What can a year of AI acceleration, shifting priorities, and bold bets teach us about the future of work? In this episode of Pure Signal, the team looks back on 2025 to reflect on the lessons that will shape 2026.

As AI moved from hype to impact, Kevin Erickson, Jake Carter, and Ryan Medellin unpack what changed in the way companies operate, how teams collaborate, and what clients now expect from innovation. From personal growth to leadership evolution, the conversation explores the power of slowing down to assess where you’ve been and lessons to take on your next journey.

Topics include how AI transformed client conversations, why creativity is now a core competency, how middle management is being redefined, and why sustainable performance depends on recovery as much as ambition. If you're navigating change at any level, this episode offers a reset worth hearing.

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Quotes

“A year ago on this podcast we were talking about models, we were talking about hardware, we were talking about where it sits, where it goes. It was really around the mechanics of it. And I think where we're at today, a year later, is just radically different. It's now about how it changes how we do things. How it speeds things up, how it creates organizational change. That’s just a much more tangible and exciting place to be.” – Kevin Erickson

“We got to work with a Fortune 30 company helping them shape: ‘How are we, across the company, using AI to change the way they market?’ The types of stuff that we got to work on this year is so much more fun. We've been helping organizations think about: ‘Okay, we know this AI thing is happening, we don't think it's going anywhere. How does our organization change in light of that?’” – Jake Carter

“When you asked me to be a part of this podcast, the first thing was like: ‘Oh, Ryan's a broadcaster. It makes sense to bring him in and do something like this.’ As we've started to do these episodes, it's become very clear to me that we have a really good mix for all these things that we're thankful for and that we're talking about.” – Ryan Medellin

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Time Stamps

00:00 Intro

01:20 Tech gratitude from this past year

10:10 The rise of creativity across all functions of the business

14:05 What makes the work enjoyable

16:20 How the conversation has changed

24:00 The importance of reflection

32:05 Balancing health with demand

36:20 Final thoughts

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Links 

Connect with the hosts on LinkedIn!

• Kevin Erickson

• Jake Carter

• Ryan Medellin

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