Weeks Ahead AI

Brad Andrus, Terry Brockett, Mitch Felderhoff

Not sure where to start with AI? Weeks Ahead AI takes the fear out of the unknown and shows you exactly how to use AI tools in your business to save time, boost productivity, and stay ahead. 

  1. #21 - How AI Can Skyrocket Growth In Your Business w/ Tim Hicks

    1D AGO

    #21 - How AI Can Skyrocket Growth In Your Business w/ Tim Hicks

    How does AI actually help a construction contractor? In this episode of Weeks Ahead AI, Tim Hicks (T.W. Hicks, Inc.) breaks down how AI unlocked faster estimating, better communication, and scalable growth for a service based construction business. In This Episode What “industrial flooring” really is and why specs are more complex than most people realizeThe first AI win that changed everything: estimating speed (hours to minutes)How AI helped a 60–80 person contractor support 50%+ growth without hiring a bullpenThe “foundation first” approach to AI adoption in a real businessHow Slack, Otter AI, Monday.com, and daily reporting create operational visibilityWhy small businesses can move faster than enterprise, and winTimestamps 00:00 Weeks Ahead AI intro and Tim Hicks introduction03:00 Tim’s background and 26 years of T.W. Hicks06:00 What industrial flooring is, and why it is “hidden” but critical09:00 Specs vs reality: intent, budgets, and choosing what actually works12:00 Tim’s AI journey begins: forward thinking and the Denton dinner15:00 First AI problem solved: estimating, bottlenecks, and standardization18:00 The breakthrough moment: an AI button in existing software21:00 From 8–10 hours to minutes and what that did to the pipeline24:00 Company wide AI workflows: Slack reporting, Otter AI notes, Monday content flow27:00 50%+ growth and why AI made scaling easier30:00 Job fears vs reality: craftsmanship, Meta glasses, and field visibility33:00 Robotics in plants and what Tim is seeing coming next36:00 “ChatGPT is yesterday’s news” and why business owners must build structure39:00 How to get started: ChatGPT as a thought partner and bottleneck finder42:00 Hiring an AI strategist and why owners still must understand their business45:00 Small business advantage: “we’re ninjas,” where to find Tim, and closingLinks and Resources Mentioned T.W. Hicks, Inc.: twhicksinc.comWeeks Ahead AI: weeksahead.aiTools discussed: ChatGPT, Slack, Otter AI, Monday.com, Plaud, Meta smart glassesIf you are a business owner thinking, “AI cannot help my industry,” this episode is your proof. Start with one bottleneck, one workflow, and one tool. If you want help mapping AI into your business, reach out at weeksahead.ai.

    47 min
  2. #20 - How to Build Leaner Businesses Using AI with Jake Gannon

    FEB 18

    #20 - How to Build Leaner Businesses Using AI with Jake Gannon

    In this episode of Weeks Ahead AI, we sit down with entrepreneur Jake Gannon to talk about how AI is changing what it means to start and scale a small business. From building companies with 60+ employees to launching a profitable venture solo using AI tools, Jake breaks down how founders can move faster, operate leaner, and eliminate unnecessary friction. If you're a small business owner wondering where to start with AI or how to scale without bloating your payroll, this conversation is for you. 🔑 In This Episode Why founders must start with objectives and key results before using AIHow AI replaces gaps traditionally filled by business partnersThe power of operational AI over marketing AIHow Jake launched Polarity Parking in 6 months using ChatGPTWhy discernment matters more than tool loyaltyThe biggest risk of ignoring AI in your industry⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome to Weeks Ahead AI AI for business owners who want to save time, cut costs, and stay weeks ahead. 02:00 – Meet Jake Gannon Founder of Polarity Parking and 1116. Previously scaled and exited an edtech startup. 04:00 – Where Business Owners Should Start with AI Start with goals, objectives, and key results before jumping into tools. 06:30 – AI as a Replacement for Business Gaps How AI accelerates learning curves and fills skill gaps traditionally handled by partners. 09:00 – Why ChatGPT Is Enough for Most Businesses Why general AI tools are sufficient for 90% of small business use cases. 11:00 – Operations First, Revenue Second Why improving operational consistency creates bigger long term gains than flashy marketing automation. 14:30 – From 62 Employees to Solo Founder How Jake scaled his first company with a full team and built his next one lean using AI. 17:30 – The Fear Factor and AI Adoption Why waiting for certainty is the biggest risk to your business. 20:00 – How Fast Can You Get Caught Up? The AI learning curve is shorter than most people think. 23:00 – AI Is Not a Fad Why AI adoption is like early cell phone adoption. Ignore it and get left behind. 26:00 – Inside Relay Hub How centralized AI collaboration creates consistency across teams. 29:00 – The Story Behind Polarity Parking From a cold walk in Chicago to a revenue generating AI built business in six months. 32:00 – Launch Faster with AI How AI compresses product development timelines dramatically. 34:00 – Final Advice for Founders If you’re afraid to try AI, that’s exactly why you should. 🔗 Links & Resources Mentioned 1116 ConsultingPolarity Parking – Parking monetization platformRelay Hub – AI collaboration and workflow platform🚀 Call to Action If you want to build leaner, move faster, and make smarter decisions using AI, visit weeksahead.ai to learn more about Relay Hub and how to stay weeks ahead.

    34 min
  3. #19 - Is it Time to Break Up With ChatGPT?

    FEB 4

    #19 - Is it Time to Break Up With ChatGPT?

    Are you a business owner frustrated with AI giving you made-up answers? You're not alone. In this episode of Weeks Ahead AI, we dive deep into why ChatGPT and other AI tools sometimes fail small business owners, and what you can do about it. Whether you run a construction company, HVAC business, plumbing operation, or any business, understanding the limitations of AI tools is crucial before you stake important business decisions on their output. In This Episode: Why AI models prioritize giving an answer over giving the right answer—and the real-world consequences for your businessThe "context window" problem explained: how your AI forgets critical information mid-conversationWhy one contractor nearly made costly financial decisions based on AI-generated "facts" that were completely fabricatedHow to test if your current AI tool is giving you biased or outdated answersThe simple "show your work" hack that catches AI mistakes before they cost you moneyWhich AI alternatives are outperforming ChatGPT for business analysis and planning Timestamps: [00:00] Introduction to Weeks Ahead AI – helping business owners save time and cut costs with AI [01:04] The "gateway drug" problem: Why most business owners start with ChatGPT and never explore alternatives [02:34] Terry's breakup story: Canceling ChatGPT after 18 months—and why it felt like a divorce [03:20] The comfort trap: "It already knows my stuff" and why that's keeping you stuck [05:00] When AI sounds like BS: Terry's first red flag that something was wrong [05:48] "Great idea!" syndrome: Why your AI agrees with everything (even your worst ideas) [07:04] The lawyer's warning: AI citing legal cases that never existed [08:00] Financial analysis disaster: How bad AI advice could have cost thousands [09:32] The spreadsheet nightmare: 3 days wasted trying to export 500 contacts [11:05] Context window explained: Why your AI "forgets" important details mid-conversation [12:14] The telephone game effect: How long chats corrupt your AI's memory [14:35] The "show your work" hack: Making AI prove its logic before you trust it [16:40] Memory bias problem: When AI applies wrong context to your current project [17:24] Behind the scenes: Why some AI companies throttle performance without telling you [18:18] Terry's current AI stack: Claude, Gemini, Grok, and Relay Hub [19:08] Four days without ChatGPT: Did Terry notice any difference? [20:40] ChatGPT introducing ads: What this means for users [21:29] Final takeaway: Stay weeks ahead by pressure-testing multiple AI models Links & Resources Mentioned: Episode 2 – Deep dive on exporting and transferring your ChatGPT data to other modelsClaude AIGoogle GeminiGrok – Available through X/TwitterRelay Hub – AI workflow automation platform we are building.If you're still relying on just one AI tool for your business decisions, it's time to pressure test your options. Try running the same business question through 2-3 different AI models and compare the answers. You might be surprised at the differences. Subscribe to Weeks Ahead AI so you never miss practical AI strategies designed specifically for blue collar business owners. Leave a review if this episode helped you understand why your AI might be giving you bad answers!

    22 min
  4. #18 - Build Your 2026 Business Budget in 1 Hour With Claude AI

    JAN 21

    #18 - Build Your 2026 Business Budget in 1 Hour With Claude AI

    Many businesses avoid budgeting because it feels complex, time-consuming, or intimidating. In this episode of Weeks Ahead AI, the team walks through how business owners can use AI to build a complete annual budget using historical financials, without starting from a blank spreadsheet. Throughout the episode, the team highlights why Claude performed best for this specific task, particularly when it comes to financial analysis, spreadsheet structure, and handling assumptions, while still acknowledging that different AI models excel at different jobs. In This Episode Why many businesses still avoid annual budgetingUsing Claude AI to turn past P&Ls into a working budgetWhy some AI models perform better at financial analysisApplying growth assumptions and seasonalityReviewing and correcting AI-generated budgetsRunning hiring and growth scenarios in real timeEpisode Timeline 00:00 – Why budgeting gets delayed or skipped Common reasons business owners avoid the process. 03:00 – Why January is not too late Using last year’s numbers to move forward. 06:30 – Uploading historical financials into AI How much data you actually need. 09:00 – Choosing the right AI for the job Why Claude stood out for financial modeling. 12:30 – Building a full annual budget Revenue, expenses, and staffing generated automatically. 15:00 – Monthly views, seasonality, and assumptions How AI applies real-world business patterns. 18:00 – Reviewing assumptions and fixing errors Why human oversight still matters. 21:00 – Scenario planning Testing hires, marketing spend, and growth decisions. 25:30 – Why AI budgeting works now How recent improvements changed what is possible. 29:00 – Managing multiple AI tools The downside of subscription sprawl. 32:00 – Final takeaways How to apply this approach in your business. Tools and Resources Mentioned Claude for financial modeling and spreadsheet workWispr Flow for voice-to-text promptingExcel for reviewing and adjusting budgetsIf you have been putting off building a budget, this episode shows how AI can help you get it done faster and with more clarity. Subscribe to Weeks Ahead AI for practical, real-world AI use cases.

    34 min
  5. #17 - How to Build A Presentation in Seconds Using Gamma AI

    12/05/2025

    #17 - How to Build A Presentation in Seconds Using Gamma AI

    Creating presentations used to take hours. Now you can talk for a few minutes, grab a transcript, and use Gamma to instantly build a clean, organized slide deck. In this episode of Weeks Ahead AI, Brad and Mitch walk through a real example in real time, showing how Gamma restructures messy conversations into a polished ten page presentation that can be exported to Google Slides, PowerPoint, Canva, or PDF. They also explain practical tricks like using dashes to control slide grouping, how Gamma reorganizes content for clarity, and why this is one of the best low risk, high reward entry points for anyone using AI in their workflow. In This Episode Live walkthrough of building a ten page deck in seconds with GammaHow transcripts from Plot or an iPhone recording can become presentationsWhy Gamma reorganizes your conversation into a clean narrativeExporting to PowerPoint, Google Slides, Canva, and PDFHow to prepare board decks, proposals, and SOP slides in a fraction of the usual timeWhy presentation building is one of the easiest wins in AI adoptionTimestamps 00:00 Intro to Gamma and why Brad and Mitch use it for fast presentations 02:00 Turning a nine minute Relay Hub conversation into a ten page slide deck 04:50 How Gamma reorganizes raw conversation into a strong narrative flow 06:30 Key features like multimodal support, images, and customizable cards 08:15 Exporting the deck into Google Slides or PowerPoint for final edits 10:00 How to structure board decks by marking slide breaks in your transcript 12:45 Other AI tools like Lucidchart that use transcripts for diagrams and SOPs 14:30 Final thoughts and why this is a powerful time saver for any team Links and Resources Gamma: gamma.app Plaud: Plaud Voice Recorder Relay Hub Episode  Try taking a short voice memo, transcribing it, and dropping it into Gamma. Watch it turn into a complete presentation in seconds. Share your results with us at weeksahead.ai.

    15 min
  6. #16 - The AI Tool Turning Months of Work to Minutes

    11/19/2025

    #16 - The AI Tool Turning Months of Work to Minutes

    Most blue collar small businesses already sit on a gold mine of data from sensors, machines, and equipment, but barely use it. In this episode of Weeks Ahead AI, Brad, Terry, and Mitch bring back Josh Knutson, founder of Lium AI, to explain how AI can turn messy physical data into clear decisions for manufacturers, plants, and operators who live in the real world, not in spreadsheets. In This Episode How a former therapist became a tech founder solving real world problemsWhat it means to “ask your instruments” and talk to plant data in plain EnglishReal use cases from astrophysics, oil and gas, satellites, and manufacturingHow AI can boost throughput, quality, and food safetyWhy compute and power matter, and how smaller models change the futurePractical steps for blue collar small businesses that want to start using AITimestamps 00:00 Why Josh is back and why physical world AI matters 02:10 From therapist to tech founder and the creation of Lium 04:40 Raising capital and building an AI startup around huge datasets 06:30 “Ask your instruments” explained in simple terms 07:45 Astrophysics example where months of work drop to 75 seconds 11:55 Oil, gas, and geothermal insights hidden in existing data 13:40 Why traditional AI tools choke on satellite and sensor data 15:55 Real world routing and decision making using weather and soil data 18:15 Why small and midsize manufacturers need this tech too 18:40 Extrusion and pet food manufacturing as a clear example 20:15 Point at your data, ask a question, get a recommendation 21:55 The future of autonomous agents tuning equipment in real time 25:55 Compute, power limitations, and the push for smaller models 29:25 Data centers, generators, and geothermal possibilities 31:00 CNBC predictions and where to learn more about Lium AI

    33 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

Not sure where to start with AI? Weeks Ahead AI takes the fear out of the unknown and shows you exactly how to use AI tools in your business to save time, boost productivity, and stay ahead.