Zoom's Bill Lawrence: AV Living Legends #40

This week, Commercial Integrator is delighted to induct our next #AVLivingLegends honoree: Zoom’s Bill Lawrence, CTS-D, CTS-I, CQT, CQD, CQA. Lawrence, a revered presence in the AV community, has more than 40 years of experience. Currently working for Zoom as advanced services solution architect, Lawrence also has held positions at Kinly, AVI Systems and more. As the executive director of The Association for Quality Audio Visual (AQAV), Lawrence also champions the notion of lifelong learning and striving for success.

In this exclusive interview, Lawrence shares some of his trademark pearls of wisdom, along with a fun anecdote about working with Peter Frampton. Read on to discover Lawrence’s journey as an AV Living Legend!

And if you’d like to read even more coverage relating to our #AVLivingLegends, like Bill Lawrence from Zoom, check out our hub page. That page, of course, includes direct links to every living legend!

Commercial Integrator: What motivated you to join the commercial AV industry? What has kept you motivated and engaged you in the decades that followed?

Bill Lawrence: I fell into the AV industry 40 years ago like so many others: being on stage crew in high school. It was opening night for a production during my freshman year, and the curtain/fly tech stepped on the connecting cable of their comm headset, ripping the solder connections off. I ran backstage from my position as audio engineer and was eager to plug in the soldering iron and give it a go. I had made some minor repairs to my guitar equipment at home, and after a minute or two, I had the comm-set up and running. I then dashed back to my front-of-house console just in time for the curtain to open. That feeling was contagious, and so, I immersed myself in electronics and production, which rapidly led to installation and service.

Later that school year, I was approached by a teacher to examine the PA in their church. And after a trip or three to the local RadioShack store, I had ‘designed and installed’ my first complete system at the age of 16. I was hooked!

Over the years that followed, the systems and repairs grew in size and complexity, and I was intrigued and captivated by this business where there is always something new to learn. 

Commercial Integrator: Reflect on your role both as a mentee early in your career and a mentor later in your career. Who helped shape the trajectory of your professional life? How have you tried to help shape others’ careers?

Bill Lawrence: I think there is often a common trajectory in maturing and learning any skill. Three phases that I recall vividly:

I don’t know much I know it all I don’t even know what I don’t know

I have been so incredibly fortunate to be in the presence and under the guidance of true industry icons. Whether learning from the back of a class, or working alongside them, these true legends kindly gave their time to help others grow and improve.

A Journey of Learning and Connections

Perhaps, the first major paradigm shift for me was being an early learner in the AVIXA (then “ICIA”) education path. I achieved my CTS circa 1999, and I was in an all-star, onsite CTS-D course with the likes of Roy Hermanson, Steve Thorburn, James Maltese and a host of other AV industry experts. It was through that course that I came to know the indefatigable Mario Maltese. Since passing that grueling onsite test in 2002, it has been my honor and privilege to continue both a friendship and professional relationship with Mario.

As an early AV9000 contributor, AQAV educator, board member and now; executive director for The Association for Quality in Audio Visual Technology (AQAV), my approach to the entire industry has changed significantly. Volunteering with both AQAV and AVIXA throughout the years has given me the opportunity to share my knowledge, successes, and most importantly — my mistakes, with a slew of students and colleagues over the past 20 years.

Never have I led a class, worked on a committee, or had a spirited discussion on the floor, or after hours at a show where I didn’t leave with more knowledge and a stronger understanding of how to do things better. The list of mentors, intentional or not, that I’ve benefited from is far too long to name, and I am so grateful for them all.

Commercial Integrator: What’s your most memorable story/anecdote of your career to date?

Bill Lawrence: So many moments over the years, but perhaps one of the coolest things was being called out to work on a projector in the home studio of rock and roll legend, Peter Frampton. He was very humble and kind, and for some time, he would beep my Nextel phone with questions or requests. One such beep came as we were hosting a family holiday cookout. My bright yellow phone chirped loudly and after checking it, I casually announced, “Sorry, got to take this. It’s Peter Frampton. Can you watch the grill for me?” A fun little brush with fame.

Commercial Integrator: What has been your greatest professional accomplishment to date?

Bill Lawrence: Projects come, and projects go; however, the things that always make me feel like I’ve made an impact on people is hearing from past students, colleagues or customers who years later, vividly recall an interaction in class or a collaboration with me that helped them through a difficult situation, or discover a-ha! moment, or find a better way.

I love being a keeper and sharer of knowledge, at any level. I feel it’s both, my duty and joy, to pass on to others what people have passed on to me, and to build on that knowledge wherever possible. A close second is being empowered by my current employer to file a patent for an invention developed in collaboration with my boss, Tom Noble —something I never thought I would do!

Commercial Integrator: What has been the best advice or pearl of wisdom you either received during your career or came to realize on your own?

Bill Lawrence: This is an easy one. Early in my career, flush with a few successes and solidly in “phase two” (I know it all!), I heard this for the first time: “It doesn’t matter how good, how smart or how creative you are. If you can’t get people to listen to you, you will not succeed.”

It took a few years and a lot of life experience to realize just how true that was. At the point that I truly understood it and reflected back on how much grace I’d been given over the years, my focus split toward better understanding people and not just tech. Since that realization, my life has been enriched manyfold, both professionally and personally. It’s a constant process to improve communications and relationships, and one that is never complete. Honest humility and open mindedness never go out of style.

Would you like to nominate a peer or colleague — or perhaps yourself! — to be featured in this #AVLivingLegends series, just like Bill Lawrence from Zoom? If so, just email Dan Ferrisi, group editor, commercial and security, Emerald, at [email protected].

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