The year 2017 was a most significant year in the technology industry. The digital transformation we've all been discussing is happening fast. Many experts in the industry have told me this year that change and transformation are happening even faster than they had expected. With the start of a new year, many technology companies are looking for guidance on where to place their bets for continued success and learn to skate to where the puck is going in 2018.

To help inform the discussion, I turned to a good friend and encore interview guest Tony Safoian the CEO of SADA Systems. I invited Tony to join me for an interview in front of a live audience at The Channel Company's NexGen Conference in Los Angeles, California on December 12, 2017. Thank you, Robert DeMarzo for making it all possible.

SADA Systems is a family owned company that has grown from a "small IT shop" to $100M in annual revenue and premier partner status with Facebook, Google, and Microsoft.

Tony was an early guest, Episode 3 of Ultimate Guide to Partnering and my most downloaded episode in Season 1. SADA has a strong track record of incredible growth and Tony joined me onstage to discuss where SADA is investing for continued success, how he’s recruiting and hiring top talent and where he sees the continued transformation in 2018.

In our onstage interview we discuss:

* His company's story.

* His secrets to how he has attained and maintains premier status with three of the top five technology giants*.

* Challenges he has faced balancing field relationships with these technology leaders and how he continually builds trust.

* How he looks at micro - incubations or micro investments to drive future innovations.

* Where he sees the growth and where he is investing in the future.

* What he’s seeing happening faster today than he expected with the transformation.

* What customers expect today in terms of rearchitecting their services

* SADA's culture and how grit and determination instilled in his family has influenced it.

* Attracting and maintaining top talent today and particularly women in technology.

* Where is the technology sector headed in 2018?

* Decisions he made to take the organization from a small IT shop to $100M company.

*As of this writing, the top five technology companies in terms of valuation are Amazon, Apple,