The Geoholics

Episode 244 - The Mikes

This was one for the ages as they say! The guys were joined this week by two heavyweights in the land survey world. Mike #1 is Mike Banta, PLS who has been surveying for nearly 40 years and is the Survey Manager at Rick Engineering Company. Mike #2 is Mike Fondren, PLS who has been surveying for over 25 years and is the Survey Manager at RLF Consulting, LLC. We had SO MUCH fun discussing the evolution of land surveying, the current state of the industry and where land surveying is headed with these two legends. You're not going to want to miss this one...be like The Mikes! Music by Three Dog Night!

Episode 243 - Brian Owens, Honor, Family, Music & Words

Oh my word...yet another value adding and life changing episode! The guys were joined in-studio this week by our good friend Brian Owens. We believe Brian to be the FIRST in the "5 Timer" club! By day, Brian is the Vice President of Safety & Team Development at Buesing Corp. By night, Brian is not only a very talented musician, songwriter and author, but also a passionate crusader of workplace safety. As a philosopher, he strives to provide perspective to help people remember that the reason we work in the first place is to provide a sustainable means for the people, freedoms, and activities we all hold dear. As a safety professional, he reminds those same people that if we aren't behaving safely, and if we aren't being aggressively proactive to ensure the sustainment of our chosen ideals, we are just allowing situational circumstances to dictate the direction, and the outcome. Remember, if it ever gets hopeless, you overlooked something...let all that sink in! Music by Lynyrd Skynyrd!!

Episode 242 - Mikel Bowman - Cultural Guru @ Bowman Legacies

PSA...we're experimenting with some things so please bare with us as we fine tune the show format for 2025. On to the show...this is ALWAYS one of the most downloaded episodes of the year. The guys (and Peta Cox!) were joined this week by the one and only Mikel Bowman! We freakin love every second we get to spend with this guy and honored to call him a friend. Mikel is President at Bowman Legacies as well as a best selling author, coach, keynote speaker, leadership development coach, business and personal development coach, and mentor! There is so much value adding content in this episode that you'd be a damn fool not to give it a listen! Music by Metallica!

Episode 240 - SmartDrone is Your Drone Department

We love these guys and you will to! We were joined this week by Rob Cammack, Founder/CEO, Taylor Dixon, Co-Founder, Hayes Wilkinson, Geospatial Data Department Lead and Bailey Franklin, Marketing Lead all with SmartDrone. SmartDrone's mission is to revolutionize aerial surveying and mapping. Their focus is on making drone technology accessible and efficient for professionals in industries like construction, engineering, and land surveying. During this episode we explored all the cutting-edge solutions provided by SmartDrone including their flagship product, Discovery, a drone platform designed to simplify the process of collecting, analyzing, and applying high-resolution aerial data. SmartDrone's emphasis is on user-friendly software and hardware integration allowing their clients to quickly generate actionable data without extensive technical training. This episode is perfect for professionals interested in the intersection of drones, technology, and innovation in the built environment. Whether you're a seasoned surveyor, an AEC professional, or someone curious about emerging tech, you’ll gain valuable insights from the leaders driving SmartDrone’s success. Music by Foo Fighters!

Episode 239 - Cyanic Automation & Job Book

It's always fun when we have the Cyanic Automation crew on the show and this time was no different! The guys were joined this week by Doug Kondor, Founder & CEO and Mike Heath, Founder & CTO at Cyanic Automation with a bonus appearance by Brian Ball, PLS an all around good guy from MH Surveys! Take this journey with us as we dive into the innovative world of Job Book, a cutting-edge platform revolutionizing how professionals manage all phases of their projects and the daily operation of their respective businesses all in ONE place. With real-time project monitoring, streamlined invoicing, and enhanced staff accountability, Job Book may very well be the perfect solution for your growing company. Whether you're a sole proprietor, partnership or LLC, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss! Music by Dire Straits!

Trimble Dimensions 2024 - Day 3

Check out these highlights from Day 3 of this year's awesome event!!!

00:30 – James Richards @ Benchmark Surveys

11:45 – Paul Cracroft-Wilson & Dean Warren @ Bennett and Bennett

24:15 – Adam Long & Airrik Martinez @ SAM, Inc

36:10 – Claire Fenwick @ Spatial Dimensions

49:50 – Tate Childers @ ALTA Southwest, Mike Walle @ Denn Engineers and Will Wing @ Infinity Land Surveying

Trimble Dimensions 2024 - Day 2

Check out these highlights from Day 2 of this year's awesome event!!!

04:20 – Owen Chamberlain @ Trimble

15:00 – Mike Cisar @ Trimble

29:30 – Andy Pavletich @ DroneDeploy

43:20 – Chris Daggett & Julie Paull @ Atwell

53:10 – Mickey Kocemba & Eddo Feyen @ Mortenson Construction

1:07:50 – Moshe Dalman @ Rodradar

Trimble Dimensions 2024 - Day 1

Check out these highlights from Day 1 of this year's awesome event!!!

 

04:20 – Michael Tartaglia, Technology Specialist and Sales Account Manager at Sitech Southwest & Chris Kellogg, Digital Construction Professional at Sitech Midway

 

21:50 - Chris Trevillian, Senior Director Product Go To Market at Trimble Inc.

 

38:40 - Marla Horn, Intern @ McKim & Creed Inc. & Christian Hayes, both Geomatics Students at the University of Florida

 

48:20 - Michael Barrett & Chad Phillips from PENNDOT

 

01:03:45 - Swathi Kottali, Regional BIM/VDC Manager at Yates Construction, Commercial Drone Pilot, Data Enthusiast and AI user

 

01:17:00 - Amy Northcutt, Director of Education & Outreach at Trimble, Inc.

Episode 238 - ASPRS Geospatial Conference 2025

We love it when a plan comes together! The guys were joined this week by a gaggle of mapping professionals including our good friend Bill Swope - Technical Leader for Survey & Geospatial @ Halff, Scott Dunham - Geospatial Director @ Gorrondona & Associates, Inc., and Balaji Ramachandran - Associate Research Professor @ Nicholls State University. Each of these guys plays an integral part in facilitating the upcoming 2025 ASPRS Business Meeting & Geospatial Conference to be held March 12th-14th in one of our favorite cities, Austin, Texas. You will learn everything there is to know about ASPRS in addition to being privy to all that this exciting and educational event is going to offer. Not only will The Geoholics be there, but there will also be a registration discount code for Geoholics listeners! Music by ZZ top...of course!

Episode 237 - Dennis McKay, LS

Dennis' career is one to behold! He spent over 30 years as a surveyor at the BLM and has plenty to say about the land survey profession. This time around we discussed the benefits of a multipurpose cadastre, the National Spatial Data Infrastructure, who maintains it, AR/VR and surveying applications, and where all of this goes from here! Dennis is a wealth of knowledge with a cutting edge perspective and we are honored to call him a friend. A few additional takeaways include...be as digital as possible, always focus on the evidence, you have to love your work and hold everyone in high esteem! Music by Ottmar Liebert & Luna Negra!