As Commercial Integrator’s #AVLivingLegends series continues, we’re excited to welcome Michael Goldman, CTS, DMC-D, principal at Communications Design Associates, Inc., as the latest AV professional to be recognized!
Goldman’s path into commercial AV began early, shaped by his uncle’s Cambridge-based company, Crimson Tech, and a childhood surrounded by photography, computers and emerging AV technology. A memorable early experience watching “Star Wars” on a CRT projector helped spark a fascination that would grow into a decades-long career. Over the years, Goldman’s curiosity, love of problem-solving and drive to push past perceived limits have kept him energized by our ever-evolving industry.
In this interview, Goldman reflects on the mentors who helped shape his career — including Todd Hutchins, Mario Laflamme, Fred Bargetzi and Randy Klein — and the importance of paying those lessons forward. He also shares memorable insights about embracing unexpected change with an open mind, growing from a self-described introvert into a confident public presenter and the simple but powerful advice that has guided him throughout his professional life.
Read on to learn more about Commercial Integrator’s newest #AVLivingLegends honoree Michael Goldman and his AV career.
Commercial Integrator: What motivated you to join the commercial AV industry?
Michael Goldman: My uncle owned a professional photography, electronic imaging and AV integration company in Cambridge called Crimson Tech. I was exposed to photography, computers and AV technology from a young age, at a time when much of it was still emerging. I have vivid memories of watching “Star Wars” on a CRT projector at my cousin Scott’s birthday party in the early ’80s and the two of us running around the Crimson Tech Trade shows at the Hyatt.
Fast forward to 1991. I was a student at BU, just across the river from the Crimson Tech offices at the edge of the MIT campus. With some spare time, I got a part-time job at the company. The technology hooked me immediately. When I graduated, I was fortunate enough to turn it into a full-time job, and I grew from there.
Ironically, that’s where I first crossed paths with Stewart Randall, Greg Vincent and Bob Hemmingway. After careers in broadcast and AV integration, they founded Communications Design Associates (CDA). Crimson Tech would bid on and build projects they designed. I had no idea I’d find myself on the consulting side of that same table.
Commercial Integrator: What has kept you motivated and engaged in the decades that followed?
Michael Goldman: Honestly, the technology has not stopped evolving and neither has my curiosity about it. From the start, I was drawn to understand how things worked.
I’ve always needed to know the “how” and “why,” and our industry kept giving me new puzzles to solve.
Some of my most rewarding work came from projects that pushed the boundaries of what was considered possible at the time. During my years at Crimson Tech, there were lots of “firsts.” I designed and built touch screen kiosks for Levi’s retail stores because what they needed didn’t exist. I also collaborated with the software and content creators to bring the experience to life. More than once, I was told, “You can’t do that” or “There’s no way.” But that’s the kind of challenge that motivates me most.
Michael Goldman on Supporting AV at World-Class Institutions
Throughout my career, I was fortunate to work with and support world-class institutions around the globe, spanning a wide range of vertical markets, including banking and finance, tech, manufacturing, healthcare, biotech, life sciences and more. Those clients raised the bar in every way: technically, professionally and in terms of what was expected of the work.
The variety of projects, the different technologies and the people I get to meet and collaborate with have definitely kept me engaged and wanting more.
Commercial Integrator: Reflect on your role as both a mentee early in your career and as a mentor later in your career. Who helped shape the trajectory of your professional life? How have you tried to help shape others’ careers?
Michael Goldman: In the first half of my career, I was fortunate to have two mentors. One who guided me on the technical side and one who taught me how the business itself worked. On the technical side, that person was Todd Hutchins. Todd taught and guided me through the complexities of AV technology from my early days. The foundation he gave me shaped the way I approach technical problems to this day.
The business mentor came about in an unexpected way. Over time, Crimson Tech was sold to a private equity firm. By that point, everyone in my family had exited the business except me. Our new owners brought in Mario Laflamme, who started as CFO but eventually grew into the role of running the company. Mario took me under his wing and gave me an education I couldn’t have gotten anywhere else. He showed me how to run and grow a business, how to think strategically and how to see around corners. Some of the most valuable professional lessons I’ve ever learned came from him.
Michael Goldman Continues AV Career, Joining Crestron Electronics
The foundation Mario gave me carried me directly into the next chapter, joining Crestron Electronics. I remember being nervous and excited in equal measure. But leveraging everything I’d learned, the world seemed to open up. At Crestron, Fred Bargetzi and Randy Klein believed in me. They gave me one opportunity after the next. And with a lot of hard work, good timing and a little luck, my career took off in ways I hadn’t anticipated. To say I learned a lot at Crestron would be a significant understatement. The people at Crestron were incredible. Everyone was willing to help and share what they knew.
As my career progressed, I have tried to pay that forward. At Crestron, I made a conscious effort to help the people coming up behind me, passing along many of my lessons learned. It feels very satisfying to see their success.
Commercial Integrator: What’s the most memorable story/anecdote of your career in commercial AV?
Michael Goldman: Having been in the industry since 1991, I have a lot of memorable stories, some good, some not so good, but each created an impression. One worth mentioning here taught me that things aren’t always what they seem and, while uncomfortable, change can be a good thing.
While at my first company, my reporting structure was changed without any warning. I was called into a conference room by someone I barely knew — the person who was about to become my new boss. I had no idea what the meeting was about. No one had hinted at any forthcoming changes, so I was completely caught off guard.
For the next several hours, I learned about sweeping changes to the business from someone who had come from outside the industry. I didn’t know this person. I didn’t believe in what he was saying. And, by the end of the day, I had made up my mind: I wanted no part of it.
‘What Do You Have to Lose by Giving It a Try?’
That night, I told my wife everything. Her response stopped me in my tracks: “What do you have to lose by giving it a try? You will learn something new, even if it’s what not to do”. I went back the next day with an open mind. Skeptical, but open.
Not only did the new ideas work but that new boss also became one of the most influential mentors of my career. I learned that the people who change your career aren’t always the ones you expect, and sometimes the most important thing you can do is show up with an open mind.
Commercial Integrator: What has been your greatest professional accomplishment to date?
Michael Goldman: I don’t know that I have a greatest accomplishment, but two of the more significant ones from my time at Crestron Electronics — and one might surprise people who know me. When I started in this industry, I was shy and genuinely introverted. I still remember the first time I had to address a room full of people at the Apple Market Center in Boston. I counted every seat. All 79 of them. I was convinced I might pass out before I began my remarks.
Crestron gave me the opportunity and motivation to grow past that. Over time, I learned to not just stand in front of large audiences, but to lead them, presenting major product launches like DigitalMedia to rooms full of industry professionals and partners.
Something else I am equally proud of is my role in developing the Crestron Enterprise Partner program. Building those relationships with prominent companies across North America allowed me to learn firsthand about people, technology, use cases and challenges at scale.
Commercial Integrator: What has been your biggest professional regret to date?
Michael Goldman: There is plenty of material I could draw from over my 35+ years of working. Lots of lessons learned. I don’t know if this is the biggest, but looking back what stays with me was remaining at my first company for longer than was right for my growth.
When I joined Crimson, I started at the bottom and worked my way through nearly every department, taking on new challenges, learning new roles and genuinely loving the growth that came with it. Eventually, though, I had accomplished everything I was going to accomplish there. I wanted to keep growing, but the opportunity didn’t exist. When I considered a career change, I wasn’t sure whether the skills I had built in the integration world would translate to other corners of the industry. Rather than test that assumption, I talked myself out of possibilities I had never even tried.
When I finally made the move to Crestron, the fear dissolved almost immediately. My skills translated. The experience carried over.
Commercial Integrator: What’s the best advice or pearl of wisdom you either received during your career or came to realize on your own?
Michael Goldman: The best professional advice I received came from mentors early in my career — two simple but powerful principles that have stayed with me ever since.
Michael Goldman Offers Advice for AV Success
The first: make yourself valuable.
The second: don’t focus on things beyond your control.
Together, they’ve kept me grounded throughout my career. I do my best to channel my energy into what I can actually influence and do everything in my power to drive a positive outcome, rather than becoming distracted by the noise around me.
