Automation Unplugged Podcast

This is Automation Unplugged, and I'm Ron Callis. My guest today is David Wexler, Senior Director at EOC Audio. David’s journey in the industry began in 1970 as a stock kid for MusiCraft in Chicago, where he spent 24 years. In 1994, he and his wife, Evie, launched their own venture, The Little Guys, which grew into one of the most recognized audio/video brands in the Chicagoland market, reaching annual revenues of 14 million dollars. After 25 successful years with The Little Guys, David joined EOC Audio as a consultant—a role that turned into a full-time passion. Over the last six years, he has helped quadruple the size of the company, expanding it from a 4-million-dollar operation into a multi-discipline powerhouse with over 55 employees and 16 million dollars in revenue.

This is Automation Unplugged, I’m Ron Callis. Today, we’re bringing you a webinar we recorded in September 2025 called “Get Rich Slow: How Integrators Can Win Trade Partner Relationships and Bigger Projects.” In this session, we dig into how to shift from being seen as “the AV contractor” to a trusted design consultant, and the practical, repeatable actions that help you earn trust, get brought into projects earlier, and ultimately win bigger work. During this conversation, you’ll hear from myself, Josh Christian, CEO of the Home Technology Association, and Rebecca Sternlicht, Corporate Marketing Lead at One Firefly, who helped moderate the discussion.

This is Automation Unplugged and I’m Ron Callis. This week in our marketing experts segment, we’re digging into one of the most important—and sometimes most challenging—partnerships in any business: the relationship between sales and marketing. To help us break it down, we’re joined by Stephen Edwards, Account Executive here at One Firefly. Stephen spent years running the AV division of a large electrical contractor before joining One Firefly, and today he helps integrators grow by connecting their sales efforts with the right marketing strategies. He knows firsthand how critical it is for these two teams to work in sync—and what happens when they don’t.

This is Automation Unplugged, and I’m Ron Callis. This week in our Marketing Experts segment, we’re diving into one of the most essential drivers of business success: people and culture. Every company says they have a great culture, but what does that really mean — and how do you build one that lasts? To help us unpack that, we’re joined by Andrew Pino, Executive Vice President at One Firefly and Amplify People. Andrew has played a key role in shaping One Firefly’s team and culture, leading hiring, leadership development, and growth initiatives across a fully remote organization.

This is Automation Unplugged. I’m Ron Callis. Today’s episode is a little different — and a little special. As we wrap up another year, we’re taking time to pause, reflect, and look back on the journey behind the scenes at One Firefly. In this end-of-year episode, I’m joined by our CFO, Taylor Whipple, for a conversation about the past year — what challenged us, what energized us, and what we learned along the way.