The State of AI for CEOs (June 2026)

Your Best Salespeople Aren't in The Sales Team | The Scaling CEO Podcast

In this episode, I sit down with Bryan House, CEO of Elastic Path, to discuss scaling software companies through multiple growth stages. Bryan shares why customer success teams often outperform traditional sales teams, how leaders must let go to scale, lessons from helping build Acquia into a billion-dollar success story, and why staying close to customer problems matters more than ever. We also explore AI-driven commerce, developer adoption, open-source growth strategies, customer relationships, and how CEOs can scale themselves as their organizations grow.

You're Building for Yourself, Not the Market | The Scaling CEO Podcast

In this episode, I speak with Gregory Shepard, founder of Startup Science and serial entrepreneur who has built and sold 12 companies. Greg shares what his research revealed after interviewing more than 1,200 founders, why most startups fail in the first 18 months, and how founders often build through their own lens instead of the market's reality. We discuss product-market fit, delegation, startup frameworks, founder mindset, competitive positioning, meditation, and how structure can dramatically improve a company's chances of success.

Chaos Is Killing Your Ability to Scale | The Scaling CEO Podcast

In this episode, I talk with Eric Edelson, CEO of Fireclay Tile, about scaling a craft-based business into a high-growth platform. Eric shares how his team transformed manufacturing complexity into repeatable systems, why bringing order to chaos is the key to growth, lessons from acquiring Fox Marble, and the challenges of scaling service businesses. We also discuss leadership, company culture, continuous learning, AI adoption, operational excellence, and how great businesses create structure without losing craftsmanship.

Your First Instinct Was Probably Right | The Scaling CEO Podcast

In this episode, I sit down with Ed Kopko, CEO of Bold Business and former CEO of Butler International, to discuss what it really takes to scale a company through decades of growth and change. Ed shares why CEOs struggle to find time for strategic thinking, the costly leadership mistakes he would avoid if starting again, the importance of benchmarking against the best, and how AI is reshaping workforce solutions. We also explore organizational change, leadership instincts, global scaling, and what it means to build an AI-first company in today's rapidly evolving business environment.

The State of AI for CEOs (June 2026)

The signal this month is clear. The companies winning with AI have stopped running pilots and started scaling what pays. New data shows that 80% of enterprises running AI agents now report measurable return. Firms stuck on chatbots fall behind. The difference comes down to execution. This month McKinsey told CEOs to move past productivity demos and ask a harder question: how will AI change the economics of your business? IBM found that companies redesigning core functions around AI are four times more likely to hit their goals. The message to the corner office is blunt. AI is now a board-level value lever, and your P&L is where the proof lives. I host The Scaling CEO podcast. I just finished interviews with 19 leaders across industrial manufacturing, software, and private equity backed hospitality. They have settled the question of whether AI works. Now they decide faster, scale what pays, and kill what stalls. Here are the five things they do to drive ROI and protect their lead.