Automation Unplugged Podcast
Automation Unplugged is a Facebook Live show recorded weekly with our host Ron Callis, Owner and CEO of the digital marketing agency, One Firefly. In each Automation Unplugged episode, Ron speaks with leading industry personalities and technology professionals to discuss all things business development, technology trends, and more. These interviews are designed to help our clients and members of the custom integration industry keep up-to-date with the latest news as well as learn from experts in the field.
Episodes
SHOW NOTES
During our time together, we discussed:
- John’s history of playing in bands as a drummer and percussionist and how that sparked an early interest in AV
- PCD’s adoption of the EOS business management system to increase productivity and efficiency
- The value of developing your people as the key to building client relationships and creating customers for life
- Sales team development strategies that lead to enhanced customer expe...
SHOW NOTES
Show #262 will be hosted by Kat Wheeler, Account Executive at One Firefly.
She’ll be joined by industry-leading titans Katye Bennett, Founder of KMB Communications, Maryellen Oswald, Business Development Manager - Partnerships at Somfy, Jody Larsen, Director of Business Development and Sales at CEDIA, and Amanda Wildman, Owner of TruMedia.
You won’t want to miss this opportunity to hear from these amazing women in tech.
Duri...
SHOW NOTES
Ryan Lee is an experienced landscape lighting designer and business owner with 16 years of experience in the industry. He started and grew a multi-million dollar landscape lighting company (Majestic Outdoor Lighting) in Fort Worth, TX.
In 2019, he sold his lighting business and is now focused full-time on coaching other landscape lighting businesses to help them go from business operator to business owner through his progr...
SHOW NOTES
Kendall Clark is One Firefly’s pioneering and creative sales leader. As Director of Sales, Kendall is responsible for overseeing the account executives and all sales activities, providing leadership focus and priority guidance for the department. Kendall previously led the Digital Media department, and oversaw the production of hundreds of industry-focused websites for our clients. Kendall has also been instrumental in de...
SHOW NOTES
Joaquin's immersion in the industry traces back to his upbringing, with a remarkable fifteen-year journey as an integral part of the team at Stewart Filmscreen, a leading force in video projection screens. Commencing his career in production at Stewart Filmscreen, Joaquin swiftly transitioned to various pivotal roles, including Marketing, Inside Sales, International Sales, Factory Liaison, National Sales Manager, and ulti...
SHOW NOTES
John has worked in the technology industry for over 30 years, including as the CEO of Radiant Systems, Inc., a publicly traded business until its $1.3 billion sale in 2011. Since joining Snap One in 2015, John has led the company through explosive growth via new product introductions, entry into new markets, key strategic acquisitions, and an IPO in July 2021.
John has also been a successful investor in a number of softwar...
During our time together, we discussed:
- What is new for Lightapalooza 2024
- Lutron and Ketra's plans for the event
- Why integrators should not miss this event
- The growing importance of the lighting category in the CI channel
To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au257
SHOW NOTES
Today's show features 3 industry luminaries - Tom Doherty, Director of New Technology Initiatives...
During our time together, we discussed:
- His diverse career at Crestron Electronics, focusing on his various roles and significant contributions to the company and the custom electronics industry.
- The vital role of training the next generation of Audiovisual Industry professionals focusing on developing their skills and knowledge to meet the industry's evolving demands.
- The expected impact of AI on the industry and a unique perspec...
During our time together, we discussed:
- Eddie’s takeaways from his experience serving on the CEDIA Board of Directors for the past three years
- Expanding their business through strategic acquisitions this year and the lessons they’ve learned along the way
- The importance of defining and refining processes to run a business with multiple locations
- Vendor selection beliefs and best practices
During our time together, we discussed:
- Eddie’s takeaways from his experience serving on the CEDIA Board of Directors for the past three years
- His impressions and takeaways from the CEDIA AI Symposium
- Eddie shares valuable insights from a recent interaction with an architect
- His predictions for the luxury residential construction industry in 2024
To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: o...
During our time together, we discussed:
- Chris’s journey in the CI industry, starting in DIY smart tech, and moving into a professional AV career
- The training and assistance he received from PrepTECH
- The mindset of extreme ownership and the principles he lives by to be the best leader possible for his team
- His role as a Service Manager and how to successfully run service in a CI business
During our time together, we discussed:
- Clinton’s career journey in the technology industry, starting in audio post-production engineering, moving into sales, and eventually becoming owner and president of Mainline Marketing
- His mindset of out-servicing the competition
- Market conditions during the pandemic, and predictions for what the economic landscape will look like in 2024
During our time together, we discussed:
- Xavier’s history with Lutron, from his days as a field service engineer traveling the world, to the present as a system designer and consultant.
- Best practices and advice for designing a lighting control system.
- Creating and growing his YouTube channel.
To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au251
SHOW NOTES
Xavier has been in the CI...
During our time together, we discussed:
- Tom’s rise to prominence in the CI space, starting with founding his own AV business in 1985
- His work toward growing industry-wide education and awareness in the lighting category
- The very first AI Symposium at CEDIA, and the meteoric rise of AI since Nov 2022
To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au250
SHOW NOTES
Tom has more than ...
During our time together, we discussed:
- The state of the custom integration industry in the UK
- Comparing and contrasting the northamerican and the UK markets
- One Firefly’s participation in the upcoming Ei Live! Show
To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au249
SHOW NOTES
David has 40 years of experience in the publishing and exhibitors’ industry. In 2009, he founded All th...
During our time together, we discussed:
- The challenges of opening a business in the midst of a pandemic
- Ians take on the current state of hiring in the Av industry
- Aspires new project R&D Lab and how this has impacted quality and delivery.
To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au248
Be sure to check out Ian’s first appearance on Automation Unplugged back on show #94 reco...
During our time together, we discussed:
- John’s experience in broadcast TV and video editing
- John's Emmy winning journey, covering two Olympic games for NBC
- Why Netgear AV entered the CI channel
- The role of AI in copywriting and imagery and other forms of content creation
To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au247
SHOW NOTES
John started out working in broadcast TV with a ...
During our time together, we discussed:
- Jason's 23-year experience as editor of CE Pro magazine
- The role of recurring revenue in our industry
- Some of the actionable insights possible thanks to DTools Business Intelligence capabilities
To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au246
SHOW NOTES
Jason has been involved in the low-voltage smart home market since 1990. He was the ...
During our time together, we discussed:
- Shawnon’s experience deploying technology into 100+ Apple Stores across the country earlier in his career
- Getting featured in the Wall Street Journal for one of their biggest projects back in 2018
- The local market trends in Silicon Valley
To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au245
SHOW NOTES
Shawnon founded Zettacomm, his Silicon V...
During our time together, we discussed:
- Company culture and the importance of putting the right people in the right positions.
- The role of branding and marketing to differentiate your business
- The outlook for the smart technology industry in the current economic climate.
To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit: onefirefly.com/au244
SHOW NOTES
In 2002, Ryan founded Ratio Inc while studying...
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