The Digital Transformist

Brian Floriani: Building Bookoo Branded to Fight Illiteracy

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 to ensure every child owns quality books, aiming to serve 20 million children by 2045. He explains the evolution from traditional philanthropy to social enterprise through BUKU Branded, a promotional products company that donates profits to literacy initiatives. This model taps into already-budgeted corporate spending while enhancing companies' social responsibility efforts. The conversation explores the critical importance of book ownership in childhood literacy development, the challenges of scaling social impact, and how businesses can differentiate themselves through mission-driven partnerships. Brian provides insights into the promotional products industry, the power of corporate social responsibility, and practical strategies for creating sustainable social enterprises. Whether you're an entrepreneur looking to build purpose-driven businesses, a corporate leader seeking meaningful community impact, or simply passionate about literacy and education, this episode offers valuable perspectives on creating positive change through innovative business models. To reach Brian please visit his website at www.BUKUBranded.com or visit Bernie's Book Bank at https://www.berniesbookbank.org/ Get Mike's book "Superpowered: 7 Leadership Superpowers Technology Executives Can Use to Grow a More Engaged, Tech-driven and Profitable Organization" on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Superpowered-Leadership-Superpowers-Tech-driven-Organization-ebook/dp/B09D9XWWZS Caxy Interactive -- Showing organizations how to play offense with software and AI. https://www.caxy.com hello@caxy.com CHAPTERS: 00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome 02:15 Bernie's Book Bank Mission and Goals 05:30 The Birth of BUKU Branded 08:45 Why Promotional Products? 11:20 Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy 14:10 The Literacy Crisis and Its Impact 16:45 Success Stories from the Field 19:30 Book Selection and Cultural Relevance 22:15 Target Market and Business Model 24:50 From Bad Ideas to Good Business

Les Hamilton: 5 Moves Every CPG Brand Must Make Today

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 executives and how fractional leadership across five key pillars (sales, marketing, supply chain, finance, and IT) can solve this problem. Les shares insider insights from his time as a Target buyer, revealing what makes emerging brands stand out and get picked up by major retailers. He also breaks down critical supply chain strategies that can make or break your business, especially in today's volatile market. Les Hamilton brings a unique triple perspective to CPG: retailer experience at Target, agency work at Emerson Group, and manufacturing leadership as Chief Revenue Officer at Highlands. His company CPG Integrated helps small to medium-sized health and beauty brands (typically $1-30M) access senior-level expertise without the full-time cost. Fresh insights from Expo West included, plus what trends are hot and what's already passé. Don't miss this tactical episode packed with actionable strategies for CPG growth. Like this episode? Subscribe to The Digital Transformist for more insights on playing offense with business strategy. Drop a comment below with your biggest CPG challenge - we read every one! Hosted by Michael LaVista, CEO of Caxy Interactive, helping companies figure out how to play offense with software. Get Mike's book "Superpowered" on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Superpowered-Leadership-Superpowers-Tech-driven-Organization-ebook/dp/B09D9XWWZS Caxy Interactive -- Showing organizations how to play offense with software and AI. https://www.caxy.com | hello@caxy.com

Why "Just Show Up" Is the Best Digital Strategy in 2026

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 hard-won social media strategy insights. Whether you're a B2B leader wondering if LinkedIn even matters, a brand trying to figure out AI content without destroying trust, or a CEO who's been avoiding social media entirely -- this episode is for you. Beth Trejo is the founder and CEO of ChatterKick, a social-first agency helping mid-market companies scale their social media programs. Find her on LinkedIn or at beth@chatterkick.com. CHAPTERS: 0:00 - The word of the year is trust 0:36 - Intro 0:49 - Meet Beth Trejo, CEO of ChatterKick 1:30 - Why mid-market companies are 10 years behind on digital 2:47 - Trust, brand, and why you HAVE to show up 4:05 - The AI slop problem on social media 5:15 - Why CEOs are afraid to post (and why they shouldn't be) 6:55 - The easiest content hack: your phone + a news article 7:55 - LinkedIn is not what you think it is anymore 9:50 - Can small brands take a stand like Nike or Patagonia? 11:30 - How LLMs and AI are changing SEO and social content 13:15 - The biggest mistake: AI content without human review 15:00 - Why you can't fully trust AI agents (yet) 16:45 - Where to start if you're doing nothing today 18:00 - Saves over likes: the metric that actually matters 20:00 - One post that drove multiple six figures 21:00 - Why you need senior people running social, not interns 22:15 - Where to find Beth online Subscribe for more conversations about using software and AI to drive real business results. The Digital Transformist is a podcast produced by Caxy, a software and AI consulting company showing organizations how to play offense with software and AI. https://www.caxy.com

Why Companies Always Think They Have Less Capacity Than They Really Have

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 tape. Whether you're planning an exit in 5 years or just want your business to run better (and be more fun), this episode delivers actionable insights you can apply this week. Get Tim's book "Shocking Profit" on Amazon or Barnes & Noble - https://www.amazon.com/Shocking-Profit-Companys-Transformation-Everything-ebook/dp/B0FXBQF1NW.  Get Mike's book "Superpowered: 7 Leadership Superpowers Technology Executives Can Use to Grow a More Engaged, Tech-driven and Profitable Organization" on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Superpowered-Leadership-Superpowers-Tech-driven-Organization-ebook/dp/B09D9XWWZS Caxy Interactive -- Showing organizations how to play offense with software and AI. https://www.caxy.com hello@caxy.com CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Cold Open: "What it was was..." 0:25 - Intro 0:39 - Meet Tim Van Mieghem 1:15 - Hidden value vs. hidden risk in every business 2:11 - Money under the cushions -- where profit hides 3:30 - The Beverly Hillbillies moment: discovering value in what you already have 4:37 - Why business owners miss their own "shocking profit" 5:43 - The customer service trap -- serving vs. optimizing 6:56 - Lessons from working across industries (manufacturing, food, retail) 8:20 - Dusty inventory and the warehouse problem 9:38 - Scrap rates: what food processing teaches every business 10:48 - Landing Sam's Club and Costco in the same quarter 12:45 - The "grandma's house" effect -- living with problems you can't see 13:46 - AI tools and the new opportunity for small businesses 15:38 - Why your production floor knows more than your sales team 17:01 - The football team analogy -- would you play without a scoreboard? 18:01 - Basketball, consistency, and what sports teach us about business 19:21 - Dust on inventory = money on the table 20:50 - Real estate agents and why salespeople shoot for the bottom of the margin 22:45 - 41% of quotes going to customers you never win -- the data problem 23:50 - Excel spreadsheets as duct tape: the "win the lotto" test 25:20 - When one person's two-week absence becomes everyone's nightmare 27:40 - Firefighter heroes -- why workarounds are dangerous 29:40 - "What if we train them and they leave?" -- the CEO vs. CFO joke 31:10 - Tim's sister turned her business into her hobby 32:50 - Shocking Profit: the book and what comes next 34:00 - If you're planning an exit, start this conversation now

The Truth About Copyrights & AI: Critical Decisions Revealed

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 industry. Hannah sheds light on the evolving landscape of AI regulations, highlighting the challenges faced by businesses and states in navigating the boundaries of fair use and data scraping. The landmark Anthropic case serves as a pivotal moment in redefining the rules of the game, setting a precedent for future copyright disputes in the realm of AI technology. From the perspective of end-users and creators alike, the discussion explores the potential impact of these legal developments on the accessibility and profitability of AI technology. Will companies like open AI and anthropic be able to adapt to the changing regulatory environment while maintaining their competitive edge? Tune in to learn more about the future of AI and copyright law in this riveting episode of The Digital Transformist! Listeners can get in touch with the guest, Hannah Deason, by visiting the Caxy website and contacting her on LinkedIn. Michael can be found at https://caxy.com and his podcast The Digital Transformist https://www.youtube.com/@DigitalTransformistPodcast Michael's book, Superpowered: 7 Leadership Superpowers Technology Executives Can Use to Grow a More Engaged, Tech-driven and Profitable Organization, can be found on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Superpowered-Essential-Leadership-Technology-Executives/dp/1735504904 00:00 - Introduction: The Challenge of Accuracy 00:27 - Unveiling the Guest: Hannah Deason 01:05 - The Roller Coaster of AI Legislation 01:49 - Copyright Lawsuits in the AI Era 02:34 - Ethical Implications of Data Scraping 03:12 - The Anthropics Case: A Game Changer 04:00 - Balancing Innovation and Regulation 04:29 - Navigating the Intersection of AI and Copyright 05:10 - The Future of Training Material Usage 05:45 - Strategies for Ensuring Data Privacy 06:20 - Conclusion: The Evolving Landscape of AI Ethics and Law #AIcopyrights #digitaltransformation #trainingmaterialAI #copyrightlaw