An AV and integration-focused podcast broadcast weekly

This week's episode of Automation Unplugged our guest is Travis Larsen, owner of Vineyard Sound Integration.

About this episode:

Travis has built a reputation for designing and delivering elegant, reliable, and serviceable smart home systems tailored to Martha’s Vineyard’s unique seasonal dynamics. With a degree in Computer Systems Engineering from Boston University, he began his career in IT—eventually shifting full-time into AV and launching Vineyard Sound Integration in 2015. Today, Travis leads a tightly run operation that thrives on craftsmanship, process, and high-touch service for a discerning clientele.

Travis and I covered a range of engaging topics, including:

• How he systematized his business for scalability while maintaining exceptional service in a demanding, luxury vacation market.
• Why he’s a firm believer in local service and how he navigates challenges posed by out-of-town integrators.
• His take on AI tools like Perplexity and how they’re reshaping how he runs his business day-to-day.

SEE ALSO: Expert Strategies to Stay Agile and Grow in a Shifting CI Industry

Transcript

Ron:

Hello. Hello there. Ron Callis. Thank you for joining me for another episode of Automation Unplugged. We are launching this show, , right after the July 4th weekend. So I hope y'all had a wonderful time with your friends and family. Hope you did a little bit of, , maybe. Outdoor barbecuing. Maybe you went out and saw a good show. A good, good, all American air show's, always something fun to see and , and yeah, but I know you're not here to hear me. You're here to listen to one of our awesome guests and today is like all of our previous shows in that we've got a great guest for you. Today's a little bit of a different angle in that we're bringing you a different perspective. It's from an integrator, a business owner, an operator. But this guest is a newer integrator, new business operator. Now he's, he's been in business running a, a professional career for, for, for decades. But he is a newer entrant into our, our residential luxury space. And, , it's gonna be fun to hear how he's thinking about the business, how he's tackled it, and, and where he's at and where he's planning to take the business. So without. Further ado, , I would like to introduce you to Jaime Garcia. He is the principal and CEO of Home IQ Solutions in Frisco, Texas. So let's go ahead and meet Jaime. Hi, may. How are you, sir?

Jaime:

Good, Ron. How are you?

Ron:

I am good. I I, you're in Frisco, Texas, and I'm looking at the chair behind you and that looks like that may be, I don't know. I think cows and, you know, , not cows and, and cattle when I think of Texas is that. Is that a cow hide on the chair behind you? It is. It sure is. I

Jaime:

like that. So I am, , grew up, grew up in, in, in a little bit of a ranch environment, so, um, it's just back to my

Ron:

origins. I love it. Now, just, , so everyone has, you know, the general positioning. Tell us about your role in the business and, , maybe just a little bit about the type of projects that you guys take on and where do you do those projects? Absolutely. So

Jaime:

first, thank you for having me, Ron. It's a pleasure to join you, , throughout this process. So we are in Frisco, Texas. So we are, um, the CEO of Home IQ Solutions. , I own this company with my son, I'm a junior, , and we specialize on luxury residential technology integration projects in in North Dallas. Okay. That's what we're spending most of our time right now. We're focused on residential, um, at the moment.

Ron:

Got it. And are you finding yourself, , , building that business? . Through the, the custom builders in that market. Are you working through the design community? Are you soliciting and, and working through your referral networks of, of happy clients? Where are you at in terms of, you know, primarily how you're, you're building the business right now? We'll, we'll go into a lot more depth of, you know, when you started and how you started, but just general picture, where's the business coming from today?

Jaime:

No, I think there's three main sources, Ron, of, of. Projects that we're gathering. One is we have a big digital marketing, , campaigns that we're running with your help and your team's help. That's been amazing. So we have, , those ads coming through. We also are partnering with our local trade partners, architects, interior designers. And, and home builders, certainly those, that's the main, and yes, absolutely. , when it comes to personal referrals is also another way that we're building our, our business.

Ron:

Okay. , you founded the business with your son in 2024. What, , what are some of the, the primary product lines? 'cause when you're starting a business, you can pick anything, right? There's a, a wide array of vendor partners to go and lean into and, and ultimately, , learn about, learn their technology, and then sell those solutions into the marketplace. Do you have some primary partners that you've really, , leaned into and they've leaned into you guys? Absolutely. So we

Jaime:

have a few, I, I firmly believe in partnerships. This is a business built in partnership and trust. So when, when I think about those partnerships, there's been a couple of reps here in North Texas that I've helped us, um, , start us off. , momentum Marketing with Matt Kale is, is one of 'em, and they've been incredibly helpful. Bill McCoy is another one. And those are the two that we're focusing right now in terms of partnerships from a rep perspective.

Ron:

Um, what about, , control lines or, or lighting or, or, , what, what categories are you in, by the way? So it's, again, that's another choice. You and your son have decided which product lines

Jaime:

and categories we get into. We do believe in a full end-to-end residential technology solution. So we have it from automation. Entertainment with audio, video. We have lighting and design, , shading. We have energy management is one big aspect of of the business that we wanna, that we wanna tackle around efficient and, , reliable energy management systems. And we also do, , the, the typical communications and your, and, um, . All of our security cameras and things like that. So as we think about those services, then we are definitely partnering with two main, , automation and, and lighting solutions. So Savant, it is definitely one of the solutions that, that we're leading the way with. The other one is Lutron on the, on the lighting and shading side of the business. , and then there was a recent WAC, um, partnership with, with Savant, so. That where we're spending most of the time and, um, and efforts.

Ron:

Te tell me more about the energy side of things. , I'm assuming that's, , energy through the savant side of things, but I mean also I guess when you talk lighting and shading, there's an energy story as well.

Jaime:

Absolutely. I think that's a big opportunity, Ron, from a, from a full end to end, if you think about the backbone. Of, of any residence in any home energy is, is certainly it. So what we want to do is we want to take our customers and our homeowners back to the essence of having a reliable and efficient, , energy system in, in their house, something that can be smart. Um, we see that with three different personas of folks that want to be a little bit more on the efficiency side. So smart panels, understanding what the consumption is is one part of it. You have a different type of customers that wants resiliency. They don't wanna lose power in their home. So that's where the backup storage aspect comes. And then the third piece of the puzzle is sustainability. The focus that want more into renewable energy. And you, you think about solar panels, all of that can be modularly installed, but also integrated as part of the backbone of, of, , the energy system. So.

Ron:

That's interesting. How, how are the, how's the trade partner side, the architects, designers, builders? I mean, how, how are they resonating with that message and, and how is that different if it, if it is different than the consumer side and how they're resonating with that message?

Jaime:

The architects and, and builders are really the, the ones that are more receptive to this concept. When you think about it, you gotta start earlier in the process, understanding the, the requirements of the homes. Um, and especially in Texas, when you think about the grid in Texas and the, , challenges that we have, , on the resiliency of the grid, and there's more and more demand coming to the grid. I think there's a lot more, , interest in making sure that we have resiliency systems to support the demands of what we have in, in our homes. Um, so there's, there's definitely on, on the home. The custom home builders and architects is where we're seeing, I. More acceptance or interest in, in that space.

Ron:

Now, for those, we have an audience that listens from around the world and they may not be familiar with what are the power issues or constraints in Texas. So what, what's happening in Texas where maybe I. , the power has not been as reliable. 'cause I mean, everyone that thinks Texas thinks oil and gas, like how in the world is the power not reliable? You have an infinite supply of, of energy. , and, and I don't know all the details, but I do know that there's been some circumstances in recent years where there's been some brownouts and power outages and overloads in Texas.

Jaime:

Absolutely. So Texas has its own, , energy grid different than a lot of the other, , areas of the country, and it's a deregulated market. So, um, considering also the economic, , inflow of a lot of the AI companies, right? All of those data centers are requiring a lot more energy and the demand for energy. In the, in the coming years. So we wanna get ahead of it. We wanna get ahead of that demand, we wanna get ahead of it when it's a problem. We wanna make sure that we are being smart and, and advising our, our customers to be proactive in, in, in, in this area. Um, there's a lot of folks looking at today, we don't even know what, where, where we consume. It's really hard to understand what are we consume, where are we consuming the energy? So providing them first with a visibility of what consumption is happening in the house could be I, and that's one piece of the puzzle. The resiliency is really up to how much do you wanna actually protect your home, protect your, your equipment, et cetera, et cetera. From some of those, , , inefficiency in, in, in the grid dynamics.

Ron:

No, that makes sense. It's like in business you change what you watch. Right? If you aren't watching a metric or KPI, it's hard to affect change in business. And so what I, I'm hearing you describe is in the home as a, I'm gonna use my words, not yours, but as like a first line of defense. You're giving the homeowner the opportunity to see their energy consumption data. And is the, this, I'm assuming there's probably some science behind that, that that in itself affects people's usage or utilization of energy in the home. Absolutely.

Jaime:

Absolutely. 'cause

Ron:

you're making

Jaime:

smart panels, so you have the modularity of making smart panels, and now you have full visibility of where that is. , the real, um, important part of that also is how do you manage those loads? You have the ability. To manage, where do you want the loads and what are the most critical loads that you wanna utilize during the day or at night, whenever you're charging your ev Right. That within itself, it's, it's a huge advantage for homeowners to understand where, what are they consuming and how they want to consume it. And that's even way before having a backup storage in the event of losing power.

Ron:

No, that, that makes sense. I've, , I, I've been watching this category closely, , in savant's, I would say leading the way today. , is is by the way, is that how you became attracted to Savant as a, a line, because in control, there's a lot of great partners out there, a lot of great manufacturers. I'm curious, was that like what brought you to Savant was their, their approach to energy management?

Jaime:

It was not only that, but it's a big part of it. I think that end to end home integration is really what attracted me back to Savant. That's they have from energy, from, you know, dawn to dusk. It is the entire solution to, you know, make sure that our, our our, um. Our homes are, are well with the right light, , ensuring that we have, , making life a little bit simpler, , making sure that our families are safe with, , all of the safety and, and home security processes. So that's what really attracted me to them is the end-to-end solution of the ecosystem of a residential technology backbone. Oh, that's,

Ron:

that's super interesting. Um, and I curious, I I, I normally ask this question later in the interview, but I'm, I'm, I'm just curious kinda where it's, it's popping to, to, it's come in front of mind to me, so I'm gonna just ask you, we're in the middle of the year. We're in July, 2025. And I always think of Texas as, and people listening may groan and go, that's not true. But I always think of Texas almost being immune. From the rest of the country, like when the rest of the country has economic up and downs. You know, Texas is like this, this super economy that despite hell or high water, it just keeps trucking along. , I'm curious, what is, what is Texas like right now, middle of the year? Like, was Texas affected by all this? Turmoil in politics and tariffs and whatnot. And, and how are things looking now and what's like your outlook for the rest of the year in, in, you're, like you said north, you're in North Dallas.

Jaime:

Absolutely. I think we are not immune to any of the economic, , dynamics out there. I think we've certainly seen the, the, the impact of the tariffs, , in Texas. I think we'll continue to see some categories are stronger than others. , especially in the, in the luxury residential, , side side of it. We're steer, we're continue to see a, a big influx of, , new population folks coming from the bo coast, folks coming from the East coast into Texas and that, and that's a good thing for us. Um, but things are, are still, , moving. There's, there's a moving target out there in terms of what the impact's gonna be and, and how the, the customers are gonna react to it. So a little bit of a wait and see. , we're, we're cautiously optimistic in terms of the, the back half of the year in terms of what we can do.

Ron:

Understood. Hi mate. Help us understand where you came from, like how, what happened in 2024 that you and your son, , and, and not, don't, don't, don't start at 2024. Tell me your, tell, tell us about your background and how that led to 2024 and you ultimately deciding with your son that, Hey, we're gonna go start an integration company.

Jaime:

Good question, Ron. So, , a little bit of my background, my background is, is been in. And, , professional business in my career has been in finance and supply chain operations. , started my career back in the day with, , price White House Coopers in, in, in consulting. I did a stint into most of my career has been in CPG, consumer packaged goods in the beverage industry, food and beverage industry. And I spent the last 20 years in, in the, in the beverage industry. Um. As I look at my career progression, certainly a lot of, , finance, background running, , revenue side of the, the p and l, understanding the cost side of the p and l and driving strategies to grow the, the company's top line and, and bottom line. So, um. The, the last six years of my career were spent more on the operations side of it. , spent about six years, six to seven years in the procurement space of, of the supply chain. And, um, it took me, took me back to the last two or three years where, um, coming back to the United States, being abroad for a certain, , three years. Brought me back into the house and, and as we're thinking about doing some remodeling, doing some things, we, um, encounter a couple of technology and speakers and things that we needed to do. , and unfortunately we didn't have the, the, the best outcome. My son is, um, was in real estate for the last several years, and that's where he started looking and interested. And seeing the demand on technology solutions for homes. So you had

Ron:

an experience with some integrators in the market, it wasn't the best experience, and then you and your son started talking. Correct? Correct. Interesting.

Jaime:

, and that was literally a, an evening here at the house, just having a conversation and thinking, this has gotta be a better way to do this. Um. So that's where the, the whole idea of, of becoming an integrator came about. So with his experience, with my background, , and I, I believe we have an incredible opportunity to do things differently here in North

Ron:

Dallas. That's, tell me about that. What's your vision? What, what do you want, , your firm to be perceived as different and, and in what ways different than say other, other op options that the consumer would have in the Dallas market?

Jaime:

Our vision, Ron, is, is really to become a, a, a premier residential technology advisor of choice. I believe that, . Being those advisors. We all have financial advisors. We wanna be the financial advisors of choice for our customers. Um, you know very well that, that there's not a new strategy. We're not reinventing the wheel. We all have the same, , access to the technologies. I think the differentiator comes into how do we do business? The values that, that, that we ingrain in our team in terms of customer service, in terms of innovation, in terms of operational excellence and teamwork and, and, and doing business with integrity is really what's gonna differentiate us. Um, when you see our teams actually leveling your, your light switch, you don't see that anymore, right? People go and they put a, a light switch on, on the wall. That's it. So every detail matters. So, , and the one real competitive advantage that we have is one, I think the way we talk to our, our customers in terms of their needs and driving solutions to their needs, , of how technology makes people feel. We wanna elevate the home ownership experience, , in a different way. Um, and I think the, the competitive advantage for us is really our team. Everybody else, nobody else has. My team, our team, and that makes us really proud. So that that's really what we're counting on, , to drive a, a different proposal, , and a different value proposition to, to our customers in North Dallas. So.

Ron:

Well, one of the things that I know you're doing, because we've, we've talked about it offline, , is you're, you're doing some novel things from a marketing standpoint, but I'll, I'll be specific and I'm not gonna go where maybe the audience thinks I'm gonna go and that you're, you're doing some builder shows, right? So you're doing trade shows. , and you, and even at that shows you're doing some novel things, like you're actually forming panels of thought leaders and speaking to the attendees, , just purely educating them about technology and home technology and integration. Do you mind just kind of expounding on that a little bit?

Jaime:

No, you're right. We, , we're trying to be different and how do we build different partnerships with the, with the trade, . The, the, the trade partners across designers and architects and builders is talking to them, being able to, to, , teach and be, , an expert when it comes to innovation. And there's gotta be better ways to partner. So we certainly have, , a, a full schedule of, of events, , to your point. And one of them is coming up in, in July. It's a Sunbelt builder show here in, in, in Dallas, in Grapevine. We have a booth where we have a, um, 45 minutes, , within the trade show where we're gonna go talk about, , technology and home automation. , and we will be doing a, a deep dive into, , the power systems and energy management. Um, it's a two day trade show. We have a full booth. , there, , be able to meet people, , show what we're all about, , and, and, and even take, take a step further into, , showcasing what we are and be a thought leader in terms of what home automation can bring to home builders in a different, in a different environment. So we're really

Ron:

excited about that. What, what would be a positive or successful outcome of you, you, I'll just call it your second half of your show season. You're gonna go speak at these events in different formats. What are the sort of outcomes that you're, you're hoping to achieve that you would call success?

Jaime:

I think planting the seed and getting, , starting to, to develop those longstanding relationships. Right. , for sure leads are helpful, but to, to us is we're, we're in the, in the long. The long game here, we want to start planting the seeds of, , relationships, getting to know each other, getting to know the trade partners, them getting to know us because we have to earn the right, and the only way to do that is to show the, the dedication, show, the, the commitment that we have to, to continue to build, , long standard relationships ultimately so we can create customer value. If we can't create customer value in the partnership, , you know, it, it doesn't really matter. So. Those are the outcomes that, that we're looking for. Um, we have several, several, um, events with architects. We have some with interior designers. , so we have a full agenda in the back half of the year keeping us busy. I.

Ron:

That's great. Are you, when, when you're doing this outreach or this biz dev, , outside of shows, are you generally going to the, the architect's showroom? Are you doing lunch and learn type activities? Are you, , again, don't give us any trade secrets, but just what you're able or willing to share. What are, what are some of your methods of teaching at, you know, educating and advising these, these trade partners?

Jaime:

For sure. The outreach is after, after these shows, we've had some good success in terms of doing a little bit more of those intimate settings where we, we, we get a couple of, , , trade partners to come and, and spend some time with us and we can do some lunch and learn. So we're gonna be doing that. After the July show, , some of the sponsorships that we have with, , association, the, the architects for example, they have some embedded, , CEU credits where we're gonna be teaching a couple of, of, of classes in the back half of the year, and that's gonna help us continue to develop those

Ron:

relationships. Oh, that's great. A, as you and your son, and by the way, within the business, what's your son's role?

Jaime:

So he's doing sales and operations.

Ron:

Sales and operations. What's been the biggest eye opening? Maybe surprise, you know, whether positive or just challenges you've had as, as you've been getting this business off the ground the last couple of years, or the last year and a half really?

Jaime:

Yes, there's, , there's been a few. There's been a few as, as you go into, I applaud all of the entrepreneurs, right? When you think about being in, in the corporate world. Then moving into, into an entrepreneurial, , journey. Um, it's why, why eye opening? You know, it's, it's, it opens your perspective into, , all these, you have to buy a lot of lessons, right? The absolutely the resiliency that you have to have, um, all of the different hats that you have to wear. It is, , it is, . It is an amazing experience. It's an amazing experience to be able to do that. , and more importantly, the relationships that you bring and the folks that you actually, , find yourself, , giving you a hand and, and bringing you on board without having any prior experience into the industry, it's quite rewarding to see and encouraging to see. That you're not out there by yourself and, , you are actually, , one of them and your team has been, has been amazing in, in that journey. So.

Ron:

, it's very, I appreciate the compliment I have. I have a team, my, myself and, and our team. We, we care a lot. I mean, it's genuine. We wanna see our, our, our partners succeed. Wanna see our industry succeed, right? I mean, we're in this for the long road. This is, there's no short game here. It's, you know, as, , Simon Sinek says, you know, business is an infinite game. There's no beginning, there's no, well, I guess there's a beginning, but hopefully there's no end. It's just you just keep going and you try to keep it fun and keep it interesting and, and keep it growing.

Jaime:

Absolutely. It has been, it has been remarkable to see, , friends and family, and, and again, we're, we're a small team, but we have a, an incredible, , team of, of advisors that we've surrounded ourselves with, um, you know, Ben Ramirez and, and a couple others that I can, that I can think of. Has been amazing, an amazing journey and, and very welcoming into the industry, so

Ron:

that's interesting. How have you found, this is kind of sideways question, but I'm curious, how have you found, um, the hiring environment right now? Are you in a place where you're growing and doing a lot of hiring or are you able to stay lean and mean right now? Like what's, what's that situation looking like for you?

Jaime:

We're still in the, we're still in the early stages, so we are in the. In the interim stages of, of, of growth. And we're trying to be very disciplined in terms of where and how do we invest in terms of

Ron:

your, your finance backgrounds. Kai coming in very strong. We all know that. Well, many people don't know, but cash flow is what makes or breaks a business.

Jaime:

Absolutely. So we're trying to be very disciplined in that regard without, um, but also you don't wanna, you, you don't want to jeopardize the potential growth. So there's a fine balance of. Investing a little bit ahead of the curve, um, in, in order to grow. So we are a little bit in that transition mode, , hopefully here in the back half of the year is when we'll start seeing, , , being more active in, in, in our hiring process. Um, and I'm sure that's gonna, that's gonna provide some additional opportunities for us to grow and challenges to deal with. So.

Ron:

I, I remember back when I was creating my business plan for my business, I, I, in the spring of 2007, I was, I used, , it's a business planning software and I created a, I spent six months and created business plan, and I launched the business in, , the fall of 2007. I remember, and, and if you remember that timing, what happened in 2008, , the Great Recession, right? Mm-hmm. So I made this wonderful plan, and then as Mike Tyson said, everyone has a plan and then until you get punched in the face, right? And so, , you. Created like you created a business plan. You sound like an organized fella. So you, you probably legitimately fully planned this business out before you pulled the trigger. Is that like, how did you think about developing a business plan? Because I, I imagine there's even some folks that are gonna listen that are, have created a business and they don't have a plan.

Jaime:

Mm-hmm.

Ron:

Or they're thinking maybe to go and launch a business and. Help us understand how you thought about the planning phase, and then what was that transition like when you actually pulled the trigger and said, go?

Jaime:

Yeah, it's, , it's an interesting question. So I am, I, I try to be, I am a little bit of a process minded guy, so it, it, it definitely, I use frameworks a lot. So I certainly went and did my research in terms of how to structure a, a, build this plan, a business plan. And we, we started with are, are you solving a need? Are you solving the problem? How are you, you know, gonna solve that? What is your strategy, um, in terms of revenue, in terms of operations, in terms of what are your, , what is the market condition? And, and we do a lot of market insights to understand where the industry's going and where should we play or shouldn't play. , to understand the, the, the customer needs, and then how do we reach those customers? What are the right marketing strategies? How are you structured in the business? So it was, , it was definitely a lot of, a lot of work around a, a strategic framework of, of a, of a business plan and then very methodically making sure that we had, , every, every one of those pieces in place, , from the concept of the name to the. You know, the, the, the graphics to, , everything that entails launching a business has been quite an amazing journey. , but that's how I thought about it. And then, um, even if you haven't, if, if, if folks out there don't have one, , it's a, it's a living document. It, it's not a once and done right. Every strategy, , is, is ever evolving. So, , that's one thing about the business. You asked me earlier, one of the things that, that, you know, has been a, a surprise or a challenge. Is the evolving business dynamics and how quick you need to be nimble to adapt to those. Um, so it, it's been an amazing journey. Um, and, but for me, having that structure and having that thought process, it's been very helpful in order for me to stay focused on, on the things at at hand that we need to accomplish, what are those milestones that we can consider success? And get us to where we need to be. So, um, I encourage everybody that is, that is listening to, to put a little bit of thought into it. , it is extremely helpful to put pen, to pen to paper. , it'd be amazing how, how much you learn about what you know or don't know about it.

Ron:

No, that, that makes sense. What, what's been one of the more positive delights since you went down this entrepreneurial journey, right? You were in corporate America for decades, and you said, Hey, I'm gonna go, I'm gonna go join, , the, the world of entrepreneurship with all of its ups and all of its downs and all of its surprises. What, what's delighted you in that process?

Jaime:

There's two things, Ron. One on a personal level, or they're both on a personal level, I guess, but one, it has been, um, the learning to me, the, the opportunity to learn and keep growing and keep reinventing myself. , and throughout my career in different roles, in different professions, whether it's finance or procurement, and now in this entrepreneur, that motivates me. That has been a, , a, a motivator for me. , the learning, understanding, , learning new industries, learning new s, learning new technologies. Dealing with different personalities in, in the industry of integration and technology versus beverage is, is is a com is different. Um, so that's been a delight. It is, is the opportunity to, to keep learning. The second one is, is certainly having the opportunity to do this with my son is, has been great. I have a, an amazing support system. My wife has been amazing, my family's been amazing, but being able to do this with, with my son, , we've reached a different level of, of relationship that, , it's been amazing to see. So those are the, the two that I would say are, are the most important things and what I've been delighted about this journey.

Ron:

I, I, I can appreciate that. My, my son's at a, a different stage. My son's 16. And you know, so what's becoming apparent to me is I've got a couple more years. He'll be a junior next year in high school. So I've got a couple more years before he heads out of the house and goes to college. And you know, this past weekend, for example, we were doing some things together and I was like, man, I'm e Even though we, we, on occasion we'll have a little argument, , it's just like enjoying that time. 'cause you know that there's gonna be a chapter that changes and ultimately a chapter's gonna end. And he is, you know, he's not necessarily gonna be in the house. So I can imagine for you maybe where he was out of the house and now you're in a new chapter where you get to work with him again. That's gotta be a, that's gotta bring you a lot of joy.

Jaime:

Absolutely. Absolutely. It's been amazing. Um, the, the whole experience has been amazing. And I keep saying it, it is, , you don't know how, who's gonna land you a hand and who's gonna be supportive of it. And, , I've gotta thank my, my entire family and my wife to, to be here for me and, and putting up with this little adventure that I, that we're going through. So, and hopefully it's an adventure that lasts, you know, for, for a while. So.

Ron:

Amen. Your mouth. The God's ears. So last September, CEDIA, was that, that was you and your son attended Cedia and that, was that your first Cedia? It was. It was. That was a very over overwhelming visit. Yeah, I was gonna say,

Jaime:

describe what that experience was like for you. Incredibly overwhelming but fun. 'cause we saw the opportunity and we saw that, that there's a. Another world that we needed to, to go discover and, and conquer, if you will. So, , we literally packed up. That was the first time, , we've been, um, and we were also received with a lot of good, , a lot of good support. Everybody there was incredibly helpful, even though we're new to the, to, to the industry. , so we literally packed up our bags and, and, and, and went to Denver. So had a lot of fun. , but it was certainly, I cannot lie, it was very overwhelming. It was, it was overwhelming in terms of seeing all of that and all the technology and getting familiar with the brands and what it was all about. So, , but we got to meet a lot of great people, , in, in the process. , um, so yeah, that was, that was, , that was our first interaction with full flesh, , innovation and

Ron:

technology. . So here in a few months, we've got CEDIA again. Mm-hmm. What's, , what, what is gonna be new or different for you in terms of your approach this year? Are, are you gonna, first of all, are you gonna be able to make it back to the show?

Jaime:

Absolutely. We, we will. We're planning on, on, on being there. Um, I think what's gonna be different is we're now gonna be a little bit more purposeful. Purposeful in terms of what are we gonna go get out of it. , for us, the first one was to go learn and. Never been and see what, what's all about Drink from a fire hose. Absolutely. And, and right now, this, this year is gonna be more purposeful. You know who we're gonna have to, we're gonna try to set up some specific meetings and specific connections that we can make across the industry. , try to understand, , when we think about our portfolio and the portfolio of brands that we're trying, that we're working with, we want to be very, , prescriptive in terms of which brands we partner with. So setting up some, some, some meetings ahead of time, understanding what the innovation, looking forward to some of the innovation that's coming out and how we can stay in front of that innovation so that we can bring those solutions back to the customers is, is gonna be incredibly important, , and continue to build relationships. I hope to see

Ron:

you there. I, I, I will be there. We, we will one firefly and amplify people will be there in force for sure. , Jaime, again, I keep referring to your corporate career. I can only imagine there was so much I. Wonderful knowledge and experiences and maturity just in business that are able to be applied into this entrepreneurship journey. Is there anything that really sticks out to you from your past experiences that you think have really helped you as you've taken on this challenge of, of running this successful business? Absolutely.

Jaime:

I think, um. Understanding that business at a bigger scale and now applying it into, into, into the entrepreneur. It's been incredibly helpful. The, my, my, my finance background, the operations background, and, and I had the opportunity within my, , years of experience in corporate America. , America was also, um, I got to talk to a lot of work with r and d folks and marketing teams and sales teams. We were from a finance perspective. Providing a lot of partnerships with, with sales organizations. So I was going on, on sales calls with, , with my business partners in front of our customers. So that, that has allowed me to have a little bit of a broader sense of the business, from sales, to marketing, to operations, to finance in a much, much smaller scale. But nonetheless, very helpful in my opinion as, as we, as we go through this journey. So. Every aspect of it has been incredibly important. Being in finance and then being in procurement, being on the other side of not a finance, core finance role, but now being in the procurement space. It's been, it's been quite, , helpful in, in my opinion. So

Ron:

I, I wanna use the opportunity here. I just shared on screen your website, your corporate website. And, , for those that are listening to the show, , we'll try to use descriptive words, but, , if you jump over to YouTube or LinkedIn or Facebook, you can watch, or just the one Firefly website. You could check this out. But I, I wanted, , out of, in your words and with what was kind of going on within your vision. I wonder, Jaime, if you could kind of describe kind of the way that you. Thought about, you know, not only coming up with an appropriate name and brand, but the way that you're gonna present yourselves on the internet. How did you think about that and, and how did your, where did your website ultimately land in terms of helping you achieve that?

Jaime:

Oh, that's

Ron:

a

Jaime:

great question. 'cause

Ron:

we spent a lot

Jaime:

of time building this website. Um, and I think I, I'm proud of it. I think came out pretty, pretty, pretty neat. The, the way we thought about it wrong was, was going back to, to the discussion we had probably offline and, and a few months back around the need states and the demand spaces of technology. And when you think about the, the, what we were trying to be different was how do we make our, the visitors of the page and how do we talk to our customers to navigate through one. If you scroll up to the top, it shows, Hey, we're gonna explore. The explore side of the website is, tell us about what solutions you have.

Ron:

Just that word explore that's fun. Like, I don't know that I've seen that word explore in that solution

Jaime:

application. So, so we were trying to be different in that sense, and I think it's inviting to say, help me explore. And those are all of the solutions that we have across automation, across security, , across lighting, et cetera, et cetera. The next step of that is like, okay, well now that you've told me, , you've told me how, how, what solutions you have then is the discover, which is, okay, now show me how am I gonna utilize that technology in the indoor living spaces, in the outdoor living spaces? Give me a little bit more so that I can understand how do I better utilize it? And I think we've seen some early successes in terms of how long folks are staying in the, in the website. And the last piece of it is the discover. So now take me deeper into a day in the life of, of home automation. Take me deeper into the immersive of the audio systems and home theaters. Take me deeper into the lighting solutions. Um, and that was the whole structure of truly understanding customer needs. What are the solutions? What spaces can we use Technology? Because the need stage of, of, you know, Ron, if you think about the beverage industry, which is where I've been, we all have. We have needs in the mornings of being energized and drinking water or coffee, depending on what you want. , in the afternoon you want a, a little bit of a pick me up type of maybe a, a a tea or whatever that is. And then at night, we all have needs within technology. And this website and the way we structured it is to truly communicate. Those timings of the day that we can utilize technology to our advantage. Health and wellness is a perfect example when you think about, , lighting and control and energy management systems. And, and this is what, what, what, um, transpired after months and months and hours of, of working the design of this. Your team did a great job. Kenzie, by the way, big kudos to Kenzie that put up with me through all that process and, and bringing this, this website to life. So. We think is a little bit different than, than, than, um, what the, the competitors are out there. Um, and hopefully folks like it.

Ron:

No, I, it's, it's beautiful. It really is. , where was I, I just was on this section and you had this, , the last mile. Is this, , is this language that you, I mean, I, I understand the concept. You know, so many businesses, so many integrators. Of course none that listen to this show, but they'll get to 95% on a job and move on to the next job and not bring it over the line. I'm assuming that's what you're referring to here. That's,

Jaime:

yeah, that's our way to say that. This, this is right. Um, I think we've all experienced that where we get to 95% and, and, and the, the last mile, that last detail is really what matters is where you truly show that you care. Um, the customer experience, that's where, , you, you bring that final relationship, the professionalism, the execution side of it, , that's where you bring the last communication of, of, of where things are, where your project is. And I believe that this is the last mile that actually brings back customers, right? That's where you earn their trust for them to, to, to bring you back to whatever next project they, they have. Or they tell all their

Ron:

friends

Jaime:

and neighbors about you, Hey, you gotta use, you gotta use my guy. Absolutely. And I gave you the example earlier, right? One of the things, as simple as it sounds, but leveling the, the light switches. It, it's a, we're just not doing it. So we, we are really, really preaching to the choir and, and it's a culture that we're gonna continue to develop as we bring in more, more folks to the team. It's gonna be important for us to recruit folks that really buy into our strategy, that buy into the culture, that buy into the values of the. So that it can be consistent from project to project. So,

Ron:

no, that, that makes sense. That's, , it's a beautiful site. I know the team enjoyed working with you on launching that site and, and Shelby, who you work with now on an ongoing basis, I know loves working with, with you and, and your team and you guys, I think are really set up for success. And we're, we're, we're wishing you guys tremendous success ahead, , Jaime for folks that. , wanna get in touch with you. They wanna meet you. They say, Hey, , Jaime fella, that seems like somebody I need to know. , how can people reach out to you and, , ultimately, , maybe schedule some time with you.

Jaime:

Thank you, Ron. Absolutely. , they can reach us at, , you know, home iq solutions.com is, is our website. Um, certainly, , we welcome anybody. We'd love to have some discussions there. They can reach me at, in my email address, , This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. , or even through, , phone or text at (972) 750-2799. That's another way to, , get a, get ahold of us. So, welcome, , the opportunity to, to get to know folks, , and, and, and continue to learn this industry. So.

Ron:

Awesome. Hi, MEI. , I just wanna thank you again. Thanks for coming on the show, man. I, , I, I haven't of all of our shows, I haven't had many startups and the shame on me. Mm-hmm. And, , but you know, my team has just so thoroughly enjoyed working with you, and you and I have had a chance to get to know each other over the last six to nine months. And so I appreciate you carving out some of your busy time to, to join us here on the podcast.

Jaime:

Thank you, Ron.

Ron:

Thank you for the

Jaime:

support. ,

Jaime:

Thank you for allowing me to be here and share a little bit of our story. , and thank you for all the work that you are doing for the industry, and thank you for, , your team in terms of how they approach, , new clients, especially newcomers into the industry. So,

Ron:

no, it's our, our pleasure. All right, my friend. Have a great summer and a great rest of the year. Same to you. Talk soon. All.

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Ron Callis is the CEO of One Firefly, LLC, a digital marketing agency based out of South Florida and creator of Automation Unplugged. Founded in 2007, One Firefly has quickly became the leading marketing firm specializing in the integrated technology and security space. The One Firefly team work hard to create innovative solutions to help Integrators boost their online presence, such as the elite website solution, Mercury Pro.

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Resources and links from the interview:

• Jaime Garcia LinkedIn Profile


• Home IQ Solutions Web Page


• Home IQ Solutions LinkedIn Profile

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