re going to create jobs, and that’s going to make a difference for the employees and those families. So that’s gonna make a difference in their communities. Right. And they’re building futures, right? manufacturing industry, we build futures, we build communities, we build things, you know, and to have help in implementing projects to make that firm success that just grows us exponentially.

Curt Anderson 33:16
Right, man and Robo cars in No wonder you are so passionate for this, this process. Damon, what do you have? Well,

Damon Pistulka 33:23
I just think there’s, I mean, the TAP program is so versatile, that, I mean, you just look at I just sit here, and it just boggles my mind, all the different things that you could utilize the money for. And like you said, it’s a 50%, off coupon, up to 150, or, you know, up to $75,000 and $150,000 product, this is not something to overlook, because if you’re, you can easily I mean, if say you’re out and you’re gonna spend money on some new solid modeling programs for your engineers, and you got to send them all to a training, or you got to you know, you’re implementing an ERP system and you need training on that. Or like you said, it could be lean training it because of these lean event trainers are you know, they come into a five day event, it’s not cheap, you know, these kinds of stuff. There’s so many different things in marketing and ecommerce, the if you needed somebody to really work yeah, yeah, you just sales training,

DiAnn Beyer 34:19
engineering, technology, financial management, general management.

Damon Pistulka 34:26
I never even thought about that too. Because any of the consulting services to like if I want to really lay out my facility, I could hire him, you know, a manufacturing facility layout firm to come in and give us you know, geez, there’s just so much stuff.

DiAnn Beyer 34:39
You need to meet their eligibility. Yeah, that’s but once you do, yeah, it’s it’s really it’s an

Curt Anderson 34:46
abundance of opportunity. Even mom would be super proud. Like it even covers inclusion if you want workforce. Right. Is that covered Diane, like?

DiAnn Beyer 34:55
I’m sure we, you know, intangible intellectual

Curt Anderson 35:00
Yep, yeah, yeah, exit strategy Damon. So there’s all sorts of opportunities. And one thing I want to, I apologize if I’m going to be redundant, or I just want to make sure that we cover if there’s $150,000 project, as DiAnn said, that can be spread out over five years. So say, for example, if you, let’s do marketing services, my dear friend, Nicole Donnelly, she crushes it, she does an amazing job doing marketing, inbound marketing. So see, if you had a $30,000 a year contract with a marketing firm of some type or ERP, or, again, whatever that program is, and you spread it out over five years, as Diane just said, that’s at a 50% coupon. So it doesn’t have to be all at once. There’s not a huge capital outlay. You know, but it puts you know, it’s heavy skin in the game for the manufacturer. Yeah, we had a 50% discount. So I just, it is such a powerful tool and resource. So

DiAnn Beyer 35:53
and here’s, here’s another kept secret, please, that we’re trying to help everybody. You know, we also partner with other programs, and we collaborate. And so if the firm gives us permission, and we know of another program, we make those introductions, and then that can collaborate on layer resources. So, you know, we’re not just a standalone either, since

Curt Anderson 36:21
I want to piggyback on that day, and you work and I’m sorry to keep you you work closely. The tax work closely with a lot of the MEPs around the country, the main infection extension partnerships, can you just can you just explain that relationship a little bit, and what you see in different things?

DiAnn Beyer 36:41
Yeah, we work with third party networks. And it’s not only any piece is one of them. But you know, there could be a state project that you know, or a state grant that’s available currently, that we are connected with somebody at the state that we could connect our firms to and say, Hey, you might want to touch base with let us introduce you to they, they can do this. Now, some of those things always change depending on what the situation is, you know, last year, we did have the states do some grant funding for firms who had switched gears during the pandemic and started producing PPE and, and, and change their product lines. So, you know, some of the states did some grant money there that we were able to make conduct connections to and layers for years, the recovery effort or, you know, funding available for them. So we’re always looking at avenues to connect with other partners and get the best firmer American manufacturers work. We’re not isolated an island alone, we all impact each other and influence each other. So you know, we were a team, and gotta have those connections strong.

Curt Anderson 37:50
Man, you’ve dropped a lot of my mic drop moments here today, DiAnn. So how about I’m going to be mindful, let’s, let’s wrap up on this. Okay. So guys, again, reach out connect with DiAnn here on LinkedIn. First and foremost, check out your local tech, regardless of what state you’re in, if you are a provider, service provider, vendor to manufacturers, man, tell them about this product, this program, if you’re a marketer out there, what Tressa Stockton likes to say, if he’s talking to marketers or service providers, ERP whatever, she says, give me your nose, not this nose, your nose. So if you have a rejection, poem and attack and attack my as a marketer, tech could be a resource or partner to you to help complete those projects. And what if we could just get this federal funding these tax dollars to work in our manufacturers, and how much more competitive they can be? So this is absolutely wonderful. We heard about Mom, Dad, your three beautiful kids family, your inspiration, I don’t wanna put you on the spot. About we always love popular, famous inspirational quotes you mentioned like MLK couple of your Gandhi couple of your inspirations and influencers. You’re so many words that you want to leave everybody with as we close out on this wonderful Monday.

DiAnn Beyer 39:06
Well, I feel that I’m a very positive, happy person. And I work at setting my dial to manifest greatness every day. And the only and the only way to live your best life is to do it day in and day out. He doesn’t magically happen when you’re 90. You know, when you look back at 112 and go, Well, that was my best life. You have to actively work with it. So I’m gonna give you one of mine. Five minutes of unhappiness is five minutes too long. Make your day Great.

Curt Anderson 39:38
Yep. Five minutes of unhappiness is five minutes too long. God bless you, DiAnn. So man, that was good. Yeah. Yep. Dan, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. This was Epic’s great conversation here. So again, shout out to everybody our friends and attack network. Please reach out So, Diane, please connect with Diane. And we have all sorts of fun programs throughout the week Damon you have a couple of LinkedIn lives coming up on Tuesday and Thursday, six o’clock Eastern three o’clock Pacific. We have a wonderful guests on our show on Friday coming up at 132 Eastern time. 1032 Pacific. So guys, we just like Dan, five minutes is just too long. Go out there and just keep crushing it. Have an amazing Monday have a killer rest of your week. Dan, hang out with us for one second. We’re going to

DiAnn Beyer 40:31
ship the program. Have a great week. Appreciate you so much.

Curt Anderson 40:35
How about one more chair give me an A give me another a. Me a sea TAC, tac, tac TAC. So hey, get out there and keep crushing the guys. Thank you have an awesome day. Much appreciated.