Latest / CE Pro Podcast / CE Pro Podcast #176: Daryl Friedman Reflects on CEDIA Legacy and the Future of Custom Integration

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CE Pro Podcast #176: Daryl Friedman Reflects on CEDIA Legacy and the Future of Custom Integration · CE Pro Podcast

• 0:09
  SPEAKER_01: Hey folks, and welcome back to the C Pro Podcast.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_01: I am your host, Zachary Camilla, executive editor of C Pro.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_01: And today is uh this is a bit of a special episode.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_01: We have Daryl Freeman, the uh CEO of Cedia M.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um as we're heading into what is going to be his last CEDIA expo as um CEO of CEA.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_01: Um Daryl, of course, you you uh uh announced your um retirement um in 2027.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_01: Um so you know we we appreciate you coming on.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: Well thank you for having me.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's kind of a bittersweet topic for me, but um I'm still CEO and I'm still looking forward to seeing everybody as CEO at uh at the expo.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_01: Uh so I think you said 2027.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_01: Is that is that you know January 1st, beginning of the year, later in the year?
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_00: What do we it really depends on the search and how long it takes the board to find somebody that they're comfortable with?
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_00: I I'm I'm retiring, I'm not going to another job, I don't have any hard stop, but um I really wanted to make sure that this um transition was orderly and smooth and um seamless.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: And I want to also have a chance if if my successor wants the opportunity to spend some time with me on knowledge transfer or any sort of other sort of onboarding, I want to have that time to do that.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm guessing, you know, by you know early in the year they'll have somebody in place.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_00: But um I certainly want to be around as long as they need me.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_01: Got it, got it.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_01: Great.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_01: So um we'll get to all that.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, but uh first, of course, we're oh my goodness.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_01: Uh I can't do math.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_01: Uh about two months away from the expo, a little bit more than two months.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's 70 days, not that I'm counting or anything, but um what are what are you most excited for about uh this year's event?
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I'm always excited about going to the show and seeing everybody and seeing the community and single friends I don't see all the time.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but I think if there's anything different this year that I'm most excited about, I would say it's the the education conference.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: Um we have a new conference director who's been on uh he worked a little bit on our IESC show, but then he's really been focused on this show.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_00: And he's put together, I think, a great, a great conference of um just tracks that range from you know business to technical to AI to future proofing, branding, just stuff that's really new.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_00: And um that's uh Evan West.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm just really pleased with the conference he's put together.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_00: I really encourage everybody to check it out online and and register for that because uh there's gonna be some really great classes this year.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I actually had Evan and Paul on the uh on a on a podcast just like this, and um and a and a little write up on that too.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_01: Um yeah, definitely, definitely looking forward to that.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_01: Um Yeah, so you you know, as we said, you're going into your last exo.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_01: Would probably probably your last, uh barring any any uh challenges finding your replacement uh next year.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_01: Uh so what have you been your favorite memories at the expo?
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_01: Does it does any one moment stand out?
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: Um well, first of all, I uh it it is not gonna be my last expo.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_00: It's gonna be my last expo as CEO, but I am going to expo again.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_00: This is definitely something once you get addicted to seeing these um brilliant new technologies and seeing what's possible in your home.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_00: Like uh I'm I'm I'm gonna be a registered, so I'll be happy to go there as a as an attendee.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe, maybe Zach, you can hook me up with a a promo code for a for a badge.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know how I don't know if you have if you have any pull there.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: But um, but yeah, so many memories.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, um I started with the 20 um 23 show, and um I started just after 22, and I started I started uh CD at the end of 22, so I missed the 22 show.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: And the 22 show was sort of a transitional year out of COVID.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_00: So I know remember in 23, everyone just so one of my memories is that everyone's so happy just to be back in person and everyone together, and um, you know, people just reaching out to me and meeting me and saying how happy they were about me being on board.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_00: And so just such a great friendly crowd.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I also like from a keynote standpoint, I love I love the Barry Soundfeld um keynote because that was just so fun the way he engaged with the audience.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: And like all of our all of our A V guys, they were like, you know, challenging him and he was he was pushing back and they were pushing back.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: It was just a really fun exchange, kind of like a really fun.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_00: I think we'll see that to some extent again with um with Duncan this year.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_00: But I think more than just like a point in time, it's like the evolution.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: So one is like friendships.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: Like I didn't know anybody.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, when I first went to my first show, I knew my board, and that was it.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_00: I've met I've done a few meetings around the country, you know, around the world, but I didn't know anybody.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_00: And then each year I went, I knew more people.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_00: And this is a community that's just um so real and just such good people.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_00: And I just I love how that those friendships have evolved.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_00: And I think you know, many of them will live on for many years long after I've retired.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so just those evolutions of that.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: I think the awards the same way, the first awards event.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_00: People didn't take it that first one I went to, people didn't take it that seriously.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: It was um not very well attended.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: And the evolution of that to see the last awards event be a packed crowd and people really valuing that award and and and and seeing the value and bragging about being a senior award winner.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: So that evolution is really the thing that I'm gonna take away the most.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, I would I would agree with you on the uh on the friendships thing.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_01: Um and and like look, this industry is about, you know, the the big part of it is about having fun and and and and entertaining yourself and um just you know being comfortable.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_01: And that comes out in the in the personalities, you know.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_01: Um we're talking about TVs and and and really nice sound systems and you know, just living comfortably and have and you know having a good time.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_01: And that's that really comes out in the personalities, I think.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_01: How has CD at the organization changed during um No?
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_01: I'm sorry, let me back up.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_01: Um, how do you feel about your time as as head of CD?
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_01: You know, what what are you most proud of?
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_00: Oh well, you know, it's funny you mentioned my time.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_00: I uh the one thing I always say this I've been saying it to a lot of people, but I say to my wife almost every week is like, I wish I had more time.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_00: Um I came in the role, you know, kind of late in in in age.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_00: Um and so you know, you only you have to kind of know that energy level and predict when that energy level is like if you want to turn it over to somebody, um, somebody else.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: But I I I always say I wish I came into this job 10 years sooner because there's so much I would like to do.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: But in the short time I've had here five years, um, I do feel like we've made a lot of progress.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I think focusing on what the value of CDI is without owning a trade show.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so when I came on, you know, I did a round of conversations.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_00: So I spent the first 90 days just on a listening tour all over the country and all over the world.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: And everyone kind of said, like, well, what is what is CDI that you sold the show and what is CEA now?
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_00: And and so it kind of helped me focus on what is CDI's true value?
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_00: It's a service organization.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_00: We're here to serve this industry.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_00: We're a nonprofit, we're not about making money.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_00: And so we kind of came up, we worked together with the team.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: It's like, what is our real value?
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_00: And we really focused in on what we're calling our ACE, advocacy, advocacy, connection, and education.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_00: And those kinds of things, so advocacy, certainly it's been um been a great program here at CDF for many years at the state level, with our director of government relations, um, Darren Ruiman, who's done amazing work.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: We've now taken that to the federal level and we want to see a couple of major things happening.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_00: We we think we've had we already had one bill passed that was going to help people save money for their kids to enter in this field.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_00: But the next big thing is we had a Department of Labor meeting um in March, and we want to establish an official government um apprenticeship program so people can have an entry point into this industry, and also have the integrator um occupation standardized and accepted by the government.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_00: So those kind of things on the advocacy were important.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_00: Connection is these ways to bring our community together.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_00: One key way is through design and build.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_00: So we're really we built a new department at the organization with Andrea Harvey as our lead, who is a designer who came in to help us kind of connect our integrator community with the design community.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_00: And that's gonna be that's gonna build businesses for people.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_00: It's gonna exponentially grow their businesses.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_00: And education, of course, we have a new team doing education, we have great volunteers.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: Um, even the chair of our board, Amanda Wildman, is someone who came up through um volunteering and education.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_00: So it's really a priority of the organization to do that.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_00: So I think it's just kind of like establishing that value of advocacy connection education as you know, the trade show is very important to us, but it's not we don't own it anymore, and it's not our purpose anymore.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_00: So kind of that's the main thing that I think we've we brought to in the last five years.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_01: Um, how have you seen the the customer integration industry change during during your time as CEO?
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I think it's it's been it's been really interesting to watch.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_00: I think um, you know, right when I started, um a group of volunteers had finished a white paper um that well well preceded me.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_00: It was called the integrator 2027.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_00: And the thinking behind this was that the integrator is not going to be someone who just sells boxes.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_00: You you're gonna need that less and less.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: A homeowner or an end user is gonna need that less and less as time goes on.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_00: The integrator is going to be somebody who is really a lifestyle consultant, a technology advisor.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_00: And I think we've actually seen that happen.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_00: A lot of the business I've talked to, they're moving into that role of lifestyle designer and technology designer, and they're being much more of a service than a seller of products.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_00: So I think that's been part of it.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_00: I think AI has certainly penetrated the industry in those past five years in a big way.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_00: People are using it to make their businesses run better, but they're also using it in their products.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_00: And you're seeing a lot of really cool stuff with control systems now that are using AI.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and then you're seeing like market forces.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_00: Like I think the entrance, uh, the entrance of Daisy into the marketplace is a really interesting indicator for us, whether you think it's a good or a bad.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's it definitely shows that there's value in this industry and that people on the outside are looking to come in and they see that this is going to be a growth sector.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_00: So all those things are, I think, pretty major shifts in a very short period of time.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_01: What do you think of the overall health of the industry today?
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you hear kind of hear different things from from different people.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_01: I've heard the term, you know, cautious optimism used in the in the last year or so.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and then others per se, uh, we it's great.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_01: Uh so curious of your thoughts.
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I mean, mostly the the dealers I talk to and the manufacturers I talk to are pretty bullish on the industry.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_00: They think it's that's they're optimistic about it.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_00: Um, some of our surveys are showing that they're they expect growth.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_00: I think part of that cautious, the cautious optimism, the cautious part of that maybe has to do with the fact that a lot of our industry is subject to economic forces outside of our industry, like construction.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_00: You know, if the home building industry goes up and down, is that ebbs and flows?
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_00: It can affect us.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_00: But I think for the most part, um the feedback I'm getting from our members is that it is strong and it's only going to grow.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_00: People are gonna see this as a need more and more in their homes.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_00: Um, it's an expectation now of homeowners.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_00: And so I think there's generally optimism about the growth of the industry.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_01: What do you think will, you know, be this next chapter of the customer integration industry?
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_01: Like what, you know, do you see coming down the pike that um you know you wish you could stick around for?
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's that's that's a great question.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think a couple of things.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_00: Um let me thinking about that.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_00: So, well, one thing for CDI, I I really I mean, I'm gonna be around, I'm gonna be following this, but I wish I could be in the seat when this happens.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_00: But you know, there's a uh every 10-year process to redefine what the occupations are in the United States.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_00: And technology integrator has never been an official occupation.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_00: That process started about uh three years ago.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_00: It's gonna be finishing in 2028, and that's why we had all these meetings with the Department of Labor.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_00: But I would love to be sitting in this seat when the United States government's announced that technology integrator is an official occupation of the country.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_00: So that's gonna be something I'm gonna I'm gonna really um champion from the sidelines when when uh when that happens.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_00: But I think, you know, more broadly outside of CDM, the next chapter is really an awareness of the professionalism of uh CI installer, an integrator, an awareness of all the adjacent trades, and a a treatment of equality of this this field because it's going to be an essential piece of every home going forward.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_00: And I I want to see this next chapter be, you know, when you when you're building your house, you're renovating a house, doing anything in your house, you gotta think about, yeah, I gotta have an architect, I gotta have a designer, I gotta have an electrician, I gotta have HVAC, gotta have an integrator, et cetera.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_00: It's just part of the equation.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_00: And so I think that is the next chapter, is that and having that technology integrator occupation will help us with that as well.
• 12:47
  SPEAKER_01: What challenge do you think that you know the industry still needs to solve?
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's great.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_00: And I actually think that in some ways that's the that's the flip side of the coin of the question you just asked.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_00: I think we're certainly not there yet.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_00: And I do think that, you know, when we did our research with the NKBA to poll designers about what they believe about integration, is that the lack of awareness was just such a big factor of it.
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_00: So I do think it's it's almost the same answer I just gave you, but I do think in some ways the biggest challenge for me to solve is becoming that equal partner at the table at the beginning.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_00: Like this is also a big problem, but I want every designer right now, I think there's too many, too many adjacent professionals to call designers, architects, um, architects, and just you know, that that industry, um, they don't either understand it or they think they're gonna make um the project complex, or they think they're gonna take margin from their piece, or they think they're gonna have a competing uh whisper in the homeowner's ear, all sorts of really um kind of myths about what the integrator brings to it.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_00: And as we see that flipping, and it's right now it's it's small and it's integration company by integration company, and the work that Andrea is doing is already leading to some of those walls being broken down.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_00: But as soon as they see this being not only an equal partner, but a partner that can add value, where everybody wins, the homeowner wins, everybody makes more money because when you when the homeowner sees what's possible in their home with integration, they want it, they want those gadgets, they want those technologies that are toy and their home.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_00: And when they have the integrator involved, that person's gonna be responsible for the complexities.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_00: So if there is a you know an API changes and something needs to be adjusted, firmware gets updated, the architect, the designer, they should know they're not gonna get called.
• 14:32
  SPEAKER_00: That's the integrator's job.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_00: And they're gonna fix that.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_00: And you and usually can fix it with a with a remote, you know, phone call and a remote update.
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_00: So I do think that's still a challenge.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_00: I think CD is addressing that by building this new department for design and build outreach.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_00: And um, I hopefully when you know when we're when I'm looking back at this industry in a few years from now that that integrators will be an equal partner.
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I I uh I wrote an article in the winter, so about six months ago now, um, just interviewing just random architects and and designers.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_01: And I was pleasantly surprised that uh the majority of them knew what a integrator was.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_01: They knew some brands, like I think Lutraman and Christromaner were mentioned in a handful of others controller four.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_01: Um then the couple that weren't as familiar with it or just weren't fans of it, maybe had bad experiences.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_01: They said that if more integrators led with what I think are are the design pieces, lighting and shading that our industry has to offer, they would be more um you know, receptive to the idea of you know technology um in their projects.
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_01: Um I'm just curious to see your thoughts on that.
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, a lot of light, I think lighting and shading are the design pieces that integrators have to offer.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, leading with that, you're presenting yourself as kind of a you know, not a tech professional, but a design professional that does it with technology.
• 16:00
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think that's a that's a great entry point.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_00: I think there's there's certainly lots of things that designers love when they have um when they have an integrator involved that's beyond letting and shading.
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_00: But letting shading is certainly a key point of it.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_00: Um I was at a at a manufacturer yesterday um in Salt Lake, and you know, they're showing just beautiful, um, even the keypads were just gorgeous keypads that actually match the proportions of the speakers that they also make.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_00: And so I think designers also love that too.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_00: Speakers can be statements for a room.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_00: Um, speakers can also be invisible, which also designers sometimes like that piece of it.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_00: And speakers can be um artwork, like you've seen with some of the brands like Leon.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_00: So I think you know, many of those things, if a designer understands it, they really can get it.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_00: Um, we just did a project, we were the technology partner for something called Wow House.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_00: It's a it's a it's a temporary home, um design home in London.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_00: And we were the um technology partner, but many of our integrators worked on certain rooms, and designers were just blown away by so many things.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely lighting and shading, 100%.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_00: You're right on that.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_00: But other things, uh how sound can be used, um, you know, how the technology, how even the keypad can be beautiful.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_00: Everything about it can be um just create an enhancement in their lives.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_00: And so I think once they understand it, they want to do more with the integrators.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_00: We just have to get over that first hurdle.
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_01: And and we to your point about keypads, we have seen um an influx of of design designer keypads uh being released by um you know some some big name industry brands.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so it's yeah, really no surprise there.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_01: Um what would you tell your successor as as um you know they prepare to lead CDO?
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I guess the first thing I would say is is listen a lot.
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_00: Um, really try to get out there, talk to the members.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_00: I I did that my first 90 days was all listening toward.
• 17:48
  SPEAKER_00: I went all over the country, I went abroad and just got so much feedback.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_00: And really what um what established sort of our our refined mission strategy was the feedback from the membership because we don't know how we serve somebody unless we ask them.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_00: So I'd really encourage them to do that.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_00: Also, you know, uh you want to listen more than you talk, but talking is important too.
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_00: You've got to be an evangelist for what CDA is.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_00: Cydia serves an indispensable purpose.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_00: There are a lot of groups out there in the CI channel that are doing different things and creating a small trade show or doing uh, you know, buying groups do certain activities.
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_00: But CDI is that overarching nonprofit service organization.
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_00: And I think um I've tried to be an evangelist for this.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_00: I hope my successor will as well to say, like, you know, for many people, they they may not even realize they wouldn't be in business if not for CD because of the work that we do in advocacy, um, the education piece of this, the certifications that establish us, a campaign to homeowners that we did that actually elevates the professionalism of uh using a professional installer.
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_00: So all those things, I think, you know, kind of listening and talking.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but they'll find they're coming into a it's a it's a good organization with great staff, financially stable.
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_00: Um some of the early problems that I faced have kind of are kind of behind us now.
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_00: And I think my successor can just focus on the future and really create the next uh the next era for CDI that would be remarkable.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_01: If you could leave CDI members with one message um uh as you as you retire, what what would that be?
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_00: That's a great question.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, there's there's a lot, but I think you know, one thing I've been thinking about a lot, and I I was thinking if I ever did like a a valedictory address, you know, as I leave, this would be kind of what I'd focus on because there's been a lot of there was a chatter earlier in the year about there was like an Atlantic Article Atlantic article trashing that's smart home and this whole Twitter thread about it.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_00: And um, and I think we need to push back on that.
• 19:42
  SPEAKER_00: And and one of the things I'd I'd like like to leave the membership here is that we keep talking about ourselves as a nice to have.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_00: And maybe that's true today, but I think uh even today there's certain things that are truly must-haves uh that an integrator does, like networking, security, things like that.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_00: But even tomorrow, this will not be a nice-to-have industry.
• 20:04
  SPEAKER_00: This will be a must-have industry.
• 20:06
  SPEAKER_00: And I would hope, I would want our members to kind of have that mentality in their minds today, because we want the homeowner, we want anybody who's involved in construction or buying or making a home to understand that the next generation is going to demand this technology and they're gonna demand to have it done well, professionally installed, not, you know, I always say you wouldn't do your own electric electricity, you wouldn't wire your own house, you wouldn't put your own HVAC in, you should not do your own technology.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_00: So if there's one message I would say, like, I think we're going into an era where the integrator becomes as essential as the electrician, as the plumber, as any other home um home systems professional is.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_00: And I would encourage them to start thinking that way today, because I think we're gonna get there.
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_01: When you walk onto the uh expo floor uh this September for the last time as uh CEO of CDA, um, you know, what do you think will be going through your mind?
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_00: Such mixed emotions.
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I mean, I'll be sad.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_00: Uh as I said, it's not gonna be my last CDA expo, but it will be my last CD expo as CEO.
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but uh made so many friends in this industry and just felt so good about it.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_00: But so there'll be a sadness in it, but there'll also be pride.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I think I just look at this community.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_00: And CDA, when you get to the heart of it, is a community.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_00: It's not a show, it's not an association, it's a community of people.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_00: I just saw that recently when you know we had a try we had a tragedy with one of our leaders, and you know, everybody just was there for her and just surrounded her and raised money and gave love and support.
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that just demonstrates what CDA really is, which is that community field.
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so just proud of that.
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, the the staff here is amazing, the board is so dedicated, like incredible professionals who give time away from their businesses to do this.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_00: And the volunteers, hours and hours and hours of time just to make to share what they know, to share their knowledge and to make sure the next generation has the same knowledge they have.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, just an intense pride in everything that's happened.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: And just um I'll be very happy with how we've evolved with the past five years.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_00: My my dad always used to say to me, uh, you know, always leave a company better than you found it.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_00: So I hope uh I hope I'm doing that with CDI, hoping it's better today than it was five years ago.
• 22:12
  SPEAKER_00: And I I hope my successor uh is gonna make it better in five years from now.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm gonna do everything I can for him or her to help that transition and make that happen.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_01: Very good.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_01: Uh Daryl, thanks very much for your time.
• 22:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um, we'll we'll see you in Denver.
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_01: Um and uh hey, uh after that, you're what was it gonna be um case of senioritis for the last uh three months of the year?
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_01: Or uh what do you got on tap for the last three months?
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_00: No, I'm uh I'm gonna be plowing through.
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_00: I told the board I said I'm gonna I'm gonna be CEO as long as I'm CEO and I'm gonna be keeping that same energy level and keeping that same travel schedule.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_00: Um so uh yeah, I'm looking forward to that.
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_00: I expect to also be at ISC in February and see some of my international friends.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_00: And um, yeah, got a lot to do here at CDS.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_00: So um looking forward to keeping my foot on the gas.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_01: Very good.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_01: All right, thanks very much, Daryl.
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_01: Cheers.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks, thanks, Zach.