5 Reasons You Should Start Your Podcast Today (and Grow Your Business)
Think cold calling is the only way to generate leads? John Morris, CEO of 444 Media, went from making 150+ cold calls a day to building a top 5% globally ranked podcast that generates revenue on autopilot. In this episode, he reveals the exact strategy that transformed his business development approach. You'll discover why your […]
The Why Behind Taking the Leap on New AI Tech | Chris Sullivan
What separates companies that successfully adopt AI from those that get stuck in endless planning cycles? In this episode, Chris Sullivan shares the exact moment he decided to move forward with AI implementation at Painters USA, despite uncertainties and risks. You'll learn how Chris identified a critical business problem costing hundreds of thousands in labor […]
Why Eliminating Jobs Because of AI is Failing and How to Get It Right
Companies like Klarna made headlines for replacing 700 customer service workers with AI agents, only to quietly hire them all back 18 months later. IBM laid off 8,000 employees to implement AI systems, then had to bring people back when they realized the 15% of problems AI couldn't handle contained all the real risk. This […]
3 Things You Should Call Your Banker About Today
Is your business outgrowing basic online banking? If you're hitting 7-8 figure revenues with 10+ employees, you might need more than just digital convenience from your bank. In this episode of The Digital Transformist, host Michael LaVista sits down with Mike Goelitz, VP of Commercial Banking at FNBO, to reveal when and why growing businesses […]
The power of transparency
What if total salary transparency was the key to solving construction's labor crisis? Paul Liles shocked his own team in 2021 when he revealed every employee's compensation and mapped the exact path from entry-level laborer to the C-suite. The results transformed retention at Liles Construction. In this episode, Paul walks through the infrastructure boom happening […]
Brian Floriani: Building Bookoo Branded to Fight Illiteracy
In this episode of The Digital Transformist, host Michael LaVista sits down with Brian Floriani, Founder & Steward of BUKU Branded and founder of Bernie's Book Bank. Brian shares his innovative approach to social entrepreneurship, combining branded products with literacy advocacy to create sustainable impact. Brian discusses how he founded Bernie's Book Bank in 2009 […]
Les Hamilton: 5 Moves Every CPG Brand Must Make Today
Are you a CPG brand struggling to scale without breaking the bank on senior talent? In this episode of The Digital Transformist, host Michael LaVista sits down with Les Hamilton, founder and CEO of CPG Integrated, to reveal the strategic moves CPG brands should make today to break through growth barriers. You'll discover why most […]
Why “Just Show Up” Is the Best Digital Strategy in 2026
Beth Trejo, founder and CEO of ChatterKick, joins Mike LaVista on The Digital Transformist to talk about why trust is the word of the year — and what that means for your brand's digital presence. From the dangers of AI-generated content flooding social media to why picking up your phone and recording a 30-second video […]
How I find 30% Profit Hiding in Every Business
Most business owners are sitting on a shocking amount of hidden profit – and they don't even know it. Tim Van Mieghem, operational excellence expert and author of “Shocking Profit,” joins Mike LaVista on The Digital Transformist to break down the three places every business is bleeding money: broken processes, undertrained sales teams, and Excel […]
The Truth About Copyrights & AI: Critical Decisions Revealed
Welcome to The Digital Transformist with Michael LaVista! In this episode, we dive into the complex world of copyrights and AI with our special guest, Hannah Deason, the Chief Operating Officer at Caxy. The conversation delves into the legal and ethical implications of using training material for artificial intelligence, especially in light of recent copyright […]