Heather Prach has never taken the predictable path. Fashion retail led to Whole Foods, where she eventually oversaw 60 stores across the Midwest. That led to a VP role at the International Dairy, Deli and Bakery Association. And then, nine months ago, a conversation with someone she’d known for 25 years changed everything. Gerald McAdams — founder of 42-year-old McAdams Graphics and its packaging division AlJAN Packaging — needed a president. Someone fierce, someone operational, someone he trusted. He picked Heather. Her background is food. Her instincts are operations. Her learning curve on labels, shrink sleeves, and flex pack? Very much in progress. And that’s exactly why she thinks she belongs here.

In this episode, Heather gets real about what it’s like to walk into a male-dominated industry as both the new kid and the boss — managing a workforce that’s been on the floor longer than she’s been in the industry, navigating the complexity of a family business she didn’t grow up in, and fighting every instinct in her body to slow down and let print move at print’s pace. She talks about the edge women carry into rooms where they’re outnumbered, why she’d rather be at the top of the industry than just the top woman in it, and what fierce leadership actually looks like when legacy, tenure, and a family dynamic are all in the room with you. Equal parts honest, a little funny, and completely unfiltered — this one’s for anyone who’s ever jumped in before confirming the water temperature.

1:00 — Meet Heather Prach and the story behind McAdams Graphics and AlJan Packaging
2:15 — Labels, shrink sleeves, flex pack, and the decision to go digital
3:30 — Changing culture, not just equipment — what digital really means for a legacy team
4:30 — How Heather got here: fashion retail, Whole Foods, dairy and deli, and somehow print
6:00 — Nine wild months as an outsider inside a family business
7:30 — The real workforce pipeline problem in print today
8:30 — First impressions of the print industry (she’s a fan)
9:30 — Women in manufacturing: comparing print, food, and fashion
10:30 — How to walk into a room where you’re outnumbered and own it
11:30 — Sleepless nights, tight shoulders, and the internal pep talks no one talks about
13:00 — Why male-dominated industries can actually be easier than female-dominated ones
14:00 — The mentors behind her: her father at Quad Graphics and Gerald’s leap of faith
16:00 — Fierce, decisive, and building a team designed to replace her
17:30 — The work-life conversation women still shouldn’t have to be having
19:00 — Why women wait until they’ve checked every box before going for it
21:00 — On navigating sexist colleagues and getting judged for the same traits men get praised for
25:00 — Lifting the industry together as consolidation reshapes the field
27:00 — Final advice: patience. Print moves on its own timeline.