Shows / BlueStar Nation
BlueStar Nation
BlueStar Nation is the podcast that tackles the hot topics, trends, and emerging technologies impacting the specialty IT reseller channel, software companies, MSPs, and hardware manufacturers. Hosted by John Martin & Dean Reverman. Tell us what YOU want to hear about: nation@bluestarinc.com
Episodes
- BlueStar Nation
The Humanity of Retail Tech w/Heartland's Tony Boncore
Tony Boncore has worked in retail, for an OEM, and now as a solutions provider, but he's always understood that technology is only as good as what it provides…
- BlueStar Nation
VARTECH 2026 Recap
VARTECH 2026 brought channel partners to the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT, September 21-22. This week, we recap the experience, the venue, the guest speakers…
- BlueStar Nation
The Illiterate Podcast Test (The Pulse #3)
We're back with more hot topics, surveys, and ideas to spark conversation. Topics: The Future of Work & AI The Rise of Drunk Shopping What Jobs Have the…
- BlueStar Nation
Addressing Waste & Inefficiency in Trucking & Logistics w/Baysys' Tom Hurwitch & Gerry Corriveau
The trucking & logistics industry is vital to many other industries and the global economy. So why are so many fleets, BCOs, and shippers still using outdated…
- BlueStar Nation
Selling Your Value Through Story & Alignment w/Stephen Bergeron
Putting the "value" in value-added reseller is about more than product mix, low prices, and taking customers out to dinner. To survive in a hyper-competitive…
- BlueStar Nation
Why You Should Be Selling Business Printers w/Epson’s Sam Patel & Koji Nawata
Print is far from dead, and while we live in a very digital world, there is still a need for tangible, physical printing. Epson wants VARs to tap those…
- BlueStar Nation
The Evolution of Solutions Consulting w/Honeywell’s Theo Newman
The modern reseller typically doesn't focus only on transactional sales. Solution selling has become the norm for any business that wants to grow and survive…
- BlueStar Nation
Winning 2026 Public Sector Opportunities w/Zebra’s Chris Phann
War, defense spending, tariffs, regulatory loosening, and the evolution of AI have changed the landscape of government contracting and public-sector technology…
- BlueStar Nation
Beyond the Bezel – The Future of Digital Signage w/LG’s Mike Stachura & Frank Mantz
Digital signage keeps improving, and the opportunities keep growing! This week, LG's Mike Stachura is back with dvLED expert Frank Mantz to discuss the current…
- BlueStar Nation
How AI is Changing Healthcare w/Ambient Clinical’s Brian Tufts
Last week, we learned why healthcare leaders are struggling to move tech adoption beyond the pilot stage. This week, we find out how they are tackling, like…
- BlueStar Nation
Helping Hospitals Scale Beyond the Pilot w/Honeywell’s Will Mobley
A recent survey of 100 hospital execs reveals that tech adoption often stalls after successful pilots and even when there is staff/IT buy-in. Why? Honeywell's…
- BlueStar Nation
The Pulse Goes to the Mall
We're back with some interesting topics, surveys, data, lists, and discussions for your next watercooler chat, video call, or lunch meeting. This week's…
- BlueStar Nation
Filling Your Tech Stack Gaps w/Esper’s Shiv Sundar
No VAR can do it all, but that's kind of the point of the reseller channel: connecting manufacturers, distributors, resellers, software companies, and service…
- BlueStar Nation
How to Expand Your RFID Partnerships w/Atlas RFID’s Steven Wood & Tim Prybl
Deploying RFID solutions is not as simple as slapping some tags on what you want to track and letting readers do their thing. While RFID is more popular than…
- BlueStar Nation
Special Edition: What New Vendors Should Know About the Reseller Channel w/Intel's Rob Risany
While our show is typically aimed at resellers, MSPs, integrators, and software providers already working in the channel, this one is for the vendors just…
- BlueStar Nation
Point-of-Purchase Advertising with PamiTV’s Kevin Brown
Brick-and-mortar consumers eventually find their way to a point of purchase, but are retailers utilizing that captive audience for more than just transactions…
- BlueStar Nation
What Retailers Are (and Aren’t) Saying About Shrink - End User Survey
It's more end-user, data-driven goodness...this time exploring a problem that retail execs are clearly passionate about — shrink & loss prevention! The latest…
- BlueStar Nation
The Retail Returns Crisis with IHL Group’s Greg Buzek
Retail returns are a $1.9 TRILLION "business," and growing faster than sales for most retailers. As more brands offer fast, free returns, we've trained a…
- BlueStar Nation
Converting Consumer to Commercial Displays in Restaurants
We're breaking down the data from a new BlueStar Nation Survey of 100 restaurant owners and operators. Shockingly, we found that most of them are using…
- BlueStar Nation
Retail POS – Do What the Big Guys Can’t w/NRS’ Elie Katz
Taking on the big, corporate-backed POS providers can feel daunting, but SMB retail and restaurants prefer personalized solutions customized to their unique…
- BlueStar Nation
Winning in SMB Supply Chain w/Zebra's Wes Coleman & Jim Musco
The supply chain has undergone significant change this decade, and the advent of AI and a strong push for data-driven automation and efficiency suggest further…
- BlueStar Nation
BlueStar Nation Presents: The Pulse
TEC Bytes is dead...long live The Pulse! Same idea, snazzy new name. Here are the topics John & Dean are discussing this week. Pew Poll - American perceptions…
- BlueStar Nation
KPI-First Solutions w/Sonaria’s John Wirthlin
Most businesses have key performance indicators, metrics, or other measurable outcomes they want to accomplish. In the supply chain, that could range from…
- BlueStar Nation
Addressing Outcomes with Device Management w/Esper’s Keith Szot
Most organizations deploy a variety of devices for employee and customer use across a range of operating systems, including fixed and mobile devices. In a…
- BlueStar Nation
NRF Recap, Reflections & Predictions
We're back! To launch us into a new year, Dean shares his experiences and insights from NRF 2026. We follow that with a look at our most popular podcasts and…
- BlueStar Nation
Star Wars Nerdfest – Episode VI
We're wrapping up our sixth season with the annual discussion of all things Star Wars with special guest Sam Hughes! What's the latest news on new movies…
- BlueStar Nation
Get Ready for NRF w/Intel’s Mariya Zorotovich
The NRF "Big Show" is a huge event that kicks off a new year for retailers, suppliers, consumer brands, technology providers, and more. For new and veteran…
- BlueStar Nation
The RFID Revolution w/Patti Blessing, Mary Lou Bosco, and Teresa Williams
The interest in RFID has never been higher, but what's driving it, and how can the channel capitalize on this momentum? This week, we have an all-star panel…
- BlueStar Nation
The Tech We’re Thankful For w/Sarah Schlueter
It's the 250th episode!!! We like to celebrate milestones with fun topics, and having this one fall on Thanksgiving presented the perfect opportunity to…
- BlueStar Nation
Next Level Visitor Management w/Epson’s Michael Weitz
Visitor management is an oft-overlooked opportunity for resellers in industries they already serve, especially education, healthcare, government, and any…
- BlueStar Nation
Turn Rookies to Revenue Faster w/Mike Monocello
BlueStar Academy is our new training program designed to help VARs, ISVs, and vendors give their new (or veteran) sales reps access to education on core…
- BlueStar Nation
The Case for Linerless Labels w/Epson’s Ian Livesay
Labeling in fast-paced QSRs is a critical, time-sensitive task that ensures orders for in-store patrons, delivery drivers, and pickups are properly sorted and…
- BlueStar Nation
Are Supply Chain Execs Overconfident About Their Operations? w/Honeywell’s Matt Sterner
Manufacturers, distributors, T&L, and warehousing are always looking to become more efficient and productive, but are they embracing automation in the same…
- BlueStar Nation
From the Archives: Do You Like Scary Podcasts? w/Sarah Schlueter & Sam Hughes
It's spooky season, so we're revisiting last year's Halloween episode where we riff on all things tricks and treats! * * * Originally released October 31st…
- BlueStar Nation
From the Archives: The Human Element of Automation w/Newcastle's Kevin Ledversis & Honeywell's Kelley Wood
We'll be back later this month with the results of a survey on warehouse and manufacturing automation, making this a great time to revisit this conversation…
- BlueStar Nation
TEC Bytes 22 – The Final TECkoning?
It's time to dig into more fascinating topics, surveys, thought pieces, and lists to get you through your next awkward chat around the coffee maker, waiting…
- BlueStar Nation
VARTECH 2025 Recap - AI, People, Connectivity, and a Boulder?
VARTECH 2025 made the most of its location at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas, offering two packed days of networking, new technologies to explore…
- BlueStar Nation
Accelerating RFID Sales w/RedBeam’s Kevin Keith & Kyle Stanford
"I think customers have gone from RFID-curious to RFID-serious," says RedBeam VP of Sales Kevin Keith, reinforcing an ongoing trend of RFID growth and…
- BlueStar Nation
From the Archives: RFID Experts Panel w/Eric Malmed, Steve Weiss, & Archit Dua
Next week, we'll be talking to our friends at Redbeam about Accelerating Your RFID Sales, so we thought we'd revisit last year's panel discussion on the trends…
- BlueStar Nation
From the Archives: What Does Your Digital Presence Say About You? (Live at VARTECH 2024)
We're busy planning and executing VARTECH 2025 this week, so enjoy a couple of classics from the archives, starting with this one, recorded at last year's…
- BlueStar Nation
Selling Driver Safety for Mobile Enterprises w/LifeSaver’s Ted Chen and Jim Hilton
Distracted driving has been exacerbated with the widespread use of mobile devices, which constantly beckon to be looked at, touched, and interacted with. For…
- BlueStar Nation
Selling Hardware Longevity w/Logic Controls' Paul Peralta & Brian Wheeler
Planned obsolescence and routine replacement cycles are common in the consumer electronics industry. Those concepts also infiltrate enterprise hardware…
- BlueStar Nation
From the Archives: How to Sell Connectivity Solutions w/iONLINE's Dave Farquharson & BlueStar's Jim Hilton
In two weeks, we'll be focusing on fleet & deliver driver safety and technology to minimize distractions. In preparation, we thought it would be helpful to…
- BlueStar Nation
Retail Modernization 2.0 w/Intel's Rob Risany & Elo's Luke Wilwerding
A couple of years ago, Intel's Kristen Call joined the pod to discuss what retail modernization meant and how VARs should align their solutions for the future…
- BlueStar Nation
Scrappy Marketing w/OrderCounter's Crystal Barrineau and BlueStar's James Korte
We're getting scrappy this week to nerd out over marketing practices that don't require big budgets or large staffs. OrderCounter's Crystal Barrineau suggested…
- BlueStar Nation
Meet the BlueStar Network & Connectivity Experts
You probably sell a lot of cool tech…mobile computers, POS systems, digital signage, printers, RFID, etc, and most of that stuff is designed to send and…
- BlueStar Nation
A Modern VAR’s Guide to Selling Digital Signage w/LG’s Mike Stachura & Matt Waidley
LG's Mike Stachura is bringing his incredible energy and enthusiasm for digital signage back to the pod (and in-studio!) with Disty Sales Director Matt…
- BlueStar Nation
From the Archives: Generative AI, Employee Experience, Cybersecurity & More w/LG’s Mike Stachura & Aaron Addison
LG's Mike Stachura brings his incredible energy back to the pod next week, so we thought we'd revisit his last appearance, which covered a wide range of topics…
- BlueStar Nation
TEC Bytes 21 - We're Gonna Need a Bigger Podcast
We're sharing another batch of interesting reads, trends, lists, and studies to give you something to discuss while waiting for your next meeting to start…
- BlueStar Nation
Advice from a POS Reseller w/NRS’ Elie Katz
This week, we're seeking insights, advice, and experiences from one of our customers in the channel. Elie Katz, Founder & CEO of National Retail Solutions…
- BlueStar Nation
Building Your AI Solutions Foundation w/Elo’s Luke Wilwerding
"It's put up or shut up time for AI!" proclaims John on this week's episode. He and Dean are ready to see real, tangible applications with AI. Thankfully…
- BlueStar Nation
Clinical Mobility Survey w/Zebra’s Kassaundra McKnight-Young
Our latest BlueStar Nation survey tackles mobile device usage, challenges, and expectations for clinical healthcare workers. To help us break down the data, we…
- BlueStar Nation
The New Era of Edge w/Scale Computing’s Jeff Ready
As more devices, solutions, and emerging tech like AI & machine vision demand rapid, near-instantaneous processing and response, relying solely on the cloud…
- BlueStar Nation
How are Kitchens Evolving to Meet New Demands? w/Star Micronics’ Christophe Naasz
The modern kitchen serves many masters: food safety standards, "I want it now and I want it here" consumers, and delivery companies enabling those consumers…
- BlueStar Nation
How Should Government VARs Navigate Trump 2.0? with Jeff Smith
The new Trump administration has been busy rolling back initiatives from previous administrations and rapidly overhauling government agencies. If you sell into…
- BlueStar Nation
From the Archives - EV Charging & Sustainable Energy w/EVerged's Jeff Smith
A run of new episodes starts next week with Jeff Smith returning to discuss government tech sales under the new Trump administration and the state of EV…
- BlueStar Nation
Are Digital Displays Frustrating Educators & Their IT?
"This is your roadmap," says Dean about our latest BlueStar Nation end-user survey results. We surveyed 125 education teachers, administrators, and IT leaders…
- BlueStar Nation
From the Archives - The Intersection of AI & Digital Signage w/Elo's Kristin Roubie
We'll be back next week, breaking down a survey from Educators, but until then, let's revisit this conversation exploring how touchscreen displays complement…
- BlueStar Nation
Tech Nostalgia w/Sarah Schlueter
Technology is rapidly advancing, and new inventions and innovations make our lives easier, but do you ever miss something simpler? That's the subject of this…
- BlueStar Nation
From the Archives - Generative AI's Past, Present, & Future with Honeywell's Michael Groskopf
As AI continues to be a hot topic, we're looking to spotlight practical, tangible use cases on the pod this year, both within your business and solutions for…