The Flywheel Effect

62 Episodes

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First Principles, Flying Cars, and the Future of AI in Every Home

2026-10-2659:05

In this episode of The Flywheel Effect, host Brent Sonnek-Schmelz and co-host Matt Bernath sit down with Alex Capecelatro, Co-Founder and CEO of Josh.ai and immediate past chair of the CEDIA board, for a wide-ranging conversation that moves from unexpected creative pursuits to the most consequential technology shift the custom integration industry has ever faced. Alex opens by sharing how a side-hustle art practice — hand-drawn mirror pieces sold through a vibe-coded auction platform he built...

From $800K to $3M+: How James Hathaway Scaled a Luxury AV Firm

2026-10-1244:56

In this episode of The Flywheel Effect, host Brent Sonnek-Schmelz sits down with James Hathaway, CEO and Lead Designer at Innovative Audio Video Designs, for a candid conversation about what it takes to transform a founder-dependent integration shop into a scalable, process-driven luxury AV business. James shares the backstory of how Innovative grew from an $800,000 single-building operation at The Laurel in Philadelphia to a $3M+ ultra-luxury integrator serving designers, builders, and disce...

Profit Math for Custom Integrators: How to Double Net Profit Without Doubling Revenue

2026-09-2801:00:45

In this episode of The Flywheel Effect, host Brent Sonnek-Schmelz and VITAL President Matt Bernath sit down with Ben Hansen — better known as The Profit Doctor — to unpack why so many construction and custom integration businesses find themselves working harder, growing faster, and making less money. Ben brings a rare combination of Fortune 500 pedigree (Dell, Microsoft) and hard-earned battle scars from scaling his own consulting firm from $4M to $13M in revenue, only to watch profitability ...

Joe Whitaker on the Changing Face of CI

2026-09-1453:58

In this episode of The Flywheel Effect, host Brent Sonnek-Schmelz sits down with longtime industry insider Joe Whitaker — 20-year integrator, 10-year CEDIA board member, and current EVP of Product and Technology at Origin Acoustics — for a wide-ranging conversation about where the custom integration industry is right now, and where it's headed. From the shakeup created by InfoComm's acquisition of Lightapalooza to the growing complexity of residential projects, Joe unpacks why integrators can...

The CPR Method: How to Get 5X ROI from Every Industry Event You Attend

2026-08-3157:26

In this pre-CEDIA episode of The Flywheel Effect, host Brent Sonnek-Schmelz and VITAL President Matt Bernath tackle one of the most persistent frustrations in the custom integration industry: why so many integrators walk away from major trade shows feeling like the experience wasn't worth their time. Their answer isn't about the shows themselves — it's about the mindset and preparation attendees bring with them. The conversation opens with a story of a VITAL member whose bookkeeper was "conce...

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