The Channel Trust Problem Nobody Talks About - And How to Fix It, Rogers Clawson with Momentum

Rogers Clawson on telecom channels, trust, and building beyond connectivity

Chris Whitaker sits down with Rogers Clawson, who has worked both the agent and supplier sides of the telecom and technology channel, to unpack how the industry works when it’s done well. Rogers also shares why joining Momentum made sense, how managed services and custom network builds are reshaping opportunities, and why the best advisors focus on outcomes instead of products.

In this episode:

Rogers traces his path from an RCN call center to business services, Cisco certs, network engineering work, and enterprise account management.

He shares how an early mentor at Global Communication Networks taught him the agent side of the channel and how that shaped his career.

Rogers talks about his military background, including the National Guard, Army service, field artillery, and later time on a sniper team in Afghanistan.

Chris and Rogers compare lessons from military service, especially accountability and the mindset of “embrace the suck” when problems hit.

They break down the biggest misunderstanding between vendors and trusted advisors: vendors often want direct access, while TAs live on relationships and trust.

Rogers explains why every deal is different and why a rinse and repeat SOP approach rarely works across customers, technologies, or sales motions.

He shares how his long relationship with Metro Optical, later acquired by Momentum, led to a full-time role after years of already operating like an internal team member.

Rogers highlights Momentum’s growth into a strong fit for multi-site, rural, international, cloud connectivity, and data center work.

They discuss the shift from selling circuits to selling managed services, security, redundancy, and business outcomes.

Rogers weighs in on AI’s impact on connectivity, especially in data center buildouts, high-capacity transport, and the need for fast, redundant fiber paths.

Timestamps: 

00:00 - Chris introduces Rogers Clawson and his telecom channel background
04:36 - Why college was not the path and how telecom work started
05:31 - From billing support to cable modem troubleshooting and business services
06:32 - Cisco certs, networking school, and moving into enterprise
07:26 - Military background and service in the Army National Guard
09:20 - Accountability and the lesson that “I don’t know” is never the final answer
12:30 - Supplier side versus TA side and where misunderstandings start
13:04 - Why vendors and advisors often misread each other’s motives
14:35 - Every deal is different and why SOPs can fail in the channel
16:53 - What made Momentum the right move after years of working together
17:53 - How custom solutions and back-office support created trust
20:17 - Momentum’s sales-driven culture and why that matters
21:33 - The opportunity for TAs to expand into managed services
23:09 - Why outcomes matter more than products or commission
24:31 - Understanding customer business before recommending technology
25:13 - Baker mindset versus chef mindset in solution design
26:36 - Don’t overcomplicate simple deals
27:55 - How AI companies are driving network and colo demand
28:44 - Why AI data centers care more about capacity than carrier count
30:16 - Bandwidth needs are rising, but physical builds matter more than shortages
31:31 - Momentum’s sweet spot: aggregation, international, and cloud connectivity
32:45 - Why hard-to-reach sites and international assets are a major advantage
33:43 - Owning local loops and tagging agents to long-term assets
35:46 - The ideal agent profile and how Momentum supports both simple and complex deals
36:46 - Rogers’ favorite work: custom solutions and strategy support
37:22 - Final advice: do your homework, build profiles, and use AI as a tool
38:22 - Why AI still requires human judgment and explanation