Here are some of the topics Ron had the opportunity to discuss with Tina Peters; NSCA’s Pivot to profit 2022 event that took place in Chicago SVT’s history and current service offering The importance of a strong company culture to attract talent Tina’s passion as an NSCA Ignite ambassador to help educate rising talent in our industry Growing leaders within the SVT organization To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au227 SHOW NOTES Tina ha...
Dec 10, 2022•58 min•Ep. 227
Here are some of the topics Ron had the opportunity to discuss with Chad Russell; Chad’s background and history working the AV industry for 25 years The CEDIA 2022 Expo in Dallas and everything SurgeX was taking to the show, including SQUID, their new power solutions product. His perspective on the labor shortage we are experiencing and different actions that can help pull talent into the industry. To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au...
Nov 23, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 226
Here are some of the topics Ron had the opportunity to discuss with Angel and Alexa Centeno; SDI’s new showroom experience in Needham, MA and what prompted the move to the new showroom. Their new roadside billboard and prompted this new strategy How their business has grown since their appearance on the show, including their new location in Boca Raton, Florida To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au225 SHOW NOTES In 2010 Alexa and Angel ...
Oct 25, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 225
Here are some of the topics Ron had the opportunity to discuss with Carson Morby; As a newcomer to the CI Channel: Carson’s point of view The importance of corporate marketing programs and how they can have a positive impact on a business Why brand awareness is so important to an integration business The role of video in marketing To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au223 SHOW NOTES AIS was founded in 2000 as a design and installation f...
Oct 11, 2022•54 min•Ep. 223
Here are some of the topics Ron had the opportunity to discuss with Jeff Goldstein and Mark Hoffenberg; Retail sales are the canary in the coal mine The role marketing plays in positioning a company in growth markets and downturns How to think about your brand when also driving a manufacturers marketing program Builders, Architects and Designers as the source for local project forecasting To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au224 SHOW N...
Oct 04, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 224
Here are some of the topics Ron had the opportunity to discuss with Josh Christian; Why HTA certification matters How HTA has advanced since Josh’s last appearance in this show 3 years ago. The importance of building and leveraging relationships with the different trades involved in the luxury residential construction market To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au222 SHOW NOTES Josh entered the home technology industry in 1995 when he be...
Sep 13, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 222
Here are some of the topics Ron had the opportunity to discuss with Mark Bolduc; Lessons learned during the Great Recession that have helped their business thrive. Mark’s entrepreneurial journey How and why he has focused on growing his Lutron and Ketra business To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au221 SHOW NOTES Mark is an accomplished systems integration specialist with 18+ years of experience working with architects, builders and in...
Sep 13, 2022•59 min•Ep. 221
Here are some of the topics Ron had the opportunity to discuss with Hovik Mirzakhanian; Hovik’s background story and how he has seen the AV industry evolve throughout his career How he has been managing the current supply-chain issues The importance of diversification as a strategy to help manage risk To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au220 SHOW NOTES Hovik is a 30-year AV veteran who founded Matrix Audio Visual Designs in 1991. Matri...
Aug 19, 2022•52 min•Ep. 220
Here are some of the topics Ron had the opportunity to discuss with Andrew Pino; Andrew’s background as a marketer, consultant, entrepreneur The importance of genuine humility to be a successful leader The “why” behind defining your businesses mission, vision, values and leadership guidelines contribute to your success To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au219 SHOW NOTES In his role as Director of Digital Marketing, Andrew is responsibl...
Aug 19, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 219
Here are some of the topics Ron had the opportunity to discuss with Jeff Singer; Jeff’s journey from broadcasting to teaching and eventually landing as a marketing strategist in the AV industry The importance of employee success and growth for a company How knowing your customers can help develop your market and grow your business To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au218 SHOW NOTES Jeff has worked in the high-end technology industry fo...
Aug 14, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 218
Here are some of the topics Ron had the opportunity to discuss with Tom LeBlanc; The Business Leadership Conference and the upcoming Pivot to Profit conference in the fall. Tom’s journey from working in journalism to landing in the AV industry NSCA’s strategy to help its members during the COVID pandemic and the current supply chain issue that is being faced by the industry To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au217 SHOW NOTES Tom has su...
Aug 11, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 217
Here are some of the topics Ron had the opportunity to discuss with Ian Bryant; Ian’s experiences working remotely from different locations around the country. His background and expertise in the industry New technology trends and emerging business model opportunities To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au216 SHOW NOTES Ian started in the AV/Integration industry in the live sound and stage sector in 1998. He migrated into residential in...
Aug 04, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 216
Here are some of the topics Ron had the opportunity to discuss with Håkan Olsson; How Håkan uses his home as a showroom for his business His method of using his home to demo Ketra tunable lighting and invisible speakers Selling single app solutions vs App Mania (ie. using many apps) To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au215 SHOW NOTES Håkan started Beemer Smart Home in 2005 as a side business while he was pursuing a career at Microsoft ...
Jul 25, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 215
Here are some of the topics Ron had the opportunity to discuss with Dustin Kerns; The history of ListenUp and different events that marked the company His own personal journey in the AV industry and the different influences he has met along the way The current state of the industry as we face supply chain and staffing issues To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au214 SHOW NOTES Dustin has over 20 years of experience in AV. He got his sta...
Jul 20, 2022•59 min•Ep. 214
Here are some of the topics Ron had the opportunity to discuss with Ed Gilmore; Ed’s professional background in classical music A personal story from Ed and why his showroom was designed with such warmth A few celebrity stories including the work he did for Richard Gear and Cindy Crawford back in the 80’s and 90’s To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au213 SHOW NOTES In 1988 Edward Gilmore, a professional classical musician, began a para...
Jun 21, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 213
Here are some of the topics Ron had the opportunity to discuss with Paul Bochner; Paul’s passion for motorcycle racing Merger and acquisition trends in the industry Marketing and video production for an integration firm to help it stand out Why producing video is so hard. To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au212 SHOW NOTES Paul has over 20 years of experience working in the A/V industry. He got his start as a technician in 2000 before ...
Jun 21, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 212
Here are some of the topics Ron had the opportunity to discuss with Mike Abernathy; The many resources being provided by NSCA to its members The future of system integration and the emergence of the Super Integrator Creative solutions to the Av industries labor shortage To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au211 SHOW NOTES Mike has been part of the systems integration industry since 2001, when he started his career with NSCA as a Member ...
May 17, 2022•53 min•Ep. 211
Here are some of the topics Ron had the opportunity to discuss with Tobi Tungl; How Tobi uses and leverages Twitter to connect with his industry The current state of UCC solutions in the Pro AV space The mind and body health of an ultra athlete The importance of building and curating your network To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au210 SHOW NOTES Tobi began his professional career in the IT world during the dot-com boom (and crash). I...
May 17, 2022•54 min•Ep. 210
Here are some of the topics Ron had the opportunity to discuss with Tomas Wing; Similarities running an integration business in Panama City, Panama to the States The power of networks and advisors in running and growing a business How Covid-19 has affected supply chain and inventory in Latin America To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au209 SHOW NOTES Tomas started in the audio business doing car audio systems around the late 80s. In 19...
May 10, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 209
Here are some of the topics Ron had the opportunity to discuss with Chuck Breaux; His experiences and lessons learned working with House of Worship Pro AV systems How to confront the current labor shortages and the challenges being faced with supply chain Operational challenges with design and accounting software platform rollouts To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au208 SHOW NOTES Chuck founded AAVS in 2015. With years of experience i...
Apr 20, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 208
Here are some of the topics Ron had the opportunity to discuss with Keith Harrison; Using the “Leasing” model in the AV industry and how it benefits clients and your business How customer service and building relationships can leave a lasting effect in a company. Why our industry needs to rethink integrators role in providing maintenance and ongoing support services To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au207 SHOW NOTES In 1992, Keith sta...
Apr 19, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 207
Here are some of the topics Ron had the opportunity to discuss with John Campbell; The importance of creating a healthy culture How empowering your team can help with retention of talent and create a sense of trust within a team. The benefits of loving what you do professionally and personally To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au206 SHOW NOTES John was hired as the first employee when HomeTroniX was gearing up to open in 2013. His pri...
Apr 17, 2022•58 min•Ep. 206
Here are some of the topics Ron had the opportunity to discuss with Travis Leo; Cinergy and the professional alliance that it creates for integrators Challenges of running a business and how business owners can benefit from listening to the experience of others. Benefits of having a team-integrated business consultant and group facilitator To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au205 SHOW NOTES Travis is one of the Co-Founders of the Ciner...
Apr 13, 2022•45 min•Ep. 205
Here are some of the topics Ron had the opportunity to discuss with Wade Stephens; Techniques to successfully manage projects affected by supply chain issues How the Entrepreneurial Operating System can benefit a team and its development. How marketing helps drive referral sales To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au204 SHOW NOTES Wade Stephens began his career in the AV industry in 1993 with a small company named Best Buy. He remained ...
Apr 05, 2022•53 min•Ep. 204
Here are some of the topics Ron had the opportunity to discuss with Blake Urmos; How Low Voltage Nation became the largest online community for the low voltage industry The role of social media and the importance for businesses What is Web 3 and where it's headed for the near future The importance of video in social media platforms, and how it can be used to leverage your business To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au203 SHOW NOTES Bla...
Apr 02, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 203
Here are some of the topics Ron had the opportunity to discuss with Keith Esterly; HTSA’s mission and commitment to the ongoing education of their member dealers Different resources provided by HTSA, including Keith’s Relationship Science Program Different strategies and tactics used by a successful salesperson To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au202 SHOW NOTES Keith Esterly has over twenty years of experience as a salesperson, traine...
Mar 22, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 202
Here are some of the topics Ron had the opportunity to discuss with Mike Sajecki; The art and science of consultative selling The importance of a CRM and ERP system in tracking and managing a sales team What makes for a successful salesperson Potential challenges ahead in the economy To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au201 SHOW NOTES Mike began his career in the A.V. industry while installing car alarms in high school. During his time...
Feb 28, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 201
Here are some of the topics Ron had the opportunity to discuss with Lee Travis Update from Lee since the Feb 2020 recording of Automation Unplugged show #100 CES 2022 Update - Live from Vegas The importance of video in marketing Lessons learned from years in business To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au200 SHOW NOTES Lee Travis got his start with the custom integration industry through car audio and transitioned to full residential in...
Feb 04, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 200
Here are some of the topics Ron and Taylor had the opportunity to discuss during this episode 2021 Highlights from Automation Unplugged One Firefly’s achievements during 2021 Goals for 2022 and upcoming industry trends To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au199 SHOW NOTES Automation Unplugged is a live show recorded weekly, hosted by me, Ron Callis. In each Automation Unplugged episode, I speak with leading industry personalities and tec...
Jan 31, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 199
Here are some of the topics Ron had the opportunity to discuss with Michael Libman Why integrators should consider getting into the lighting fixture business How to choose the right manufacturer to partner with in your business How lighting will likely grow in significance within our industry To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au198 SHOW NOTES DMF Lighting is a lighting manufacturer that takes a creative approach to lighting and offers...
Jan 21, 2022•48 min•Ep. 198
