Automation Unplugged Podcast

SHOW NOTES

In this episode, Jason and I discussed:

Why AI felt like a pile of cheap hacks for a year, and what finally made it meaningful

Building the foundation first: a common language document, a company taxonomy, and an org chart his AI tools can actually use

How Premier structures its Claude workspaces around the project life cycle, from marketing through customer service

The install-to-service handoff that now produces a personalized client letter and full warranty documentation in about 30 seconds

Whether you have been putting AI off or you're already deep in it and looking for a model that scales past you to your whole team, Jason lays out how he got his company aligned and what he would tell you to do first. So settle in and enjoy my conversation with Jason Barth. Let's get started!

To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit the podcast page on our website at onefirefly.com/au368

SHOW NOTES

In this episode, Brian and I discussed:

Why Barrett's built a separate small projects team, and how those smaller jobs still fuel cash flow and client loyalty.

Their approach to educational events, from an AI workshop to a new lighting lab built for specifiers.

What's next for the industry, from video walls to energy storage to the wellness trend that never quite took off.

Whether you're figuring out how to serve both your legacy clients and your biggest projects, or you're looking for new ways to build relationships with the design community, you're going to get a lot out of this one. So settle in and enjoy my conversation with Brian. Let's get started!

To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit the podcast page on our website at onefirefly.com/au367

SHOW NOTES

We cover:

How the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure and data centers is creating unprecedented demand for skilled labor across the country

The five pillars of workforce resilience, including employer branding, candidate experience, career development, culture, and proactive workforce planning

Practical strategies to help integrators attract, hire, and retain top talent in an increasingly competitive labor market

Visit the episode page on our website to get the audio recording and video of the original webinar. Now let’s tune in and explore how AI is reshaping the hiring landscape — and what your business can do today to stay ahead of the competition.

To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit the podcast page on our website at onefirefly.com/au366

SHOW NOTES

In this episode, Robert and I discussed:

Why selling his company at age 30 turned out to be the best lesson of his career.

How their showroom and light lab sell what a conversation never could.

The in-house training program that cut ramp time for a job site lead from ten years to two.

And why a $20 million company had to go back to a single point of contact to keep feeling small to its clients.

Whether you're early in your growth or running a company that has outgrown how you used to do things, you're going to love this conversation. So settle in and enjoy my conversation with Robert Haecker. Let's get started!

To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit the podcast page on our website at onefirefly.com/au365

SHOW NOTES

In this episode, Mike and I discussed:

How AI image editing helps his team solve real client challenges — from removing private artwork and family photos before sharing project images, to swapping out unlicensed content on screens.

How he uses simple ChatGPT prompts to turn a designer's scale elevation drawing into side-by-side visuals, helping clients make decisions faster and reducing costly change-orders after installation.

And how Bethesda Systems is building an AI culture from the ground up, including weekly leadership meetings with hands-on AI demos and shared licenses across the team.

What makes this conversation so valuable is that Mike doesn't call himself an AI expert — and that's exactly the point. He's a business owner who started with simple experiments and turned them into practical tools that improve margins and client communication.

Whether you're already experimenting with AI or just trying to understand where to begin, you're going to get a lot of value from this conversation.

So settle in and enjoy my conversation with Mike Wilson. Let's get started!

To get transcripts, resources of what was mentioned in the show, and more visit the podcast page on our website at onefirefly.com/au364