14.4K
Downloads
286
Episodes
BlueStar Nation is the podcast that tackles the hot topics, trends, and emerging technologies impacting the specialty IT reseller channel, software companies, MSPs, and hardware manufacturers. Hosted by John Martin & Dean Reverman. Tell us what YOU want to hear about: nation@bluestarinc.com
Episodes
Thursday Aug 28, 2025
Thursday Aug 28, 2025
Planned obsolescence and routine replacement cycles are common in the consumer electronics industry. Those concepts also infiltrate enterprise hardware, undermining the notion that business equipment should be rugged, durable, and suitable for years of day-to-day use. If you're eager to swap out mobile computers, POS devices, printers, and other hardware when a new version is released, are you doing your customers (and your business) a disservice? That's the premise of this week's episode featuring Logic Controls' Engineering Director, Paul Peralta & CEO Brian Wheeler. What are end-users saying about buying enterprise vs. consumer? How does longevity factor into designing & selling solutions? How does Logic Controls factor software and evolving OS platforms into its products?
Around the Nation: ISVs on Tap
#VARValue - What is Logic Controls' approach to longevity and performance? What do you do differently to ensure that VARs feel secure selling your products?
On Our Radar
Paul - Photonic processing
Brian - College football
Dean - The end of AOL dialup
John - Nostalgia for the music of our teen years
Keep in Touch!
Email – nation@bluestarinc.com
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star
Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe
Sponsored by: Logic Controls Durable Solutions
Thursday Aug 21, 2025
Thursday Aug 21, 2025
In two weeks, we'll be focusing on fleet & deliver driver safety and technology to minimize distractions. In preparation, we thought it would be helpful to revisit the importance of reliable, enterprise-ready connectivity to enable such solutions. Enjoy!
* * *
Originally published March 13, 2025
Mobile computing, IoT, AI, RFID, robotics, mPOS…the future of enterprise technology is exciting, to be sure. Still, it’s only as good as the networks connecting these devices and transmitting all that data for analysis and action. Networking and connectivity solutions may not currently be part of your portfolio, but if you desire to be THE trusted provider for your customers, they should be. Today, we’re talking to iONLINE’s Dave Farquharson & industry vet (now a BlueStar colleague) Jim Hilton to help you understand the connectivity landscape, the importance of multi-carrier interoperability, how to approach selling network solutions, and how to find and win opportunities.
Check out our new Connectivity Services site!
#VARValue - What is iONLINE looking for in the channel, and how do they help resellers find opportunities, win business, and overcome networking hurdles?
Around the Nation: The 2U Tour is coming to a city near you!
On Our Radar
Dave - Waymo and AI
Jim - Robotics
Dean - AI couples therapy?
John - The "city-killer" asteroid (that's no longer a concern?)
Keep in Touch!
Email – nation@bluestarinc.com
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star
Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe
Sponsored by:
Thursday Aug 14, 2025
Thursday Aug 14, 2025
A couple of years ago, Intel's Kristen Call joined the pod to discuss what retail modernization meant and how VARs should align their solutions for the future. Now, as the AI conversation grows louder, what has changed, and what did we get right back then? Returning guests Rob Risany & Luke Wilwerding talk expectations, skepticism, selling value, and the importance of channel partnerships to help you sell the next generation of retail tech.
Around the Nation: Win business and earn more with BlueStar Promotions!
#VARValue - What’s the modernization pitch to SMB retail? Are there any “start small” opportunities that VARs should be pursuing now that could lead to bigger innovation in the future?
On Our Radar
Luke - Brain-computer interfaces
Rob - Home-brewed beer app
Dean - Electronic skin
John - Goodbye BSOD
Keep in Touch!
Email – nation@bluestarinc.com
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star
Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe
Sponsored by:
Thursday Aug 07, 2025
Thursday Aug 07, 2025
We're getting scrappy this week to nerd out over marketing practices that don't require big budgets or large staffs. OrderCounter's Crystal Barrineau suggested this topic and volunteered her expertise as a scrappy marketer! Our own James Korte joins her for a valuable conversation about why marketing matters, real examples of simple-but-effective campaigns, and how to turn who you already are into a brand. It's the episode that's collecting Monopolists' Tears.
Around the Nation: Check out the BlueStar Webinar series!
#VARValue - How do OrderCounter's scrappy marketing strategies help them connect with channel partners and end users?
On Our Radar
Crystal - The Astronomer CEO Coldplay scandal
James - ChatGPT agent & ElevenLabs
Dean - Sweaty corn
John - Artificial blood
Keep in Touch!
Email – nation@bluestarinc.com
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star
Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe
Sponsored by:
Elo I-Series Steel
Thursday Jul 31, 2025
Thursday Jul 31, 2025
You probably sell a lot of cool tech…mobile computers, POS systems, digital signage, printers, RFID, etc, and most of that stuff is designed to send and receive data and communicate with other systems, so it’s only as good as the networks it’s connected to. Is that connectivity something you are selling? Are you leaving it to specialized providers, mobile carriers, or your competitors? If you are selling connectivity solutions yourself, do you have the support you need to deliver reliable hardware and services? We answered those questions in a webinar last week with our team of BlueStar networking & connectivity experts for the US & Canada. We didn’t want you to miss out if you weren’t able to attend, so we’re presenting that discussion on this special episode.
Featuring: Jim HIlton -- Chris Dollinger -- John Haberer -- Kenton Janzen
Why work with BlueStar for this technology? What’s our approach and the experience of our team? Who are we partnering with, and how do we vet them? And finally, how can we make it easy to deliver tailored, ready-to-deploy solutions? Bonus...Dean & John have very little to say in this one, so you can focus on the experts!
Learn more about BlueStar Networking & Connectivity: https://www.bluestarinc.com/en-us/industries-and-technologies/networking-and-connectivity
After you listen, take the survey! https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8398518/Networking-Experts-Webinar-Survey
#VARValue - Final takeaways from the discussion and why VARs should lean on BlueStar for these solutions.
On Our Radar
Dean - Amazon Prime Day GenAI traffic & Starbucks RTO
John - Chuck-E-Cheese for adults?
Keep in Touch!
Email – nation@bluestarinc.com
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star
Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe
Sponsored by:
Thursday Jul 24, 2025
Thursday Jul 24, 2025
LG's Mike Stachura is bringing his incredible energy and enthusiasm for digital signage back to the pod (and in-studio!) with Disty Sales Director Matt Waidley. They are discussing current trends in signage, their favorite use cases, how AI is changing deployments and potential applications, and what's new with LG. Slip into some comfy shoes and enjoy!
Around the Nation: 2U Tour NYC...on a boat!
#VARValue - Explain the difference between ROI & ROO? How can VARs sell the “intangible” benefits of digital displays?
On Our Radar
Matt - self-driving cars
Mike - Crocs
Dean - Sweaty paint
John - LegoGPT
Keep in Touch!
Email – nation@bluestarinc.com
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star
Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe
Sponsored by:
Thursday Jul 17, 2025
Thursday Jul 17, 2025
LG's Mike Stachura brings his incredible energy back to the pod next week, so we thought we'd revisit his last appearance, which covered a wide range of topics and was a lot of fun.
Originally released Aug 24th, 2023
* * *
An epic AI trilogy deserves an epic conclusion, so this week, we welcomed LG’s Mike Stachura & Aaron Addison into the studio for various topics and a lot of laughter. First, we discuss some predictions for generative AI’s impact on business. Next, we dig into the importance of addressing employee experience by featuring the story of Fordlandia. Finally, what does Constantinople have to do with cybersecurity? It’s the episode that knows how to be professional and charming at the same time.
#VARValue - How is LG addressing the topics we’ve discussed today, and how are you helping VARs tackle these timely solution needs with their customers?
Check out LG's All-in-One Thin Client
TEConnecting with us:
Mike - Aliens
Aaron - Electric toothbrushes
Dean - Acoustic hacking
John - Self-repossessing cars
Keep in Touch!
Email – nation@bluestarinc.com
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star
Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe
Thursday Jul 10, 2025
Thursday Jul 10, 2025
We're sharing another batch of interesting reads, trends, lists, and studies to give you something to discuss while waiting for your next meeting to start, over lunch with a client, or with friends and family.
Topics:
- An all-AI agent company?
- 2024 restaurant trends
- The world's wealthiest and happiest cities
- Why Americans are working less
- What happens to your digital life when you die?
Around the Nation: Networking Experts Webinar - Register Now!
On Our Radar
Dean - World Humanoid Robot Sports Games
John - Ranking Spielberg's Movies
Keep in Touch!
Email – nation@bluestarinc.com
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star
Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe
Sponsored by:
Thursday Jul 03, 2025
Thursday Jul 03, 2025
This week, we're seeking insights, advice, and experiences from one of our customers in the channel. Elie Katz, Founder & CEO of National Retail Solutions, tells us about building a POS business aimed at helping independent merchants compete against large chains and still have access to the latest and greatest technology. How can SMB VARs & ISVs stand out in a crowd? What does the channel bring to VARs? Are there recurring revenue "hacks"? And what does public service have to do with being a good salesperson?
Check out NRS' offerings: https://nrsplus.com/
Around the Nation: Follow BlueStar on LinkedIn
#VARValue - What advice do you have for resellers to stay relevant in the years to come? Are there industries/technologies/trends you’re watching closely?
On Our Radar
Elie - Expanding into restaurants
Dean - AI-generated ad
John - Indications of extraterrestrial life?
Keep in Touch!
Email – nation@bluestarinc.com
Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe
Sponsored by
Thursday Jun 26, 2025
Thursday Jun 26, 2025
"It's put up or shut up time for AI!" proclaims John on this week's episode. He and Dean are ready to see real, tangible applications with AI. Thankfully, Elo's Luke Wilwerding brings the goods by helping us explore AI's actual potential and the tools and infrastructure VARs need to bring those solutions to their customers. How is AI already impacting your device sales? What are end-users saying they want? Will AI eliminate the touchscreen? What should VARs be doing in their business to prepare for future AI opportunities?
Around the Nation: Find BlueStar at RetailNow 2025!
#VARValue - Elo recently announced new I-Series 5 and Backpack 5 products built for an Elo.AI initiative. Tells us a bit about that initiative, what it means for your hardware, and how VARs can take advantage to develop their own AI solutions.
On Our Radar
Luke - How AI accelerates science
Dean - Walmart delivery drones
John - Cluely
Keep in Touch!
Email – nation@bluestarinc.com
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star
Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe
Sponsored by: