#alansmithson

It is time. Time to tell the story of the Emulator made by Alan Smithson and partner Pablo Martin, from Argentina.  They created a company called SmithsonMartin Inc.  This  story is about a business lost at the hand of a sly investor, who ousted the founding team and lifted the business into different holding companies, leaving founder Alan, out of reach from the business. Our story has taught us lessons and put us in a place of gratitude, knowing our experiences have only made us stronger.  SmithsonMartin Inc. holds a place  in our hearts for many reasons. Here is our story about where the company started, and where it is today.

There is never a good time to write the story about losing something in your life.  It is never productive, it is never energizing, it never feels good, and when you drain yourself of "what if’s”, you feel like you have a burning hole in your gut from the stress it has caused. Sometimes though, the need to “Tell Your Story” is necessary, to outline your lessons and vent the truth from your side.  It brings a sense of closure and for Alan and myself, it was necessary to do so with the turn of events recently taking place.

When you create something and watch it change at the hands of someone who went against all Founder advice, creating a setback that snowballed into a devastating blow to our family of having the company removed from our control.   There are no words to explain the feeling. It was like losing a child, at least that is how I felt.   Although not human, Emulator was our life for 4 years, and was developed and designed from scratch by our team. We lived and breathed with the company with all our heart.  Today, Alan is still a Shareholder of the Emulator, but the company has been removed from his rights, without consent or legal formality.

The company started in 2010, with Alan reaching out to Pablo Martin (in Argentina), who created the software. Together they started a partnership, creating the company SmithsonMartin Inc. developing the Emulator, The World’s First Touchscreen DJ System & Midi-Controller. The Emulator is a see-through touch screen with a coloured pattern of touch control buttons for music.  The interface had the ability to be customized, and that was what was so appealing to everyone when they saw it on stage.   We created and sold over 750 Systems internationally including the Dual View System (DVS), the KS-1974, The Monster ELITE, and the ELITE in the 4 years of operations.

Many know that Alan was a DJ in Toronto well before SmithsonMartin started. We introduced the Emulator at TEDxToronto and then featured our new product at an ADE opening party in Amsterdam, at a massive church. It was through Alan’s energetic passion for music and technology, he DJ’d with the Emulator on stage launching our business into a thriving and energetic business.   In the first 2 years, Alan travelled extensively worldwide, selling and demonstrating the Emulator in front of crowds of people, at distribution locations, and with well known International DJs at Festivals and in Nightclubs.  Our company thrived, won awards, sold good products, and we had built an industry respect for our designs.  The company had a good path and one that would have evolved if financially supported with investment.

As an Entrepreneur, we believe in ourselves to the point of illusion. The vision is strong, the belief to move forward taking financial risks is almost natural.  Shuffling and juggling are terms commonly used when operating a start up business, but sometimes you run out of options or cards to play, and you are forced to give in.  Never by choice.  That is exactly what happened to SmithsonMartin in 2014 when we met our Investor (We will call the investor MS), who dangled a financial carrot, which we took and when we did, he took over and fired all of us from the company, including Alan.

We were introduced to MS for the first round of conversations in February 2014.  The relationship was rocky from the start since MS didn’t confirm his involvement right away, rather he  supplied us with some funds to support the business (Less than $10K) before the partnership was laid out.

The partnership became complicated when We had applied to be on Dragon’s Den in early January, and we were selected to film in April.  MS suggested we still go on to see what happens.  On screen we got a deal of $500K to four Dragons, and after considering our options, we went to MS to offer his money back, and take this larger investment with backing power to advance the company.  To our shock, we were served with a threat he would sue if we entered into a contract with the Dragon’s - forcing us into a lower valuation with larger takeover of shares - putting us into a position of weakness and certainly not one the Dragon’s would go near with a lawsuit attached. MS left us no choice but, to only deal with him.

In May 2014 we signed into a new Corporation, formed by MS to start Emulator with clean books and operations to be maintained by MS’ team and family.  Through the summer months, we struggled as the vision we saw for the Emulator and the company crumbled underneath us.  With the assembly of the units moved to Miami, the operations at the office in Toronto were becoming challenging as I struggled to work with MS’ family, and his schizophrenic accountant who, was taking care of the new business and finances. Andrej was no longer required to build the units, as MS instructed Alan to build them in his brothers patio furniture factory in Miami,  and as a result, sales went downhill fast and the product quality was non-existent.  

MS and I started off well, but when he took over in May - he started to resent my knowledge and control in the company.  My involvement with the business  was no longer applicable to the operations in Miami, and he made it clear very quickly, he didn’t want me a part of the company.  He demanded that I sell, and Alan would build the units, taking me out of logistics…. it was like putting road blocks on who we were.

It was in November Alan made a trip to Miami and things were heated with them both about the products being built perfectly,  and no sales.  When MS dropped Alan off at the airport to come home, he told Alan to fire me, and Alan would only be working for free from this point. I was locked out of my email almost immediately, and Alan tried everything to sell with limited resources.  I lost all control of the company and had to move on, without the Emulator.  At this point we didn’t know if it would succeed, or have any success again.  All we knew is that someone else had control.

Ironically for me, the next day, Dragon’s Den was on and thousands of people saw Alan and Julie get a deal with the Dragon’s. I felt like I was living in this crazy reality show tunnel of sitting at my desk changing passwords and contact information with people calling to congratulate us. Alan and Andrej were living and working in the house so the company still surrounded me, and I lived with this for 4 months.  I faked it with many people, I would tell everyone that things were great…  or that the deal hadn’t gone through because we decided after all it wasn’t best for the company. How do you explain that last night you were on TV showing off this wicked touchscreen system, and a history of 4 years and now I was actually fired from the company and we didn’t have any control.

An important part to this story is here.  I was fired from SmithsonMartin - the MS run company. I wasn’t fired from SmithsonMartin Inc.,  the company who owned the patent and the debts that took our house away and  more. We still own that, and to this day we still have financial obligations that have challenged us to the core.  MS made sure he was not attached to our history, and that included the debts from the other company.  The new company was formed together in May, and in September we found out he had created another holding company called SmithsonMartin LLC out of Miami, without our knowledge.

In March of 2015, MS fired Alan.  When it happened, the emails and passwords were cut off, the access was denied, and we were warned to stay away from the company.    It was both a relief and sadness for us. Alan went through the emotions of loss and still does to this day; of the Emulator product and SmithsonMartin Inc. company we so proudly built and loved to be a part of.  We cared and showed our passion to include our customers, our supporters and our team.  We represented fun, enjoyment and incredibly wicked technology, and We represented it well.

The past 2 years tell another story, one of loosing our home, finding peace and building a new company under different circumstances.  Still immersed in the never-been done before market we are trying to find a new balance for our family and one that we continue to be passionate about.  We will always have a love for the Emulator and that is why to this day, our heart aches for this company and our passion to help it grow.

So what  happened to Emulator? We watched online via Facebook, the company slowly evolve into a new company called Touch Innovations. Taking our software and hardware into a new company name, but using the brand name Emulator - selling it as their own.  As of the last weeks our website domain of SmithsonMartin.com is no longer attached to the Emulator information.  Alan, as a 40% Shareholder of the partnered company with MS has never been advised of the new company formation, nor have we received financial statements since the start of the business that would support the operations of the SmithsonMartin Emulator in the capacity it is doing.  Today we are not involved with the business at all.   

Business is not supposed to get personal, but when you create something, how can you not?   Alan owns part of the Emulator business and it is where it is today because of the path we created.   As a Shareholder, Alan has the right to know how the company is doing and if there is success to be shared. It is a sad thing not to be able to be a part of an industry we love and respect.  

We continue to pay Emulator debts even though we have no ownership anymore, and that drains us the most and sharpens the pain. Today we are proud of the Emulator, especially when we see our creations on stages around the world.  Regardless who has the ownership, we can still say we were part of creating it, and that can’t be taken away from us.  One day we hope our rights will play out in the best interest for us and in the best interest of the company, so all shareholder rights are rewarded fairly.

To our family and friends who were part of the company by way of investment, support or passion - we thank you for everything you have ever done for us.  By sharing our story, we hope to move on to another day, and maybe one day we will be rewarded for  the passionate work we did together, and have an amazing party to celebrate at the touch screen hands of the Emulator.

Thank you, xo