July 17, 2026 · Jess Pischel
The number one question I get about AI is some version of: where do I start?
My answer never changes: start small.
Don't chase every new tool. Don't try to automate your entire business in one leap. Don't try to do it all at once.
Find one repetitive task and make it a little easier. That's it. That's the whole first step.
I've watched leaders stall out for months because they were waiting to find the "right" big AI initiative before doing anything. Meanwhile, the leaders who actually see results are the ones who picked one annoying, repeatable task, a report that takes an hour to compile, an email written the same way every week, a scheduling back and forth that eats up a morning, and used AI to make just that one thing easier.
That's how AI adoption actually happens. Not as a company-wide transformation announced from the top. One workflow at a time, proven out by someone willing to try it.
If you're not sure where your "one thing" is, ask your team this question: what's the task you dread doing every week, not because it's hard, but because it's repetitive? That's usually where the first win is hiding.
Start there. You don't need a strategy document. You need one small win you can point to and say, that used to take me an hour, now it takes ten minutes.
Find your first AI win →