¶ Welcome to Let's Talk Cabling
Hey , wiremonkeys , welcome to another episode of let's Talk Cabling . I'm doing a special tool show today with a tool that you're going to want to have .
Welcome to let's Talk Cabling , the award-winning podcast where knowledge is power and the low-voltage industry connects . Hosted by Chuck Bowser , rcdd . We're here to empower installers , designers and industry pros with the tips , stories and best practices you need to stay ahead .
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So , as I said in the intro , we , as technicians , we love tools . We love tools , especially if they come in Milwaukee red . We love our tools . Sometimes we're a little addictive to our tools . But what if ? A little addictive to our tools ?
But what if I told you there's one tool that you probably never thought that you needed , but once you see it , you're going to go . Chuck
¶ Introduction to the OmniShelf Tool
, I need one of those . This is how this happened . A friend of mine said hey , chuck , you need to go check this out . So I went and checked them out . I ended up buying one , so you'll see it , we'll talk about it on the show out . I ended up buying one , so you'll see it , we'll talk about it on the show . I bought this .
This is not given to me , okay ? So Chuck put his own money in the game here . This thing's called an OmniShelf , so I want to talk to the owner and vendor of this , talk about the actual product and his journey . Welcome to the show , bobby Martin . How are you doing , my friend ?
Good . Thank you . Glad to be here .
Absolute pleasure to have you . So , for those who may not know , you , tell us who you are and who you work for , and why should we listen to you ?
Well , my name is Bobby Martin and I used to work on drilling rigs as a service technician , working on all controls software , hmis , plcs , electrical , pretty much everything . I came up with this idea while I was working on the rigs One of the third party companies they always had a on their control cabinets .
When you open the door they had a metal shelf bolted , a fold up shelf bolted on the inside of the door , and once I said that's where they set their laptops on . So I was like plugging into PLCs . And that's when it kind of hit me .
I me as a day , because I worked all over the rig I need something and the rig is metal , so I just need something portable like this and , of course , magnets and metal . And then , uh , that's kind of like how the idea came about and then one step left to another led to another and I came up with the omni shelf .
Yeah , one of the things I love about when I went to your website it's very simple , very easy to navigate . And I was expecting I'll be honest with you I was kind of expecting like a 3D printed kind of thing .
You know , my son has got a 3D printer and he gives me stuff and I have another friend who's got a 3D printer too , and sometimes when I get some of the stuff I look at and I go , yeah , that's 3D printed . Yeah , it's not quite the same quality .
But I'm telling you , the Omni shelf that I bought from you , that thing's top notch and it's got a good bit of weight to it and you have more than one option because not everybody has access to metal frames to attach the thing to . You have suction cups and a bunch of other stuff and your website's laid out really great .
So you already kind of described the problem you were trying to solve and before the show , before we actually hit the record , I never even thought about this . You showed me another way to use that shelf and I know the magnets are strong because when I'm not using mine , I got it attached to my metal cabinet next to me here .
You actually had two drills attached hanging off this thing , this Two drills . You actually had two drills attached . Hanging off this thing , two drills . What are those magnets rated at ?
the ones we mounted . The use for mounting is about 100 pounds of straight pull and there's three of them on there two on the top of the Y and one at the bottom . Now it's wide , so that way it's adjustable . So so , if you can , you can slide them all three down and you can stick it to maybe like a four inch column .
You said you do PLC and some other stuff that's low voltage work . Yes , the vast majority of people that I deal with they're low voltage as well , but they're going to be doing , you know , voice cabling , data cabling , AV , access control , fire alarm and maybe even connecting their computer to a hub or router or switch to do updates and stuff like that .
Right , how is the OmniShelf ?
going to benefit them Well . Like myself , when I came up with the idea , I was always having not just a laptop either . I use it for everything , it's just a workbench or a desk or whatever you need it for . But I was always having to set my tools or my laptop on the floor and on the control rooms in a on a rig .
They're usually especially if it's a new build it's muddy and dirty and that's kind of it just helps you ergonomically . It just keeps everything at arm's reach and safer to work .
Right , yeah , because I can see now . I can see a technician now with this attached to a seven-foot relay rack with their
¶ Meet Bobby Martin: Inventor's Background
computer on it , because a lot of times when the racks are built like , in fact , you see the rack behind me , I've got in that rack , I've got a fiber optic enclosure , a couple patch panels , a couple um , um wire managers , but there's no shelf there .
So if I'm a technician trying to upstate , update or do some changes to a switch or something , there's no place really for my laptop and this thing should be perfect for that .
Yes , sir yeah , absolutely perfect makes uh work a little bit easier .
Raise your hand out there if you want your work a little easier , because I know I do . I know I do right . Let's talk about some challenges . Everybody wants to build a better mousetrap . I hear this from technicians all the time . I got an idea for a great invention , chuck . How do I go about this right trap ? I hear this from technicians all the time .
I got an idea for a great invention , chuck . How do I go about this ? Right ?
What challenges did you face coming up with the OmniShelf and bringing it to market ?
Pretty much every step was a challenge , because I knew absolutely nothing about any of the steps and I don't know if it was just meant to be or whatever , whatever but every time I searched or reached out or I did anything , a door would open and I would meet the right person at the right time at every stage , from designing it to getting it patented , to
manufacturing and assembly , and just everything just kept falling in place . When I was finished with one step , the next step was waiting on me and , like I said , I knew nothing . I'm still learning today . Everything I needed . It's all new to me at every step . Still .
Yeah , so you went through coming up with the idea . You probably drew it on a napkin while eating at Chili's right .
I did on a little scratch pad .
yes , See , see , see , I told you . So then you had to come up with the idea , and I'm sure there's probably changes that happened along the way , right as you went through the different designs . When you're going through those design changes , did you maybe solicit feedback from maybe other field people to get some ideas on how to make your product better ?
Yes , mainly the guys that I used to work with , and , of course , they probably got tired of hearing me talk about it way before I even had it made , but I was obsessed and driven , so I always got feedback from my co-workers .
I get the same thing about the podcast all the time . I truly do my wife's like quit talking about the podcast . I don't care about the podcast , but you don't understand . When you create something , your brain doesn't shut off .
I could be laying in bed and all of a sudden I was like I got an idea for a show and I got to roll over and I got to write on my notepad . I was doing a call right before yours . I was talking to a potential sponsor and we were talking . I came up just from talking . I got an idea for a great TikTok video .
So make sure you watch out for this new TikTok video . What am I doing ? My brain is always going to think about TikTok and when you create something , it's . I am a parent , so it's not really quite the same thing , but it's like your own child .
I mean , you invest in it and you grow it and you don't want anybody talking bad about your baby , and if you do , then it's fighting words , right ?
Yeah , but I take criticism on the Omni shelf that is Maybe not my kids . There you go .
¶ OmniShelf Design and Problem-Solving Features
Now you've got one mounted on the shelf behind you . Why don't you give us a walkthrough ?
on it . Yeah , I've got it set up .
Make sure you talk loud so we can hear you in the microphone . Yeah , I'm kind of soft-spoken too .
This is OmniSelf's . Some people get hung up that it's not just for a laptop , it's for a workbench or whatever . See , here I've got drill hanging off of hanging off the sides as well . There's pockets up front . You can put hardware in as you're working . It'll hold most hand tools . These little rare earth magnets latch it closed .
They have about six or seven pounds of straight pull and even insulated screwdrivers and stuff stick . I usually set my phone back behind the handle here . Drawings or whatnot will slide back behind because the bottle magnet will catch it . It won't slide through . That's what I use to set my drawings .
Got a mouse pad type thing in here to help using when you are using a laptop or keep from sliding . Keep a little padding and of course with the logo and everything it's funny , I got that .
I got the mouse pad in mine too , and I thought you were just being nice and threw one in for me . So that comes with every one . Yes , sir .
That is cool . That is cool . And the flyer that I have back behind it , I ship it with every one too , just to show different ways to use it .
Okay , yes , I got that too , let's take a short break .
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So you got a great great product . Like I said , I never really thought about using it as a as a as a tool shelf until T-Shed right before we started to show , which is absolutely great idea . Thank you . What plans do you have to make this product better ?
Right now I'm working on . I just I have one over here . I didn't have it set up , the only grab it or I can show it , but it's not Sure go ahead , we can edit it in . Sure , oh no , I took some . Some of the tools are sticking up there , sticking here , but can you see it ? Yeah , so this is for .
I've had some customers say they have issues plugging in accessory cables and things when using the laptop . Because it does sit in there deep , because it is deep enough . You've got just enough depth to hold the closed most laptops and hand tools inside it so you can move from one workstation to the next .
But this could serve as especially small voltage technicians , you use a small select amount of tools . You could store them in there with the phone and that phone could also be used as a platform to raise the laptop up to plug in your cables . We haven't sold this yet . I'm just sourcing them now , just testing it out Right .
When do you think that'll hit the market ?
Hopefully in the next two weeks a month tops .
Okay , so probably by the time this show gets published it'll probably be available . Yes , sir , got you Now . Keep in mind things can happen . Things can change right .
Yes .
So let's say , I'm a technician and I see this OmniShelf there . How'd you come up with the name OmniShelf ?
My next door neighbor
¶ Product Walkthrough and Demonstrations
. At the time he was a graphic designer and he helped me come up with the name name and he did the logo for me as well . And he asked me one day . He says , hey , you know what the word omni means ? I go , really , I never thought about , I sure don't .
He says it means every , or every , any or all , so omni in the shelf , it can be used by anybody , anywhere , anytime or however you want to word it , right ? So and I said that makes perfect sense . And then I seen a commercial one day .
Speaking of the logo , I saw a commercial one day and it had a honeycomb design with the hexagons and I had to rewind it to pause it and say , hey , so the hexagon , we were still trying to design the logo .
We can make the O a hexagon shape because I have the hexagon honeycomb design on the inside of the shelf and it'll all just blend together work together and kind of worked out that way .
Yeah , but a lot of people don't realize there's a lot to marketing . I mean , you know , first of all you've got to research it , make sure that somebody else doesn't have that name or logo similar to that .
And then you've got to research it , make sure that somebody else doesn't have that name or logo similar to that , and then you've got to find a name that fits . And I think you're an extra neighbor to hit the ball out of the park with a name , because I didn't know that until you told me and it makes sense for your shelf .
You know , I probably had a hundred names written down on paper , just none of them looked right or sounded right coming off the tongue . And then when he said that , I'm like , oh okay , yeah , omnishell , that'd be perfect .
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So let's say that there's somebody listening to this show and he's like Chuck , I got an idea for a better mousetrap and you had that guy on that did that fiber clamp and you've got the OmniShelf guy on doing his stuff . What advice would you give that technician who's got an idea for a better mousetrap ? Where would they
¶ From Idea to Market: Development Journey
start to come up , to get their idea to go from the brain to the market ?
First of all at least I'd make sketches of it , things like that , just so you can visually see your idea and make sure you've got at least a good starting point . Then find someone that knows how to do 3D CAD drawings to make the drawings for you .
But before you even get to that step because that can be a little costly is run your idea by friends , family , coworkers . Try to do like pre-sales and see what kind of interest you would get from certain companies or whatever your target audience would be .
And if you get really good feedback from it , then you feel a bit better and more confident in moving forward . Do you have a patent ?
on your Omni show . Yes , I sure do . Let's talk about that process , because I've heard that process can be kind of painful .
I'd always heard that too , and that's another one of those steps where I just searched online and found a guy local and he really loved the idea and loved the fact that he could help a homegrown product and business . So he did me right . Let me say it that way . He made it really easy too .
I've always said it's not what you know , it's who you know , right , I didn't say that . My dad always used to say that I'm nowhere near as smart as my dad .
I see , you don't even have to know them , because I didn't know people each step . I just met them at the right time .
Yeah , but God has a way of doing that . God has a way of putting the right people in our path just when we need it Absolutely . I believe that it is what it is . So if somebody wants to buy your Omni shelf , where can they go to find to buy it , and do you have any upcoming promotions or any kind of events ?
where can they go to find to buy it , and do you have any upcoming promotions or any kind of events ? Uh , you can mainly . Firstly , go to my website . Is the omni shelfcom Like the logo ? I know , I don't know , sometimes people don't get the word the when I say it . So , uh , the omni shelfcom , uh .
I was one of those Cause cause when we talked on the phone . I heard you say OmniShelf , but I didn't hear the . So I typed in OmniShelfcom . And that's not your site , by the way .
I had to go the OmniShelf because OmniShelfcom was already taken or someone owned it , so I had to put the word the in front of it to get that domain name .
I fell into that trap , so it's TheOmniShelfcom .
¶ New Product Features and Future Plans
Promotions . Usually I do like Black Friday because I'm on Amazon and Home Depot's website as well . Walmart and if people out there also have some companies can only buy through , say , grainger or MSC Industrial or McMaster Car . Mcmaster and MSC also sell it . You can go through them if need be . Promotions I don't really have anything set just yet .
Gotcha , but other products that I am I forgot to mention .
I am working currently to finalize the drawings for a mouse pad attachment that will slide over the sidewall of the Omni shelf , nice , and it will be in the shape of a hexagon to keep the theme going of drawings for a mouse pad attachment that'll slide over the sidewall of the omni shelf , nice , and it'll be in the shape of a hexagon to keep the theme going
.
and also maybe cup holders , tool trays , tool holders , so things like that you can just hang off the side well , bob , I think you came up with a fantastic invention there , buddy , and I wish you the most success , and I really think , like I said , I once I actually talked to you and I got the website and actually went and looked at it .
I literally purchased it within 15 minutes , I mean I was like I got to have one of these . I just got to have one and my wife's like what's that ? I'm like it's a holder from my computer . Baby , I'm not going to tell her it has tools in it , because then she's going to say you're going to be buying more tools .
And also as far as people , if they come up with ideas , they can always reach out to me . I'll help them . If I can help them or or lead them in the right direction , I'll be more than willing to help . Or if anyone has an issue with the product when they buy it , I work with them .
If there's an issue , I work things out thanks for coming on the show , Bobby , and I really appreciate you making this product .
Hey , I appreciate you having me on Really do .
Thanks for listening
¶ Advice for Aspiring Inventors
to let's Talk Cabling , the award-winning podcast where knowledge is power and the low-voltage industry connects . If you enjoyed today's episode , don't forget to subscribe , leave a review and share it with your crew . Got questions or ideas for the show ? Chuck wants to hear from you . Stay connected , stay informed and always aim for excellence .
Until next time , keep those cables clean , your standards high and your future bright . Let's Talk Cabling Empowering the industry , one connection at a time .