When you run lean, every hour counts and every decision delayed has a ripple effect.
After recently losing two key operations team members to exciting new roles (Proof we train them well!), I found myself facing a familiar challenge: a growing list of day-to-day responsibilities pulling me away from the strategic work that actually moves the business forward. The systems we had in place worked well with a full team, but without one, even simple decisions took longer than they should have.
What became clear very quickly was this: the problem wasn’t effort or expertise — it was bandwidth.
So I started building what I needed. Not another tool. Not another system to manage. But a strategic partner that could help me think, act, and execute more efficiently without replacing human judgment or leadership. Enter AI.
I didn’t just use ChatGPT for quick tasks or email copy. I built a custom AI agent modeled on my leadership style, communication patterns, and role at Fast Forward. It became a kind of digital right hand, supporting research, surfacing information faster, refining ideas, and helping me move fluidly between big-picture strategy and detailed execution.
What surprised me most wasn’t just the speed — it was the shift in how decisions happened.
Instead of spending hours debating how to structure content or approach a problem, our team could get aligned faster and focus on elevating the work itself. Research that once stretched across days now takes hours. And in areas where we don’t have deep in-house expertise — like systems configuration or light technical work — AI helps bridge those gaps in a way that’s practical, accessible, and cost-effective.
More importantly, it has changed how our team operates together.
People are more self-sufficient. More confident. More willing to move forward without waiting for “the person who built it” to step in. AI hasn’t taken ownership away from anyone, it has supported better decision-making and reduced the friction that often slows good teams down.
That distinction matters. AI supports decisions; it doesn’t own them. Leadership still requires judgment, context, and accountability but AI gives us back the time and clarity to lead well.
One place this has made an immediate impact is data. We don’t have a perfect reporting platform that serves up clean analytics on demand. Historically, pulling meaningful insights from attendee purchase behavior and post-event survey data took hours — sometimes days — and still left us making educated guesses. Now, I can drop that data into a controlled AI workflow and ask better questions: Where are we seeing real price sensitivity? What content themes are emerging that we haven’t fully explored? That shift has moved us from “we think” to “the data shows,” and it has sharpened both our strategy and our confidence.
AI has also changed how we approach technology decisions. We’ve all been tempted by polished demos that promise everything, only to discover the gaps later. AI has helped us slow down in the right places: mapping our real pain points, pressure-testing tools against our actual workflows, and flagging integration issues before we commit time or budget. It’s like having a research analyst and a healthy skeptic in the room from day one.
For leaders in live events and hospitality, this matters now more than ever. Our industry is growing more complex, teams are staying lean, and expectations aren’t getting any smaller. Choosing not to engage with AI isn’t a neutral decision, it’s a choice to carry unnecessary weight while others move faster and smarter.
AI isn’t replacing people. It’s helping us protect their energy, focus their talent, and operate at the level our audiences and partners expect. For those of us building businesses that don’t fit neatly into off-the-shelf solutions, this is one of the most effective ways to customize without custom-built price tags.
If you’re thinking through how AI fits into your team or leadership style, I’m always open to comparing notes. The tools will keep evolving, but the real opportunity lies in how thoughtfully we choose to use them.