Battle of the Radio Voices; The Voice of the Channel on What’s Next for 2026

Craig Galbraith ; journalist, longtime Channel Futures leader, “the voice of the channel,” and founder of Galbraith Multimedia. Ronnell sits down with Craig Galbraith for a long-overdue conversation about where the channel has been, where it’s going, and what’s quietly threatening growth in 2026 and beyond. They chop it up on the real evolution of the channel, why “community” often means cocktails not collaboration, why suppliers keep getting the channel wrong, and why M&A and private investment are changing everything. This is equal parts industry reality check and leadership challenge; stop chasing steak dinners and start doing the work. 00:00 ; Welcome back; why this conversation matters right now 01:47 ; Meet Craig Galbraith; flipping the script from interviewer to guest 03:57 ; College sports; Washington Huskies, Big Ten chaos, and favorite players 08:51 ; Craig off-camera; crossword nerd, fitness, sports, and life outside the channel 09:45 ; From local TV news to the channel; how Craig got started in journalism 12:10 ; How Craig “fell into” the channel; Phone Plus, Channel Futures, and 17 years of change 19:17 ; Then vs now; cloud, TSD consolidation, MSP/VAR convergence, and why no one can know everything anymore 22:01 ; First Channel Partners Expo memories; from 2,500 people to 8,000 and beyond 25:57 ; What Craig’s most proud of; building a team, the power of “People on the Move,” and why podcasts were the most fun 30:16 ; The real threat inside the TA community; secrecy, distrust, and refusing to share numbers 33:12 ; Ronnell’s take; “socializing isn’t community” and why collaboration still isn’t real for most 37:38 ; External threats; complacency, being late to new tech, and running plays from 2015 in a 2025 channel 39:08 ; What suppliers keep getting wrong; cookie-cutter programs, weak communication, and not doing homework 42:59 ; Tactical advice for new suppliers; go to events, press the flesh, meet partners where they are 47:12 ; The hot-button issue everyone cares about; M&A, layoffs, program disruption, and uncertainty 49:13 ; Craig’s opinion on M&A; fewer choices, messy integrations, and partners paying the price 54:21 ; Will the “big three” TSDs merge; culture vs money, and what might happen with smaller players 59:01 ; Investment in the channel; exciting growth signal, but independence and choice get squeezed 01:01:03 ; What successful TAs do differently; evolve, adopt tech, collaborate, and build consistency 01:03:54 ; The channel job-hopping problem; two-year channel chief average and why it breaks trust 01:06:31 ; Craig’s new venture; Galbraith Multimedia and the “five-tool player” approach 01:10:42 ; How to reach Craig; LinkedIn, email, and his short-form video tips 01:11:20 ; Closing; share the episode, comment, and keep the conversation moving forward “Steak dinners” don’t replace strategy; partners want competence, clarity, and real alignment. The channel grows faster when information moves faster; secrecy slows everyone down. Suppliers should stop copying other programs and start listening to partners in the field. M&A is not slowing down; integration pain and shifting models hit partners first. Consistency builds trust; churn destroys it, especially with the next generation of TAs. Craig Galbraith Galbraith Multimedia (writing, editing, video hosting, podcast support, and stage work) Email: GalbraithMultimedia@gmail.com Connect: LinkedIn; Craig Galbraith Channel Sales Gap Assessment (SayLess Academy) Channel Sales Blueprint (LinkedIn Learning trusted; 100,000+ learners referenced in the episode) If this episode hit you in the gut; do something with it: Share it with a channel leader who needs to hear it Drop a comment with the biggest blind spot you see in the ecosystem And if you’re still leading with perks instead of value; tighten up your playbook Episode Summary⏱ Timestamps & HighlightsKey TakeawaysGuest InfoResources MentionedCall to Action

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Battle of the Radio Voices; The Voice of the Channel on What’s Next for 2026 is an episode from Business And Bourbon with Ronnell Richards by Business And Bourbon with Ronn.

This episode is 01:16:38 long.

This episode was published on Jan 20, 2026.

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