Interview: Burn the Ships, Build an AI-Driven Company with Rusty Cagle

Imagine sitting in a room full of peers — some your age, some even older. Most dismiss AI as a fad. But one leader saw something different: a leapfrog moment. After reading The AI-Driven Leader seven times, he knew dabbling wasn’t enough. He drew a line in the sand: “In 90 days, we will be an AI-driven company.”

The stakes were real. Years earlier, he had lost a $200M client because his firm wasn’t big enough. That pain fueled his determination to reinvent ASE Private Wealth™ as a multi-entity holding company — and this time, with AI at the core.

In 60 days, his team cut $100K in software costs, streamlined efficiency, and reduced a tax optimization process from 6–7 hours to 90 minutes. More importantly, they shifted their mindset: instead of fearing AI, they asked, “How can AI help me do this?”

Today’s AI-Driven Leader is Rusty Cagle, CEO & Founder of ASE Private Wealth™.