What does it take to market to an industry where relationships matter, traditions run deep, and the next generation of buyers is changing the game?

In this episode of Backstage Pass: Inside Energy, host Brittni Castilaw sits down with John Downey, Marketing Director at Tallman Equipment, to talk about the unique challenges of marketing in the electric utility industry.

From the continued importance of word-of-mouth referrals and printed catalogs to the growing influence of digital search, AI, and changing buyer behaviors, John shares how his team is adapting its approach to reach linemen and utility professionals.

The conversation also explores the importance of educating customers, communicating technical expertise without unnecessary jargon, and building trust through honesty and authenticity.

And as technology continues to reshape how businesses connect with their audiences, John offers a simple reminder: People still do business with people.

This conversation offers a practical look at what it means to connect with your audience.

Subscribe to Backstage Pass: Inside Energy for more candid conversations with the people, leaders, and innovators shaping the energy industry.

What if we stopped looking at waste as a problem to solve and started recognizing it as a resource with untapped potential?

In Episode 7 of Backstage Pass: Inside Energy, host Brittni Castilaw sits down with Timur Dunaev, Managing Director and CEO of Paques U.S., for a candid conversation about the evolving relationship between environmental engineering, energy security, and business innovation.

With decades of experience in wastewater treatment, renewable energy, and environmental engineering, Timur brings a unique perspective on how the industry is changing and where he believes its greatest opportunities lie.

Together, Brittni and Timur explore the growing potential of resource recovery, from converting agricultural waste into renewable natural gas to recovering valuable nutrients and metals from wastewater. They also tackle the challenges of bringing new technologies to market, the role of private investment, and why traditional ROI calculations don't always tell the whole story.

The conversation goes beyond technology, touching on the importance of entrepreneurial thinking, the agility of mid-sized companies, and the human relationships behind complex industrial decisions.

At the heart of this conversation is a compelling reminder: Some of the industry's biggest opportunities require us to rethink how we define value in the first place.

About Backstage Pass: Inside Energy

Hosted by Brittni Castilaw of Backstage Energy Marketing, Backstage Pass: Inside Energy brings you honest conversations with the people shaping the energy industry. We're pulling back the curtain on the challenges, decisions, innovations, and perspectives influencing where energy goes next.

Subscribe for more conversations with industry leaders, innovators, and the people doing the work.

Meet Cody Castilaw, our VP of Technology & Operations at Backstage Energy Marketing, and one half of our new monthly Backstage Pass: Inside Energy segment!

Cody brings nearly two decades of experience in technology, operations, and the energy industry, along with an engineering mindset and a healthy habit of questioning how things have always been done.

Each month, Cody and BEM Founder Brittni Castilaw will dig into the increasingly connected worlds of marketing and technology, from AI and automation to data, digital assets, CRMs, and the systems that keep businesses running.

Expect candid conversations, different perspectives, a little pushback, and plenty of opinions about what's actually worth your time.

Because good marketing doesn't operate in a silo, and neither should the technology behind it.