Automation Unplugged Podcast

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

SHOW NOTES

In this episode, Ollie and I discussed:

Why founder-led sales eventually becomes the ceiling on your growth, how the "founder advantage" makes it unfair to expect your salespeople to sell like you do, and the path to getting off the hamster wheel.

The five-pillar operating system Sales Velocity uses to build scalable sales machines—positioning, process, people, performance, and planning—and how to find the key constraint holding your team back.

And practical tactics you can implement right away: how to attract, assess, and onboard sales talent without falling for the "black book" myth, why public dashboards tracking percentage of time gone versus target achieved create ownership and urgency, and how to structure your weekly accountability and coaching meetings.

Whether you're the owner still carrying your company's sales on your own back or you're looking to build a repeatable sales engine, you're going to love this conversation. So settle in and enjoy my conversation with Ollie Tuffney. 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/au363