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What if the gap between talking about AI and profiting from it is only one habit wide? We sit down with Kellen Coleman—PR strategist, government contracting pro, and builder of AI-powered tools—to unpack how creators and small teams turn brand visibility into real revenue. The throughline is simple: certificates don’t close deals. Consistency, timing, and proof of work do.

We start with the difference between AI literacy and AI leverage. Kellen traces how collecting knowledge means nothing without shipped projects, measurable outcomes, and rooms where decisions are made. From RFIs to RFQs, he explains why showing up early in procurement cycles creates unfair advantages, and how reputation flips outreach so that opportunities start finding you. We map the first AI moves for teams under ten: goal-led prompting, agent workflows for research and drafting, a shared prompt library, and a weekly rhythm that converts saved time into shipped work.

Money is the next frontier. Rather than automating tasks only, we use AI to reshape financial behavior: budget baselines, debt payoff plans, 401k funding strategies, and clear monthly reviews that compound. Kellen’s stance is direct—retirement should mean dignity—and the path runs through systems that beat impulse. We also tackle the minority-owned business edge in this AI moment. Certifications open doors, but outreach, delivery, and narrative depth close deals. If the playing field of information is now flatter, focus becomes the lever that moves markets.

By the end, you’ll have a clear, practical blueprint: pick one AI platform, ask it to refine your prompts, build something tangible this week, and measure output over hours. Think asset-first, not attention-first. Let your brand do the pre-selling, and let consistent work make you easy to recommend. If this conversation sharpens your plan, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs the push, and leave a review telling us the one AI step you’ll take this week.

Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Follow The Brand! We hope you enjoyed learning about the latest trends and strategies in Personal Branding, Business and Career Development, Financial Empowerment, Technology Innovation, and Executive Presence. To keep up with the latest insights and updates, visit 5starbdm.com
.

And don’t miss Grant McGaugh’s new book, First Light — a powerful guide to igniting your purpose and building a BRAVE brand that stands out in a changing world. - https://5starbdm.com/brave-masterclass/

See you next time on Follow The Brand!

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A bright dashboard can feel like certainty, but certainty is often the first illusion. We sit down with Dr. Mike Orkin, a seasoned statistician who has advised casinos and Fortune 100 leaders, to explore why smart people make bad calls when the numbers look right—and how to prevent it. From margin of error to the myth of tidy causation, Mike breaks down the difference between patterns worth acting on and patterns that will quietly burn your budget.

We dig into classic misreads—like soda sales “causing” polio or alcohol “causing” lung cancer—and show how hidden variables twist decisions. Then we step onto the casino floor to see probability without the storytelling: independent trials, house edge, and why betting limits protect profits. If you’ve ever heard of positive expected value, you’ll hear why it still fails without disciplined sizing, and how the Kelly criterion turns winning odds into sustainable advantage. Along the way, we tackle lotteries, survivor bias, and the uncomfortable truth that winners often emerge because enough people played, not because someone discovered a secret.

AI enters as both accelerant and trap. Large language models thrive on correlation and can hallucinate when the evidence runs dry. Mike shares practical guardrails for using AI in places like engineering and support—pairing models with domain expertise, testing for failure modes, and resisting the lure of overconfidence. We also zoom out to a leader’s mental model: when to think deterministically, when to think probabilistically, and how to blend data with context, incentives, and human will.

If you’re steering strategy, allocating capital, or building with AI, this conversation offers a clear checklist: respect uncertainty, size your bets, interrogate correlations, and hire experts who can “think with other people’s brains.” Subscribe, share with a data-loving friend, and leave a review with one insight you’ll apply this quarter.

Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Follow The Brand! We hope you enjoyed learning about the latest trends and strategies in Personal Branding, Business and Career Development, Financial Empowerment, Technology Innovation, and Executive Presence. To keep up with the latest insights and updates, visit 5starbdm.com
.

And don’t miss Grant McGaugh’s new book, First Light — a powerful guide to igniting your purpose and building a BRAVE brand that stands out in a changing world. - https://5starbdm.com/brave-masterclass/

See you next time on Follow The Brand!

Send us a text

The street sounds different when steel pans ring and feathers rush past the reviewing stand. We’re broadcasting from Freedom City, where the 73rd Crucian Christmas Festival turns St. Croix into a living classroom of culture, pride, and possibility. From the first drumroll to the last cheer, we trace how pageantry, music, and food bind neighbors, inspire kids, and welcome visitors into an American-Caribbean story with deep roots and a wide reach.

Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett joins us to connect history with ambition, highlighting Virgin Islanders who shaped the Harlem Renaissance and Pan-Africanism, while calling for greater mainland engagement. She lays out a clear truth: discipline and drive turn small islands into big influence. Senators and community leaders take us inside the children’s parade—majorettes, moko jumbies, and a revived alumni band—showing how mentorship rebuilds programs, confidence, and continuity. A powerful health moment lands as a senator shares his year cancer-free and urges men to get PSA screenings, proof that culture and care can march together.

Tourism leaders and festival producers pull back the curtain on the craft behind the spectacle: on-time shows, professional pageants, and constant iteration that preserves heritage while boosting visits. The new queen centers mental health with “mind your mind,” reminding us that poise begins inside. We taste the island through Johnny cakes, kallaloo, and red pea soup, map out Culture Night and J’ouvert, and celebrate the sounds that carry the festival worldwide through Tempo and One Connect. The takeaway is simple and stirring: Freedom City isn’t just a place on the route, it’s a mindset—rooted, resilient, and ready for the future.

If this journey moved you, follow and share the show, leave a quick review, and invite a friend to join us at the next parade. Your voice helps this culture travel farther and shine brighter.

Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Follow The Brand! We hope you enjoyed learning about the latest trends and strategies in Personal Branding, Business and Career Development, Financial Empowerment, Technology Innovation, and Executive Presence. To keep up with the latest insights and updates, visit 5starbdm.com
.

And don’t miss Grant McGaugh’s new book, First Light — a powerful guide to igniting your purpose and building a BRAVE brand that stands out in a changing world. - https://5starbdm.com/brave-masterclass/

See you next time on Follow The Brand!