The Business Leader's Legacy Podcast

Chris Bruner
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  • Entrepreneurship

On The Business Leader’s Legacy Podcast, we dive deep into the minds of business owners, founders, and CEOs to uncover what truly drives them. Each episode explores where these leaders come from, how they’re navigating today’s challenges, and what trends are shaping their industries. It’s a real, behind-the-scenes look at leadership, innovation, and growth — and along the way, we explore where AI might play a role in helping businesses work smarter and scale faster.

  1. Oct 22

    Keep the Human in the Lead: Bill Kaplan on Knowledge and AI | The Business Leader’s Legacy Podcast

    What happens to everything your people know when they walk out the door? Bill Kaplan has spent nearly three decades in knowledge management, and he says the hardest part is something AI cannot do yet: move what is in one person’s head into another’s. Hear why the human has to stay in the lead. Bill Kaplan is the founder of Working Knowledge CSP and the author of Losing Your Mind: Capturing, Retaining, and Leveraging Organizational Knowledge. A retired U.S. Air Force veteran, he has helped public and private sector organizations avoid losing what they know. What you’ll hear Why AI makes good knowledge management matter even more, not lessWhy you need a human in the lead, not just in the loopWhat AI still cannot do: pull knowledge out of one person’s head and pass it to anotherWhy messy data can give you a wrong answer that sounds convincingWhy you have to meet people where they are, not where you want them to beWhy a strategy comes before the tools, and how to start building oneTimestamps 1:03 Bill’s story: from the Air Force to knowledge management 4:15 What keeps him passionate: watching change happen 7:08 AI and knowledge management: keep the human in the lead 12:10 What AI still can’t do: capture what’s in people’s heads 14:35 Why you need a strategy before you invest in tools 19:15 Giving back through knowledge management mentoring 22:39 Legacy: knowledge at the point of execution Connect with Bill Kaplan Website: https://www.workingknowledge-csp.com About Chris Chris Bruner is the CEO and Founder of Simple AI Solutions, based in El Cajon, CA. He helps small and mid-sized businesses bring in more clients and spend less time on busywork using AI plus human systems. His background is in healthcare operations and process improvement, with an MBA, an MS in Management, and a Six Sigma Green Belt. About the show The Business Leader’s Legacy Podcast goes behind the scenes with business leaders to uncover their vision, strategies, and the challenges they’ve faced along the way. Connect with Chris Website: https://www.simpleaisolutions.org LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbrunersimpleaisolutions/ Podcast LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-business-leaders-legacy-podcast/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The-Business-Leaders-Legacy If this one hit home, subscribe and share it with a leader who wants their organization to use what it knows. #KnowledgeManagement #AIinBusiness #OrganizationalKnowledge #HumanInTheLead

  2. Oct 20

    Build a Firm That Outlasts You: David Martin on Legacy | The Business Leader’s Legacy Podcast

    What happens to a business built on relationships when its founder is ready to step back? David Martin has worked in brand strategy since the mid-1980s, and he is now building a firm that can last beyond him. Hear how he keeps his expertise fresh and why he wants a legacy that goes beyond ego. David Martin is the founder and president of Catalyst Branding. He spent more than a decade as president and CEO of Interbrand North America, where he helped build deeper, long-term client partnerships instead of one-off projects. What you’ll hear Why expertise has a shelf life, and how to keep yours fresh in a fast-changing businessHow a virtual network of senior partners helps a small firm move fast and keep fees fairHow to build your next-generation network when your best relationships are retiringHow to use AI as a learning tool by checking one LLM against the others, and why professional judgment still sets leaders apartHow to use a tough year to capture your best thinking and plan a firm that outlasts its founderConnect with David Martin LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-john-martin-csuite-advisory Website: https://catalystbranding.com About Chris Chris Bruner is the CEO and Founder of Simple AI Solutions, based in El Cajon, CA. He helps small and mid-sized businesses bring in more clients and spend less time on busywork using AI plus human systems. His background is in healthcare operations and process improvement, with an MBA, an MS in Management, and a Six Sigma Green Belt. About the show The Business Leader’s Legacy Podcast goes behind the scenes with business leaders to uncover their vision, strategies, and the challenges they’ve faced along the way. Connect with Chris Website: https://www.simpleaisolutions.org LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbrunersimpleaisolutions/ Podcast LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-business-leaders-legacy-podcast/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The-Business-Leaders-Legacy If this one hit home, subscribe and share it with a leader who is thinking about what comes next. #BrandStrategy #BusinessLegacy #SuccessionPlanning #SmallBusinessLeadership

  3. Oct 15

    Sales Systems That Last: Keith Bradt on Fractional Sales | The Business Leader’s Legacy Podcast

    A new sales hire brings in a burst of business, then it flattens out around month eight. Keith Bradt has watched that happen for 20 years, and he built his firm to fix the sales process behind it. Keith is the Owner and Sales Development Director of Kallan Sales Development in East Rochester, New York. He started out in applications and design engineering, moved up through technical sales and sales leadership, and now helps engineering-based manufacturers and founder-led businesses build sales systems that keep working after he walks away. What you’ll hear: Why a new sales hire’s book of business usually plateaus within six to eight monthsWhy your sales reps are the last people who should be cold callingHow to pick AI and sales tools when a new one shows up every week, starting with knowing your own sales processWhy an engineer had to rethink how he sells his own fractional sales business, and why strategic partners now matter more than knocking on doorsHow flipping your messaging from services to problems helps buyers see the resultWhat it means to leave a client’s team better than you found itConnect with Keith: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithbradt Website: https://kallansalesdev.com About Chris: Chris Bruner is the CEO and Founder of Simple AI Solutions, based in El Cajon, CA. He helps small and mid-sized businesses bring in more clients and spend less time on busywork using AI plus human systems. His background is in healthcare operations and process improvement, with an MBA, an MS in Management, and a Six Sigma Green Belt. About the show: The Business Leader’s Legacy Podcast goes behind the scenes with business leaders to uncover their vision, strategies, and the challenges they’ve faced along the way. Connect with Chris: Website: https://www.simpleaisolutions.org LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbrunersimpleaisolutions/ Podcast on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-business-leaders-legacy-podcast/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The-Business-Leaders-Legacy Timestamps: 0:57 From engineer to sales leader, and why Keith started Kallan 4:51 Why he’d rather help a team execute than hand out advice 9:47 Your highest-dollar asset doing the lowest-value work 11:39 Process first, then the AI tool 13:08 What’s working: fractional sales operations 14:57 “Do as I say, not as I do”: selling his own business 18:57 Staying small on purpose and flipping his message 23:57 The legacy Keith wants to leave If this one helped, subscribe and share it with a founder who’s still carrying the sales load alone. #SalesProcess #FractionalSales #ManufacturingSales #SalesOperations #FounderLed

  4. Oct 13

    Why Trust Wins the Deal: Dave Loomis on Voice of Customer | The Business Leader’s Legacy Podcast

    Dave Loomis has done more than 10,000 customer interviews, and one pattern keeps showing up. When a big deal is close, buyers pick the person they know, like, and trust. Dave is the founder and president of Loomis Marketing, a B2B consultancy that uses voice-of-customer research to help companies understand what their customers are trying to accomplish. He’s also the author of Customer Outsight, a book on exactly how he runs those interviews. What you’ll hear: How to put the customer first so they win, and you sell more because of itHow to stay current on AI in marketing without freezing up at all the optionsWhy personal relationships matter more as sales tools get louderWhy the best sales connection starts with questions, before your talking pointsHow Dave sorted 15 years of projects to find the focus that pays offWhy you don’t have to wait for permission to be a leaderConnect with Dave: Website: https://www.loomismarketing.com Book: https://customeroutsight.com (also on Amazon under David Mayo Loomis) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidloomis About Chris: Chris Bruner is the CEO and Founder of Simple AI Solutions, based in El Cajon, CA. He helps small and mid-sized businesses bring in more clients and spend less time on busywork using AI plus human systems. His background is in healthcare and process improvement, with an MBA, an MS in Management, and a Six Sigma Green Belt. About the show: The Business Leader’s Legacy Podcast goes behind the scenes with business leaders to uncover their vision, strategies, and the challenges they’ve faced along the way. Connect with Chris: https://www.simpleaisolutions.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbrunersimpleaisolutions/ https://www.youtube.com/@The-Business-Leaders-Legacy Timestamps: 0:00 Meet Dave Loomis and Loomis Marketing 3:04 The curious kid who became a customer interviewer 6:08 AI, sales spam, and staying current 9:41 Why relationships still win million-dollar contracts 14:03 The Good to Great exercise that sharpened his focus 20:29 Choosing sustainable over bigger, plus nonprofit work 26:11 A Stone Age story about listening 29:24 It’s never too early to be a leader If this one helped, subscribe and share it with a business owner who’s trying to grow the right way. #VoiceOfCustomer #B2BMarketing #CustomerResearch #SalesRelationships #BusinessLeadership

  5. Oct 8

    Build Your Business Backwards: Daniel Feiman on Succession | The Business Leader's Legacy Podcast

    Most business owners are stuck on the hamster wheel. They're surviving, but they're not thriving. Daniel Feiman has spent 30 years helping them get off it by starting at the finish line and working backward. Daniel is the Managing Director of Build It Backwards, a consulting and training firm in Redondo Beach, CA that just celebrated its 30th anniversary. He's a Certified Management Consultant, a former commercial banker of almost 20 years, and the author of four books on strategy, succession planning, and leadership. He has worked in 31 countries on four continents. What you'll hear: Why his first business, handmade skateboards, went bust at age 12The difference between succession planning for your company and transition planning for youWhat happened when one client grew to two-thirds of his revenue, and the rule he follows nowHow he rewrote his training programs for virtual delivery when COVID grounded his travelHow a self-described late adopter is testing AI carefully, without becoming a slave to itWhy finding and training the right people is his biggest growth challenge this yearConnect with Daniel: Website: https://www.builditbackwards.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielfeimanbuilditbackwards1 About Chris: Chris Bruner is the CEO and Founder of Simple AI Solutions, based in El Cajon, CA. He helps small and mid-sized businesses bring in more clients and spend less time on busywork using AI plus human systems. His background is in healthcare and process improvement, with an MBA, an MS in Management, and a Six Sigma Green Belt. About the show: The Business Leader's Legacy Podcast goes behind the scenes with business leaders to uncover their vision, strategies, and the challenges they've faced along the way. Connect with Chris: Website: https://www.simpleaisolutions.org LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbrunersimpleaisolutions/ Podcast on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-business-leaders-legacy-podcast/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The-Business-Leaders-Legacy Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome and introduction 00:59 The skateboard business that cost $11 to sell for $10 03:05 Getting clients off the hamster wheel 06:38 Succession planning vs. transition planning 09:09 When one client was two-thirds of the business 10:47 The COVID pivot that saved Build It Backwards 12:09 A late adopter's careful approach to AI 15:36 A fifth book and the search for the right people 19:00 The legacy Daniel wants to leave If this conversation helped you think about where your business is headed, subscribe and share it with a business owner who needs to hear it. #SuccessionPlanning #ExitPlanning #StrategicPlanning #SmallBusinessGrowth

  6. Oct 6

    Solve It Once, Solve It Forever: Coltrane Kubo on AI | The Business Leader's Legacy Podcast

    What if every repetitive problem in your business could be solved once, permanently, instead of just patched for now? Coltrane Kubo, co-founder of the AI automation agency Aidgentic, explains why that one shift changed how he builds AI systems for founder-led businesses. Coltrane Kubo is the co-founder of Aidgentic, an AI automation and AI agent agency that helps founder-led businesses, career coaches, real estate agents, and fractional operators put AI to work without needing to become technical themselves. What you'll hear: The "light bulb moment" that took Coltrane from a 50-hour workweek to building his own AI automation agencyWhy Coltrane believes AI can finally solve problems "permanently" instead of just patching themHow he's teaching non-technical founders to build their own AI agents, including a "chief of staff" agent that manages your inbox and calendarThe honest challenge behind selling AI: separating real results from "hope and hype"Why partnerships and free AI education are at the center of Aidgentic's next stage of growthThe legacy Coltrane hopes to leave in an industry full of AI skepticism Connect with Coltrane: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coltrane-kubo | coltrane@aidgentic.com About Chris Bruner: Chris Bruner is the CEO and Founder of Simple AI Solutions, based in El Cajon, CA. He helps small and mid-sized businesses bring in more clients and spend less time on busywork using AI plus human systems. His background is in healthcare and process improvement, with an MBA, an MS in Management, and a Six Sigma Green Belt. About the show: The Business Leader's Legacy Podcast goes behind the scenes with business leaders to uncover their vision, strategies, and the challenges they've faced along the way. Connect with Chris: Website: https://www.simpleaisolutions.org LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbrunersimpleaisolutions/ Podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-business-leaders-legacy-podcast/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The-Business-Leaders-Legacy Timestamps: 0:00 - Meet Coltrane Kubo, co-founder of Aidgentic 0:57 - The night a 50-hour workweek sparked a business 2:52 - Why Coltrane believes AI solves problems "permanently" 4:46 - Teaching founders to build their own AI chief of staff 7:25 - Where Aidgentic is seeing the most growth right now 10:27 - The real challenge behind selling AI: hope vs. hype 12:59 - Coltrane's next 6 to 12 months for Aidgentic 18:02 - The legacy Coltrane wants AI to leave behind Thanks for listening. Subscribe and leave a review so more leaders like Coltrane can find the show. #AIAutomation #FounderLedBusiness #AILiteracy #SmallBusinessAI

  7. Oct 1

    Building a Second You: Katrina Purcell on AI and Scaling | The Business Leader's Legacy Podcast

    What happens when your business grows so fast that you become the thing holding it back? Katrina Purcell tripled her client list this year. Then she noticed the problem: every meeting, every decision, and every project still ran through her. Katrina is the founder of her own growth operations consultancy. She works with seed to Series C tech startups and nonprofits, helping them build the systems they need to scale. She calls herself the fixer, the person you call when a project is stuck. She also hosts Managed Chaos, a podcast of 15-minute episodes on scaling and growing a business. What you'll hear: Why AI can't help a business that hasn't written down its own processesHow she trained an AI agent on her own decision-making so her clients' teams could keep moving while she took a vacationThe client she liked and still let go, and why saying no to money kept her business on missionWhy starting a business to own your schedule usually means owning less of it at firstHer plan to double the business with a steady team instead of doing every project herselfHer legacy picture: one rock tossed in the water, and ripples across many businessesConnect with Katrina: Website: https://katrinapurcell.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrina-purcell About Chris: Chris Bruner is the CEO and Founder of Simple AI Solutions, based in El Cajon, CA. He helps small and mid-sized businesses bring in more clients and spend less time on busywork using AI plus human systems. His background is in healthcare operations and process improvement, with an MBA, an MS in Management, and a Six Sigma Green Belt. About the show: The Business Leader's Legacy Podcast goes behind the scenes with business leaders to uncover their vision, strategies, and the challenges they've faced along the way. Connect with Chris: Website: https://www.simpleaisolutions.org LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbrunersimpleaisolutions/ Podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-business-leaders-legacy-podcast/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The-Business-Leaders-Legacy Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome and introduction 01:25 From bleeping cuss words on live TV to chief of staff 03:38 Why everyone said "just call Katrina" 05:22 The AI problem nobody talks about: undocumented processes 07:11 Tripling the client list in one year 08:39 Letting go of a client she liked 11:03 "I'm the bottleneck" 16:42 Building a second Katrina with AI 20:10 Legacy: the rock and the ripples If this conversation helped you, subscribe and share it with a business owner who's trying to grow without burning out. #GrowthOperations #StartupOperations #AIForBusiness #Solopreneur

  8. Sep 29

    Build Trust, Not Quotas: Rebecca Landriault on Medspa Growth | The Business Leader's Legacy Podcast

    Most medspa owners are great clinicians who were never taught how to run a business. And the people giving them advice usually have a sales quota to hit. Rebecca Landriault is the CEO of Apex Aesthetic Consulting, a coaching firm for medspa and plastic surgery owners. She spent about 20 years in aesthetics as an esthetician, laser tech, practice owner, and medical device sales rep before starting Apex two years ago. Chris and Rebecca talk about what she saw from every side of the industry, and what she's building now. What you'll hear: Why so many medspa owners buy equipment they don't needHow a solo practice can use an AI receptionist to stop losing new leadsWhy patients who research on TikTok and AI search are harder to consult withThe lesson that turned her expertise into a real businessHow she plans to grow past being the only person clients can callThe legacy she wants to leave: the most trusted firm, not the biggestConnect with Rebecca: Website: https://www.apexaestheticconsulting.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-landriault-8b0a7b62 About Chris: Chris Bruner is the CEO and Founder of Simple AI Solutions, based in El Cajon, CA. He helps small and mid-sized businesses bring in more clients and spend less time on busywork using AI plus human systems. His background is in healthcare operations and process improvement, with an MBA, an MS in Management, and a Six Sigma Green Belt. About the show: The Business Leader's Legacy Podcast goes behind the scenes with business leaders to uncover their vision, strategies, and the challenges they've faced along the way. Connect with Chris: https://www.simpleaisolutions.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbrunersimpleaisolutions/ https://www.youtube.com/@The-Business-Leaders-Legacy Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome and Rebecca's 20-year path through aesthetics04:28 Great clinicians who were never taught the business side05:43 When every advisor in the room has a quota09:02 AI receptionists and the new tech in medspas15:49 Growing a consulting business on referrals alone19:02 Leaving corporate sales and learning to sell yourself21:34 Scaling past being the only one clients can call26:54 The legacy questionIf this one helped, subscribe and send it to a practice owner who needs to hear it. #MedspaBusiness #AestheticPractice #MedspaConsulting #PracticeGrowth #SmallBusinessGrowth

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On The Business Leader’s Legacy Podcast, we dive deep into the minds of business owners, founders, and CEOs to uncover what truly drives them. Each episode explores where these leaders come from, how they’re navigating today’s challenges, and what trends are shaping their industries. It’s a real, behind-the-scenes look at leadership, innovation, and growth — and along the way, we explore where AI might play a role in helping businesses work smarter and scale faster.

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