Insights & Perspective
The Path to AI Readiness Starts with Better Business
Most businesses are asking, "How can AI help us?"
I think there's a better question.
Is our business actually ready to maximize AI's potential?
The Businesses That Win with AI Will Have One Thing in Common
The old ERP saying, "Garbage in. Garbage out." may be more relevant today than ever before.
AI won't replace weak leadership, inconsistent processes, or poor data. But it can help great businesses become even better.
Before asking how to implement AI, it may be worth asking whether your business is truly ready to benefit from it.
Creativity Before Capital
The biggest improvements I've seen in business rarely started with a bigger budget, they started with a different way of thinking.
I've found that some of the best solutions don't come from additional resources. They come from better questions.
This week's blog explores why creativity should come before capital, and how that one mindset change can unlock capacity, performance, and better decisions.
Part 2: The Opportunity Profit of Your Time
In my last blog, I challenged leaders to think about the opportunity cost of their time.
Today, I'd like to explore the other side of that equation.
As AI creates more capacity across our organizations, the real opportunity isn't just saving time, t's deciding how to invest it.
What is the opportunity profit of your time?
Part 1: The Opportunity Cost of Your Time
Over the years, one of my favorite conversations during one-on-one coaching meetings had very little to do with sales goals, budgets, or KPIs.
Most of these were problem solving conversations to address a specific challenge or bottleneck.
Before we started solving the problem, I would ask two questions.
Come on… This Isn't Rocket Science!
One sentence I used for years almost immediately backfired when I joined a technology company.
"Come on...this isn't rocket science."
The problem?
Three people in the room had literally written software for rocket engines.
That experience taught me one of the most valuable leadership lessons of my career, one that feels even more relevant today in the age of AI.
Turning Inward or Turning Outward?
As business owners, I think we sometimes approach business challenges the same way. We tell ourselves, "I'll figure it out," and convince ourselves we don't need outside support or perspective.
A recent engagement with a business owner reinforced the value of turning outward.
The Business You Have vs The Business You Want
Early in my career, I was conditioned to believe that there was no business problem an increase in sales couldn't solve.
Today, I see things a little differently.
Growth is important. But sustainable growth usually starts with understanding your current reality, aligning your team, and executing against the priorities that matter most.
That's the first step.
How Deep Is Your Bench?
Who is your backup?
More importantly, who is your customer's backup?
The depth of your bench may be the best indicator of your company's ability to grow.
The Best Referrals Share These Five Traits
Most business owners love referrals. I sure do.
Over the years, I've noticed that the best referrals tend to have a few things in common. When they do, good things usually happen for everyone involved.
What If Growth Isn't Your Biggest Opportunity?
For most business owners, that probably sounds like a strange question.
After all, growth is usually the goal. More customers, more projects, more revenue.
The Best Product Development Team Is Often on the Jobsite
Some of the most valuable product development insights don't come from engineers, marketers, or executives. They come from the people installing the product every day.
The jobsite has a way of exposing assumptions, validating ideas, and revealing opportunities that no conference room ever could.
What Entering New Industries Taught Me About Leadership
One of the things I appreciate most about my career is that I have been blessed with the opportunity to work across several different industries and business environments over the years.
Every time I made one of those transitions, I was reminded of something that took me a while to fully appreciate.
The Hidden Risk of Being Too Accessible as a Leader
Why hands-on leadership must eventually evolve into trust, ownership, and empowerment.
For most of my career, I viewed being highly accessible and hands-on as one of my strengths.
And in many situations, it was.
It’s Not Scaling the Way You Think
You’re scaling the business, but not the leadership.
Growth is fun, until it starts to feel like a grind.
Early on, you can get away with a lot.
Loose structure. Quick decisions. Everyone doing a bit of everything.
And it works just fine. Until one day it’s just not working as easily.
To ERP or Not to ERP: That Is the Question
At some point, every growing business feels it.
What used to work… now doesn’t.
Too many spreadsheets and manual processes. Systems that don’t connect, and the team is chasing data instead of utilizing it.
So… When does an ERP actually make sense?
The Better Mousetrap Isn’t Enough
I’ve spent a lot of my career around innovative building systems that were clearly better.
Stronger. More efficient. Better long-term performance.
And yet… they struggle to become the standard.
Patience vs. Accountability Isn’t a Choice
As leaders, we are constantly walking this line:
How long do you give someone to figure it out… before it becomes something you need to address?
When Everyone Is Right… and It’s Still Not Working
I stepped in to run a distribution business that wasn’t performing.
Not because of bad people. Not because of bad tools.
Because things just weren’t lining up.
In my first 30 days, I kept hearing…