The Digital Transformist

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 Banks, exchange rates, intermediaries, compliance requirements, and outdated payment rails can all make international payments slower, more expensive, and more complicated than they need to be.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...

Most business owners are sitting on a shocking amount of hidden profit - and they don't even know it. Tim Van Mieghem, operational excellence expert and author of "Shocking Profit," joins Mike LaVista on The Digital Transformist to break down the three places every business is bleeding money: broken processes, undertrained sales teams, and Excel spreadsheets held together with duct...

Welcome to The Digital Transformist with Michael LaVista! In this episode, we dive into the complex world of copyrights and AI with our special guest, Hannah Deason, the Chief Operating Officer at Caxy. The conversation delves into the legal and ethical implications of using training material for artificial intelligence, especially in light of recent copyright lawsuits that have rocked the industr...

Welcome to The Digital Transformist with Michael LaVista! In this episode, we have the privilege of chatting with Mark Pace, the CEO and founder of the Vital Longevity Institute. Mark's insights into longevity and financial management will completely shift your perspective on life expectancy and how it relates to your future.  Mark sheds light on the fact that most life insurance policies are...

Welcome to The Digital Transformist with Mike LaVista! In today's episode, we have the incredible Karen Todd sharing her inspiring journey of building her companies, including her current role as CEO and founder of Aurore Financial Group. Karen delves into her background in the real estate industry and how her company focuses on GP investments in sponsors who specialize in areas like multi-fa...

Welcome to The Digital Transformist! In this episode, we have the dynamic CEO of Gemini Builds It, Courtney Wright, joining us for an exciting conversation. Courtney shares a captivating story of how she reconnected with our host, Mike, after years of being in different circles, and how their chance encounter led to this engaging discussion. Gemini Builds It is a US-based manufacturing company spe...

Our guest, Matt, the head of talent at our company, shares some eye-opening statistics about the impending changes in the labor market. With 2.7 million boomers expected to retire by 2030, there is a growing gap in the workforce that needs to be filled by millennials and Gen Z. Manufacturing and skilled labor positions are in high demand, with 450,000 jobs currently open and more to come in the fu...