We catch up with Gary Alder (CEng FIET FCMI), EICA Design Manager at Tideway, to look at why he’s continuing to ‘hit the lights’ with his electrical industry podcast.
Q. As the founder and host of the Hit the Lights podcast, what prompted you to start the show?
When going through the process to become a chartered engineer, I began to realise the extent of the journey I had taken so far in the industry. I felt that everyone, no matter how short or long their journey might be, had a story to tell and wisdoms to pass on from their experience. The idea of the podcast is to share those journeys and hopefully have some technical discussions along the way.
Q. How would you describe the podcast, and what subjects/topics have you covered?
I would describe the podcast as ‘enthusiastic about the electrical industry and the diversity within it’. We’ve covered asbestos, domestic installations, condition reporting, industrial installations and the future of the industry, including special episodes with manufacturers on devices such as AFDDs.
Q. Are there any interesting guests and stories from this series?
There are incredible guests across every series. One of my favourite elements from the latest series was having the opportunity to chat with IET President, Sir Julian Young, which was fantastic. There’s also an informative episode on asbestos with Greg Byrne. Mike Page updates us on the second part of his journey with Loadout, while Adam Chapman (Heat Geek) discusses the future of heating. There’s hopefully a bit of something for everyone – whether it’s the individual or the sector.
Q. What do you enjoy about putting the podcast together?
I very much enjoy meeting the wonderful people of our industry. We have such a vast scope in the electrical world, so tapping into their knowledge and experience and sharing it on a wider platform can only be a good thing.
Q. Why do you think it is good for the electrical industry to have content that is independently created by electricians/contractors?
Unbiased opinions and experiences are key. There’s no promotional element to the show other than to share the good, bad and the ugly of the industry we work in. The podcast promotes our industry positively whilst being honest.
Q. Do you find it challenging to combine your day job with your podcasting?
Definitely! It’s always a challenge to manage my own diary, let alone combining that with all of the guest’s diaries. As such, putting a series together can take many months.
Q. What do you hope to achieve in the future and will we see more series’ of the show?
Hopefully the podcast can grow to reach a bigger audience where they can dip in/out, and find the experience and content they desire. I’m excited to say that two new series’ are already under way and will hopefully be released later this year!
The Hit the Lights podcast is available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, Google and Anchor now.
To listen to every hit the lights episode, click here
