The IT Distribution Channel's Only Fiber Podcast

The Red Light District

Follow the Light.

Hosted by Mark Cooksey and Scott Lopez — two executives with 60+ combined years of IT distribution experience. Produced at Firehouse Studios in Austin, Texas. Every episode is engineered to educate the 80,000 resellers who don't yet know what the fiber refresh wave means for their business.

Apply to Be a Guest → Season 1 Episodes
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Firehouse Studios · Austin
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The Show

The fiber refresh wave is here.
Nobody is talking about it.

The AI infrastructure buildout is driving the largest fiber upgrade cycle in a generation — cascading from hyperscaler data centers down to every enterprise edge endpoint. The 80,000 resellers who serve that edge have no one educating them. The Red Light District is that education layer.

// 01
First Mover. No Competition.
AddOn, Axiom, and ENET have no content strategy. They rely entirely on distribution push. The Red Light District is the only show in the channel dedicated to fiber and edge networking. First mover owns the narrative.
// 02
Every Guest is a Warm Prospect.
Reseller guests are co-marketing partners and warm cable, install, and optics prospects. Every podcast appearance ends with a partner program invitation. The show is a sales funnel that feels like a conversation.
// 03
One Episode. Eight Assets.
Each episode generates a full episode, 5–8 short clips, quote graphics, show notes, an email newsletter, a co-marketing kit, and ad creative. 416 content assets per year at near-zero incremental cost beyond studio time.
// 04
Cinematic Production at Firehouse Studios.
Produced at Firehouse Studios — a repurposed historic fire station in Austin, Texas, built into a full-service production complex with podcast studios, sound stages, and live-event capability. This is not a talking-head podcast.
// 05
The Cognitive Engine™ Framework.
Every episode is engineered using 405 Madison's Cognitive Engine™ framework — four neurological triggers (Emotion, Novelty, Repetition, Relatability) applied to every segment. Built for conversion, not just awareness.
// 06
Distributor Sponsorship Potential.
D&H and TD Synnex BDMs as recurring guests build line card advocacy at scale. The show doesn't just create reseller demand — it activates distributor champions who carry the message to thousands of resellers simultaneously.
Episode Format

The Cognitive Engine™ Applied.

Every episode of The Red Light District follows the 405 Madison Cognitive Engine™ framework. Four neurological triggers engineered into every segment. 30–45 minutes. Conversational, credible, channel-native.

2–3 min
Cold Open
A dramatic fiber stat, a real channel story, or a provocative question. Trigger: Novelty + Emotion. "Your customer's building is about to get a call. Are you ready to answer it?"
2 min
Host Intro
Mark and Scott set the episode theme. Conversational, credible, channel-native. Trigger: Relatability. Two people who've lived it.
15–20 min
Main Conversation
Guest interview — reseller partner, distributor BDM, end user IT manager, or industry expert. Real stories from the field. Trigger: Emotion + Relatability.
3–5 min
The Red Light Moment
The episode's key insight — something the audience didn't know before. The fiber refresh angle, a new product capability, a market data point. Trigger: Novelty.
2–3 min
Follow the Light
Recurring segment. Same format every episode. Key takeaways, one action item, one Altnet Fiber resource. Builds recall across the series. Trigger: Repetition.
1 min
The Close
Tagline: "Follow the Light." Consistent sign-off. Becomes brand recognition over time. The most important minute of every episode. Trigger: Repetition.
Season One
"The Wave Is Here"
8 Episodes · Firehouse Studios · Austin, TX
01
The Wave Is Here — And Your Customers Don't Know It Yet
Scene-setting. The fiber refresh wave explained for the channel. The data center-to-edge cascade. Why the timing is now. No product pitch — just the education that every VAR needs before the next project lands on their desk.
Solo · Mark + Scott
02
Why Your Last Cable Order Was Wrong
Custom length cable — the problem no one in distribution talks about. Why standard lengths create waste, poor rack management, and unnecessary cost. Introduction of FCM PerfectBild™ and what exact-length cable actually means for a project.
Guest · D&H BDM or VAR
03
The Wachter Problem — What Your Install Is Actually Costing You
The subcontracting markup model exposed. Wachter takes the job, marks it up, subs it to Field Nation. The reseller pays a premium and loses accountability. Altnet Fiber install services introduced as the accountable alternative.
Guest · VAR Ops Manager
04
Cisco Didn't Say You Couldn't — They Said They'd Prefer You Didn't
The OEM-compatible conversation done right. The language, the framing, and how to have it without triggering brand protection objections. Why "OEM-compatible" wins where "third party" loses before the conversation starts.
Guest · Experienced VAR
05
Veteran-Owned and Channel-Ready — The Diversity Opportunity
VOSB/SDVOSB certification as a go-to-market lever. How diversity spend works at Verizon, WWT, and enterprise accounts. The resellers who are leaving contract revenue on the table because they can't find a qualified diverse sub.
Guest · SLED VAR
06
The Edge Is the New Data Center
AI inference at the edge — what it means for fiber refresh at the endpoint level. Why the Cat6 that cabled that building three years ago is already becoming a bottleneck. The SMB and mid-market VAR opportunity hiding in plain sight.
Guest · Edge VAR or IT Director
07
How D&H Makes Money on Fiber (And Didn't Know It)
The distributor-facing episode. The greenfield line card opportunity made concrete. Custom cable and install are revenue your resellers currently buy outside the channel entirely. That spend belongs inside distribution. Here's how.
Guest · D&H BDM
08
Follow the Light — The Year Ahead in Fiber
Season recap. The fiber refresh forecast for the coming year. What Altnet Fiber has built in Season One and where the channel goes from here. A strong, direct call to the partner program. Follow the Light.
Solo · Mark + Scott
The Hosts

60+ combined years.
Two people who lived it.

// Co-Host · Founder
Scott Lopez
Founder & Visionary — Altnet Fiber

Scott launched two transceiver lines inside distribution — Ingram Micro's Netpatibles and CDW's Redwave. He knows exactly what kills the optics conversation before it starts, and built Altnet Fiber's entire motion around avoiding it. He owns Firehouse Studios, where The Red Light District is produced.

Ingram Micro AddOn Networks CDW Redwave 405 Madison U.S. Army Veteran
// Co-Host · Head of Sales
Mark Cooksey
Head of Sales — Altnet Fiber

Mark spent 30 years at Ingram Micro — one of the longest tenures in the company's history. He managed SHI, Insight, and national resellers across every tier of the channel. A 14× President's Club Award winner, he brings the reseller relationships and channel instinct that make every guest conversation feel real.

Ingram Micro · 30 Years 14× President's Club Enterprise Relationships D&H Channel

"The podcast is not a marketing tactic attached to the business. The podcast IS the business development engine. Every episode builds awareness. Every guest is a warm prospect. Every listener is a future cable, install, or optics customer being educated before the sales conversation begins."

// The Red Light District · Altnet Fiber · 405 Madison
Be a Guest

Your story
belongs on air.

The Red Light District features reseller partners, distributor BDMs, and industry voices who have real stories from the field. If you've lived the fiber refresh wave — from either side — we want to hear from you.

We book 2–3 guests per month. Every guest receives a full clip package and co-marketing kit to share with their own network — your appearance becomes content for your business too.

  • 30–45 minute recorded conversation at Firehouse Studios or remote via video
  • Pre-show prep document and talking points provided one week before
  • Professional clip package delivered day of publish
  • Social assets and quote cards — ready to share with your network
  • Partner program invitation extended to all reseller guests

We review applications weekly and book 2–3 guests per month. You'll hear back within 5 business days.