Tag: Business & Money

Mo Rousso’s AI for Small Businesses: The Ultimate Leadership Roadmap

‘How to Build an AI-Powered Business’ is Book 2 in the AI for Small Businesses series of books by Mo Rousso. Photo: Amazon

📚Book Spotlight: How to Build an AI-Powered Business Without Losing Control, Trust, or Your Mind (AI for Small Businesses Book 2)

By Mo Rousso

AI is already changing how decisions are made inside your business, often without your explicit consent.

Teams are using artificial intelligence to draft plans, analyze data, shape customer communication, and move faster than ever. While productivity might be up, accountability is becoming less clear. Many leaders feel pressure, noise, and a creeping loss of control, even when results look fine on the surface.

This book explains why.

How to Build an AI-Powered Business Without Losing Control, Trust, or Your Mind is a practical leadership guide for executives, founders, and managers navigating artificial intelligence in real organizations. This is not a technical manual; it’s a leadership and management book focused on decision rights, accountability, trust, and organizational discipline.

In this fully revised Second Edition, Mo Rousso shows leaders how to use AI as a business tool without surrendering judgment or culture.

What You’ll Learn

Each chapter includes real-world business case examples that show how AI adoption succeeds—or fails—in everyday companies, from operations and sales to leadership teams and customer service. By reading this guide, you will learn how to:

  • Define clear decision-making authority between humans and AI
  • Prevent artificial intelligence from quietly eroding accountability
  • Build guardrails that scale across teams and departments
  • Improve operational throughput instead of creating more noise
  • Protect customer trust while increasing speed and efficiency
  • Lead calmly and decisively in an AI-driven business environment

This Book Is Ideal For:

  • Business leaders and executives looking for strategic direction
  • Founders and entrepreneurs scaling their companies
  • Managers responsible for AI adoption and implementation
  • Organizations integrating AI into daily operations
  • Anyone interested in the intersection of artificial intelligence, leadership, and management

AI will continue to accelerate. Tools will keep changing. Leadership responsibility does not disappear. This book helps you stay in control when AI is everywhere.

Get your copy today!

About the Author: Mo Rousso

Mo Rousso’s clients know him as the catalyst for change, transforming potential into measurable growth. During his journey as a founder and CEO, he’s faced the same scaling challenges you’re grappling with. He doesn’t just talk about overcoming obstacles, he helps you break through them using proven business frameworks and a relentless commitment to building exceptional teams and cultures.

Having built and scaled multiple companies, Mo understands the roadblocks and frustrations firsthand. He’s leveraged frameworks like Scaling Up and Metronomics to create a business acceleration system that delivers exponential growth and lasting transformation. His journey is proof that when leadership, teamwork, and culture are aligned, businesses not only overcome obstacles, they thrive.

His business books will give you the clarity, confidence, and strategy to embrace AI without fear or confusion. He strips away the tech jargon and delivers real-world insights through engaging storytelling and practical, step-by-step guidance. Whether you’re a skeptical traditionalist or a forward-thinking entrepreneur, Mo shows you how AI can streamline operations, boost efficiency, and drive growth, all without losing the personal touch that makes your business unique.

If you want to stay competitive, work smarter, and future-proof your company, this series is your ultimate roadmap to success.

Also in the AI for Small Businesses Series:

  1. Let AI Do It
  2. How to Build an AI-Powered Business Without Losing Control, Trust, or Your Mind
  3. Freedom Machine
  4. Zero to AI Hero

The Neuroscience of Mental Toughness: A Look Inside ‘Wiring Intelligence’

In ‘Wiring Intelligence,’ Dr. Bobby Low explains why high performers fail under pressure and how to address it. Photo: Amazon

Book Spotlight: Wiring Intelligence

From Reactive to Proactive: 8 Mindsets to Control Performance Under Pressure

By Dr. Bobby Low

Most people don’t fail under pressure because they lack talent, discipline, or desire. They fail because their mind gets hijacked and activates thinking patterns they never chose. (Amazon, 2026)

They weren’t mentally tough.

When it’s time to perform, your brain defaults to whatever thinking patterns have been wired through repetition. For many people, those patterns are reactive, driven by fear, doubt, and avoidance. And when they take over, performance breaks down in the moments that matter most.

In Wiring Intelligence, Dr. Bobby Low explains why this happens and, more importantly, how to change it.

The Science of Peak Performance

Grounded in neuroscience, sport psychology, and years of applied work with elite athletes and high performers, this book reveals how thinking patterns are formed, why pressure activates them, and how they can be retrained. You’ll learn how to shift from reactive thinking to proactive control, so you reach your peak performance under pressure.

At the core of the book are eight essential performance mindsets—a practical framework for:

  • Building self-awareness
  • Regulating emotion
  • Sharpening focus
  • Using your words to train the mind

Through research, real-world examples, and proven tools, Dr. Low shows how high performers wire intelligence into their thinking, not through hype or positive thinking, but through deliberate mental training.

This is how you become mentally tough. This is how you unlock your peak performance. This is how you control your mental game. This is how you perform under pressure.

Wiring Intelligence is a practical guide for athletes, coaches, parents, and high achievers who want to stop letting their mind get hijacked and start performing when it matters most.

Get your copy today!

About the Author

Dr. Bobby Low is a Mental Performance Doctor who trains athletes, teams, and high performers to build the mental patterns required to perform under pressure.

As a former NCAA All-American and professional pole vaulter, he learned firsthand a powerful truth: performance doesn’t break down because athletes lack talent, it breaks down because the mind gets in the way and interferes with execution when it matters most.

After retiring from track and field, Dr. Bobby earned his PhD in Sport & Performance Psychology and spent years studying how elite performers think, respond, and execute under pressure. Through his research and work with athletes, he discovered that the best performers don’t rely on positive thinking alone, they train their minds to respond differently.

Today, Dr. Bobby works with athletes at BYU and supports elite performers across professional sports, helping them train the mental patterns required to perform under pressure. But what drives him most is helping younger, developing athletes gain access to the same training and systems that are typically reserved for the highest levels of sport.

His Mission: To make world-class mental performance training accessible to every athlete, team, and family. Through the MOTYV8 platform, athletes train directly inside his system, building confidence, focus, resilience, and emotional control through daily repetition.

Upgrading Your Personal Operating System: ‘Scaling Yourself’ Book Spotlight

‘Scaling Yourself’ is the new book by Praval Panwar. Photo: Amazon

Book Spotlight: Scaling Yourself

Designing a Personal Operating System for Career and Life

By Praval Panwar

High performers are taught to push harder as responsibilities grow.

But effort does not scale. Architecture does.

As careers advance, the same habits that once drove success begin to create overload, burnout, and diminishing impact. Decisions slow. Energy drops. Influence dilutes.

The problem isn’t capability, it’s operating at a new level with an outdated personal operating system.

Redesigning the Flow of Success

Scaling Yourself applies principles from engineering, systems design, and leadership to the human side of performance. Instead of productivity hacks or motivation, it shows how to redesign how your work, decisions, energy, and influence flow so growth becomes sustainable. (Bookshop, 2026)

Who Is This Book For?

This book is built specifically for:

  • Ambitious professionals navigating rapid career growth.
  • Engineers and technical minds who want to apply systems thinking to life.
  • Leaders whose success has increased complexity, not freedom.

This is not a book about doing more. It is a book about designing better.

Get your copy today!

About the Author

Praval Panwar is a senior technology leader and systems thinker focused on the intersection of engineering, leadership, and long-term performance. Scaling Yourself distills his experience into a practical framework for redesigning how work, decisions, and energy flow so ambition can scale without burnout.

The Blueprint for Cybersecurity Leadership: ‘The First 100 Days of the New CISO’

‘The First 100 Days of the New CISO’ by JC Gaillard is a practical roadmap for real and lasting cybersecurity leadership. Photo: Amazon

Book Spotlight: The First 100 Days of the New CISO

A Leadership Guide to Lasting Impact

By JC Gaillard

When a new Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) steps into the role, their first 100 days don’t just set the tone—they can define their entire legacy. (Amazon, 2026)

In The First 100 Days of the New CISO, seasoned cybersecurity leader and consultant JC Gaillard offers a pragmatic, experience-driven guide to succeeding in those crucial early months and beyond. Drawing on over two decades of advising major global organizations, Gaillard helps CISOs, executives, and boards understand what true leadership in cybersecurity looks like: calm, structured, and aligned with business priorities.

This is not another technical manual. Instead, it is a leadership guide grounded in governance, culture, and the realities of corporate life, serving as a definitive blueprint for the next decade of cybersecurity leadership.

Inside the Book: What You’ll Discover

The book is structured like a consulting playbook and written in clear, disciplined prose. Inside, you’ll find the perspective and tools needed to turn uncertainty into direction, including:

  • The Blueprint for Timing: How to navigate the first 6 days, 6 weeks, and 6 months with clarity and composure.
  • Stakeholder Management: How to build trust and credibility across the organization before trying to drive major change.
  • Business Alignment: Proven techniques for aligning security with business strategy and corporate governance.
  • Boardroom Success: How to communicate effectively and confidently with boards and executive committees.
  • Culture Over Tools: Why culture, rhythm, and proportion matter far more than tools or technology.
  • Lasting Transformation: Understanding what differentiates true, long-term security maturity from short-term, reactionary activity.

Who This Book Is For

Whether you are stepping into the hot seat for the first time or overseeing the person who is, this guide offers invaluable insights:

  • Newly Appointed CISOs seeking a structured, strategic start to their new role.
  • Experienced Security Leaders looking to strengthen their corporate influence and organizational impact.
  • CEOs, CIOs, and Board Members who want to understand what truly effective security leadership looks like.
  • Consultants & Governance Professionals focused on organizational resilience, trust, and transformation.

“If you want to lead with confidence, build maturity, and leave a legacy that lasts beyond your tenure, The First 100 Days of the New CISO will show you how.”

About the Author

JC Gaillard is a leading strategic advisor and a globally recognized cybersecurity thought-leader with over 25 years of experience and a track record of driving fundamental change across global organizations.

He is the Founder and CEO of Corix Partners, a UK-based boutique management consultancy firm and thought-leadership platform. Corix Partners focuses on assisting CIOs and other C-level executives in resolving complex cybersecurity strategy, organization, and governance challenges.

Redefining Leadership: ‘Virx-Leonatus Culture: The Codex’

Keenan L. McBride’s new book on how how art, culture, and empathy build powerful leaders. Photo: Amazon

Book Spotlight: Virx-Leonatus Culture: The Codex

By Keenan L. McBride

Synopsis

The Virx-Leonatus (VX) Culture Codex is more than a book; it’s a guide for the individual seeking mastery of presence, intellect, and character. While many manuals focus strictly on career or influence, The Codex argues that true power lies in the architecture of one’s culture. (Amazon, 2026)

Within these pages, McBride outlines the foundational pillars of VX culture:

  • Disciplined Confidence: Power without the need for noise.
  • Elevated Courtesy: Transforming simple manners into magnetic charisma.
  • Strategic Empathy: Using emotional intelligence as a core strength.
  • The Aesthetic Catalyst: Leveraging art, history, and beauty to deepen wisdom and broaden perspective.

The Lion’s Philosophy

Inspired by the lion, Virx-Leonatus teaches that true strength is quiet, sovereign, and patient. The lion doesn’t roar to prove dominance; its presence alone commands respect. This philosophy serves as a blueprint for modern leadership: ambition balanced by humanity, and influence rooted in genuine regard for others.

“This is the Virx-Leonatus standard. A lifestyle. A discipline. A legacy in the making.”

For the rising leader or the cultured professional, this codex offers a manual for gaining trust without force and loyalty without demand. It’s a necessary tool for anyone ready to lead with both mind and heart.

About the Author

Keenan L. McBride is the Owner and Founder of Success Strategy Training and Development, LLC and the creator of the Virx-Leonatus Culture lifestyle brand. With over 30 years of experience across various industries, Keenan has dedicated his career to building and delivering customized curricula for leaders at all levels. (Virx-Leonatus Culture, 2026)

Professional Credentials & Highlights:

  • Certified Professional in Training Management (CPTM) via Training Industry Inc.
  • Certified Virtual Facilitator (CVF) via Inifac.
  • Professional Image Consultant Certification via IAPO.
  • Author of the “Lennox Lee Teaches Me” children’s book series.
  • Creator of “The Leader’s Image in Action,” a popular LinkedIn newsletter focused on leadership development.

Keenan’s extensive background, from manufacturing leadership to working with the State Technical College System, allows him to blend practical business strategy with the refined principles of the Virx-Leonatus lifestyle.

Ready to elevate your presence? Virx-Leonatus Culture: The Codex is available now for those seeking to turn quiet strength into irresistible authority.

Innovation Intelligence: The New Strategy to Outpace Disruption

‘The Innovation Intelligence Advantage’ by Kris Poria and Jeff Penrose. Photo: Amazon

Book Spotlight: The Innovation Intelligence Advantage

How Leaders Close the Innovation Gap and Outpace Disruption

By Kris Poria and Jeff Penrose

Synopsis

In a world where technology evolves faster than organizations can adapt, most leaders face a widening gap between what they know they must achieve and what their systems can actually deliver. Traditional R&D, consulting, and procurement models were never built for today’s exponential pace of change and the cost of inaction has become catastrophic. (Amazon, 2026)

The Innovation Intelligence Advantage reveals a breakthrough solution: an entirely new organizational capability that helps enterprises, governments, and defense agencies stay ahead of disruption – Innovation Intelligence.

Drawing on real-world experience building the EarlyBirds Operational Innovation System, authors Kris Poria and Jeff Penrose show how organizations can:

  • Eliminate innovation blind spots.
  • Sense global shifts before competitors or adversaries.
  • Build resilient, sovereign supply chains.
  • De-risk multi-year programs with live intelligence.
  • Rapidly adopt emerging technologies.
  • Transform strategy into a dynamic, evidence-based capability.
  • Empower a future-ready workforce.
  • Unlock continuous innovation as an operational discipline.

With clear frameworks and practical insights, this book introduces the four mechanisms that redefine how organizations operate. Together, they form a living intelligence system that accelerates decision-making, strengthens resilience, and creates permanent strategic advantage.

The future belongs to those who can see change coming and act. Innovation Intelligence shows you how.

Whether you lead a Fortune 500 company, a government agency, a defense organization, or a large-scale transformation program, this book offers a proven path to outpace disruption and thrive in a volatile world.

About the Authors

Kris Poria – Kris is the Co-founder and CEO of EarlyBirds, leading a global Open Innovation and Intelligence Ecosystem. His mission is to help enterprises, governments, and defense organizations discover emerging technologies, anticipate disruption, and maintain a competitive advantage in a rapidly evolving world.

Jeff Penrose – Jeff is the Co-founder and COO of EarlyBirds. An ICT specialist with deep international experience across the private and public sectors, Jeff has held senior executive and technical roles focused on solving complex problems. He holds a Graduate Diploma in Executive Leadership and is a staunch advocate for continuous learning.

Paul Zarou’s ‘Unbreakable’ is a Modern Guide to Stoic Resilience and Mental Strength

‘Unbreakable’ by Paul Zarou. Photo: Amazon

Book Spotlight: Unbreakable

Mastering Resilience Through Adversity by Paul Zarou

Overview

Unbreakable: Mastering Resilience Through Adversity is a practical, compassionate, and empowering guide designed to help readers withstand life’s toughest challenges and grow stronger because of them. Rooted in Stoic philosophy and grounded in real-world application, the book offers a human approach to mastering emotional, mental, and situational resilience.

Structured around 20 thematically rich chapters, Unbreakable explores the complex realities of:

  • Anxiety and Burnout
  • Grief and Loss
  • Imposter Syndrome
  • Career Uncertainty
  • Internal Self-Doubt

Each chapter blends timeless wisdom with modern insight, offering reflective narratives, step-by-step tools, and a dedicated “Resilience Toolbox” to guide readers from self-awareness to meaningful action.

Why This Book Matters Now

This book is especially timely for readers aged 18 and up who are navigating the internal and external pressures of a hyper-visible, comparison-driven world. However, the lessons are universally applicable.

“Resilience is not perfection or toughness; it is the quiet, consistent decision to show up for yourself, again and again.”

At its heart, Unbreakable is about ownership, mindset, and endurance. It eschews self-help clichés in favor of a human guidebook for those ready to face life honestly and emerge stronger.

About the Author: Paul Zarou

Paul Zarou is a seasoned leader, compassionate mentor, and fervent advocate for the transformative power of empathy. With over two decades of experience in the financial services industry, Paul has dedicated his career to fostering environments where compassion thrives.

A Legacy of Insight

Paul is the author of several impactful titles, including:

  • Compassion Unleashed
  • The I and The R
  • Seeing the Gold

Professional Impact

In addition to his writing, Paul is the founder of GRCSAC, where he provides one-on-one coaching for professionals and emerging leaders. His practice is rooted in empathy, realism, and personal empowerment, helping clients overcome self-doubt and unlock their full potential.

Paul believes that true leadership begins with a genuine connection to oneself and extends outward to embrace the diverse perspectives of others. Through Unbreakable, he invites you to recognize your capacity not just to survive hardship, but to thrive in spite of it.

How to Thrive in the Corporate Environment: A Roadmap to Peak Performance

‘The Success Guide’ is the new book by Edward Bjustrom on building a trust-based workplace culture. Photo: Amazon

Leading with Purpose: A Roadmap to Corporate Excellence

Success in business is not just about what you achieve; it’s about how you lead. In today’s fast-paced, highly regulated corporate world, the bridge between a good leader and a great one is often built on trust, emotional intelligence, and operational clarity. Today’s book spotlight features a guide designed to help you navigate those exact complexities.

Book Spotlight

The Success Guide: How to Thrive in the Corporate Environment A Focused Roadmap for Achieving Peak Performance, Leadership Excellence, and Building a Trust-Based Culture by Edward Bjurstrom

Overview

Drawing on over forty years of experience in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries, Edward Bjurstrom provides proven, actionable strategies that apply across any high-stakes business environment. (Amazon, 2026)

Whether you’re stepping into your first leadership role or guiding a large organization through massive growth, this book equips you to lead with clarity, integrity, and influence.

What You’ll Discover Inside:

  • Leadership Presence: Cultivate emotional intelligence and self-awareness.
  • High-Performing Teams: Learn to build a foundation of trust and accountability.
  • Navigating Complexity: Manage regulatory and operational hurdles without compromising results.
  • Strategic Alignment: Sync your vision, mission, and culture for sustained success.

Perfect for readers of Dare to Lead by Brené Brown, Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek, and Atomic Habits by James Clear.

About the Author: Edward Bjurstrom

Edward Bjurstrom brings over 40 years of biopharmaceutical leadership to his writing, coaching, and consulting. His career has been dedicated to operational excellence in producing life-saving medicines.

  • The Amgen Years: A chemical engineer by trade, Edward spent 18 years helping Amgen grow from a promising startup into a global pharmaceutical leader.
  • The Gilead Chapter: Following a successful stint as a consultant for small biotech firms, he took on a senior leadership role at Gilead Sciences, overseeing Southern California manufacturing operations.
  • A New Legacy: After retiring in 2023, he launched a consultancy dedicated to supporting leaders in highly regulated industries, where the weight of compliance often amplifies the pressures of leadership.

Take Control of Your Career

Don’t just manage, lead. It’s time to create a legacy built on trust, performance, and purpose.

Are you ready to elevate your leadership? Grab your copy of The Success Guide today and start transforming your organization.

‘When AI Shops:’ A Guide to Marketing in the Age of AI Agents

‘When AI Shops’ is the new book on agentic commerce by Geoff Gibbins. Photo: Amazon

Book Spotlight: The Future of Commerce is Agentic

In the time it took you to perfect your marketing funnel, the game changed. While brands are still fighting for clicks, a new player has entered the chat: The AI Agent. (Amazon, 2026)

In his new book, When AI Shops: Agentic Commerce and the Revolution in How We Buy and Sell, author Geoff Gibbins explores a world where machines aren’t just suggesting products, they’re buying them.

The Reality Check

The digital landscape is shifting beneath our feet. Consider these startling shifts:

  • The Search Shift: Over two-thirds of Google searches now end without a single click to a website.
  • The Revenue Driver: AI already influences 35% of Amazon’s total revenue.
  • The New Storefront: With 800 million weekly ChatGPT users, consumers are bypassing traditional SEO and buying directly within AI interfaces.

“Agentic commerce isn’t coming. It’s here.”

What You’ll Discover

This isn’t just a book about problems; it’s a manual for the solution. Gibbins, who has advised giants like Coca-Cola, Nestlé, and Mastercard, provides a roadmap for the “two-sided web.”

Key Takeaways:

  • The Death of the Funnel: Why the traditional purchase funnel is being replaced by a five-capability flywheel: Learn, Anticipate, Explore, Influence, and Transact.
  • Optimizing for Machines: How to create content for AI agents without losing your human audience.
  • The Scarcity Paradox: Why “limited time offer” messaging—which works on humans—actually reduces AI recommendations.
  • Strategic Roadmaps: Practical steps for both personal and organizational transformation.

Why This Book?

Unlike theoretical deep dives, When AI Shops is built on hard-won insights from 2024–2025 market data and real-world pilot projects. It offers specific frameworks and “early warning indicators” to help business leaders track the shift in real-time.

The Bottom Line: Read the book. Understand the change. Act while a competitive advantage is still possible.

About the Author

Geoff Gibbins is the Founder of Human Machines, a transformation company focused on the intersection of AI and human ingenuity. With nearly 20 years of experience, including a tenure as Managing Director at Accenture, Geoff has built AI-powered systems for brands like Walmart and Vanguard. He holds Master’s degrees from Oxford and Imperial College London and resides in Manhattan.

Ready to dive deeper into the world of Agentic Commerce?

‘The AI-Ready Human:’ Paul Slater’s Roadmap to Future-Proofing Your Career

‘The AI-Ready Human’ is the new business developement book by Paul Slater. Photo: Barnes & Noble

New Book Spotlight: The AI-Ready Human

Your 90-Day Program to Stay Relevant as Technology Transforms Work

By Paul Slater

In a world of seismic technology change, AI is rewriting what it means to be “good” at your job. The professionals who thrive won’t just be the ones who know how to code; they will be the ones who sharpen the capabilities that make technology actually useful: judgment, adaptability, resilience, and clear thinking.

Part Book, Part 90-Day “Brain Workout”

The AI-Ready Human replaces traditional chapters with 90 concepts (days) that build on each other to make you AI-Ready.

Every daily concept includes:

  • Clear Explanation: No jargon, just the facts.
  • Career Impact: Why this specific concept matters for your professional future.
  • Practical Exercises: Tangible steps you can take to grow.
  • Reflection Prompts: Tools to help lock in behavior change and new habits.

Who Is This Book For?

The short answer: If you work, and you are human, it’s for you. However, it is particularly essential for:

  • Executives: Who must understand the impact of AI on employees and customers.
  • Working Professionals: Who are concerned about staying relevant as their industry transforms.
  • Managers: Who are tasked with leading their teams through unprecedented change.

The Research Behind the Program

This isn’t just theory. Paul Slater’s 90-day program is built on interviews with over 200 professionals who are sustainably effective with AI every day.

Slater draws on over 30 years at the intersection of advanced technology and personal development, including a decade at Microsoft leading global strategy and contributing to AI think tanks at Harvard, Duke, and Arizona State University.

About the Author: Paul Slater

Paul Slater helps professionals and organizations navigate the “human side” of AI transformation. As the host of the Humanity Working podcast and author of The AI-Ready Human, he focuses on what it actually takes to thrive as intelligent machines reshape our world.

Paul equips professionals to build the human capabilities AI can’t replace—judgment, adaptability, resilience, and meaningful connection.

A Proven Track Record

  • Microsoft Veteran: Spent nearly two decades leading global digital transformation and authoring over 20 books for senior technologists.
  • C-Suite Advisor: Has delivered briefings to Fortune 500 executives and national governments worldwide.
  • Entrepreneur: Co-founded BillionMinds (a Techstars company), creating programs to help employees thrive in the age of emerging tech.
  • Academic Contributor: Served on AI-focused think tanks at some of the world’s most prestigious universities.