From the Editor

Love him or hate him, Robert Moses is considered one of the greatest urban planners of the 20th century. The master builder was instrumental...

Do you run a growing, thriving company, or have you become a lifestyle business? Dont know what I mean? According to 2007 CEDIA Management...

Pre-Game Coverage: As I begin this column, Im sitting in the American Airlines terminal at New Yorks Kennedy Airport waiting to board my flight...

As a custom installation professional, do you ever get the feeling that youre being used? For instance, isnt it your company that manufacturers call...

Do you have a competitor who consistently gives you trouble even though you know that youre better? Whats your sales pitch? How do you...

Many readers will consider this sacrilege, but I have decided to do something extreme. Im going to unplug my subwoofer and put it in...

Sometimes, its a wonder how our business survives at all. The other day I was watching a ballgame when a commercial for one of...

There we were, my wife and I, ready to sit down, relax, and watch a good movie from the comforts of home. Our daughter...

Pop quiz: Who are Robert Zimmerman and Elliott Adnopoz and what links them together in rock and roll history? Thats the kind of fun...

In the 1979 movie, Being There, a simple gardener named Chance, has never set foot outside the gates of the estate where he works....

Most people recharge their inner spirituality at a local church, synagogue, or mosque. For me, an event organized by SpeakerCraft president Jeremy Burkhardt usually...

Failure is much more endearing than success. That thought occurred to me the other night after watching New York illusionist David Blaine perform his...

It was the buzz of the show, but it wasnt a new company launch or revolutionary new product release that had everyone talking at...

A diminutive, yet muscular, man walked out on stage, took off his black sports coat, hung it over a chair and said, I was...

Youll have to excuse me this month if my column lacks its usual snap and insightfulness, but Im in the midst of an exercise...

There is nothing like the first time you see high-definition video on a large screen. Once youve experienced that thrill, its hard to go...

Music can take us on a journey back to a place and time that may have been buried deep in our memory. Nothing but...

Admit it now, youre going to miss Indianapolis next year when CEDIA EXPO moves to Denver. No? Not even a little bit? Wait…I see...

Its official Im becoming a video snob. If its not in HD, I really dont want to watch it. Whereas I was once your...

I know that you love the work that you do. Its doubtful that you got into this business because someone twisted your arm. Your...

We all have some inner well from which we draw the passion for what we do, especially in the custom installation business. Almost every...

There are many defining moments in life, with some much more dramatic than others. Last month at the 2005 CEDIA Management Conference, it didn’t...

The other day I listened to a radio interview with the original how to master, Bob Vila. Its hard to believe, but the PBS...

Many of the best-selling brands in the world are successful because they had a compelling story to tell in their marketing. Perhaps one of...

My dad called me the other day from the home electronics department in his local Sears dealership. Apparently, there was a bargain on an...

You may recall my revealing admission a couple of months ago regarding my DVR. Im not going to recant any of those statements this...

Each year that CEDIA EXPO is held in Indianapolis, I procure guest passes for my dad and a couple of his friends to attend...

Too many custom installation businesses have gotten into the bad habit of collecting deposits that are too large, too early in their projects, then...

One way to counteract increasing competition in your market is to sell products that feature superior industrial designs.

Last month, I attended ELAN Home Systems’ first ELAN TRIO Dealer Summit, an impressive event that brought together 400 of the manufacturer’s top dealers,...

After struggling through another frigid winter in the northeast United States, it was a great relief to notice the first flowers of spring blooming...

Last month I attended the three-day CEDIA Management Conference where some of the top dealers in our industry converged in Huntington Beach, California, to...

I'm a big fan of Oscar season. It's a fun time of year to be a movie fan. There's Billy Crystal and his inside...