Codie A. Sanchez

Investing millions in Main St businesses & teaching you how to own the rest | HoldCo, VC fund, Founder

On a mission to create financially free and free-thinking humans.

I founded a media company called Contrarian Thinking that teaches people to think critically and cashflow unconventionally with boring businesses.

Our newsletter has over 1M+ weekly readers, here → contrarianthinking.biz/li

Our community has taught 9,000+ members biz buying, biz growing, and doing deals. 

We value experience over degrees.
Betting on yourself over building someone else's dream.
Main Street over Wall Street.

My mission is less suits, more boots. Meaning: we the people holding the power… and the purse strings.

🔗Join 1M+ others who get our free newsletter: contrarianthinking.biz/li
🔗YouTube: @CodieSanchezCT
🔗Instagram: @codiesanchez
🔗Twitter: @Codie_Sanchez
🔗Weekly business-buying newsletter Main Street Minute: contrarianthinking.biz/minute-li

Founder

We help free minds and build bank accounts.

5 uncomfortable truths about success:

1. You can't be a real leader and a people pleaser.

2. One day they'll go from judging you to bragging how they know you.

3. You win in life by being ok with people: not liking you, disagreeing with you, and wishing you'd fail.

4. It’s supposed to be hard, and you’re supposed to do it anyway.

5. The underrated part about being rich... you get to do what you want, say what you want, and people unfollowing or not agreeing matters ZERO.

Hope this one puts a little air in your tires today 😉

Btw - feel free to follow me Codie A. Sanchez if you haven’t yet

Investing millions in Main St businesses & teaching you how to own the rest | HoldCo, VC, Founder | NYT best-selling author

Formula is do, fail, learn, fail, do again.

Codie Sanchez

3 more harsh truths about success:

- You only have to be right ONCE. One big right move can erase a lifetime of wrong ones.
- You can't be upset at the results you’re not getting from the actions you’re not taking.
- The successful don't wait for someone to come save them. You want a better life, go build it.

If you needed to hear this today, feel free to share for next person who needs it ♻️

Don’t be afraid of outgrowing EVERYONE.

Your friends. Yes.

Your family. Likely.

If you are great... Even the people you hire today you will outgrow.

Don’t apologize a f*cking second for outgrowing people who can not keep up with you.

You need to make the hard call to move on, and move on FASTER than you think.

I was on the phone with a friend the other day runs another portfolio and famous on the internet and we both had to fire a csuite executive. We talked on Friday, I asked on Tuesday when she was doing it, she said she already did it that morning.

“Once I know I have to, I rip the bandaid off.”

Tough truth I’ve never regretted ONCE parting ways with someone who isn’t going as fast as I am.

THIS is the hard and brutal truth of greatness.

A reminder that it’s ok to rise a lil earlier and grind a lil harder…

A few lessons on reputation learned over the years:

- Long-term games and long-term people compound. Resist shiny objects.
- Everything you do, everything you say, is part of a permanent record you can't see.
- I used to think it was a win to never answer my phone, always be focused on work. Now I realize those who show up for others are the only ones who win in the long term.
- Never trade your reputation for money. Money you can make more, reputation you can't.
- Your positioning is your most important asset. Product can be copied... But brand and reputation cannot.
- “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.” True reminder.

On the flipside, we can't let this paralyze us...

Nothing you do will matter to anyone here in 2 years.

Even less in 20.

And your name will be forgotten in 100.

There's freedom in a bit of nihilism.

cs-venturesllc

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unconventional-acquisitions

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(99+) Post | Feed | LinkedIn

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Talks about #growth, #finance, #investing, #venturecapital, and #contrarianthinking

You can flatter & pander.

Or you can become ACTUALLY likable:

• Do what you say you’re going to do
• Show your results, not your intentions
• Your job isn’t done until THE job is done
• Communicate - less words, more meaning
• Bring solutions, not complaints
• Do the dirty work
• Don’t be boring

The truth:

People like competence.

So does money.

(Feel free to share if this resonates♻️)

The faster you move, the more money you make.

6 money-making truths you need to hear:

1. Unapologetically chase your first $500K. Life is just easier up until you make about $500k, then it gradually evens out. 

2. Get a job that pays you more if you do more, mimic everything the top performer does, until you can't possibly earn or learn more, then apply for a higher-paying job.

3. The fastest way to make your first million... Go be a crazy CEO's #2.

4. Saving won't make you rich.

5. Biggest mistake I made making money was waiting too late to start taking risk.

6. The key to getting rich rapidly? Live like you're poor. Increase your income. Use your income to buy cash-flowing assets.

↓↓↓↓

FYI - I'm having a biz-buying masterclass tomorrow if you want to stop by...

We're going to talk about how to buy the right business for you, why now is the time to buy, how to derisk your deal, and more.

Grab a spot here if you want to come and learn:    https://lnkd.in/e24qgbuh

How to win in 2026:

1. Don’t be woke. 
2. Work. Hard.
3. No victim mentality allowed.
4. Have strong opinions, loosely held.
5. Take strategic bets with your $.
6. Protect your time.
7. Be curious and a good human.

Doesn't matter who you are. Who you share a bed with. Or the color of your skin.

Anybody can win. (Btw this was from 2023).

How to win in your 20s:

1. Choose your hard. If you don't choose your hard, hard will choose you.

2. Ask more questions. As Socrates said: “Smart people learn from everything and everyone. Average people learn from their experiences. Stupid people already have all the answers.”

3. Do whatever it takes

4. Chase purpose. A friend once told me: “I wish you not one penny over $299 million. Reality gets lost somewhere after that.”

5. Not every moment has to be productive. Silence is not your enemy.

6. Be bored more often

7. Get in shape, stay in shape (applies to both finances and fitness)

8. If someone you just met is talking shit about their ex, friend, partner, or boss, they will do the same to you next. Character matters.

9. Behind every successful person is a story that gave them no choice.

10. Put your relationships first. My number one regret in life is not prioritizing my marriage above just about everything.

11. You become the person you want when no one else is watching. It's the quiet, private reps that will never be cheered that actually lead to greatness.

12. Never take advice from someone who hasn't achieved what they're advising about. If you don't want their life, don't listen to their advice.

13. Inconvenience yourself. This generation went way too hard setting boundaries. Show up for those you love, even when it's not convenient.

14. The greatest muscle you can build is urgency.

15. If it's not a hell yes, it's a no.

16. You will be richer when you understand leverage. But you'll also be aware of when people are trying to take advantage of you. Learn it so you can spot it.

17. Learn to be disliked or you will find yourself stuck in a prison of other people's beliefs.

18. You don't have time to hate someone when you're busy building. The less you build, the more you criticize.

19. Your input eventually becomes your output.

20. 99% of people don't move fast enough. Every time you say "one day," you cost yourself future dollars.

21. Complexity makes you seem smart. Simplicity makes you money.

22. The longer something has been successful, the more likely it is to continue being successful.

23. Say you will do a thing, then actually do the thing.

24. The fastest way to build a memorable brand is to pick a fight.

25. Never let your worry be bigger than your faith. God doesn't give you a seed without provision for it to grow.

26. Nobody cares about your life.

27. Someone not as good as you is making more money because they're not afraid to start.

28. You will wish you started earlier and worked harder when you are young.

29. Waking up at 5:45 a.m. solves 99.9% of daily issues.

30. Work smarter, not harder is a beautiful lie. You will not know how to work smart until you've worked very hard for an irrationally long time

31. The size of the problems you solve equal the size of your bank account.

32. The smartest people I know obsess over their reputation. Do not play short-term games with your name.

Money = options. Poverty = trapped.

It's not the money we want. It's the freedom.

↓ ↓ ↓

You’re either the hammer or the nail.

Hammers make things happen. They drive the point home. They aren’t afraid to swing hard, take calculated risks, and make an impact. They don’t wait for things to happen; they make things happen.

Nails? They get pounded. They hold things in place, but only because *someone else* decided that’s where they should be.

Nails wait for instructions. They stay put, keep their heads down, and hope they don’t get bent out of shape. Nails might hold things together, but hammers built the house.

No one remembers the nails — they remember who hammered them in.

It can be easy to look at the work of a hammer and think, “Must be nice.” But don’t be mistaken, the toll on a hammer is rough.

What you don’t see are the years of blunt force trauma on the hammer’s head, face, neck, cheek, throat, eye, and claw (all real parts of a hammer). Years of being thrown around. Years of missing the mark and smashing a finger.

Are you starting to get it now?

Hammers are owners.

Nails? The owned.

(PS: This is an excerpt straight from my newsletter. Get it every Thursday here → https://lnkd.in/euh-mDd8)

Work smarter not harder is a beautiful lie.

Hard lesson for me and you...

The people doing better than you aren’t smarter than you. They aren’t better than you. They aren’t luckier than you.

They’re just working so much harder than you, you can't even imagine.

The only thing separating you from them is:

Grit + Time + Consistency

MBA graduates aren't chasing jobs at Goldman or Google anymore.

They want ownership.

Here’s why some MBA graduates are choosing acquisitions over startups: 

In the 70s, 80s, 90s, MBA grads bought fancy suits and gloated about their big corner offices.

Now, they’re being taught to acquire companies.

We’re living in a GOLDEN ERA for business buying...

Baby Boomers hit ‘peak 65’ last year and it was the largest surge of in our beautiful nation's history. 

An average of 4.1 million Americans will retire EVERY year until 2027. 

And many own businesses they don’t know what to do with…

It’s up to us to continue their legacy and keep their businesses alive. 

Use my 3-6-12 framework to go a-z in buying your first biz... 

The TL;DR is this: 

• 3 months minimum to learn dealmaking
• 6 months to source and secure your deal
• 12 months post-purchase to master the business

Now, let’s break each step down: 

Your first 3 months should be pure learning.

There’s no such thing as a perfect business. Only a perfect business for YOU.

Figure out exactly what that business looks like before you start searching for it.

Terms, financials, tactics, structuring.

Acquisitions is a language. You need to get fluent.

The next 6 months are about finding YOUR deal:

• You'll look at 50+ businesses
• Submit 10-25 offers
• Perform due diligence on 3-5
• Close on 1

The numbers game isn't sexy. But it works.

Once you buy, give yourself 12 full months to master the business.

Why?

• Month 1-3: Learning systems
• Month 4-6: Stabilizing operations
• Month 7-9: Building team trust
• Month 10-12: Growing strategically

Rush this timeline and you'll destroy what you just bought.

I can’t stress this last point enough — you need to be patient. 

As the wonderful Warren Buffett once said: 

"You can't produce a baby in 1 month by getting nine women pregnant."

You CAN have the business you want. But it comes on its own timeline, not yours.

And that’s it!

Remember, before buying ANYTHING, ask yourself:

1. What kind of business would I actually ENJOY running?

2. What skills do I bring that would ADD VALUE?

3. Can I handle the pressure of other people's livelihoods depending on me?

Then, execute on the 3-6-12 framework.

↓↓↓↓

If you've read this far... I've got something for you. 

I'm sure there are a bunch of questions running through your mind like: 

• How do I buy a business?
• Which is the right one to buy?
• Would I be capable of running it?
• How do I know if this would be the right path for me?

Give me 90 minutes and I'll answer you.

I'm hosting a live Masterclass next week on all of this. Completely free.

Get details & save your spot here → https://lnkd.in/e24qgbuh

This reminds me of a study I learned about.

It found what's called The Spillover Effect:

Kellogg Insight did a study across 58,000 hours in 11 companies.

There were two main findings.

1) Positive Spillover

If you sit within 25ft of a HIGH performer, your performance increases by 15%.

You are no smarter, you work no harder... and you're 15% better.

These highest performers are not impacted by the low performance of their neighbors.

My takeaway = the strong lift up the weak.

But there was a second finding too, a much more concerning one...

2) Negative Spillover

If you sit near a LOW performer… Things get bad fast.

How they define “low performer” in the study is important:

These are “toxic workers.”

A “toxic” person = someone who ends up being fired for their behavior/performance.

On average:

- A toxic worker costs a company $12,800
- 2% of all workers are toxic
- They infect FAST.

And actually – the poison of a toxic worker spans way beyond 25ft:

Researchers said, “You can see their negative imprint and negative effect across an entire floor.”

So remember:

Success is contagious.

But so is toxicity.

↓ ↓ ↓

The same is true for the media you consume. Doomscroll hate on social media, you become a hateful person.

But if you'd rather surround yourself with stories of business owners & freedom finders, read this instead → https://lnkd.in/euh-mDd8

Business scaling isn't rocket science.

But it is a science.

After working with 100s of companies, I can tell you the difference between the ones that plateau and the ones that explode comes down to these 3 levers:

Every scalable business needs:

- The right people (who)
- The right systems (how)
- The right focus (what)

Miss any one, and you'll hit a ceiling.Let's break down each piece (and I'll share what most get wrong):

1. Let's start with PEOPLE

Most owners hire too fast, fire too slow, and expect a miracle in between.

A bad executive hire will cost you $200-300K+ and waste 6-12mos of momentum.

But get it right? You start to own your business instead of being owned by it.

To make sure we only hire A-players, every hire goes through this matrix:

• Known Candidate: Team vouches for them
• Proven Experience: Done exact job before
• Proven Industry: Worked in your sector
• Proven Problem Set: Solved your problem
• Proven Scale: Built at your size

2. Next up: SYSTEMS

5 systems all successful companies have:

• Executive Vision (where you're going)
• KPIs/Goals (what success looks like)
• Performance Dashboards (tracking what matters)
• Communication (keeping us aligned)
• Strong Culture (making it all work together)

Most businesses build these 5 system chains separately.

But we noticed that connecting them through a framework makes scaling more predictable...

This reduces the inevitable bottlenecks that re-appear as you grow:

• Executive planning feeds into →
• Sales metrics which optimize →
• Operations processes which enable →
• Team communication which improves →
• Financial performance

This doesn’t eliminate all growing pains.. but it brings a method to the madness of building.

3. The final lever: FOCUS.

Most owners try to solve 27 problems at once.

The best solve ONE problem exceptionally well – and they pick the RIGHT problem.

Something I constantly hear is: "My prospects can't afford my product."But it's rarely a pricing problem. It's almost always a persona problem…

When prospects "can't afford" your product, run these 3 tests:

• Competitive analysis: How does your pricing compare?
• Marketing analysis: Is your value prop clear?
• Avatar analysis: Are you targeting the right people?

99% of the time, your problem is an avatar mismatch.

You're trying to sell snow to Eskimos, instead of hot chocolate to skiers.

The most valuable exercise for any owner is building a detailed customer avatar.

Define who NEEDS your solution, not who you wish would buy it.

I've just scratched the surface of these frameworks today...and implementing them properly is where most owners struggle.

↓↓↓

If you’d like to learn how to apply these frameworks in your business to find hidden cash...check out our workshop next week. 

It's the only thing on the agenda: https://lnkd.in/gZaAQkpT

What they dream of: Starting the next Apple

What I dream of: Owning a painting biz...

Trillions of dollars are about to fall into the hands of those who are paying attention.

Let's talk numbers:

• 33.3 million small businesses in the US.
• That's 99.9% of all businesses.

What does this mean?

A sea of opportunity. 

Over 80% of these businesses have no employees. Just solo owners, doing their thing.

But of the other 20% (aka 6.6 million)... Many are ready to sell.

Problem is, most people are still daydreaming about sexy startups and AI breakthroughs.

They’re not daydreaming about plumbing companies. Laundromats. Self-storage units.

Because they’re not sexy.

In fact, they kind of smell like hard work. They smell like Main Street.

But the thing about these businesses is:

They quietly cashflow.

So.. why don’t you just start one?

A few reasons why starting sucks:
• Cashflow takes time
• You start with 0 employees (aka, you do all the work)
• You start with 0 customers (aka, even more work)
• You have to find a profitable biz model.

But there’s another option…

BUYING a business (done right) means:
• Instant cash flow.
• Existing customers.
• Proven business model.

You're not reinventing the wheel. You're taking something that works and making it work better.

It's a path to financial freedom that most people overlook.

The opportunity of a lifetime is hiding in plain sight.

So here's my challenge to you:

Stop dreaming about the next big startup.
Start looking at the businesses in your backyard.

Then go big and DO the damn thing.

↓↓↓↓

Disclaimer: I know I've made this sound easier than it is. 

Buying & running a biz is NOT easy. 

One of the reasons why I'm hosting a (free) Masterclass next week on biz buying. I'll break down the 10-step process I've used to buy dozens of cashflowing businesses.

My goal? You leave with the confidence & roadmap to buy your first biz. 

More info here → https://lnkd.in/e24qgbuh

If you’re in your 20s, I’m gonna tell you the truth that nobody told me.

I’m in my 30s now, and I wish someone would’ve told me that your 20s actually suck.

Everybody TELLS you this is the best time in your life, but when you’re in it, it feels the opposite of that.

You are hotter than you’ll ever be, and you have more energy, BUT:

- You’re kind of broke.
- You can’t figure out what you want to “do” with your life
- You feel lost, you work nonstop, you have a miserable job
- You’re single, dating, with crazy emotions
- You go out drinking more than you should

But here’s the thing:

Everybody’s been there. It’s totally normal. And honestly, at the end of the day, your 30s are AWESOME.

Coming into your mid 30s is a blast:

- You have money finally
- You kinda have an idea of what you wanna do with your life
- You’re not so emotionally volatile
- People are slightly more mature, you don’t have to date idiot 20-year-olds

Just know, it gets better.

If it sucks right now, guess what? It’s supposed to.

AI Strategies to Grow Your Business | Featured in Forbes | AI Consulting, Courses & Keynotes ➤ @theashleygross

Helping Businesses Grow with AI | AI Teacher, Speaker & Consultant | Executive Workshops Host

Before tools like ChatGPT, I was already implementing AI strategies in large organizations. Within just three months of rolling out AI solutions, we surpassed our annual sales pipeline goal of $90 million, reaching $115 million.

I created the AI Impact Alignment™ process to ensure AI projects directly support business goals. This method has led to real results, like revenue growth, quicker decisions, and more efficient operations.

In addition to consulting, I offer keynote speaking, executive workshops, teach how AI can transform businesses and help them succeed.

Consulting Details:

• Implement an AI strategy to grow your business
• Align AI projects with clear business outcomes
• Teach and advise leaders on how to use AI for long-term success
• Create and deploy AI Agents to optimize your Marketing Operations

Want to know how AI can help your business grow? 

Contact Details

partnerships@theashleygross.com (for brand sponsorship inquiries)

consulting@aiworkforcealliance.com (for AI Strategy consults, building AI Agents, & customized business process automations)

speaking@aiworkforcealliance.com (book me at your next conference, company offsite or university)

Ashley Gross

A reminder that has nothing to do with AI 💜

You can't say yes to every opportunity and keep your sanity. 

Know what season you're in with your health and family. Then move career opportunities around that, not the other way around.

The question isn't "Can I do this?" It's "Should we do this right now?"
Not just you. Your whole family. 

I've turned down deals because the timing was wrong. I've also said yes to things that nearly broke me because I didn't check in first.

What's keeping you sane right now? I'd love to know what's working for you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

If you're reading this while debating whether to order takeout: do it. 

Your kid isn't going to therapy in 20 years talking about the store-bought mashed potatoes.

Order the takeout. Enjoy your people.

The Ethics Behind AI Decision-Making

(When AI makes choices, whose values does it reflect?)

AI is making more decisions across businesses than ever before, from automated hiring tools to personalized customer recommendations. 

But every AI decision reflects the values built into it, intentionally or not.

Here is what this means for businesses:

1. Customer trust is on the line. 
→ If AI decisions feel biased or unfair, loyalty suffers and regulatory scrutiny increases.

2. Brand integrity matters. 
→ Your AI systems should act consistently with your company’s values or risk undermining your reputation.

3. Transparency reduces risk. 
→ Documenting how AI makes decisions protects your business and helps teams intervene when needed.

4. Operational efficiency depends on alignment. 
→ Misaligned AI can create extra work, human overrides, or costly errors.

Ethical AI is not just a moral discussion, it is a strategic imperative. 

The choices your AI makes today can shape customer perception, employee engagement, and long-term growth.

How is your business ensuring the values reflected in its AI align with your mission?
___________________________
AI Consultant, Course Creator & Keynote Speaker
Follow Ashley Gross for more about AI

Ashley Gross, CEO of AI Workforce Alliance with long brown hair smiles subtly against a gray background. Text reads, "The Ethics Behind Every AI Decision." Social media icons are at the bottom.

Between you, me, and AI I'm sure we can figure it out." — my husband on Thanksgiving morning.

We did not figure it out.

AI told me to pat the turkey, compliment it, remove things I'd rather not discuss, and "spatchcock" it.

I switched tools. Asked for a gentler approach. Got told to pretend I'm a chiropractor.

Here's the thing..AI is only as useful as your ability to work with it. 

Wrong tool, wrong prompt, wrong approach? You're ordering DoorDash.

We got takeout. Happy holidays.

P.S Can anyone actually confirm if they even like turkey?

7 AI Mistakes That Can Cost Your Business Big

(Using AI without a plan can backfire faster than you think)

AI can transform businesses, but only if applied wisely. 

Common pitfalls to avoid:

1. Skipping the strategy 
• AI without a clear goal wastes time and resources.

2. Ignoring data quality 
• Bad data leads to bad decisions.

3. Over-automation 
• Some processes still need human judgment.

4. Neglecting ethics 
• Biases can harm reputation and compliance.

5. Underestimating change management 
• Teams need guidance and training.

6. Failing to monitor performance 
• AI models drift; constant evaluation is essential.

7. Assuming AI is plug-and-play 
• Integration requires planning and iteration.

Used wisely, AI powers growth. Misused, it creates risk.

Which of these mistakes do you see most often in businesses today?
___________________________
AI Consultant, Course Creator & Keynote Speaker
Follow Ashley Gross for more about AI

Ashley Gross, CEO of AI Workforce Alliance with long, dark hair in a modern office. Text reads: "7 AI Mistakes That Could Cost You Millions" with a focus on risk prevention.

What are the challenges in developing AI agents?

(And why most teams underestimate them)

Most teams jump into AI agent development thinking it’s all about automation or smart prompts.

What they underestimate is how complex and human-dependent the process really is.

Here’s what I see most often with clients:

1. Handling uncertainty: 
↳ Agents rarely get full context. Teams assume data is complete, it rarely is.

2. Maintaining reliability: 
↳ Small changes in one system can trigger big issues across workflows.

3. Scaling learning loops: 
↳ Many skip the setup for continuous updates, so agents go stale fast.

4. Human alignment: 
↳ Teams often don’t realize how much time it takes to teach people to trust the AI.

5. Change management: 
↳This is where most projects stall. Not from bad code, but from poor communication.

AI agent development is as much about people and process as it is about logic and code.

What’s been your biggest challenge when trying to build or scale an AI system?
___________________________
AI Consultant, Course Creator & Keynote Speaker
Follow Ashley Gross for more about AI

Ashley Gross, CEO of AI Workforce Alliance, wearing a grey suit with a white top, smiling with arms crossed in a plain background. Text beside her reads, “Everyone Wants AI Agents. Few Can Build Them right...”

How do I experiment with AI tools WITHOUT destroying my productivity and time?

Here's my rule: 

Even if I love my current tech stack, when I want to test something new, I give myself 30 minutes max.

If I can't see measurable success in that window—or if the tool is so complicated I can't figure out the basics—it's not worth the next level of experimentation.

These tools are incredible. But they can become the biggest time suck if you're not ruthless about protecting your focus.

Don't chase shiny objects. Experiment strategically. If it doesn't prove value fast, move on.

Your productivity > keeping up with every new AI release.

How to Balance Rapid AI Adoption with Risk Management

(Without slowing innovation down)

Every company wants to move fast with AI.

But moving fast without control is not innovation, it is exposure.

Here is what actually works:

1. Define clear ownership
Every AI project needs a human decision-maker not just technically but ethically.

2. Start with low-risk pilots
Automate internal workflows before touching customer-facing systems.

3. Build feedback loops
Models drift. Context changes. Risk control is not static, it is ongoing learning.

4. Standardize handoffs
AI should assist, not confuse. Define where machine insight ends and human judgment begins.

5. Document decisions
Transparency is not bureaucracy, it is your defense when things go wrong.

Move fast but with awareness.

Experiment boldly but document everything.

And most importantly, design systems where humans remain accountable for outcomes.

The balance isn’t between speed and safety, it’s between experimentation and accountability.

How is your team managing the trade-off between innovation and control?
___________________________
AI Consultant, Course Creator & Keynote Speaker
Follow Ashley Gross for more about AI

Ashley Gross, CEO of AI Workforce Alliance with long brown hair and a gray blazer stands with folded arms. Text overlay reads, "The Balance Every AI Team Needs."

Who coined the term “Artificial Intelligence”?

(Hint: It happened long before ChatGPT.)

The term Artificial Intelligence was coined in 1956 by John McCarthy, a computer scientist at Dartmouth College.

He organized the first AI conference, believing machines could simulate human intelligence.

That one idea sparked everything. From expert systems in the 80s to generative AI today.

Now, nearly 70 years later, we’re finally seeing his vision take shape in ways even he couldn’t have imagined.

Here’s a fun challenge:
→ What’s one AI fact, story, or piece of trivia you think more people should know?

Drop it in the comments so we can all learn something new today!
___________________________
AI Consultant, Course Creator & Keynote Speaker
Follow Ashley Gross for more about AI

Ashley Gross, CEO of AI Workforce Alliance, wearing a brown cardigan with a white top, smiling with arms crossed in a plain background. Text below her reads, “Artificial Intelligence Started in 1956 (can you guess who coined it?)”

A finance department that runs itself?

(Almost entirely)

Scaling doesn’t have to be complicated. 

Fast, simple, and intelligent all wrapped up together in 1 unified platform.

Imagine …

1. Open a bank account in a new country in seconds
→ No more having to be there in person, prepare a ton of paperwork, or waiting weeks or months.

2. Manage money across 20+ currencies 
→ Collect, hold, and pay globally without forced conversions or hidden FX fees.

3. Move money faster 
→ 95% of payments go through local rails, with 90% arriving the same day. No SWIFT delays.

And they’re now building a team of specialized AI agents to execute real financial workflows, laying the foundation for a fully autonomous finance department.

Trusted by McLaren Racing, Arsenal FC, Qantas, Brex, and Deel.

Airwallex isn’t just another fintech company. Today, they’re at $1 Bn ARR, $235 Bn in transaction volume, 80 licenses and permits, and have a second HQ opening in San Francisco.

And they’ve just raised $330 million at an $8 billion valuation (30% jump in 6 months) led by Addition and with participation from T. Rowe Price, Activant, Lingotto, Robinhood Ventures and TIAA Ventures.

It’s borderless, intelligent finance built for companies that want to grow without limits.

#AirwallexPartner

Airwallex global payments infrastructure diagram showing accepting payments, multi-currency wallets, FX, and international payouts with local payment methods, cards, bank transfers, and global compliance.

A few months ago I got a puppy and at 6 months old she doesn’t exactly look like a puppy anymore, so I thought it was time to commemorate her with a painting.

I used Nano Banana, a photo editing tool from Google, and got this result in seconds.

You can access Nano Banana through Google Photos or Gemini. What makes this feature particularly impressive is its built-in safety through SynthID watermarking. I tested this by uploading three photos to Gemini: one AI-altered image and two unmodified ones, and asked it to identify which were AI-generated. 

It correctly identified only the AI-altered image, confirming that the watermarking detection actually works.

Share your best Nano Banana edits in the comments.

Burnt out on building workflows from scratch? This one's pre-baked.

My Anam assistant just booked a sales call, updated my CRM, and emailed me the details.

While I was sleeping.

I connected Anam.ai's virtual avatar to my website — now when someone clicks "Talk to our assistant," they're chatting with an AI that can actually take action.

3 AM inquiry → Lead in CRM → Meeting on my calendar → Full transcript in my inbox.

Zero clicks from me.

Drop your favorite Thanksgiving dish in the comments and I'll send you this already-done-for-you Anam.ai recipe. 🦃

Look, I get it. You've been meaning to upskill on AI. You've bookmarked 47 articles. You've watched the explainer videos. But you still don't know how to actually USE it in your day-to-day work.

That ends today.

For the next 14 days, when you enroll in any AI Workforce Academy course, you get a second enrollment FREE to gift to a colleague, team member, or that person who keeps asking you "but how do I actually use ChatGPT?"

This is the same practical AI training I've delivered to 2,500+ professionals at Fortune 500 companies.

Here's what you actually learn: 
→ Building automations that save you hours daily 
→ Creating AI agents that handle repetitive work 
→ Implementing AI in your existing workflows (no fancy tech stack required) 
→ Real use cases you can deploy Monday morning

I built this training the same way I built my consulting business: by showing, not telling. 

Why buy one, gift one?

Because AI adoption doesn't happen in isolation. 

When your whole team speaks the same language and uses the same frameworks, that's when transformation actually happens.

The promo ends December 10th  at midnight. 😃

Anam just launched Function Calling for their AI Personas, and it's the first time I've seen conversational AI that actually completes the work instead of just creating more follow-up tasks.

Most AI chatbots on websites do this:
• Prospect asks questions
• Bot provides answers
• Conversation ends

Someone on your team manually books the meeting, updates the CRM, routes the lead. 👎 

Anam's Personas now do this:
• Prospect asks questions
• Persona pulls answers from your actual knowledge base (semantic search, not canned responses)
• Detects buying intent in real-time
• Books the meeting directly on your rep's calendar
• Pushes full conversation context into your CRM
• Routes to the right workflow automatically

The entire loop closes. While the prospect is still engaged. 👍 

Function Calling is in beta now. If you're building agentic sales workflows, try it for yourself!

taplio

The Battle

Codie A. Sanchez

Ashley Gross

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Performance ScoreCodie A. Sanchez's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreAshley Gross's LinkedIn Performance

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taplio

The Battle

Codie A. Sanchez

Ashley Gross

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Codie A. Sanchez's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreAshley Gross's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreCodie A. Sanchez's LinkedIn Performance