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Hoe to Measure AI ROI with Real Operational Metrics

This mini episode explains how to measure the value of AI and organizational change using clear operational metrics. We discuss why understanding your current state matters, how to set quantifiable expectations, and how to build an internal rate of return for AI and change initiatives. The goal is to help leaders move past vague promises and evaluate technology investments with the same rigor used for capital projects.
 
Watch full episode here: https://youtube.com/live/nUjTUjC7exc?feature=share 
 
Connect with me on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylercheatham/ Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kyler_cheatham_tech/  Follow me on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@kylercheatham  Connect with The Confluencial https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-confluencial  Follow The Confluencial on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.confluencial 

Execution Architecture and AI Governance

We take a direct look at how AI, process design, and organizational execution really come together. Boards are asking about AI, but the real conversation starts with strategy, people, and the systems that hold everything in place. This episode breaks down why execution architecture matters, how leadership can align technology with business objectives, and what it takes to turn innovation into meaningful outcomes.
 
Watch full episode here: https://youtube.com/live/nUjTUjC7exc?feature=share 
 
Connect with me on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylercheatham/ Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kyler_cheatham_tech/  Follow me on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@kylercheatham  Connect with The Confluencial https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-confluencial  Follow The Confluencial on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.confluencial 

Shadow IT, sunk costs, and the breakdown of business alignment

This episode looks at what happens when shadow IT spending surfaces after the money is already gone and IT is left supporting tools no one agreed on. We explore why these breakdowns occur, how misaligned decision making creates technical debt, and why organizations need a clear liaison function that connects business requirements with IT capability. The discussion highlights practical steps for restoring alignment, setting realistic priorities, and building the structure needed to prevent costly surprises in the future.
 
Watch the full episode here: https://youtube.com/live/17w7BHi0xQQ 
 
Connect with me on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylercheatham/ Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kyler_cheatham_tech/  Follow me on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@kylercheatham  Connect with The Confluencial https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-confluencial  Follow The Confluencial on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.confluencial 

Why Experience Still Gets Left Out

Even in 2025, user experience remains an afterthought in many transformation projects. In this episode, the Extensia team explains why measuring “delight” is difficult, why digital initiatives are still tech-led, and how the rise of AI and low-code tools is changing the conversation. Kyler, Pradnya, and Nic break down how leaders can finally put people (rather than platforms) at the center of digital change.
 
Watch the full episode here: https://youtube.com/live/FFDHnUMMibY 
 
Connect with me on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylercheatham/ Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kyler_cheatham_tech/ Follow me on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@kylercheatham Connect with The Confluencial https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-confluencial Follow The Confluencial on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.confluencial

Designing for Humans, Not Systems

Digital transformation isn’t just about upgrading technology, it’s about designing for people. Kyler Cheatham speaks with Pradnya and Nic from Extensia, a Merkle company, about what experience-centric transformation really means and why human emotion, not software functionality, should drive design decisions. They discuss how user delight can define success and why a transformation that ignores experience will always fall short.
 
Watch the full episode here: https://youtube.com/live/FFDHnUMMibY 
 
Connect with me on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylercheatham/ Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kyler_cheatham_tech/ Follow me on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@kylercheatham Connect with The Confluencial https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-confluencial Follow The Confluencial on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.confluencial

When Ethics Meet ROI

Can doing the right thing cost you revenue? Kara Bombell and Kyler Cheatham explore why ethical AI isn’t a barrier to profit, it’s a blueprint for long-term sustainability. They cover how executives can balance risk and responsibility, why “phase two ethics” never works, and what it takes to make ethical AI a core part of business value instead of an afterthought.
 
Watch the full podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/live/eaE4TeZLXTI 
 
Connect with me on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylercheatham/ Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kyler_cheatham_tech/ Follow me on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@kylercheatham Connect with The Confluencial https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-confluencial Follow The Confluencial on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.confluencial

Human-First Automation and the Future Workforce

Automation shouldn’t erase the human element, it should enhance it. In this discussion, Kara and Kyler dig into how AI can be used to augment rather than replace workers, the difference between inspiring work and busywork, and how leaders can use automation to build capability instead of fear.
 
Watch the full podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/live/eaE4TeZLXTI 
 
Connect with me on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylercheatham/ Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kyler_cheatham_tech/ Follow me on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@kylercheatham Connect with The Confluencial https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-confluencial Follow The Confluencial on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.confluencial

Why AI Fails in the Enterprise

If AI adoption feels like chaos disguised as innovation, you’re not alone. Kara Bombell explains why 95 percent of enterprise AI initiatives miss the mark. From executive blind spots to short-term cost thinking, she and Kyler reveal the cultural and strategic gaps that keep “ethical AI” stuck in slide decks instead of practice.
 
Watch the full podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/live/eaE4TeZLXTI 
 
Connect with me on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylercheatham/ Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kyler_cheatham_tech/ Follow me on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@kylercheatham Connect with The Confluencial https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-confluencial Follow The Confluencial on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.confluencial

Building Trust Before Technology

Ethics isn’t a checklist, it’s a culture. Kara and Kyler break down how leaders can embed ethical frameworks directly into AI projects, why human-first design matters, and how sustainable implementation depends on more than compliance documents. This episode explores what it means to create organizational ethics that last longer than the next software upgrade.
 
Watch the full podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/live/eaE4TeZLXTI 
 
Connect with me on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylercheatham/ Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kyler_cheatham_tech/ Follow me on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@kylercheatham Connect with The Confluencial https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-confluencial Follow The Confluencial on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.confluencial

What Does Ethical AI Actually Mean?

Kara Bombell, co-founder of Ethic AI, joins Kyler Cheatham to unpack what “ethical AI” really means. The conversation explores how businesses can bridge the gap between academic theory and practical implementation, why trust is the foundation of every transformation, and how organizations can design AI strategies that amplify, not replace human capability.
 
Watch the full podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/live/eaE4TeZLXTI 
 
Connect with me on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylercheatham/ Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kyler_cheatham_tech/ Follow me on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@kylercheatham Connect with The Confluencial https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-confluencial Follow The Confluencial on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.confluencial