Each month, HomeWork features an AHAM member’s insights on careers, success, life outside of work, and AHAM membership. This month, we spoke with Andy Chinmulgund, Founder and CEO of Bruviti, and chair of AHAM’s Supplier Division.

Name three goals (personal or professional) you are pursuing in 2018.
1. Successful execution of AHAM’s Connectivity Strategy as Supplier Division Chair and AHAM Board member.  
2. Enable manufacturers to incorporate connectivity and business intelligence into their product offerings. 
3. Prepare for upcoming hike to Mt. Kilimanjaro. This summer, we will be traveling to the South of France and Northern Spain for a family vacation and I am looking forward to hiking, kayaking and, most importantly, a gastronomical adventure.

How do you jumpstart your morning?
I am forced to jumpstart my morning around 5:30 a.m. by our chocolate lab and springer spaniel puppies, demanding that it’s time to eat. Having teams around different time zones, my mornings are always filled with conference calls, playing fetch with dogs and getting the kids and my wife out the door by 8:00 a.m. 

Predict an innovation that will revolutionize the next generation.
Artificial intelligence (AI) will have an increasing social and economic impact for the next generation. How we manage it now will have far-reaching consequences.

What is the best career advice you have ever received?
Always think outside the box!

What home appliance can you not live without?
All of my connected appliances. As a home automation geek, all of our appliances are connected and controlled via cloud. In our busy household, we find it to be a huge convenience and a time saver.

What do you gain from your involvement with AHAM?
Great perspective of appliance manufacturers’ market and technology trends. I enjoy the camaraderie and the collaborative environment AHAM helps foster.

What is your best advice you have for somebody who wants to succeed in the home appliance industry?
Home appliances are getting smarter and more in-tune with the way we live our lives. This is one of the best times to work in the home appliance industry. In the 1960s the career advice was “plastics,” and in the coming decade the best career advice is “connected appliances.”