#65 The Fearless Pursuit Of Success

A rear view of an industrial woman engineer standing in a factory, arms on hips. Copy space.

On this episode of The WAM Podcast, host, Linda Rigano, is joined by Kathi Bond, President of CryoPlus, a successful cryogenic service provider for the past 25 years. Kathi’s story is a testament to how fearless she is as a person, and we find out how her success can be attributed to recognizing an opportunity in the market and going for it with everything she had.

She shares the pros and cons of being a female in the industry, her heart for women in the community, and how her mother has always been her biggest inspiration. We get into some of her best sales techniques, what she considers to be the most important aspects early on in business, and what men can do to support women in the industry. Join the ladies for another encouraging episode!

“Don’t give up. If you want to be in that position, work hard at it, and you may have to start at the bottom. I mean, I started at the bottom a long time ago, I was on welfare, I couldn’t make ends meet; it was tough.” —Kathi Bond

MEET YOUR HOST

Linda Rigano

Linda Rigano is the Principal Consultant of The Rigano Group. Her expertise and enthusiasm for strategic and effective communication permeate all that she does as a consultant to B2B and B2C technology, manufacturing, supply chain, and publishing organizations to improve business performance and stakeholder relationships by building highly successful and measurable communications programs.

With over 20 years of industry experience, Linda has excelled in helping organizations advance the discussion of important industry issues. She was central to the development and promotion of ThomasNet’s annual Industry Market Barometer® (IMB) survey on the state of manufacturing, the ThomasNet/ISM “30 Under 30 Rising Supply Chain Stars” Recognition Program, and ThomasNet’s North American Scholarship Program. Linda also served as Director of Strategic Alliances for ThomasNet, and for many years was the Publisher of the Thomas Food Industry Register.

Throughout her career, Linda has been an active participant and presenter for manufacturing, supply management, and business associations. She is widely quoted in business and trade media, including Bloomberg Businessweek, Nightly Business Report, and Industry Today. Linda holds an MBA in marketing from Fordham University.

Connect with Linda Rigano on LinkedIn.

SPECIAL GUEST

Kathi Bond

Kathi Bond founded CryoPlus, Inc. 25 years ago. Based in Wooster, Ohio, the company utilizes cryogenic processing, the deep chilling of tool steel so that the molecular structure of the metal is brought to “cryogenic stillness” in order to improve wear characteristics.

Kathi works with a variety of companies across many industries, including woodworking, stamping, sawmill, tool & die, welding, punching, musical, shooting, and racing cars. CryoPlus Inc. is certified as a Women’s Business Enterprise by WBENC (Women’s Business Enterprise National Council).

Kathi is a true entrepreneur, having built her company from the ground floor up – literally working out of her laundry room in the early years. Today, Cryoplus, Inc. is an established leader in the manufacturing and business community. Kathi is also an active member of several organizations, including ASM International in the Akron, Canton, and Cleveland Chapter; The Cryogenic Society; NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners); AWMI (American Women in the Metal Industry); Women in Manufacturing; The Area Chamber of Commerce; Wooster Noon Lions; a Founding Lifetime Member of ATHENA International; and President of Wayne County Women’s Network.

Kathi received the Woman of Achievement award in 2008 in Wooster, the Woman of Achievement award in 2009 in Akron, “Lion of the Year” award in 2011, and is 2012’s ATHENA Award Recipient for Wayne County.

For more information, visit cryoplus.com, check out the CryoPlus, Inc. feature in Thermal Processing Magazine, like & follow CryoPlus, Inc. on Facebook, and connect with Kathi on LinkedIn.