Plugged In: A Plugable Podcast

Sovereign local AI pods powered by Thunderbolt 5 offer the direct fix for stalled enterprise AI pilots. Welcome to Part 2 of 3 of our Plugged In mini-series on enterprise AI adoption.

In Part 1, Bernie Thompson (Founder and CTO, Plugable) and Carm Taglienti (CTO Public Sector, Insight) exposed why 78% of enterprise AI pilots fail—focusing on data preparation bottlenecks and organizational scaling traps.

In Part 2, Bernie and Carm break down the solution: shifting from centralized, expensive cloud models to decentralized Local AI Pods and Desktop Token Factories. Learn how high-bandwidth Thunderbolt 5 hardware allows organizations to deploy air-gapped, sovereign AI directly at the developer workstation—eliminating recurring cloud token costs, protecting sensitive corporate data, and accelerating fit-for-purpose deployment.

Why do 78% of AI pilots fail? 35% fail outright and 43% get stuck in pilot mode forever. Here's the real reason - and it's not the model. In Part 1 of Plugged In, Bernie Thompson (Founder and CTO, Plugable) and Carm Taglienti (CTO Public Sector, Insight) break down why enterprise AI adoption stalls on two blockers: Data Preparation and Organizational Adoption. If you lived through ERP rollouts, this will sound familiar - same trap, new tech.We cover the 4 Vs of data (Volume, Velocity, Variety, Veracity), why waiting for perfect data kills momentum, and the Fit-for-Purpose framework IT teams can use to get a pilot into production without boiling the ocean.

What does a veteran tech writer actually keep in his toolkit after 15 years of testing thousands of products?

In this episode of the Plugged In Podcast, Katie sits down with Brian Wolf—a veteran technology writer and content strategist whose bylines have appeared in Tech Radar, Digital Trends, Yahoo, and Digital Trends. Brian brings a unique "MBA lens" to consumer tech, helping us separate the true innovations from the "bean counter" decisions.

The conversation dives deep into Apple’s latest moves, from the surprise success of the budget-friendly MacBook Neo to the "love-hate" relationship pros are having with the loss of the Mac Pro. Brian explains why he’s excited about the M5 Silicon transition but remains skeptical about the "AI-washing" of hardware like mice and keyboards.

We also get a fascinating look at the practical side of AI. Brian shares how he used Claude Code to reorganize five years of messy Obsidian notes in under 30 minutes and tells a slightly "scary" story about how an AI assistant remembered his protein drink order from a drive-thru mic.

Whether you’re a professional writer, a Mac enthusiast, or someone trying to navigate the "subscription fatigue" of modern software, this episode offers an honest, no-nonsense look at the state of technology in 2026.

Topics Covered
The "Value" Filter: How Brian decides which products earn a review and which get sent back.

The MacBook Neo Success: Why Apple’s play for the budget and college market is working.

M5 Silicon & The Pro Gap: The shift from the Mac Pro to the Mac Studio and souped-up laptops.

Organizing the Chaos: Using Claude to index and recover years of forgotten research and notes.

The Subscription Audit: Deciding which AI and creative tools are worth the $20–$30 monthly fee.

AI Hardware vs. Software: Why "AI buttons" on accessories are currently just a gimmick.

The Three Essentials: Brian’s "unstoppable" kit for making a living in the digital age.

The Tablet Trap: Why the iPad Pro still hasn't replaced the laptop for real productivity.

About the Plugged In Podcast
Plugged In is a conversation series exploring how real work actually gets done.
Each episode features thoughtful professionals sharing how they structure their work, make decisions, and stay productive in modern, tech-enabled environments.
No hustle culture. No “10 hacks to wake up at 4am.”
Just honest conversations about what works, what doesn’t, and why.

Guest
Brian Wolf
Veteran Technology Writer & Content Strategist.
With over 15 years of experience, Brian has held leadership roles at Future PLC and iMore, covering the intersection of consumer electronics and business strategy.

Connect with Brian:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanmwolfe/

Chapters
00:00 Introduction

00:45 The Day-to-Day of a Tech Writer

02:30 The Upgrade Bar: Does This Product Earn a Review?

04:15 Apple vs. Windows: The Platform Debate

05:15 The MacBook Neo and the M5 Silicon Shift

07:30 Professional Frustrations: The Death of the Mac Pro

09:30 The Importance of Color and Aesthetics in Hardware

11:00 Trimming the Toolkit: Firing Underused Subscriptions

13:00 Reorganizing 5 Years of Notes with Claude Code

16:00 Embracing Change vs. AI Skepticism

18:00 The "Protein Drink" Story: How AI is Always Listening

21:00 Is AI Hardware Gimmicky? Brian’s Take on AI Accessories

23:00 Looking Toward CES 2027

24:30 The Three Things Brian Can’t Live Without

26:00 Laptop First: Why Tablets Still Can't Do the Job

28:00 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Is your LinkedIn company page a boring broadcast channel or a revenue-generating asset?

In this episode of the Plugged In Podcast, Barry sits down with Michelle J. Raymond, the founder of B2B Growth Co. and the premier expert on LinkedIn company pages. Michelle literally wrote the book on the topic—Business Gold—and she joins the show to debunk the myth that company pages are just "whiteboards for announcements."

Michelle shares her incredible "founder story," from winning $2 million in business from a single LinkedIn post to navigating the challenges of starting a business in the middle of a global lockdown. The conversation explores the "Power of Two"—the critical tandem between personal thought leadership and a strong corporate brand—and why research now shows that 1 in 5 closed deals involve a visit to the company page.

They also dive into the reality of the founder's life, including Michelle’s "no-structure" productivity style, her obsession with the reMarkable tablet for handwritten notes, and why she chooses to "raw dog" 15-hour flights without movies or podcasts.

If you’ve been ignoring your company’s LinkedIn presence or struggling to find a workflow that balances creativity with business growth, this episode is packed with "no-hacks" advice that actually works.

Topics Covered
- The "Power of Two": Why company pages and personal profiles must work in tandem
- $2M from One Post: The real-world ROI of consistent LinkedIn content
- B2B Growth, No Hacks: Why service-oriented content beats stock images and ads
- The reMarkable Life: Why Michelle swears by handwritten notes for better retention
- Founder Productivity: Building a business around your life instead of the 9-to-5
- Connectivity Nightmares: Moving from the "dongle life" to a streamlined tech setup
- The Best Productivity Hack: Why a good night’s sleep is better than any app - Gold Rush Inspiration: What mining shows can teach us about business persistence

Guest Michelle J. Raymond

Founder of B2B Growth Co. and author of Business Gold.

Michelle is an international speaker and a leading authority on using LinkedIn for B2B brand growth without relying on gimmicks or hacks.

Connect with Michelle:Website: https://b2bgrowthco.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellejraymond/

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

00:55 From Long Lunches to Social Selling

02:03 The $2 Million Post and the Founder’s Story

05:31 Why Company Pages are "B2B Gold" in 2026

07:03 The Power of Two: Brand vs. Individual

09:05 Ending the Cycle of Boring Announcements and Stock Images

10:32 The "Work from Anywhere" Reality

13:04 Thriving in Randomness: An Extrovert’s Home Office

14:58 On/Off Switches: Managing Burnout and Flexibility

18:17 The Weirdest Place I’ve Ever Worked (The Backyard Live)

20:55 Why Calendar Time-Blocking Failed Me

22:31 Team reMarkable: The Power of Handwritten Notes

25:21 The Tech Setup: From 50 Dongles to a Creative Ecosystem

30:11 Traveling Light: Why I Don't Watch Movies on 15-Hour Flights

33:47 Gold Rush and the Philosophy of Persistence

38:27 The Metricool Stress Ball and the Essential Water Bottle

39:38 The Ultimate Hack: A Good Night’s Sleep

What does "modern work" actually look like when your office could be a downtown workstation, a home desk, or a train seat coming back from an Apple meeting?

In this episode of the Plugged In Podcast, Katie sits down with Jordan Link—Apple Practice Lead at Insight Canada—to navigate a groundbreaking week for the Apple ecosystem. Jordan’s role goes far beyond reselling; he helps organizations design, deploy, and support Apple environments from initial strategy to ongoing lifecycle management.

The conversation explores the market-disrupting launch of the MacBook Neo, discussing how its aggressive $599 USD price point is removing the final barriers for Mac adoption in education and entry-level enterprise roles. Jordan also provides a deep dive into the technical power of M5 Silicon, the massive bandwidth of Thunderbolt 5, and why future-proofing infrastructure is now a top priority for IT leaders.

Along the way, they dig into the rise of the AI-first enterprise. Jordan shares how Insight acts as "client zero" for their own AI platform, Horizon, and how these tools are turning days of manual prep into minutes of "bionic" productivity for sellers and customers alike.

Whether you’re an IT leader looking at total cost of ownership or an Apple enthusiast curious about the latest hardware, this episode offers a refreshingly honest look at how the right ecosystem serves as the essential foundation for the future of work.

Topics Covered

• Defining "Modern Work": Empowering people to do the best work of their lives, anywhere

• The MacBook Neo: How the $599 USD price point is changing the conversation in education

• M5 Pro & Max: Supporting up to four external displays for high-performance workstations

• Thunderbolt 5: Moving from a "four-lane highway" to an "eight-lane highway" for data and resolution

• Total Cost of Ownership (TCO): Why high residual value makes Mac a smarter long-term investment

• Choice Programs: Attracting and retaining top talent by offering the devices they actually want

• Insight’s "Horizon" Platform: How internal AI usage builds credibility and strengthens customer trust

• Jordan’s Gear: A look at the MacBook Pro, Vision Pro, and the impossibly thin iPhone Air

About the Plugged In Podcast

Plugged In is a conversation series exploring how real work actually gets done.

Each episode features thoughtful professionals sharing how they structure their work, make decisions, and stay productive in modern, tech-enabled environments.

No hustle culture. No “10 hacks to wake up at 4am.”

Just honest conversations about what works, what doesn’t, and why.

Guest

Jordan Link Apple Practice Lead at Insight Canada Jordan helps enterprise clients navigate device strategy, procurement, deployment, and authorized service support.

Connect with Jordan:

• Insight Canada: https://www.insight.com/en_CA/home.html
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-link24/

How do you maintain a high-velocity startup culture when your team is spread across the globe?

In this episode of the Plugged In Podcast, Barry sits down with Reggie Azevedo, co-founder of Vista Social—the modern social media management platform designed for the reactive nature of today's marketing landscape.
Reggie shares his journey of building a fully remote company long before it was the industry standard, and how leveraging a global talent pool allowed Vista Social to accelerate its growth faster than anyone expected.

The conversation dives deep into the "next level" of productivity: vibe coding and AI agents. Reggie explains why simply using a chatbot isn't enough anymore and how Vista Social uses automated workflows to handle repetitive tasks—saving hours of manual work on every product release.

They also explore the physical side of remote work, including Reggie’s "command center" setup, his favorite noise-canceling tech for working in public spaces, and why he chose to work from the trunk of a rental car during a family vacation.

If you want to understand how leadership, discipline, and AI-powered workflows come together to define the future of work, this conversation is for you.

Topics Covered
- Building a global remote culture
- The transition from ChatGPT to Claude and Cursor
- What is "Vibe Coding" and why it empowers non-engineers
- Moving beyond chatbots to automated AI agents
- Why communication is the ultimate "prompt engineering" skill
- Managing boundaries between home and office life
- The essential gear for a productive mobile setup
- Debunking the 4 AM productivity myth

About the Plugged In Podcast

Plugged In is a conversation series exploring how real work actually gets done. Each episode features thoughtful professionals sharing how they structure their work, make decisions, and stay productive in modern, tech-enabled environments. No hustle culture. No “10 hacks to wake up at 4am.” Just honest conversations about what works, what doesn’t, and why.

Guest:

Reggie Azevedo, Co-founder of Vista Social, a leading social media management tool. Host of the Beyond Social podcast. Reggie oversees both revenue and customer experience, leading a team of nearly 40 employees worldwide.

Connect with Reggie:

Website: www.vistasocial.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reggieaze/


Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:52 Leading a Remote Team Since 2016
02:10 The Early Skepticism of Remote Work
04:48 Leadership, Culture, and Recruiting for High Velocity
06:56 What is Vista Social?
09:34 How AI is Redefining Productivity in 2026
11:42 AI Tools: Switching from ChatGPT to Claude and Cursor
12:47 The "Quiet Time" Morning Routine
15:33 Communication as a Crucial AI Skill
17:28 Best Places to Work (and the Portable Monitor Setup)
20:28 The Future of Computing: Glasses and AR
22:22 Setting Physical Boundaries at Home
23:31 The "Command Center" Hardware Setup
25:23 Must-Have Tech: Noise-Canceling and Cursor
28:13 The Weirdest Place I’ve Ever Worked
30:25 Why Context Switching is the Enemy of Progress
31:50 Working Smarter with AI Agents
34:35 Debunking the 4 AM Productivity Myth

Can you actually stay productive while traveling through South America for six weeks without taking a single day off?

In this episode of the Plugged In Podcast, Barry sits down with Tom, a remote-first HR Business Partner and consultant. Tom shares his unique perspective on balancing a high-stakes "people-centric" role with a nomadic lifestyle that has taken him from the UK to Italy, Japan, and, most recently, a six-week working journey across South America.

The conversation dives deep into the "Trust Economy" of modern work—exploring why management trust is the ultimate enabler of remote success and how to maintain human connection when you aren't in the same room. Tom also breaks down his portable tech setup, his transition from "pasta box" laptop stands to a professional multi-monitor workflow, and why he believes the myth that remote employees "work less" is fundamentally wrong.

Whether you're an HR professional navigating the future of work or a remote employee looking to optimize your "office in a backpack," Tom’s insights offer a practical roadmap for staying efficient, no matter where in the world you're logging on.

Topics Covered:

The Global Office: How Tom worked through South America for six weeks without PTO.

Building Rapport Virtually: The challenges of HR and people management in a remote environment.

The Trust Pillar: Why trust and communication are the foundation of remote culture.

From Pasta Boxes to Portability: Tom’s evolution of a mobile workstation.

The Remote Work Myth: Why remote workers often work more proactively than those in an office.

AI in HR: Using Gemini and ChatGPT as "co-pilots" for proposals and data analysis.

Leadership and Compassion: Lessons learned from Jacinda Ardern’s approach to leadership.

About the Plugged In Podcast
Plugged In is a conversation series exploring how real work actually gets done.
Each episode features thoughtful professionals sharing how they structure their work, make decisions, and stay productive in modern, tech-enabled environments.
No hustle culture. No “10 hacks to wake up at 4am.”
Just honest conversations about what works, what doesn't, and why.

Guest
Tom Martin Hughes:
HR Business Partner & People Consultant
International remote work advocate and Master’s researcher in HR leadership.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:18 Meet Tom: The 100% Remote HR Professional
01:37 Building Human Connection in a Virtual World
02:30 The Challenges for Remote Newcomers
03:27 Morning Rituals: Baths, Breakfast, and Inbox Zero
05:20 The "Pasta Box" Setup: Tom’s Tech Evolution
06:08 Creating a Portable Multi-Monitor Workstation
07:48 The Trust Economy: Traveling South America While Working
09:41 Maintaining Team Engagement from Afar
11:41 Tools for Efficiency: Canva, Pen & Paper, and Fast Replies
12:46 AI as a Co-Pilot in the People Space
14:43 How to Overcome Creative Fatigue
16:04 Debunking the Myth: Do Remote Workers Work Less?
17:55 Working from Japan, Italy, and Beyond
19:12 Leadership Inspiration: Compassion and Vulnerability
20:10 When is Tom Most Creative?
21:49 Closing Thoughts

What does productivity actually look like when you’re running multiple businesses, hosting massive events, creating content constantly, and still showing up everywhere online?

In this episode of the Plugged In Podcast, Barry sits down with Jay Schwedelson—founder of Subjectline.com, host of the Do This, Not That podcast, and widely known in the marketing world as “the email guy.”

Jay shares how he manages time, energy, and ideas while juggling a marketing agency, a growing media company, and some of the largest virtual marketing events on the internet.

Along the way, the conversation explores why many “best practices” are outdated, how simple habits like 15-minute meetings and strict time blocking can dramatically improve productivity, and why consistency beats talent more often than people think.

They also dig into capturing ideas before they disappear, staying productive while traveling, managing burnout, and why sometimes the most powerful productivity advice is simply learning when to say no.

If you’ve ever wondered how highly productive people actually structure their workday, this conversation offers a refreshingly honest look at what works—and what doesn’t.

Topics Covered

• Why your email list may still be your most valuable asset
• The myth of marketing “best practices”
• Why Jay switched to 15-minute meetings
• How time blocking protects deep work
• Capturing ideas before they disappear
• Productivity habits while traveling
• Managing burnout and staying consistent
• Why consistency beats talent

About the Plugged In Podcast

Plugged In is a conversation series exploring how real work actually gets done.
Each episode features thoughtful professionals sharing how they structure their work, make decisions, and stay productive in modern, tech-enabled environments.
No hustle culture. No “10 hacks to wake up at 4am.”
Just honest conversations about what works, what doesn’t, and why.

Guest

Jay Schwedelson
Founder of Subjectline.com
Host of the Do This, Not That podcast
Creator of major virtual marketing events, including Guru Conference

Jay also recently released a book titled “Stupider People Have Done It,” with proceeds supporting cancer research through the V Foundation.

Connect with Jay:
https://www.jayschwedelson.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/schwedelson/

How do you bring the power of AI to your desk without compromising your data?

In this episode of the Plugged In Podcast, we sit down with Plugable Founder and CTO Bernie Thompson for a deep dive into the hardware requirements of the "Local AI" revolution. As the industry shifts from public cloud models to private, local execution, the demands on our hardware are changing—specifically regarding GPU power, VRAM, and high-speed connectivity

This conversation serves as the technical foundation for our upcoming TBT5-AI (Thunderbolt 5 AI Enclosure). Bernie explains why Thunderbolt 5 is the critical interface required to bridge the gap between a standard Windows laptop and the high-end GPU performance needed to run 120B parameter models locally.

What we discuss in this episode:

- The TBT5-AI Vision: Why a dedicated AI enclosure with 800W of power is necessary for production-grade local AI.

- Local vs. Cloud: The security, cost, and privacy benefits of keeping data on-premises for legal, financial, and government sectors.

- VRAM vs. Throughput: Why GPU memory capacity is the most important variable for running large-scale open-source models versus traditional gaming.

- Plugable Chat: How our new software "harness" enables smaller models to perform complex SQL queries and document retrieval effectively.

- The Engineering Mission: How Plugable is applying 15+ years of Thunderbolt expertise to solve modern AI compatibility challenges.

On this episode, we're diving into the latest Apple announcements. Katie and Bob discuss everything from the new MacBook Neo to the M5 Pro/Max refresh, and break down what these specs actually mean when you’re trying to connect your peripherals and power your multi-monitor setup.

In this technical deep dive, we cover:

- The MacBook Neo Reality Check: Why it only supports one external display and what that means for entry-level users.

- Thunderbolt 5 Mandates: How the new standard changes the game for dual-display support and data throughput.

- The Daisy-Chain Debate: Examining Apple’s implementation of MST and daisy-chaining in their newest displays.

- Pro Workflow Optimization: How to leverage the M5 Pro and Max for multi-monitor power-user setups.