Always on the Hunt with Leo Golubitsky

What does it take to lead successfully across different industries, countries, and business models? In this episode of Always on the Hunt, Leo sits down with Shaun Schuetz, whose career has taken him from the sales floor at Best Buy and Magnolia to executive leadership roles at AudioQuest, Harman, and some of the industry's most respected brands. Along the way, Shaun lived and worked in Taiwan, le...

What creates long-term success, talent, motivation, or discipline? In this episode of Always on the Hunt, Leo sits down with industry veteran Sal Amato, whose career spans Toshiba, Samsung, Sanyo, Panasonic, Barco, Kramer, and now Optoma, for a conversation on relationships, leadership, and the power of stacking days. Sal shares the story behind his 2,000+ day streak of walking at least five miles...

How do you build not just one successful business but multiple $100M+ businesses in the A/V industry? In this episode of Always on the Hunt, Leo sits down with industry veteran, SCN Hall of Fame member, Commercial Integrator A/V Living Legend, and AVIP founder Sam Malik for a conversation on leadership, growth, scaling teams, and building businesses that last. Drawing from leadership roles at Tosh...

In Episode 25 of Always on the Hunt, Leo sits down with Jessica to talk about career growth, authenticity, and what it really takes to succeed in the AV industry while being fully yourself. Jessica’s journey has taken her from church sound tech and touring musician to integrator, rep firm, distributor, and now overseeing global distribution for a major LED manufacturer. Along the way, she became o...

What does it really take to bet on yourself? In this episode of Always on the Hunt, Leo sits down with Mark Knox to unpack a career built on taking risks, making bold moves, and refusing to blend into the background. Mark didn’t follow a traditional path into A/V. He started pulling wire, worked his way through project management, and broke into some of the biggest names in the industry including...

Always on the Hunt is back for 2026, and Leo and Bayley kick things off with a clear message for A/V leaders: hiring isn’t getting easier, and in many cases, it’s about to get harder. After reflecting on a slow and uncertain 2025, marked by delayed hiring mainly due to tariff concerns, they explain why 2026 could be even tougher. With demand increasing and surveys showing most workers are choosing...

How do you lead global marketing for a giant like Crestron, steer an industry association like CEDIA through massive change, and help build a 65-year-old ESOP company for the future? The answer, according to veteran AV leader Vin Bruno, always comes back to two things: people and simplicity. In this episode of Always On The Hunt, Vin shares his incredible journey from fixing mixers to shaping the...

In this episode of Always on the Hunt, we sit down with Noah Kaplan, the visionary founder of Leon Speakers—a company that has redefined the intersection of art, design, and audio technology. Noah shares his unconventional journey from artist and musician to pioneering entrepreneur, who made the bold move to build high-end speakers in Michigan while his competitors moved overseas. Discover how Leo...

In this episode of Always on the Hunt, we sit down with Brandy Alvarado- Miranda—founder and CEO of BAM Marketing and PR, co-founder of WAVIT, and former chair of the AVIXA Women's Council. Brandy shares her incredible journey from the "boring" world of insurance marketing to becoming a powerhouse in the pro-AV and digital signage space.   Discover how Brandy's fearless approach led her to launch...

In this episode of Always on the Hunt, Leo sits down with the multi-talented Michael Bailey Smith, a man who's lived multiple dreams. He's landed roles in iconic films like A Nightmare on Elm Street and Men in Black 2, and the new Fantastic Four.  He's jumped out of planes as an 82nd Airborne Paratrooper.  He's played Division I football and chased an NFL career.  And he's had a long and successfu...

In this special episode of Always On The Hunt,  Randy Blanchard turns the tables and takes the interviewer's seat to chat with Leo Golubitsky, founder of Birddog Talent and a longtime leader in the AV industry. From Leo's early days launching S.M.I.L.E., Inc. (an AV integration company focused on customer experience over tech specs) to his transition into recruiting and launching this very podcast...

This week on Always on the Hunt, Leo sits down with Vince Schuster, Senior Vice President of Sales at Neoti and a well-respected leader in the Pro AV industry. With decades of experience across major and emerging AV brands—including Electrograph, Planar, and more—Vince shares his unique perspective on industry trends, leadership, and the evolving landscape of professional AV. Vince and Leo dive in...

This week on "Always On The Hunt", Leo speaks with Alesia Hendley, Business Development Manager at Sennheiser, Social Media Influencer, blogger, story teller, advocate for diversity in AV, and at her core, a highly capable sound engineer and technician who still knows how to get hands-on and make systems work.  In this episode, Alesia unpacks how social media and storytelling are reshaping B2B eng...

Join us on Always on the Hunt as we sit down with industry veteran Michael Lakhter— a true rainmaker with over 25 years of experience transforming startups into industry leaders and leading industry leaders in Sales, with his powerful outlook and performance. In this insightful episode, Michael shares his journey from humble beginnings in Ukraine to becoming a top sales force in the AV world, reve...

In this episode of Always on the Hunt, host Leo welcomes special guest Matt Bernath, a powerhouse in the luxury home services industry and president of VITAL. Together, they dive deep into the core challenges and opportunities facing business owners, from team building and company culture to financial mastery and personal leadership. Matt shares his inspiring journey, marked by growth and a passio...

In this week's episode of Always on the Hunt, we're thrilled to welcome Nick Begleries, a seasoned expert in the audiovisual (AV) industry with over 20 years of experience. As the VP of Commercial Sales at Philips Professional Display Solutions, Nick has an impressive track record of leading sales teams for top manufacturers, including Planar, Samsung, and NanoLumens. Join Leo and Nick as they del...

Welcome back to Always on the Hunt! This week, we're joined by Peter Melvin—a true rock star in the AV industry and the self-proclaimed "purveyor of fun", a title he most certainly lives up to. Peter's infectious energy and optimistic outlook have made him a favorite in the field, and we're excited to delve into his journey of building connections and fostering a positive work culture. We'll disco...

Welcome back to Always On The Hunt! This week Leo sits down with Curtiss Singleton, a man recognized by Commercial Integrator Magazine as a "Living Legend". With over three decades of experience, Curtiss has a long track record of leadership that has inspired teams, driven transformative growth, successfully navigated companies through challenging turnarounds, and he's still got plenty left in the...

Welcome back to Always on the Hunt! In this episode, host Leo dives deep into the intricate world of the audiovisual (AV) industry with Kurt DeYoung, a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience. As the Chief Revenue Officer at Nanolumens, Kurt has been pivotal in turning the company around, driving growth, and forging strategic partnerships across various verticals, including retail,...

In this episode of Always on the Hunt, we welcome Todd McCandless, a global product sales and marketing leader with a wealth of experience from launching an integration firm to pivotal leadership roles in one of the largest A/V manufacturers. Todd shares captivating insights from his remarkable journey, including the launch and acquisition of his own integration firm, his tenure at Barco, and his...

Welcome back to Always On The Hunt! In this episode, we take a deep dive into the world of Artificial Intelligence and its transformative impact on the Audio-Visual industry. Host Leo is joined by the insightful Alexander Oddoz-Mazet, a seasoned expert from the Unified Communications and Collaboration space, who led Microsoft Team's AI Go To Market Strategy. Together, they discuss how AI is revolu...

In this enlightening episode of Always on the Hunt, we welcome Jason Sayen, a seasoned process architect with over 30 years of experience in the luxury AV industry. With a strong background in Lean Six Sigma methodologies, Jason helps businesses redefine their operational frameworks and eliminate process voids through effective workflow documentation.  Join us as Jason shares his journey from sale...

Welcome back to Always on the Hunt! In today's episode we are joined by Clint Hoffman, an industry leader, actually more like an Industry Legend. With more than 40 years' experience in sales, marketing, operations and product development working for many of the biggest names in the industry such as Sony, Panasonic, Mitsubishi, Kramer and currently the President & CEO of Lightware Visual Engine...

Welcome back to Always on the Hunt! In today's episode, we celebrate a long-standing veteran of the AV industry, Randy Blanchard. With over three decades of experience, Randy has been influential in shaping the Residential A/V Integration Industry. From spearheading innovative retail practices to evolving integration techniques and leading major distributors, buying groups, and manufacturers! He h...

In this episode of Always on the Hunt, host Leo Golubitsky sits down with Steve Samson, a seasoned corporate leader, entrepreneur, and business development executive in the A/V Industry. Steve shares his journey from building his first AV integration company as a teenager to leading groundbreaking product launches and incredible sales growth at industry giants like Crestron and Lightware. Steve di...