What happens when a seasoned entrepreneur takes a 15-month trip around the world with his family only to come back and build an AI-driven powerhouse? In this episode of Show Your Value, Lee Benson sits down with Jason Smith, co-founder and CEO of Klue, to discuss the seismic shift toward "AI-first" business models and the timeless importance of human connection.

Jason shares the origin story of Klue, which was born from a "scratching an itch" moment when he realized sales teams were losing credibility by winging it against competitors. They dive deep into how AI is acting as both a "nuclear reactor" of productivity and a competitive threat that companies must embrace to survive.

Key Topics Covered:

• The "AI-First" Mandate: Why starting a company today means starting with agents first and why small, AI-leveraged teams are the future.
• The 1-9-90 Rule of AI: How to move from being a "voyeur" to a "tinkerer" and eventually a power user of tools like Claude and ChatGPT.
• Training Your "AI Interns": A CEO’s perspective on overcoming the fear of "training your replacement" and instead building a personal competitive advantage.
• Global Perspectives on Value: Jason reflects on his 15-month family sabbatical, teaching his daughters about privilege, poverty, and the universal nature of human connection.
• The Future of Purpose: Why the "AI revolution" makes human-to-human interaction more valuable than ever and how to find purpose in a world of increasing automation.
• Embracing Discomfort: Why Jason seeks out the "edge of discomfort" to drive growth and how to handle the skeptics when you’re building something new.

About Jason Smith

Jason Smith is the co-founder and CEO of Klue, a competitive enablement platform that helps companies collect, curate, and deliver market insights. A serial entrepreneur and former president of Vision Critical, Jason is a leading voice on leveraging AI to outmaneuver the competition while maintaining a focus on creating real-world value.

For more free videos, tools, and resources about the MIND Methodology go to https://etw.com/

What if the struggle you're running from is the exact thing that makes you who you're meant to be?

In this episode of the most powerful insights from the Show Your Value podcast, Lee Benson brings together six world-class thinkers on leadership, value creation, and what it really takes to build something meaningful. From the butterfly cocoon metaphor that will change how you see every hardship you're facing, to the counterintuitive pricing strategy behind a $250,000 coaching program, to why the CEO with the "cool break room" has the worst culture in the company this episode is packed with ideas you can use today.

You'll hear why revenue is a byproduct of value (not the other way around), how to start a business from literally nothing, what the Blue Zones reveal about why we're so disconnected, and the three needs every team member has that almost no leader meets.

If you've ever felt stuck, afraid to start, or like you're playing the wrong game, this one's for you.

Featured guests:

- Ken Coleman — Bestselling author, host of The Ken Coleman Show, and career expert at Ramsey Solutions. Author of From Paycheck to Purpose.

- Robin Waite — Founder of Fearless Business, bestselling author of Take Your Shot, and business coach to clients in 20+ countries.

- Gary Arnold — Veteran operator behind Amazon Pay, GoDaddy's Professional Web Services, and PayPal's merchant marketing organization.

- Ellen Petry Leanse — Silicon Valley innovator, former Apple and Google leader, Stanford instructor, and author of The Happiness Hack.

- Michael Watkins — Thinkers50 Hall of Fame inductee, IMD professor, and author of the million-copy bestseller The First 90 Days and The Six Disciplines of Strategic Thinking.

- Bruce Cardenas — Former LAPD officer, US Marine, and early team member at Quest Nutrition who helped scale the company from zero to a billion-dollar exit.

For more free videos, tools, and resources about the MIND Methodology go to https://etw.com/

In this episode, Lee Benson sits down with David Simnick, co-founder and CEO of Soapbox. David shares the incredible journey of building a mission-driven personal care brand that competes with industry giants while creating measurable global impact.

From brewing soap in his college kitchen to reaching nearly $100 million in annual revenue, David unpacks the raw realities of scaling a consumer business. He reveals a hard truth about social enterprises: a great mission builds massive long-term loyalty, but it simply cannot compensate for a subpar product.

Key Takeaways

• The Origins of Soapbox: Hear about David's early mistakes, branding missteps, and the sheer grit required to push through constant setbacks.
• Product Over Promise: Discover why consumers buy for the product quality first and the charitable mission second.
• David vs. Goliath: Learn about the terrifying but thrilling reality of fighting for retail shelf space against multi-billion-dollar conglomerates like P&G and Unilever.
• The "Job to be Done": David shares a multi-million-dollar lesson learned from a failed sustainable baby product line and explains why you can never ignore the customer's actual daily needs.
• Leadership and Culture: Find out why Soapbox strictly hires for "humble, hungry, and smart" candidates and cultivates a flat culture where radical candor thrives.
• The Hope Code: Learn how Soapbox turns everyday buyers into philanthropists by allowing them to scan their products and track exactly where their hygiene donations are going.

Special Listener Offer: Head over to soapbox.co and use the code show your value at checkout to receive 20% off your first purchase!

For more free videos, tools, and resources about the MIND Methodology go to https://etw.com/