The Next 100 Days Podcast

Nishant Sharma is the founder of Rutland Square. Their Chai Spiced Scottish Gin combines a unique recipe with a captivating story that sets it apart in the world of premium spirits. This extraordinary gin blends modern business principles with deep respect for tradition—a perfect fusion of two cultures. Our journey begins in India and traverses the globe to Scotland, resulting in a truly unique, complex, and luxurious sipping gin.

Nish shares his background, explaining how he migrated from India to Scotland and how his family history with distilling led him to start his spirits company Rutland Square. He discusses the process of developing his flagship gin product, which blends Indian and Scottish influences.

Nish describes the early challenges of getting Rutland Square's gin accepted by retailers, and how he overcame this by directly engaging with consumers at markets and events. He discusses the company's growth, including expanding into new markets and product lines like rum and whisky.

The group discusses the importance of Nish maintaining the passion and authenticity of Rutland Square as the company grows, and explores ideas around how he can position the brand distinctively in the market. They also touch on Nish's plans to use Rutland Square's success to support other entrepreneurs.

Graham founded Finely Fettled in 2014 to provide data from The UK High Net Worth Database to marketers targeting affluent and high-net-worth customers. He's the founder of MicroYES, a Partner for MeclabsAI, creating lead generation AI Agents & Workflows and introducing the MeclabsAI Platform. Graham also provides an Answer Engine Optimisation solution to get your website in shape to be found by LLMs.

Kevin specialises in finance transformation and implementing business change. He's the COO of GrowCFO, which provides both community and CPD-accredited training designed to grow the next generation of finance leaders. You can find Kevin on LinkedIn and at kevinappleby.com

Christopher Carter is the founder, Chairman, and CEO of Approyo, a Wisconsin-based managed services company that was one of the first to put SAP systems into the cloud (back in 2002). He founded Approyo in December 2013 to provide full SAP technology services with extensive capabilities in hosting, managing, upgrading, and migrating.

• Data Quality is the AI Blocker: AI's value is limited by the "crap in, crap out" problem. Carter advises a mandatory data cleansing project before any AI initiative, as AI tools alone are insufficient and require human oversight.
• Human-in-the-Loop Governance: Carter advocates for a human-in-the-loop for all critical AI processes to prevent compounding errors. He criticized McKinsey's reported plan for 30,000 autonomous bots, arguing they should be tools to augment human employees, not replacements.
• Mugatu AI Prevents Data Leaks: Mugatu AI is an AI security tool that uses predictive analytics and homomorphic encryption to prevent accidental data leaks. It flags risky emails (e.g., with sensitive spreadsheets) and suggests secure alternatives like shared links.
• Early Cloud Adoption: Carter was an early pioneer in virtualising SAP systems on VMware and Azure, which initially met with corporate resistance but ultimately proved to be a cost-saving, flexible innovation for the SAP ecosystem.

• Carter's core message: AI's effectiveness is directly tied to data quality.
• Problem: Legacy systems contain decades of "dirty data" from acquisitions, stagnant records, and inconsistent formats.
• Example: One client had 27 years of uncleansed EDI data.
• Example: Another client's acquisitions created duplicate part numbers (e.g., 7 different codes for the same part).
• Solution: A mandatory data cleansing project before any AI initiative.
• AI tools can assist with scraping and matching, but human oversight is essential for validation.
• The goal is a human-AI partnership to ensure data accuracy.

• Carter advocates for a human-in-the-loop for all critical AI processes to prevent compounding errors.
• Critique of McKinsey's Bot Strategy: Carter questioned McKinsey's reported plan for 30,000 autonomous bots, arguing they should be tools to augment human employees, not replacements.
• Relevance to Finance (FP&A): Clean data and human-AI collaboration enable rapid scenario planning (e.g., 4 forecasts instead of 1), a major game-changer for finance teams.

• Mugatu AI is an AI security tool named after the villain in the movie Zoolander.
• Function: Prevents accidental data leaks by flagging risky outbound emails.
• Mechanism: Uses predictive analytics and homomorphic encryption to analyse content in milliseconds.
• User Feedback: Provides a "security score" (0-100) and suggests secure alternatives (e.g., a shared link instead of an attachment).
• Status: 14,794 end-users across 3 major corporations; acquisition interest from companies like NVIDIA.

• Carter's career is marked by early adoption of disruptive tech, often ahead of corporate policy.
• SAP & Cloud Virtualisation:
• Pioneered virtualising SAP systems on VMware and later on Azure.
• This innovation initially met with resistance from SAP executives, who had not yet formalised a partnership with VMware.
• Re-engagement with SAP:
• After a negative client experience, Carter left the SAP ecosystem.
• A conversation with a friend (SAP's VP of Oil & Gas) over a bottle of Macallan scotch introduced him to SAP HANA, reigniting his interest.
• Carrick Rangers FC:
• A minority owner of the Northern Ireland Premier League football club.
• His involvement stems from a lifelong passion for soccer, including a past role as VP of Sales/Marketing for a professional team.

Graham founded Finely Fettled in 2014 to provide data from The UK High Net Worth Database to marketers targeting affluent and high-net-worth customers. He's the founder of MicroYES, a Partner for MeclabsAI, creating lead generation AI Agents & Workflows and introducing the MeclabsAI Platform. Graham also provides an Answer Engine Optimisation solution to get your website in shape to be found by LLMs.

Kevin specialises in finance transformation and implementing business change. He's the COO of GrowCFO, which provides both community and CPD-accredited training designed to grow the next generation of finance leaders. You can find Kevin on LinkedIn and at kevinappleby.com

Stevey Arroyo joins The Next 100 Days podcast to discuss The Brand Exit. For Stevey, brand value is a prerequisite for exit. A strong brand is a transferable asset that de-risks a business for buyers, enabling a sale (e.g., Pimlico Plumbers sold for £134M, compared with an unbranded plumbing firm). Without one, an exit is often impossible. In the podcast, Stevey explains that you need to plan 3–5 years out for maximum value. This timeframe allows for strategic work to build brand equity, which compounds over time. Last-minute valuations are possible but miss the opportunity to create significant value.

Value is created via defensibility and premium pricing. Key actions include trademarking the brand name and using validated proof (e.g., independent studies) to justify a premium price, thereby improving profit margins. The founder must become dispensable. Buyers view founder-dependency as "key man risk." The goal is to build systems and a team that can operate the business independently, making the brand the primary asset.

• M&A buyers focus on "quality of earnings"—the numbers—not the founder's personal contribution.
• Founder-dependency is a major liability that makes a business unsellable.
• Example: Pimlico Plumbers built a transferable brand and sold for £134M, while a sole-trader plumber with no brand has no exit option.

• A brand is a digital asset that compounds, increasing in value over time.
• Core Principle: "If you've built a brand, sell the brand."
• Key Actions:
• Defensibility: Secure the brand name via domain registration (.com, .co.uk, etc.) and trademarking.
• Transferability: Systematise operations and build a team to reduce founder-dependency.
• Example: Amazon's brand value comes from its reliable service and customer experience, not its logo.

• This timeframe is ideal for strategic brand building, which compounds value.
• The Brand Exit's Process:
• Analysis: Identify strengths (to leverage), weaknesses (low-hanging fruit), and gaps (new initiatives).
• Value Creation: Improve financial metrics (quality of earnings) through:
• Pricing Power: Use validated proof (e.g., independent studies) to justify a premium price.
• Margin Improvement: Reduce marketing costs by increasing brand resonance.
• Positioning: Use the ISO 10668 standard for brand valuation to create an undeniable asset, then position the business to attract multiple buyers and competitive tension.

• AI can help reduce founder-dependency by automating processes and decision-making.
• Concept: Evolving from AI assistants (e.g., ChatGPT) to "AI executives" with delegated power. (Talk to https://microyes.ai)
• Risk: AI-generated apps can accumulate technical debt, requiring costly fixes.
• New Exit Option: Founders can sell the business but remain involved as high-paid consultants or board advisors.

Graham founded Finely Fettled in 2014 to provide data from The UK High Net Worth Database to marketers targeting affluent and high-net-worth customers. He's the founder of MicroYES, a Partner for MeclabsAI, creating lead generation AI Agents & Workflows and introducing the MeclabsAI Platform. Graham also provides an Answer Engine Optimisation solution to get your website in shape to be found by LLMs.

Kevin specialises in finance transformation and implementing business change. He's the COO of GrowCFO, which provides both community and CPD-accredited training designed to grow the next generation of finance leaders. You can find Kevin on LinkedIn and at kevinappleby.com

Zana Goic Petricevic pivoted from a successful corporate career to find her true calling - coaching bold leadership. Zana's career change came about after being fired from a corporate director role for being "blunt" with the chairman, which she reframed as a necessary catalyst for her true calling. Now, a successful coach, she has developed the "SOUL" Framework: Zana's leadership model focuses on four "playgrounds": Self (inner beliefs), Others (relationships), Universe (system/culture), and Legacy (lasting impact).

A key coaching goal is helping leaders shift from a victim mindset ("this is happening to me") to one of agency ("I have a choice"), seeing change as an opportunity, not a threat. And she subscribes to the "Fake It 'Til You Become It" method. Zana advocates for taking risks before feeling 100% ready, citing her own experience of accepting a keynote speech before ever having delivered one.

• Zana's career in oil and gas ended abruptly when she was fired from her Corporate Communications Director role for being "blunt" with the chairman.
• This unplanned exit caused a significant identity crisis, as her professional role was central to her sense of self.
• A key realisation came when applying for lower-level jobs and being told she was overqualified, confirming that her corporate path was permanently closed.
• Reframing: Zana views this event as a "planting" rather than a "burying"—a necessary end that enabled a new beginning.

• The turning point was a 2016 co-active coaching course in London, which introduced her to a new type of conversation where she felt "seen, heard, and able to express myself."
• This experience revealed her passion → bringing these authentic conversations into organizations.
• To make this "fluffy" concept palatable to the corporate world, she supplemented her training with psychometric tests and other data-driven tools.
• Business Launch: With nothing to lose, Zana embraced networking and relationship-building—skills she had previously avoided—to secure her first clients.

• Zana's coaching framework guides leaders through four interconnected "playgrounds":
• S - Self: Understanding one's inner world (beliefs, values, patterns).
• O - Others: Building effective relationships through honest, kind communication.
• U - Universe: Navigating and shaping the organizational system and culture.
• L - Legacy: Defining one's lasting impact ("What stays when you go?").
• Legacy Defined: Legacy is not just measurable results but also the intangible impact on people and culture.
• Analogy: "Leaders bring the weather," creating either sunshine or storm. This "weather" is their legacy.

• Core Coaching Goal: Help leaders shift from a victim mindset to one of agency, seeing change as an opportunity rather than a threat.
• "Fake It 'Til You Become It": Zana advocates for taking risks before feeling 100% ready, citing her own experience of accepting a keynote speech before ever having delivered one.
• AI & Technology: Zana sees AI as a tool that forces conscious choice, helping leaders define what they want to keep agency over and what to delegate.

Graham founded Finely Fettled in 2014 to provide data from The UK High Net Worth Database to marketers targeting affluent and high-net-worth customers. He's the founder of MicroYES, a Partner for MeclabsAI, creating lead generation AI Agents & Workflows and introducing the MeclabsAI Platform. Graham also provides an Answer Engine Optimisation solution to get your website in shape to be found by LLMs.

Kevin specialises in finance transformation and implementing business change. He's the COO of GrowCFO, which provides both community and CPD-accredited training designed to grow the next generation of finance leaders. You can find Kevin on LinkedIn and at kevinappleby.com

Dr. Denis Cauvier is an expert in HR, talent management, and leadership. This podcast discusses Denis's background and expertise, noting that he has written over 32 books on these topics.

Dr. Denis Cauvier is a global leadership strategist, executive advisor, and 30+ time author who helps organizations turn talent into measurable profit.

With 36 years of experience working across 68+ countries, Denis has advised CEOs, boards, senior leadership teams, small and medium-sized companies, and professional associations on how to attract, select, develop, and retain high-impact talent — not as an HR function, but as a core business growth engine.

His work has directly contributed to increased revenue, improved margins, stronger leadership pipelines, reduced costly hiring errors, and measurable improvements in employee retention and performance. Clients consistently engage him to transform talent strategy into economic leverage.

He is the author of The 80/20 AI Advantage: Leveraging AI to Attract, Select, and Retain GREAT People, where he challenges leaders to stop using AI as a content machine and start using it as a decision co-pilot. His frameworks focus on eliminating expensive talent mistakes, detecting performance drift before it becomes turnover, and turning HR into a strategic profit driver.

Denis reframes talent decisions through a commercial lens:

Hiring mistakes are profit leaks.

Engagement decline is margin erosion.

Leadership blind spots are growth constraints.

HR data, properly leveraged, is economic protection.

Through his 80/20 AI Talent Framework and Bounce Forward™ leadership system, Denis equips leaders to make faster, smarter, less biased decisions in the next 100 days — and beyond.

His core belief:

AI will not replace leaders.

But leaders who use AI strategically will outperform those who don’t.

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.deniscauvier.com

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

Denis explains his focus on bringing humanity back into the HR process, helping organisations effectively pre-select, develop, and retain exceptional talent in a humanistic way. He emphasises the importance of talent as a key competitive advantage for businesses.

Denis discusses the challenges of using AI in talent management, noting that job seekers are often early adopters of AI tools to position themselves, while busy executives may be slower to adopt. He proposes a "5-1-4" formula for effectively leveraging AI in hiring, retaining, and developing talent.

Denis shares a case study of a meat processing plant with high employee turnover. By analysing the root causes and implementing targeted solutions, such as revising the supervisor promotion process and improving the hiring process, Denis was able to reduce turnover from 68% to 11%, resulting in significant cost savings for the client.

Kevin and Denis discuss the importance of investing in people as the most valuable and appreciating asset for a business, in contrast to other investments that depreciate over time. They emphasise the need for HR to act as a strategic business partner, not just a bureaucratic function.

Kevin raises concerns about the potential impact of AI on traditional talent development pipelines, such as using graduate trainees for research tasks. Denis suggests that the key is to develop wisdom and judgment in using AI, focusing on crafting the right prompts and leveraging AI's strengths while maintaining human skills in areas like emotional intelligence and relationship building.

Graham founded Finely Fettled in 2014 to provide data from The UK High Net Worth Database to marketers targeting affluent and high-net-worth customers. He's the founder of MicroYES, a Partner for MeclabsAI, creating lead generation AI Agents & Workflows and introducing the MeclabsAI Platform. Graham also provides an Answer Engine Optimisation solution to get your website in shape to be found by LLMs.

Kevin specialises in finance transformation and implementing business change. He's the COO of GrowCFO, which provides both community and CPD-accredited training designed to grow the next generation of finance leaders. You can find Kevin on LinkedIn and at kevinappleby.com

Graham, Kevin, and Phil discuss Phil's new book "Human First Marketing", which aims to address issues like ad desensitisation, homogenised content, and the modern consumer's desire for authenticity. Phil explains his motivation for writing the book and the key principles behind the "human first" approach.

Graham, who has been in marketing since the 1970s, acknowledges that some of the issues Phil raised have been around for a long time. The group discusses how marketing has evolved, with AI and automation playing a bigger role, and the need to find the right balance between efficiency and maintaining a human touch.

Phil outlines three key steps for implementing a "human first" marketing approach: 1) Deeply understanding the target audience, 2) Making the company's leadership and team more visible and accessible, and 3) Deploying an "employee advocacy" program to leverage the reach and influence of a company's own employees.

The group debates the merits of the traditional marketing funnel model versus Phil's "pinball" concept, where customers bounce around non-linearly. They discuss the pros and cons of each approach and how to best adapt to the reality of modern, fragmented customer journeys.

The group wraps up the discussion, acknowledging the value of the "pinball" concept and the importance of challenging assumptions. They express interest in exploring the ideas further, potentially by bringing in other marketing experts like Flint McLaughlin.

Graham founded Finely Fettled in 2014 to provide data from The UK High Net Worth Database to marketers targeting affluent and high-net-worth customers. He's the founder of MicroYES, a Partner for MeclabsAI, creating lead generation AI Agents & Workflows and introducing the MeclabsAI Platform. Graham also provides an Answer Engine Optimisation solution to get your website in shape to be found by LLMs.

Kevin specialises in finance transformation and implementing business change. He's the COO of GrowCFO, which provides both community and CPD-accredited training designed to grow the next generation of finance leaders. You can find Kevin on LinkedIn and at kevinappleby.com

Packaging expert Jason Wong shares his background, starting as a young entrepreneur selling things online and eventually discovering his passion for packaging and manufacturing. He describes how he bought factories in China to produce packaging for various consumer brands, leveraging his marketing expertise to expand the business.

Jason discusses the challenges his business faced when new tariffs were imposed on Chinese imports, but explains how they adapted and remained competitive by highlighting the cost savings they could still offer clients compared to domestic manufacturing.

Jason talks about how his business is leveraging automation and AI technology to improve efficiency and productivity in the packaging process, including using AI agents to handle various administrative and research tasks.

Graham shares ideas for potential collaboration between his marketing services and Jason's packaging expertise, particularly around creating unique "shock and awe" packaging experiences to promote certain products and reach high-net-worth individuals.

Graham and Jason explore the importance of packaging as a branding and marketing tool, discussing how the packaging can create a perception of quality and value for products. They identify opportunities to use packaging creatively to reach and engage target audiences.

Graham founded Finely Fettled in 2014 to provide data from The UK High Net Worth Database to marketers targeting affluent and high-net-worth customers. He's the founder of MicroYES, a Partner for MeclabsAI, creating lead generation AI Agents & Workflows and introducing the MeclabsAI Platform. Graham also provides an Answer Engine Optimisation solution to get your website in shape to be found by LLMs.

Kevin specialises in finance transformation and implementing business change. He's the COO of GrowCFO, which provides both community and CPD-accredited training designed to grow the next generation of finance leaders. You can find Kevin on LinkedIn and at kevinappleby.com

Ingenion Medical, run by our guest Ed Cappabianca, is going to change the standard catheter in the UK - The Foley catheter. Urinary catheter-associated infections kill 2,100 people a year and block 1.2 million hospital bed-days. And yet, the Foley catheter - the standard of care - has barely changed in 91 years. Ingenion Medical has built what replaces it.

The cymactive™ 2.0R is a CE-marked, patient-controlled urethral catheter with a patented magnetic valve that is already in clinical use across the UK and 15 international markets. It is superior to either standard Foleys or intermittent catheters, and generates revenue today.

Here's the Investment case:

• Revenue generative, regulatory approved. CE Mark achieved Q1 2024. ISO 13485 renewed October 2025. FDA pre-sub meeting completed.

• Commercial traction. Distributor agreements in over 10 countries. NHS Supply Chain at contract award stage. 15 NHS hospitals active or in pipeline.

• Profitable at 1,600 patients per month (80 urologists x 20 patients). Breakeven H2 2027. £49m revenue projected 2030.

• Exit precedent. Comparable urology acquisitions: Urotronic > Laborie $600m;Neotract > Teleflex $1.1b; Augmenix > Boston Scientific $600m; .

• World-class advisors. Advisory board includes: Professor Chris Chapple (former European Association of Urology Secretary General) and Professor Kurt Naber, global authority on urinary tract infections.

• The Problem: Current catheters cause frequent, costly infections (£2k–£3.5k per cycle for the NHS) and severely limit patient mobility and quality of life.
• The Solution: Ingenion's cymactive catheter is a 30-day, self-voiding device with no external bag, restoring patient dignity and designed to reduce infection risk.
• Market Validation: The NHS created a new framework channel specifically for SimActive, signaling strong support for its innovation and cost-saving potential.
• The Ask: Ingenion is raising £2M (for ~10% equity) to fund commercialisation, targeting a future trade sale to a major urology firm for a potential 10x investor return.

• Urinary Retention: A common condition caused by issues like BPH (enlarged prostate), Parkinson's, MS, and spinal cord injuries.
• Foley Catheter (Indwelling):
• The 100-year-old standard, anchored by an internal balloon.
• Creates a "superhighway for bacteria," causing frequent, costly infections.
• Full cost of ownership for the NHS is ~£800/month per patient.
• Intermittent Catheters (Single-Use):
• Used 5–8 times daily, creating significant waste and inconvenience.
• Account for 90% (£157.5M) of the NHS's £175M annual catheter spend.
• Patient Impact:
• Fear of infection and public voiding → social isolation.
• Reduced fluid intake → dehydration, which can worsen conditions like dementia.

• Innovation: A 30-day, self-voiding catheter with no external tubes or bags.
• Mechanism:
• An internal, patient-controlled magnetic valve.
• An external magnet opens the valve; removing it allows the valve to close naturally.
• Infection Defense:
• The urethra seals over the valve's end, mimicking the body's natural defense against bacteria.
• Anecdotal evidence suggests reduced infections and restored function.
• Product Pipeline:
• Current: cymactive for male urinary retention (CE marked).
• In Development: Versions for women and for male incontinence.

• NHS Adoption:
• The NHS created a new framework channel for cymactive, as it didn't fit existing categories.
• Ingenion was the sole applicant and signed a 2-year contract on March 12, 2026.
• Ordering codes are now live for hospitals.
• Go-to-Market Strategy:
• Goal: Build awareness among clinicians and patient groups.
• Method: Target early adopters and use their case studies, shared by the NHS innovation team, to drive broader adoption.
• Rationale: A randomised control trial was unfeasible because Foley catheter users were unwilling to risk being randomised to the control group.

• The Ask: £2M for ~10% equity (pre-money valuation: £18M).
• Exit Strategy: Trade sale to a major urology firm (e.g., Coloplast, Becton Dickinson).
• Rationale: Leverage a large firm's infrastructure for rapid, global scaling.
• Target Return: A typical venture capital return of ~10x investment.
• Investor Profile: High Net Worth (HNW) or Sophisticated Investors.
• Due Diligence: Pitch deck available at ingenion.approvedinvestors.co.uk

Graham founded Finely Fettled in 2014 to provide data from The UK High Net Worth Database to marketers targeting affluent and high-net-worth customers. He's the founder of MicroYES, a Partner for MeclabsAI, creating lead generation AI Agents & Workflows and introducing the MeclabsAI Platform. Graham also provides an Answer Engine Optimisation solution to get your website in shape to be found by LLMs.

Kevin specialises in finance transformation and implementing business change. He's the COO of GrowCFO, which provides both community and CPD-accredited training designed to grow the next generation of finance leaders. You can find Kevin on LinkedIn and at kevinappleby.com

Carmen Sederino’s holistic approach to her Illuminated Story approach combines narrative structure, stage presence, and multimedia elements to create immersive, encore-worthy shows that resonate deeply with audiences. Drab speakers are a thing of the past!

Graham introduces Carmen Sederino, who is joining the podcast from Australia. Carmen shares her background, including her formal training in theater and performing arts, as well as her extensive corporate experience leading marketing and branding teams.

Carmen explains how she works with clients, often high-level executives, to transform their presentations and speaking skills. She focuses on crafting compelling stories and messages, as well as helping them develop their stage presence and delivery.

Carmen provides specific examples and techniques she uses to help clients, such as having them practice delivering content in different personas or styles to expand their range, and using pauses and energy to create more impact.

Graham and Carmen discuss the "Illuminated Story" brand and Carmen's focus on helping clients illuminate their stories and expertise through engaging presentations. They touch on the importance of storytelling in business communication.

Kevin shares that he is working on a presentation on a dry topic (ethics and governance) and asks Carmen for advice on how to make it more engaging and impactful.

Graham founded Finely Fettled in 2014 to provide data from The UK High Net Worth Database to marketers targeting affluent and high-net-worth customers. He's the founder of MicroYES, a Partner for MeclabsAI, creating lead generation AI Agents & Workflows and introducing the MeclabsAI Platform. Graham also provides an Answer Engine Optimisation solution to get your website in shape to be found by LLMs.

Kevin specialises in finance transformation and implementing business change. He's the COO of GrowCFO, which provides both community and CPD-accredited training designed to grow the next generation of finance leaders. You can find Kevin on LinkedIn and at kevinappleby.com

This is a lead generation focused podcast about a novel B2B sales follow-up strategy.

1. Novel Follow-Up Strategy: A third-party "good cop" provides hyper-relevant value (e.g., podcast intros) to prospects, bypassing their AI-filtered inboxes and achieving 70–80% reply rates.
2. AI-Proofing Business: The strategy is designed to be AI-proof by focusing on human connection, a core element Adam believes AI cannot fully automate.
3. AI's Primary Blocker: Kevin identified legacy systems as the main barrier to AI adoption in finance, not resistance to the technology itself.
4. Podcast Book Opportunity: The podcast's 500+ episodes offer a rich source for an AI-assisted book, distilling key lessons and future-casting.

1. Standard "just checking in" emails are ineffective, especially with high-value prospects ($5M+ revenue) who use AI-powered inbox filters.
2. These filters learn to ignore senders after 2–3 unanswered emails, causing messages to be routed to spam.
3. Result: 66% of marketing-qualified leads are lost because they are not ready to buy immediately.

1. Adam's firm, SimpleWins.io, acts as a third-party "good cop" to maintain engagement with prospects outside the main sales cycle.
2. Process:
3. Web Listening: A team monitors public signals (news, podcasts, blogs) to identify a prospect's current, hyper-relevant goals.
4. Value Delivery: The team offers non-sales-related value aligned with those goals (e.g., podcast intros, affiliate partnerships).
5. Expert Positioning: The "good cop" builds a separate relationship, subtly reinforcing the client's expertise until the prospect is ready to buy.
6. Result: This approach achieves 70–80% reply rates, far exceeding the typical 0–20% for standard sales emails.

1. Adam's Perspective:
2. AI will automate most administrative tasks, creating "super soldiers" who manage large pipelines with AI assistants.
3. The core human element of understanding business needs will remain essential.
4. Adam is in a "race" to automate his own business, noting AI reduced a software development task from 3 months to 14 minutes.
5. Kevin's Perspective:
6. The main barrier to AI adoption in finance is legacy systems, not human resistance.
7. Integrating AI requires a major transformation, not a simple bolt-on.
8. AI enables advanced capabilities like continuous, multi-scenario forecasting (e.g., Monte Carlo simulations) that are impractical for humans.
9. The current focus in finance is on governance, data security, and fraud prevention.

Graham founded Finely Fettled in 2014 to provide data from The UK High Net Worth Database to marketers targeting affluent and high-net-worth customers. He's the founder of MicroYES, a Partner for MeclabsAI, creating lead generation AI Agents & Workflows and introducing the MeclabsAI Platform. Graham also provides an Answer Engine Optimisation solution to get your website in shape to be found by LLMs.

Kevin specialises in finance transformation and implementing business change. He's the COO of GrowCFO, which provides both community and CPD-accredited training designed to grow the next generation of finance leaders. You can find Kevin on LinkedIn and at kevinappleby.com