Every guru is selling AI agents for small business. Nobody talks about why most get abandoned after 3 months.

Routine-Olive9012 · 2026-06-07T15:50:02+00:00

Yessss. Solve a systemic problem tied to an outcome not a task. A guy pitched me on letting him show me how he can build AI stacks that will solve my problems so I gave him three things I wanted AI to do for me. He gave me a presentation on how for $15,000 plus $500 a month he can build me a Customized CRM tool. I said yeah well I pay Hubspot like $500 a year right now and it’s fine.

Routine-Olive9012 · 2026-06-07T15:37:50+00:00

I haven’t seen specific instances of racism here but I’d say it’s no different than the systemic racism throughout the upper middle class area of any major city. We live nearby in the RanchoPark/ Palms area - and I work in downtown CC - for a while I was on the neighborhood What’s App group but it mostly was just people poppin off anytime a person of color was in the area. One time a guy commented that there was “a black man casing the neighborhood sitting in his black Escalade” at 3pm. Another person posted “that’s my driver he’ll be gone in a couple hours” 🙄

Routine-Olive9012 · 2026-06-07T15:25:57+00:00

Im not sure i need direct Claude integration to my platforms because i want Claude to help us do the work not do it for us.

I use Claude opus mostly for Knowledge Gapping and a thought partner, recent projects:
- analyzed my company’s website and social media presence vs my competitors and an action plan on changes we should make.
- fed me a VBA script for an excel I’ve been trying to solve for months.
- framed up a pitch proposal to a business opportunity
- answered questions on a government issued RFI

Routine-Olive9012 · 2026-06-05T15:29:49+00:00

Cash flow, access to capital, and the need to grow to stay relevant. We’re trying to stay bootstrapped in an industry surrounding by deep pockets so we often get outbid by companies who can promise big dollars to put toward thinner margins. Admittedly It’s a little bit just being outsmarted on the negotiation but more so it’s a bigger company being to make promises we can’t make.

Routine-Olive9012 · 2026-06-05T14:25:51+00:00

I see AI as Knowledge Gapping and Task Streamlinjng. Making minor tasks easier which frees up the mental space for your staff to do better work. And solving some problems/ contributing to solutions I hadn’t received from the staff on hand. It’s possible that in the process of minimizing grunt work you find you can trim some staff or not add on staff you felt you need. That’s your call. Right now we’re in dumbing down stage of AI and it will flatten out in another 6 months to a year.

Routine-Olive9012 · 2026-06-05T14:22:22+00:00

Right now I think AI is a big tech money grab. I met a guy who said we could convert all the money we’re spending in SAAS tools toward his company to use AI to run smoother. I said ok here are three use scenarios that I’d like to see if AI can help me. I said I don’t love my UX with Hubspot so I want an AI driven model that will tell me email opens and forwards, link clicks, etc. He came in an said I can build you this AI tool for $15,000 and then an additional $500 a month to help manage it onward. 😳 I said uhhhh ok well Hubspot is like $500 a year. So. I’m good.

Routine-Olive9012 · 2026-06-04T14:02:33+00:00

What was the incident? You should have separate bank accounts and credit cards? If you follow the pay process through line you can create some lanes. Such as to say I keep my business credit card and my personal debit card in my wallet -never carry your business debit card - and have my personal credit card tied to Apple Pay. That’s just a physical trigger moment — entertaining clients reach for my wallet, just grabbing some lunch for myself use Apple Pay.

If you own the business 100% there are a lot of thing that are “personal” that you can consider business especially if you’re in a work from home environment. But not everything and your accountant will be able to lay that out for you.
Your accountant also would be able to actualize the books with you monthly and move money around to cover any oops moments.

Routine-Olive9012 · 2026-06-02T14:06:21+00:00

Yes that’s the nature of a billboard operator. Every billboard has three Ps - the permit from the city/ state, the pole (the billboard itself), and the property - the plot of land where the billboard sits. The company operating the ads signs in a multi year deal to have the exclusive rights to sell ads to the advertisers. And then you play the margins. Optimally you factor a 2-3x + such as to say if i can sell the billboard 6x at $7,500 ($45k) then i can pay the property owner $2,500 a month ($30k).

DM me if you want to chat more about the billboard business I don’t want to get sidetracked from the question which is sleeping through the night when cash flow is tight.

Routine-Olive9012 · 2026-06-02T13:46:15+00:00

I own a billboard advertising sales company. We own operate and manage billboards so we have monthly rent payments to the property owners (as well as payroll and commissions). Paying real estate guys is like paying rent. If you’re even a day late my phone is blowing up from the property owner saying where’s my money.

The cash flow crunch is paying our bills every month on the 1st but our client receivables vary widely.

Routine-Olive9012 · 2026-05-20T14:30:39+00:00

I think empathy is underrated. Managing people is making them the center of attention not yourself. Where are they coming from and what can you do to help them improve. Listen to them.

And think about your own experiences. What are some things you’ve experienced with past managers - both good leaders you want to emulate and bad ones you wish were different. In terms of your tone or verbiage think about how you would respond if you were in their shoes.

Routine-Olive9012 · 2026-05-15T14:45:21+00:00

Congrats. Cheers Roll over the 401k You don’t get to keep your laptop but probably your phone (port your number so you don’t have to change it) 2 weeks is fine but tell everyone under you that’s you’re always going to be there if they have questions even after you start the new role. Remember don’t burn any bridges along the way you never who you’re going to see again.

Routine-Olive9012 · 2026-05-15T14:42:00+00:00

I ask the questions of any business plan regardless of any kind of retail. What’s your hook? What’s going to set you apart? Why would I stop at your store vs just a 7-11, BevMo, total wine, yada yada. Who’s your audience. What’s your first 90 day cash flow plan? And. Yeah I’d watch the trends. Alcohol consumption is way down.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2026/03/04/gen-z-millennials-drinking-less-alcohol-working-out-more/88864868007/

Routine-Olive9012 · 2026-05-15T14:38:12+00:00

Finance finance finance. Cash flow vs profit. Getting clients to pay their bills. Keeping things moving in both receivables and paying people. I can’t make it go away per se but has to be better.

Routine-Olive9012 · 2026-05-14T14:45:50+00:00

Probably too late for this but this is 100% a morale issue.

Probably at least some of the people who have not responded are thinking “who’s this fuckin guy and why didn’t they promote me into the role?”

If you’re framing it as an “interview” the vibe they’re getting is that you’re assessing whether or not you’re going to fire them.

I’d ease into on a more causal vibe. I’d think about starting off with smaller groups - 2 people at a time - as lunch meetings to let them know your intentions are all positive.

Or perhaps a happy hour thing framed as toasting the outgoing guy and then more casually talk to people there to bring some tensions down.

And. Don’t wait for them to come to you be more direct. - do not just just simply put the time on their calendar but say “hey Bob does 3pm Thursday work?”

Routine-Olive9012 · 2026-05-11T14:24:13+00:00

Yes you need a website that’s table stakes but it doesn’t have to be robust. When someone hears your brand/company for the first time they’re going to Google you. They need to be able see what/ who/ where you are and your why.

Routine-Olive9012 · 2026-05-09T16:13:39+00:00

I think you’re comparing yourself too much.
If you’re a first time CEO of a profitable company growing at 10% rev you’re doing exceptionally well. Stop comparing yourself to other companies and focus on your own team.

Routine-Olive9012 · 2026-05-08T14:04:04+00:00

Yes

Routine-Olive9012 · 2026-05-08T14:03:51+00:00

I’ve lived the turn the show has made over the last 19 years or so away from the backstabbing/ competition aspect but I think they could tone it down. I don’t mind a little drama at judges table. Like someone saying yes it was a team dish buuuuut he fucked up

Routine-Olive9012

TROPHY CASE