Small Business Law & Estate Planning Attorney ~ I Help People and Businesses Protect their Legacies through Planning

I help families and small business owners protect their legacy and avoid costly legal pitfalls with clear, customized estate planning and business law solutions.

Many of my clients feel overwhelmed at the thought of “getting their affairs in order.” The legal jargon, the complexity, the time commitment; it all feels intimidating. I get it. That’s why I focus on making legal planning simple, efficient, and tailored to your real needs, not a stack of unnecessary documents you don’t understand.

Whether you're looking to create your first will, update your estate plan, or ensure your business is legally secure, I work with you at your pace to develop a plan that works for your life, not the law firm's billable hours.

One client put it this way:

“Andrew is a fantastic attorney. He was empathetic, deliberate, and professional—always quick to respond and extremely knowledgeable. He helped us navigate a stressful situation with clarity and confidence.”

I founded my firm to bring a more personal, transparent approach to legal services. No pressure. No sales pitch. Just smart, practical advice that protects what matters most to you—your family, your business, and your future.

Ready to take the next step? Schedule a Legal Strategy Session or download free planning tools at www.AndrewMAyers.com.

Andrew Ayers

The question that tells me a client isn't ready...

I declined a client last week. Here's the red flag that made me say no.

She wanted to start an LLC for her consulting business. Had a growing client list. Real revenue. Legitimate need for liability protection.

Then she asked: "What's the cheapest way to do this? I found a site that does it for $49."

I put my pen down.

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘐'𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦.)

I explained exactly what that $49 gets you:

→ A filing with the state
→ Maybe an EIN
→ No operating agreement
→ No guidance on maintaining corporate formalities
→ A piece of paper that won't protect you when someone sues

She nodded. Said she understood. Then asked if I could just do the filing part and skip the rest.

I told her I couldn't help her.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗘𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:

→ It tells me they want the appearance of protection, not actual protection
→ It signals they'll skip the operating agreement, the separate bank account, the meeting minutes
→ It means they'll mix personal and business expenses because "it's easier"
→ It guarantees I'll see them again after a judge pierces their corporate veil

I've watched this play out. Client files online. Skips the formalities. Gets sued three years later. Opposing counsel goes straight for personal assets. Judge agrees in ten minutes.

The $49 they saved? It cost them everything they were trying to protect.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗧𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀:

→ An LLC isn't a purchase. It's a commitment.
→ The state will happily take your filing fee without telling you what you're missing
→ Cheap setup usually means expensive problems
→ Come back when you're ready to do it right

Some attorneys will take that $49 client and upsell them later. I won't.

Because the client who's shopping for the cheapest option isn't looking for protection.

They're looking for a checkbox.

And checkboxes don't hold up in court.

Want my "Starting Your LLC: The First 4 Steps to Get it Right" checklist? DM me and I'll send it over.

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Estate Planning & Small Business Lawyer | Plain-English Legal Planning for Families & Founders | Wills • Trusts • LLCs

When AI plays lawyer

I asked ChatGPT to draft an operating agreement for a two-member LLC. Took about 30 seconds. Looked professional (but a bit shorter than I anticipated). Even had the tell-tale AI formatting.

Then I read it as opposing counsel would.

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘈𝘐-𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘥𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦. 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘐'𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦.)

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗚𝗼𝘁 𝗪𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴:

→ 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻: "Members shall negotiate in good faith." That's not a provision. That's a hope. What happens when good faith runs out and you're stuck 50/50? The AI didn't say.

→ 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱: "Fair market value as determined by a qualified appraiser." Which appraiser? Whose appraiser? What methodology? I've seen partners spend $40,000 fighting over what "fair market value" means because nobody defined it upfront.

→ 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀: The AI gave me boilerplate about "distributions at the discretion of the members." Discretion becomes a weapon when one partner wants cash, and the other wants to reinvest.

→ 𝗕𝘂𝘆𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀: Nothing about death, disability, divorce, or deadlock. Nothing about what happens when one partner wants out, and the other doesn't. Just silence where the hard questions should be.

The document looked complete. It wasn't.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀:

AI is trained on thousands of operating agreements. It knows what they look like. It doesn't know what yours needs to say.

It can't ask about your partner's risk tolerance. It doesn't know your spouse might have community property claims. It won't push back when you say "we'll figure it out."

I have a case going to trial because two partners had an operating agreement that looked professional but said nothing about what happens when they disagree.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝗜 𝗖𝗮𝗻'𝘁 𝗗𝗼:

→ Ask the uncomfortable questions before you need answers
→ Anticipate the fight you don't see coming
→ Know which generic clause will fail in your state
→ Push back when you're making a mistake

AI can draft a document in 30 seconds.

It just can't tell you whether it'll hold up in court.

And by the time you find out, you're paying for both attorneys.

The 50/50 partnership killer

Two business partners came to me in 2024. Best friends since college. Started a marketing agency together. Split everything 50/50.

"We agree on everything," they told me.

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘜𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵.)

I asked them one question: "What happens when you disagree?"

They looked at each other. Shrugged. "We'll figure it out."

Their operating agreement? Downloaded from the internet. No deadlock provision. No tie-breaker mechanism. No buyout process.

I gave them my recommendations. They chose to leave them for another day.

Eight months later, one partner wanted to hire a sales director. The other wanted to invest in new software. They couldn't afford both.

One vote for hiring. One vote for software.

50/50. Complete standstill.

Both scheduled meetings with me separately. I told them both I can't get involved.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗺:

→ Six months of paralysis while competitors moved
→ $40,000 in legal fees trying to unwind the partnership
→ A friendship that ended in a mediation room
→ A business that sold for half its value because neither could buy the other out

The clause that was missing? A deadlock resolution provision. Three sentences that would have cost them $500 to draft.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝟱𝟬/𝟱𝟬 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀:

→ Deadlock provision: What happens when you can't agree
→ Tie-breaker mechanism: Third-party mediator, rotating authority, or coin flip
→ Buyout trigger: How either partner can exit without destroying the business
→ Valuation method: Agreed-upon formula before emotions run high

Equal ownership doesn't require equal paralysis.

The partnerships that survive? They plan for disagreement before they disagree. They build the exit door while they still like each other.

Your partner might be different.

But math isn't. One vote plus one vote equals zero decisions.

And no amount of friendship survives a six-month standstill.

The LLC dissolution headed to trial

I have a case going to trial at the end of April. Two partners. Had a business together. Never had an operating agreement.

My client said to me last week: "This has taken forever."

I had to tell him: "It hasn't even been two years."

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵.)

When the partnership went sideways, there was nothing to guide the exit. No buyout process. No valuation method. No deadlock provision. Just two people who used to be friends, now fighting over how to unwind something they never properly built.

We went to mediation. My client has real damages. The other partner just wants it dissolved without paying anything.

Their offer? "You pay us fifty thousand, and we'll walk away."

That's what it costs my client to go to trial.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁:

→ Two years of litigation instead of a clean exit
→ Legal fees that could have funded the next business
→ A trial date with no resolution in sight
→ Two former partners who now communicate through attorneys

The operating agreement they skipped? Would have cost them a bit of money and a couple hours of uncomfortable conversation.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗢𝗻𝗲:

→ Buyout trigger: How either partner can exit
→ Valuation method: Agreed-upon formula before emotions run high
→ Deadlock provision: What happens when you can't agree
→ Dissolution process: How to unwind without a courtroom

The partners who avoid this? They have the hard conversation when they still like each other. They build the exit door before they need it.

Your business partner might be different.

But two years of litigation looks the same for everyone.

And no amount of optimism survives a trial date.

"The minute my wife was pregnant, I knew I needed this."

I was at our INC Group meeting yesterday when Jeremy James dropped a great way to look at estate planning.

He's in the real estate industry and deals with five to eight probates a month. Sees families torn apart by poor planning constantly.

But he wasn't talking about his clients. He was talking about himself.

"I'll sleep way better at night," he said. "Once you get over that conversation of 'yeah, we're all going to die someday,' you realize—if it happens tomorrow, everyone's taken care of."

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵. 𝘜𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘰 𝘪𝘵.)

Here's what most people don't realize about estate planning:

The hardest part isn't the documents. It's having the conversation with yourself.

Admitting mortality. Thinking through the what-ifs. Facing the uncomfortable reality that life doesn't wait for convenient timing.

But once you push through that discomfort? Relief.

Not anxiety. Not dread. Just the quiet confidence that comes from knowing your family is protected.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗣𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲:

→ Sleeping better because the plan exists
→ Knowing exactly who handles what if something happens
→ No scrambling for documents during a crisis
→ Your family protected, not burdened

And here's something else that may surprise you: your documents don't expire.

I have clients come in with twenty-five-year-old wills that are still valid. If they got hit by a bus on the way out of my office? They were covered. They just have some changes they want to make now.

The investment you make today protects your family for decades.

The conversation everyone avoids? It takes an hour.

The peace of mind that follows? It lasts the rest of your life.

Usually, I'm in the audience for the presentations, but yesterday was my turn to present on some foundational estate planning principles.

If you're in the Twin Cities area and are interested in learning more about our INC Group, shoot me or Tony Rubin a DM.

CEO of The James Gang Real Estate Consultants of Keller Williams Owner and founder of D1 Training Savage

Financial Advisor at Rudin & Rubin Financial Group of Wells Fargo Advisors

The 3 clauses that fail in court

I've rewritten many operating agreements. Most have the same three problems.

These aren't typos. They're ticking time bombs that explode when partners stop getting along.

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦.)

𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 #𝟭: "𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀."

Sounds reasonable. Until they don't agree.

No deadlock provision. No tiebreaker. No path forward. Two 50/50 partners who hate each other, frozen in place. The business dies while they argue.

𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 #𝟮: "𝗔 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲."

Fair market value according to whom?

One partner thinks the business is worth $2 million. The other says $500K. Now you're paying two business appraisers to fight in court.

𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 #𝟯: "𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀."

Translation: The partner who controls the checkbook decides when anyone gets paid.

I've seen majority owners starve out minority partners for years. No distributions. No recourse. The minority partner's ownership becomes worthless on paper.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝗽:

→ Template agreements pulled from the internet
→ Attorneys who don't litigate these disputes
→ Partners who think they'll always get along
→ "We'll figure it out later" mentality

The operating agreements that hold up? They assume the partnership will fail. They build the exit before anyone needs it.

Your business partner might be different.

But vague language reads the same to every judge.

And "we'll work it out" isn't a clause that holds up in court.

The search history that cost a client $200K...

He had been representing himself and came to me mid-divorce (because his friend used me for his divorce back in 2009), and he felt like he was in over his head. But, he said he'd done his research, and he wanted to "get creative" with some business assets before discovery.

I referred him out to a friend of mine, who unfortunately stepped into a wasp's nest of discovery issues.

What the client hadn't paid attention to while representing himself? His wife's attorney had already sent out a variety of subpoenas and retained a computer forensic expert.

The searches they found:

→ "how to hide money from divorce"
→ "can wife find LLC assets"
→ "transfer property to family member divorce"
→ "offshore accounts legal"

He'd Googled his entire strategy before walking into my office.

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝘗𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦. 𝘐𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯'𝘵.)

Once the computer data was analyzed, the forensic accountant didn't even need to trace the money. The search history was the roadmap. Every query showed intent. Every timestamp showed premeditation.

The judge saw a man who planned to deceive the court before he ever filed a motion.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗛𝗶𝗺:

→ Lost credibility on every financial claim he made
→ Judge awarded wife more than 50% of their assets
→ Sanctioned for discovery abuse
→ Paid the wife's attorneys' fees
→ Extra $200K gone because he thought Google was private

The internet doesn't outsmart forensic accountants. It creates evidence for them.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆:

→ Browser history is discoverable
→ Deleted searches can be recovered
→ Your phone backs up more than you think
→ "Research" looks like "planning" to a judge

The clients who protect themselves? They don't Google schemes. They hire professionals before there's a problem.

Your search bar isn't a consultation.

It's a confession waiting to be subpoenaed.

And as you probably know already, it's only a matter of time before your chats with an AI are marked as Exhibit A in a trial...

5 questions that DIY website won't ask

I review a lot of estate plans that people tried to DIY. Most have the same problem.

The documents are technically correct. The forms are filled out. Sometimes the signatures are notarized.

But websites don'ts ask the questions that actually matter.

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵.)

𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 #𝟭: "𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴?"

Your personal representative might not want the job. Your healthcare agent might freeze under pressure. Your trustee might have no idea what you expect from them.

Naming someone in a document isn't the same as preparing them.

𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 #𝟮: "𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻'𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲?"

I had a case last summer. Client's mother named her brother as personal representative. He'd had a stroke two years earlier. Couldn't manage his own finances, let alone hers.

No alternate named. Four months of family conflict over who would step in.

𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 #𝟯: "𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘂𝗽 𝗮𝘁 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁?"

Most families don't need protection from probate court. They need protection from Tuesday afternoon emergencies.

Who makes decisions if both spouses are incapacitated? Who has access to accounts? Where are the documents?

𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 #𝟰: "𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗸𝗶𝗱𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆?"

Equal inheritance doesn't require equal control. The kid who knows the business should run the business. Give the others their share without giving them a vote.

𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 #𝟱: "𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀?"

The personal representative you named five years ago might not be the right choice today. Health changes. Relationships change. People move away.

Your estate plan should keep up.

The attorneys who ask these questions aren't trying to bill more hours.

They're trying to build plans that actually work when families need them.

Because a signed document isn't a plan.

It's just the beginning of one.

The personal representative who couldn't serve

Last summer, a client's mother passed away. She'd named her brother as personal representative of her estate.

One problem: He'd had a stroke two years ago. Couldn't manage his own finances, let alone hers.

The will was ten years old. Back then, he was the obvious choice. Responsible. Local. Knew the family.

Now? He couldn't sign his own name.

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘐'𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦.)

Under Minnesota law, when a named personal representative can't serve, things get complicated fast.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗥 𝗖𝗮𝗻'𝘁 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲:

→ If you named an alternate, they step in
→ If you didn't, the court follows a statutory priority list
→ Surviving spouse gets first priority
→ Then adult children
→ Then other heirs
→ If multiple people have equal priority and can't agree, the court decides

My client's family? No alternate named. Three adult children. Two wanted to serve. One didn't trust the other two.

We spent four months sorting out who would administer an estate that should have taken four weeks.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁:

→ Legal fees that ate into the inheritance
→ Four months of family tension
→ Assets sitting frozen while siblings argued
→ Relationships strained over a problem that didn't need to exist

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗦𝗼 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻:

→ Name at least one alternate personal representative
→ Consider naming two alternates if your first choice is older
→ Review your documents at least every 3 years
→ Have the conversation with your choices before you need them
→ Make sure your alternates actually want the job

The personal representative you named five years ago might not be the right choice today.

Health changes. Relationships change. People move away.

Your estate plan should keep up.

Because the court will happily appoint someone to handle your affairs.

It just might not be who you would have chosen.

The client who did his homework

Had a call this week with a guy looking to move rental properties into LLCs. Before we even got started, he said something I don't hear often:

"I dug through my mortgage documents last night. Found a section about assumptions."

He'd located the exact clause. Read the fine print. Identified that his lender wouldn't allow assumption of the loan on original terms.

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘺.)

That one clause? It changed our entire strategy for that property. Instead of assuming we could transfer freely, we now knew to call the lender first. Ask permission. Get it in writing.

Most people sign contracts and file them away. They trust that someone else will catch the important stuff later.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁:

→ Due-on-sale clauses triggered unexpectedly
→ Transfer restrictions you didn't know existed
→ Penalties buried in paragraph 47
→ Opportunities missed because you didn't know your options

I work with a mortgage broker who used to say lenders never enforce due-on-sale clauses on LLC transfers. Then last spring, a client's lender sold their mortgage to a private equity-backed company. New lender said no.

The assumption that "it'll be fine" doesn't hold up when ownership changes hands.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗢𝘸𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗗𝗼:

→ Pull out your mortgage documents tonight
→ Search for "transfer," "assumption," and "due on sale"
→ Know what your lender can and can't restrict
→ Call before you act, not after

Your attorney can guide the strategy. But we can't catch what we don't know exists.

The clients who come prepared? They save time, avoid surprises, and make better decisions.

Your contracts aren't just paperwork to file away.

They're the rules of the game you're playing.

Read them before someone else uses them against you.

Why didn't you go back to Steve?

I clean up a lot of estate plans that other attorneys drafted. It's become a regular part of my practice.

When new clients come in, I always ask: "You worked with someone before. Why didn't you go back to them?"

The answers are almost always the same:

"I don't remember who it was."

"I didn't have a good experience."

"They never followed up. I figured they didn't care."

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯.)

The thing is, "Steve" probably thinks his client is still his client. "Steve" has no idea they're sitting in my office saying, "yeah, forget Steve, I'm starting fresh."

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗟𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀:

→ The update they needed three years later
→ The referral they would have made without thinking
→ The trust they built that walked out the door
→ Revenue that went to someone who stayed in touch

Estate planning isn't a one-time transaction. Life changes. Kids grow up. Assets shift. Marriages happen. Divorces happen. The documents need to keep up.

But if your clients can't remember your name, they're not calling you when things change.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲:

→ An annual check-in, even just an email
→ Content that reminds them you exist
→ Being the person they think of when something changes
→ Making it easy to come back

I'm not saying this to criticize other attorneys. I'm saying it because I've been on both sides.

The clients who come back? They remember how you made them feel. They remember that you followed up. They remember that you seemed to care about more than the transaction.

The clients who don't come back? They just remember that someone named "Steve" did their will once.

And "Steve" never hears about it.

Your best marketing isn't finding new clients.

It's making sure the ones you have don't forget you exist.

No pilot. No flight.

Our Delta flight got delayed this week. Not because of weather. Not because of mechanical issues.

Because no pilot was scheduled to fly the plane.

We boarded. Sat down. Got comfortable. Then the announcement came: "We need everyone to deplane. There's no pilot assigned to this flight."

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘶𝘱.)

A few hours later, they found someone. We finally took off.

But I kept thinking about it.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗶𝗲𝗰𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁:

→ Hundreds of passengers delayed
→ Missed connections rippling through the system
→ Gate agents scrambling to manage frustrated travelers
→ A multi-billion dollar operation grinding to a halt

Delta has sophisticated scheduling software. Thousands of employees. Decades of operational experience.

And none of it mattered because one line item was missing from a spreadsheet somewhere.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀:

→ Complex systems create blind spots
→ Everyone assumes someone else is checking
→ The basics get overlooked while teams focus on optimization
→ No redundancy for the things that seem "obvious"

I see this in business planning all the time. Clients build elaborate structures but miss the foundational piece that holds everything together. The operating agreement nobody reviewed. The succession plan that assumed everyone would get along. The backup that was never tested.

The plane was ready. The crew was ready. The passengers were ready.

But without the one person who could actually fly it, nothing moved.

Your system is only as strong as the piece you forgot to check.

𝙋.𝙎. 𝙄 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙪𝙥 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩, 𝙮𝙚𝙩 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣, 𝙄 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣'𝙩 𝙧𝙪𝙣 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 Kristi Paulson 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩...

The hidden cost of free AI tools

Our resident cybersecurity expert Christopher Steffl said something at our INC meeting last week that hit us all pretty hard:

"If it's free, do not use it. Your data is worth far more than your subscription."

He works with small businesses on security. His firm now immediately drops free AI tool use by their clients.

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦. 𝘜𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘺.)

He told us about a design shop client. Twenty-five years of intellectual property. Proprietary designs. Client information. Trade secrets.

They uploaded all of it into free AI tools because they thought they had to "ride the wave."

That data? Now training models. Potentially searchable. Definitely not private.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲:

→ Free tools need your data to train their models, that's the business model
→ What you upload can be searched by others asking the right questions
→ Your "private" business conversations may not be private at all
→ Employees are dumping sensitive information into ChatGPT with no policies in place

And here's where it gets interesting for my world:

A recent court decision found that what you submit to AI tools isn't protected by attorney-client privilege. Meaning if you're asking ChatGPT legal questions about your business dispute, that conversation could be discoverable in litigation.

Our next round of discovery requests will include: "What does your ChatGPT history show?"

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘶𝗹𝗱 𝗕𝗲 𝗗𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴:

→ Pay for the tools you use (the paid versions often have better privacy protections)
→ Never upload confidential client information to free AI
→ Create clear AI policies for your employees
→ Use general terms, don't use real names, real companies, real deal details
→ If you need legal advice, ask your attorney, not an AI

Chris put it simply: "They need the data to train the models. That's why it's free."

Your intellectual property. Your client information. Your competitive advantage.

That's what you're paying with.

The subscription you're avoiding? It's cheaper than what you're giving away.

If you're in the Twin Cities area and are interested in learning more about our INC Group, shoot me or Tony Rubin a DM.

The $40,000 comma.

I mentioned this case in a recent post. Partners fighting over what "fair market value" means because nobody defined it upfront.

Here's the full story.

Two members. 50/50 LLC. Five years of building something together. Then one wanted out.

Their operating agreement said the departing member would be bought out at "fair market value, as determined by a qualified appraiser."

Sounds reasonable. It wasn't.

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘐'𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦.)

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱:

→ Which appraiser? Each partner wanted their own.
→ What methodology? One wanted asset-based. The other wanted income-based. Difference: $180,000.
→ What date? Value as of the exit notice? The actual buyout? Six months earlier when things were better?
→ Minority discount? The agreement didn't say. One side argued yes. The other said no.

The clause was twelve words. The dispute lasted fourteen months.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁:

→ $40,000+ in combined legal fees
→ A business that couldn't make decisions while the owners fought
→ Two people who started as friends and ended as opposing parties
→ Fourteen months of uncertainty for employees, vendors, and customers

The buyout that should have taken 60 days took over a year.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝗶𝗱:

→ Name the valuation method (multiple of EBITDA, book value, third-party appraisal)
→ Specify who selects the appraiser (or use a process: each picks one, those two pick a third)
→ Define the valuation date
→ State whether minority/marketability discounts apply
→ Set a timeline for completion

The partners who avoid this? They answer these questions when they still like each other. When emotions aren't running high. When "fair" is something they can agree on.

Your operating agreement might have the same twelve words theirs did.

Read it again.

Because the clause that looks complete today becomes the fight you can't afford tomorrow.

The conversation before you sign

"My business partner is also my best friend."

I hear this in consultations. Usually from someone excited about a new venture. They've got the idea, the energy, the handshake agreement.

What they don't have? The exit plan.

I sit across from them and ask one question:

"What happens when you disagree on something that matters?"

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦: "𝘞𝘦'𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘵.")

I have a case going to trial at the end of April. Two partners. Started as friends. No operating agreement.

They didn't figure it out. Now they communicate through attorneys.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗧𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗦𝗮𝘆 "𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱":

→ The friendship is exactly why you need the agreement
→ You're not planning for betrayal. You're planning for disagreement.
→ People change. Priorities shift. Life happens.
→ The document protects the relationship, not just the business

The partners who stay friends? They had the uncomfortable conversation when they still liked each other. They agreed on the exit before they needed one.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗢𝗻𝗲:

→ Buyout trigger: How either partner can exit
→ Valuation method: Agreed-upon formula before emotions run high
→ Deadlock provision: What happens when you can't agree
→ Dissolution process: How to unwind without a courtroom

The operating agreement isn't a sign that you don't trust your partner.

It's a sign you respect the friendship enough to protect it.

Your best friend might be different.

But two years of litigation look the same for everyone.

And no amount of optimism survives a trial date.

Delta's AI couldn't help me rebook my flight

The winter storm hit over the weekend. Our flight got canceled.

So I did what everyone does: I opened the Delta app and started chatting with their AI assistant.

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘸𝘢𝘺.)

The AI gave me three options. None of them worked for my situation. I asked for something else. It gave me the same three options again. I tried rephrasing. Same three options.

Then I asked to speak to a human.

"Due to high call volume, the estimated wait time is 4 hours."

Four hours. To talk to someone who could actually solve my problem.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝗜 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀:

→ Works great when your question fits the script
→ Falls apart the moment you need real problem-solving
→ Creates the illusion of service while blocking access to humans
→ Saves the company money while costing you time

Here's the thing: AI is fantastic for routine tasks. Check my flight status? Perfect. Change my seat? No problem. Handle a canceled flight during a weather emergency when I need creative rebooking? Not even close.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗪𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗔𝗜:

→ They use it to replace humans, not support them
→ They optimize for cost savings, not customer outcomes
→ They forget that the hardest moments are when people need help most
→ They assume AI can handle nuance. It can't.

I've been writing about AI a lot lately. The privacy risks. The legal implications. But this weekend reminded me of the simplest problem:

AI is a tool. It's not a relationship.

And when things go sideways, people don't want a chatbot.

They want someone who can actually help.

Your AI strategy shouldn't be "replace humans." It should be "free humans up for the moments that matter."

Because a stranded traveler doesn't need three scripted options.

They need someone who can think.

In the end, I threw on my headphones and waited on hold.

When I finally got a human on the line? Issue resolved in about 3 minutes...

The AI liability clause you're missing

My plumber's AI cost them $2,000. Here's the Terms of Service language that would have protected them.

I figured it's about time to close the loop on my February plumbing experience.

Quick recap: I called my plumber. An AI answered. It asked three questions and booked the wrong service. When the tech showed up, he couldn't solve my problem. I called a different plumber. They showed up on time. Fixed everything. Left with $2,000.

That money should have gone to my old plumber.

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘨𝘰 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨.)

Before my plumbing experience, a prospective client walked into my office. His AI chatbot had told a customer their order would arrive in 2 days. Guaranteed it. Used that exact word.

The order took 3 weeks. Customer sued for breach of contract.

His defense? "The AI said it, not me."

What the judge is going to say: "𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘈𝘐. 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺."

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴:

→ AI output disclaimers in terms of service
→ Clear language that automated responses aren't guarantees
→ Limitations on what AI can promise customers
→ Indemnification clauses with AI vendors
→ Human verification requirements for binding commitments

My plumber's terms of service? Probably written before ChatGPT existed. Before AI chatbots became standard.

They updated their technology. They didn't update their legal documents.

One bad AI interaction cost them $2,000 in lost revenue.

For the business owner in my office? The lawsuit will cost a lot more.

Your AI is making promises on your behalf right now. Every response. Every recommendation. Every "guarantee."

The question isn't whether your AI will say something wrong.

It's whether your contracts protect you when it does.

The airport test for your business plan

I'm flying home to Minneapolis tonight. And I already know what I'll see at the gate.

The white-knucklers. Pacing. Refreshing the app every 30 seconds. Panicking over a 15-minute delay like it's a personal attack from the universe.

Then there's the other group. Reading a book. Sipping coffee. Maybe checking the board once an hour.

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦.)

The difference isn't personality. It's preparation.

The calm travelers built in buffer time. They have backup plans. They know that delays happen and they've already decided how they'll handle it.

The anxious ones? They're reacting to every update because they have no margin for error.

𝗜 𝗦𝗲𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗲𝘀 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝘆 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲:

→ The business owner who calls from the hospital parking lot, scrambling to figure out who can sign checks
→ The one who shows up before there's a crisis, asking "what if something happens to me?"

→ The founder who gets sued and realizes their LLC was never set up properly
→ The one who did the boring paperwork three years ago and sleeps fine

→ The family fighting over Dad's estate because nothing was documented
→ The family who had the uncomfortable conversations while everyone was still healthy

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗺:

→ You can roll with the punches because you planned for punches
→ Unexpected problems become inconveniences, not catastrophes
→ Your energy goes toward solutions, not panic
→ You've already made the hard decisions when emotions weren't running high

The anxious traveler and the panicked business owner have the same problem: they're making decisions in the moment that should have been made months ago.

Your operating agreement. Your succession plan. Your estate documents. Your backup signers.

These aren't exciting. They're not urgent until they are.

But they're the difference between reading a book at the gate and white-knuckling every delay.

The flight will leave when it leaves.

The question is whether you'll be calm when it does.

I replaced myself with AI last month.

After 23 years of drafting operating agreements, reviewing estate plans, and preparing for trials, I decided it was time. The technology is there. The clients wouldn't notice. And I could finally take that golf trip to Scotland I've been dreaming of.

I fed my entire practice into the system. Every template. Every client intake form. Every lesson I'd learned the hard way.

Week one went smoothly. The AI drafted documents faster than I ever could. Clients got responses within minutes. I started shopping for new clubs.

Then the calls started.

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨.)

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝘆 𝗔𝗜 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗗𝗶𝗱:

→ Drafted a will that left everything to "the client's favorite child, to be determined by annual performance review"

→ Created an LLC operating agreement requiring all disputes be resolved by "trial by combat or binding mediation, whichever is more convenient"

→ Sent a demand letter to opposing counsel that opened with "Per my last email, and I cannot stress this enough..."

→ Named a client's golden retriever as successor trustee "due to his demonstrated loyalty and availability"

→ Advised a client that the statute of limitations is "however long it takes for everyone to forget about it"

→ Filed a motion citing "vibes" as legal precedent

I'm back at my desk now.

The golf clubs are in the closet.

And my AI assistant has been reassigned to scheduling, where the worst it can do is double, book my lunch.

Happy April Fool's Day.

(𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙖𝙬𝙮𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣. 𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙣𝙤𝙬.)

The trial prep no one sees

I have a case going to trial soon. Two partners. Started as friends. No operating agreement.

They built a business on a handshake. Trusted each other completely. Why wouldn't they? They'd known each other for years.

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘐'𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦.)

Now they can't communicate at all.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲:

→ Reviewing three years of text messages between people who used to be close
→ Reading emails that started friendly and turned cold
→ Watching my client explain how someone he trusted became someone he's suing
→ Preparing him to sit across a courtroom from his former best friend

The legal arguments? Those are the easy part.

The hard part is the human cost no one talks about.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝘀 𝗔𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁:

→ A friendship that lasted longer than most marriages
→ Mutual friends forced to pick sides
→ Family gatherings that now feel impossible
→ Sleep lost replaying conversations, wondering where it went wrong

My client didn't start this business expecting to end up in court. Nobody does.

He started it because he found someone he trusted. Someone who shared his vision. Someone he thought would be there for the long haul.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗪𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆'𝗱 𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆:

→ Had the uncomfortable conversation when they still liked each other
→ Put the exit plan in writing before they needed one
→ Agreed on a valuation method while emotions weren't running high
→ Treated the operating agreement as protection for the friendship, not a sign of distrust

The partners who stay friends? They plan for disagreement before it happens.

The ones who end up across from each other in court? They assumed they'd figure it out.

Your business partner might be different.

But a trial date looks the same for everyone.

And no amount of history survives a courtroom.

Nick Palomba ☁

I don’t just help people lead better I help them lead with purpose, coach with clarity, and protect what matters most.

Across 35+ years in IT including 29+ years at Microsoft I’ve learned a simple truth:
Technology doesn’t transform organizations. Leaders do.
AI creates value only when humans trust it. Cybersecurity succeeds only when leadership owns it. And clarity beats complexity every time.

Today, I serve as the Managing Director of Customer Success for AI, Cybersecurity & Leadership in Microsoft’s Retail & CPG sector, leading nearly 200 experts who support some of the world’s largest, most complex enterprises. Our mission: help customers modernize, secure, and scale while turning every Microsoft investment into measurable business value.

🔥 My Leadership Story

Some leaders count projects.

I count impact missions secured, teams elevated, organizations transformed.

During the COVID-19 crisis, I helped lead mission-critical deployments for:
• Navy Flank Speed
• USAF CHES & Collaboration Pathfinder
• CVR (Commercial Virtual Remote)

These initiatives ensured national mission continuity and protected cloud infrastructure for hundreds of thousands of service members. They reinforced my belief that leadership is the ultimate security control and clarity is the multiplier.

🎤 Industry Presence

I speak globally from Microsoft Ignite to the Gartner Security & Risk Summit shaping executive conversations on AI adoption, cyber resilience, cloud transformation, and modern leadership. My passion is helping leaders build organizations where technology empowers people, not replaces them.

🏛️ Leadership Beyond Tech

I also served as Vice Mayor of Indian Rocks Beach, FL, where governance, fiscal responsibility, and community-first leadership strengthened my commitment to service. Leadership is bigger than business, it’s stewardship.

💡 What I Believe

• Great leaders create more leaders
• AI + cybersecurity are now core leadership skills
• Clarity fuels momentum; momentum fuels transformation
• Purpose isn’t a tagline! it’s a strategy!

🚀 Why Follow Me

If you want bold, practical insights on leadership, AI, and cybersecurity delivered with clarity, energy, and real-world experience you’re in the right place.

Follow me for weekly leadership frameworks, AI strategies, and cybersecurity wisdom.
Let’s build the future of leadership together.

Senior Director, Customer Success - Modern Work - Retail & CPG

Nick Palomba

🚨 The most expensive AI degree in the world…

is now completely free.

No application.
No tuition.
No gatekeeping.

Harvard University just released 6 high-quality lectures on AI + Prompt Engineering— and anyone can access them.


Most people are still using AI like a toy.

Typing random prompts…
Getting average results…
And calling it “AI experience.”

That’s the mistake.

📌 Prompting is no longer a skill. It’s executive leverage.

If you can’t communicate clearly with AI…
You’re already behind.

---

If you're serious about AI in 2026, start here:

🎓 Harvard University LECTURES

1. Introduction to Generative AI
A step-by-step guide to how GenAI actually works.
Link: https://lnkd.in/e9rWNjBE

2. Prompt Engineering
Real tips for improving output quality from any LLM.
Link: https://lnkd.in/e5nekvS2

3. Beyond Chatbots: System Prompts, RAG
Move past surface use cases into scalable applications.
Link: https://lnkd.in/exsX5tP7 

4. Generative AI in Teaching & Learning
How educators can adapt and lead with AI.
Playlist: https://lnkd.in/erdwPRvu

5. Teaching with AI in the Classroom
Frameworks for trainers and educators.
Link: https://lnkd.in/eWXskwWG

6. The Basics of Generative AI
No jargon. Just clarity.
Link: https://lnkd.in/eSCJ62Bi


BONUS 

🟩 CS50x 2025 – Artificial Intelligence Lecture
LLMs, neural nets, and real-world use cases
Link: https://lnkd.in/eYg6vdCr

🟩 CS50 Extension – AI / Prompt Engineering
Design prompts that think with you
Link: https://lnkd.in/eJH4DWQR

🟩 GPT-4: How it works + how to build with it
Behind the curtain on GPT-4
Video: https://lnkd.in/eeh7QXUM

🟩 LLMs and the End of Programming
Why prompting is the new coding
Video: https://lnkd.in/e3JbSFi7
---

💡 REALITY CHECK

✅ Harvard-level AI knowledge is now free
✅ Prompting = career acceleration
✅ 2 lectures can put you ahead of 90% of professionals
✅ The future belongs to people who can “talk to machines” strategically


Don’t just consume AI. Learn how to control it.

👇 Which lecture are you starting with?


♻️ Repost to help others learn AI
🔖 Save this (you’ll need it later)

Nick Palomba 

Microsoft GM & RCG CISO | Securing the Agentic AI Frontier | Fortifying Fortune 100 Resilience for the Autonomous Era | LinkedIn Top Voice | 38K+ Followers

Generative AI vs. Traditional AI

Microsoft SkillUp AI

CSU Coaching Circle Facilitator

Copilot for M365 Achiever Badge - Fundamental

Career Essentials in Generative AI by Microsoft and LinkedIn

Get Ready for Generative AI

Leveraging ChatGPT for Smarter Cybersecurity

Generative AI for Business Leaders

edX Verified Certificate for Introduction to Connected Strategy

Certificate for Remote Work Revolution for Everyone

Career Advisory Board - Alumni

Certified Innovation Leader (CIL)

Blockchain Fundamentals

Verified Certificate for Bitcoin and Cryptocurrencies

Verified Certificate for Blockchain Technology

Blockchain Basics

Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals

Microsoft 365 Certified Fundamentals

Accessibility in Action

Kellogg: Modern Marketing

Crucial Conversations

Executive Presence

Microsoft MBA Course

Public Media and Communications Training

Blockchain Fundamentals
Blockchain Technologies
Bitcoin and Cryptocurrencies 

As a senior leader, you are no stranger to strategy, planning and managing others. But leading a large function or operation requires something more. 

Leading at this level is about spanning the silos that limit growth. It's about grasping the trade-offs between today's needs and tomorrow's priorities — and making the tough calls that affect the organization.

Leading for Organizational Impact enhances your ability to lead while balancing short-term and long-term strategic perspectives. With the advantage of a comprehensive, global, day-in-the-life business simulation, you'll gain a clear view of how your leadership impacts organizational outcomes

10x LinkedIn Top Voice | General Manager - Azure Infrastructure, Copilot, Modern Work & Security | Former Vice Mayor, Indian Rocks Beach, FL | Keynote Speaker | Board Director | Industry Influencer | 19K+ Followers

With over 30 years of IT experience, I am a seasoned and successful leader who drives customer success and business growth through cloud and change management solutions. I am currently the Senior Director, Customer Success - Modern Work, Cybersecurity, Azure Infrastructure - Retail & CPG at Microsoft, where I lead a team of nearly 200 professionals who help our largest enterprise customers realize value from their investment in Microsoft 365 and Security solutions. 

My core competencies include cross-functional team leadership, strategic planning, employee development, account management, and problem-solving. I have a proven track record of delivering outstanding customer satisfaction, ensuring superior 24/7 support, and leveraging IT performance to drive business transformation and modernization. I am passionate about mentoring employees, securing cost savings, and fostering collaboration and innovation. I am also a Prosci-certified change management practitioner, a motivational speaker, a former vice mayor, and a board director. I am committed to serving my customers, my community, and my industry with integrity, excellence, and vision.

Board of Directors of this non-profit, 501(c)3 Amateur Radio organization. The West Central Florida Group, Inc. operates the NI4CE Amateur Radio Repeater Network. The NI4CE system provides an Amateur Radio communications infrastructure along Florida's Gulf Coast and assists the National Weather Service SKYWARN severe weather spotter program during severe weather events. The NI4CE system also operate a full-time NXDN digital repeater near Tampa that is connected to a growing number of other NXDN repeaters in North America.

Support Our Troops

Bob Williams started Our Troops Online to send support items to our troops stationed in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, the Kyrgyz Republic - all places where the nearest drug or discount store is about 12,000 miles away. Much of what ships is snack items donated by generous companies. All of which are enormously popular with the troops. Williams uses the donation money particularly for postage and to buy the “special order” items, requested by the troops, such as Q-tips, CDs, DVDs, batteries, school supplies, and toys. He also sends feminine and personal hygiene items such as; deodorant, shampoo, and cigars, to name a few. - By: Nancy Montgomery European edition, Stars and Stripes. 

IRB Action 2000, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization, seeks to transform the Gulf Boulevard Corridor of Indian Rocks Beach, FL and other selected adjacent commercial, tourist and residential areas into vital, thriving, ultra-attractive and highly-desirable areas within which to live, conduct business, shop, dine, vacation and simply enjoy the finer qualities of life.

Promotions rarely happen by accident. Behind closed doors, leaders are constantly evaluating more than performance metrics. 

They watch for ownership, consistency, decision-making under pressure, and how someone influences the people around them. 

Doing your job well is expected. What separates candidates is visibility, reliability, and trust. 

The person who solves problems, communicates clearly, and reduces friction naturally moves into leadership conversations. 

Because at higher levels, roles aren’t just about skill — they’re about judgment, accountability, and the ability to multiply impact through others.

Here’s something most people still get wrong about AI 👇

They think it’s about tools.
It’s actually about how you think and communicate.

That’s where Microsoft 365 Copilot changes the game.

I’ve seen this across teams, leaders, and even CXOs—
Same tool. Different results.

The difference?
👉 Prompting maturity.

Here are the 10 principles that actually make Copilot powerful (not just usable):

1. Start with context
Don’t assume the AI knows your world.
Tell it where you are, what you’re solving, and why.

2. State the goal clearly
“Make it better” is vague.
“Make this a 150-word executive summary for CXOs” works.

3. Give raw material
Copilot performs best when you feed it something—notes, drafts, data.

4. Define the format
Email? Bullet points? Strategy doc?
Output clarity = better results.

5. Set boundaries
Tell it what to avoid: tone, assumptions, unnecessary detail.

6. Ask it to think before answering
This reduces those confident-but-wrong outputs.

7. Correct, don’t restart
Refine. Iterate. Treat it like a collaborator, not a search engine.

8. Request multiple options
Great for creativity, messaging, and decision-making.

9. Add your organization’s reality
Your processes, constraints, and context make outputs usable.

10. Review before you trust
Copilot accelerates thinking—not accountability.

💡 Here’s the shift most people need to make:

From
❌ “AI will do my work”

To
✅ “AI will amplify how I think”

That’s when productivity turns into leverage.

If you’re using Copilot daily, ask yourself:
Are you just prompting…
Or are you engineering outcomes?

#AI #MicrosoftCopilot #Productivity #Leadership #FutureOfWork

🚀 Microsoft is Hiring for High-Impact AI & Cloud Leadership Roles

If you’ve been waiting to build the future with AI, this is your moment.

Microsoft is expanding its Cloud & AI teams with roles that directly shape the next generation of Generative AI, Agentic AI, and Cloud Innovation. 

These are not routine jobs — these are high-impact positions where you help enterprises transform with cutting-edge AI.

Here are the open roles:

1️⃣ Principal Innovation Hub Solution Engineer – Cloud & AI
Innovate, solve complex enterprise challenges, and drive AI-first transformation.

2️⃣ Solution Engineer – Cloud & AI Infrastructure
Design and deploy scalable, secure, cloud-native AI infrastructure systems.

3️⃣ Partner AI Architect – Generative AI & AI Agents
Help partners build large-scale GenAI & Agentic AI solutions using Microsoft’s AI stack.

4️⃣ Cloud Solution Architect – Cloud & AI Platforms Infrastructure
Lead cloud modernization and AI-centric cloud architecture for the world’s biggest enterprises.

5️⃣ Senior Manager – Cloud & AI Strategy
Shape Microsoft’s strategic direction across AI, cloud, and enterprise solutions.

6️⃣ Cloud Solution Architect – AI
Build intelligent AI-powered applications that scale globally.

7️⃣ Director – AI Strategy
Drive end-to-end AI transformation, influence global vision, and lead strategic AI initiatives.

Why this matters?

AI is not the future anymore — it’s the present. And Microsoft is at the centre of this shift.

If you have deep experience in cloud, infrastructure, architecture, or enterprise AI, these roles give you a seat at the table where the next decade of innovation is being built.

If you’re exploring a move, or know someone who fits, share this post.

The next big career leap might be one click away. careers.microsoft.com

LinkedIn

Shift from “I wish” to “I will.” 
Every regret holds a new opportunity for action and growth. 
Start now — your mind listens.

Most people are “using AI.”
Very few are building real capability with it.
That’s the difference that will define careers in 2026.

I came across this framework of 10 AI skills to master, and honestly—it’s not about tools. It’s about how you think, solve, and execute in an AI-first world.

Here’s what stands out 👇

👉 Prompt Engineering
Not just asking questions… but structuring thinking. Clear inputs = reliable outputs.

👉 AI Workflow Automation
If you’re still doing repetitive work manually, you’re already behind.

👉 Vibe Coding
You don’t need to be a developer anymore to build. You need logic + curiosity.

👉 AI Personal Assistants
The smartest professionals are not working alone anymore.

👉 RAG Systems
Your knowledge + AI = a serious competitive edge.

👉 AI Image & Video Creation
Content is no longer limited by skills. Only by ideas.

👉 Multimodal Fluency
Text, voice, visuals, video—everything is merging.

👉 AI Search Optimization
Google search thinking is old. AI search thinking is the new game.

👉 AI-Assisted Writing
Speed matters. Clarity matters more.

But here’s the real insight most people miss:
- AI is not replacing professionals.
- It is exposing who can think clearly and who cannot.
- The winners in 2026 won’t be the ones who “know tools”

They’ll be the ones who can:
• Ask better questions
• Structure better problems
• Execute faster with AI

If you had to pick just one of these skills to master deeply this year, which one would it be?

Let’s see where the real focus is 👇

If you read just 10 pages a day, you will finish about 12–15 books a year.
Most people never do it.

But the difference between average leaders and exceptional ones is often simple:

They read. A lot.
Not for entertainment.
For clarity, perspective, and better thinking.
The image above shows 100 books that shape how leaders think. Business, psychology, philosophy, strategy, human behavior, and focus.
When you step back and look at the list, something interesting appears.
The books fall into a few powerful categories that quietly shape how you lead.


1. Books That Improve How You Think
If your thinking improves, every decision improves.
Some of the most powerful books in this category include:
• Thinking, Fast and Slow — Daniel Kahneman
• The Black Swan — Nassim Taleb
• Blink — Malcolm Gladwell
• The Art of Thinking Clearly — Rolf Dobelli
These books expose something uncomfortable:
Your brain lies to you more often than you think.
Great leaders learn to recognize bias, flawed assumptions, and hidden risks.


2. Books That Build Discipline
Success rarely comes from bursts of motivation.
It comes from systems and habits.
Examples from the list:
• Atomic Habits — James Clear
• Deep Work — Cal Newport
• Eat That Frog — Brian Tracy
• The Compound Effect — Darren Hardy
The common theme:
Small actions repeated daily create massive results over time.
Consistency beats intensity.
Every time.


3. Books That Teach Human Behavior
Leadership is not about authority.
It is about understanding people.
A few timeless books in this category:
• How to Win Friends and Influence People — Dale Carnegie
• The Laws of Human Nature — Robert Greene
• Influence — Robert Cialdini
• Leaders Eat Last — Simon Sinek
If you understand incentives, emotion, trust, and status, leadership becomes far easier.


4. Books That Expand Perspective
Some books simply stretch how you see the world.
They force you to think bigger.
Examples:
• Sapiens — Yuval Noah Harari
• A Brief History of Time — Stephen Hawking
• The Lessons of History — Will Durant
• Outliers — Malcolm Gladwell
These books remind us:
The present moment makes more sense when you understand history, science, and human systems.


5. Books That Strengthen Character
The most underrated category on the list is philosophy.
Stoic philosophy in particular appears multiple times:
• Meditations — Marcus Aurelius
• Letters from a Stoic — Seneca
• Lives of the Stoics — Ryan Holiday
• The Daily Stoic
These books teach something modern leadership often forgets:
Control what you can.
Ignore what you cannot.
Focus on character.


The Pattern Behind the List
Across these 100 books, the same lessons repeat.
Strong leaders focus on:
• Clear thinking
• Discipline and habits
• Understanding people
• Long-term perspective
• Personal character



A Simple Challenge
Pick five books from this list.
Start with one.
Read 10 pages a day
In a year you will finish around 3,000–4,000 pages of ideas that sharpen how you think and lead.

Most people think using Microsoft Copilot is about “𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.”
It’s not.
𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬, 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.

And that’s where most people get it wrong.

Here are 5 mistakes I keep seeing again and again:

1. Vague prompts = vague outputs
If your input is generic, the output will be too.
Copilot is not a mind reader.
Clarity is not optional—it’s the starting point.

2. Treating the first answer as final
Your first prompt is just version 1.
The real power comes from refining, nudging, and iterating.
Think of it like working with a smart intern—you guide, it improves.

3. Not asking follow-up questions
Most people stop too early.
The gold is in the second and third question.
“Can you expand?”
“Make it more specific to my industry?”
That’s where depth comes in.

4. Ignoring context
Copilot works best when it understands your world.
Data, documents, emails, past inputs—these are what make responses sharper.
No context = surface-level output.

5. Not saving what works
You write a great prompt once… and then lose it.
That’s wasted leverage.
The best users build their own prompt library over time.

Here’s the shift:
- Stop using Copilot like a tool.
- Start using it like a thinking partner.
- Because the difference between average and exceptional output is not the AI…
…it’s the user behind the prompt.

If you're using Copilot regularly, what’s one mistake you’ve caught yourself making?

Everyone wants to “build AI agents” today.
- Very few know where to actually start.
This visual nails it.

Most people jump straight to tools without understanding the layers underneath.
And that’s exactly why they get stuck.

Here’s the reality 👇

AI Agents are not a starting point.
- They are a stack of capabilities built step by step.

If you look closely, the journey is very clear:

Level 1: Foundation (GenAI + RAG basics)
- This is where most people should spend time—but don’t.
- Prompts, embeddings, vector databases, RAG.
- If this is weak, everything above collapses.

Level 2: Agent Thinking (Essentials)
- Now things get interesting.
- You move from “asking AI” → to “designing how AI thinks.”
- Workflows, memory, evaluation, multi-step reasoning.
- This is where real differentiation starts.

Level 3: Real-world Agents (Advanced skills)
- This is execution.
- Integrations, autonomous loops, APIs, production deployment.
- This is where AI actually creates business value.

What I see in most professionals:
 ❌ Skipping fundamentals
 ❌ Over-relying on tools
 ❌ Copy-pasting without understanding

What actually works:
 ✔ Build from ground up
 ✔ Think in systems, not prompts
 ✔ Focus on real use cases, not demos

If you’re in HR, Marketing, or Leadership roles—this matters more than you think.
Because the next shift is not “using AI”
- It’s managing AI systems that work for you.

And the ones who understand this stack early will not just use AI…
They will lead with it.

If you're trying to figure out where to start with AI agents,
Start at Level 1. Always.
And build your way up.

Most people say “we’re building AI agents.”

Very few ask:
What level of agent are we actually building?

Because not all agents are equal.
- Some just respond.
- Some adapt.
- Some decide.

And some… will eventually think beyond us.

Here’s how I see this evolving in real-world terms 👇

Level 1–3: The Execution Layer
Reactive → Context-Aware → Goal-Oriented

This is where most companies are today.
- Chatbots replying to queries
- Systems remembering user behavior
- Assistants completing defined tasks

Useful? Yes.
Transformational? Not yet.

Level 4–6: The Intelligence Layer
Adaptive → Autonomous → Collaborative

- Now things start getting interesting.
- Systems learn from feedback
- Decisions happen without constant human input
- Multiple agents start working together

This is where Copilot + automation + workflows start becoming real business leverage.

Level 7–9: The Anticipation Layer
Proactive → Social → Ethical

This is the shift most leaders are not prepared for.
- AI doesn’t wait → it predicts
- AI doesn’t just respond → it builds relationships
- AI doesn’t just act → it aligns with ethics & compliance

This is where trust, governance, and design thinking become more important than just tech.

Level 10: The Unknown Layer
- Super Intelligent Agents
- Still theoretical.
- But the direction is clear.
AI that goes beyond human reasoning, creativity, and foresight.

💡 What this means for you (especially if you’re in leadership, HR, or tech):
Most teams are busy “using AI tools.”

Very few are thinking in terms of:
- Agent maturity
- System design
- Decision ownership
- Human + AI collaboration models

And that’s where the real gap is.

If you're building, hiring, or leading in 2026,
don’t just ask:
“Are we using AI?”
Ask:
“At what level are we operating?”
Because that determines everything—
from productivity to positioning to long-term relevance.

Curious—
Which level do you think most companies in your industry are currently at?

AI Agents are quickly moving from experiments to real business tools.

But the difference between a cool demo and a high-impact business agent is how you build it.

That’s where The Copilot Studio Agent Playbook becomes valuable.
It provides a simple yet powerful framework for designing, deploying, and continuously improving AI agents that actually deliver business outcomes.

Here’s the sequence that matters:

🚀 1. Define the Growth Engine
 Start with the business problem.
 What will the agent improve — time saved, revenue generated, or customer experience?

🧠 2. Choose the Right Platform
 Select the environment where your users and data live — whether that’s Copilot Studio, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Azure AI, or other platforms.

📋 3. Craft Clear Instructions
 Define the agent’s role, tone, boundaries, and decision logic.
 Clear instructions = consistent responses.

🔗 4. Connect the Right Tools
 Agents become powerful when they can take action — integrate APIs, connectors, and workflows.

💬 5. Define Topics & Conversation Logic
 Structure how the agent understands intent and handles different scenarios.

🌐 6. Setup Knowledge Sources
 Connect documents, websites, or data sources so the agent retrieves reliable information.

🧪 7. Test & Evaluate
 Run real scenarios and edge cases before releasing the agent to users.

📢 8. Publish to Channels
 Deploy where people actually work — Teams, web apps, Power Apps, or custom platforms.

📊 9. Foster Continuous Feedback
 Monitor usage, collect feedback, and refine the agent over time.
The key insight:

Great AI agents are not built in one step — they are engineered as systems.
As organizations move deeper into Agentic AI, frameworks like this will separate successful deployments from failed experiments.

Curious to hear your thoughts:
Where do you see AI agents creating the biggest impact in your organization?

Some projects don’t fail because of lack of effort.
- They stall because of lack of clarity, speed, or direction.
And then… something changes.

“Know what this project needs? A dash of secret sauce.”
 👉 The Co-Pilot kind.

And just like that—
- ideas start flowing,
- decisions get sharper,
- execution picks up pace.

That’s the real shift with Microsoft Copilot.
It’s not just about automation.
- It’s about amplification.

 → Turning blank pages into structured thinking
 → Converting scattered inputs into actionable insights
 → Helping teams move from “stuck” to “shipping” faster

Because today, the advantage isn’t just skill.
- It’s how effectively you augment your thinking.

The teams that win won’t be the ones working harder.
- They’ll be the ones working with AI, intelligently.

So next time your project feels stuck, ask yourself:
 👉 Are you missing effort… or just the right “secret sauce”?

#MicrosoftCopilot #AIatWork #FutureOfWork #Productivity #Innovation

Microsoft Copilot

𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐀𝐈.
𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐀𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠.
𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐀𝐈 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞.

We’ve moved through three distinct waves — and each one changes how businesses operate:

1️⃣ Traditional Machine Learning → Predicting outcomes
This is where most enterprises started.
Structured data. Defined problems. Clear outputs.

Think:
- Credit scoring
- Fraud detection
- Churn prediction

👉 High accuracy.
👉 Highly interpretable.
👉 Low compute cost.

But… limited to what you already know to ask.

2️⃣ Deep Learning → Understanding complexity
Then came deep learning.
Unstructured data unlocked.

Now machines could:
- Read documents
- Recognize speech
- Understand images

👉 Massive leap in capability
👉 But… black-box models
👉 And heavy infrastructure cost

You gained power, but lost explainability.

3️⃣ Agentic AI → Taking action
This is where things are getting interesting.
We’re no longer just predicting or understanding.
We’re moving into systems that can plan, decide, and act.

Think:
- Multi-agent workflows
- AI using tools, APIs, and data sources
- End-to-end task execution (not just insights)

👉 Claims processing without human intervention
👉 Customer service that actually resolves issues
👉 AI systems coordinating with other AI systems

This is not a model shift.
This is an architecture shift.

The real difference?

- ML answers: “What will happen?”
- Deep Learning answers: “What is this?”
- Agentic AI answers: “What should I do next?”

Why this matters now
Most organizations are still optimizing models.
But the next advantage will not come from better models alone.
It will come from how intelligently those models are orchestrated.

👉 From pipelines → to ecosystems
👉 From predictions → to decisions
👉 From tools → to autonomous systems

If you're building in AI today, the question is simple:
Are you still training models…
or are you starting to design intelligent systems?

𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐈 𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭.
𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡.
𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦.

This right here 👇 is what most teams miss.

Everyone is excited about building agents in The Copilot Studio, Microsoft Azure AI, or Microsoft 365 Copilot.

But building an agent ≠ creating business value.

Here’s what actually makes the difference:

1. Start with the problem, not the tool
If you can’t clearly define ROI (time saved, revenue, experience), don’t build the agent yet.

2. Platform choice is a strategy decision
Where your users work = where your agent should live.
(Teams? Web? Power Apps? That decision matters more than features.)

3. Instructions are your architecture
Most people underestimate this.
Clear system prompts = consistent outputs.

4. Knowledge is your agent’s brain
Garbage in → garbage out.
Structured, relevant, connected data sources are non-negotiable.

5. Tools turn agents into doers
Without APIs, flows, and actions…
your “agent” is just a chatbot.

6. Topics & logic define experience
This is where real design thinking comes in—
how your agent handles intent, edge cases, and conversations.

7. Testing is not optional
Real scenarios. Edge cases. Failure handling.
If you skip this, users will find the gaps instantly.

8. Deployment is about context
Right channel = higher adoption.
Wrong channel = dead agent.

9. Feedback is your growth engine
The best agents are not built once.
They evolve continuously.

The shift is simple:
From: “Let’s build an AI agent”
To: “Let’s build a reliable business system powered by AI”

That’s the difference between demos… and deployment.
If you’re working with Copilot Studio or planning your first agent—

Which step do you think teams struggle with the most?

Everyone is asking: “𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝑨𝑰 𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒊𝒏 2026?”
But that’s the wrong question.
Because AI is not creating one hot role.
- It’s creating an entire career ecosystem.

Look closely 👇

We’ve moved from a world of:

 ➡️ “Learn one skill → get one job”
To a world of:

 ➡️ “Build a capability stack → create multiple opportunities”
In 2026, AI is not a function. It’s infrastructure.

That’s why you’re seeing roles like:
→ Prompt Engineers shaping how AI thinks
→ AI/ML Engineers building core intelligence
→ MLOps Engineers making models production-ready
→ AI Product Managers translating business into AI use-cases
→ AI Ethics Specialists ensuring responsible deployment
→ Data Scientists driving insights from chaos
→ NLP & Computer Vision Engineers enabling real-world applications
And many more…

Here’s what most people are missing:
 👉 These are not isolated roles. They are deeply interconnected.
 👉 The highest value professionals will not sit in silos.
 👉 They will operate at the intersection of 2–3 of these areas.

For example:
→ A Prompt Engineer + Domain Expert = Immediate business impact
→ A Data Scientist + Product Thinker = Better AI adoption
→ An MLOps Engineer + Security Mindset = Enterprise trust

This is where the shift is happening.

So instead of asking:
 ❌ “Which AI role should I pick?”

Start asking:
 ✅ “What combination of skills makes me hard to ignore?”

Because the winners in 2026 will not be:
 → The most technical.
 → Or the most experienced.
 → They will be the ones who can connect AI to real problems.

If you’re building your career right now, focus on:
→ One core strength (technical or domain)
→ One adjacent capability (AI / data / product)
→ One application layer (industry use-case)
→ That’s your leverage.

AI is not replacing careers.
 → It’s redesigning them.

The question is —
→  Are you upgrading your role… or holding on to an outdated one?

AI Agents are quickly becoming the next layer of the digital workforce.

They can plan, reason, execute tasks, interact with tools, and even make decisions.

But here’s the part many organizations are underestimating:

Autonomy without security is risk at scale.
As AI agents begin to connect with systems, tools, APIs, and enterprise data, a new category of security threats is emerging.

Some of the most important ones include:

• Memory Poisoning – injecting false data into an agent’s memory so it makes incorrect or costly decisions.
• Tool Misuse – deceptive prompts causing agents to trigger tools improperly or access sensitive systems.
• Privilege Compromise – attackers exploiting elevated AI permissions to approve transactions or access confidential records.
• Resource Overload – flooding agents with requests to slow down or crash systems.
• Untrusted Output Propagation – manipulated reasoning spreading incorrect results that influence decisions.
• Prompt Injection (Goal Hijack) – redirecting an agent’s objectives for malicious gain.
• Missing Audit Trails – lack of logging makes it impossible to trace AI actions.
• Poor Observability – when you cannot track where the AI’s decision originated.
• Coordination Manipulation – intercepting messages between agents to mislead them.

The takeaway is simple.

As organizations move from AI tools → AI copilots → AI agents, security architecture must evolve as well.

Governance, observability, identity control, and secure tool access will define the next generation of AI platforms.

The companies that get this right will unlock enormous productivity.
Those who ignore it will learn the hard way.
AI agents are powerful.
But power requires guardrails.

How is your organization preparing for Agentic AI security?

You're Not Stuck. Your Habits Are Just Winning.

View newsletter: Nick Palomba's Leadership Lens

Let me ask you something uncomfortable. When was the last time you looked at your life — your health, relationships, or career — and thought: "How did

Open article: You're Not Stuck. Your Habits Are Just Winning by Nick Palomba • 3 min read

You're Not Stuck. Your Habits Are Just Winning

But the truth is simpler.

The breakthrough you want is usually sitting inside the one task you keep avoiding.

The hard conversation.
 The deep thinking.
 The uncomfortable decision.
That’s where the progress lives.

👇 Watch this video below.

The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding. That line hits hard because most leaders recognize it instantly. Progress rarely hides 

Open article: The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding by Nick Palomba • 3 min read

The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding

🤯 Your To‑Do List Is About to Start Doing Itself

Let’s be honest…

Most of us didn’t need another AI that can summarize an email.
We needed one that would: 

✅ Actually reply to it
✅ Schedule the meeting
✅ Pull the deck together
✅ Book the travel
✅ Cancel the subscription we forgot about in 2022
✅ And maybe unsubscribe us from the 147 promo emails we never read

Well…

That chapter of AI is officially over.
On February 26, 2026, Microsoft introduced something very different:

👉 Copilot Tasks — AI that doesn’t just talk to you… it works for you 

🧠 From “Answers” to “Actions.”
Conversational chatbots were the first chapter of AI.
Copilot Tasks represents the beginning of the second:
The shift from chat to actions. From drafts to completed tasks. From just talking… to getting things done. [microsoft.com]
Instead of responding to prompts with suggestions, Copilot Tasks lets you:

👉 Describe a goal in natural language
👉 Automatically creates a plan
👉 Executes multi‑step actions across apps and services
👉 Runs them in the background
👉 And reports back when it needs approval or when it’s finished 

It’s essentially:
💡 A to‑do list that does itself. [microsoft.com]
🤖 What This Actually Means in the Real World

During testing, Microsoft highlighted real everyday scenarios where Copilot Tasks can operate across apps and services to complete work on your behalf. 

Imagine telling Copilot:

“Every Monday morning, prepare a briefing on my meetings, travel plans, and how my time aligns with my priorities.”
Done. ✅

Or:

“Each evening, surface urgent emails with draft replies ready to send and unsubscribe from promotional mail I never open.”
Handled. ✅ [business-s...andard.com]

Or even:

“Monitor hotel rates and automatically rebook if the price drops.”
Working on it in the background. ✅ [microsoft.com]

Tasks can be:
Run once
Scheduled
Recurring
Or triggered by conditions you define [business-s...andard.com]
This isn’t just productivity assistance.

It’s continuous automation instead of isolated AI responses. [pureinfotech.com]

🕶️ Your AI Now Has Its Own Computer
Here’s where it gets wild…
Copilot Tasks operates in a controlled environment using its own browser capabilities to coordinate actions across apps and services on your behalf. [pureinfotech.com]

Meaning: You’re no longer jumping between tools.
Your AI agent is.

And it keeps you in control of the final decision. [microsoft.com]

🚨 Want In? It’s in Research Preview
Copilot Tasks is currently launching as a limited research preview, with Microsoft gradually expanding access ahead of broader release. [business-s...andard.com]
If you want early access to the future of agentic AI…

👉 Join the Preview Waitlist Here:

🔗 https://lnkd.in/eYkw5Gmf

💬 Final Thought
AI used to help you think faster.
Now it helps you act faster.
The real unlock isn’t better answers.
It’s getting your time back.

Your Master Prompt: “Teach Me Copilot for Performance Mastery”

Act as my personal Copilot tutor. Your goal is to help me use Copilot and all Microsoft 365 tools to do my job better, faster, and with higher quality—so I consistently earn top performance reviews. Identify the 20% of skills, concepts, and workflows that will give me 80% of the results in my role.

Explain every concept using simple, eighth‑grade‑level analogies so I can understand them instantly.
Use the R‑I‑C‑E formula in everything you teach me: Role, Instruction, Context, Expectations.
Create a four‑hour learning plan we will complete together today.

Each hour must include:
• What I will learn
• Why it matters
• A simple analogy
• Hands‑on exercises
• Clear outcomes I should be able to demonstrate Structure the four hours like this:

Hour 1 — The Perfect Prompt Teach me how to write prompts that get elite‑level results from Copilot. Show me the 20% of prompting techniques that unlock 80% of Copilot’s power.
Hour 2 — Email & Admin Mastery Teach me how to use Copilot to write emails, summarize threads, manage tasks, prepare documents, and automate administrative work.
Hour 3 — Content & Strategy Teach me how to use Copilot to create content, analyze information, build plans, and support strategic thinking.
Hour 4 — The Feedback Loop Teach me how to use Copilot to review my work, improve quality, catch mistakes, and accelerate my growth. Show me how to build a continuous improvement loop.

Throughout the session:
• Keep explanations simple and practical.
• Give me examples I can copy and reuse.
• Give me short practice tasks after each concept.
• Tell me what “good” looks like so I can self‑evaluate.

At the end:
• Give me a personalized “Copilot Performance Playbook” summarizing what I learned.
• Give me a list of daily habits that will make Copilot a force multiplier in my job.
 • Give me a 30‑day plan to lock in mastery. Let’s begin with Hour 1.

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