AI is not the advantage anymore; execution is.

From Upright Digital Media Studios in Houston, hosts Josh Lowrey and Richard Rodriguez welcome back Robby Gulri, Head of Advanced Technologies at Intelisys.

The conversation explores the gap between AI hype and real execution—highlighting why successful AI strategies start with strong data governance, clear business outcomes, and cyber resilience.

Gulri also breaks down practical AI use cases, rising cybersecurity risks, and why companies must shift from selling products to delivering solutions.

00:00 Podcast Kickoff

01:18 Meet Today’s Guest

03:51 Robbie’s Origin Story

04:51 Career Path and Role

07:09 Entrepreneur Roots

11:03 Why AI Is Mostly Hype

14:05 AI Governance and Guardrails

19:49 Consumer Expectations and CX

22:31 Real World AI Examples

24:49 Three AI Use Case Buckets

30:09 How LLMs Actually Work

31:54 AI Slop and Hallucinations

34:03 AI Email War Story

36:45 Energy and Social Costs

38:25 Security Implications Ahead

38:46 Phishing Gets Personal

39:30 AI Powered Cybercrime Markets

41:53 Zero Trust In Real Life

43:53 Security ROI For CEOs

46:55 SMBs Under Constant Attack

49:01 Cyber Resilience Mindset Shift

51:33 Cloud Shared Responsibility Reality

54:57 CIO Evolution And Misalignment

59:55 Is AI Really IT

01:01:41 FinOps Ownership Debate

01:04:55 Writing The SKU To Solution Book

01:10:06 Wrap Up And Where To Connect