The Digital Transformist

Students are ditching Goldman Sachs internships to launch AI startups in their dorm rooms. This conversation reveals why universities are in panic mode—and what they're doing about it. Michael Toguchi, Chief Strategy Officer at Tectonic, breaks down how higher education institutions are scrambling to adapt to AI's breakneck pace while managing governance, liability, and the existential q...

What if your AI initiatives are failing not because of the technology, but because your leadership approach is fundamentally broken? Teri Hill drops a startling statistic: 44% of Gen Z employees are intentionally sabotaging AI rollouts—and the reason why should worry every CEO. In this episode, you'll discover why 70% of strategies fail at execution, how to measure the five keys to successful...

What if your decades of expertise mean nothing because AI can't find you? Ashley Smith reveals a stunning truth: even seasoned executives with elite networks are becoming invisible as AI search rewrites the rules of discovery and trust. In this episode, visibility strategist Ashley Smith breaks down the "proof gap"—the dangerous disconnect between your real-world reputation and what...

AI can write code faster than ever. But what happens when that speed comes at the cost of smarter decisions? In this episode of The Digital Transformist, host Michael LaVista sits down with CTO Josh Deason-Schroeder to explore the hidden risks of AI-assisted development and why faster coding doesn't always mean better software. Drawing from real-world experience, Josh breaks down how AI can s...

Your AI works perfectly in testing. So why does it fall apart in the real world? Matt Soltau, Global Director of Strategy and Operations at Intelliphas, joins The Digital Transformist to reveal why even the most promising AI projects fail when they move from concept to production. From an AI-powered call center in Singapore confidently giving customers incorrect information to companies still rely...

Your next wardrobe might not hang in a closet. It might live in a game. Digital fashion is becoming a massive business, with the market projected to reach $105.5 billion by 2030. And major brands are already paying attention. On this episode of The Digital Transformist, Mike LaVista sits down with Tracy Greenan, CEO and founder of Fashion Entertainment TV, co-author of Skins in the Game, and co-fo...

What if the person negotiating on your behalf isn’t actually on your side? Bill Himmelstein, CEO and founder of Tenant Advisory Group, pulls back the curtain on commercial real estate and explains why going without tenant representation can cost you far more than you realize. In this episode, Bill reveals: • Why some of the biggest landlords would rather you skip the broker • Why your attorney may...

Moving money across borders sounds simple. In practice, it can be anything but. Banks, exchange rates, intermediaries, compliance requirements, and outdated payment rails can all make international payments slower, more expensive, and more complicated than they need to be. In this episode of The Digital Transformist, host Michael LaVista sits down with Ari Good, an attorney with more than 30 years...

What if deploying AI is the easy part—and reinventing your business around it is the real challenge? Tommy Rhoads, Chief Reinvention Officer at Brave Business AI, flips the AI conversation on its head. The biggest obstacle isn’t the technology. It’s the way organizations think about work, change, and transformation. In this episode, Tommy breaks down: Why tribal and commercial casinos face very di...

What if 80% of your team's potential productivity is sitting idle right now? Kathy Eastwood, CEO and founder of E Equals Y, reveals that employee engagement hovers around just 20%—meaning leaders are leaving massive performance gains untouched simply because they haven't learned to speak their people's language. In this episode, Kathy shares her journey from CPA at Ernst & Young...

What if your business success isn't about working harder, but about bringing your whole self—head, heart, and gut—to work? Former Air Force member turned Fortune 100 leader William Crossan shares how he discovered that disconnecting from emotion in leadership was sabotaging everything. In this episode, William reveals why "culture" is more than a buzzword and how spiritual principle...

What if the secret to building a mass market company was hiding in something as simple as a coffee bean? In this episode, Kristi Ross reveals how understanding her employees financial literacy turned into a competitive advantage. Michael sits down with Kristi Ross, co-founder of TastyTrade and founder of U3 Coffee, to explore the surprising challenges of building a coffee ecosystem company. With 3...

What if the secret to thriving in logistics isn't newer technology, but older wisdom about human connection? Former NFL tight end Desmond Clark reveals why his brokerage firm flies to remote Texas oil fields and shows up at customer job sites—a rare move in an industry that's increasingly automated. In this conversation, Des walks through his winding path from 12 years in professional fo...

What if a difference of just a few miles could mean 20 years of life? In Chicago, where you live dramatically impacts how long you live—and Juan Rojas is using health system data to close that gap. In this episode, Juan Rojas shares how the Rush Health Equity Analytics Studio is transforming community health by breaking down data silos and making critical health information accessible. You'll...

Have you ever wondered what happens when a corporate executive "accidentally" becomes an entrepreneur? Stephanie Sylvestre wasn't looking to leave her comfortable corporate career—until a chance conversation about digital twins sparked an idea she couldn't ignore. In this episode, Stephanie shares her journey from corporate America to founding Avatar Buddy, LLC, an AI company d...

Construction opportunities have nearly doubled in 2025—and it's not just about buildings. Regional President Damian Eallonardo of W.E. O'Neill Construction reveals that optimism is driving unprecedented demand across the Midwest and beyond, fueling growth in everything from tech campuses to healthcare facilities. In this episode, you'll discover what's really behind the constru...

The water shuts off mid-morning in Houston, and it's a stark reminder: we don't have the infrastructure to power AI at the scale everyone's betting on. Tamika Tyson, a veteran risk advisor with 25+ years managing infrastructure and energy investments, explains why she's not panicking about AI—and why you shouldn't either. In this episode, Tamika breaks down the real bottle...

Is your business outgrowing basic online banking? If you're hitting 7-8 figure revenues with 10+ employees, you might need more than just digital convenience from your bank. In this episode of The Digital Transformist, host Michael LaVista sits down with Mike Goelitz, VP of Commercial Banking at FNBO, to reveal when and why growing businesses should pick up the phone and call their banker. Yo...

Companies like Klarna made headlines for replacing 700 customer service workers with AI agents, only to quietly hire them all back 18 months later. IBM laid off 8,000 employees to implement AI systems, then had to bring people back when they realized the 15% of problems AI couldn't handle contained all the real risk. This episode reveals why the "AI will eliminate jobs" narrative is...

What separates companies that successfully adopt AI from those that get stuck in endless planning cycles? In this episode, Chris Sullivan shares the exact moment he decided to move forward with AI implementation at Painters USA, despite uncertainties and risks. You'll learn how Chris identified a critical business problem costing hundreds of thousands in labor hours, made the strategic decisi...

Think cold calling is the only way to generate leads? John Morris, CEO of 444 Media, went from making 150+ cold calls a day to building a top 5% globally ranked podcast that generates revenue on autopilot. In this episode, he reveals the exact strategy that transformed his business development approach. You'll discover why your first 10 episodes will be terrible (and why that's perfectly...

What if total salary transparency was the key to solving construction's labor crisis? Paul Liles shocked his own team in 2021 when he revealed every employee's compensation and mapped the exact path from entry-level laborer to the C-suite. The results transformed retention at Liles Construction. In this episode, Paul walks through the infrastructure boom happening across the Carolinas an...

In this episode of The Digital Transformist, host Michael LaVista sits down with Brian Floriani, Founder & Steward of BUKU Branded and founder of Bernie's Book Bank. Brian shares his innovative approach to social entrepreneurship, combining branded products with literacy advocacy to create sustainable impact. Brian discusses how he founded Bernie's Book Bank in 2009 with the mission...

Are you a CPG brand struggling to scale without breaking the bank on senior talent? In this episode of The Digital Transformist, host Michael LaVista sits down with Les Hamilton, founder and CEO of CPG Integrated, to reveal the strategic moves CPG brands should make today to break through growth barriers. You'll discover why most growing brands get "sticker shock" when hiring senior...

Beth Trejo, founder and CEO of ChatterKick, joins Mike LaVista on The Digital Transformist to talk about why trust is the word of the year -- and what that means for your brand's digital presence. From the dangers of AI-generated content flooding social media to why picking up your phone and recording a 30-second video is still the most powerful move a CEO can make, Beth shares 14 years of ha...