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If you've been saying you want to buy a business for years, your next move is HERE. Get your ticket to Main Street Millionaire Live and learn how to find deals, evaluate them, finance them, and own the upside: http://info.contrarianthinking.co/msmlbig-deal Already a business owner? Growth Boardroom is where established owners tap in to a real board of advisors to find profit levers to find hidden cash their businesses. Check it out: https://contrarianthinking.biz/bdbr What if everything you think you know about success is wrong? What if the biggest risks aren't reckless, they're required? And what if the person everyone loves to hate is actually the one we should all be studying? Eric Jorgenson spent five years studying Elon Musk and distilled everything into his new book, The Book of Elon. He's the bestselling author of The Almanack of Naval Ravikant and has built a career decoding how the world's most effective people think, operate, and win. In this episode, we break down the exact frameworks Elon uses to build companies that rewrite entire industries, why he takes insane risks that would bankrupt most people, and how his relentless focus on speed, truth, and deletion makes him the most leveraged human alive. In this episode, you'll learn: Why Elon split his last $30 million between SpaceX and Tesla when everyone told him to pick one, and how that decision proved he's mission driven, not money driven The five step algorithm: question requirements, delete, simplify, accelerate, automate, and why doing them out of order wastes millions The idiot index: how to identify parts or processes where you're paying 100x more than the raw materials cost and why aerospace was a thousand to one before SpaceX Why Elon fires fast, moves into factories during production hell, and demands hourly updates on bottlenecks, and how that hardcore culture filters for missionaries Why demos beat PowerPoints every time and how showing physical progress collapses communication gaps and accelerates decisions ___________ (00:00:00) Introduction: The Risk-Seeking Mission-Driven Mindset of Elon Musk (00:01:42) The 2008 Story: When Elon Split His Last 30 Million Between Two Dying Companies (00:05:40) Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway: How Elon Pushes Through Obstacles (00:06:57) Why Elon Is Polarizing: Politics, Billionaires, and the Nerd Who Became Controversial (00:08:33) The Bottleneck Formula: Working on the Right Thing at the Right Time Right Now (00:09:31) Production Hell and Sauron Focus: The Model 3 Story (00:19:11) Hardcore Purpose: The Rage Demon, Torture, and Being Wired for War (00:31:25) The Path to Billionaire Icon: Focus Intensely on What Nobody Else Can Do (00:33:31) Never Burn Bridges: The PayPal Mafia and Founders Fund Investment (00:36:51) The Idiot Index: Why Your Parts Cost 100 Times More Than They Should (00:42:37) Speed Is the Ultimate Advantage: Rejecting the Fast-Cheap-Good Trilema (00:47:57) Empathy at the Mission Level, Not the Individual: The Firing Philosophy (00:53:29) Show Don't Tell: Demos Over Decks and the Power of Physical Progress (01:01:06) The Algorithm: Question, Delete, Simplify, Accelerate, Automate (01:06:44) The One Sentence Onboarding: Be So Good They Talk About You at Dinner (01:11:21) Is Elon Happy? The Storm in His Head and What We Can Learn ___________ MORE FROM BIGDEAL
Heute geht es um eine Folge, in der Damian und Thomas zeigen, wie sich ihr Business-Fokus Schritt für Schritt weiterentwickelt hat.Thomas erzählt, wie er sich immer tiefer in das Thema Robotics gearbeitet hat und warum ausgerechnet echte Begegnungen, Vor-Ort-Termine und kulturelles Verständnis den Unterschied machen. Es geht nicht nur um Technik, sondern darum, wie man in China Zugänge schafft, Vertrauen aufbaut und daraus konkrete Geschäftschancen entwickelt. Genau an dieser Stelle zeigt sich, warum so viele westliche Unternehmen mit reinem Know-how nicht weit kommen.Besonders spannend wird es, als Thomas von einem konkreten Use Case erzählt: Ein deutscher Hersteller sucht nach neuen Wegen, Desinfektion mit Robotik zu verbinden. Aus einer ersten Idee wird ein realer Austausch mit chinesischen Herstellern, Krankenhäusern und technischen Teams vor Ort. Das ist typisch China: Wer offen, schnell und lösungsorientiert denkt, kommt weiter als mit langen PowerPoints.Auch der Blick auf die kulturelle Seite fehlt nicht. Die Folge zeigt, wie unterschiedlich deutsche und chinesische Entscheidungslogiken, Geschwindigkeit und Erwartungshaltungen sein können und warum genau darin für CEOs und Business Entscheider eine echte Chance liegt. Wer China nicht nur beobachten, sondern verstehen und nutzen will, bekommt hier einen ehrlichen und praxisnahen Einblick.Viel Spaß beim Reinhören!Send us Fan Mailasiabits hier abonnieren: asiabits.comDamians Team kontaktieren: www.genuine-asia.comModeratoren & Hosts: Damian Maib & Thomas DerksenSchnitt & Produktion: Valissa Petzold
Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Alicia Lyttle. SUMMARY OF THE ALICIA LYTTLE INTERVIEW From “Money Making Conversations Master Class” with Rushion McDonald [ 1. Purpose of the Interview The purpose of this interview was to: Showcase Alicia Lyttle, CEO and co‑founder of Air Innovations, known widely as the “Queen of AI.” [ Educate small business owners, entrepreneurs, and nonprofits on how to leverage AI for growth. Highlight her mission to empower the African American community to not only keep up with AI—but lead in it. [ Demonstrate how AI tools can transform operations, content creation, finances, and productivity in minutes instead of months. Inspire listeners through her entrepreneurial journey, professional pivots, and personal resilience. 2. High-Level Summary Alicia Lyttle returns to the show two years after her last appearance, now positioned at the forefront of the global AI movement. She explains how her work has shifted from annual summits to monthly AI Business Summits, teaching tens of thousands of entrepreneurs how to use AI hands‑on for content, marketing, operations, and scaling. She breaks down how simple tools—such as NotebookLM, ChatGPT, Jasper, Gemini, and HeyGen—can turn a single piece of content into newsletters, PowerPoints, videos, study guides, and more. She stresses that AI is now accessible, especially with free versions like ChatGPT. Alicia also shares her origin story in AI, beginning with a 15‑year‑old speaker at Walmart Tech Live describing IBM Watson. This sparked her fascination and ultimately led her to pivot her entire company toward full-time AI training and consulting by 2022—despite skepticism from her peers. She details the massive growth of her brand, including 21,000+ live summit attendees and explosive social media expansion. The interview also addresses AI’s role in finance, healthcare, government, job disruption, and how individuals can future‑proof themselves. Her personal story of overcoming a restrictive ex-husband who told her she would “never speak again” underscores her powerful message: no one should silence your gifts. Now she speaks to thousands, leads major events, and helps others build new careers in AI. 3. Key Takeaways A. AI Is Evolving Fast—and So Must We AI is changing so quickly that entrepreneurs cannot afford to wait for annual updates. This is why Alicia shifted to monthly training summits. People need ongoing education to stay competitive. B. Hands‑On AI Education Is the Key Alicia doesn’t just lecture—she walks participants through real demonstrations: Uploading YouTube links Creating summaries Generating emails, mind maps, PowerPoints, quizzes, videos, and more…all from a single input. Her approach eliminates fear and teaches entrepreneurs how to use AI immediately. C. Accessibility Has Changed the Game The release of ChatGPT, especially the free version, democratized AI. Before that, tools like IBM Watson were too complex and expensive. Now anyone with a laptop and internet connection can build websites, write content, or automate business flows in minutes. [ D. The African American Community Must Lead—Not Follow Alicia emphasizes that historically, Black communities have been “last in line” in tech innovation, but this AI era presents a once‑in‑a‑generation opportunity to jump ahead.She sees it as her mission to speak everywhere Black entrepreneurs are to ensure they seize this moment. E. AI Will Replace Tasks—But People Can Future‑Proof Themselves Jobs are already shifting. Companies are laying off non–AI‑literate employees.Alicia urges people to: Become AI‑fluent Join AI committees at work Pursue certification Use AI to become their company’s internal expert “There’s no maybe—you have to learn AI,” she warns. F. AI is Transforming Every Sector: Finance, Healthcare, Government She provides insights on… AI receptionists (“Monica” and “Leslie”) that boost customer interaction to 92% Financial analysis using secure ChatGPT setups AI mental health companions Government calls for national AI leadership G. Alicia Monetizes Through Education, Certification & Consulting Her business model includes: Free monthly summits Paid masterclasses Corporate consulting AI certifications Live Atlanta workshops She teaches others to become AI consultants too. H. Her Personal Triumph Story Inspires Thousands A powerful moment is when she recounts her ex-husband saying: “There’s only one quarterback on a team—and you will never speak again.”Yet today, 1,200+ people attend her live events, and tens of thousands join her virtual trainings. Her success proves resilience and purpose overcome adversity. 4. Key Quotes On AI Opportunity “Never has there been a better time in history to start, build, or scale a business than right now.” On Training Entrepreneurs “Open your laptops… use the same prompt I use. See what results you get.” On the Power of AI Tools “You can take one episode and repurpose it into all these different content ways.” On Pivoting Her Entire Company “In 2022, I said we’re closing this business and going all in on AI.” On Being Black in Tech “My mission is to make sure our community is not left behind—but ahead of the curve.” On Personal Resilience “You will be speaking on the best stages… people will come to see you.”(A friend’s response after she was told she’d “never speak again.”) On Future-Proofing Careers “Those using AI will replace you. You have to learn how to leverage AI.” On AI as a Human-First Technology “AI plus human intelligence—that’s what takes things to the next level.” #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSupport the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Alicia Lyttle. SUMMARY OF THE ALICIA LYTTLE INTERVIEW From “Money Making Conversations Master Class” with Rushion McDonald [ 1. Purpose of the Interview The purpose of this interview was to: Showcase Alicia Lyttle, CEO and co‑founder of Air Innovations, known widely as the “Queen of AI.” [ Educate small business owners, entrepreneurs, and nonprofits on how to leverage AI for growth. Highlight her mission to empower the African American community to not only keep up with AI—but lead in it. [ Demonstrate how AI tools can transform operations, content creation, finances, and productivity in minutes instead of months. Inspire listeners through her entrepreneurial journey, professional pivots, and personal resilience. 2. High-Level Summary Alicia Lyttle returns to the show two years after her last appearance, now positioned at the forefront of the global AI movement. She explains how her work has shifted from annual summits to monthly AI Business Summits, teaching tens of thousands of entrepreneurs how to use AI hands‑on for content, marketing, operations, and scaling. She breaks down how simple tools—such as NotebookLM, ChatGPT, Jasper, Gemini, and HeyGen—can turn a single piece of content into newsletters, PowerPoints, videos, study guides, and more. She stresses that AI is now accessible, especially with free versions like ChatGPT. Alicia also shares her origin story in AI, beginning with a 15‑year‑old speaker at Walmart Tech Live describing IBM Watson. This sparked her fascination and ultimately led her to pivot her entire company toward full-time AI training and consulting by 2022—despite skepticism from her peers. She details the massive growth of her brand, including 21,000+ live summit attendees and explosive social media expansion. The interview also addresses AI’s role in finance, healthcare, government, job disruption, and how individuals can future‑proof themselves. Her personal story of overcoming a restrictive ex-husband who told her she would “never speak again” underscores her powerful message: no one should silence your gifts. Now she speaks to thousands, leads major events, and helps others build new careers in AI. 3. Key Takeaways A. AI Is Evolving Fast—and So Must We AI is changing so quickly that entrepreneurs cannot afford to wait for annual updates. This is why Alicia shifted to monthly training summits. People need ongoing education to stay competitive. B. Hands‑On AI Education Is the Key Alicia doesn’t just lecture—she walks participants through real demonstrations: Uploading YouTube links Creating summaries Generating emails, mind maps, PowerPoints, quizzes, videos, and more…all from a single input. Her approach eliminates fear and teaches entrepreneurs how to use AI immediately. C. Accessibility Has Changed the Game The release of ChatGPT, especially the free version, democratized AI. Before that, tools like IBM Watson were too complex and expensive. Now anyone with a laptop and internet connection can build websites, write content, or automate business flows in minutes. [ D. The African American Community Must Lead—Not Follow Alicia emphasizes that historically, Black communities have been “last in line” in tech innovation, but this AI era presents a once‑in‑a‑generation opportunity to jump ahead.She sees it as her mission to speak everywhere Black entrepreneurs are to ensure they seize this moment. E. AI Will Replace Tasks—But People Can Future‑Proof Themselves Jobs are already shifting. Companies are laying off non–AI‑literate employees.Alicia urges people to: Become AI‑fluent Join AI committees at work Pursue certification Use AI to become their company’s internal expert “There’s no maybe—you have to learn AI,” she warns. F. AI is Transforming Every Sector: Finance, Healthcare, Government She provides insights on… AI receptionists (“Monica” and “Leslie”) that boost customer interaction to 92% Financial analysis using secure ChatGPT setups AI mental health companions Government calls for national AI leadership G. Alicia Monetizes Through Education, Certification & Consulting Her business model includes: Free monthly summits Paid masterclasses Corporate consulting AI certifications Live Atlanta workshops She teaches others to become AI consultants too. H. Her Personal Triumph Story Inspires Thousands A powerful moment is when she recounts her ex-husband saying: “There’s only one quarterback on a team—and you will never speak again.”Yet today, 1,200+ people attend her live events, and tens of thousands join her virtual trainings. Her success proves resilience and purpose overcome adversity. 4. Key Quotes On AI Opportunity “Never has there been a better time in history to start, build, or scale a business than right now.” On Training Entrepreneurs “Open your laptops… use the same prompt I use. See what results you get.” On the Power of AI Tools “You can take one episode and repurpose it into all these different content ways.” On Pivoting Her Entire Company “In 2022, I said we’re closing this business and going all in on AI.” On Being Black in Tech “My mission is to make sure our community is not left behind—but ahead of the curve.” On Personal Resilience “You will be speaking on the best stages… people will come to see you.”(A friend’s response after she was told she’d “never speak again.”) On Future-Proofing Careers “Those using AI will replace you. You have to learn how to leverage AI.” On AI as a Human-First Technology “AI plus human intelligence—that’s what takes things to the next level.” #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Alicia Lyttle. SUMMARY OF THE ALICIA LYTTLE INTERVIEW From “Money Making Conversations Master Class” with Rushion McDonald [ 1. Purpose of the Interview The purpose of this interview was to: Showcase Alicia Lyttle, CEO and co‑founder of Air Innovations, known widely as the “Queen of AI.” [ Educate small business owners, entrepreneurs, and nonprofits on how to leverage AI for growth. Highlight her mission to empower the African American community to not only keep up with AI—but lead in it. [ Demonstrate how AI tools can transform operations, content creation, finances, and productivity in minutes instead of months. Inspire listeners through her entrepreneurial journey, professional pivots, and personal resilience. 2. High-Level Summary Alicia Lyttle returns to the show two years after her last appearance, now positioned at the forefront of the global AI movement. She explains how her work has shifted from annual summits to monthly AI Business Summits, teaching tens of thousands of entrepreneurs how to use AI hands‑on for content, marketing, operations, and scaling. She breaks down how simple tools—such as NotebookLM, ChatGPT, Jasper, Gemini, and HeyGen—can turn a single piece of content into newsletters, PowerPoints, videos, study guides, and more. She stresses that AI is now accessible, especially with free versions like ChatGPT. Alicia also shares her origin story in AI, beginning with a 15‑year‑old speaker at Walmart Tech Live describing IBM Watson. This sparked her fascination and ultimately led her to pivot her entire company toward full-time AI training and consulting by 2022—despite skepticism from her peers. She details the massive growth of her brand, including 21,000+ live summit attendees and explosive social media expansion. The interview also addresses AI’s role in finance, healthcare, government, job disruption, and how individuals can future‑proof themselves. Her personal story of overcoming a restrictive ex-husband who told her she would “never speak again” underscores her powerful message: no one should silence your gifts. Now she speaks to thousands, leads major events, and helps others build new careers in AI. 3. Key Takeaways A. AI Is Evolving Fast—and So Must We AI is changing so quickly that entrepreneurs cannot afford to wait for annual updates. This is why Alicia shifted to monthly training summits. People need ongoing education to stay competitive. B. Hands‑On AI Education Is the Key Alicia doesn’t just lecture—she walks participants through real demonstrations: Uploading YouTube links Creating summaries Generating emails, mind maps, PowerPoints, quizzes, videos, and more…all from a single input. Her approach eliminates fear and teaches entrepreneurs how to use AI immediately. C. Accessibility Has Changed the Game The release of ChatGPT, especially the free version, democratized AI. Before that, tools like IBM Watson were too complex and expensive. Now anyone with a laptop and internet connection can build websites, write content, or automate business flows in minutes. [ D. The African American Community Must Lead—Not Follow Alicia emphasizes that historically, Black communities have been “last in line” in tech innovation, but this AI era presents a once‑in‑a‑generation opportunity to jump ahead.She sees it as her mission to speak everywhere Black entrepreneurs are to ensure they seize this moment. E. AI Will Replace Tasks—But People Can Future‑Proof Themselves Jobs are already shifting. Companies are laying off non–AI‑literate employees.Alicia urges people to: Become AI‑fluent Join AI committees at work Pursue certification Use AI to become their company’s internal expert “There’s no maybe—you have to learn AI,” she warns. F. AI is Transforming Every Sector: Finance, Healthcare, Government She provides insights on… AI receptionists (“Monica” and “Leslie”) that boost customer interaction to 92% Financial analysis using secure ChatGPT setups AI mental health companions Government calls for national AI leadership G. Alicia Monetizes Through Education, Certification & Consulting Her business model includes: Free monthly summits Paid masterclasses Corporate consulting AI certifications Live Atlanta workshops She teaches others to become AI consultants too. H. Her Personal Triumph Story Inspires Thousands A powerful moment is when she recounts her ex-husband saying: “There’s only one quarterback on a team—and you will never speak again.”Yet today, 1,200+ people attend her live events, and tens of thousands join her virtual trainings. Her success proves resilience and purpose overcome adversity. 4. Key Quotes On AI Opportunity “Never has there been a better time in history to start, build, or scale a business than right now.” On Training Entrepreneurs “Open your laptops… use the same prompt I use. See what results you get.” On the Power of AI Tools “You can take one episode and repurpose it into all these different content ways.” On Pivoting Her Entire Company “In 2022, I said we’re closing this business and going all in on AI.” On Being Black in Tech “My mission is to make sure our community is not left behind—but ahead of the curve.” On Personal Resilience “You will be speaking on the best stages… people will come to see you.”(A friend’s response after she was told she’d “never speak again.”) On Future-Proofing Careers “Those using AI will replace you. You have to learn how to leverage AI.” On AI as a Human-First Technology “AI plus human intelligence—that’s what takes things to the next level.” #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSteve Harvey Morning Show Online: http://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode of the HVAC School Podcast, host Bryan sits down with Lenny from Copeland to explore how one of the most respected names in HVAC and refrigeration is actively investing in the next generation of technicians. Lenny leads Copeland's aftermarket demand creation efforts, which includes everything from working with wholesale networks and trade shows to educational partnerships with schools and nonprofit organizations. The conversation covers a wide range of initiatives aimed not just at recruiting people into the trades, but at giving them the tools and confidence to thrive long-term in the industry. A major theme throughout the episode is Copeland's belief that workforce development is a shared responsibility across the entire industry chain — from manufacturers and parts suppliers to contractors and educators. Lenny describes how Copeland partners with organizations like SkillsUSA, Skills Canada, and the NC3 (National Coalition of Certification Centers) to provide hands-on training opportunities and industry certifications to students in trade and tech schools. Copeland sends trainers to these competitions with mobile refrigeration simulators, where students troubleshoot real-world fault scenarios and receive detailed feedback afterward — making it both a competitive and educational experience. The episode also dives deep into Copeland's Train-the-Trainer program, a cornerstone of their work with NC3 partner schools. Rather than simply handing schools a curriculum and walking away, Copeland brings educators through an intensive one-week program covering HVACR system fundamentals, troubleshooting, and compressor operation — complete with hands-on activities, refrigeration simulators, and even compressor teardowns. The goal is to ensure that instructors can confidently deliver accurate, field-relevant material to their students. Lenny emphasizes that Copeland intentionally avoids "death by PowerPoints," preferring interactive, application-based learning that mirrors what technicians actually encounter on the job. On the technology side, the conversation highlights the newly unified Copeland Mobile app, which now integrates White-Rodgers tools alongside the existing Copeland suite. Features like Check and Charge, PT Pro, and Fault Finder help technicians quickly diagnose system issues in the field, while the AI-powered Scout tool allows users to query Copeland-approved engineering bulletins and product data for fast, accurate answers. Lenny and Bryan discuss why this kind of tightly controlled, manufacturer-backed AI is genuinely valuable — cutting through information overload so a tech on a rooftop can get the right answer quickly. The episode wraps up with details on the HVACR Tech Appreciation Day sweepstakes happening April 1 through June 30, where Copeland is giving away approximately $3,000 worth of tools as a thank-you to technicians across the industry. Topics Covered Lenny's role at Copeland and the scope of their aftermarket and education work How Copeland approaches workforce development as an industry-wide responsibility Copeland's involvement with SkillsUSA and Skills Canada — booths, judges, and mobile refrigeration training simulators The NC3 (National Coalition of Certification Centers) partnership and how it connects trade schools to industry certifications Copeland's three-part curriculum: HVACR system fundamentals, troubleshooting, and compressor operation The Train-the-Trainer program — how Copeland educates educators to deliver consistent, field-ready instruction Hands-on learning philosophy: refrigeration trainers, scroll teardown kits, and compressor-in-a-suitcase tools available to schools Virtual reality scroll teardown in development to bring factory experiences to the classroom The newly integrated Copeland Mobile app — combining White-Rodgers and Copeland tools in one platform App features: Check and Charge, PT Pro (with altitude settings), Fault Finder, and the 30-year products catalog Scout — Copeland's AI tool that searches approved engineering bulletins and product data to answer field questions fast Why manufacturer-controlled AI is a practical and trustworthy resource for technicians The importance of retaining new technicians by giving them support systems so they aren't overwhelmed and don't wash out HVACR Tech Appreciation Day — June 22nd — and the sweepstakes giving away ~$3,000 in tools (vacuum pump, recovery unit, core removal tool, gauge sets) How to reach Copeland's Educational Services team: educationalservices.coldchain@copeland.com Accessing educator resources on Copeland's website and the Copeland Mobile app Copeland's Resources: Sweepstakes: Enter Copeland's HVACR Technician Appreciation Sweepstakes before June 30th, 2026 at hvacrschool.com/copelandsweepstakes. Copeland Mobile App: apps.copeland.com/copelandmobile Educator Resources: https://www.copeland.com/en-us/training-support Educational Services Email: educationalservices.coldchain@copeland.com Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool. Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 8th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android.
Speaker - Stewart North Find out more about our Thursday Gathering - www.ebe.org.uk/thursdaygatherings. Also download PowerPoints, view songs that we used, etc..
Stand up and stretch as high and as wide as you can. How does that feel? Imagine what it would feel like if you were chained and not able to stretch or move freely. Paul was in that situation. Many others may have felt depressed in such conditions, but Pa
Wondering and Wonder Wondering and Wonder a Trinity Sunday sermon by Rev. J. Christy Ramsey DOWNLOAD A LIVE RECORDING Audio from worship at the 10:00 AM Worship Service May 31, 2026at St Peter’s Episcopal Church, Carson City, Nevada edited from a flawless transcription made by edigitaltranscriptions all errors are mine. Scripture read on Audio: Matthew 28:16-20 Sermons also available free on iTunes Stained Glass Symbol of the Trinity at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Carson City, Nevada. photo by J. Christy Ramsey Hey, it’s Trinity Sunday. Thanks for coming out of your family events and gatherings and celebrations. I’m glad you’re all in your Trinity finest gear. That’s wonderful. Great, great. It’s a really bad Sunday to preach, on Trinity Sunday. There’s nothing. There’s nothing there. I don’t blame Donna for leaving the state. I mean, I’d get far away from the pulpit, too, if I could. Trinity Sunday is about as exciting as looking at your phone and say, “Spam likely.” That guy again. They’re always calling. Or, you know, worse is, “This is your insurance company. We’d like to talk to you about some explanation of your benefits.” Oh. That’s right up there with Trinity Sunday preacher, I’ll tell you. Hey, I bet you didn’t know something. Trinity Sunday is with us every Sunday. I bet you didn’t know this. I bet up here, you know, way before we had these screens – whoo, nifty neat-o, we had screens in church for centuries. We just called it “stained glass.” So I just wanted people saying, oh, I don’t like this new stuff, hey, stained glass has been around for centuries. I don’t know what you’re talking about. So up here – I don’t know if I’m allowed up here, I’m destroying things – I don’t know if you can see it. This is actually a symbol of the Trinity. Everything’s clear now; isn’t it. No, it’s not. But here they’ve got God in the middle. Come up later, if you’re allowed. I don’t know if you’re allowed. But come up later. Árni Dagur, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons They’ve got a dais in the middle, God. And then they’ve got Holy Spirit here, Father up there, Son up there, Father over there on the three. And then they’ve got little connection things. Spirit is not the Father, Father is not the Son, Son is not the Spirit. And then they all go to the middle, they’re all “Is God, Is God, Is God.” Okay. We can pack it up. We’re done. Everybody understands the Trinity now. That’s great. Super. Don’t be telling people you’ve got a fidget spinner in stained glass at your church. I mean, well, unless you want to. People think, oh, that’s pretty cool. I think I’m coming, yeah. Not a fidget spinner. All right. Way back in the 5th Century, there was a guy, his name was Augustine of Hippo. I don’t know. I don’t know, you know, if he was a portly man. But they called him Hippo. I think that’s where he lived. Unfortunate if he was portly. That would have been bad. He said this: “Si comprehendis, non est Deus.” And what that is translated from the Latin is, If you think you understand God, what you understand is not God. - Augustine of Hippo Well, that’s helpful, Augustine. He’s saying if you understand something, then you don’t understand it. The parts you understand about God is not something you understand. The difference between stupid and intelligent people — and this is true whether or not they are well-educated — is that intelligent people can handle subtlety. They are not baffled by ambiguous or even contradictory situations — in fact, they expect them and are apt to become suspicious when things seem overly straightforward. - Neal Stephenson, The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer (1995). And we have a quote up here from a more recent philosopher. Good old Neal Stephenson, author of “Snow Crash,” any classic science fiction – no, nothing. Oh. No, you’re just scratching. Okay. The difference between stupid and intelligent people, and this is true whether or not they are well educated, is that intelligent people can handle subtle – Bill, what’s that word? BILL: Subtlety. PASTOR RAMSEY: Subtlety. Thank you, Bill. That’s why I brought him in here, roped him up to give me that word. Thank you. Subtlety. And they are not baffled by ambiguous or even contradictory situations. Whoo. In fact, they expect them. And they’re apt to become suspicious when things seem overly straightforward. Yeah. Intelligent people are not baffled by ambiguous or even contradictory situations. In fact, they expect them. And they’re suspicious if things are too simple. You’re all intelligent people now; right? Okay. Because you all heard Trinity stuff, oh, the shamrock thing. Who’s heard of the sham – don’t put your hands up. Who’s heard this? Because that’s a heresy. I don’t want you to put your hands up, then let it go, ooh. Not TrinityShamrock, you know, the three in the Trinity, one plant, three things. Sometimes even I said this, and I was wrong, that’s modality, that’s a heresy. This is, like, should be called Heresy Sunday because it’s so easy to slip in heresy when you’re trying to talk about the Trinity. When you’re talking about, you know, oh, it’s like steam and liquid water and ice, you know. No, it’s not. It’s modality. And it’s not even Father, Son, Holy Spirit, you know. As much as Presbyterians love committees, love them, God is not a committee. It’s not like they vote and come together, two out of three goes, you know, none of that. It’s not like, you know, like loving, loved, and beloved, or all these other things that people try to make into some kind of social community rolling around kind of thing inside a God, and that’s Trinity. Just about anything – just like our friend Augustine found out. You know, every time you try to describe a Trinity, you’re probably not describing the Trinity. You’re not describing God. If you think you understand it, you got it wrong. What are we to do? What are we to do? Well, we’re intelligent people. We can handle things that are contradictory or complex or not clear or not simply explained. We can handle that. I mean, you know, they just don’t let anybody in the Episcopal Church; right? There is a little test you’ve got to do before you get in; right? I’m sure there is. They haven’t caught me yet. Ha. It’s like when I go to Trader Joe’s. Does anybody go to Trader Joe’s? I go in there. I am not good-looking enough to be at Trader Joe’s up there in [totsy?] land. They’re going to kick me out because I go, wow, what are these people? Wow. Everybody comes down from Tahoe, and they’re nice? But we can handle it. And we’ve got stories here. We’ve got scriptures here that tell us about complexity. And you can come to these scriptures and be confused. You can come to the Trinity and be confused. And what confused? Well, I don’t understand it, and I should. It’s not good for me. I’m upset. Well, then you’re not intelligent. Here’s a thought. Instead of being confused, be in awe. Instead of being upset you don’t understand something, be in wonder of the glory of God. Because you look at the creation story, and was that a big creation story? You know, I was talking to – that’s a lot of scripture. You know, that’s a big hunk there. And, well, you know, he created the entire universe, you know, give him a chapter. You know, come on. So you look at that, and we’re so familiar with it that we just blow it on by; you know? The first creation story, you know, there’s a – every now and then, God created the Heavens and the Earth, and it was so. You know, that “and” is doing a heck of a lot of work. You look all the way through it, he says something, and it was so. Says something, and God said it was good. Said something, and God said it was good. You know, that “and” is like a billion years of time and space in that “and.” I mean, we’re just skipping over a whole lot of stuff that we would like to understand in that “and.” I’m telling you, all of our scientific endeavor is trying to figure out that “and” bit, between God says it’s going to happen and then he said it was good. We want to know between the “and.” We don’t have to. We don’t have to be confused by complications. And that’s why we had the whole big, you know, some people say, well, you have the Trinity in there because, you know, in the story of Genesis, God is referred to as “we,” in the plural. So that’s the Trinity there. Okay, that’s kind of a reach. I mean, you know, when the King of England or Queen of England says “We are not amused,” they’re not talking that they’re the Trinity, you know, there’s a “royal we” kind of thing. But I like to think they picked that out, the little lectionary elves picked that up because here’s another thing we don’t understand. You’ve got the Trinity. Everybody’s confused. Let’s throw in the creation story, too, just so long as we’re doing a confusion Sunday. But it doesn’t have to be confusion. It could be wonder. Saying, look at all those wonderful things God’s done. You know, God just didn’t do it. I think it’s very important in our times. God said it was good. So when people tell you other people are bad or these people aren’t good enough or these people are below us or beneath us or don’t have the right to be here, or don’t have the right to exist, or should pull themselves up by their own – remember what God said. God said it was good. It was good. People are good. God doesn’t make trash is what they used to say. But not only that, God makes people good. That’s complex. That’s wondering. That’s confusing. We want to understand it, want to dissect it, want to have the PowerPoints. But nope. Just got to go with God is good. God made the world good. God made people good. So if something’s bad in the world, guess what? Guess whose that is? That’s us. Enough of that. Let’s go on to the psalm. Psalm’s great; isn’t it? Psalms? Psalm is great for wonder. Because, you know, you go out there, and you don’t hear the quantum mechanics and the astrophysics of how all the stars are made and move and go and come and red shift and dopplers and all this other stuff. Psalm just goes out there and says, why is God caring about me? In all this, God cares about us. In its infinite vastness of the universe, God cares about us. That’s wonder. Not confusion. It’s living in the joy and in the wonder. It’s a wonderful time. Not a confusing time. I’m angry because God didn’t check it out with me before God went on and did God things. God did explain everything to God. And that goes right on. We’re running now. Keep up with me. That goes right on to the epistle where Paul says – gives it grace, and says, “Grace of the father,” and “Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,” the love and fellowship. And you say, how do we get together on that? Does one come, and then they do like a costume change or put on a different mask or get on a collar? Instead of an open-collar shift they put on a collar with a thing. And then they come out and do the other thing, but it’s the same person. You know, Christy’s sitting in the pew saying Christy up in the collar. No, that’s all heresy. You’ve got to approach that with wonder and say, wow. Look at all that. The love, the grace, the fellowship. It’s all there. I don’t know how it all works, but I’m sure glad it does. Kind of like the way I treat my car. I don’t know how it works. I’m sure glad it moves and goes places. And then the last one, the gospel. In the gospel, don’t you love the disciples? You’ve got to really look at the disciples because they’re a bunch of bumbling fools; you know? And I feel better about myself the more I read about the disciples because I said, if those guys can make it, I’ve got a shot; you know. I’ve got at least a shot. Because they’re in there, you know, here they are, they’re in the end of the ministry, been hanging out with Jesus. I mean, you and me think, oh, if we had met Jesus, we would be onboard. We would be 100% Jesus; you know? But, you know, the disciples, they were there the whole time. And they said, hey, we’re worshiping him. But some doubted. I go, what’s with these guys? You know? And I said, “I feel better about myself because sometimes, you know, maybe I have a doubt or two; you know? Things happen.” But it wasn’t like, okay, Jesus didn’t say, oh, let me explain it all to you and answer all your doubts. We’ll have a town hall. You can all yell at me about how you’re upset about the way I’m running the church, and I’ll explain it to you. We’ll all come into a wonderful happy agreement, and I’ll tell you all the things. No, he said, he knows he had doubt. He says, “Go therefore and go out and do good things. Go out there and make disciples of all the nations. Tell everybody to love one another. Tell them to love their enemies. Tell them to love the stranger.” Oh, no, you’re getting political. “Tell them to love the stranger. Tell them to love the soldier in your land. Tell them that God loves everyone. Tell them that God made everything good. Even countries that aren’t ours are still good.” [Gasp] Political again. He didn’t wait. He didn’t explain it. He didn’t give them the why. He didn’t answer their doubts. He just took them. He just expected them. Show up, doubts and all. Come on in. Come as you are. And these people were disciples. I mean, you know, they’ve got logos and stained glass and people praying to them and stuff. Still doubts. There’s hope for us. We don’t have to be sure and understand everything and remember our good old friend, Fat Man Augustine, that says, “If you think you understand, you don’t understand.” Huh. Huh. I feel better about that. And remember about our favorite science fiction with Neal there, Stephenson, said, “We like to think of ourselves as intelligent people. We don’t expect to understand stuff. We’re okay if things are contradictory.” You know a contradictory thing is, it’s when a teenager – anyone had experience with teenagers? Been a teenager? I was talking to someone, there’s a church that’s misbehaving. They called me in. Ah, there’s a wonder. I’ve got to tell you. Saying come in. And he said, “What are we going to do about this person?” And I go, well, you know, they’re doing everything we asked. Everything we told them to do, they’re doing. They’re just yelling and screaming about it and writing letters about how horrible it is. And that’s kind of like the teenager that you tell them to go up to their room, and they’re going up to their room yelling and screaming at you the whole way. You know? “Why is it so unfair?” They’re going to their room, you know, so you they’re kind of sort of getting it. You know, moving toward obedience, even though they’re yelling about it. And we can handle that as intelligent people. As adult people we can say, “Yeah, that’s kind of messed up, mixed up, crazy there. But, yeah, pretty good mostly. We’re all right. We can handle the creation story.” How did all that happen in one day? That “and” thing is just really blowing my mind between the I’m going to do this, now it’s done. Wait a minute. What’s the middle? We’re okay with that. Mostly. We’re okay with I have some doubts and don’t know everything. Well, that’s okay, go out and tell everybody to love everybody, and that God loves them. Even with the doubts? Yeah, even with the doubts. Do ahead and do that. We so much want to understand stuff. It’s why we keep making heresies out of the Trinity because we try to understand it, we can’t understand it because it’s the basis of God, and we get all upset and try to make it simple. Try to make it into a shamrock, or try to make it into a, you know, the ice cube tray in the refrigerator, you know, the automatic ice cube stuff. How does that work? It’s not what we should do. We’re not supposed to understand it, and that is kind of a little scary for people that aren’t intelligent. I’m complimenting you here now. I’m believing you’re all intelligent people, and you expect to not know everything and be okay with that and be in wonder. Well, how does that work out in a romcom from the 1990s, Christy? I know that is a question everybody asks. Everybody asks. Sure, he’s a good preacher, but what about a romcom from the ‘90s? I need that romcom. I want you to take a look at “Groundhog Day.” This is Rita. Rita is going somewhere between confusion and wonder here. She has questions of she thought she knew this guy, Bill Murray, who’s playing Phil Connors. Thought she knew this guy. And then things happen. And then she has a choice about whether she’s going to get the long or short version of what everything is. Or whether she’s going to commit herself and all that she has to the wonder that is Phil Connors. Rita didn’t need all her questions answered, either the short or the long version, to commit $339.88, her total net worth, I imagine, to be into the wonder of Phil Connors. We do not need the long or short version of the Trinity to know when something good has been created, and that we are invited into relationship with. Take that as your Trinity Sunday sermon. Amen.
Speaker - Derek Powell Find out more about our Thursday Gathering - www.ebe.org.uk/thursdaygatherings. Also download PowerPoints, view songs that we used, etc..
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https://youtu.be/oPA1dSUab9Y James Green, CEO of Cognome and former Pixar executive under Steve Jobs, is driven by a deep curiosity and a pull toward ideas that can create massive impact. From early internet ventures to mobile innovation and now AI in healthcare, James has consistently aligned himself with transformative trends. In this episode, he shares hard-earned lessons from scaling multiple companies and introduces a simple but powerful framework that explains why many startups struggle to grow beyond their early stages. We explore James' 3-Stage StartUp Growth Framework: Whiteboard Phase, PowerPoint Phase, PDF Phase—a model that captures how organizations must evolve as they scale. He explains why early-stage chaos is necessary, how structure begins to take shape in the middle phase, and why standardization becomes critical at scale. James also dives into the toughest leadership challenges—especially making difficult people decisions—and shares why aligning with strong market tailwinds and creating “pull” from customers is essential for sustainable growth. — Grow Your Business in 3 Phases with James Green Good day, dear listeners. Steve Preda here with the Management Blueprint, and my guest today is James Green, the CEO of Cognome, a health tech company that is solving the problem of how to manage different AI models that are being deployed in healthcare today. Earlier, he worked as a vice president at Disney. He worked directly under Steve Jobs at Pixar, and he has had at least six other CEO roles in ed tech, media, and healthcare. Welcome to the show, James. Thank you very much. Delighted to be here. Yeah, super excited. And Steve Jobs—you don't often have people that have known Steve Jobs now even Tim Cook has resigned. Yeah. Yeah. And it’s 13 years, I guess. Steve Jobs is being gone. So what was it like working with the man? Was he a difficult boss? First of all, most of the things you hear about him are accurate. So it’s not one of these things where you hear a lot about Steve Jobs and actually the man was totally different. So most of what you’ve heard is true. And I’ll give you one short anecdote sort of before we go on, which is something that I always found incredibly impressive about him. When you work for him, if you disagreed and said, “Hey, you want it to be white, I want it to be black,” without hesitation he would say something like, “Here are seven reasons why you're wrong.” First of all, before we go into those seven reasons, what’s impressive about that is he had a number and he stuck with it. And it happened in seconds and he didn’t know before. So if you think about that, it’s hard to keep all of that in your head. So the guy was just super, super clever. And then he would list them 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and you’d be out. Like it’s done. It’s like, “Oh, damn.” So yeah, he was unbelievable human, and it was an honor and a privilege to have worked with him. Yeah, well, that's awesome—to talk to you, having worked with him and having some direct experience. Definitely not an easy boss when he has seven guns to shoot you down. Yeah. But there's a lot to learn. I mean, you learn the most from these kinds of bosses. Yeah. So let's get into the question—which is normally the first one, but this is the exception: What is your personal “why,” and how are you manifesting it in Cognome, James, and in your previous jobs? Yeah, I've thought about this a lot. I've tried to come up with what my “why” really is. And what I’ve come up with is I can’t help myself. And I’m going to go through examples of it and what I mean by that. I pay a lot of attention to the world. I pay a lot of attention to what’s going on. I get very seduced by new ideas and new things and things that I think will have big impact. And once I start thinking about it and thinking about what that impact is, I cannot help but start getting involved in it. That sounds very abstract, so I want to try to make that super concrete. So when I was working at Pixar, for example—the internet was being born. This is the late '90s. I couldn't help myself. I started an ad-serving company called Sabela Media. That company got sold to 24/7, then to DoubleClick, which later got acquired by Google. So the internet was there. I had to do it. I had to have something in it. Then after that, I was thinking about what to do next—and mobile phones, if you remember, were still flip phones, mostly used for texting. The second company that I did was putting content onto those phones. It just seemed obvious to me—I couldn't help myself. I saw the opportunity, and it clearly worked. That company was called GiantBear. It was sold to BlueCora. After that, there was this crazy innovation going on in television of all things with effects. Now, again, we take these things for granted. We’ve got AI creating things all day long, back in the day, we didn’t. So I ran a company called PVI, which is famous for inventing the first-down line you see in football games. So that was kind of the very first virtual object you saw in live things. Again, it may seem like, oh, that’s an everyday event, but back in the day it was totally not. And I think it opened up football to many more people—you no longer needed the chain crew to understand what was going on. And then if we fast-forward—there are a few things in the middle, but I don't want to bore everyone—to where I am today at Cognome. I even wore my little Cognome shirt so I could advertise it throughout the podcast. Yeah, that's smart. I have to do that. AI is clearly the big thing today. But for me, intellectually, it's not enough to just say, “I'll do an AI model,” like everyone else. For me, healthcare is one of the areas that AI will have the biggest impact with. Healthcare for a lot of reasons has been a laggard technologically for specific things about how they store data, so it hasn’t been adopted things like multi-tenant SaaS, because the data has to stay local and things like this. So AI will revolutionize it. And AI will make decisions about whether people live or die, right? So it's really consequential. And for me, the question is—how are you going to manage that? That's a super interesting intellectual opportunity. And so Cognome ExplainerAI. So my “why” is: what's going on, what's interesting, and what's changing the world? And the beautiful thing about that is you get a “rising tide lifts all boats” situation. You're not fighting against a trend—you're moving with it. The whole world is rising, and you can be part of that. That’s sort of my “why”. Yeah, so basically—in other words—it's about coming up with revolutionary ideas and implementing them? Yeah. I mean, I want to make an impact in the world. I want to make a difference. I'm not a very religious person—in fact, not at all. So I believe our time here is limited. I want to make a difference. I want to be part of what's going on. So yeah, that's my “why.” Yeah—tapping into trends. Well, that’s great. I mean, don't know if it's a “why,” but making the most of the opportunity to be here and maximizing impact—that's a huge one. Love it. Yeah. STEVE PREDA: So let me segue to the next one. This podcast is all about frameworks. So the objective here is what’s a shortcut that you can teach the listeners that they can implement in their business? So what is your “shortcut” to success? Maybe “shortcut” is the wrong word. What is the framework you use to interpret the world, understand it better, and make decisions? Yeah, this is another thing I struggled with a little bit. So I listened to your questions, and I tried to make my answers really personal. I'm trying to be authentic—this is what I actually do all the time, as opposed to this is what I’m doing at the moment, or this is what I did for a second. The truth is, frameworks come and go. There are a lot of frameworks out there. I've probably used 15 different sales frameworks. I mostly operate in the B2B world, so there are lots of frameworks you can use—for example, in sales. But I tried to think of something more consistent—a framework I've used across every company I've worked with, all the time. And the one I always come back to is about growth. So what I want to talk about is: how do you manage a company that's going through growth? Because it's not obvious—and I do have a framework for it. And unlike some of the other frameworks—like something McKinsey, Bain, or someone’s invented this framework and you are adopting it. This is really pretty personal to me, and I’ve adopted various little things about it. There are these two ideas that live in parallel. One is in the sales process, where I think companies go through this idea of, I call it a Whiteboard sales process, a PowerPoint sales process. And forgive me for being a little dated, but a PDF style process, something you can’t change. And at the same time, they go through these stages where you are a small company, a medium-sized company, and a larger company. Think of it roughly as fewer than 12 people, then 10 to 75, and then 75 to 100 and beyond. And I’ve managed all of these sizes. And what’s interesting about these is that if you don’t have a framework to manage yourself through these stages, you’re going to fail. You as a leader will be replaced. I personally have replaced leaders who cannot go through those kinds of things. One of the things I've done in my career is act as a sort of hired gun for VCs. They make an investment, and then they bring me in to replace the founder if they haven't been able to navigate that growth stage. And so the framework works like this. When you're starting a company—what I call the “whiteboard” phase—what you're selling is a little different every time. And the consequence of that inside the company is everyone is doing everything. It’s a little chaotic and it’s okay. Like, less than 10 people, it’s okay. It’s okay that the finance person is doing a little selling and the engineer is doing a little marketing. It’s okay, because you only have 10 people maybe. When you go into a client, you are sort of inventing yourself as you go. There's always that first client where you're saying, “I think we should do this. This is how I'm going to help you make money, save money, or do something better.” You’re figuring things out. Yeah. And maybe there's some pivots in there. Maybe there isn't. Not everyone gets to be Google and get it right the first time, but you’ll see. In the end, you start getting things right. And then you go through what I call the PowerPoint phase. So what this is—you now have more than 10 people. It kind of isn't okay that the sales guy is doing finance, or the engineer is doing marketing. You actually have people in their swim lanes. I call it the PowerPoint because you've built PowerPoints, so you’ve got slides that you can use and it’s replicable. Guess what? You tend to tweak them for each client. You are still—you know what—the way you're selling to… I don't want to make a stupid example up—Home Depot is still a little different than selling to Lowe's. You know that—even though it should be exactly the same—it's still a little different. You're tweaking it each time. You're moving slide three to slide seven. Sometimes you don't show slide 10. You're still tweaking it. Yeah. I relate to that. And your organization is structured, but not completely rigid. Everyone still knows each other in the company. It's up to maybe 50—I think it maxes out at about 75 people. But every single person in the company knows each other. They’re all collaborating. You don’t need a lot of structure inside the company because there’s sort of culture in there to hold everyone together, right? And then you get to the third stage, which I call the PDF stage—where you've figured it out. You sell the same thing. Maybe you have three PDFs because you're selling in three verticals. But you go into a client—this is the thing—and it never changes. Slide one is always slide one. Slide two is always slide two. Slide three is always slide three. And you have maybe a hundred people in your company. And by the way, now you have levels. So not everybody knows everybody. And as a CEO, I have my lieutenants. My lieutenants have people working for them. And I sort of feel like everyone can manage—I don't know—five, six, seven, eight people. More than that is difficult unless the roles are not very sophisticated. So you need this management layer, which separates the CEO from the rest of the organization. So you need a lot more structure. And as you go through these three phases—and they're really different—a tragic thing happens. It happens all the time. The person who was so helpful in the whiteboard phase, who was your go-to person, they don’t make it in the third phase because they’re a generalist. They liked the chaos. They liked being able to have their foot, and they’ll complain to you. They'll say, “Why aren't you listening to me?” It's an engineer saying, “Why isn't sales listening to me?” Dude, you're an engineer—stick to your knitting. Like, no. And this culture goes through every single company I’ve ever run. Most of them have gone through these three phases—small, medium, and large. And one of the things I try to do with employees in these phases—and this is part of the framework—is to give them a huge amount of latitude to see if they can succeed in the phase. So, to give them the freedom—if you're being blunt—to give them enough rope to hang themselves. And if you're being kind, to give them the freedom to be who they are, to be the best they can be, and to support them—not control them. And so, if you are aware of this framework as you grow, and you give that latitude, and you hire smart people, then you can see which ones you keep and which ones you don't. And honestly, the worst and hardest part of managing through growth is that selection and weeding-out process—of the people who worked in the first stage but don't work in the last stage. So that is the only kind of framework for me that has stood the test of time. It has worked in media, worked in healthcare, and worked in various other places. Does that make sense to you? Does it resonate with you? Absolutely. And I was just working on a chapter in my new book, and I was actually writing about this very idea—why some companies are never able to grow, because they are not able to make these decisions, these painful decisions, as you described. Super painful—the worst. It’s the worst part. Firing people is the worst part of being a CEO. If you enjoy that, you’re a bad CEO. You want to have a positive environment, so you want to everyone have a good time. And when there’s growth, usually there’s incredible optimism and great culture. So any CEO who enjoys that process is not a good CEO. Yeah, that’s so true. This is kind of a difficult thing. You have to be ruthless to some degree. You do. Yeah. That's why this framework has helped me—and it's helped me be gracious and kind to people. Let's just call her Jane, right? A totally fictitious person. But you can go to Jane in stage three and say, “Jane, do you remember how much you loved it in the first phase?” I'm going to give you some time here. You are going to leave, but I'm going to give you some time to work on a special project. But you also need to find your next startup—because you love that environment. And I am going to put this bureaucracy in place, and you're going to fight it until the day you die. So I can't have you here—I just can't. I can give you this little thing to do and you can have some weeks to go do that and give you some time, but the framework helps you be gracious and helps you make those decisions as you grow. That’s an amazing framework. This is really unique. We've recorded, I think, close to 400 episodes with different frameworks—and this hasn't come up. Nothing similar has come up. Woo-hoo. Love it. So where are you now in your business? Which phase are you in? I am in between the whiteboard and the PowerPoint phase. Maybe because I'm an optimist, I'm going to say I'm in the PowerPoint phase. But I know there's still part of me that's drawing things on the whiteboard. We have 12 people, so we're just at the edge of growing out of that phase. I don’t have that layer in the middle. We have half a dozen clients. I suspect that by the end of this year, we'll be fully in the PowerPoint phase. And it'll be another 18 months after that until we get to the next stage—and that's assuming we continue to grow. I mean, my whole raison d'être is to find these really special things, grow them, and make an impact. So let’s hope that happens. Yeah, well, you've had some practice in your previous six CEO positions, so I'm sure you'll figure this out. So what drives growth in your business? Yeah, this goes a little bit back to phase one. So I've picked an area that's growing by itself. I mean, AI—there are more and more models being deployed in hospitals. Hospitals are growing. The number of models deployed in them is growing at about 2.2 times the rate of the general population. So good for me. There are federal regulations coming that say you need to control what your AI models are doing. That's also good for me. It's a lovely day when regulation is good for your business—it usually isn't. But it's not unusual in healthcare. If you look at electronic health records, that was driven by government regulation and funding. So this is a little bit like that. Federal, state, and other institutions are driving this trend. And then there are things happening inside healthcare organizations themselves that we can tap into. I always think that when you're selling, you should have a good story. So I'm going to tell you the kind of story we use. When we meet with a chief information officer, we tell stories like the ones I'm about to share. And this really helps us tap into that growth. Because part of growth in a B2B environment is having a strong sales team, good engagement, and solid frameworks—like: do they have budget? Are you talking to the right decision-maker? All of those kinds of frameworks, which to me are more tactical—I've used a lot of them. But we go in and say things like: “Have you ever experienced a situation in radiology where a new model was released and no one told you about it—and now you have to monitor it?” This is happening. And they're like, “Oh my God—yes.” And then they tell you a story about it. And then you say, “What about that note from CMS?”—that's the organization that runs Medicare and Medicaid, for those not in healthcare. “Did you hear that they're coming down to audit some of your peers?” And they're like, “Oh my God—we just got notice that we're being audited.” And then—how about your board? How's your board doing? Are they coming down and saying, “What are you doing in AI?” So you try to tell these stories and then you create this tension, where they have to grow and they have to control, and then that’s where we come in. We can help all of these companies manage all of these models. What we do—we have this product called ExplainerAI. We tap into the underlying data from the electronic health record—the EHR, or medical record. We tap into the models—the front end—and the logging files behind them. And then we can tell whether the model is exhibiting drift, and how it's performing across different areas. That could be geographic areas, or demographic areas. Is it performing the same with young men and older women? Is it performing the same over time? Is it degrading? Is it releasing personal health information when it shouldn't? Is it hallucinating, if it's an LLM? That’s what we do. And then we can send alerts out to people, saying, “Hey, listen, this model is making shit up right now, you need to deal with it.” And then they can talk to the vendor and handle it. So we're in a good space. And so growth is, to some extent, this idea of a rising tide lifting all boats. I've picked an area that's growing, so I can grow with it. And then part of it is being connected and having a good way of engaging with people who are buyers. And so we have these stories that we tell in our decks about how we help in these situations. Have you had to pivot between the original idea and where you are? Yeah, we have. And for anyone who's listening and thinking, “Oh my God, I'm going to have to pivot,” I use Google as my favorite example of someone who just got so lucky. They were like, “We're going to have this little thing that searches the internet,” and they never really changed—until they got so big they could do more. That is the exception, not the rule. And what’s interesting about the way we started is it’s still a core differentiator for us—we started with the ability to take data from an EHR, from a medical record, translate it, and store it in a common data model. It's called OMOP. It's the most common way that researchers structure this kind of data. And we thought this technology would be widely adopted by researchers. We have contracts with people like Hopkins, Ohio State, NYU—big institutions—but it's not big enough. It’s not going fast enough. What it does do, though, is for our ExplainerAI, it gives us the technology—it's a moat—to connect to the source of truth, the electronic health record, so that you can get actual outcomes versus predictions. Many models cannot get the actual data out of the EHR. So they just say, “This is my prediction, this is my prediction, this is my prediction.” And over time—that's fine, those are predictions—but how do they actually compare to what really happened? Yeah. What actually happened? And because of where we started, we have a way of efficiently and accurately getting that information. So it is still the bedrock. But it's definitely a pivot. And then you basically put an AI layer on top, and that's great. And how did you know when to pivot? How do you reach that tipping point? How do you know this is the moment—you have to pull the plug on this because it's not working? First of all, I think on a personal level, I'm always late. So I think I could always have made this decision earlier. If I'm being self-critical at a high level. And I don't think I have a clean answer—but I'll tell you how I've done it. If you have a better way, I'd love to know. It’s about sales engagement. So you go to a hundred people, you have a hundred meetings, and you sell to two. That's not good enough. It's just not good enough. And those two are complaining. What you want to see in a product—and I think this is true of all great products, especially today—I use examples like Facebook and Tesla—is that products are pulled, not pushed. If you still find yourself, after nine months, pushing—and you don't have the momentum where your product is being pulled—you're wrong. You need your clients to be making referrals, and you need to be pulled into deals. In today's advertising and marketing world, it's too noisy. Maybe back in the seventies you could do it, but now it's just too noisy—especially in B2B. There are so many people selling to the same buyers that they need to hear about your product from others, have people around them recommending it, and pulling you in. There's some time—and I usually take closer to a year, which is long. It would be better for me to do it in six months or even three months. I haven’t found a way to do that where you pivot if you’re just not getting traction, basically. Yeah, okay. I love it. So what's one thing in your company that you're trying to figure out right now? One thing in my company that I'm trying to figure out right now is how to further ramp up sales. I'm cheating a little bit here, because I think we may already have it figured out—but leaving you with an unanswered question isn't very helpful. So we were having—and still are, to some extent—problems getting ExplainerAI rolled out. People were interested in it, but they wouldn't buy. So we tried to figure out why. And one of the things we found is this: For those of your listeners who may not know, healthcare is probably the largest portion of GDP in the country. Buyers are very large. We don't always think about it this way, but if you do—everyone goes to the doctor. It affects 100% of the population. And these large institutions—a hospital is usually a multi-billion-dollar organization—and there are about 6,500 of them in the country. So we've got 6,500 multi-billion-dollar companies in this country. It’s crazy, right? They don't want to buy from small companies—they want to buy from big companies. This is one of the things we found out. So we get to the finish line, they say yes—and then no one tells you the truth, right? No one says, “I'm not buying from you because you're small.” But we ended up figuring it out through triangulation. So we've been building partnerships. We started with Intel. We made some of our models work on Intel CPUs, and I'm actually pretty proud of that work. For the nerds out there—we're working on Xeon 6 chips, the Granite Rapids chips—running locally deployed LLM ensembles. Think of it as models like Qwen and LLaMA running inside their chips—what I'd call small-to-medium language models, not large language models. Up to 32 billion parameters, running on a CPU, not a GPU. So that’s a big deal. Intel loves us, and we've been able to leverage their ecosystem to have their partners sell our product. So now you've got HPE selling ExplainerAI. You've got Lenovo selling ExplainerAI. And probably my favorite partner—love you, ePlus, if you're listening—I think you're the best. They're a Fortune 1000 reseller selling ExplainerAI. So now we have large companies selling our product, and that's starting to come to fruition. Now, it's not solved—my revenue isn't going boom yet—because if it were, I'd be firmly in the PowerPoint phase, heading toward the PDF phase. But it's looking really good, and I'm very excited. Cognome Inside. There you go. Cognome Inside—yes. Cognome Inside. Intel Inside—for those of you who remember. Yes. Love it. Okay, so before we wrap up, I have one more question for you: What is a question that entrepreneurs should always be asking themselves? I think the hardest thing about being an entrepreneur is dealing with the amplitude of the variance that happens inside it. There are incredibly high days, and there are incredibly low days. There are days when you don't even want to get out of bed in the morning. You don't have many clients, and one of them has just told you that you're a complete moron. Even if you've got the best product in the world, if you're in the whiteboard or PowerPoint phase, you're going to make mistakes. You just are. No one's perfect. And there are days when some combination of a client, an employee, or the product—something has failed, someone has left, something isn't working—and you feel awful. So what I'd say to entrepreneurs is this: if you really are an entrepreneur, it is your personality that you can still get through those and wake up in the morning and say, I believe in this. I know I can do it. I can keep doing it. And one of the things that I think separates an entrepreneur from someone who isn't is this: When I go through these moments, I ask myself, “What's the worst that could happen?” And I usually start with: “Is anyone going to die?” And the answer is almost always no. No one's going to die. So it’s not that bad. And by the way, I remember giving that advice to a young person once—and I saw their face go white. And I thought, “Oh, that's not an entrepreneur.” That's the kind of person who hears that and thinks, “Oh my God, really? You think about the worst thing that could happen so you can deal with it?” And I'm like, yes. Does that apply to the company itself? Is the company included in that “worst-case” question? To me, the next step is: is an individual going to die? That's a higher stake than whether the company is going to die. But yes—is the company going to die? That's part of the thinking, because you're going through all the consequences. Am I going to lose all my money? Is the company going to fail? Those are escalations of that thinking. But to me, company death is less tragic than a human death. Yeah, true. Not everyone might agree with that, but I think so. You can try again. Yeah. Start another company. Yeah, exactly. Anyway, your question was: what is a question that an entrepreneur should always be asking themselves? For me, turning that upside down and inside out—it's: what's the worst that can happen, and can you get through it? Are you able to get through it? Do you have the drive and the imagination to keep going? That's the question I've continually found myself asking, as opposed to any other kind of existential question. And I think some of the other questions are not always the right way to look at it—like“Is this the best business?” Because there's a very big difference between an entrepreneur and an investor. An entrepreneur has to keep going, while an investor might quit. Investors, they’re playing the portfolio game. They can say, “That's not working—I'm dropping that and keeping this.” As an entrepreneur, you can't really play that game with your time. I mean, Elon Musk is running four companies—so okay, fine—but most of us aren't. Most of us are running one or two, and we need more tenacity to make it work—to pivot or to find another path. That's a really big difference between an entrepreneur and other kinds of people. And it's why I've kept doing it. It comes back to the very first question: why do you do this? I can't help myself. I just can't. It's what I like to do. Yeah, the contrast is addictive—the contrast between near-death and near-Nirvana, right? Yeah. I love it. I mean, you can't have euphoria without depression. You wouldn't know what it was—it would just seem normal. Yeah, just a personal example of that—I was in Hungary, where I was born, for the election two weeks ago. By the way, I'm so excited about that election, for many reasons. The exhilaration that I felt—and that everyone else felt—was even greater than when the Berlin Wall came down, because the system was worse. Yeah. And if they hadn't lived through that for 16 years, they wouldn't have felt it. Now, we didn't experience it directly—but still. But even I was paying attention to a lot of things, and I was following that one very closely. Even I felt that sense of euphoria. I was like, “That's great.” I was at the dinner table with my wife and kids—and I'm not Hungarian, it's not affecting me. I mean, Viktor Orbán isn't really having any effect on my life at all. Maybe he shows up at some conferences in the U.S., but still—not affecting me. But I'm sitting there at dinner like, “Did you hear what happened today? That's great.” Anyway. Awesome. I'm glad you're on that side of the equation. James, if people would like to learn more—if they'd like to learn about Cognome and connect with you—where should they go? Where can they find you? Yeah, so you can certainly go to cognome.com. You can email info@cognome.com. But if you've listened to this podcast, I'm always happy to hear from people. I answer every single email myself. And if you know my name—James Green—you can just put a dot in the middle and add @cognome.com at the end, and that will get to me. Delighted to hear from any of you—especially if you're a CIO in a hospital, you should reach out. Well, all those hospital CIOs—please call James, or at least send him an email. And for those of you listening—this was an amazing framework: from whiteboard to PowerPoint to PDF. Definitely relatable. And remember—if no one's dying, it's okay. You can always pivot and live to fight another day. So, James, thanks for coming—and thank you for listening. Important Links: James' LinkedIn James' website James' email: info@cognome.com
Have you ever tried to explain your belief in God to someone else? When? Have you ever felt embarrassed or frightened because you were a Christian? How can you follow Jesus and serve others in spite of the prejudice they may have towardyou? A story from P
Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Alicia Lyttle. SUMMARY OF THE ALICIA LYTTLE INTERVIEW From “Money Making Conversations Master Class” with Rushion McDonald [ 1. Purpose of the Interview The purpose of this interview was to: Showcase Alicia Lyttle, CEO and co‑founder of Air Innovations, known widely as the “Queen of AI.” [ Educate small business owners, entrepreneurs, and nonprofits on how to leverage AI for growth. Highlight her mission to empower the African American community to not only keep up with AI—but lead in it. [ Demonstrate how AI tools can transform operations, content creation, finances, and productivity in minutes instead of months. Inspire listeners through her entrepreneurial journey, professional pivots, and personal resilience. 2. High-Level Summary Alicia Lyttle returns to the show two years after her last appearance, now positioned at the forefront of the global AI movement. She explains how her work has shifted from annual summits to monthly AI Business Summits, teaching tens of thousands of entrepreneurs how to use AI hands‑on for content, marketing, operations, and scaling. She breaks down how simple tools—such as NotebookLM, ChatGPT, Jasper, Gemini, and HeyGen—can turn a single piece of content into newsletters, PowerPoints, videos, study guides, and more. She stresses that AI is now accessible, especially with free versions like ChatGPT. Alicia also shares her origin story in AI, beginning with a 15‑year‑old speaker at Walmart Tech Live describing IBM Watson. This sparked her fascination and ultimately led her to pivot her entire company toward full-time AI training and consulting by 2022—despite skepticism from her peers. She details the massive growth of her brand, including 21,000+ live summit attendees and explosive social media expansion. The interview also addresses AI’s role in finance, healthcare, government, job disruption, and how individuals can future‑proof themselves. Her personal story of overcoming a restrictive ex-husband who told her she would “never speak again” underscores her powerful message: no one should silence your gifts. Now she speaks to thousands, leads major events, and helps others build new careers in AI. 3. Key Takeaways A. AI Is Evolving Fast—and So Must We AI is changing so quickly that entrepreneurs cannot afford to wait for annual updates. This is why Alicia shifted to monthly training summits. People need ongoing education to stay competitive. B. Hands‑On AI Education Is the Key Alicia doesn’t just lecture—she walks participants through real demonstrations: Uploading YouTube links Creating summaries Generating emails, mind maps, PowerPoints, quizzes, videos, and more…all from a single input. Her approach eliminates fear and teaches entrepreneurs how to use AI immediately. C. Accessibility Has Changed the Game The release of ChatGPT, especially the free version, democratized AI. Before that, tools like IBM Watson were too complex and expensive. Now anyone with a laptop and internet connection can build websites, write content, or automate business flows in minutes. [ D. The African American Community Must Lead—Not Follow Alicia emphasizes that historically, Black communities have been “last in line” in tech innovation, but this AI era presents a once‑in‑a‑generation opportunity to jump ahead.She sees it as her mission to speak everywhere Black entrepreneurs are to ensure they seize this moment. E. AI Will Replace Tasks—But People Can Future‑Proof Themselves Jobs are already shifting. Companies are laying off non–AI‑literate employees.Alicia urges people to: Become AI‑fluent Join AI committees at work Pursue certification Use AI to become their company’s internal expert “There’s no maybe—you have to learn AI,” she warns. F. AI is Transforming Every Sector: Finance, Healthcare, Government She provides insights on… AI receptionists (“Monica” and “Leslie”) that boost customer interaction to 92% Financial analysis using secure ChatGPT setups AI mental health companions Government calls for national AI leadership G. Alicia Monetizes Through Education, Certification & Consulting Her business model includes: Free monthly summits Paid masterclasses Corporate consulting AI certifications Live Atlanta workshops She teaches others to become AI consultants too. H. Her Personal Triumph Story Inspires Thousands A powerful moment is when she recounts her ex-husband saying: “There’s only one quarterback on a team—and you will never speak again.”Yet today, 1,200+ people attend her live events, and tens of thousands join her virtual trainings. Her success proves resilience and purpose overcome adversity. 4. Key Quotes On AI Opportunity “Never has there been a better time in history to start, build, or scale a business than right now.” On Training Entrepreneurs “Open your laptops… use the same prompt I use. See what results you get.” On the Power of AI Tools “You can take one episode and repurpose it into all these different content ways.” On Pivoting Her Entire Company “In 2022, I said we’re closing this business and going all in on AI.” On Being Black in Tech “My mission is to make sure our community is not left behind—but ahead of the curve.” On Personal Resilience “You will be speaking on the best stages… people will come to see you.”(A friend’s response after she was told she’d “never speak again.”) On Future-Proofing Careers “Those using AI will replace you. You have to learn how to leverage AI.” On AI as a Human-First Technology “AI plus human intelligence—that’s what takes things to the next level.” #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Garett Medlin just got the official title for the job he was already doing: AI Practice Lead at P3. He's also the person responsible for Rob trying Cowork in the first place, despite Rob's very reasonable question: "Why the hell would I want Cowork if I already have Claude Code?" Then Rob accidentally proved Garett right. He made an offhand comment about needing a better way to track feedback on book graphics. Nothing dramatic. Just the kind of annoying little process problem everyone complains about and nobody fixes. Two days later, there was a Slack bot reminding him to review images, a web app with approve buttons, surrounding context from the manuscript, and a clean way to send feedback without creating a Slack archaeology project. Built by a non developer. In Cowork. Which makes Microsoft's Copilot Cowork story… awkward. Garett came with the field report. Yes, it can make PowerPoints. Yes, it talks to OneDrive. No, it doesn't have memory. No, it doesn't have custom instructions. No, it doesn't have projects. The section where those capabilities are supposed to live is called "Acquired Skills," and it currently says they will appear here. Which is a choice. At the same time, companies are getting top down mandates to spend $20 million a year on AI with absolutely no idea what they're supposed to spend it on. IT gets handed the problem, Copilot gets treated like the answer, and somebody nearby is always trying to sell a very expensive fear of the tools that already work. This episode is really about that gap. Between what's shipping and what's still "coming soon." Between the people waiting for enterprise permission and the people already building useful things on a Tuesday afternoon. Turns out, the scariest part of AI might be realizing the non developers got there first.
Do you find it difficult to love some people? Have you ever read 1 Corinthians 13 and wondered how you could have the love described by Paul? Do you think it's even possible? Let's read about Tina and her family to see how the qualities describedin this c
Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Alicia Lyttle. SUMMARY OF THE ALICIA LYTTLE INTERVIEW From “Money Making Conversations Master Class” with Rushion McDonald [ 1. Purpose of the Interview The purpose of this interview was to: Showcase Alicia Lyttle, CEO and co‑founder of Air Innovations, known widely as the “Queen of AI.” [ Educate small business owners, entrepreneurs, and nonprofits on how to leverage AI for growth. Highlight her mission to empower the African American community to not only keep up with AI—but lead in it. [ Demonstrate how AI tools can transform operations, content creation, finances, and productivity in minutes instead of months. Inspire listeners through her entrepreneurial journey, professional pivots, and personal resilience. 2. High-Level Summary Alicia Lyttle returns to the show two years after her last appearance, now positioned at the forefront of the global AI movement. She explains how her work has shifted from annual summits to monthly AI Business Summits, teaching tens of thousands of entrepreneurs how to use AI hands‑on for content, marketing, operations, and scaling. She breaks down how simple tools—such as NotebookLM, ChatGPT, Jasper, Gemini, and HeyGen—can turn a single piece of content into newsletters, PowerPoints, videos, study guides, and more. She stresses that AI is now accessible, especially with free versions like ChatGPT. Alicia also shares her origin story in AI, beginning with a 15‑year‑old speaker at Walmart Tech Live describing IBM Watson. This sparked her fascination and ultimately led her to pivot her entire company toward full-time AI training and consulting by 2022—despite skepticism from her peers. She details the massive growth of her brand, including 21,000+ live summit attendees and explosive social media expansion. The interview also addresses AI’s role in finance, healthcare, government, job disruption, and how individuals can future‑proof themselves. Her personal story of overcoming a restrictive ex-husband who told her she would “never speak again” underscores her powerful message: no one should silence your gifts. Now she speaks to thousands, leads major events, and helps others build new careers in AI. 3. Key Takeaways A. AI Is Evolving Fast—and So Must We AI is changing so quickly that entrepreneurs cannot afford to wait for annual updates. This is why Alicia shifted to monthly training summits. People need ongoing education to stay competitive. B. Hands‑On AI Education Is the Key Alicia doesn’t just lecture—she walks participants through real demonstrations: Uploading YouTube links Creating summaries Generating emails, mind maps, PowerPoints, quizzes, videos, and more…all from a single input. Her approach eliminates fear and teaches entrepreneurs how to use AI immediately. C. Accessibility Has Changed the Game The release of ChatGPT, especially the free version, democratized AI. Before that, tools like IBM Watson were too complex and expensive. Now anyone with a laptop and internet connection can build websites, write content, or automate business flows in minutes. [ D. The African American Community Must Lead—Not Follow Alicia emphasizes that historically, Black communities have been “last in line” in tech innovation, but this AI era presents a once‑in‑a‑generation opportunity to jump ahead.She sees it as her mission to speak everywhere Black entrepreneurs are to ensure they seize this moment. E. AI Will Replace Tasks—But People Can Future‑Proof Themselves Jobs are already shifting. Companies are laying off non–AI‑literate employees.Alicia urges people to: Become AI‑fluent Join AI committees at work Pursue certification Use AI to become their company’s internal expert “There’s no maybe—you have to learn AI,” she warns. F. AI is Transforming Every Sector: Finance, Healthcare, Government She provides insights on… AI receptionists (“Monica” and “Leslie”) that boost customer interaction to 92% Financial analysis using secure ChatGPT setups AI mental health companions Government calls for national AI leadership G. Alicia Monetizes Through Education, Certification & Consulting Her business model includes: Free monthly summits Paid masterclasses Corporate consulting AI certifications Live Atlanta workshops She teaches others to become AI consultants too. H. Her Personal Triumph Story Inspires Thousands A powerful moment is when she recounts her ex-husband saying: “There’s only one quarterback on a team—and you will never speak again.”Yet today, 1,200+ people attend her live events, and tens of thousands join her virtual trainings. Her success proves resilience and purpose overcome adversity. 4. Key Quotes On AI Opportunity “Never has there been a better time in history to start, build, or scale a business than right now.” On Training Entrepreneurs “Open your laptops… use the same prompt I use. See what results you get.” On the Power of AI Tools “You can take one episode and repurpose it into all these different content ways.” On Pivoting Her Entire Company “In 2022, I said we’re closing this business and going all in on AI.” On Being Black in Tech “My mission is to make sure our community is not left behind—but ahead of the curve.” On Personal Resilience “You will be speaking on the best stages… people will come to see you.”(A friend’s response after she was told she’d “never speak again.”) On Future-Proofing Careers “Those using AI will replace you. You have to learn how to leverage AI.” On AI as a Human-First Technology “AI plus human intelligence—that’s what takes things to the next level.” #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSteve Harvey Morning Show Online: http://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Isn't it fun to get something in the mail? Who is the favorite person you like to receive mail from? Today in our story Titus gets a special letter from Paul. Let's find out what it said.
Have you ever had an argument with someone in your family? How did you feel afterward? What if bad feelings from an argument are allowed to fester? Jesus wants us to live at peace with all the members of our family at home and in the church. Paul gives us
Dr. Sandra Glahn What does ancient Christian art created in a culture of orality reveal about women in the early church? Dr. Sandra Glahn of Dallas Seminary joins Sharifa Stevens of Beyond Ordinary Women in this conversation about the visual record of women in the early church. In a time when many people were illiterate, the church used visual images to teach the people and honor those who were heroes of the faith. By studying the art of the Byzantine Era, we are able to learn more about the church of that day. The Visual Museum of Women in Christianity has created a place for us to see many of these images today and provide free access to downloadable pictures of these pieces of art. You will find this conversation both educational and a delight as you hear the amazing stories of prominent women in the early church. Sharifa Stevens Recommended resources The Visual Museum of Women in Christianity BOW Podcast episode Using the Center for Women in Leadership BOW Podcast episode Women & Worship in the Early Church This episode is available on video as well. Timestamps: 00:21 Introductions 01:19 What is the Visual Museum of Women in Christianity and how can I access the free downloads 03:39 What women in church history are found in the visual record? 08:49 Why are these names and their stories important to know? 25:06 In what countries are you looking for more visual resources? 26:10 How does visual storytelling change the way people understand theology, Scripture and churches? 30:26 How do you select the women to feature next? 35:56 Resources TranscriptSharifa >> Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Beyond Ordinary Women Podcast. I am your host for today, Sharifa Stevens, and I would like to introduce you to someone whom I admire. Dr. Sandra Glahn is a journalist and also the author, coauthor or editor of more than 20 books. She serves as Professor of Media Arts and Worship at Dallas Theological Seminary. You can discover more about Dr. Glahn on our website, BeyondOrdinaryWomen.org. Dr. Glahn's most recent endeavor is the Visual Museum of Women in Christianity which we're going to learn more about today. Welcome, Dr. Glahn. Dr. Glahn >> Thank you so much. What a pleasure to see you. Sharifa >> Well, it's a pleasure to see you always. I wanted to just jump in to questions about the Visual Museum of Women in Christianity because I'm a newbie to this subject, and I'm sure there would be plenty of people in the audience who are intrigued and want to know more. So let's get started. Dr. Glahn >> Let's do it. Sharifa >> How would you describe the museum to someone encountering it for the first time? Dr. Glahn >> It's a place to get free high quality photos of women and the history of the church, particularly the early church and Byzantine eras. Maybe in 4.0 we'll be looking at every century of the church, but really it's focused much more on women in the early church. And it's a resource with free downloads where you don't have to ask permission. You don't have to say where you got it. Everything is a work for hire with photographers so that women are much more easy, much more easily accessed if you want to include visuals with a presentation. What we found, well, there's probably more than you need it just for a short explanation, but Sharifa >> no. Dr. Glahn >> we found that when we were looking to add women to PowerPoints and talks and people were looking for them for sermons, they're hidden behind paywalls. The art was paywalled or it was clipart. So it was one extreme or the other, the really high quality stuff. You know, it was illegal. If it was if it was even there. And so this is an effort to make it super accessible. Sharifa >> When you say early church, just for those of us who might not have a clear timeline of the Byzantine era, what are the years that we're talking about? Dr. Glahn >> So early church, of course,
Have you noticed how easy it is to feel at home with others who believe the same as you do? Take a journey back in time and picture Paul with your mind's eye as he travels, makes friends, and shares with others his faith in Jesus.
Carregado pelo Rei do Áudio, Ricardo Maria, terceiro de seu nome, príncipe das terras devastadas pelo vento, filho de mãe doida, jogador de basquetebol, rejeitado do Principado, ainda-não Rei do Vídeo, proprietário de abrigo, jogador da equipa Sénior de Basquetebol do Sport Lisboa e Benfica durante a época 25-26 num treino, possuidor de um pénis muy digno mas que não curte de falar disso, com soninho enquanto escreve isto.Patreonhttps://www.patreon.com/CUBINHOBILHETES GENTIL:https://linktr.ee/antonioacoutinhoBILHETES ARRAIAL:https://ticketline.sapo.pt/evento/-arraial-vitor-sa-99200?fromTopList=1BILHETES LABS:https://ticketline.sapo.pt/evento/freakshow-labs-97913CUBINHO, o podcast do colectivo CUBO. António Azevedo Coutinho, Ricardo Maria e Vítor Sá arrancam com a segunda parte deste projecto a três frentes. CUBINHO, um podcast em que se garante boa disposição e alguém a embirrar com o Ricardo.António Azevedo Coutinho https://www.instagram.com/antonioacoutinho/https://twitter.com/antonioacoutinhRicardo Mariahttps://www.instagram.com/ricardotaomaria/https://twitter.com/ricardotaomariaVítor Sáhttps://www.instagram.com/savitorsa/https://twitter.com/savitorsa
What actually happens when you say “yes” to a women's real estate retreat where you barely know anyone? Most people assume it's all networking and small talk, but the reality is much deeper. It's about the moment you stop overthinking and start showing up for yourself.In this episode, I'm joined by my friends from the Outer Banks Girlfriends & Growth Rereat– Sue, Shae, Karey, and Jamie. We're pulling back the curtain on what it really feels like to trade the daily grind for a house full of strangers and leave with a tribe.We talk about:From five-minute "just booked it" moments to following a gut feeling, how each woman pushed past the "introvert's anxiety" to get into the room.How a simple hallway conversation can spark an entirely new revenue stream or a "true north" business realignment.Why we designed a retreat that prioritizes breathing room over back-to-back PowerPoints.Using the retreat to turn scattered ideas into actionable structures—from team building to smarter automations.How these women are using tools like Notion and AI to document processes and clarify their guest avatars without losing the human touch.But this isn't just a recap of a trip. It's about the courage to invest in yourself. We dive into the emotional side of growth, navigating the "grumpy" voice of self-doubt and balancing businesses with families and W-2 jobs. You'll hear why shared values in real estate and hospitality can turn a house of strangers into a powerful support system in less than a weekend.If you've ever wondered if a retreat is "for you" or if you're too new, too seasoned, or just too busy, this conversation is your honest, unfiltered answer. Get ready to discover why stepping into the right room is the fastest way to find the clarity and momentum you've been looking for.HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY POINTS:[01:32] A short introduction about our guests Sue, Shay, Carrie, & Jamie, and their experiences at a recent Girlfriends & Growth Retreat in the Outer Banks[04:42] Sue shares deciding quickly to attend the Girlfriends and Growth retreat[06:55] Shay's experience when she first heard about the Girlfriends & Growth and shares that her decision to attend the retreat came from a place of curiosity mixed with hesitation[09:43] Jamie shares that her decision to attend the Girlfriends & Growth retreat was driven primarily by intuition [10:51] Carrie's initial reaction to the retreat concept was skeptical, particularly about hosting it at the beach during winter [14:54] Sue talks about her experience when arriving at a house full of women she didn't know and how she navigated the initial discomfort[17:40] Jamie reflects on walking into the retreat and feeling completely at ease, even though she didn't know who she would connect with[19:21] Shay's experience on stepping into the retreat feeling a little shy and uncertain, worried that everyone else might have more in common or be more experienced since she no longer hosts[21:51] How Carrie's takeaways from the Outer Banks retreat are shaping a more flexible, intentional experience in Pigeon Forge[28:13] Jamie explains that the retreat helped her clarify and organize the next steps for her business, particularly around building foundational systems, automations, and processes[32:00] How Sue used the retreat to refocus on guest experience, processes, and collaborative innovation[36:39] How Shay discovered the value of technology and the power of a supportive industry tribe[38:38] Carrie emphasizes the joy of watching 25 strangers enter a retreat and leave as a connected tribe, having shared experiences and exchanged contact information[41:02] Jamie advises trusting both gut and logic when making retreat decisions, especially for those who may not feel their intuition guiding them[42:39] Shay advises anyone on the fence about attending a retreat to just go, emphasizing that it's a net gain no matter the outcome[43:52] Sue encourages silencing self-doubt and embracing the investment in oneself[45:05] The importance of mastering mindset, silencing “Grumpy Greg,” and paying it forwardGolden Nuggets:“Being surrounded by smart women in real estate, but also just having sound boards you know, to be able to share ideas and get perspective in a non threatening, non judgmental environment, I think is so helpful.”“Just having alone time in my room to think and process the things that I've learned is incredibly helpful for me to be able to walk away from that retreat and walk away with an action plan.”“If anyone is thinking about making decisions, it is a breeding ground for the type of collaboration and brainstorming that you really need to not be stuck in making your own decisions.”“The more skilled that we can become at controlling those voices and controlling our mindset, the stronger we are, as women, as individuals, as entrepreneurs.”Join Our Next Retreat: https://bit.ly/4bPybnWEnjoyed the show? Subscribe, Rate, Review, Like, and Share!
“Sobre Combustíveis, Guerra e Powerpoints.” ********************************************************************************* Melhor forma de ajudar o Medo e Delírio? Pix recorrente no medoedelirioembrasilia@gmail.com *AGENDA* .28 de março, sábado, 21h BELO HORIZONTE Festa do Medo e Delírio na Autêntica! https://www.sympla.com.br/evento/medo-e-delirio-em-bh-a-festa/3311106 .11 de abril, sábado, 16h SÃO PAULO Lançamento do livro “Juízo Final” Megafauna do Copan .16 de abril, quinta, 19h BRASÍLIA Lançamento do livro “Juízo Final”! Paradeiro Café .18 de abril, sábado, 20h BRASÍLIA Festa do Medo e Delírio na Infinu! https://shotgun.live/pt-br/events/isso-e-jazz-22 .25 de abril, sábado, 16h RIO DE JANEIRO Lançamento do livro “Juízo Final”! Livraria Janela, Laranjeiras .26 de maio, terça, 19h BELO HORIZONTE Lançamento do livro “Juízo Final”! Livraria JenipapoQuer anunciar no Medo e Delírio, escreve pra gente no medoedelirioembrasilia@gmail.com O post II – 2026.21 – (SEM TRADUÇÃO) Os personagens mais insuspeitos do mundo, hoje, no Medo e Delírio apareceu primeiro em Central 3.
“Sobre Combustíveis, Guerra e Powerpoints.” ********************************************************************************* Melhor forma de ajudar o Medo e Delírio? Pix recorrente no medoedelirioembrasilia@gmail.com *AGENDA* .28 de março, sábado, 21h BELO HORIZONTE Festa do Medo e Delírio na Autêntica! https://www.sympla.com.br/evento/medo-e-delirio-em-bh-a-festa/3311106 .11 de abril, sábado, 16h SÃO PAULO Lançamento do livro “Juízo Final” Megafauna do Copan .16 de abril, quinta, 19h BRASÍLIA Lançamento do livro “Juízo Final”! Paradeiro Café .18 de abril, sábado, 20h BRASÍLIA Festa do Medo e Delírio na Infinu! https://shotgun.live/pt-br/events/isso-e-jazz-22 .25 de abril, sábado, 16h RIO DE JANEIRO Lançamento do livro “Juízo Final”! Livraria Janela, Laranjeiras .26 de maio, terça, 19h BELO HORIZONTE Lançamento do livro “Juízo Final”! Livraria Jenipapo Quer anunciar no Medo e Delírio, escreve pra gente no medoedelirioembrasilia@gmail.com O post II – 2026.21 – (COM TRADUÇÃO) Os personagens mais insuspeitos do mundo, hoje, no Medo e Delírio apareceu primeiro em Central 3.
Have you ever felt lonely? Have you ever wished you had someone with you when you had to face difficult circumstances? While on earth Jesus had a Friend and Helper like that, and the same Friend andHelper wants to be part of your life as well. Some events
improve it! Podcast – Professional Development Through Play, Improv & Experiential Learning
In this Workday Playdate, Erin sits down with AI expert and trainer John Rood to tackle how to actually implement AI at work without breaking trust, compliance, or culture. If you've been overwhelmed by AI hype or unsure where to start, this episode gives you a clear, actionable path forward.Inside This Episode:AI at Work, the Reality Check: What organizations are actually doing with AI today and where most are getting it wrong.HR as AI Gatekeeper: How HR can lead the charge in building smart, scalable AI policies that fit your organization.Adopt Too Fast or Too Slow: The hidden risks on both ends of AI adoption and how to find the sweet spot.AI Literacy for Everyone: Why AI skills aren't optional anymore and how to train teams from beginner to advanced.From Prompts to Productivity: How structured prompting unlocks real business value even for non-technical teams.Everyday AI Use Cases: From building PowerPoints to automating onboarding and internal research – what AI can actually offer you.Culture > Tools: Why experimentation, collaboration, and psychological safety determine whether AI succeeds or fails.The 3 AI Archetypes: How to engage early adopters, skeptics, and everyone in between.Red Flags to Watch: Shadow AI, data security risks, and governance gaps that can derail your strategy fast.Your First Steps: How to assess current AI usage, gather insights, and build a baseline policy that actually works.Who This Episode Is For:HR leaders navigating AI policy, compliance, and cultureSmall business owners ready to implement AI without the chaosPeople leaders balancing innovation with responsibilityTeams looking to boost productivity with practical AI useOrganizations that want to adopt AI without losing trustHumans who know AI is here and want to use it wiselyYour FreebieYou already have strengths that make you a powerful leader. But chances are, one of them is doing more heavy lifting than you realize.Enter your free resource: The Human Leadership Edge Quiz. In just 10 quick questions, you'll discover the leadership strength that sets you apart in the age of AI and how to use it more intentionally with your team.Take the Human Leadership Edge Quiz here.Connect with John RoodJohn's LinkedInJohn's websiteConnect with Erin Diehl x improve it!Leadership Playground online membership communityErin's websiteErin's InstagramErin's TikTokErin's LinkedInimprove it!'s websiteimprove it!'s InstagramSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Think of some exciting news you have had to tell. Whatmade the news so exciting? Whom did you want to tellfirst?
In this episode of Million Dollar Flip Flops, Rodric sits down with Bill Shander — information designer, data storyteller, LinkedIn Learning instructor, and author of Stakeholder Whispering.If you've ever:Crushed your team with bullet-heavy PowerPointsWatched people's eyes glaze over when you show a data tableThought “Yeah… I kind of know what this spreadsheet means”Or worried how AI is about to crash-land into your industry…this conversation is going to land.Bill has spent 30+ years helping organizations turn complex data into clear, visual stories that real humans actually understand — from giant consulting firms and governments to nonprofits and corporates in every vertical. Now he mostly teaches that craft and helps people communicate better with data.Together, we dive into:
What's up Bros??? We're back with the definitive best reality tv show around - Southern Hospitality. Picking up right where we left off at the Sir Wieners Party, we quickly move to a good resolution/understanding between Maddie and Brad (and Joe lurking in the background). We're mostly setting up for what will be an epic trip to Folly with this crew full of chaos and perhaps resolution, but first we have what we're calling the most realistic recovery/sponsor scene on tv as well as Joey Bottles Worldwide??? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Recall a time when you felt let down by your closestfriends. Or a time you felt totally alone and that no onecared about you. Jesus felt like that in our lesson today,but He discovered that even when He felt like that Godwas with Him and cared about Him.
Adam Haman returns to discuss with Bob the legacy to economics left by Murray Rothbard and Roger Garrison, in light of the 100th anniversary of Rothbard's birth and the recent passing of Garrison.Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest:The YouTube version of this conversation.Rothbard's Man, Economy, and State and Bob's Study Guide to it.Garrison's 1984 journal article. The home base of his amazing PowerPoints.Bob's journal article on Garrison's model related to neoclassical growth theory.This episode's sponsor, The Swan Brothers.The HamanNature substack.Help support the Bob Murphy Show.
How would you feel if you offered to help someone inneed and they were rude in return? Would you help themanyway? How do you think that following Jesus' examplewould lead you to do some unexpected things?
Ever wish you had a simple way to help your community or organization better understand dementia/brain change—without it being scary or overwhelming? In this episode, Teepa and Greg unpack the newly updated Getting to Know Dementia Community Training Kit (now with refreshed videos, updated PowerPoints, and refined interactive activities) and explain how you can run one session or link all six into a series. You'll also hear how it helps people move from improved awareness to the realization of I might need a team—and here's my next step. If you've been wanting an easy-to-use training resource that helps provide the transition from curiosity to real understanding, this is for you. The Getting to Know Dementia Community Training Kit provides everything you need to guide a meaningful learning experience with a group, even if you're not sure where to start. It's practical, adaptable, and designed to help people feel more prepared to respond with support (not judgment).
This live episode of the Destination Marketing Podcast features a special crossover session with Destination Discourse, recorded in front of a live audience at the South Carolina Governor's Conference (SC Gov Con). Hosts Adam Stoker and Stuart Butler ditch the PowerPoints for a candid, interactive discussion about the "uncomfortable truths" facing the tourism industry today. Subscribe to our newsletter! The Destination Marketing Podcast is a part of the Destination Marketing Podcast Network. It is hosted by Adam Stoker and produced by Brand Revolt. If you are interested in any of Brand Revolt's services, please email adam@thebrandrevolt.com or visit www.thebrandrevolt.com. To learn more about the Destination Marketing Podcast network and to listen to our other shows, please visit www.thedmpn.com. If you are interested in joining the network, please email adam@thebrandrevolt.com.
What is your first reaction when asked to help someoneelse? Are you immediately willing, or do you want toknow how much work it will be? Does your responsedepend on who is asking for help? Imagine Peter andJohn's responses.
In this candid and surprisingly funny host episode of Uncover the Human, Cristina and Alex tackle a big question hiding inside a very real 2026 reality: what is leadership actually for? As AI hype grows and organizations rush to replace people with bots, they challenge the assumption that strategy decks, frameworks, and PowerPoints are the real job of leaders. If AI can create the plan faster and better, what's left? The answer: the human work. Leadership isn't announcing decisions or reorganizing every 18 months—it's creating psychological safety, listening deeply, understanding the system you're operating in, and supporting people through change.They unpack why middle managers feel stuck in the “sandwich generation” of organizations, why so-called “listening tours” often aren't listening at all, and why true leaders are the ones people speak to, not the ones who speak the most. Drawing on Stafford Beer's idea that “the purpose of a system is what it does,” they explore how outcomes reveal the real system at play—no matter the stated strategy. If you've ever wondered why your big ideas don't stick, why friction keeps resurfacing, or what leadership really means in an AI-powered world, this episode is both a reality check and a hopeful reframe: leadership is influence, safety, and support—not title, noise, or control.
Listen and Subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Alicia Lyttle. SUMMARY OF THE ALICIA LYTTLE INTERVIEW From “Money Making Conversations Master Class” with Rushion McDonald [ 1. Purpose of the Interview The purpose of this interview was to: Showcase Alicia Lyttle, CEO and co‑founder of Air Innovations, known widely as the “Queen of AI.” [ Educate small business owners, entrepreneurs, and nonprofits on how to leverage AI for growth. Highlight her mission to empower the African American community to not only keep up with AI—but lead in it. [ Demonstrate how AI tools can transform operations, content creation, finances, and productivity in minutes instead of months. Inspire listeners through her entrepreneurial journey, professional pivots, and personal resilience. 2. High-Level Summary Alicia Lyttle returns to the show two years after her last appearance, now positioned at the forefront of the global AI movement. She explains how her work has shifted from annual summits to monthly AI Business Summits, teaching tens of thousands of entrepreneurs how to use AI hands‑on for content, marketing, operations, and scaling. She breaks down how simple tools—such as NotebookLM, ChatGPT, Jasper, Gemini, and HeyGen—can turn a single piece of content into newsletters, PowerPoints, videos, study guides, and more. She stresses that AI is now accessible, especially with free versions like ChatGPT. Alicia also shares her origin story in AI, beginning with a 15‑year‑old speaker at Walmart Tech Live describing IBM Watson. This sparked her fascination and ultimately led her to pivot her entire company toward full-time AI training and consulting by 2022—despite skepticism from her peers. She details the massive growth of her brand, including 21,000+ live summit attendees and explosive social media expansion. The interview also addresses AI’s role in finance, healthcare, government, job disruption, and how individuals can future‑proof themselves. Her personal story of overcoming a restrictive ex-husband who told her she would “never speak again” underscores her powerful message: no one should silence your gifts. Now she speaks to thousands, leads major events, and helps others build new careers in AI. 3. Key Takeaways A. AI Is Evolving Fast—and So Must We AI is changing so quickly that entrepreneurs cannot afford to wait for annual updates. This is why Alicia shifted to monthly training summits. People need ongoing education to stay competitive. B. Hands‑On AI Education Is the Key Alicia doesn’t just lecture—she walks participants through real demonstrations: Uploading YouTube links Creating summaries Generating emails, mind maps, PowerPoints, quizzes, videos, and more…all from a single input. Her approach eliminates fear and teaches entrepreneurs how to use AI immediately. C. Accessibility Has Changed the Game The release of ChatGPT, especially the free version, democratized AI. Before that, tools like IBM Watson were too complex and expensive. Now anyone with a laptop and internet connection can build websites, write content, or automate business flows in minutes. [ D. The African American Community Must Lead—Not Follow Alicia emphasizes that historically, Black communities have been “last in line” in tech innovation, but this AI era presents a once‑in‑a‑generation opportunity to jump ahead.She sees it as her mission to speak everywhere Black entrepreneurs are to ensure they seize this moment. E. AI Will Replace Tasks—But People Can Future‑Proof Themselves Jobs are already shifting. Companies are laying off non–AI‑literate employees.Alicia urges people to: Become AI‑fluent Join AI committees at work Pursue certification Use AI to become their company’s internal expert “There’s no maybe—you have to learn AI,” she warns. F. AI is Transforming Every Sector: Finance, Healthcare, Government She provides insights on… AI receptionists (“Monica” and “Leslie”) that boost customer interaction to 92% Financial analysis using secure ChatGPT setups AI mental health companions Government calls for national AI leadership G. Alicia Monetizes Through Education, Certification & Consulting Her business model includes: Free monthly summits Paid masterclasses Corporate consulting AI certifications Live Atlanta workshops She teaches others to become AI consultants too. H. Her Personal Triumph Story Inspires Thousands A powerful moment is when she recounts her ex-husband saying: “There’s only one quarterback on a team—and you will never speak again.”Yet today, 1,200+ people attend her live events, and tens of thousands join her virtual trainings. Her success proves resilience and purpose overcome adversity. 4. Key Quotes On AI Opportunity “Never has there been a better time in history to start, build, or scale a business than right now.” On Training Entrepreneurs “Open your laptops… use the same prompt I use. See what results you get.” On the Power of AI Tools “You can take one episode and repurpose it into all these different content ways.” On Pivoting Her Entire Company “In 2022, I said we’re closing this business and going all in on AI.” On Being Black in Tech “My mission is to make sure our community is not left behind—but ahead of the curve.” On Personal Resilience “You will be speaking on the best stages… people will come to see you.”(A friend’s response after she was told she’d “never speak again.”) On Future-Proofing Careers “Those using AI will replace you. You have to learn how to leverage AI.” On AI as a Human-First Technology “AI plus human intelligence—that’s what takes things to the next level.” #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSupport the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listen and Subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Alicia Lyttle. SUMMARY OF THE ALICIA LYTTLE INTERVIEW From “Money Making Conversations Master Class” with Rushion McDonald [ 1. Purpose of the Interview The purpose of this interview was to: Showcase Alicia Lyttle, CEO and co‑founder of Air Innovations, known widely as the “Queen of AI.” [ Educate small business owners, entrepreneurs, and nonprofits on how to leverage AI for growth. Highlight her mission to empower the African American community to not only keep up with AI—but lead in it. [ Demonstrate how AI tools can transform operations, content creation, finances, and productivity in minutes instead of months. Inspire listeners through her entrepreneurial journey, professional pivots, and personal resilience. 2. High-Level Summary Alicia Lyttle returns to the show two years after her last appearance, now positioned at the forefront of the global AI movement. She explains how her work has shifted from annual summits to monthly AI Business Summits, teaching tens of thousands of entrepreneurs how to use AI hands‑on for content, marketing, operations, and scaling. She breaks down how simple tools—such as NotebookLM, ChatGPT, Jasper, Gemini, and HeyGen—can turn a single piece of content into newsletters, PowerPoints, videos, study guides, and more. She stresses that AI is now accessible, especially with free versions like ChatGPT. Alicia also shares her origin story in AI, beginning with a 15‑year‑old speaker at Walmart Tech Live describing IBM Watson. This sparked her fascination and ultimately led her to pivot her entire company toward full-time AI training and consulting by 2022—despite skepticism from her peers. She details the massive growth of her brand, including 21,000+ live summit attendees and explosive social media expansion. The interview also addresses AI’s role in finance, healthcare, government, job disruption, and how individuals can future‑proof themselves. Her personal story of overcoming a restrictive ex-husband who told her she would “never speak again” underscores her powerful message: no one should silence your gifts. Now she speaks to thousands, leads major events, and helps others build new careers in AI. 3. Key Takeaways A. AI Is Evolving Fast—and So Must We AI is changing so quickly that entrepreneurs cannot afford to wait for annual updates. This is why Alicia shifted to monthly training summits. People need ongoing education to stay competitive. B. Hands‑On AI Education Is the Key Alicia doesn’t just lecture—she walks participants through real demonstrations: Uploading YouTube links Creating summaries Generating emails, mind maps, PowerPoints, quizzes, videos, and more…all from a single input. Her approach eliminates fear and teaches entrepreneurs how to use AI immediately. C. Accessibility Has Changed the Game The release of ChatGPT, especially the free version, democratized AI. Before that, tools like IBM Watson were too complex and expensive. Now anyone with a laptop and internet connection can build websites, write content, or automate business flows in minutes. [ D. The African American Community Must Lead—Not Follow Alicia emphasizes that historically, Black communities have been “last in line” in tech innovation, but this AI era presents a once‑in‑a‑generation opportunity to jump ahead.She sees it as her mission to speak everywhere Black entrepreneurs are to ensure they seize this moment. E. AI Will Replace Tasks—But People Can Future‑Proof Themselves Jobs are already shifting. Companies are laying off non–AI‑literate employees.Alicia urges people to: Become AI‑fluent Join AI committees at work Pursue certification Use AI to become their company’s internal expert “There’s no maybe—you have to learn AI,” she warns. F. AI is Transforming Every Sector: Finance, Healthcare, Government She provides insights on… AI receptionists (“Monica” and “Leslie”) that boost customer interaction to 92% Financial analysis using secure ChatGPT setups AI mental health companions Government calls for national AI leadership G. Alicia Monetizes Through Education, Certification & Consulting Her business model includes: Free monthly summits Paid masterclasses Corporate consulting AI certifications Live Atlanta workshops She teaches others to become AI consultants too. H. Her Personal Triumph Story Inspires Thousands A powerful moment is when she recounts her ex-husband saying: “There’s only one quarterback on a team—and you will never speak again.”Yet today, 1,200+ people attend her live events, and tens of thousands join her virtual trainings. Her success proves resilience and purpose overcome adversity. 4. Key Quotes On AI Opportunity “Never has there been a better time in history to start, build, or scale a business than right now.” On Training Entrepreneurs “Open your laptops… use the same prompt I use. See what results you get.” On the Power of AI Tools “You can take one episode and repurpose it into all these different content ways.” On Pivoting Her Entire Company “In 2022, I said we’re closing this business and going all in on AI.” On Being Black in Tech “My mission is to make sure our community is not left behind—but ahead of the curve.” On Personal Resilience “You will be speaking on the best stages… people will come to see you.”(A friend’s response after she was told she’d “never speak again.”) On Future-Proofing Careers “Those using AI will replace you. You have to learn how to leverage AI.” On AI as a Human-First Technology “AI plus human intelligence—that’s what takes things to the next level.” #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listen and Subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Alicia Lyttle. SUMMARY OF THE ALICIA LYTTLE INTERVIEW From “Money Making Conversations Master Class” with Rushion McDonald [ 1. Purpose of the Interview The purpose of this interview was to: Showcase Alicia Lyttle, CEO and co‑founder of Air Innovations, known widely as the “Queen of AI.” [ Educate small business owners, entrepreneurs, and nonprofits on how to leverage AI for growth. Highlight her mission to empower the African American community to not only keep up with AI—but lead in it. [ Demonstrate how AI tools can transform operations, content creation, finances, and productivity in minutes instead of months. Inspire listeners through her entrepreneurial journey, professional pivots, and personal resilience. 2. High-Level Summary Alicia Lyttle returns to the show two years after her last appearance, now positioned at the forefront of the global AI movement. She explains how her work has shifted from annual summits to monthly AI Business Summits, teaching tens of thousands of entrepreneurs how to use AI hands‑on for content, marketing, operations, and scaling. She breaks down how simple tools—such as NotebookLM, ChatGPT, Jasper, Gemini, and HeyGen—can turn a single piece of content into newsletters, PowerPoints, videos, study guides, and more. She stresses that AI is now accessible, especially with free versions like ChatGPT. Alicia also shares her origin story in AI, beginning with a 15‑year‑old speaker at Walmart Tech Live describing IBM Watson. This sparked her fascination and ultimately led her to pivot her entire company toward full-time AI training and consulting by 2022—despite skepticism from her peers. She details the massive growth of her brand, including 21,000+ live summit attendees and explosive social media expansion. The interview also addresses AI’s role in finance, healthcare, government, job disruption, and how individuals can future‑proof themselves. Her personal story of overcoming a restrictive ex-husband who told her she would “never speak again” underscores her powerful message: no one should silence your gifts. Now she speaks to thousands, leads major events, and helps others build new careers in AI. 3. Key Takeaways A. AI Is Evolving Fast—and So Must We AI is changing so quickly that entrepreneurs cannot afford to wait for annual updates. This is why Alicia shifted to monthly training summits. People need ongoing education to stay competitive. B. Hands‑On AI Education Is the Key Alicia doesn’t just lecture—she walks participants through real demonstrations: Uploading YouTube links Creating summaries Generating emails, mind maps, PowerPoints, quizzes, videos, and more…all from a single input. Her approach eliminates fear and teaches entrepreneurs how to use AI immediately. C. Accessibility Has Changed the Game The release of ChatGPT, especially the free version, democratized AI. Before that, tools like IBM Watson were too complex and expensive. Now anyone with a laptop and internet connection can build websites, write content, or automate business flows in minutes. [ D. The African American Community Must Lead—Not Follow Alicia emphasizes that historically, Black communities have been “last in line” in tech innovation, but this AI era presents a once‑in‑a‑generation opportunity to jump ahead.She sees it as her mission to speak everywhere Black entrepreneurs are to ensure they seize this moment. E. AI Will Replace Tasks—But People Can Future‑Proof Themselves Jobs are already shifting. Companies are laying off non–AI‑literate employees.Alicia urges people to: Become AI‑fluent Join AI committees at work Pursue certification Use AI to become their company’s internal expert “There’s no maybe—you have to learn AI,” she warns. F. AI is Transforming Every Sector: Finance, Healthcare, Government She provides insights on… AI receptionists (“Monica” and “Leslie”) that boost customer interaction to 92% Financial analysis using secure ChatGPT setups AI mental health companions Government calls for national AI leadership G. Alicia Monetizes Through Education, Certification & Consulting Her business model includes: Free monthly summits Paid masterclasses Corporate consulting AI certifications Live Atlanta workshops She teaches others to become AI consultants too. H. Her Personal Triumph Story Inspires Thousands A powerful moment is when she recounts her ex-husband saying: “There’s only one quarterback on a team—and you will never speak again.”Yet today, 1,200+ people attend her live events, and tens of thousands join her virtual trainings. Her success proves resilience and purpose overcome adversity. 4. Key Quotes On AI Opportunity “Never has there been a better time in history to start, build, or scale a business than right now.” On Training Entrepreneurs “Open your laptops… use the same prompt I use. See what results you get.” On the Power of AI Tools “You can take one episode and repurpose it into all these different content ways.” On Pivoting Her Entire Company “In 2022, I said we’re closing this business and going all in on AI.” On Being Black in Tech “My mission is to make sure our community is not left behind—but ahead of the curve.” On Personal Resilience “You will be speaking on the best stages… people will come to see you.”(A friend’s response after she was told she’d “never speak again.”) On Future-Proofing Careers “Those using AI will replace you. You have to learn how to leverage AI.” On AI as a Human-First Technology “AI plus human intelligence—that’s what takes things to the next level.” #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSteve Harvey Morning Show Online: http://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode, I'm joined by Mandy Mooney — author, corporate communicator, and performer — for a wide-ranging conversation about mentorship, career growth, and how to show up authentically in both work and life. We talk about her path from performing arts to corporate communications, and how those early experiences shaped the way she approaches relationships, leadership, and personal authenticity. That foundation carries through to her current role as VP of Internal Communications, where she focuses on building connections and fostering resilience across teams. We explore the three pillars of career success Mandy highlights in her book Corporating: Three Ways to Win at Work — relationships, reputation, and resilience — and how they guide her approach to scaling mentorship and helping others grow. Mandy shares practical strategies for balancing professional responsibilities with personal passions, and why embracing technology thoughtfully can enhance, not replace, human connection. The conversation also touches on parenting, building independence in children, and the lessons she's learned about optimism, preparation, and persistence — both in the workplace and at home. If you're interested in scaling mentorship, developing your career with intention, or navigating work with authenticity, this episode is for you. And if you want to hear more on these topics, catch Mandy speaking at Snafu Conference 2026 on March 5th. 00:00 Start 02:26 Teaching Self-Belief and Independence Robin notes Mandy has young kids and a diverse career (performing arts → VP of a name-brand company → writing books). Robin asks: "What are the skills that you want your children to develop, to stay resilient in the world and the world of work that they're gonna grow up in?" Emphasis on meta-skills. Mandy's response: Core skills She loves the question, didn't expect it, finds it a "thrilling ride." Observes Robin tends to "put things out there before they exist" (e.g., talking about having children before actually having them). Skill 1: Envisioning possibilities "Envision the end, believe that it will happen and it is much more likely to happen." Teaching children to see limitless possibilities if they believe in them. Skill 2: Independence Examples: brushing their own hair, putting on clothes, asking strangers questions. One daughter in Girl Scouts: learning sales skills by approaching strangers to sell cookies. Independence builds confidence and problem-solving abilities for small and big life challenges. Skill 3: Self-belief / Self-worth Tied to independence. Helps children navigate life and career successfully. Robin asks about teaching self-belief Context: Mandy's kids are 6 and 9 years old (two girls). Mandy's approach to teaching self-belief Combination of: Words Mandy uses when speaking to them. Words encouraged for the children to use about themselves. Example of shifting praise from appearance to effort/creativity: Instead of "You look so pretty today" → "Wow, I love the creativity that you put into your outfit." Reason: "The voice that I use, the words that I choose, they're gonna receive that and internalize it." Corrective, supportive language when children doubt themselves: Example: Child says, "I'm so stupid, I can't figure out this math problem." Mandy responds: "Oh wow. That's something that we can figure out together. And the good news is I know that you are so smart and that you can figure this out, so let's work together to figure it out." Asking reflective questions to understand their inner thoughts: Example: "What's it like to be you? What's it like to be inside your head?" Child's response: "Well, you worry a lot," which Mandy found telling and insightful. Emphasizes coming from a place of curiosity to check in on a child's self-worth and self-identity journey. 04:30 Professional Journey and Role of VP of Internal Comms Robin sets up the question about professional development Notes Mandy has mentored lots of people. Wants to understand: Mandy's role as VP of Internal Communications (what that means). How she supports others professionally. How her own professional growth has been supported. Context: Robin just finished a workshop for professionals on selling themselves, asking for promotions, and stepping forward in their careers. Emphasizes that she doesn't consider herself an expert but learns from conversations with experienced people like Mandy. Mandy explains her role and path Career path has been "a winding road." Did not study internal communications; discovered it later. Finds her job fun, though sometimes stressful: "I often think I might have the most fun job in the world. I mean, it, it can be stressful and it can't, you know, there are days where you wanna bang your head against the wall, but by and large, I love my job. It is so fun." Internal communications responsibility: Translate company strategy into something employees understand and are excited about. Example: Translate business plan for 2026 to 2,800 employees. Team's work includes: Internal emails. PowerPoints for global town halls. Speaking points for leaders. Infusing fun into company culture via intranet stories (culture, customers, innovation). Quick turnaround on timely stories (example: employee running seven marathons on seven continents; story created within 24 hours). Storytelling and theater skills are key: Coaching leaders for presentations: hand gestures, voice projection, camera presence. Mandy notes shared theater background with Robin: "You and I are both thespian, so we come from theater backgrounds." Robin summarizes role Sounds like a mix of HR and sales: supporting employee development while "selling" them on the company. Mandy elaborates on impact and mentorship Loves making a difference in employees' lives by giving information and support. Works closely with HR (Human Resources) to: Provide learning and development opportunities. Give feedback. Help managers improve. Wrote a book to guide navigating internal careers and relationships. Mentorship importance: Mentors help accelerate careers in any organization. Mandy's career journey Started studying apparel merchandising at Indiana University (with Kelley School of Business minor). Shifted from pre-med → theater → journalism → apparel merchandising. Took full advantage of career fairs and recruiter networking at Kelley School of Business. "The way that I've gotten jobs is not through applying online, it's through knowing somebody, through having a relationship." First role at Gap Inc.: rotational Retail Management Training Program (RMP). Some roles enjoyable, some less so; realized she loved the company even if some jobs weren't ideal. Mentor influence: Met Bobby Stillton, president of Gap Foundation, who inspired her with work empowering women and girls. Took a 15-minute conversation with Bobby and got an entry-level communications role. Career growth happened through mentorship, internal networking, and alignment with company she loved. Advice for her daughters (Robin's question) Flash-forward perspective: post-college or early career. How to start a career in corporate / large organizations: Increase "luck surface area" (exposure to opportunities). Network in a savvy way. Ask at the right times. Build influence to get ahead. Mentorship and internal relationships are key, not just applying for jobs online. 12:15 Career Advice and Building Relationships Initial advice: "Well first I would say always call your mom. Ask for advice. I'm right here, honey, anytime." Three keys to success: Relationships Expand your network. "You say yes to everything, especially early in your career." Examples: sit in on meetings, observe special projects, help behind the scenes. Benefits: Increases credibility. Shows people you can do anything. Reputation Build a reputation as confident, qualified, and capable. Online presence: Example: LinkedIn profile—professional, up-to-date, connected to network. Be a sponsor/advocate for your company (school, office, etc.). Monthly posts suggested: team photos, events, showing responsibility and trust. Offline reputation: Deliver results better than expected. "Deliver on the things that you said you were gonna do and do a better job than people expected of you." Resilience Not taught from books—learned through experience. Build resilience through preparation, not "fake it till you make it." Preparation includes: practicing presentations, thinking through narratives, blocking time before/after to collect thoughts and connect with people. "Preparation is my headline … that's part of what creates resilience." Mandy turns the question to Robin: "I wanna ask you too, I mean, Robin, you, you live and breathe this every day too. What do you think are the keys to success?" Robin agrees with preparation as key. Value of service work: Suggests working in service (food, hospitality) teaches humility. "I've never met somebody I think even ever in my life who is super entitled and profoundly ungrateful, who has worked a service job for any length of time." Robin's personal experience with service work: First business: selling pumpkins at Robin's Pumpkin Patch (age 5). Key formative experience: running Robin's Cafe (2016, opened with no restaurant experience, on three weeks' notice). Ran the cafe for 3 years, sold it on Craigslist. Served multiple stakeholders: nonprofit, staff (~15 employees), investors ($40,000 raised from family/friends). Trial by fire: unprepared first days—no full menu, no recipes, huge rush events. Concept of MI Plus: "Everything in its place" as preparation principle. Connecting service experience to corporate storytelling: Current business: Zandr Media (videos, corporate storytelling). Preparation is critical: Know who's where, what will be captured, and what the final asset looks like. Limited fixes in post-production, even with AI tools. Reinforces importance of preparation through repeated experience. Advice for future children / young people: Robin would encourage service jobs for kids for months or a year. Teaches: Sleep management, personal presentation, confidence, energy. "Deciding that I'm going to show up professionally … well … energetically." Emphasizes relentless optimism: positivity is a superpower. Experience shows contrast between being prepared and unprepared—learning from both is crucial. 16:36 The Importance of Service Jobs and Resilience Service jobs as formative experience: Worked as a waitress early in her career (teenager). Describes it as "the hardest job of my life". Challenges included: Remembering orders (memory). Constant multitasking. Dealing with different personalities and attitudes. Maintaining positivity and optimism through long shifts (e.g., nine-hour shifts). Fully agrees with Robin: service jobs teach humility and preparation. Optimism as a superpower: "I totally agree too that optimism is a superpower. I think optimism is my superpower." Writes about this concept in her book. Believes everyone has at least one superpower, and successful careers involve identifying and leaning into that superpower. Robin asks about the book Why did Mandy write the book? Inspiration behind the book? Also wants a deep dive into the writing process for her own interest. Mandy's inspiration and purpose of the book Title: "Corporating: Three Ways to Win At Work" Primary goal: Scale mentorship. Realized as she reached VP level, people wanted career advice. Increased visibility through: Position as VP. Connection with alma mater (Indiana University). Active presence on LinkedIn. Result: Many young professionals seeking mentorship. Challenge: Not sustainable to mentor individually. Solution: Writing a book allows her to scale mentorship without minimizing impact. Secondary goals / personal motivations: Acts as a form of "corporate therapy": Reflects on first 10 years of her career. Acknowledges both successes and stumbles. Helps process trials and tribulations. Provides perspective and gratitude for lessons learned. Fun aspect: as a writer, enjoyed formatting and condensing experiences into a digestible form for readers. Legacy and contribution: "I had something that I could contribute meaningfully to the world … as part of my own legacy … I do wanna leave this world feeling like I contributed something positive. So this is one of my marks." 21:37 Writing a Book and Creative Pursuits Robin asks Mandy about the writing process: "What's writing been like for you? Just the, the process of distilling your thinking into something permanent." Mandy: Writing process and finding the "25th hour" Loves writing: "I love writing, so the writing has been first and foremost fun." Where she wrote the book: Mostly from the passenger seat of her car. She's a working mom and didn't have traditional writing time. Advice from mentor Gary Magenta: "Mandy, you're gonna have to find the 25th hour." She found that "25th hour" in her car. Practical examples: During birthday party drop-offs: "Oh good. It's a drop off party. Bye. Bye, honey. See you in two hours. I'll be in the driveway. In my car. If you need anything, please don't need anything." Would write for 1.5–2 hours. During Girl Scouts, swim, any activity. On airplanes: Finished the book on an eight-hour flight back from Germany. It was her 40th birthday (June 28). "Okay, I did it." Realization moment: "You chip away at it enough that you realize, oh, I have a book." Robin: On parents and prioritization Parents told him: "When you have kids, you just find a way." Children create: Stricter prioritization. A necessary forcing function. Mandy's self-reflection: "I believe that I am an inherently lazy person, to be totally honest with you." But she's driven by deadlines and deliverables. Kids eliminate "lazy days": No more slow Saturdays watching Netflix. "They get up. You get up, you have to feed these people like there's a human relying on you." Motherhood forces motivation: "My inherent laziness has been completely wiped away the past nine years." Writing happened in small windows of time. Importance of creative outlet: Having something for yourself fuels the rest of life. Examples: writing, crocheting, quilting, music. Creativity energizes other areas of life. Robin mentions The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss. Advice from that book: Have something outside your day job that fuels you. For Robin: Physical practice (gym, handstands, gymnastics, ballet, capoeira, surfing). It's a place to: Celebrate. Feel progress. Win, even if work is struggling. Example: If tickets aren't selling. If newsletter flops. If client relationships are hard. Physical training becomes the "anchor win." Mandy's writing took over two years. Why? She got distracted writing a musical version of the book. There is now: "Corporating: The Book" "Corporating: The Musical" Three songs produced online. Collaboration with composer Eric Chaney. Inspiration from book: Time, Talent, Energy (recommended by former boss Sarah Miran). Concept: we have limited time, talent, and energy. Advice: Follow your energy when possible. If you're flowing creatively, go with it (unless there's an urgent deadline). You'll produce better work. She believes: The book is better because she created the musical. Musical helps during speaking engagements. Sometimes she sings during talks. Why music? Attention spans are short. Not just Gen Z — everyone is distracted. Music keeps people engaged. "I'm not just gonna tell you about the three ways to win at work. I'm gonna sing it for you too." Robin on capturing attention If you can hold attention of: Five-year-olds. Thirteen-year-olds. You can hold anyone's attention. Shares story: In Alabama filming for Department of Education. Interviewed Alabama Teacher of the Year (Katie). She has taught for 20 years (kindergarten through older students). Observed: High enthusiasm. High energy. Willingness to be ridiculous to capture attention. Key insight: Engagement requires energy and presence. 28:37 The Power of Music in Capturing Attention Mandy's part of a group called Mic Drop Workshop. Led by Lindsay (last name unclear in transcript) and Jess Tro. They meet once a month. Each session focuses on improving a different performance skill. The session she describes focused on facial expressions. Exercise they did: Tell a story with monotone voice and no facial expressions. Tell the story "over the top clown like, go really big, something that feels so ridiculous." Tell it the way you normally would. Result: Her group had four people. "Every single one of us liked number two better than one or three." Why version two worked best: When people are emotive and expressive: It's more fun to watch. It's more entertaining. It's more engaging. Connection to kids and storytelling: Think of how you tell stories to five-year-olds: Whisper. Get loud. Get soft. Use dynamic shifts. The same applies on stage. Musical integration: Music is another tool for keeping attention. Helps maintain engagement in a distracted world. Robin: Hiring for energy and presence Talks about hiring his colleague Zach Fish. Technical producer for: Responsive Conference. Snafu Conference. Freelancer Robin works with often. Why Robin hires Zach: Yes, he's technically excellent. But more importantly: "He's a ball of positive energy and delight and super capable and confident, but also just pleasant to be with." Robin's hiring insight: If he has a choice, he chooses Zach. Why? "I feel better." Energy and presence influence hiring decisions. Zach's background: Teaches weekly acrobatics classes for kids in Berkeley. He's used to engaging audiences. That translates into professional presence. Robin: Energy is learnable When thinking about: Who to hire. Who to promote. Who to give opportunities to. Traits that matter: Enthusiasm. Positivity. Big energy. Being "over the top" when needed. Important insight: This isn't necessarily a God-given gift. It can be learned. Like music or performance. Like anything else. 31:00 The Importance of Positive Work Relationships Mandy reflects on: The tension between loud voices and quiet voices. "Oftentimes the person who is the loudest is the one who gets to talk the most, but the person who's the quietest is the one who maybe has the best ideas." Core question: How do you exist in a world where both of those things are true? Parenting lens: One daughter is quieter than the other. Important to: Encourage authenticity. Teach the skill of using your voice loudly when needed. It's not about changing personality. It's about equipping someone to advocate for themselves when necessary Book is targeted at: Students about to enter the corporate world. Early-career professionals. Intentional writing decision: Exactly 100 pages. Purpose: "To the point, practical advice." Holds attention. Digestible. Designed for distracted readers. Emotional honesty: Excited but nervous to reconnect with students. Acknowledges: The world has changed. It's been a while since she was in college. Advice she's trying to live: Know your audience Core principle: "Get to know your audience. Like really get in there and figure out who they are." Pre-book launch tour purpose: Visiting universities (including her alma mater). Observing students. Understanding: Their learning environment. Their day-to-day experiences. The world they're stepping into. Communication principle: Knowing your audience is essential in communications. Also essential in career-building. If you have a vision of where you want to go: "Try to find a way to get there before you're there." Tactics: Meet people in those roles. Shake their hands. Have coffee. Sit in those seats. Walk those halls. See how it feels. Idea: Test the future before committing to it. Reduce uncertainty through proximity. What if you don't have a vision? Robin pushes back thoughtfully: What about people who: Don't know what they want to do? Aren't sure about staying at a company? Aren't sure about career vs. business vs. stay-at-home parent? Acknowledges: There's abundance in the world. Attention is fragmented. Implied tension: How do you move forward without clarity? 35:13 Mentorship and Career Guidance How to help someone figure out what's next Start with questions, not answers A mentor's primary job: ask questions from a place of curiosity Especially when someone is struggling with what they want to do or their career direction Key questions: What brings you joy? What gives you energy? What's the dream? Imagine retirement — what does that look like? Example: A financial advisor made Mandy and her husband define retirement vision; then work backwards (condo in New Zealand, annual family vacations) Clarify what actually matters Distinguish life priorities: Security → corporate job; Teamwork → corporate environment; Variety and daily interaction → specific roles Mentoring becomes a checklist: Joy, strengths, lifestyle, financial expectations, work environment preferences Then make connections: Introduce them to people in relevant environments, encourage informational interviews You don't know what you don't know Trial and error is inevitable Build network intentionally: Shadow people, observe, talk to parents' friends, friends of friends Even experienced professionals have untapped opportunities Stay curious and do the legwork Mixing personal and professional identity Confidence to bring personal interests into corporate work comes from strategy plus luck Example: Prologis 2021, senior leaders joked about forming a band; Mandy spoke up, became lead singer CEO took interest after first performance, supported book launch She didn't always feel this way Early corporate years: Feel like a "corporate robot," worrying about jargon, meetings, email etiquette, blending in Book explores blending in while standing out Advice for bringing full self to work Don't hide it, but don't force it; weave into casual conversation Find advocates: Amazing bosses vs terrible ones, learn from both Mentorship shaped her framework: Relationships, reputation, and resilience Resilience and rejection Theater as rejection bootcamp: Auditions, constant rejection Foundations of resilience: Surround yourself with supportive people, develop intrinsic self-worth, know you are worthy Creating conditions for success Age 11 audition story: Last-minute opportunity, director asked her to sing, she sang and got the part Why it worked: Connections (aunt in play), parent support, director willing to take a chance, she showed up Resilience is not just toughing it out: Have support systems, build self-worth, seek opportunity, create favorable conditions, step forward when luck opens a door 44:18 Overcoming Rejection and Building Resilience First show experiences Robin's first stage production is uncertain; she had to think carefully At 17, walked into a gymnastics gym after being a cross country runner for ten years, burnt out from running Cold-called gyms from the Yellow Pages; most rejected her for adult classes, one offered adult classes twice a week That led to juggling, circus, fencing, capa, rock climbing — a "Cambrian explosion" of movement opportunities About a year and a half later, walked into a ballet studio in corduroy and a button-up, no ballet shoes; first ballet teacher was Eric Skinner at Reed College, surrounded by former professional ballerinas First internal college production was his first show; ten years later performed as an acrobat with the San Francisco Opera in 2013, six acrobats among 200 people on stage, four-hour shows with multiple costume changes and backflips Relationship to AI and the evolving world of work Mandy never asks her daughters "What do you want to be?" because jobs today may not exist in the future Focus on interests: plants, how things are built, areas of curiosity for future generations Coaching her team: Highly capable, competent, invested in tools and technology for digital signage, webinars, emails, data-driven insights, videos Approach AI with cautious optimism: Adopt early, embrace technology, use it to enhance work rather than replace it Example: Uses a bot for scheduling efficiency, brainstorming; enhances job performance by integrating AI from day one Advice: Approach AI with curiosity, not fear; embrace tools to be smarter and more efficient, stay ahead in careers 53:05 Where to Find Mandy Mandy will be speaking at Snafu Conference on March 5, discussing rejection and overcoming it. Author and speaking information: mandymooney.com LinkedIn: Mandy Mooney Music available under her real name, Mandy Mooney, on streaming platforms.
The Sean curse hits me in the wiener, funny bits from the Epstein files, a homeless man cons the hospital I'm at, white people's Power Points, cleaning up crime scenes, caste development at Microsoft, Black people in Minecraft, a sit-in at Target, and Vinnie's comedy club is attacked by a single protester; all this and more this week on The Dick Show!
Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Alicia Lyttle. SUMMARY OF THE ALICIA LYTTLE INTERVIEW From “Money Making Conversations Master Class” with Rushion McDonald [ 1. Purpose of the Interview The purpose of this interview was to: Showcase Alicia Lyttle, CEO and co‑founder of Air Innovations, known widely as the “Queen of AI.” [ Educate small business owners, entrepreneurs, and nonprofits on how to leverage AI for growth. Highlight her mission to empower the African American community to not only keep up with AI—but lead in it. [ Demonstrate how AI tools can transform operations, content creation, finances, and productivity in minutes instead of months. Inspire listeners through her entrepreneurial journey, professional pivots, and personal resilience. 2. High-Level Summary Alicia Lyttle returns to the show two years after her last appearance, now positioned at the forefront of the global AI movement. She explains how her work has shifted from annual summits to monthly AI Business Summits, teaching tens of thousands of entrepreneurs how to use AI hands‑on for content, marketing, operations, and scaling. She breaks down how simple tools—such as NotebookLM, ChatGPT, Jasper, Gemini, and HeyGen—can turn a single piece of content into newsletters, PowerPoints, videos, study guides, and more. She stresses that AI is now accessible, especially with free versions like ChatGPT. Alicia also shares her origin story in AI, beginning with a 15‑year‑old speaker at Walmart Tech Live describing IBM Watson. This sparked her fascination and ultimately led her to pivot her entire company toward full-time AI training and consulting by 2022—despite skepticism from her peers. She details the massive growth of her brand, including 21,000+ live summit attendees and explosive social media expansion. The interview also addresses AI’s role in finance, healthcare, government, job disruption, and how individuals can future‑proof themselves. Her personal story of overcoming a restrictive ex-husband who told her she would “never speak again” underscores her powerful message: no one should silence your gifts. Now she speaks to thousands, leads major events, and helps others build new careers in AI. 3. Key Takeaways A. AI Is Evolving Fast—and So Must We AI is changing so quickly that entrepreneurs cannot afford to wait for annual updates. This is why Alicia shifted to monthly training summits. People need ongoing education to stay competitive. B. Hands‑On AI Education Is the Key Alicia doesn’t just lecture—she walks participants through real demonstrations: Uploading YouTube links Creating summaries Generating emails, mind maps, PowerPoints, quizzes, videos, and more…all from a single input. Her approach eliminates fear and teaches entrepreneurs how to use AI immediately. C. Accessibility Has Changed the Game The release of ChatGPT, especially the free version, democratized AI. Before that, tools like IBM Watson were too complex and expensive. Now anyone with a laptop and internet connection can build websites, write content, or automate business flows in minutes. [ D. The African American Community Must Lead—Not Follow Alicia emphasizes that historically, Black communities have been “last in line” in tech innovation, but this AI era presents a once‑in‑a‑generation opportunity to jump ahead.She sees it as her mission to speak everywhere Black entrepreneurs are to ensure they seize this moment. E. AI Will Replace Tasks—But People Can Future‑Proof Themselves Jobs are already shifting. Companies are laying off non–AI‑literate employees.Alicia urges people to: Become AI‑fluent Join AI committees at work Pursue certification Use AI to become their company’s internal expert “There’s no maybe—you have to learn AI,” she warns. F. AI is Transforming Every Sector: Finance, Healthcare, Government She provides insights on… AI receptionists (“Monica” and “Leslie”) that boost customer interaction to 92% Financial analysis using secure ChatGPT setups AI mental health companions Government calls for national AI leadership G. Alicia Monetizes Through Education, Certification & Consulting Her business model includes: Free monthly summits Paid masterclasses Corporate consulting AI certifications Live Atlanta workshops She teaches others to become AI consultants too. H. Her Personal Triumph Story Inspires Thousands A powerful moment is when she recounts her ex-husband saying: “There’s only one quarterback on a team—and you will never speak again.”Yet today, 1,200+ people attend her live events, and tens of thousands join her virtual trainings. Her success proves resilience and purpose overcome adversity. 4. Key Quotes On AI Opportunity “Never has there been a better time in history to start, build, or scale a business than right now.” On Training Entrepreneurs “Open your laptops… use the same prompt I use. See what results you get.” On the Power of AI Tools “You can take one episode and repurpose it into all these different content ways.” On Pivoting Her Entire Company “In 2022, I said we’re closing this business and going all in on AI.” On Being Black in Tech “My mission is to make sure our community is not left behind—but ahead of the curve.” On Personal Resilience “You will be speaking on the best stages… people will come to see you.”(A friend’s response after she was told she’d “never speak again.”) On Future-Proofing Careers “Those using AI will replace you. You have to learn how to leverage AI.” On AI as a Human-First Technology “AI plus human intelligence—that’s what takes things to the next level.” #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSupport the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Alicia Lyttle. SUMMARY OF THE ALICIA LYTTLE INTERVIEW From “Money Making Conversations Master Class” with Rushion McDonald [ 1. Purpose of the Interview The purpose of this interview was to: Showcase Alicia Lyttle, CEO and co‑founder of Air Innovations, known widely as the “Queen of AI.” [ Educate small business owners, entrepreneurs, and nonprofits on how to leverage AI for growth. Highlight her mission to empower the African American community to not only keep up with AI—but lead in it. [ Demonstrate how AI tools can transform operations, content creation, finances, and productivity in minutes instead of months. Inspire listeners through her entrepreneurial journey, professional pivots, and personal resilience. 2. High-Level Summary Alicia Lyttle returns to the show two years after her last appearance, now positioned at the forefront of the global AI movement. She explains how her work has shifted from annual summits to monthly AI Business Summits, teaching tens of thousands of entrepreneurs how to use AI hands‑on for content, marketing, operations, and scaling. She breaks down how simple tools—such as NotebookLM, ChatGPT, Jasper, Gemini, and HeyGen—can turn a single piece of content into newsletters, PowerPoints, videos, study guides, and more. She stresses that AI is now accessible, especially with free versions like ChatGPT. Alicia also shares her origin story in AI, beginning with a 15‑year‑old speaker at Walmart Tech Live describing IBM Watson. This sparked her fascination and ultimately led her to pivot her entire company toward full-time AI training and consulting by 2022—despite skepticism from her peers. She details the massive growth of her brand, including 21,000+ live summit attendees and explosive social media expansion. The interview also addresses AI’s role in finance, healthcare, government, job disruption, and how individuals can future‑proof themselves. Her personal story of overcoming a restrictive ex-husband who told her she would “never speak again” underscores her powerful message: no one should silence your gifts. Now she speaks to thousands, leads major events, and helps others build new careers in AI. 3. Key Takeaways A. AI Is Evolving Fast—and So Must We AI is changing so quickly that entrepreneurs cannot afford to wait for annual updates. This is why Alicia shifted to monthly training summits. People need ongoing education to stay competitive. B. Hands‑On AI Education Is the Key Alicia doesn’t just lecture—she walks participants through real demonstrations: Uploading YouTube links Creating summaries Generating emails, mind maps, PowerPoints, quizzes, videos, and more…all from a single input. Her approach eliminates fear and teaches entrepreneurs how to use AI immediately. C. Accessibility Has Changed the Game The release of ChatGPT, especially the free version, democratized AI. Before that, tools like IBM Watson were too complex and expensive. Now anyone with a laptop and internet connection can build websites, write content, or automate business flows in minutes. [ D. The African American Community Must Lead—Not Follow Alicia emphasizes that historically, Black communities have been “last in line” in tech innovation, but this AI era presents a once‑in‑a‑generation opportunity to jump ahead.She sees it as her mission to speak everywhere Black entrepreneurs are to ensure they seize this moment. E. AI Will Replace Tasks—But People Can Future‑Proof Themselves Jobs are already shifting. Companies are laying off non–AI‑literate employees.Alicia urges people to: Become AI‑fluent Join AI committees at work Pursue certification Use AI to become their company’s internal expert “There’s no maybe—you have to learn AI,” she warns. F. AI is Transforming Every Sector: Finance, Healthcare, Government She provides insights on… AI receptionists (“Monica” and “Leslie”) that boost customer interaction to 92% Financial analysis using secure ChatGPT setups AI mental health companions Government calls for national AI leadership G. Alicia Monetizes Through Education, Certification & Consulting Her business model includes: Free monthly summits Paid masterclasses Corporate consulting AI certifications Live Atlanta workshops She teaches others to become AI consultants too. H. Her Personal Triumph Story Inspires Thousands A powerful moment is when she recounts her ex-husband saying: “There’s only one quarterback on a team—and you will never speak again.”Yet today, 1,200+ people attend her live events, and tens of thousands join her virtual trainings. Her success proves resilience and purpose overcome adversity. 4. Key Quotes On AI Opportunity “Never has there been a better time in history to start, build, or scale a business than right now.” On Training Entrepreneurs “Open your laptops… use the same prompt I use. See what results you get.” On the Power of AI Tools “You can take one episode and repurpose it into all these different content ways.” On Pivoting Her Entire Company “In 2022, I said we’re closing this business and going all in on AI.” On Being Black in Tech “My mission is to make sure our community is not left behind—but ahead of the curve.” On Personal Resilience “You will be speaking on the best stages… people will come to see you.”(A friend’s response after she was told she’d “never speak again.”) On Future-Proofing Careers “Those using AI will replace you. You have to learn how to leverage AI.” On AI as a Human-First Technology “AI plus human intelligence—that’s what takes things to the next level.” #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Alicia Lyttle. SUMMARY OF THE ALICIA LYTTLE INTERVIEW From “Money Making Conversations Master Class” with Rushion McDonald [ 1. Purpose of the Interview The purpose of this interview was to: Showcase Alicia Lyttle, CEO and co‑founder of Air Innovations, known widely as the “Queen of AI.” [ Educate small business owners, entrepreneurs, and nonprofits on how to leverage AI for growth. Highlight her mission to empower the African American community to not only keep up with AI—but lead in it. [ Demonstrate how AI tools can transform operations, content creation, finances, and productivity in minutes instead of months. Inspire listeners through her entrepreneurial journey, professional pivots, and personal resilience. 2. High-Level Summary Alicia Lyttle returns to the show two years after her last appearance, now positioned at the forefront of the global AI movement. She explains how her work has shifted from annual summits to monthly AI Business Summits, teaching tens of thousands of entrepreneurs how to use AI hands‑on for content, marketing, operations, and scaling. She breaks down how simple tools—such as NotebookLM, ChatGPT, Jasper, Gemini, and HeyGen—can turn a single piece of content into newsletters, PowerPoints, videos, study guides, and more. She stresses that AI is now accessible, especially with free versions like ChatGPT. Alicia also shares her origin story in AI, beginning with a 15‑year‑old speaker at Walmart Tech Live describing IBM Watson. This sparked her fascination and ultimately led her to pivot her entire company toward full-time AI training and consulting by 2022—despite skepticism from her peers. She details the massive growth of her brand, including 21,000+ live summit attendees and explosive social media expansion. The interview also addresses AI’s role in finance, healthcare, government, job disruption, and how individuals can future‑proof themselves. Her personal story of overcoming a restrictive ex-husband who told her she would “never speak again” underscores her powerful message: no one should silence your gifts. Now she speaks to thousands, leads major events, and helps others build new careers in AI. 3. Key Takeaways A. AI Is Evolving Fast—and So Must We AI is changing so quickly that entrepreneurs cannot afford to wait for annual updates. This is why Alicia shifted to monthly training summits. People need ongoing education to stay competitive. B. Hands‑On AI Education Is the Key Alicia doesn’t just lecture—she walks participants through real demonstrations: Uploading YouTube links Creating summaries Generating emails, mind maps, PowerPoints, quizzes, videos, and more…all from a single input. Her approach eliminates fear and teaches entrepreneurs how to use AI immediately. C. Accessibility Has Changed the Game The release of ChatGPT, especially the free version, democratized AI. Before that, tools like IBM Watson were too complex and expensive. Now anyone with a laptop and internet connection can build websites, write content, or automate business flows in minutes. [ D. The African American Community Must Lead—Not Follow Alicia emphasizes that historically, Black communities have been “last in line” in tech innovation, but this AI era presents a once‑in‑a‑generation opportunity to jump ahead.She sees it as her mission to speak everywhere Black entrepreneurs are to ensure they seize this moment. E. AI Will Replace Tasks—But People Can Future‑Proof Themselves Jobs are already shifting. Companies are laying off non–AI‑literate employees.Alicia urges people to: Become AI‑fluent Join AI committees at work Pursue certification Use AI to become their company’s internal expert “There’s no maybe—you have to learn AI,” she warns. F. AI is Transforming Every Sector: Finance, Healthcare, Government She provides insights on… AI receptionists (“Monica” and “Leslie”) that boost customer interaction to 92% Financial analysis using secure ChatGPT setups AI mental health companions Government calls for national AI leadership G. Alicia Monetizes Through Education, Certification & Consulting Her business model includes: Free monthly summits Paid masterclasses Corporate consulting AI certifications Live Atlanta workshops She teaches others to become AI consultants too. H. Her Personal Triumph Story Inspires Thousands A powerful moment is when she recounts her ex-husband saying: “There’s only one quarterback on a team—and you will never speak again.”Yet today, 1,200+ people attend her live events, and tens of thousands join her virtual trainings. Her success proves resilience and purpose overcome adversity. 4. Key Quotes On AI Opportunity “Never has there been a better time in history to start, build, or scale a business than right now.” On Training Entrepreneurs “Open your laptops… use the same prompt I use. See what results you get.” On the Power of AI Tools “You can take one episode and repurpose it into all these different content ways.” On Pivoting Her Entire Company “In 2022, I said we’re closing this business and going all in on AI.” On Being Black in Tech “My mission is to make sure our community is not left behind—but ahead of the curve.” On Personal Resilience “You will be speaking on the best stages… people will come to see you.”(A friend’s response after she was told she’d “never speak again.”) On Future-Proofing Careers “Those using AI will replace you. You have to learn how to leverage AI.” On AI as a Human-First Technology “AI plus human intelligence—that’s what takes things to the next level.” #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSteve Harvey Morning Show Online: http://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/bizpod/BEP103c-Charts-1.mp3 Welcome back to Business English Pod for today's lesson on using visuals and describing charts and trends in an English presentation. We've all sat through boring presentations, with PowerPoints that are just slide after slide of too much text. If all you're doing is reading off your slides, then why do a presentation at all? And if your audience falls asleep, then you've effectively communicated nothing. If you really want to grab people's attention, you use visuals. That could mean not just pictures, but graphs and charts. There's no better way to represent data than with graphs. But the graph doesn't do all the work for you. You still need to give it life and make it a seamless part of your overall presentation. The first thing you might do is introduce the point you want to make, before you use the visual. And remember that your audience might have some understanding of the topic already, so you should acknowledge that. And you can make it dramatic by using foreshadowing and highlighting important points. And just like in any presentation, it's good to use clear transitions between points and slides. In today's dialog, we'll hear a presentation from Pat, a director with a cell, or mobile phone manufacturer called Ambient. He's presenting to the company's sales team about how they've regained market share after a rough couple of years. We will hear how Pat uses visuals to enhance his presentation. Listening Questions 1. At the start of his presentation, what does Pat say they will focus on? 2. When talking about the company called Sirus, what does Pat “draw people's attention” to? 3. What does Pat say to transition to showing information about Ambient? Premium Members: PDF Transcript | Quizzes | PhraseCast | Lesson Module Download: Podcast MP3>>> The post BEP 103c – English Presentations Charts and Trends 1: Visuals first appeared on Business English Pod :: Learn Business English Online.