The Make Water Work Podcast - Episode 38 Featuring Travis Kennedy

Episode 38: Travis Kennedy - Trust, AI, and Telling Water's Story

The water sector is one of the most operationally resilient industries on the planet. Systems delivering clean water 24/7 under aging infrastructure, workforce shortages, and increasing regulatory pressure — and for the most part, they work.

So why doesn't anyone know that?

Travis Kennedy has had a front-row seat to this industry for over 20 years — not as an operator or regulator, but as Chief Industry Officer, Water & Environmental Markets at Water Online, the water and wastewater industry's go-to digital media platform reaching more than one million unique visitors annually. He's interviewed hundreds of engineers, operators, regulators, and solution providers. In this conversation, Isaac flips the mic.

What we cover:

- How Travis found his way into water in 2003 — and why he's never left

- What Water Online was talking about in 1995 vs. today (and what's actually changed)

- Why AI won't replace the field workforce — and the auto mechanic analogy that explains it perfectly

- The three-stage buyer's journey that every water solution provider needs to understand

- Why "doing the work well" is no longer enough on its own — and what has to come with it

- Communication, trust, and why those two things are the foundation of everything in this market