A Welder's Journal
Matthew’s writings offer valuable insights gained during the various stages of business growth. Delve into his reflections on pivotal discoveries, key takeaways, and personal experiences. Whether recounting days spent on the shop floor or reflecting on the challenges of steering a business through growth, Matthew shares writings of entrepreneurship and leadership.
“As a welder turned entrepreneur, I spent the first half of my career focused on success. Now I am focused on leading a life of significance. I want to be remembered as someone who gave more than they took from this world. I want to use my business as a force for good.” – Matthew Nix
How Our Small Business Received Over 2,300 Job Applications in a Year
How Our Small Business Received Over 2,300 Job Applications in a Year June 6, 2024 As the CEO of Nix Companies, I rarely have a conversation without someone asking me, “How’s your hiring going? Are you able to find people?” My response is always the same: “It’s the hardest thing
The Critical Need for Entrepreneurs in the Manufacturing Industry
The Critical Need for Entrepreneurs in the Manufacturing Industry May 16, 2024 Since 2008, the number of metalworking shops has dropped from 21,000 to 17,000, a 16% decrease. Some may view these figures as a sign of contraction in the industry, but I see it differently. We are not shrinking;
Worry About Money
Dad, why do people worry about money? November 13, 2023 “Dad, why do people worry about money”? That was the question posed by my 7-year-old son on Sunday morning as we were leaving for church. “Geez, I haven’t even had my coffee yet, go easy on me buddy,” was my
A Giant of A Man
A Giant Of A Man December 28, 2022 “A giant of a man.” At 5’ 7” and 170 lbs. he wasn’t big in stature. He played baseball, football, and basketball, but he never set any records. By his own account, he wasn’t more than mediocre at any of them, but
What do backyard baseball & business have in common?
What do backyard baseball & business have in common? October 11, 2022 There’s nothing like time away, disconnecting from the day-to-day, to gain a fresh perspective. I recently had the opportunity to spend 10 days “out west” with my wife Lindsey Nix and two older boys (6 and 8). We are very
What does it mean to be a ‘family business’?
December 8, 2020 (Originally published in the Q3 Nix Companies internal, team member newsletter) Between a late Saturday night conversation Jared (CFO) and I had over a glass of bourbon, a recent book I read at the suggestion of Angela (H/R Mgr), and a recent family meeting Lindsey, Adam, Lacey,
Are your ‘core values’ collecting dust?
December 4, 2019 One of our Core Values is “Commitment to Excellence.” That sounds really nice, but what does it mean? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. I love all five of our Core Values, but it occurred to me a couple of years ago that while they are great aspirations, it was hard to
Why I told my employees they should quit their job.
October 1, 2019 Every 6 months, I bring our entire organization together for lunch and a ‘state of the company’ talk. After recapping our performance compared to our goals, discussing new initiatives, celebrating some big wins, and giving out awards, I like to close with some type of motivation or
A team that plays together, stays together!
August 19, 2019 A team that plays together, stays together! …………………………………. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………….. And Wins together! People ask me all the time how we are doing ‘it’. (Growing and Winning). These pictures represent a big part of it. I tell those people, the first thing you have to decide is