USAV Bandwidth

Welcome to EDGE Bandwidth, a show hosted by Patrick Whipkey, vice president of EDGE and Candice Aragon, vice president of marketing and education at the PSA Network, to share their expertise and have insightful conversations with professionals to explore and challenge what low voltage systems integrators are facing. The AV sector produces a lot of e-waste, but it does not produce a lot of sustainable solutions, with the exception of recycling, which is occasionally useless because it actually transfers the problem to others; this is a critical situation that we can't ignore anymore. In this episode, Debbie Williamson from Tempest Technologies LLC and Christina DeBono, president of ClearTech, talk about sustainability in AV and the organization SAVe, which strives to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through a number of initiatives, one of the most significant of which is the SAVe certification, which aids in the development of an action plan and opportunities for the business to give back to the community so we may create a more sustainable future.  Jump straight into: (03:01) - The AV industry and sustainability - “In fact, our industry, to be honest with you, has fallen way behind and hasn't really done much in the area of developing sustainable initiatives and programs for our industry.”  (07:33) - Scratching the surface of e-waste and e-recycling - “We discovered that what we thought was good and what we were being holding ourselves and our clients accountable to turned out to be not very good, because we were one of the companies that was shipping things off to these other nations to make it their problem.”  (09:30) - SDG's and SAVe certified program for a more sustainable future - “Educating ourselves isn't just enough, taking action isn't enough for us; we wanted to spread it to our clients and everyone else. I think it's an important opportunity for us to bring awareness at a level that I didn't think about before.”  (16:52) - More initiatives and actions to build a better future -  “This is gonna take everyone to work together to build a future that's more sustainable for all of us, whether it's our businesses, our industry, or our communities. " Check SAVe's https://saveav.org (website).  Thanks for tuning in! EDGE Bandwidth is a show produced by StudioPod Media, for more information about their podcast production services, feel free to check out their https://www.studiopodsf.com/ (website). Special thanks to our sponsors over at https://www.shure.com/en-US (Shure).

Welcome to EDGE Bandwidth, a show hosted by Patrick Whipkey, vice president of EDGE and Candice Aragon, vice president of marketing and education at the PSA Network, to share their expertise and have insightful conversations with professionals to explore and challenge what low voltage systems integrators are facing. Everyone is vulnerable to cyber attacks; it is not a matter of "if" but "when," with the past years having them rise to the top threat for companies of all sizes. In this episode, we discuss the importance of cyber insurance, what to look for in a policy, how to set a budget, and best practices, with Wayne Dean, Partner at Snellings Walters Insurance Company. It might be a little difficult to know where to begin, but we walk you through the process so you can minimize loss when it occurs. Join this conversation and learn about the future of cybersecurity insurance,  Jump straight into: (00:52) - The importance of cyber security policies - “When cyber was formed by Steve Haas, it was designed to protect us on an individual basis. To help protect us from credit card theft, identity theft, and that's changed and evolved over the last years. And so from a company perspective, I would say the number one threat to a business is a cyber attack.” (04:12) - What should be looked for and best practices to get a cybersecurity policy - “You have to understand, first off, what coverages you're applying for. And second, asking yourself, are you able to get that amount of insurance for all of the carriers?” (12:20) - Based on the type of company, how to calculate risk and create a budget for a cyber security policy - “​The more security measures and best practices you have in place, the better story we're gonna be able to give to the carrier and the better result we're gonna get from a premium perspective.” (14:11) - Tips, tricks and first steps for integrators to fully secure their company. - “Form a team inside your operation, include your IT guy and management, and then you explore options. If you don't have a cyber policy in place, you absolutely need to move in that direction.” Thanks for tuning in! EDGE Bandwidth is a show produced by StudioPod Media, for more information about their podcast production services, feel free to check out their https://www.studiopodsf.com/ (website). Special thanks to our sponsors over at https://www.shure.com/en-US (Shure). 

Welcome to USAV Bandwidth,  a show hosted by Chris Salazar-Mangrum, Vice President of USAV and Patrick Whipkey, Director of USAV, to share their expertise and have insightful conversations with professionals from the AV industry. When it comes to talent acquisition in this business, we gotta take a look at how the rising market cap is not only causing more integrators' demand, but is also shaping a more competitive landscape. In this episode we are joined by Chris Nakiso, Founder & CEO of Chris Edward Consulting, which is helping companies identify and secure talent. Chris shares some meaningful insights on the importance of clear internal processes to attract better talent, as well as the most common challenges of adopting a hybrid environment. We also discuss skip talks and stay interviews. Join us in this amazing conversation focused on the candidate experience! Jump straight into: (01:13) - Talent acquisition: Why has it become such a competitive landscape and what are they asking for - “What's your onboarding process like? That is the biggest discussion right now with companies with regards to retention.” (09:09) - The culture shift: Best practices for remote onboarding processes - “Those skip talks are designed to get folks to really be in a comfortable situation, to explain what could be improved. Let them tell you”  (18:17) - New areas for complex roles: Culture alignment and the interesting industries where new talent is coming from - “ I think there has to be some type of almost like a D league or for basketball. There's got to be a development thing on the technical side to get more technical people.” Connect with Chris on https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-nakiso%E2%9C%94/ (LinkedIn) chris@chrisedwardconsulting.com Thanks for tuning in! USAV Bandwidth is a show produced by StudioPod Media, for more information about their podcast production services, feel free to check out their https://www.studiopodsf.com/ (website). Special thanks to our sponsors over at https://www.shure.com/en-US (Shure).

Welcome to USAV Bandwidth,  a show hosted by Chris Salazar-Mangrum, Vice President of USAV and Patrick Whipkey, Director of USAV, to share their expertise and have insightful conversations with professionals from the AV industry. Bill Bozeman's career took off when he understood that outstanding companies have to be runned like they're ready to be sold. Bill is the former CEO of PSA and has broad experience leading integrator companies for a variety of industries. In this episode, he shares his views on the importance of recurring revenue within valuations and the smartest way to sell and cash out. Plus, Bill recommends learning assets, information sources and other references like the PSA and MNA sessions for new learners! Jump straight into: (00:49) - “You should run your company like you are ready to sell it”: An excellent piece of advice that pivoted Bill's career - “You should really begin to think progress four or five years ahead of time and get very serious about having a business model that is attractive.” (8:36) - “Numbers really speak for themselves: Valuation of recurring revenue done right - “When you get to 30 million or 40 million, you know what, you really should have a cracker Jack well-paid finance team.” (17:04) - Cash out completely or consider a third back in? And why having a strong management team is so important - “They want you managing the base, the softball team and managing the softball team because you cash the check.” (21:20) - Advice for entrepreneurs that are no longer running a company after selling it - “Peel back that onion as many layers as you possibly can: What's my future? What do you want from me? What can I do to help?” (23:34) - Recommended learning resources, information sources and references.  Thanks for tuning in! USAV Bandwidth is a show produced by StudioPod Media, for more information about their podcast production services, feel free to check out their https://www.studiopodsf.com/ (website). Special thanks to our sponsors over at https://www.shure.com/en-US (Shure).

Welcome to USAV Bandwidth, a show hosted by Chris Salazar-Mangrum, Vice President of USAV, and Patrick Whipkey, Director of USAV, to share their expertise and have insightful conversations with professionals from the AV industry. Directly from Dublin, Ireland, our friend Tomás Mac Eoin from Hereworks joins the show to talk about the company's efforts to develop an interface that helps to gather data from all systems inside a building and make the information tangible. We also go deep into what the role of a master system integrator should be like in network-based environments, as well as the future of integrator systems, systems security as a top priority, the importance of friendly and accessible UX, and the positive impact it has on compliance. Listen to this episode and discover the difference between smart buildings and intelligent buildings! Jump straight into: (00:50) - Introducing Hereworks: When did they start operating as an AV solution provider?  - “We started looking towards airports and how they work. They have loads of different disparate systems, but they have to speak to one another.” (06:34) - Getting things named right: Why is it a good thing to bring all systems together through a MSI? - “We will start to learn how the building breathes, how people are moving in the building, what areas of the building are used more than others, so we can redesign.” (10:14) - Beyond connections and firewalls: How is the company focusing on security issues? - “Actually part of our role will actually be to do security testing on any piece of hardware that goes into the building.” (14:38) - Hereworks' Happy™ Buildings: An introduction to the product focused on comfort and wellbeing: “The point is that you have a single source of truth for whatever software that you want to layer on top of the data. You go to the data and everything is there.” (16:21) - The human side of data: How Hereworks began to sell and what is their customer's profile and values - “What was different about us was we always focused on the human. We always sold the end goal of what we were trying to do with this data.” Thanks for tuning in! USAV Bandwidth is a show produced by StudioPod Media, for more information about their podcast production services, feel free to check out their https://www.studiopodsf.com/ (website). Special thanks to our sponsors over at https://www.shure.com/en-US (Shure).

Welcome to USAV Bandwidth, a show hosted by Chris Salazar-Mangrum, Vice President of USAV, and Patrick Whipkey, Director of USAV, to share their expertise and have insightful conversations with professionals from the AV industry. When it comes to deep improvement in a company that is trying to scale exponentially, understanding the present conditions becomes essential. And to understand we first have to listen and create the correct tools that can help us evaluate the processes and results of our strategy. In this episode, we invite Tom LeBlanc, executive director from NFCA, and Candice Aragon from PSA, Vice President of Marketing & Events to discuss a very useful piece of information that they've built with keys to understand what makes a successful MSP in this new age. Join this conversation now and discover the main conclusions of this complete research here on USAV Bandwidth Jump straight into: (00:33) - Anatomy of a Successful MSP research process overview and first conclusions - “We learned there was no one right way, but there were a few key pieces that were part of the formula to success.” (09:15) - How alongside integrators can help a company grow confidence in their product - “ Company leaders need to recognize not that there's a revenue opportunity, but that there's a value they can deliver to their customers in a more effective way through this recurring engagement with their integrator partner” (13:46) - Integrators role in assuring recurring revenue and adapting to trending business models - “It's really important for them to recognize that trend and make sure that their business model fits as the industry and the world has evolved”. (16:45) - Strategic planning matters: Insights about integration planning improvements and effects - “Everyone expects everything to happen almost instantaneously now. And when it doesn't and they don't see the return on the investment right away, then that's when they get discouraged.” (22:05) On companies' service approach and complementary highlights from the research - “Letting the model evolve with feedback from your customers is an important trend to note. I think that that speaks highly of not only the integrator but also, the end-user customer”.  Thanks for tuning in! USAV Bandwidth is a show produced by StudioPod Media, for more information about their podcast production services, feel free to check out their https://www.studiopodsf.com/ (website). Special thanks to our sponsors over at https://www.shure.com/en-US (Shure). 

Welcome to USAV Bandwidth,  a show hosted by Chris Salazar-Mangrum, Vice President of USAV and Patrick Whipkey, Director of USAV, to share their expertise and have insightful conversations with professionals from the AV industry. What does it take to partner internationally? While some small and mid-sized firms don't necessarily have the resources to go and serve their clients locally in another country, there are ways to manage new markets that are driven by platforms willing to simplify their integration. To understand the value of networking, our guests Andy Tan from TSI APAC and Max Jaramillo from ConsorcioTec talk about the advantages of connecting with new hubs that provide solutions and quality support beyond the boundaries set by the pandemic, as well the keys to establish a complete partnering program. This kind of collaboration is meant for sharing best practices and trying new things when working with one another. Jump straight into: (01:03) - Enabling projects based in Latin America and APAC - “We are offering this opportunity by building a group of independent contractors and integrators in this region, expanding the opportunities in terms of business referral.” (5:38) - International partnering network development process - “One of the advantages of working with one of our members is that as you mentioned, they already are tied into the vendor community as well”. (9:34) - How the pandemic changed the partnering strategy worldwide - “Now we have international guys partnering together because they can't cross country borders.” (13:41) - What does it mean to build a strong network - “It's not just doing the project. It's maintenance, it's backup services. It's first responders.”  Connect with Andy through https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-tan-cts/ (LinkedIn)  Connect with Max through https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxjaramillo?miniProfileUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_miniProfile%3AACoAAAFPbBUBdSeVp-jW8ENcUVp8kObDbAQ6bXY&lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_search_srp_people%3Bwpkx8dVsTtqRapiuR9cRYQ%3D%3D (LinkedIn) Thanks for tuning in! USAV Bandwidth is a show produced by StudioPod Media, for more information about their podcast production services, feel free to check out their https://www.studiopodsf.com/ (website). Special thanks to our sponsors over at https://www.shure.com/en-US (Shure). 

Welcome to USAV Bandwidth,  a show hosted by Chris Salazar-Mangrum, Vice President of USAV, and Patrick Whipkey, Director of USAV, to share their expertise and have insightful conversations with professionals from the AV industry. During COVID the AV industry had to adapt to the new circumstances of the market to stay afloat. Today we can say that far from only surviving, the industry has begun to reinvent itself and innovation is coming back stronger. In this episode, we talk to Cheryl Walton, the new Director of Business Development at USAV Group. Cheryl shares with us a little bit about her career, the new trends of the industry, and we discuss how USAV will be raising the tide for all its integrators in the next five years. Join in and learn how this new team will be leading the AV industry into a new era of technological development.  Jump straight into: (00:11) - Who is Cheryl Walton?: Her career in the AV industry - “I started at Kramer and I really wanted to be an outside salesperson. I was there for about 10 years in all various roles.” (03:08) - Let's have a bit of fun: Two truths and one lie + Cheryl's life motivation - “An old manager of mine always said, have fun or it's not worth it.”  (06:32) - How can we be the rising tide? Elevating the whole industry - “Something that the USAV Group can start doing is having the big manufacturers support the smaller manufacturers.” (09:52) - Getting into the competition: USAV's 5-year-plan - “It's going to be a living, working document that things are going to change. We're going to have to edit this plan, but you ultimately need something to work towards.” (13:10) - New entertainment in these exciting times - “Entertainment took a big hit, we see that that's coming back to some degree, but it's the creativity now that I think is going to start evolving.”  Connect with Cheryl through https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheryl-walton-cts-b6b11020/ (LinkedIn) Thanks for tuning in! USAV Bandwidth is a show produced by StudioPod Media, for more information about their podcast production services, feel free to check out their https://www.studiopodsf.com/ (website). Special thanks to our sponsors over at https://www.shure.com/en-US (Shure). 

Welcome to USAV Bandwidth, a show hosted by Chris Salazar-Mangrum, Vice President of USAV, and Patrick Whipkey, Director of USAV, to share their expertise and have insightful conversations with professionals from the AV industry. As the pandemic continues and companies try to get back in business, there are new circumstances arising by the second. In today's episode, Patrick is joined as always by Chris Salazar Mangrum and two industry experts, Mike Boettcher, Chief Executive Officer of New Era Technology and John Mitton Vice President of the Audio Visual Group at Red Thread, to talk about the latest news in the business including vaccination policies for technicians, the outlook for Q4 and what will events be about with COVID-19 restrictions. This isn't over, but business is definitely adapting with the times.  Jump straight into: (00:10) - A popular topic nowadays: Requiring the COVID vaccination for onsite technicians - “It's a more complex question than whether you are vaccinated or not. People have strong feelings about it.” (07:15) - The impact of the vaccination supply chain in Q4 for businesses - “The outlook's good, it's been steady. It's just a matter of what can you get done and in what timeframe”. (13:28) - On live events and getting back to the office - “It just goes back to people's confidence levels, if you're confident that you can go to events and your kids can go to school.”  (18:04) - Having more focused and meaningful conversations at events - “It's about getting connected with those groups and building the relationships. You can do that in different areas.” Episode resources: Connect with Mike through https://www.zoominfo.com/p/Michael-Boettcher/1394688033?__cf_chl_captcha_tk__=pmd_aKg9XMn3ZCgkkkYExiJsa9B9QbwV2.xbIHQ0VFgtw.s-1631224523-0-gqNtZGzNA6WjcnBszQgl (ZoomIn) Connect with John through https://www.linkedin.com/in/jomitton/ (LinkedIn) Thanks for tuning in! USAV Bandwidth is a show produced by StudioPod Media, for more information about their podcast production services, feel free to check out their https://www.studiopodsf.com/ (website). Special thanks to our sponsors over at https://www.shure.com/en-US (Shure).

Welcome to USAV Bandwidth,  a show hosted by Chris Salazar-Mangrum, Vice President of USAV, and Patrick Whipkey, Director of USAV, to share their expertise and have insightful conversations with professionals from the AV industry. Attending virtual events became a norm during the pandemic, but are live-person events gone for good? In this episode, we sit with David Labuskes, Chief Executive Officer at AVIXA, to talk about live events. In this second half of the year, this industry will be coming back but there are still many questions to be answered. What will the sanitary restrictions be? Will the events have virtual components? Are people comfortable enough to attend? Join this conversation and listen to David talk about all the aspects he had to think about when preparing AVIXA's InfoComm event in October. It'll be a great start to the second half of the year! Jump straight into: (00:10) - Are we getting back to live events? - “Ultimately what we're doing is trying to be as prudent as possible within the guideline recommendations.” (05:59) - Connecting at the first live events - “Unstructured, unscheduled interaction is where innovation, partnership and growth comes from in many cases. So it was awesome to be standing, holding a glass of wine, talking to somebody.” (08:45) - What can be expected in attendance for InfoComm 2021? - “There are companies that typically send 10, 15, 20 individuals that may send 5, 10, 15 individuals. They are making choices about their comfort level of attendance.” (14:53) - Doing business in-person vs. virtual trade shows - “I think there's a place for it, and I think we'll crack it. But it's not slapping a couple of cameras up on a trade show floor and letting everybody watch everybody walk.” (20:23) - Are you already planning for future InfoComms? - “We have contracts for both of those spaces beyond the end of this decade, and rights of first refusal through well past where I'm going to be working on it.” (25:23) - Getting people back together and learning from crisis - “If we aren't better at how we work together, if we aren't better at how we engage with audiences, what a terrible opportunity that will have been wasted.” Episode resources Connect with Davis through https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidlabuskes/ (LinkedIn) https://www.avixa.org/ (AVIXA) https://www.avixa.org/about-us/press-room/2021/06/15/infocomm-2021-registration-officially-opens-for-the-live-show-in-orlando-oct.-23-29?utm_source=homepage&utm_medium=click&utm_campaign=NewCards (InfoComm 2021 Registration) https://www.legrand.com/en/landing (Welcome to Legrand) https://www.shure.com/ (Shure) Thanks for tuning in! USAV Bandwidth is a show produced by StudioPod Media, for more information about their podcast production services, feel free to check out their https://www.studiopodsf.com/ (website). Special thanks to our sponsors over at https://www.shure.com/en-US (Shure).

Welcome to USAV Bandwidth,  a show hosted by Chris Salazar-Mangrum, Vice President of USAV and Patrick Whipkey, Director of USAV, to share their expertise and have insightful conversations with professionals from the AV industry. What if corporations reinvented the way they manage and lead their teams? For the longest time, businesses have followed pyramid hierarchy-based schemes without even questioning them; but there are much more effective, impactful and humane ways of collaborating with others. In today's episode, we welcome Brent Lowe, Founder & Lead Coach at BASE Associates Inc., coach, and author of Leading Together, to talk all about new leadership styles, alternative ways of distributing power, and how to transition your business from a pyramid scheme to an organic, functioning ecosystem. Welcoming vulnerability, being willing to learn, stepping back and allowing others to lead, these are all key traits that true leaders must possess. Tune in to learn how you and your collaborators can completely transform your business culture, leading together. Jump straight into: (02:51) - The secrets to becoming an impactful leader - “There's so much as a company starts to grow where all that entrepreneurial energy starts to get stripped away and replaced by bureaucracy, and I started to wonder, is there a different way that we can do this?” (07:00) - Leading Together: Reinventing leadership & management styles - “It is about moving away from a hierarchy, into an ecosystem and more of a peer to peer network. These systems only work if the individuals who are leading are ready to do the personal work.” (20:54) - What about the team?: How to manage collaborators' resistance to the transition - “We have a tendency often when we see resistance, to attempt to bulldoze right through that resistance, it doesn't work that well.” (23:47) - Shifting the language to impact the culture - “The fact that we use slightly different language is very purposeful to make people find changes much more natural.” (31:03) - Titles, promotions and stiff hierarchies: Why leading without power is possible - “It is about expanding our portfolio of knowledge and experience, so that we can take on higher levels of responsibility within a dynamic context.” (36:06) - How Liberating Structures distribute power - “We need tools to help bring everybody's voice into the conversation and for ideas to bubble up and get traction for people to get answers.” Episode Resources https://www.amazon.com/-/es/dp/B093KC19DQ/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&ie=UTF8&keywords=lead%20together%20brent%20lowe&language=en_US&qid=1625528748&sr=8-1 (Lead Together) by Brent Lowe https://bcorporation.net/directory/base-associates-inc (Base Associates Inc.) https://handbook.etgroup.ca/ (The ETG Way Handbook) https://www.liberatingstructures.com/ (Liberating Structures) Connect with Brent Through https://ca.linkedin.com/in/brentloweconnects (LinkedIn) Thanks for tuning in! USAV Bandwidth is a show produced by StudioPod Media, for more information about their podcast production services, feel free to check out their https://www.studiopodsf.com/ (website). Special thanks to our sponsors over at https://www.shure.com/en-US (Shure). 

Welcome to USAV Bandwidth, a show hosted by Chris Salazar-Mangrum, Vice President of USAV and Patrick Whipkey, Director of USAV, to share their expertise and have insightful conversations with professionals from the AV industry. The workforce for the AV industry is cutting short. Are there people out there interested in this industry? How do we reach out to them? In this episode, our host Chris Salazar-Mangrum and Jay Kowalsky talk to Chris Hope, Founder and Executive director of The Loop Lab, a BIPOC-led nonprofit that specializes in empowering women and people of color to develop careers in audio and video through job training and job placement. Chris's social project provides not only career-focused services but holistic human development programs. He believes in building bridges and thinking about the world in terms of transformation rather than a transaction. Join this conversation and begin to shift the way you think about the AV industry.  Jump straight into: (00:11) - Who is Chris Hope and his social project The Loop Lab - “My personal mission is to advance equity in the tech workforce by creating opportunities and intersections between communities of color and the tech economy.” (05:18) - More workforce and opportunities: The Loop Lab's AV Apprenticeship Program - “The idea is to learn their craft and trade using the software and hardware that they're going to be expected to use on day one in their job in the industry.” (09:13) - How to attract more talent? Show people what it could be - “They'll bring the skills, they'll bring the talent, but we have to get out of this archaic way of how we even talk about what it is that we do.” (14:01) - Empowering holistic human development - “People don't think about the barriers that are realities for people holistically: access to healthcare, access to adequate housing, behavioral and health concerns.” (20:03) - The benefits of participating in mentorship as an organization - “You're bringing in somebody that has the skills and the knowledge necessary to actually perform on day one, which is something that new hires don't even have.” (23:36) - The touching story behind Chris's work - “How many times do we have to hear another young adult suffer because of challenges that we are just not able to live up to?” (30:20) - Diversity and representation in the AV industry- “You want to be able to have that representation for folks that we want to be included. At the end of the day, I believe diversity really strengthens your ability as a company to sell your products to a broader demographic.” Episode resources: Connect with Jay through https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-kowalsky/ (LinkedIn)  Connect with Chris through https://www.linkedin.com/in/c-hope/ (LinkedIn) or email https://www.thelooplab.org/ (The Loop Lab) Thanks for tuning in! USAV Bandwidth is a show produced by StudioPod Media, for more information about their podcast production services, feel free to check out their https://www.studiopodsf.com/ (website). Special thanks to our sponsors over at https://www.shure.com/en-US (Shure).

Welcome to USAV Bandwidth,  a show hosted by Chris Salazar-Mangrum, Vice President of USAV and Patrick Whipkey, Director of USAV, to share their expertise and have insightful conversations with professionals from the AV industry. The sequels that COVID-19 brought upon the integrator's business are far from gone. The industry is experiencing supply and staff shortages, plus all the changes from remote working are still a relevant topic. Nonetheless, there are always new business opportunities and ways to accommodate services for clients. In this episode of USAV Bandwidth, we have Jay Kowalsky filling in for Chris Salazar Mangrum and Travis Deatherage of Linx Multimedia to talk about what's going on in the industry, the new opportunities found in video conference rooms, and preventative maintenance in addition to the best ways to facilitate an equitable office culture for remote workers. Join now and learn about the integrator's business from its best professionals! Jump straight into: (00:11) - Travis Deatherage's knack to pivot: On Travis's experience on the .com bubble and how he started his own business during a crisis - “I don't know if it was visionary to change into commercial or if it was survival.” (03:05) - Providing the best possible environment for employees - “We're trying to create that kind of organization where it doesn't really matter what we're delivering. It's how we do what we do and the people we do it with, that's the glue for the organization.” (05:07) - New business opportunities: Where is the integrators market going? - “We have a lot of spaces that are going to need to be refreshed with technology. That's going to create an engaged hybrid work experience where some people are in the office and some, or many people are still remote.” (08:52) - Remote vs. in person: How to facilitate an equitable office culture for clients - “Their approach to bringing folks back to the office varies and it means different things to different folks. I think that's why it's so important to have that empathy in the process and understand their needs.”  (14:47) - The supply and demand issue: Is the shortage in video equipment real? - “Yeah, it's happening there's constraints across the board in many industries with a variety of factors that have caused that.” (20:55) - Preventative maintenance services: Getting everything ready to get back to the office - “We certainly have seen that uptick in service over the last 60 days, where those clients are reaching out and taking advantage of some of the offers we made.” (22:20) - Staff and people: Should we be subcontracting or recruiting? - “We have been recruiting for some design engineers, have expanded that to be anywhere in the country and the talent pool that opened up was tremendous.” (37:01) - Communication strategies to keep all collaborators up to date  - “As we continue with more remote working, one cultural thing we've learned is that the speed of communication has to pick up.” Resources Connect with https://www.linkedin.com/in/travis-deatherage-53885415/ (Travis) through LinkedIn Connect with https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-kowalsky/ (Jay) through LinkedIn Connect with https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-whipkey-cts-i-45a6464/ (Patrick) through LinkedIn Thanks for tuning in! USAV Bandwidth is a show produced by StudioPod Media, for more information about their podcast production services, feel free to check out their https://www.studiopodsf.com/ (website). Special thanks to our sponsors over at https://www.shure.com/en-US (Shure).

Welcome to USAV Bandwidth, a show hosted by Chris Salazar-Mangrum, Vice President of USAV and Patrick Whipkey, Director of USAV, to share their expertise and have insightful conversations with professionals from the AV industry. After the COVID-19 outbreak, remote work became the norm for the majority of companies throughout the world. It was, without a doubt, technology that allowed us to continue working even during the toughest part of confinement. Now, after almost a year working from home the question arises, will we ever go back to the office? In this episode of USAV Bandwidth, our hosts Chris Salazar-Mangrum and Patrick Whipkey, sit with Jay Kowalsky, Director of Operations and Technology Leader at Red Thread to talk about the trends for home office spaces and return-to-work technologies. How an ergonomic chair and good internet connection helped us be as efficient as ever during the pandemic, plus how are companies going to adapt to a new scheme of work once the offices reopen. Will they keep a hybrid work experience for their staff or will we go back to business as usual? Join this conversation now and discover the new business opportunities and trends that the pandemic has brought upon us and how companies are making the best out of it.  Jump straight into: (00:11) - Return-to-work solutions - “We were forced into trying to understand how to keep businesses moving, and we leveraged technology to do that.” (06:14) - The technological challenges of wellbeing - “Now safety brings on a whole nother level of health, safety, cleanliness, air quality, and air purification and all those weren't even thought about a year or two ago.” (09:08) - Integrations to bring home comfort and safety into the office - “How to make the corporate feel a little bit more like a living room? Let's replicate the home office now with the corporate offices”.  (12:54) - On diversification of products during the pandemic - “We had to read and react as well. What types of different products and solutions did our group need to either return to work internally or help with their clients?” (17:12) - How video calls have changed people's mindsets - “It's this circle of home, mobile and office, and being able to communicate and collaborate in any shape or form that way.” (19:48) - The hit to commercial real estate - “Is not going away. Companies might take a look at the short-term and say ‘we're going to have to downsize given the circumstance' but in the long-term, you're going to see no change.” (22:37) - Reimagining better and more efficient workspaces - “You're going to see workspaces integrated with these technologies that we're seeing now more and more as time goes on.” (28:24) - Closing thoughts on return-to-work tech - “You absolutely have to embrace technology. If you haven't yet you're gone. You're not going to be relevant, period.” Resources Connect with Jay through https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-kowalsky/ (LinkedIn) Connect with Patrick through https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-whipkey-cts-i-45a6464/ (LinkedIn) Connect with Chris through https://www.linkedin.com/in/cmangrum/ (LinkedIn) Thanks for tuning in! USAV Bandwidth is a show produced by StudioPod Media, for more information about their podcast production services, feel free to check out their https://www.studiopodsf.com/ (website). Special thanks to our sponsors over at https://www.shure.com/en-US (Shure). 

Welcome to USAV Bandwidth,  a show hosted by Chris Salazar-Mangrum, Vice President of USAV and Patrick Whipkey, Director of USAV, to share their expertise and have insightful conversations with professionals from the AV industry. Acquiring a company is one way to expand and diversify your business but... What kind of company should you look into? Should you sell or buy at a lower price? In this episode of USAV Bandwidth, our hosts Chris and Patrick sit for the second time with SCN's 2021 Hall of Fame and industry expert, Tim Albright, to chat about the future of integrators, what are M&As going to look like in 2020, plus the different paths your company can follow if you are looking to expand. Does an M&A help or hurt your end user? Is your company buying or are you the one getting bought? Tune in now to listen to the second part of this conversation with Tim. This episode was made to understand how to expand your business in the best way possible and learn what the trends indicate for this year and next! Jump straight into: (00:10) - Different types of M&A growth: Family-owned integration firms vs investment bankers - “Neither one is good or bad or otherwise, neither one is better than the other. It's just understanding that the two different philosophies and the two different things that are moving those decisions.” (04:07) - Who is going to be buying who in 2021? The pros and cons of buying a diverse company to expand - “The traditional AV integrator is looking at the IT integrator because everything is network-based now, so that's just a natural progression to have more network offerings. Or vice versa, that IT guy is looking to the AV side of things.” (06:19) - Selling at a lower price? - “I think that if I could make ‘21 work, I would write it out because 2020 was a hell of a year from a financial standpoint.” (09:09) - On getting partner networks to diversify your products - “If you're looking at a different discipline partner with someone first, see how they're doing it. Number one, you can learn from them. Number two, you could buy them.” (12:07) - Does your acquisition help or hurt your final client? - “When you start going down the merger and acquisition route, you eliminate people, you eliminate that diversity, you eliminate those choices. Now that also gives rise and makes margin and gives room.” Thanks for tuning in! USAV Bandwidth is a show produced by StudioPod Media, for more information about their podcast production services, feel free to check out their https://www.studiopodsf.com/ (website). Special thanks to our sponsors over at https://www.shure.com/en-US (Shure). 

Welcome to USAV Bandwidth, a show hosted by Chris Salazar-Mangrum, Vice President of USAV and Patrick Whipkey, Director of USAV, to share their expertise and have insightful conversations with professionals from the AV industry. It's a fact, the way to do business is changing: clients want more complete services plus markets are shifting. But what can companies do to face these challenges? Diversify and converge. Diversification of disciplines, as well as convergence with other industries, have become more and more common for companies who look to grow and explore new markets. In this episode, we talk to Tim Albright, President at AVNation Media, Inc, about what diversification and convergence mean for a business and how to make the right decisions when looking to expand.  Should I develop new divisions in my company? Is cybersecurity a good growing path to follow? What is the best market to work in? Diversifying may sound scary but we've got the answers to all your questions. Join us on this chat where we analyze the latest trends of the industry and discuss the pros and cons of introducing new tools to your toolbox.  Jump straight into: (01:03) - Why you should diversify disciplines: How having multiple offerings can benefit integrators - “If you do that little Venn diagram, that overlap between industries seems to get closer and closer.” (09:00) - Developing new divisions: Learn from what your competitors have to offer - “Look at your biggest competitor: What do they have? What are the certifications? What lines do they carry?” (12:14) - Cybersecurity: a growing opportunity - “If you have any business, you have a network. And if you have a network, you need to have security standards of some way, shape, or form.” (15:49) - Should you get into the residential or commercial market? - “The same people that use your AV at the office are the same people that use it at home, and that's an important note.” (21:55) - What you should take into account when expanding your company to new markets - “Look at your A guys and see what their passions are. There is where I would look to grow.” Thanks for tuning in! USAV Bandwidth is a show produced by StudioPod Media, for more information about their podcast production services, feel free to check out their https://www.studiopodsf.com/ (website). Special thanks to our sponsors over at https://www.shure.com/en-US (Shure).