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Discipline, Curiosity, and Circular Thinking: Jade Thompson’s Journey Through Lubricants
The lubricant industry is full of accidental careers, but few journeys are as distinctive as Jade Thompson’s. In this episode of Beyond the Blend, Steve Knapp speaks with Jade Thompson (SKF RecondOil) about horses, fighting, oil analysis, and why application knowledge is the future of lubricant sales. What unfolds is a conversation about discipline, curiosity, sustainability, and how real credibility is built with customers.
Finding lubricants by accident and staying on purpose
Jade’s route into lubricants was never planned. She entered a blending plant lab to gain experience for a master’s degree in equine parasitology, only to discover a fascination with oil testing and data analysis. The analytical nature of understanding why something failed, how it degraded, and what the data revealed mirrored the diagnostic thinking she enjoyed in animal science. Over time, this curiosity evolved into a career across blending, oil analysis, and reliability labs. What kept her in the industry was not products, but problem solving. The lubricants world offered constant variation, technical depth, and real-world impact. Once she could see a long-term development path, walking away no longer made sense.
Discipline beyond the workplace
Horses and competitive fighting are not side notes in Jade’s story. They are formative. Caring for animals builds routine, accountability, and patience. Fighting builds resilience, focus, and humility. Training six days a week, preparing for physical confrontation, and managing pressure shaped how Jade handles technical challenges and leadership roles. These experiences reinforced a mindset where preparation matters, discomfort is temporary, and learning comes through repetition. That discipline now shows up in how she approaches customer problems, continuous learning, and technical credibility. For Jade, performance at work is inseparable from habits built outside it.
STEM as a way of thinking, not a job title
Jade’s contribution to a book on empowering women in STEM focused on demystifying what STEM actually is. She argues it is not confined to labs or engineering offices. STEM thinking applies to everyday decisions, from animal care to parenting. Understanding data, questioning assumptions, and asking why something behaves the way it does are transferable skills. When she speaks to students, the goal is not to push them into lubricants, but to show how engineering thinking opens options. Many young people do not know roles like lubrication, reliability, or condition monitoring even exist. Visibility creates possibility.
RecondOil, sustainability, and meaningful progress
Joining SKF to lead RecondOil in the UK brought Jade closer to work that aligned with her values. RecondOil is not just filtration. It blends mechanical reliability with patented chemical technology to extend oil life and reduce waste. This approach keeps Jade rooted in technical problem solving while supporting consultative sales. Starting from a near blank slate in the UK meant building trust carefully, avoiding costly mistakes, and educating both customers and internal teams. The reward is tangible impact. Improved reliability, reduced unplanned downtime, and genuine sustainability gains.
Why application knowledge builds trust
Jade is clear that customers rarely change lubricants because of price. They change because something fails. Turning up with only product knowledge is not enough. Understanding how an asset works, how it breathes, how it is maintained, and what the process demands is essential. When knowledge is missing, honesty matters more than confidence. Asking questions, researching unfamiliar applications, and working alongside the customer creates trust. This application-led approach turns sales conversations into partnerships. It also aligns with a longer-term view of value rather than short-term volume.
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Advice to those starting out
For anyone considering engineering or STEM, Jade’s advice is simple. Your career does not need to compete with your passions. Engineering thinking can be applied to almost any interest or industry. Many of the best careers in lubricants begin by accident, but become purposeful through curiosity and commitment. Stay open, keep learning, and do not underestimate where an unexpected opportunity might lead.
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Summary
This episode of Beyond the Blend highlights how credibility in lubricants is built through curiosity, discipline, and application knowledge. Jade Thompson’s journey shows that sustainability, reliability, and sales do not sit in opposition. When approached thoughtfully, they reinforce one another. It is a reminder that the future of the industry belongs to those who understand how things really work, not just what they sell.
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