Automation Unplugged Podcast Ron Callis

Welcome to Episode 269 of Automation Unplugged. Today’s show features Erica Carroll, Founder & Fractional CMO of CharBett Strategies. Erica is a returning guest, who was last on episode 262, for a special episode celebrating International Women’s Day.

Erica has over 10 years of experience in the AV industry in technical, training, and marketing roles. She’s the Founder and Fractional CMO of CharBett Strategies, where she helps businesses in the AV industry develop tailored marketing strategies that are aligned with their overarching business goals. Erica's extensive experience in product marketing and training enriches her approach, enabling her to offer nuanced insights and innovative solutions to her clients.

As a passionate advocate for the AV industry, she served a three-year term as AVIXA's Content and Learning Committee Chairperson and currently co-hosts the Women in AV podcast. Erica also plays a pivotal role in facilitating the annual Rosie Riveter Explores Pro AV fundraiser, which aims to close the gender gap in AV and introduce more girls interested in STEM to careers in the industry.

We live-streamed this interview on social media on Wednesday, July 10th, at 12:30 pm EDT.

Welcome to Episode 268 of Automation Unplugged. Today’s show features Samantha Hodz, Director of Talent Acquisition Services at Amplify People.

Samantha Hodz joins Amplify People as a Talent professional with more than 15 years of progressive industry experience. After almost a decade in Higher Education, she transitioned to the talent world and then into recruiting for IT, Finance, and Healthcare. Samantha has led global teams, helping them grow through learning and development initiatives customized to fit individual needs. At Amplify People, she works with integrators to fill their talent needs and ensure business health and longevity.

We live-streamed this interview on social media on Friday, June 21st, at 12:00 pm EDT.

Welcome to Episode 267 of Automation Unplugged. Today’s show features Murray Kunis, President of Future Home. Murray is a returning guest, originally appearing in September 2020 on episode 138.

Murray graduated from the University of Miami with a degree in music engineering in 1982, and soon found himself working on staff for a major Hollywood recording studio and eventually as a studio designer. In 1989, he founded Future Home, a residential tech firm specializing in home control, entertainment, and world-class private theaters. He’s a co-founder of CEDIA, and the only multi-year best-of-show winner for large home theaters.

We live-streamed this interview on social media on Wednesday, June 5th, at 12:30 pm EDT.

Welcome to Episode #266 of Automation Unplugged. Today’s show features James Westbrook, President & CEO, Smart Spaces OKC.

James Westbrook began his career in the AV industry 32 years ago as a Regional Sales Manager for Apollo Presentation products, where he developed a passion for the industry. With a degree in Industrial Distribution from Texas A&M University, James shifted his focus from commercial a/v to the residential home automation arena in 2001, when he opened Home Theater Technologies, LLC. to serve the Dallas-Fort Worth market.

James and his team successfully shepherded the company through many market fluctuations, and in 2019 HTT was one of the original companies involved in the merger that resulted in Bravas. From there, James found exciting opportunities for integrators in the Oklahoma City market and purchased what is now Smart Spaces of Oklahoma City, a Bravas affiliate.

We live-streamed this interview on social media on Wednesday, May 22nd, at 12:30 pm EDT.

Welcome to Episode 265 of Automation Unplugged. Today’s show features Kevin Nguyen (“Win”), President of Electronic Services & Concierge.

Kevin Nguyen started ESC in 2013, installing speakers and TVs. Previously, he worked for Best Buy for 7 years and a 2-channel audio company for 2 years.

For the first six years, it was just him, working out of his garage. He hired his first employee in 2019, and picked up his first office space just before COVID. Since then, they’ve expanded their team to 10 employees and added a showroom in Lakewood. They’ve taken on new categories, including lighting fixtures, landscape lighting, and they’ve started their first battery project, in Denver, with over 100kWH.

ESC’s clients include builders, designers, and trades around custom home building. Their primary clients are through custom high-end builders that service the Front Range to Summit County of Colorado. Their average system starts at $100,000-$150,000 and their larger systems have surpassed $500,000.

We live-streamed this interview on social media on Wednesday, May 1st, at 12:30 pm EDT.

Welcome to Episode 264 of Automation Unplugged. Today’s show features Dan Gundry, Director of Control Rooms - Americas of Barco Control Rooms.

Dan is an experienced technology professional and a well-respected voice in the critical command-and-control market. Dan currently manages North American sales for Barco’s control room group.

Dan regularly speaks at industry events, educating on command-and-control best practices, human factors engineering, and risk management for technology projects. He is also a strong advocate for the control room vertical market within AVIXA and the larger ProAV technology industry.

Dan hosts NOC Your SOCs Off!, a podcast focused on the critical control room marketplace. In 2023, Dan was named an “AV Living Legend” by Commercial Integrator magazine.

We live-streamed this interview on social media on Wednesday, April 17th, at 12:00 pm EDT.