Okay so here's the skinny.....

But first let me say that I spent 10-years there, I am very thankful for the opportunity they gave me to build my reputation and further expand that into the field. I enjoyed my time there, and now many years have gone on I just felt it was time to make some explanations :-) I still recommend you to buy from them, their service really is unlike anywhere else and the people (whether they are truly as experienced as they make you believe or not) really do care about their clients and making them happy. But I'm sure we ALL have stories about "what really goes on".

I had turned into a very big supporter of Pro Tools HD after the days of the PARIS system dying off. I became a fan of Digidesign and their Pro Tools line as well as their VENUE series of live consoles. In fact, I was one of those early on that said "DIGIDESIGN IN LIVE SOUND?? ARE YOU KIDDING??!?!". Well I got a preview of it and it clicked, this was indeed a real live console and NOT a Pro Tools system turned console. Up until that point, the involvement my former employer had in live sound was small speakers, small mixers, wireless systems, etc. IMHO, it was the DSHOW console that really started the ramp-up. I sold one of the very first DSHOW consoles in the country, the ironic thing is---we weren't even a dealer for it at that time :-) The console came in, so I called in the technical director at my church---the following week, we bought one as well as Pro Tools HD system with a Creation Station Rack PC (FYI they were anti PC until I came onboard and kept pushing---finally helping to develop a custom line of computers, known as the Creation Station). They were powerful computers, I even helped design and build a custom model for the Philadelphia Eagles for their production studios. Over time, models were updated and I wasn't really thrilled with how some of it was done, how they were built, etc. I started having major complications with my personal machines----I finally stopped and went MAC only, which eliminated every problem Had. I tried not to be vocal about it as much as possible, but it also didn't sit well with me listening to "talk" that wasn't accurate. This was amplified when I was "asked" "Do not be vocal about this, it looks bad". I was heavily involved in all kinds of production---Concert Production, Live TV, Church Broadcast for a very large TV ministry, Recording Projectors, Sound Design, Sound Analysis, and even doing some TV Post Production sub-contracting. I was knee deep in the field actually doing production work. I have sat through hundreds of manufacturer meetings in my life time where they all tell me "this is the best thing ever". Well I don't want that, I don't want slide shows, I don't want a spec sheet---I want to take it out in the field and use it. My clients ranged from JOHN MAYER to FOGHAT to LONESTAR to TURNER STUDIOS and WALT DISNEY.... to churches of all sizes, home studios, production studios of all sizes, and hobbyists alike. The reason my clients would gravitate towards me is they knew I gave them feedback based upon how the gear actually worked in the field under ME using it, not what I was told in a meeting or told to sell. If the product had issues, I brought it up. I created division between myself and others "here goes Brad again". Well the fact was I was doing this production work, and the vast majority of my colleagues were out of college of had very limited experience. Not to be rude, but most of those with home studios were just that--home studios, where mine was a fully working production studio doing real work and testing equipment in REAL WORLD SITUATIONS. So I held no apologies, because that was the time I was "allowed" to have manufacturer interaction. You see, I also came from one of the original music stores responsible for mail-order when I spent 4-years at Caruso Music in Connecticut. There I learned the old fashioned way of how things were done---how to spot fraud, how purchasing worked, discount structures, etc. I won't reveal exact details but I'll just say it this way.... There was a lot of stuff said and done behind the scenes that I knew better, and didn't agree with for a variety of reasons. And there were actions that were just flat out FALSE.... And I would call top management out on it, sometimes in meetings in front of the company as a way to get the attention that "this isn't right". So yes, I pushed buttons, I pushed boundaries, that's how I got things done and that's why my clients were so loyal to me. In fact my former colleagues would always joke "Brad if you ever leave can I have your clients".... :-)

I will go vocal about a meeting of how I was told the quantity of clients I'm working with is FAR below the company average, in fact by about 2/3rd's. I had the SMALLEST database of clients without question. But I told them "just let me do it my way and watch" and sure enough, that's where that line above came from. Management alike even said "I don't know how you do it. Well, I wrote the rules on it---LITERALLY, I formed a class to train new colleagues and old ones alike. Of course, the older colleagues with more seniority certainly didn't like that :-) They didn't like that comparisons were now being made. I had, on average, the LOWEST return rates---because I knew what I was talking about, I knew what worked and didn't and would NOT hold back to save someone's reputation. I had nearly double the gross profit per invoice than that of the company average. I would do more with less than most others did with far more. For me it wasn't about quantity, it was about quality. And it paid dividends for all..... BUT again, it made some enemies along the way.

SO FAST FORWARD..... Back to the Digiesign thing, who then became AVID. I was one that, reluctantly, people would come to for my input because they knew if there was a problem, I'd find all of them. This is how I was involved in the development of the VFIRE utility to get audio out of your VS2480 into a computer as one example. I was part of a private meeting that was so private, I apparently wasn't even supposed to mention I was part of this meeting at all. Obviously I knew I was under a verbal NDA (Non Disclosure Agreement) and have NEVER compromised NDA's....but this meeting was apparently an NDA, which to this day I NEVER recalled hearing that. Apparently, I was the only one. Well I was never given a form to sign, therefore it's hear-say. But supposedly, everyone else heard that the meeting was under NDA---I did not.

So I posted to the Digidesign User Group something along the lines of "hey guys, just had a private meeting with the folks of AVID to talk about what is coming. I know many, like myself, have been frustrated with the lack of information and updates about a lot of things. While I can't tell you what is coming, I can tell you to be on the lookout for some exciting announcements in the coming weeks. As a user myself, I'm very excited". So all I did was say "there will be news soon, so be patient". Well, that's what was the final straw. And in my opinion, they were looking for anything to make an example of me. And they did---and it blew up. As President Trump would say, BIGLY! :-) So back to that joke of "Brad if you ever leave.....". I didn't tell a single client of mine what had happened that Thursday afternoon around 4pm that I was terminated. But by the following morning I was getting personal emails from clients "hey Brad, I got a call from Josh who said you had left to pursue other interests and he was contacting me per your request" or another one was "Brad, I just got an email that you left the company but specifically told this new person to reach out to me". Word started getting around and hitting forum after forum, it was THE NEWS. It actually helped my spirits, that I had that many people out there concerned about it that they reached out and said "Brad, you're the best I've ever dealt with". I was notified of schools, churches, recording artists, and many other clients alike that said "I wanted you to know...".

This all went down on a Thursday afternoon, I went back in Friday to pickup some paperwork I needed and noticed one of the sales managers had his tie and shirt loosened, his air was a mess, and he looked completely exhausted. I learned through a few sources that weekend that there were an INSANE amount of calls (I'm told between 100-250) all morning, afternoon, and night long that Friday and even into the following week of former clients calling to give an earful. I had several still working there they took many of those calls, including asking to just be completely removed from all future mailings, etc. I started getting emails and phone calls from various Rep firms, Manufacturers, Retailers, etc from ALL over the country offering me a job on the spot by the time Monday rolled around---so I knew I was going to be okay. However at the same time, that news story had EXPLODED. But something else had happened.... management made a post about the situation, which actually kind of backfired pretty quick! From what I saw in 3-days time in posts and forums all over the industry I counted 250,000 views of threads and responses. Ironically enough, now you go back and some of those threads were deleted. Hmmmmm why is that one wonders??

So after this management post backfired, I get a call from "the boss" who I will always thank and hold regard for because again, he gave me that opportunity. I also know that he tried to fire me as he joked about a few times (I guess when you know too much.....). I get this phone call asking me to go public about what happened, that I knew I wasn't supposed to say anything, that I am 100% to blame and to "fan out the flames". He said "I will be fine, XXX will be fine...but think of your friends, think of your fellow co-workers". It hit me right there---- "I did nothing wrong and with all due respect, they were no longer my co-workers when YOU decided to fire me to make an example" and I hung up the phone. Ironically when I was fired I was told the CEO of AVID was absolutely FURIOUS over this and gave them no choice but to let me go or risk losing the line. I reached out to her---and ironically, she knew NOTHING about it. Not ONE thing. I reached out to a few others who said "it wasn't a big deal, as long as I didn't talk about what was going on--which you did not, so it's fine". It was the proof of what I had felt for so long.

But they did me a HUGE favor of firing me.... turns out there was an incredible world of wonderful things waiting for me, I just didn't know I needed to leave. And through it all I learned a lot about myself and others. I hold no ill will, even now---I'm just being honest about what transpired. It actually gave me a two month vacation as I transitioned to Atlanta to start a new venture down here. :-) MORE on that to come....