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STREAMING MEDIA BIZ MAGAZINE RECENTLY FEATURED ORIONXM CEO AND CO-FOUNDER THOM KAZ IN AN ARTICLE ABOUT HOW STREAMING MEDIA IS CHANGING THE WAY PEOPLE WATCH TV AND HOW THEY ARE HELPING PEOPLE BOTH SAVE AND MAKE MONEY WITH ORIONXM.

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ecently, we sat down with OrionXM Cofounder and CEO Thom Kaz to discuss how the growth of streaming media has impacted entertainment and television as an industry. Believe or not, the number of people that are leaving cable and dish behind is staggering, and we wanted to know how OrionXM put together their plan to bring streaming media to the masses with a unique marketing plan that actually works.

SMB: So Thom, how did you come up with the idea for OrionXM? TK: Well, to be honest I wasn’t looking for this industry, it found me. I was in between shows and speaking engagements and an old friend of mine from Las Vegas called me to tell me how he and his family were able to

cut almost $2,400 dollars a year from their expenses by getting rid of cable TV. At first, I thought it was too good to be true, but then I actually picked up a unit and was able to watch several in theater movies with my family and friends at home. We were even able to watch the Mayweather fight. That’s when I knew there was more to know

Over 200,000 Movies & TV Shows On-Demand

about this industry and how more people could get this affordable device in their homes so they could also save money. At that point, I got with my team of advisors and we met with several companies that were already manufacturing streaming media players and other innovative electronics. One of those companies had been in the electronics and streaming media world since it began and placed a lot of emphasis on quality and customer service. We liked that, and we told them what we were looking for from a technical standpoint. They came up with a design and an interface that blew us away. Once we found them, we pulled the trigger and OrionXM was born. This technology is amazing.

I mean it can access over 200,000 HD Movies and TV Shows, News, Sports, International Programs, Music, Games and more. And it’s plug and play. We were truly impressed with the unit when it arrived at our door. Unlike most of our competitors, it automatically updates content and gives you options to customize your personal preferences.

It’s truly awesome.

that the cable and dish companies are actually scrambling to keep customers. And that over the last few years almost 3 million people have cut the cord on cable. That’s quite a departure from the old days of basically having one or two companies that could offer you basic and premium channels and you were pretty much stuck with those choices.

Second, we learned that today’s consumer is busier and more digital savvy and wants access to their programming on demand. In fact, 64% of consumers said that time shifting their television entertainment better fit their schedules than traditional TV where the shows were on a set schedule and you either caught them or recorded them on a DVR, but that’s an extra expense for those devices and if it’s full you have to get rid of something to make room for more programs…it’s just not what today’s consumer is looking for and that’s why streaming media and

SMB: So, tell us more about what you learned when you and your team got together.

WELL, FIRST OFF, WE LEARNED THAT THE CABLE AND DISH COMPANIES ARE ACTUALLY SCRAMBLING TO KEEP CUSTOMERS.

TK: Sure. Well, first off, we learned

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in home media players are literally exploding right now. There is a real opportunity for entrepreneurs to get in on the ground floor of this massive opportunity and OrionXM is leading the charge to provide a turnkey opportunity for those who are interested in both saving and making money. To be honest, we’re super excited about what’s next.

SMB: Sounds like you guys did your homework…so, tell us about this idea you had to find and share talent and content with the OrionXM customers.

TK: Thanks. We really did do our homework and that’s why were so excited. The idea of finding talent or content came from my background as an entertainer and professional speaker. I’ve always felt that it was way too hard for people with real talent or great ideas to get noticed.

And over the last 30 years, I’ve built some amazing relationships with television and film producers, talent and music agents, live entertainment companies like AEG Live and SMG, promoters, producers, celebrities and event planners just to name a few.

And those relationships are based on helping each other find what we need to help make a project happen.

And it’s also from my own personal

OrionXM’s Exclusive User Friendly Interface

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experience in trying to get my talent and my shows noticed to get to the next level. It’s a challenge for anyone in this business, and we wanted to find new ways to find and showcase talent and bring it to the movers and shakers in our circle that are looking for whatever it is that they do. Look at Justin Bieber, he was discovered, promoted and built by the internet.

Then he was brought to the forefront in a deal with Usher and Scooter Braun that made him one of the biggest names in the music industry.

Plus, he’s earned over 250 million dollars as a result. If we find someone, anyone, that has that type of talent, we can promote and publish them as well as put them in the limelight with our network and that’s exactly what we plan to do.

SMB: So, do they have to be a musician, singer, actor or traditional talent or are you looking for any type of talent?

WE’RE PROUD OF OUR PROGRAMMING TEAM AND THE WORK THEY PUT INTO OUR USER INTERFACE. WE’RE FORTUNATE TO HAVE SOME TALENTED PROGRAMMERS AND GRAPHIC ARTISTS ON OUR TEAM AND WE WANTED TO MAKE IT BOTH VIBRANT AND USER FRIENDLY. TK: That’s a good question. Actually, we’re looking for anyone who has something that we feel can be positive, educational, informative or entertaining. Look at Paula Deen, she did a local TV cooking show and was picked up and built into an empire. So were the Robertsons with Duck Dynasty and other reality show families. In today’s digital world, anything’s possible, and we want to be involved in helping talent get noticed. Any talent. In fact, we’ve already had submissions from our customers and associates and we’ve actually found a few diamonds in the rough. OrionXM is just one more way that it can happen for someone

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and it’s truly an opportunity to pay it forward for the folks that gave me a shot in Las Vegas back in the day.

SMB: That’s awesome. Now we’ve also heard that your media player is state of the art and that you have a unique and intuitive interface that’s easy to use and very user friendly. Tell us more about that if you don’t mind.

TK: Of course. We’re proud of our programming team and the work they put into our user interface. We’re fortunate to have some talented programmers and graphic artists on our team and we wanted to make it both vibrant and user friendly. As you guys know, it’s important to set the right expectations when it comes to streaming content and so we really try to educate our customers about streaming media and how they have to learn it just like they would a new smartphone. Streaming is powerful, but it’s also using the internet to send data all over the world. And we’ve all had internet issues because it’s not a perfect system. So, if you select an option and it doesn’t play or just isn’t there, you have to take into consideration that you don’t know how many people are accessing that file or the fact that the media player is only streaming the source file quality that was originally placed on the internet. But I can tell you that movies in 1080HD or 4K Ultra are visually stunning and the surround sound is incredible as well. And to be

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able to get in theater movies without leaving the house while saving drive time, ticket money and money on overpriced snacks is pretty appealing in todays economy.

SMB: We agree. How do you help your customers with getting set up properly when they purchase the OrionXM media player from you?

TK: Another good question, you guys are on it today! We actually teach our associates to ask their customers to check their internet speed before they sell them a unit. We also provide online support and video tutorials to show them what they need to know to get started. And the reason we do that is because it’s just good business and it makes sense to make sure they can get the best possible experience right out of the box. Otherwise, they will hook it up and may be completely frustrated because their associate didn’t take the time to ask a few simple questions and give them some direction to help them prepare properly for the units. I don’t believe in buyer beware and neither will our associates. Our customer satisfaction rate is higher than anyone else mainly because of that philosophy. And, it’s also because their link to great content is the internet, so we ask them to check their speed first via speedtest. net and then advise them to contact their provider to make sure they can support 10Mbps or faster. Once that’s been done we can show them ways

to use power over Ethernet from their router or Wi-Fi signal boosters to amplify their wireless signal. Again, it’s all about helping our customers understand and prepare for their new digital media experience. It takes a little extra time, but it’s the only way we do business. And our customers appreciate it and that leads to more referrals and opportunities for our associates.

our exclusive gourmet line was born.

Don’t worry, we’ve got 5 lb. bags for you guys when you leave.

SMB: So, with all of the buzz surrounding people cutting the cord

access certain programs. But it’s just like riding a bike, once you know where to go, you can save them in your favorite channels and access them with the touch of a button.

on cable and the fact that streaming media players are very different from one another, how do you guys stay on top?

SMB: Sounds good, we’re almost finished here and we can actually smell the popcorn Thom, so just a few more questions okay?

TK: Again, it comes down to quality control, an exclusive user interface, automatic updates and customer service. It also has a lot to do with the fact that our unit has some exclusive firmware, more memory and a faster processor than our competitors. In fact it’s much faster. And again, we know that most people are fairly new to the streaming media world.

So we do try to give them realistic expectations when they become an OrionXM customer. Some people only want access to certain types of programming and some are very selective. The nice thing about our unit is that you can customize it and activate add on apps as well as save your favorite programs and channels to give you quick access to those you watch the most. That way it truly is a customized experience for every user.

Again, like smartphones, it takes a little time to learn how to navigate and

TK: Sure, I’m ready for a snack myself…

SMB: (Laughing) OK, that’s great. We appreciate that and we promise to share it when we get back to the office.

TK: Sure you will.

SMB: So it’s pretty clear that you guys are serious about quality and customer service. But we have to ask about this gourmet popcorn line, in fact where’s ours?

TK (Laughing): I knew that was coming and thanks for asking. I’ve got some for you guys when you leave because if we started that first we’d have never started this interview. But seriously, one of my fondest memories as a kid was going to the movies and getting that huge bucket of popcorn loaded with salt and butter and then grabbing a giant coke and sucking it down with my little brother. The good old days right?

But we actually asked over 100 of our customers and associates what they enjoyed most about family time and going to the movies as a kid.

And believe it or not, popcorn was right at the top. So we looked for an all-natural, gluten free and kosher friendly manufacturer that would make it to our specifications. And, with all of the electronics being made in other parts of the world, we wanted to see if we could do it right here in the US. Interestingly enough, I spent 8 years in the Air Force living in Omaha, Nebraska and some of the finest corn in the world grows there, and I mean it really is better than any other corn I’ve ever tasted. So we put our team on the road and found a way to bring it from an idea to a reality and I’ve got to tell you, the taste is out of this world. And since our company is focused on home entertainment, I thought it would be a perfect way to bring popcorn and a movie back home in a whole new way and bam,

SMB: Unlike traditional retailers and online vendors, OrionXM decided to sell and distribute your products and services through a network of independent associates. What went into making that decision and how’s it going?

TK: You guys are 3 for 3 with that question, so maybe we’ll get you a drink with that popcorn as well…Here’s why, again it comes back to customer service and giving the customers some direction when it comes to setting up and using their new streaming media player. But the real reason is two-fold. First, by using a network of associates, we can keep our costs down and deliver a better product to our customers at a better price and that’s important to us. Second,

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is because between rising costs and the economy, there’s no reason that someone couldn’t join OrionXM and use a proven process to help us grow globally while giving themselves an extra income opportunity. People are struggling right now and I’ve been fortunate to work side by side and learn from some of the best in the business. People like Richard Kall who has literally earned almost $150 million dollars in the network marketing industry. People like my friend Shawna Whitsett who’s now earning almost $25,000 a month with Rodan and Fields. People like Paul Taira who I personally watched go from a struggling ex-marine doing modeling gigs in Vegas to a triple diamond executive and a $50,000 plus monthly earner in ASEA. And he and his team did it in less than 5 years.

I’m super proud of him, because he and the other guys signed on, went to work and made it happen. Success isn’t easy, but it is simple. Find something you can believe in, set high goals and go to work making it happen with a team. Where else can you find a product, start a business and go to work to earn that kind of income for less than the cost of dinner and a show? You just can’t and that’s why we decided to make OrionXM a company that would offer great products and a proven system where virtually anyone could build a successful business. I mean seriously, where else can you get involved in a trillion dollar industry where you carry no inventory, have a complete e commerce ready website plus the ability to get paid on your personal efforts as well as the efforts of the team you helped create. It’s called leverage, and most people weren’t taught how it works in school.

So, when you add those elements together, it made perfect sense to create OrionXM as a turnkey business model that virtually anyone could execute. How much easier can it be to show people how to save money on their entertainment costs and make money at the same time? I mean we’re talking about watching movies, sports, TV shows and enjoying gourmet

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flavored popcorn. It’s a recipe for success and we’re excited to share our success with those who help us reach our goals as a company. That’s win/ win and that’s the only way it works.

Our philosophy is that if we deliver great products and give our associates everything they need to be successful, we all reach our goals together. And our compensation plan allows them to earn money for both personal sales

money simply by sharing OrionXM with their friends and families. It’s also why we designed our compensation plan to allow anyone, with only $49, to start a business and get everything they need to start adding a few hundred or a few thousand dollars to their income every single month.

That’s rewarding in a number of ways.

Thank you guys for being interested in us and hopefully we’ll be able to

FIND SOMETHING YOU CAN BELIEVE IN, SET HIGH GOALS AND GO TO WORK MAKING IT HAPPEN WITH A TEAM and sales they create by building a team and sharing OrionXM with others.

SMB: Sounds pretty innovative, bringing a hi tech product to the market with a turnkey business model and all of the training and support you need to be successful, It really does sound like you guys are serious about making a difference in both your customers and associates lives. Congratulations. Any final thoughts before we wrap up this interview Thom?

TK: First of all, thank you guys for taking the time to come and visit us, we do appreciate it. I truly think it’s important for people to know their TV entertainment options and, quite honestly, most people are simply sick and tired of the big cable and dish companies sucking 100 bucks a more a month out of their budgets. With streaming media, there’s a new option that makes sense. And in today’s economy, most homes have to have at least two incomes just to make ends meet and that’s causing families to cut back on certain luxuries and, depending on their different work schedules, it can put a real strain on family time. So, we felt that we could offer them the best of both worlds, a way to both save money and make

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share some new products with you fairly soon.

SMB: Thank you Thom, by the way, did I hear your team talking about lower priced sports cameras like go pro and video drones to capture digital footage from the air as new products?

TK: Umm, I think it’s about time for you guys to go enjoy your popcorn.

I haven’t quite heard that from our development team yet….at least not officially. But it is possible!

SMB: OK, that sounds pretty good to us...thanks again Thom and great job on putting together OrionXM with your team. I’m sure we’ll see you again very soon.

TK: Thank you guys, you’re welcome anytime.

OrionXM is a progressive minded company that specializes in digital home entertainment solutions and complementary products that help their customers save money on their home entertainment costs. If you are interested in learning more about the OrionXM business opportunity, visit them online at www.orionxm.com.

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