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Every integrator has a unique backstory for how they got into the business. But once they've made the decision to jump into this industry, they tend to face the same challenges and obstacles as their peers. That's why it's always enlightening to sit down with someone like Ann Johnson, co-owner and principal of Premiere SAV, and talk shop. Ann's background and path into the business is unique, but her passion for growing and evolving her company might be unmatched – as is her knowledge and expertise. It was impressive to tap into that and get a glimpse of her approach to the technology, design, and operational aspects of the business.
It had only been a few weeks since Kathleen Thomas took over as the head of custom integration for Sony when we sat down for this interview, but having spent many years preparing for this moment, and with the support of the team around her, she's clearly more than up for the challenge. We dive into her plans and expectations in the role, explore Sony's lens to livingroom approach to entertainment, and look back on the influence of the industry icon she's replacing.
Shortly after the association's second-annual Smart Home on Capitol Hill Day – and on the heels of the "Liberation Day" announcements – we sat down with CEDIA to talk about the issues that are impacting the custom integration channel. Daryl Friedman, global president and CEO, and Darren Reaman, director of government relations, recap the event, talk tariffs, and much more on this week's episode.
Awareness around energy storage and energy management has been something like a wave, as Bryce Judd, Chief Revenue Officer at Savant, put it. The California kid explains in this episode how our industry is right at the point where the wave begins to swell. The challenge for integrators, then, is whether they can spot that wave coming, and whether they plan to ride it when it starts to crest or let it pass them by.
Ever since fully investing themselves in the CEDIA channel, Lighthouse Design Studio has had a series of lightbulb moments – pun absolutely intended – in how they can help with integrators become more effective and efficient in their outdoor lighting efforts. Tim Ryan, Executive Director and Principal Designer at Lighthouse, joins the podcast to talk about the many similarities between outdoor lighting design and the work of a CI, and how he hopes to elevate the professionals in both industries through education.
Had you told Scott Stephenson at the start of his career that he’d someday know the know and understand the lighting qualities of different shade fabrics, he’d have told you to go pound sand. Today, as Senior Director of Product for Hunter Douglas, it’s his job to help custom integrators – and the team at Hunter Douglas – make sense of how the worlds of home automation and custom window treatments not only need to coexist, but work together to improve the lives of homeowners.
Today's consumer cares more deeply than ever about their environmental impact – or, at the very least, the ways in which their energy consumption directly impacts the environment as well as their wallet. That's why we're hearing more about technologies like what Airzone brings to the table, allowing integrators to help their clients take control of their environmental impact through one of the most impactful areas in the home: their HVAC system. Victoria Garcia Massimo joins the podcast, right around Earth Day no less, to talk about how Airzone is helping our channel become more educated around the HVAC category and why it's something we need to start paying more attention to.
It took a few years, but the work is finally paying off for HTSA and Tom Doherty, director of technology initiatives for the group, when it comes to the major emphasis on the lighting category. During their recent Spring Conference, we sat down with Tom to talk about the results the group's dealers are seeing across the board because of their commitment to – and investment in – lighting.
In his early days as an integrator and self-proclaimed networking nerd, Avi Rosenthal saw the potential in a fully connected and automated home. He took that passion and hobby and turned it into a career that now includes serving as the Chairman of the Board for the Z-Wave Alliance – among many other roles at highly impactful and important organizations. We tap into Avi’s networking knowledge to get a better lay of home automation landscape, see where the challenges exist, and spot potential gaps that integrators can help fill.
Just a few short weeks ago, Residential Tech Today welcomed CI and communications industry veteran Rob Stott into the fold as our new Executive Editor. Before he steps behind the mic to take over the podcast, we’re putting Rob in a spot he’s slightly less familiar with – being the interviewee. In this episode, Charles Warner, CEO and Editor in Chief of IPW, the parent company of RTT, sits down with Rob to talk about his career, what brings him back to the editorial side of things, and where he sees RTT going in the months and years ahead.