Are Integrator Peer Groups Worth It? Why Community Is a Competitive Advantage
Yes, if you show up and share what isn't working. Integrators who take part in a peer group or buying group find that most of their problems have already been solved by someone in the room. Patrick McCarthy, Executive Director of Azione Unlimited, puts it at 90% of the time.
McCarthy works with hundreds of integrators through Azione's conferences and community. On episode 8 of 1NSIGHTS, he talked with host Jason Griffing, OneVision's Director of Product, about why so many owners feel isolated and how to get more out of the communities they join.
Why do so many integrators feel isolated?
Because most of them never planned to run a business. McCarthy calls it the trophy and the grind. Integrators and smart home installers get into the industry to design one-of-a-kind systems. Then they hire one person, then five, and wake up running a $6 million company with 20 employees, payroll and books to reconcile.
That pressure is hard to talk about. At events, people tend to share their wins, which makes it easy to believe you're the only one struggling. One integrator wrote to McCarthy that ownership can feel isolating even in a room full of peers.
How do you know your business can run without you?
Try leaving for three days. McCarthy's measure of a successful integrator is simple: can the owner attend an association event without the business catching fire? If you're the best salesperson and you're gone for three days, what happens to sales?
He points to Azione's conferences, where about 150 companies send owners away for days at a time. That only works when people know their roles and processes are in place. Griffing called it a useful test: a few days away shows where the business still depends on you.
The same applies to succession. If you're the main salesperson, technician and programmer, McCarthy warns, the business will be worth less than you expect when you sell or hand it off.
How do you get real value from a peer group?
Bring problems, not just wins. McCarthy's advice:
- Be willing to be vulnerable. Owners open up easily in groups outside work but clam up about their business, partly because the industry is small and competitive. The value comes from saying, "Here's what I'm struggling with."
- Learn from peers. At Azione events, about 90% of sessions feature dealers presenting how they do something, with the room free to question it. Speakers from other industries often spend half their time learning about yours.
- Actually unplug. Answering email all day at a conference means you're just working harder somewhere else.
- Talk to vendors too. Many vendors are owner-operators facing the same problems from the other side.
- Go in wanting to change something. You don't have to speak up, but be honest with yourself about what isn't working.
In a live poll during the episode, about 75% of attendees said they're actively involved in a community and getting real value from it.
What should integrators focus on right now?
McCarthy named three areas that come up most in his conversations:
- New categories. He expects energy management to follow the path shading and enterprise networking took and become a natural part of what integrators offer.
- AI as a consultant. Treat AI tools like a project manager or consultant you plan with, not a faster search engine.
- Service and recurring revenue. The best operators track every client and go back to them with upgrades and check-ins. That recurring revenue is what pays for the next truck or two-person team.
He also suggests writing two sentences: a mission for how your business interacts with the world, and who you want to be in 10 years.
How do you get started?
Join something. McCarthy believes every integrator should belong to at least one community, whether that's Azione, HTSA, ProSource, Oasis, CEDIA or a local group. If you're not sure where to start, ask your rep, a vendor or a peer in your market what they're part of.
Community can reach beyond business, too. Azione builds charity into its events, and at its most recent conference, attendees raised $150,000 for a children's hospital in 45 minutes. For local giving, McCarthy's advice is not to worry that a small amount isn't enough. Start somewhere.
Watch the full conversation
Patrick McCarthy - Azione Unlimited | From Isolation to Insight: Why Community is the Ultimate Advantage
1NSIGHTS Podcast
McCarthy and Griffing also talk about the role vulnerability plays in getting unstuck.
About 1NSIGHTS
1NSIGHTS by OneVision explores how integrators, operators and industry leaders think, build and adapt in a fast-changing custom integration landscape. Recorded live and shaped by audience questions, each episode goes past surface-level trends to the real decisions and trade-offs behind growing smarter and staying competitive. Explore all episodes →
