Building a Legacy Through Chaos

In this kickoff episode of Forward & Unfiltered, host Nauman Poonja sits down with Jeff Fodge, CEO of Glico Plating, for a raw and heartfelt conversation about resilience, family legacy, and the long game of building a business that survives every season. Jeff shares how he went from working the plating line at 17 to leading a 60,000 sq. ft. manufacturing operation—enduring recessions, the telecom crash, a full facility shutdown, and even a devastating fire. Through every pivot, he kept faith, grit, and a relentless belief in hard work.   Guest Introduction: Jeff Fodge is the CEO of Glico Plating and a lifelong operator who quite literally built his career from the shop floor up. Starting at 17 under the guidance of his father-in-law, Jeff rose through every role in the business, eventually steering the company through recessions, industry transitions, and major setbacks. His story is a masterclass in resilience, leadership, and generational evolution in family-owned businesses. https://www.glecoplating.com

 

Key Takeaways:

• Grit is built in the trenches—Jeff’s leadership foundation started on the plating line.
• Resilience isn’t optional; recessions and industry swings forced strategic reinvention.
• Stubbornness can be both the fuel and the friction in a founder’s journey.
• Having the right advisors could have prevented years of unnecessary struggle.
• Documented processes became the backbone of sustainable growth.
• The next generation brings fresh thinking—if you’re willing to let them.

Chapter Markers 0:00 Intro 3:37 Getting into Electroplating 4:25 Incorporating Glico & Early Years 6:07 Building the First Shop from Scratch 7:13 First Customer & Early Operations 17:05 Transitioning into Leadership 20:11 Returning to College While Running the Business 36:47 Opening McAllen Facility (First Time) 38:03 Growth, Recession & Setbacks 40:24 Telecom Bust & Forced Shutdown 43:30 Stubbornness, Faith & Perseverance 45:07 Matt Joins the Business & Modernizes Operations 50:09 The Double-Edged Sword of Stubbornness 51:47 Hard Work, Advisors & Evolving Leadership 52:25 Culture, Documentation & Holding Standards Keywords: Forward and Unfiltered, Nauman Poonja, Jeff Fodge, Glico Plating, founder story, leadership journey, family business, recession resilience, manufacturing CEO, business setbacks, operational excellence, legacy leadership, entrepreneurship, business growth, founder resilience