As we close out one year and look toward the next, here are the effluences and shifts that defined 2025—and the ones that will matter even more in 2026. These come from working with clients, evolving AI trends, and emerging pressures on SMBs, especially in retail, CPG supplier/brand, and the creative industries. 1. From AI Tools to Agentic Co-Workers 2025 Over: Playing with ChatGPT on the side. 2026 Just Beginning: AI agents customers will use AI agents to shop, and you will use AI agents...

Willy Loman was the central character in Death of a Salesman , Arthur Miller’s epic play depicting a bewildered man who lost his place in a world that changed faster than he did. Today, the same is happening across the entire sales process, driven by market need, consumer behavior, and AI. Brands want direct relationships with the consumer, retailers need supplier partnerships—not sales tactics—and Agentic AI is changing the way work gets done for all of us. This isn’t a simple pivot; this is...

Here’s the deal: AI is here to stay. So, what are you waiting for? Why don’t you have a plan for your company? Are you still on the fence? Are you approaching AI with trepidation, suspicion, fear, or naïveté? Because if you are, you are at risk of getting smoked by someone who is using AI to work better, smarter, faster. While you continue to work hard the way you always have, your competitor may be learning how to operate a leaner, more profitable business by changing the way work gets done...