Disruption / Interruption

In this episode of Disruption/Interruption, host KJ sits down with Bill Lederer, Founder and CEO of MADTECH.AI, to discuss how marketing analytics is being transformed by automation, AI, and decision intelligence. Bill shares his journey as a serial entrepreneur, the challenges of messy marketing data, and how his innovations are helping brands make smarter, faster decisions.

Key Takeaways:

[2:12] - Most marketing data is disconnected, siloed, and often unusable, making good decision-making difficult.

[6:57] - AI and automation are reducing the need for large teams in marketing analytics, allowing companies to do more with less.

[11:32] - Automating data pipelines and transformations can lead to significant cost savings and efficiency gains.

[13:04] - MADTECH.AI acts as a multi-tool for marketers, integrating data unification, visualization, and predictive analytics.

[19:02] - Bill advises listeners to be skeptical of hype, test new technologies carefully, and focus on early ROI.

Quote of the Show [23:42]:
"The time compression in order to be able to do anything—to learn, to fix, to improve—it's a qualitative difference. The speed with which everything is able to be done now... it's dramatic. If you’re not leveraging this, you’re already behind." – Bill Lederer

Join our Anti-PR newsletter where we’re keeping a watchful and clever eye on PR trends, PR fails, and interesting news in tech so you don't have to. You're welcome.

Want PR that actually matters? Get 30 minutes of expert advice in a fast-paced, zero-nonsense session from Karla Jo Helms, a veteran Crisis PR and Anti-PR Strategist who knows how to tell your story in the best possible light and get the exposure you need to disrupt your industry. Click here to book your call: https://info.jotopr.com/free-anti-pr-eval

Ways to connect with Bill Lederer:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billederer/

Company Websites: MadTech.AI

How to get more Disruption/Interruption: 

Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/eccda84d-4d5b-4c52-ba54-7fd8af3cbe87/disruption-interruption

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/disruption-interruption/id1581985755

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6yGSwcSp8J354awJkCmJlD

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Khullani Abdullahi is the founder of Techné AI, a Chicago-based consultancy that helps organizations adopt and govern artificial intelligence responsibly. In this episode, KJ and Khullani discuss the realities of AI adoption in business, the coming "white collar depression," and how leaders and organizations can prepare for a rapidly changing future. Khullani shares her journey from Somali refugee to tech entrepreneur, and offers practical advice for navigating disruption, building resilient teams, and staying ahead of the curve.

Key Takeaways:

[0:00] Extraordinary leadership in the age of AI requires transparency, adaptability, and preparing teams for change.

[08:41] Most organizations are unprepared for AI adoption, leading to chaos and confusion; Khullani helps companies move beyond hype to real strategy.

[19:56] Khullani’s background as a Somali refugee shaped her drive for security, adaptability, and non-traditional career choices.

[38:24] The majority of white-collar workers may become redundant in the next 10 years; only the most creative and adaptable roles will remain.

[49:26] Leaders must invest in AI education and create open cultures to ensure their teams’ future success—even beyond their current organization.

[25:35] Khullani warns against over-reliance on AI: “Be mindful of striking a balance and ensuring that your own amazing, extraordinary cognitive critical thinking analysis, synthesis skills…that you don’t abdicate all of that beautiful capacity and capability by overlying on the tools.”

Quote of the Show [25:35]:
“We are seeing human intellectual ability degrade in real time as we outsource more of our thinking to the machines and to the algorithms. I would be very mindful of striking a balance and ensuring that you don’t abdicate all that beautiful capacity and capability by overlying on the tools.” — Khullani Abdullahi

Join our Anti-PR newsletter where we’re keeping a watchful and clever eye on PR trends, PR fails, and interesting news in tech so you don't have to. You're welcome.

Want PR that actually matters? Get 30 minutes of expert advice in a fast-paced, zero-nonsense session from Karla Jo Helms, a veteran Crisis PR and Anti-PR Strategist who knows how to tell your story in the best possible light and get the exposure you need to disrupt your industry. Click here to book your call: https://info.jotopr.com/free-anti-pr-eval

Ways to connect with Khullani Abdullahi:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khullani

Company Websites: https://techne.ai/

How to get more Disruption/Interruption: 

Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/eccda84d-4d5b-4c52-ba54-7fd8af3cbe87/disruption-interruption

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/disruption-interruption/id1581985755

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6yGSwcSp8J354awJkCmJlD

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hila Lauterbach, Founder of 10x GTM, and Klue Advisor. 10x GTM is a company partnering with high-growth B2B SaaS companies to accelerate revenue through strategic GTM and product marketing excellence. In this episode, KJ Hila discuss the rise of data-driven and AI-powered investment models—and why they’re not enough on their own. They also explore the most common go-to-market mistakes: lack of alignment, unclear audience, and missing foundational strategy.

Key Takeaways:

[5:47] Hila’s Origin Story & Overcoming Rejection

[13:45] The Broken Investment Model

[16:39] Building a Repeatable Go-to-Market Engine

[26:50] The Future of SaaS & AI’s Impact

Quote of the Show (27:00):

“Every time the door was closed, I built a new door. You have to keep iterating, keep believing, and keep working hard towards your goals.” – Hila Lauterbach

Join our Anti-PR newsletter where we’re keeping a watchful and clever eye on PR trends, PR fails, and interesting news in tech so you don't have to. You're welcome.

Want PR that actually matters? Get 30 minutes of expert advice in a fast-paced, zero-nonsense session from Karla Jo Helms, a veteran Crisis PR and Anti-PR Strategist who knows how to tell your story in the best possible light and get the exposure you need to disrupt your industry. Click here to book your call: https://info.jotopr.com/free-anti-pr-eval

Ways to connect with Hila Lauterbach:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilalauterbachmarketing

Company Websites: 10XGTM.com and https://klue.com/

How to get more Disruption/Interruption: 

Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/eccda84d-4d5b-4c52-ba54-7fd8af3cbe87/disruption-interruption

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/disruption-interruption/id1581985755

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6yGSwcSp8J354awJkCmJlD

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian Gilman is the Chief Marketing Officer of ThetaRay, a fintech company that provides AI-powered solutions to detect and prevent financial crimes like money laundering, fraud, and terrorist financing. In this episode, KJ and Brian Gilman explore how AI is transforming the fight against financial crime in the banking industry. They discuss the limitations of legacy rules-based systems, the power of AI-driven pattern recognition, and the future of compliance and risk management.

Key Takeaways:

• 03:00 – The State of Financial Crime

• 20–30% of global financial transactions may be linked to crime.
• $4B+ in fines for money laundering in 2023 alone.
• 07:00 – How AI Changes the Game
• AI identifies hidden patterns and criminal networks.
• Reduces false positives, enabling secure growth in high-risk markets.
• 10:00 – Marketing Disruptive Tech
• Messaging to C-suite: focus on pain points and compliance needs.
• The shift from traditional marketing funnels to meeting-based metrics.

Quote of the Show (19:00):

"AI has been one of the greatest enablers, but it has also been one of the greatest levelers of technology that I've ever seen. “ – Brian Gilman

Join our Anti-PR newsletter where we’re keeping a watchful and clever eye on PR trends, PR fails, and interesting news in tech so you don't have to. You're welcome.

Want PR that actually matters? Get 30 minutes of expert advice in a fast-paced, zero-nonsense session from Karla Jo Helms, a veteran Crisis PR and Anti-PR Strategist who knows how to tell your story in the best possible light and get the exposure you need to disrupt your industry. Click here to book your call: https://info.jotopr.com/free-anti-pr-eval

Ways to connect with Brian Gilman:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bgilman1/

Company Website: thetaray.com

How to get more Disruption/Interruption: 

Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/eccda84d-4d5b-4c52-ba54-7fd8af3cbe87/disruption-interruption

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/disruption-interruption/id1581985755

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6yGSwcSp8J354awJkCmJlD

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alice Chen, Partner and U.S. Lead at Pender Hastings Capital, a real estate private equity firm which invests in scalable strategies in Canada and the United States. In this episode, KJ and Alice explore issues surrounding the significant housing deficit, and how Alice’s firm is creating scalable solutions by entering the niche market of land entitlement and horizontal development.

Episode Highlights:

12:14 The Impact of the Housing Deficit

17:19 Urban Density Strategies

17:41 Finding the Sweet Spot in Real Estate

18:49 Discovering Land Development

20:21 Understanding Horizontal Development

Quote of the Show (23:00):

"Real estate is increasingly a bigger problem, but with the right thinking, we can unlock its true potential." – Alice Chen

Join our Anti-PR newsletter where we’re keeping a watchful and clever eye on PR trends, PR fails, and interesting news in tech so you don't have to. You're welcome.

Want PR that actually matters? Get 30 minutes of expert advice in a fast-paced, zero-nonsense session from Karla Jo Helms, a veteran Crisis PR and Anti-PR Strategist who knows how to tell your story in the best possible light and get the exposure you need to disrupt your industry. Click here to book your call: https://info.jotopr.com/free-anti-pr-eval

Ways to connect with Alice Chen:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliceychen

Company Website: http://www.phcfunds.com 

How to get more Disruption/Interruption: 

Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/eccda84d-4d5b-4c52-ba54-7fd8af3cbe87/disruption-interruption

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/disruption-interruption/id1581985755

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6yGSwcSp8J354awJkCmJlD

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alexander Alvord is an architect, strategist, and founder of a thriving user community. Nutanix is a global leader in cloud software, offering organizations a single platform for running apps and data across clouds. In this episode, KJ and Alexander delve into the issues of cloud bloat, inefficiencies from vendor lock-ins, and the importance of FinOps. Alexander also shares his personal journey and passion for technology and multi-cloud strategies. Learn about the challenges and innovations in making cloud services more efficient and user-centric.

Episode Highlights:

01:55 The Hidden Costs of Cloud Bloat

07:39 Impact on Organizations and Productivity

16:10 Solutions to Cloud Bloat

27:58 Nutanix's Approach and Future Vision

Quote of the Show (18:00):

"Multiple clouds does not equal Multi-cloud." - Alexander Alvord

Join our Anti-PR newsletter where we’re keeping a watchful and clever eye on PR trends, PR fails, and interesting news in tech so you don't have to. You're welcome.

Want PR that actually matters? Get 30 minutes of expert advice in a fast-paced, zero-nonsense session from Karla Jo Helms, a veteran Crisis PR and Anti-PR Strategist who knows how to tell your story in the best possible light and get the exposure you need to disrupt your industry. Click here to book your call: https://info.jotopr.com/free-anti-pr-eval

Ways to connect with Alexander Alvord:

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/alexalvord

Company Website: https://nutanix.com

How to get more Disruption/Interruption: 

Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/eccda84d-4d5b-4c52-ba54-7fd8af3cbe87/disruption-interruption

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/disruption-interruption/id1581985755

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6yGSwcSp8J354awJkCmJlD

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Emily Steele is the Co-Founder and CEO of Hummingbirds, a self-service platform connecting brands to hyper-local creators & influencers. In this episode, KJ and Emily explore the power of authentic connections and the importance of understanding the types of creators brands should engage with. Tune in for insights on the evolution of the creator economy, the nuances of influencer marketing, and the potential for this model to expand beyond consumer packaged goods to sectors like tourism and small business.

Key Takeaways:

07:22 Understanding Influencers vs. Creators

10:31 The Rise of Local Creators

17:53 The Game is Rigged: Media and PR Strategies

18:52 Expanding Beyond B2C: Local Creators and CPG Brands

21:04 B2B Opportunities and Challenges

Quote of the Show (16:00):

"Authentic connections can create so many opportunities." - Emily Steele

Join our Anti-PR newsletter where we’re keeping a watchful and clever eye on PR trends, PR fails, and interesting news in tech so you don't have to. You're welcome.

Want PR that actually matters? Get 30 minutes of expert advice in a fast-paced, zero-nonsense session from Karla Jo Helms, a veteran Crisis PR and Anti-PR Strategist who knows how to tell your story in the best possible light and get the exposure you need to disrupt your industry. Click here to book your call: https://info.jotopr.com/free-anti-pr-eval

Ways to connect with Emily Steele:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilysteele12

Company Website: https://www.hummingbirds.com/ 

How to get more Disruption/Interruption: 

Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/eccda84d-4d5b-4c52-ba54-7fd8af3cbe87/disruption-interruption

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/disruption-interruption/id1581985755

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6yGSwcSp8J354awJkCmJlD

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mateo Valdez is the founder of Gonzaga Sport Consulting Group, providing business solutions to high-profile clients, bridging the gap between education and industry. In this episode, KJ and Mateo discuss how he identified and addressed gaps in traditional education by creating a student-led consultancy that provides real-world business solutions to major sports brands like the NFL, MLS, and New Balance.

Episode Highlights:

01:58 The Flaws of Traditional Education

12:35 The Arbitrary Nature of Education Systems

14:36 Why Sports Consultancy?

16:42 Challenges in Traditional Education

17:24 Combining Passion with Education

Quote of the Show (23:00):

"Don't be imprisoned by the status quo. Just because you hear everyone is doing something one way, doesn't mean you have to do it that way yourself." - Mateo Valdez

Join our Anti-PR newsletter where we’re keeping a watchful and clever eye on PR trends, PR fails, and interesting news in tech so you don't have to. You're welcome.

Want PR that actually matters? Get 30 minutes of expert advice in a fast-paced, zero-nonsense session from Karla Jo Helms, a veteran Crisis PR and Anti-PR Strategist who knows how to tell your story in the best possible light and get the exposure you need to disrupt your industry. Click here to book your call: https://info.jotopr.com/free-anti-pr-eval

Ways to connect with Mateo Valdez:

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mateo-valdez

Company Website: https://www.gonzaga.edu 

How to get more Disruption/Interruption: 

Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/eccda84d-4d5b-4c52-ba54-7fd8af3cbe87/disruption-interruption

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/disruption-interruption/id1581985755

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6yGSwcSp8J354awJkCmJlD

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scott Kitun is a seasoned entrepreneur and investor. He currently serves as Advisor to the CEO at Republic, where he is building the infrastructure to enable retail investors to access private equity through tokenization. As a Strategic Advisor and Investor at KingsCrowd, Scott is helping to create the leading investment research and advisory firm for retail private markets, empowering everyday investors to make data-driven decisions in the private equity space. In this episode, KJ and Scott explore the impact of AI on the financial ecosystem and the need for investors to diversify to mitigate market volatility.

Episode Highlights:

09:11 The Underserved Market and Private Infrastructure

16:18 The Future of Retail Investing

23:43 Simplifying Transactions with Blockchain

24:20 Tokenization and Real-World Assets

26:25 Challenges in Retail Investment Access

36:25 Resources for Learning About Private Equity

Quote of the Show (16:00):

“Private equity in general has beat public stocks 19 out of 20 years…”- Scott Kitun

Join our Anti-PR newsletter where we’re keeping a watchful and clever eye on PR trends, PR fails, and interesting news in tech so you don't have to. You're welcome.

Want PR that actually matters? Get 30 minutes of expert advice in a fast-paced, zero-nonsense session from Karla Jo Helms, a veteran Crisis PR and Anti-PR Strategist who knows how to tell your story in the best possible light and get the exposure you need to disrupt your industry. Click here to book your call: https://info.jotopr.com/free-anti-pr-eval

Ways to connect with Scott Kitun:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kitun/

Company Websites:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/republic.co/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/kingscrowd/

How to get more Disruption/Interruption: 

Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/eccda84d-4d5b-4c52-ba54-7fd8af3cbe87/disruption-interruption

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/disruption-interruption/id1581985755

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6yGSwcSp8J354awJkCmJlD

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Russell Mikowski is the CEO of SurePeople, a people intelligence platform, transforms workplace dynamics with AI-powered coaching and collaboration tools that enhance interactions, boost teamwork, and drive business success. In this episode, KJ and Russell explore the benefits of integrating these tools into everyday workflow applications like Slack and Zoom, enhancing communication, productivity, and employee morale. Russell also emphasizes the importance of understanding team dynamics and personal development.

Key Takeaways:

11:12 Challenges and Opportunities in Psychometric Assessments

20:28 The Impact of People Intelligence on Productivity

23:41 Impact on Workplace Productivity and Morale

25:34 Reducing Meeting Time to Combat Burnout

28:02 Introducing the Prism Psychometric Self-Assessment

30:36 The Future of AI and Human Interaction in the Workplace

Quote of the Show (15:00):

“Ten percent of employees get eighty percent of development investment,” – Russell Mikowski

Join our Anti-PR newsletter where we’re keeping a watchful and clever eye on PR trends, PR fails, and interesting news in tech so you don't have to. You're welcome.

Want PR that actually matters? Get 30 minutes of expert advice in a fast-paced, zero-nonsense session from Karla Jo Helms, a veteran Crisis PR and Anti-PR Strategist who knows how to tell your story in the best possible light and get the exposure you need to disrupt your industry. Click here to book your call: https://info.jotopr.com/free-anti-pr-eval

Ways to connect with Russell Mikowski:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/russell-mikowski-a349903/

How to get more Disruption/Interruption: 

Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/eccda84d-4d5b-4c52-ba54-7fd8af3cbe87/disruption-interruption

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/disruption-interruption/id1581985755

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6yGSwcSp8J354awJkCmJlD

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.