It's 2026. The middle is gone. And if you're still standing there, you're about to get crushed.

This is the uncomfortable truth most business owners don't want to hear: AI didn't make business harder—it exposed just how much of "work" really never mattered in the first place.

In this first episode of the new year, Kim and Hal breakdown why 2025 felt so disorienting, what the "structural break" actually means, and the two edges you need to own right now.

You'll hear Becky's real-time journey from displaced Big 4 consultant to solo operator with leverage—and why she rebuilt her entire client system in a weekend (while battling massive imposter syndrome).

If you're grinding harder but getting less traction, thisepisode will give you language for what's happening—and a clear path forward.

IN THIS EPISODE

The Diagnosis: Why the middle disappeared and what that means for your identity (3:20)

The Structural Break: How 2025 collapsed the old business model—and why "working harder" won't save you (5:30)

Two Founders, Two Different Games: The compound effect of decision speed and why learning beats planning (8:10)

The AI Orchestrator Role: What's actually left for humans (and why "inspiration without execution" is just expensiveprocrastination) (11:45)

Becky's Transformation: How a displaced consultant rebuilt her practice in a weekend—and why nobody believes her (1:45)

The Fork in the Road: The choice you're facing right now and what happens if you wait until Q2 (14:00)

The Small Step Challenge: Two questions you need to answer in under 60 seconds (16:30)

KEY TAKEAWAYS

✅ AI handles the middle. Humans own the edges. Judgment on the front end. Decisiveness on the back end. Everything else? Automated.

✅ Being busy isn't a flex anymore. It's a warning. If you're grinding on tasks AI can handle in 90 seconds, you're not being thorough—you're being slow.

✅ The future doesn't reward effort. It rewards decisiveness. Strategy is now a commodity. Execution atspeed is the premium.

✅ Waiting isn't prudent. It's a liability. The gap between those who moved and those who waited? It's widening. And by Q2, they'll be unreachable.

✅ Your technology-enabled superpower: The ability to do what used to take a team—by yourself—in a weekend.

TAKE ACTION

Join Our LinkedIn Live for the Month of January
We're walking through the exact framework Becky used to rebuild her client system in a weekend. Not theory—actual deployment. The templates. The prompts. The decision trees.

If you're realizing you've been standing in the middle, this is for you.

Just say:

“Tell me more about the BMS Licensee Model.”

✦ DM Kim Lewis Howard on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-lewis-howard/

✦ DM Hal Howard on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/halhoward/

---Music Credit: “I Am with You” by Dream Cave; EpidemicSound via iStock.com

Sound Effects: https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/

In this New Year’s Eve episode of Small Business Big AI, Kim Lewis Howard and Hal Howard break down the real storybehind the 2025 layoffs—and why 2026 is quietly creating one of the biggest opportunities we’ve seen in years.

This isn’t a tech hype episode. It’s a market shift episode.

In 2025, high-skill talent was displaced at the same timesmall business owners hit an execution wall. What looks like chaos on the surface is actually something far more interesting underneath:

A redistribution of talent, leverage, and execution power.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why the 2025 layoffs weren’t just a “cycle,” but a structural break
• How the traditional handshake between skill, title, and value quietly collapsed
• Why small business owners don’t need more advice—they need execution
• How AI accelerated the shift without being the cause of it
• Why Q1 2026 is a narrow but powerful window (and why it closes quietly)
• What “fractional” really means now—and why it’sevolving fast
• How high-caliber operators are repositioning without starting from scratch
• The difference between being aggressive and being on time

This episode is especially relevant if you are:

• A displaced Big 4 or consulting professional navigating what’s next
• A fractional COO, CFO, or senior operator rethinking how you package your value
• A small business owner stuck with complexity butunable to buy real implementation
• An operator who wants leverage without bloatedoverhead
• Anyone trying to build a technology-enabledsuperpower in 2026

Key Insight from the Episode

This moment isn’t about tools. It’s about ownership.

The market is shifting away from titles, prestige, andpermission—and toward people who can take responsibility for outcomes.

Those who move early don’t just participate in theredistribution.
They get to set the terms.

The rest inherit them.

The Window Is Open (But Not Forever)

We’re hosting a live LinkedIn event where we break down the full BMS Licensee Model—the exact framework Becky uses to build her fractional practice without starting from scratch.

This is not freelancing.
This is not gig work.
This is precision execution, backed by systems, positioning, and leverage.

This is for you if you are:

• A displaced Big 4 / consulting professional
• A fractional COO, CFO, or senior operator
• A small business owner who needs real implementation help—not more decks

Just say:

“Tell me more about the BMS Licensee Model.”

✦ DM Kim Lewis Howard on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-lewis-howard/

✦ DM Hal Howard on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/halhoward/

---

Music Credit: “I Am with You” by Dream Cave; EpidemicSound via iStock.com

Sound Effects: https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/

What if losing your Big 4 job wasn’t the end of your career… but the moment you finally took control of it?

In this episode, we follow Becky, a former Big 4 consultant who went from 60-hour weeks and partner politics to running a $360K fractional executive practice—solo.

No team.

No burnout.

No Big 4 badge.

Just AI-powered leverage, smart workflows, and judgment that machines can’t replace.

This is Part 3 of The Great Displacement series—and we’re pulling back the curtain on the Sovereign AI Stack that lets one consultant do the work of six.

If you’re a displaced consultant, fractional executive, or small business owner wondering how AI actually changes the game—this is the episode you don’t skip.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

✔️ How a single consultant replaces an entire Big 4 delivery team
✔️ The 3-tool AI stack powering a $30K/month solo practice
✔️ Why AI didn’t replace Becky—but freed her
✔️ The exact workflows Becky uses to deliver Big 4–level value to SMBs
✔️ Why judgment, trust, and emotional intelligence are still wildly profitable
✔️ How displaced consultants are capturing the SMB market right now

The Sovereign AI Stack (Simple, Not Sexy—and That’sthe Point)

Becky doesn’t run on 47 tools. She runs on three:

1️⃣ AI Thinking Partner (ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini)
• Financial analysis
• Executive summaries
• Proposals, roadmaps, action plans

2️⃣ Client Command Center (Notion, Asana, ClickUp, or Monday)
• Dashboards
• Implementation plans
• Meeting notes
• Accountability tracking

3️⃣ Automation Glue (Zapier or Make)
• File routing
• Notifications
• Task updates
• Zero admin chaos

This isn’t about tools. It’s about workflow design.

Why Becky Still Gets Paid $12K/Month (Even With AI)

AI can: Analyze, Draft, Summarize, Automate

AI cannot: Exercise judgment, Read the room, Build trust, Make the hard call, Say, “Let’s pause—what’s really going onhere?”

That’s why Becky isn’t selling deliverables. She’s selling partnership.

The Window Is Open (But Not Forever)

We’re hosting a live LinkedIn event where we break down the full BMS Licensee Model—the exact framework Becky uses to build her fractional practice without starting from scratch.

If you’re:

· A displaced Big 4 / consulting professional

· A fractional COO, CFO, or operator

· A small business owner who needs real implementation help

Just say: “Tell me more about the BMS Licensee Model.”

✦ DM Kim on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-lewis-howard/

✦ DM Hal on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/halhoward/

This episode is part of The Great Displacement series—a three-part exploration of how displaced Big 4 professionals and struggling SMB owners can solve each other's problems through fractional executive relationships powered by AI.

---

Music Credit: “I Am with You” by Dream Cave; EpidemicSound via iStock.com

Sound Effects: https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/