Turning AI Experiments Into Agency Impact: Transforming Curiosity Into Measurable Results
Experimenting with AI is exciting—but how do you make the leap from tinkering to transforming agency operations at scale? In this conversation, Galen Low brings together Melissa Morris (Agency Authority), Kelly Vega (VML), and Harv Nagra (Scoro) to talk about how agencies can carve out space for experimentation, align AI use to business goals, and actually implement the good ideas that emerge.The panel shares stories of saving hours on PM tasks, setting up accountability frameworks, and creating safe spaces for knowledge-sharing. They also surface the tough stuff—fear of job replacement, cultural resistance, governance challenges—and how to navigate it with clarity and empathy.Resources from this episode:Join DPM MembershipSubscribe to the newsletter to get our latest articles and podcastsConnect with Melissa, Kelly, Harv on LinkedInCheck out Agency Authority, VML, Scoro and The Handbook: Agency Ops podcast
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How AI Leadership Shapes Project Delivery (and When You Need It)
When is the right time to hire an AI leader, and what do they actually do once they’re in the door? In this episode, Galen Low sits down with Tim Fisher, VP of AI at Black & White Zebra, to unpack the real-world impact of AI leadership roles. Together they explore the tension between hype and practicality, the mix of skills needed to bridge tech, business, and people, and why AI leadership is less about flashy experiments and more about building trust, change readiness, and operational maturity.Tim shares candid insights from his own path into the role, offering a grounded look at how organizations can approach AI without losing sight of their business goals—or their people. If you’ve ever wondered whether a VP of AI is a made-up job, or how AI leadership can actually smooth project delivery, this conversation is for you.
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Why Automating Everything is The Wrong Move (And What to do Instead)
AI is not eating all the jobs—but the story is more nuanced than the headlines suggest. In this episode, Galen Low sits down with Jim Iyoob (President of ETS Labs, CCO at Etech Global Services) and Manu Dwievedi (AVP at ETS Labs) to cut through the noise around large-scale AI transformation in customer experience. Together, they unpack what’s really happening in call centers worldwide, why AI is more about augmentation than replacement, and how organizations can implement AI without breaking the customer or employee experience.From pragmatic strategies to leadership-level insights, this conversation tackles the real challenges of AI change management: how to start small, get quick wins, and bring people along for the journey. Whether you’re leading a CX transformation or navigating an AI project in any industry, you’ll leave with concrete strategies to make AI work for your team instead of against them.Resources from this episode:Join DPM MembershipSubscribe to the newsletter to get our latest articles and podcastsConnect with Jim and Manu on LinkedInCheck out ETS Labs and Etech Global Services
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Are You Tracking the Wrong Metrics? How AI Can De-Risk Delivery
How do you know if you’re tracking the right project metrics—or if you’ve been chasing the wrong numbers all along? In this episode, Galen sits down with Lior Gerson, Co-founder & CEO of TargetBoard.ai, to unpack how AI is reshaping KPI management and why aligning metrics with business strategy is the real game-changer.Together, they explore how project leaders can move beyond legacy metrics like velocity and utilization to focus on measures that truly drive impact. From tackling cultural mismatches around KPIs, to building real-time forecasting models, to leveraging AI for smarter, faster reporting—this is a conversation about cutting through the noise and making metrics meaningful.Resources from this episode:Join DPM MembershipSubscribe to the newsletter to get our latest articles and podcastsConnect with Lior on LinkedInCheck out TargetBoard.aiWhen the Old, and the New Metrics Fail – Jim Highsmith
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Beyond the Billable Hour: How AI Is Making Time & Materials Irrelevant
In this episode, Galen Low sits down with Brian Kessman of Lodestar Agency Consulting to tackle a big question: is AI finally the deathblow to billable hours? Brian argues yes—and not because AI “broke” the model, but because it’s exposed just how misaligned hourly billing has always been with the real value agencies deliver. Instead of rewarding efficiency and innovation, time-based pricing incentivizes dragging things out and commoditizes expertise. The real shift, Brian says, isn’t just about swapping billing methods—it’s about fundamentally rethinking what you sell, how you position it, and how you prove its impact.They dig into the Agency Value Model—a framework for moving from selling time to selling outcomes. Brian explains how to define your best-fit clients, identify their high-value problems, and design structured solutions that command higher prices while delivering measurable impact. Along the way, they unpack how to navigate the “race to the bottom” fueled by AI, nearshoring, and automation; why confidence in your positioning can help you turn away misaligned clients; and how to operationalize repeatable, scalable value delivery without falling back into chaos.Resources from this episode:Join DPM MembershipSubscribe to the newsletter to get our latest articles and podcastsConnect with Brian on LinkedInCheck out Lodestar Agency ConsultingValue Model AssessmentAgencies building business models around AI offerings:Go Supergood — an AI-native creative agencySilverside.ai — an AI innovation labSkeptic™ by Known — uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to deploy rapid scientific experimentation and persistent optimizationJellyfish — social media AI agentsMagnolia by Newfangled — is an AI-powered strategic plannerContent Symphony
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