The Geoholics

This week, The Geoholics take a deep dive underground—literally and figuratively—with rail and LiDAR expert Gordon Perry, PLS. From the streets of Detroit to the tunnels beneath NY Penn Station, Gordon brings a perspective shaped by grit, precision, and a relentless pursuit of quality.

Gordon shares his journey from Lansing Community College into the world of surveying—where curiosity turned into passion, and passion turned into a career spanning some of the most complex infrastructure projects in the country.

We’re talking 1,200 miles of the Amtrak Northeast Corridor, full transit system mapping across MBTA lines, and working in environments most surveyors will never experience—like fully underground rail systems where GPS is nonexistent and precision is everything.

If you’ve been hearing the LiDAR buzz—this episode breaks it down. Gordon walks us through the full workflow. And here’s the truth bomb: Data collection gets the spotlight… but processing is where careers are made or broken.

He also calls out one of the biggest misconceptions in the industry—thinking LiDAR is “push-button easy.” Spoiler alert: it’s not. Not if you care about quality.

Gordon emphasizes that great partners aren’t just technically sound—they’re communicative, accountable, and aligned on expectations.

This episode is a masterclass in staying relevant, delivering quality, and embracing the complexity of our profession.

If you’re in surveying, LiDAR, rail, or just love hearing how the best in the game think—this one’s a must-listen.

Music by Genesis!!!

In this episode of The Geoholics, we go full geospatial nerd mode with several leaders from the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) — a professional organization that’s been shaping the mapping and imaging sciences since 1934. That’s right… these folks were advancing mapping science before lidar was cool and long before anyone thought strapping cameras to drones was a good idea.

Joining the show are Dr. Balaji Ramachandran, Dr. Unal Okyay, Bill Swope, and Scott Dunham, representing the ASPRS Gulf South Region, where they’re working to grow a tight-knit geospatial community across Texas and Louisiana. From certifications to conferences to career-changing connections, this episode dives into why professional organizations still matter in an industry evolving at warp speed.

We kick things off at 30,000 feet discussing what ASPRS actually does and why surveyors, drone pilots, photogrammetrists, lidar specialists, and GIS pros should care. With nearly a century of history behind it, ASPRS has helped establish standards, promote education, and advance technologies that form the backbone of modern geospatial workflows.

The conversation also digs into ASPRS certifications — including Certified Photogrammetrist (CP) and Certified Mapping Scientist (CMS) — and how these credentials can elevate careers, validate expertise, and help professionals stand out in a rapidly growing field. 

We also preview the ASPRS Gulf South Geospatial Conference, happening at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana, where attendees can expect technical sessions on topics like mobile lidar for railroads, geospatial accuracy standards, photorealistic 3D visualization, and lidar data assessment — plus a panel discussion moderated by your very own Geoholics host....Mr. Kent Groh!

Beyond the tech talk, the episode highlights initiatives like the Jim Gillis Memorial Education Fund, which helps remove financial barriers for students and young professionals pursuing careers in mapping sciences — proving that investing in the next generation is just as important as pushing the technology forward.

Organizations like ASPRS play a critical role in maintaining standards, professional credibility, and ethical practice as geospatial technology becomes more accessible to everyone.

If you care about the future of geospatial technology, professional credibility, and building a stronger community in the mapping sciences, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Music by Pink Floyd!

This week, the crew sit down with Brian Owens, VP of Safety & Team Development at Buesing Corp., author, songwriter, and a leader whose philosophy challenges the industry to rethink what safety really means. Drawing from a career spanning combat engineering, mining, oil & gas, and heavy civil construction, Brian introduces listeners to the concept of “inversion” — the idea that true safety culture isn’t built through rules and enforcement, but through perspective, connection, and shared humanity. 

Rather than treating safety as compliance paperwork or a reaction to incidents, Brian explains why behavior only changes when people understand why safety matters to each other — not just to policy. The discussion dives into the tension many organizations face between production and protection, revealing why separating safety from productivity may actually create more risk instead of less.

Throughout the episode, storytelling takes center stage. Brian shares lessons learned from high-risk environments where leadership presence, vulnerability, and trust made the difference between near-misses and tragedies. The conversation explores how leaders can recognize performative safety cultures, shift from reactive investigation cycles, and build what he calls a “zero-incident mindset” — a cultural belief system rather than a metric.

Listeners will walk away with practical insights, including:

-Why compliance alone rarely changes behavior

-How perspective reshapes risk awareness

-The role of humility and leadership vulnerability on jobsites

-Small “inversions” organizations can implement immediately

-Why safety and production must operate as one system, not competing priorities

At its core, Episode 273 reminds us that safety isn’t about preventing failure — it’s about valuing people enough to change how we see one another at work.

Song of the Week from the Phoenix-based High Lonesome Drifters.

This week on The Geoholics, we fire up the mics, and dive head-first into something bigger than business, bigger than titles… bigger than ego.

Legacy.

Our guest, Mikel Bowman — President of Bowman Legacies, leadership coach, keynote speaker, and best-selling author of Lead From the Middle — joins us to talk about the difference between being remembered… and actually making a difference.

Spoiler alert:
-Legends get applause.
-Legacies change lives.

Mikel doesn’t preach leadership from a boardroom. He talks about getting in the dirt with your people — job sites, shop floors, and real-world pressure where culture either shows up… or falls apart. From near-miss moments on projects to coaching CEOs and first-timers alike, he shares why servant leadership, mindset shifts, and culture-first thinking are the real levers that save teams (and sometimes lives).

We unpack:

Why culture beats process every time

The biggest leadership blind spots managers don’t want to admit

What separates managers from leaders from legacy builders

How one tough question can silence a room — and spark real change

And why leadership starts in the messy middle, not the corner office

This episode hits home for anyone leading crews, projects, families, or companies — especially those of us in survey, geospatial, and construction who know leadership isn’t theory… it’s boots-on-the-ground reality.

If you’ve ever thought:

“There’s got to be a better way to lead…”

This one’s for you.

Because at the end of the day…It’s not about building your résumé...It’s about building people...And building something that outlives you!

Music by Metallica!!

Buckle up, Geoholics… this one’s for the builders, the dreamers, and the tech rebels.

This week we sit down with Marc Goldman — part storyteller, part pilot, part GIS evangelist, and 100% believer that location intelligence is the secret sauce behind the future of the built environment.

Marc didn’t follow the “safe” path. He walked away from architecture and engineering school at 21 to start his first AEC-tech company — betting on himself before “startup culture” was even a thing. Thirty years later, after navigating startups, global orgs, and everything in between, he’s still pushing the industry forward… helping architects, engineers, and surveyors finally see how GIS connects all the dots.

And trust us… this isn’t just a “software talk”...this is mindset stuff.

We get into:

Taking big risks early and why failure is the best professor

The real difference between startups and enterprise culture

Bridging the gap between CAD, BIM, and spatial thinking

Where GIS actually delivers value (not just buzzwords)

Digital twins, reality capture, and what’s practical vs hype

Leading teams through change without losing your people

Inspiring early-career pros to find their lane in AEC tech

And what’s next… AI, interoperability, and the data-driven future of our industry

Marc’s passion is contagious — especially when he talks about helping the next generation “take flight” (literally and figuratively). His analogies from flying airplanes to flying careers hit home in true Geoholics fashion.

If you’ve ever wondered how survey, GIS, BIM, and reality capture finally come together into one ecosystem, this episode connects the dots.

Big energy. Big perspective. Big future.

So whether you’re in the field, the office, or cruising at 30,000 feet...hit play and let’s map it out.

As always — Add value. Make friends. TITS OUT & CHIN UP!

Music by Pink Floyd!