In my monthly blog series, I am highlighting some of the incredible people who work for the Audio Video Industry. In this post, we are profiling Murphy Daley. Here is a brief introduction.

Murphy Daley -CTS ,PMP is an AV & UC Project Manager. She has also written four books, check them out on Amazon.

1. Describe your journey in the AV industry? How did it start?

While I was in college, a friend asked me to come along to internship interviews at NASA. I interviewed for one job: Desktop conferencing and collaboration. That seemed a lot more promising that going back to college.

I got several jobs in corporate video conferencing and loved it, but I thought I was in IT. It took more than ten years to find out there was a world of Pro AV. I had become a project manager by then and moved into the integrator space. I still love collaboration.

2. How does a fresher conquer this industry?

I will never forget the lessons I learned as an intern at NASA: ask lots of questions and find out what other people are up to. There are so many little specialties in this space that there will always be a spot for someone coming up.

Look around, ask questions and always be learning.

3. What are the positives of working in this industry?

AV is communicating ideas, not just information. The people are full of drive and ready to troubleshoot to get things done.

This kind of communication is on the bleeding edge of the future. As we communicate across greater distances and time, the need to incorporate AV into all communication is growing. We are the magicians who make this work.

[RELATED] : If you have missed any of my previous interviews, please click here.

4. What in your opinion would you change in the industry?

We do need to adhere to standards. Creating and observing them would help everyone. At the same time, we need to keep the originality that is central to what AV is.

5. Describe your ideal client? What do you wish clients to know before hiring you?

Because I am friendly, my clients can underestimate my commitment to high quality and results. Some of them have not been prepared to handle the fast turnaround I deliver.

I prefer a client that is serious about their outcome and will work with me to outline the plan of action and divide up the responsibility. I love to make the designs become real.

6. Describe a typical day in your life?

My day can span all the time zones. I seem to work on global projects a lot, so I have to accommodate when other sites are available. Every night I check to see what time I have to wake up for work the next day.

I keep track of my projects’ next actions, but I have learned to consider my own projects as essential. Every week, almost every day, I make time to connect with people and share knowledge.

7. Describe the apps and gear that you use daily which makes you more productive?

I love my Logitech Brio web cam, because it can tolerate the low lighting when I have customer meetings in the dark of night. I live by Outlook and Excel, and get so much done on my phone. When I am on conf calls with not much to add, I connect a blue tooth keyboard to my phone to manage my personal networking correspondence and projects.

8. How does someone stay relevant in this industry? Who are your role models in this industry?

It’s important to pay attention to the career possibilities. Look around to see what people are making money doing. Understand the value they add, so you can recognize when opportunities come along.

Chris Neto is a great role model, because he connects people and stays up on the trends. I look up to Mark Coxon, because he is a leader in this space with his writing and speaking. Frank Padikkala is my hero, because he is leading study groups to encourage people to get certified. He encouraged me and I got my CTS last year!

9. If you were not in this industry, what would you be doing instead?

I would love to be writing. I have already published four books, but I still love getting elbows deep in this technology.

To know much more, please connect on Linkedin and on Twitter.

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