How One Quiet Leader Is Rewiring Aerospace — Batch Numbers and Big Ideas

When’s the last time you listened to someone talk about chemical batch numbers — and walked away thinking about trust, AI, and what real leadership actually means?

That’s what happened when I sat down with Powell Simbulan from NSL Aerospace for the latest episode of Skybound Ops.

What This Episode Really Is

If you know NSL Aerospace, you probably know them as a chemical supplier — adhesives, sealants, specialty compounds that keep aircraft safe and compliant. But behind every drum of chemicals is a paper trail that can make or break an audit, a shipment, or a customer relationship.

What Powell understands — and what he explains beautifully — is that the real product isn’t the chemical. It’s the trust behind every batch number.
The trust that if something goes sideways, you know exactly where it came from, who touched it, and how it’s fixed — fast.

Trust as a Business Model

A lot of people talk about speed and growth. Powell talks about trust and autonomy.

His story is proof that modernizing legacy doesn’t mean tearing out the good parts — it means doubling down on them and telling that story better.

He credits NSL’s ownership for giving their team real freedom: the freedom to act, to get it wrong sometimes, and to move faster than bigger players who drown in red tape.

“When you trust people to do good work, they usually do even better work than you expect.” — Powell

It’s simple but powerful — and honestly, it made me think about how I show up, too.

What About AI?

Of course, we talked about AI — you can’t avoid it in 2025. But unlike the hype plastered all over every feed, Powell’s take is practical: AI works best when it speeds up what humans are already good at — not when it tries to replace what only humans can see.

“There’s no silver bullet. AI can speed you up — but it can’t explain why it made the call when you really need it to.” — Powell

We also touched on how ERP.Aero’s ASA integration to increase and improve compliance, audit readiness and to help make that speed real — without losing the trail. Because speed without traceability is just chaos waiting to happen.

Showing Up, Not Hiding

One of my favorite moments came when we talked about how legacy companies so often stay hidden — even when they’ve earned trust over decades.

Powell wants to change that. He’s pushing NSL to show up more publicly, share the story, and build credibility where people actually look for it: LinkedIn, YouTube, and the right industry conferences.

“You can’t do aviation alone. The minute you stop showing up, you start slipping behind.” — Powell

Why You Should Listen

This isn’t a conversation about fancy AI demos or buzzwords.

It’s about the people behind the systems — the ones who do the paperwork, build the relationships, and sign their name on the certs.

It’s about how trust still matters more than anything — and what it looks like when you protect it.

If you lead a team, run a shop floor, manage suppliers, or just want to see what real leadership looks like in an industry built on handshakes — this one’s for you.

Listen Here

The full episode is live now:
🎧 Skybound Ops: Episode 5 — Powell Simbulan, NSL Aerospace

Until next time, let’s keep showing up, building trust, and doing the work that lasts.

I’m grateful for leaders like Powell who prove that legacy doesn’t have to weigh you down — it can lift you up if you build it with trust.

And a special thank you to NSL Aerospace, Angelina Sloat, Rob Gonzalez, and Paper Planes.

If this episode sparks an idea, don’t keep it quiet — share it with a friend, a partner, a vendor who gets it. And reach out to me if you'd like to share your message and story.

Let’s keep raising the bar, together.

Skybound Ops

See you soon!