Real Talk With Rob Tavi

In this special episode, we dive deep into the inspiring journey of Yashar Shahabi, the newly appointed Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) at IBS Electronics. With 25 years of experience in the electronic components industry, Yashar's path from engineer to executive leader is a testament to his passion, perseverance, and commitment to innovation. Join us as we explore Yashar's early days in the industry,...

Join Rob Tavi as he explores the dynamic world of digital marketing with expert Brian Sullivan. Dive into a riveting discussion about the transformative role of AI in creative processes, the power of micro-influencers in building authentic communities, and the evolution of direct-to-consumer marketing. Discover the secrets to staying ahead in the digital game, from leveraging AI for more effective...

Overview: In this insightful episode, Rob Tavi welcomes Don Akery, the CEO of Waldom Electronics, a company renowned for its electronic components redistribution system and services like excess inventory management and network optimization. Founded in 1947, Waldom Electronics is a private company headquartered in Rockford, IL, with a significant presence in the electronics supply chain sector​​. K...

Due to recent global events such as geopolitics and the covid-19 pandemic, uncontrollable factors like supply chain disruptions have changed the semiconductor industry making it difficult for companies to maintain stable supply chains and advance their business strategies. In this episode of the Real Talk with Rob Tavi, Edgewater Research's Senior Research Analyst Dennis Reed talks about some of t...

The global electronics industry's supply chain is increasingly complex and requires manufacturers and distributors to have an increased awareness of their supply chain performance. In this episode of Real Talk with Rob Tavi, Macrofab's Chief Product Officer Chris Church discusses how modern manufacturing technology can help support supply chain performance and what this means for you as an entrepr...

Tune into this episode of Real Talk with Rob Ravi Featuring Nemanja Jokanovic as we dive into the democratization of data, which is one of the most significant modern changes leveling the playing field in the electronics and manufacturing industries. The power dynamics are shifting and industry leaders are no longer the only ones with access to valuable data. In the past, data was collected and co...

Meaghan Ziemba is a trailblazer in the manufacturing industry to say the least. She spent the first half of her career working on various marketing projects in the manufacturing industry, and has focused the second half of her career on reaching an audience that may have not otherwise been exposed to an industry that is in desperate need of bright young minds. Meaghan has her own copywriting compa...

John Neuhart is the president of DVC Dry Vapor Cleaner. Although the technology for dry vapor cleaning has been around for 25 years, it is a very small and niche practice. Dry vapor is used to remove flux on circuit boards and uses extremely high temperature vapor in order to clean rather than a solvent like alcohol. Tune into this episode of Real Talk with Rob Tavi ft John Neuhart as we dive into...

Jacob Sanchez is one of the only content creators for the electronics industry who is from Gen Z. At the youthful age of 23 years old Jacob is blazing the trail for Gen Z in manufacturing. Jacob is a freelance content creator who covers a multitude of events and up and coming technologies. Tune in to this episode of Real Talk as Rob and Jacob bridge the gap from Generation X to Generation Z all sh...

Tune into this episode of Real Talk with Rob Tavi featuring Yashar Shahabi where we dive into the democratization of data in electronics, electronic design applications (EDA), and the advantages of companies built in the digital age versus legacy companies. Yashar Shahabi is the Senior Vice President of E-Commerce, Technology, and Product at Sourceability. He oversees all the global sales for Sour...

Tune into this episode of Real Talk with Rob Tavi featuring Gary Smith all shot live from the Del Mar Electronics and Manufacturing Show! Gary has a total of over 30 years of experience in the industry. He is the founder of G.L. Smith and Associates Electronics Manufacturers Representative Firm. His company is a prominent member of the Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) of Southern Cali...

Tune in to this insightful episode of Real Talk with Rob Tavi featuring Christina Cavano where we learn about the diversification of endeavor business media and the world of b2b marketing, all shot live from the Del Mar Electronics and Manufacturing Show! Christina Cavano is the managing director at Endeavor business media whose mission is to deliver the highest-quality content in multi-channel fo...

Tune into this fun-filled episode of Real Talk with Rob Tavi ft Mark Leary as we dive into the world of publication and print in the electronics industry, all shot live from the Del Mar Electronics and Manufacturing Show. Mark Leary is the Managing Director at MMG Publishing. MMG Publishing is a specialist publisher of b2b publications, on-line information and events. MMG currently publishes Elect...

Tune in to discover what the Del Mar Electronics and Manufacturing Show is all about and why you should attend in this episode of Real Talk featuring Doug Bodenstab. Doug is the show manager for the Del Mar Electronics and Manufacturing Show in San Diego, California. The Del Mar Show is the most fun and exciting show that the electronics show has ever seen. From an after-show reception including a...

As a young sales engineer at Luscombe Engineering of San Francisco, Shane Triantos has the vantage point of someone who grew up in a digital era. He works in an industry that has been slow to adopt digitization of sales and marketing but since he grew up with social media, Shane knows the potential that some of these digital tools have. He also understands the importance of bridging gaps between g...

Being the new owner of the Aurora Group and the Technical Group in the Southeast, Aparna Sproelich understands the importance of adopting new practices into her manufacturers representative firm. Aparna has a background and degree in mechanical engineering and brings a new perspective to Electronics as a woman in a male dominated industry. Tune into this episode of Real Talk ft. Aparna Sproelich a...

As the President and CEO of the Electronics Components Industry Association (ECIA), David Loftus understands the resiliency of the electronics industry and brings years of wisdom and experience to the table. In this episode of Real Talk with Rob Tavi recorded live from the 2022 ERA Conference, David breaks down the historical trends of the industry and communicates the significance of companies sc...

As a special advisor to CalcuQuote, Steve Vecchiarelli, has a combined 48 years of experience in the electronics industry including 14 years as the VP-Supply Chain Solutions at Digi-Key. In this podcast short filmed live at the Electronics Representative Associations (ERA) 2022 ERA Conference we explore the increasing awareness around how digitalization is transforming the electronics industry and...

As a third generation Manufacturers Representative in the electronics industry, Tim Kilfoil shares his belief in not sticking to outdated styles of business and adapting to the changing climate. In this podcast shot live from the 2022 ERA Conference, Tim discusses the new generation of engineers who may not be in the office 5 days a week as the entire industry used to be and how industry leaders n...

As an electronic component sales engineer in the midwest, VP of Operations for CC Electro Sales and the SVP of Education for the Executive Committee at ERA, Ellen Coan's experience has led her to believe in the importance of sharing best practices and educating people about the Electronics Industry. In this podcast shot live from the 2022 ERA Conference, Ellen teaches us about the scholarship oppo...

LIVE from the 2022 ERA Conference, A New Day, A New Way -- Walter Tobin, CEO of the Electronics Representatives Organization (ERA) talks about the experiences of members attending the in-person conference for the first time in 2 years! With more than 200 first time attendees, he emphasizes the importance of leading by example, the growth of the organization throughout the pandemic, and the need fo...

As the 2022 ERA Conference Breakout Session moderator for "Promoting and Expanding the Manufacturers’ Sales Rep Model in Today’s Business Environment," Mr. Griammarco focuses on the employment situation with 10.6 million jobs open in the US. After boiling it down to about 350,000 sales jobs he discovered the answer is the Rep Model, with over 400,000 Rep Organizations in the US who are ready to hi...

Tune in to the second of the ERA Conference Podcast shorts where we'll dive into the experience of someone who came on board and saw through one of the ERA's largest growth phases in its history! Ama Omari Derringer, a Membership Services Coordinator at the Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) brings a new perspective to the electronics industry. Ama helps people who are current members o...

Understanding the importance of embracing the electronics industry's digital sales environment, Rob Brunson, a sales representative from Wallace Electronics sits down at the 2022 ERA Conference with Rob Tavi. Brunson experienced onboarding and attending the 2020 Conference just before the world shut down -- now fast forward to 2022 as we explore a New Day, a New Way. Tune in to the first of the ER...

As the pandemic hit, businesses have faced substantial challenges, completely disrupting their operations. How can you rise from these challenges that limit human connection and adapt to succeed in modern times? Join in the conversation and dive in to this episode of Real Talk with Rob Tavi featuring Chris Winn, President of SSI, as we explore the semiconductor and substrate industry as well as th...