AI First with Adam and Andy

In this special mini-episode of AI First with Adam and Andy, Adam Brotman and Andy Sack dig into two of the biggest AI stories making headlines.They start with the recent MIT study that fueled a viral Fortune headline claiming 95% of corporate AI projects fail. Adam explains what the research actually found, from the limitations of wrapper apps to the importance of micro use cases and realistic measures of success. Together, Adam and Andy highlight why leaders should avoid getting distracted by shiny solutions and instead double down on the small, practical wins that drive real business value.Then the conversation turns to OpenAI’s release of ChatGPT-5. With polarized reactions ranging from disappointment to awe, Adam and Andy cut through the noise to share their perspective on where GPT-5 truly fits in the broader AI landscape. They explore how the frontier models are advancing together, why expectations matter, and what the “trough of disillusionment” means for businesses today.This episode is a candid, hype-free look at what’s really happening in AI innovation, and what leaders should be paying attention to now.

In this episode of AI First with Adam and Andy, we’re joined by Henrik Werdelin and Nicholas Thorne, co-founders of Audos and authors of Me, My Customer, and AI. Drawing on decades of entrepreneurial experience, they share how AI is transforming not just the pace of innovation, but the very nature of what it means to build a business.From the rise of small, agile, high-impact companies to the new competitive moats grounded in relationships, community, and trust, Henrik and Nicholas reveal why the AI era rewards entrepreneurs who start with their customers and stay deeply connected to them. The conversation explores “Entrepreneurship 3.0,” the end of the SaaS era as we know it, and practical ways AI can accelerate product launches, scale customer relationships, and create sustainable growth.Whether you’re leading a global brand or launching your first venture, this episode offers a clear-eyed look at how to thrive in a business landscape moving at AI speed.

In this episode of AI First with Adam and Andy, we’re joined by Keith Fairclough, CIO of Cabi, a women’s apparel brand with a national network of over 2,000 independent stylists. Keith walks us through how he went from early AI experimentation to spearheading a full-scale transformation at Cabi, turning curiosity into capability across the entire company.Keith breaks down the lessons from their AI bootcamp with Forum3, the structure they built to scale adoption (including org-wide training, AI office hours, and GPT competitions), and real use cases now saving time and expanding output, from automated marketing retouching to a custom GPT for IT sprint planning. He also shares what didn’t work, including missteps around executive involvement and building out an AI champions team.If you’re a leader looking to scale AI across your organization, not just implement tools, this episode offers a front-row seat to what it looks like to lead with vision, structure, and practicality.

In this special episode of AI First with Adam and Andy, we go global with our first international guest, Shawn Walchef, founder of Cali BBQ and Cali BBQ Media, joining us from Bulgaria. Shawn shares how he’s using AI not just to support operations, but to fuel real innovation across both his restaurant and media businesses.He walks us through a game-changing Father’s Day activation where a voice AI agent, trained on his own podcast content and voice, answered 150+ customer calls, freeing up his team and driving record-breaking sales. He also explains how AI has become his remote creative partner, helping him turn iPhone clips into full media assets while traveling in Istanbul.From launching voice tech in his BBQ shops to using ChatGPT for deep market research on potential family investments, Shawn is a masterclass in AI-first thinking. His stories show how any business, no matter how local, can scale globally and strategically with the right AI mindset.

In this episode of AI First with Adam and Andy, author and tech thinker Steven Johnson shares the surprising origin story of Google’s NotebookLM. Learn how a writer’s personal obsession with note-taking turned into a viral AI-native product now transforming enterprise workflows.

AI First: A Playbook for Future-Proofing Your Business and Brand in the AI Era is officially out, and the world of AI has moved fast since we submitted the manuscript nine months ago. In this special launch-day episode, Adam Brotman and Andy Sack bring listeners behind the scenes to reflect on what has changed, what didn’t make it into the book, and what leaders need to be thinking about right now.From Sam Altman’s viral blog post The Gentle Singularity to the rapid rise of reasoning models, autonomous agents, and early signs of economic disruption, this episode is a candid look at how fast the AI landscape is evolving.Topics discussed include:Why we’ve crossed the threshold into the AGI eraThe real-world impact of reasoning models and AI agentsWhy AI-related job disruption is already startingThe need for AGI Horizon Councils and AI R&D labsHow shifting consumer behavior is challenging Google’s dominanceWhat we would add to the playbook todayThis episode serves as a real-time epilogue to the book and a preview of what’s next for AI-first leaders.

Fresh from the floor of the Food on Demand Conference in Las Vegas, Adam Brotman and Andy Sack unpack what’s top of mind for today’s restaurant leaders. In this episode, they reflect on the slowdown in digital growth, rising consumer price sensitivity, and the evolving challenges facing operators in 2025.They also explore how AI is transitioning from hype to practical application, powering smarter decisions in areas such as guest feedback, menu optimization, and operational efficiency. With insight, clarity, and candor, Adam and Andy offer a timely recap of where the industry is headed and what brands can do right now to unlock sustainable growth.

Commercial Real Estate brokerage is a $100B market, yet still stuck and manual as ever.In this episode, Joe Lee, CEO and founder of Locate.ai, shares how his company is using predictive AI and generative AI to transform the way national enterprises transact and expand into brick-and-mortar.  From boosting store sales by 15% and increasing broker throughput by 3x, Joe breaks down what it means to truly be an AI-first company in an antiquated industry. 

In this episode of AI First with Adam and Andy, we sit down with Matt Britton, Founder & CEO of Suzy, to explore how AI is transforming the way businesses operate. Matt shares his personal “aha” moment with AI, how he applied those insights to revolutionize his company, and why he believes CEOs must lead the charge in AI adoption—or risk getting left behind.We dive into Suzy’s AI-driven evolution, the challenges of integrating AI in a fast-moving company, and the mindset shifts executives need to stay competitive. Matt also offers a three-step framework for identifying business problems AI can solve and explains why speed is the new competitive advantage in today’s AI-first world.If you’re a business leader looking to future-proof your company, this episode is packed with actionable insights on leveraging AI for real business impact.Topics Covered: Matt’s journey from social media pioneer to AI-first CEO How he built a personal AI assistant before applying AI to SuzyOvercoming legal, engineering, and cultural roadblocks in AI adoption The biggest mistake companies make with AI (and how to avoid it) Why AI is bigger than mobile and social media—combined

In this episode of AI First with Adam and Andy, the hosts dive into a dynamic conversation with Nick Soman, CEO of Decent and an AI-first leader. They explore how Nick leverages multiple large language models to act as an "Iron Man suit" for his business, enabling his team to punch above their weight and unlock new levels of efficiency and innovation. The discussion highlights the transformative potential of AI, from revolutionizing industries like healthcare to empowering startups with tools once reserved for top-tier consultants. In the follow-up commentary, Adam and Andy debrief their conversation with Nick Soman, CEO of Decent, exploring how AI empowers leaders and businesses to accomplish much more with much less. They discuss the two "aha" moments of AI adoption and its ROI for companies of all sizes. With a focus on healthcare, they highlight how AI’s ability to analyze vast data and provide personalized insights can revolutionize industries. The episode underscores the critical need for AI literacy to unlock its transformative potential.