Unlocking Momentum

Aaron Kopel
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Management

Transformation doesn’t come from theory. It comes from motion. From momentum. And from leaders willing to do things differently. Unlocking Momentum is for the evolving CIOs, strategic leaders who aren’t satisfied just managing systems, but driving growth, enabling innovation, and building the future of their organizations. Hosted by Aaron Kopel, founder of Project Brilliant and creator of the Momentum Locksmith framework, this show is where forward-thinking leaders come to grow.

  1. Sep 16

    A Great Strategy Is Worthless Without Great Execution with Evan Campbell

    In this episode of Unlocking Momentum, host Aaron Kopel sits down with Evan Campbell, Principal Consultant at Adaptivity and author of Adapt to Win, to explore why even experienced leadership teams struggle to turn strategy into real organizational progress. Evan draws from a career spanning the military, technology leadership, startups, consulting, and enterprise transformation to explain why creating a strategy is only the beginning. Key Takeaways:Strategy Needs Strong Execution: A good strategy means little without consistent communication, investment, and clear execution across the organization.Good Leaders Build Independent Thinkers: Strong leaders develop people who can solve problems and make sound decisions independently.Cross-Team Alignment Is Essential: Strategic initiatives can fail when departments prioritize their own goals instead of shared company objectives.Employee Involvement Strengthens OKRs: Involving employees in goal-setting improves understanding, ownership, and accountability.AI Needs Strategic Direction: AI experiments should have clear business value and support broader strategic priorities.Adaptability Creates an Advantage: Organizations that can quickly adjust and execute their strategy are better positioned to compete. Episode Timestamps: [00:00:00] - Teaser: Evan explains why organizations struggle to turn strategy into execution and underestimate the effort required. [00:04:48] - The Leadership Lesson Evan Learned: Evan shares why leadership is about developing people to think and solve problems independently, not having all the answers. [00:07:04] - Unlocking Momentum for Evan: Evan discusses strategy deployment, organizational inertia, and how strategy clarity can fade across company layers. [00:16:08] - Horizontal Alignment and the "Catchball" Method: Evan explains the importance of cross-functional alignment and using the Catchball method to identify team dependencies. [00:22:14] - Avoiding AI as a Shiny Object: Evan explains why AI experiments need clear business value and alignment with strategic goals. [00:30:40] - Why AI Won’t Fix Weak Systems: Evan explains why AI cannot solve underlying delivery and transformation issues. [00:38:40] - The CIO as a Strategic Partner: Evan shares how CIOs can connect technology with business goals. [00:50:36] - Learning Through Experiments: Aaron and Evan discuss testing ideas, scaling what works, and learning from failures. [00:57:10] - Closing Thoughts: Evan discusses Adapt to Win and how listeners can connect with him. Disclosure: Portions of this episode (such as the introduction or promotional segments) use AI-generated voice narration produced under human editorial review. 🔗 Connect with Guest, Evan Campbell: 👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evcampbell/ 👉 Read the breakthrough new corporate strategy book Adapt to Win: https://www.adapttowin.co/ 🔗 Connect with Guest’s Company Adaptivity: 👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/adaptivitygroup/ 👉 Website: https://www.adaptivitygroup.com/ 👉 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AdaptivityGroup 👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adaptivitygroup/ 🔗 More from Unlocking Momentum: 👉 Website: https://www.projectbrilliant.com/ 👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/projectbrilliant/ 👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/project_brilliant/ 👉 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProjectBrilliant 👉 Twitter: https://x.com/ProjBrilliant 🔗 Connect with Host, Aaron Kopel: 👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronkopel/ 👉 Email: aaron@projectbrilliant.com 🔗 Follow the Podcast: 👉 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unlocking-momentum/id1854160757 👉 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5kvYZRD0iYCGZdPDZP1BDk?si=adb89c88728e4197 👉 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@projectbrilliant

    A Great Strategy Is Worthless Without Great Execution with Evan Campbell

  2. Sep 2

    Why Complexity Is the Main Reason That Leaders Lose Momentum in Projects with John Mergy

    In this episode of Unlocking Momentum, host Aaron Kopel sits down with John Mergy, Co-Founder and CEO of M0DUS, to discuss how complexity can slow down projects and prevent leaders from making progress. John shares lessons from his 38-year career in technology leadership, including his time as CIO at Do it Best and his work helping companies navigate AI transformation. The conversation explores how leaders can simplify complex initiatives, create clarity, manage change, and help technology teams become strategic business partners. John also discusses AI adoption, the importance of intentional leadership, and why creating time for innovation is critical in a rapidly changing world. Key Takeaways:Complexity Can Slow Down Teams: Large projects can lose momentum when scope expands, and teams face too many technology, process, and people challenges at once.Reconnect With the “Why”: Leaders can regain direction by removing unnecessary complexity, revisiting goals, and focusing on the next steps.Change Management Drives Success: Successful transformation requires helping people understand change, build confidence, and adopt new ways of working.AI Requires Time and Experimentation: Leaders need to create space for learning, testing ideas, and exploring AI opportunities.CIOs Must Become Strategic Partners: Technology leaders have an opportunity to shape business strategy, not just manage systems and requests. Episode Timestamps: [00:00:00] - Introduction to AI Transformation: John shares how companies are navigating AI adoption, uncertainty, and finding practical ways to use new technology. [00:07:30] - Bringing Clarity Back to Projects: John shares how leaders can reset priorities, remove unnecessary complexity, and refocus teams. [00:09:30] - AI Transformation and Change Management: John explains why AI adoption requires strong change management and helping people understand the purpose behind the change. [00:17:47] - Rethinking Business Processes With AI: Aaron and John discuss how AI can help organizations rethink workflows instead of only improving existing processes. [00:28:19] - Advice for Leaders Adapting to Change: John shares why leaders need agility, continuous learning, and time dedicated to innovation. [00:33:39] - Rapid Fire Questions With John Mergy: John shares personal insights on relationships, passions, and legacy. [00:36:03] - Connecting With John Mergy: John shares how listeners can connect with him through LinkedIn and M0DUS. Disclosure: Portions of this episode (such as the introduction or promotional segments) use AI-generated voice narration produced under human editorial review. 🔗 Connect with Guest, John Mergy: 👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-mergy-2176ab345/ 🔗 Connect with Guest's Company: 👉 Website: https://m0dus.co/ 🔗 More from Unlocking Momentum: 👉 Website: https://www.projectbrilliant.com/ 👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/projectbrilliant/ 👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/project_brilliant/ 👉 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProjectBrilliant 👉 Twitter: https://x.com/ProjBrilliant 🔗 Connect with Host, Aaron Kopel: 👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronkopel/ 👉 Email: aaron@projectbrilliant.com 🔗 Follow the Podcast: 👉 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unlocking-momentum/id1854160757 👉 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5kvYZRD0iYCGZdPDZP1BDk?si=adb89c88728e4197 👉 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@projectbrilliant

    Why Complexity Is the Main Reason That Leaders Lose Momentum in Projects with John Mergy

  3. Aug 5

    A Fractional CIO's Playbook for Leading Through Chaos

    Playing with tech is fun, but using your people skills to solve business problems is a lot more rewarding. In this episode of Unlocking Momentum, Aaron Kopel sits down with Alan Ariel, fractional and interim CIO at Ariel View Solutions, LLC, who brings 40 years of leadership experience across the U.S. Navy and the IT industry. Alan shares how staying calm, simplifying the problem, and improving cross-functional communication helped his team complete a critical data center migration during a major crisis. The conversation explores why staff engagement is essential, how leaders can empower their teams without micromanaging, and why CIOs must evaluate AI based on real productivity rather than fear of missing out. Alan also explains why critical thinking will become even more valuable in the AI era and how confident leadership helps people navigate uncertainty and change. Key takeaways: Progress begins with calm, coordinated actionEngaged employees understand how their work supports the missionAI investments should create measurable value, not follow hype Episode highlights (00:00) Introducing Alan Ariel (01:14) The value of a fractional CIO (02:32) Avoiding micromanagement as a leader (03:36) Leading through a data center crisis (05:31) Building momentum through coordinated action (09:17) Why meaningful staff engagement matters (12:43) Evaluating AI beyond the hype (15:02) Critical thinking in the AI era (17:41) Building confidence through leadership (20:03) Why people make technology work (21:35) Connecting and learning through networking (23:37) Rapid-fire questions and leadership legacy Resources: Alan Ariel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanariel/  Aaron Kopel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronkopel Explore Project Brilliant: https://projectbrilliant.com Buy Unlocking Momentum: https://a.co/d/hKPFqoS

  4. Jul 22

    Great Leaders Listen Before Innovating

    Technology transformations don't fail because of technology alone. They fail when organizations overlook the people, processes, and systems needed to make change work. In this episode of Unlocking Momentum, Aaron Kopel sits down with John Willis, technology leader, author, one of the founders of the DevOps movement, and owner of Botchagalupe Technologies, to discuss what decades of transformation have taught him about AI, leadership, and building resilient organizations. John shares why technology leaders must focus on protecting the brand while enabling businesses to move faster. The conversation explores why failure should be treated as a learning opportunity, why DevOps principles still matter in the age of AI, and why organizations need to look beyond adoption metrics to measure real business value. John also explains why successful AI strategies start from the bottom up by understanding the people closest to the work, balancing innovation with responsible risk management. Key takeaways: The right work matters more than more workLeadership is about empowering others, not staying in the weedsIT earns its seat at the table by speaking the language of business outcomes Episode highlights (00:00) Introducing John Willis (01:27) Protecting the brand through operations (02:17) Five decades of technology transformation (03:48) Why failure drives learning (05:15) Toyota’s blameless learning culture (07:40) Finding momentum through DevOps (08:09) DevOps and the control plane (11:17) Is DevOps really dead? (16:33) Why AI needs talent strategy (24:28) Finding insights from frontline teams (29:20) Why lines of code failed (30:05) Measuring AI value over adoption (32:17) Why AI token metrics fail (34:30) Learning through AI’s J curve (36:30) Avoiding AI hype cycles (38:34) Building AI risk controls (40:23) AI audit trails explained (44:36) The hidden cost of AI evaluation (46:34) John Willis’ books and resources (49:06) Rapid fire questions John Willis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnwillisatlanta/  Aaron Kopel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronkopel Explore Project Brilliant: https://projectbrilliant.com Buy Unlocking Momentum: https://a.co/d/hKPFqoS

  5. Jul 8

    The Right Work: IT Leadership, Priorities, and Letting Go

    Leadership isn't about having all the answers. It's about building the conditions where others can find them. In this episode, Aaron Kopel sits down with Michael Koluch, VP of IT Strategy and Operations at Arlington/Roe, who made a career pivot from 16 years in higher education to IT leadership, starting at the help desk and working his way up. Michael shares six practical principles for unlocking momentum in IT: setting the right priorities, asking better questions, building teams around strengths, choosing progress over perfection, sustaining urgency, and communicating strategy consistently. He also gets honest about the hardest part of growing into leadership, learning to step back and let your team own the work, even the systems you built yourself. The conversation also covers what it means for IT to stop being an add-on and start being woven into the business, how to ask questions that reframe processes rather than just replicate them, and why the soft skills we keep dismissing are actually the most critical skills in the room. Key takeaways: The right work matters more than more workLeadership is about empowering others, not staying in the weedsIT earns its seat at the table by speaking the language of business outcomes Episode highlights (00:00) Introducing Michael Koluch (01:18) From counselor to IT leader (08:27) Six ways to unlock team momentum (10:13) Prioritize the right work, not more work (11:47) Ask better questions before building solutions (15:46) Build complementary teams that perform (17:12) Progress beats perfection every time (18:53) Keep momentum with urgency and strategy (22:03) The hardest leadership skill is letting go (28:17) Why IT must become a business partner (35:56) The surprising hobby that teaches leadership (37:36) The historical figure every leader should study (40:08) How Michael wants to be remembered (42:52) Books every technology leader should read Michael Koluch on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-koluch/ Aaron Kopel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronkopel Explore Project Brilliant: https://projectbrilliant.com Buy Unlocking Momentum: https://a.co/d/hKPFqoS

  6. Jun 24

    AI Governance Without Killing Innovation

    Technology leaders often focus on efficiency, but lasting business impact comes from trust, alignment, and understanding the people behind the processes. In this episode, Aaron Kopel sits down with Mike Loggins, CEO of MetaStrategy Consulting, technology leader, and advocate for human-centered IT leadership. Mike shares his unconventional journey from aspiring music teacher to technology executive, reflecting on the experiences, opportunities, and leadership lessons that shaped his 26-year career in IT. Mike discusses why successful technology leaders must move beyond transactional relationships and build genuine partnerships with the business. He explains how trust, empathy, and communication can break down organizational silos, improve collaboration, and unlock momentum across teams. He also shares personal insights about embracing neurodiversity, understanding individual strengths, and creating environments where people can do their best work. The conversation also explores the rapid rise of AI and what it means for organizations, technology teams, and future leaders. Mike discusses the importance of AI governance, responsible experimentation, and why professionals at every level must learn how to leverage AI tools to remain effective in a changing workplace. He explains why AI is unlikely to replace people entirely, but will dramatically reshape the tasks, skills, and roles that organizations value most. Key takeaways: Trust and empathy are essential for building stronger relationships between IT and the businessWhy effectiveness matters more than efficiency when driving meaningful outcomesHow leaders can create responsible AI governance while encouraging innovation and experimentation Episode highlights (00:47) Mike's background and journey into IT leadership(04:28) Advice for younger professionals and embracing neurodiversity(07:00) Unlocking momentum through trust and business partnership(11:53) Efficiency versus effectiveness in technology leadership(15:18) The future of AI, governance, and organizational readiness(21:04) How AI is changing careers and technology roles(25:36) Rapid-fire segment(27:49) Coffee with his father and lessons across generations(29:02) What Mike wants to be known for Mike Loggins on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-loggins/  Aaron Kopel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronkopel Explore Project Brilliant: https://projectbrilliant.com Buy Unlocking Momentum: https://a.co/d/hKPFqoS

  7. Jun 10

    Technology Doesn't Solve People Problems

    Technology can enable change, but trust, communication, and strong leadership are what truly move organizations forward. In this episode, Aaron Kopel sits down with Heather Darring, CIO of Kappa Alpha Theta and President of the TechPoint Indiana CIO Network. Heather shares her unconventional path into technology leadership, from studying art in college to leading IT for an organization serving more than 240,000 members. Heather reflects on the lessons she's learned throughout her career, including why there is no single "right" career path and how focusing on your strengths can open unexpected opportunities. She also shares a powerful story about overcoming communication breakdowns between departments and how rebuilding trust led to stronger collaboration and measurable business results. The conversation explores one of today's most important topics: AI. Heather discusses the responsibility technology leaders have to think beyond business outcomes and consider the broader impact of emerging technologies on people, communities, and the environment. She also explains why organizations should focus on strategy first and technology second when evaluating new tools and innovations. Key takeaways: Trust and communication matter more than technology in successful transformationsWhat responsibility do technology leaders have when it comes to AI and emerging technologiesCIOs must ensure technology investments support organizational strategy and long-term goals Episode highlights (00:42) Welcome and host introductions (01:40) Heather’s unplanned path into IT (03:20) Joining and growing CIO network community (05:31) Career advice: No single golden path (12:49) Discussing AI ethics and social impact (17:12) Scaling change across 240,000 members (20:08) Future focus: Mission over technology hype (22:59) Rapid-fire: Hobbies and admired heroes (25:18) Legacy: Positive influence and connections Heather Darring on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-darring-100/ Aaron Kopel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronkopel Explore Project Brilliant: https://projectbrilliant.com Buy Unlocking Momentum: https://a.co/d/hKPFqoS

  8. May 27

    Scaling AI in Business: Insights on Organizational Change

    Technology may enable momentum, but people, leadership, and mindset are what truly move organizations forward. In this episode, Aaron Kopel sits down with Gervais Johnson, an experienced leader in AI, Agile transformations, and digital strategy. Gervais shares his journey from working at NASA and General Dynamics to becoming a pivotal player in Agile and AI transformations at major organizations like IBM. Through his career, Gervais demonstrates how business and organizational transformation come before technological change, and how AI is not just a tool but a strategy that can open up new business models and revenue streams. He discusses the importance of blending Agile principles with AI adoption and highlights how strong leadership, intentional transformation strategies, and continuous learning drive success in today's fast-paced business environment. Gervais emphasizes that true transformation requires not just technology implementation but fostering a culture of collaboration, understanding organizational needs, and focusing on empowering people. He also explores how AI's rapid evolution impacts workflows, governance, and the critical role of leaders in shaping this new landscape. Key takeaways: Companies that delay embracing AI risk falling behindAI is a tool for organizational and business transformationStrong leadership and strategy are key to effective AI adoption Episode highlights (00:00) Intro (04:51) How Lilly scaled enterprise AI adoption (06:35) Career lessons on stability and negotiation (08:59) Building momentum through organizational change networks (13:16) AI transformation beyond technology alone (16:32) AI augments humans, not replaces them (18:45) AI investment strategy, costs, and KPIs (22:35) Agent governance, guardrails, and human oversight (26:53) Documenting end-to-end workflows before AI automation (30:02) Why leaders must actively use AI (32:49) AI first versus AI native explained (35:38) Vibe coding, agents, and AI development (36:56) Companies risk falling behind without AI adoption (38:04) CIO roadmap for enterprise AI transformation (41:43) Rapid fire questions and final thoughts Gervais Johnson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gervaisjohnson/  Aaron Kopel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronkopel Explore Project Brilliant: https://projectbrilliant.com Buy Unlocking Momentum: https://a.co/d/hKPFqoS

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Transformation doesn’t come from theory. It comes from motion. From momentum. And from leaders willing to do things differently. Unlocking Momentum is for the evolving CIOs, strategic leaders who aren’t satisfied just managing systems, but driving growth, enabling innovation, and building the future of their organizations. Hosted by Aaron Kopel, founder of Project Brilliant and creator of the Momentum Locksmith framework, this show is where forward-thinking leaders come to grow.

Information

  • Creator
    Aaron Kopel
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    21
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Project Brilliant
  • Show Website
    Unlocking Momentum