If you run a business and actually listen to this episode, you will make more money from the leads you already have. One AI system, seven days, real revenue

You’re not behind on AI—you’re leaking revenue.

In this episode of In the Queue, Michael Schiano breaks down how small and midsize business owners can use AI to make more money from the leads they already have, without becoming “tech people” or rebuilding their entire tech stack. You’ll learn how to identify the 1–2 workflows that are quietly costing you the most—slow lead follow‑up, manual quoting, and repetitive admin—and how to replace them with a single, clear, revenue‑focused AI system in just 7 days.

Michael walks through his 7‑Day AI Implementation Sprint step‑by‑step: how to map your real‑world processes, design a simple AI workflow that plugs into your existing tools, implement it with your team, and measure the impact in actual hours saved and extra revenue generated. You’ll hear why most businesses are paying people to do work AI can do in seconds, how to stop leads from dying in your inbox while competitors respond instantly, and how to give your team clear scripts and SOPs so they know exactly what to do when AI hands them a hot opportunity.

If you’re a business owner who feels “behind” on AI, this episode shows you that the problem isn’t you—it’s the lack of a focused plan. By the end, you’ll know where your biggest AI opportunity is, what a practical 7‑day rollout looks like, and how to start turning AI from a vague threat into a concrete revenue system in your business.

SPSContact.com

mike@spscontact.com

Recent studies from Carnegie Mellon, Microsoft and MITreveal that over-reliance on AI can narrow our thinking, reduceidea-generation, and lead to less varied and less original outcomes. In other words, if we're not careful, AI can actually make us less creative.

In this forward-looking episode, Dr. André Walton explores why this happens and what we can do to prevent it. Drawing from neuroscience and social psychology, he explains how the brain uses two core modes of thought - one analytical and convergent, the other imaginative and divergent.

Dr. Walton says, AI tools often reward the more comfortable, less effortful convergent approach. The result? We metaphorically "put our feet up," allowing AI to take over tasks that once challenged and strengthened our creative neuralpathways. Like any unused muscle, those pathways weaken over time. But that outcome is not inevitable. It is a choice, and Dr. André shows us ways we can use AI as a catalyst to advance our emotional intelligence, ourinnovative potential and our resilience.

Key Takeaways:

• Strengthen creative thinking habits that keep the brain's innovation networks active
• Use AI as an innovation and decision-making partner rather than a substitute for human ingenuity
• Guide AI towards generating more original, diverse and high-value ideas
• Build "creative resilience" and increased emotionalintelligence through spherical thinking. Valuable assets in an age of rapid technological change

In short, Dr. Waltong believes the inherent laziness of the human brain is leading many users of AI down a rather negative path (as also suggested by research published last year):

“Microsoft, Carnegie Mellon University,and Harvard Business School research indicates a significant negative correlation between frequent AI usage and critical thinking skills.

This phenomenon, often termed "cognitive offloading," occurs when users delegate complex reasoning and problem-solving tasks to AI, leading to a measurable decline in independent analytical abilities.” Re-creating the ability to thinkcreatively is the answer to combating that.

How to contact Dr. Andre P Walton

Speaker, Author, Burnout & Innovation Coach

TEDx Speaker, International Best-Selling Author

Visiting Professor of Creativity and Entrepreneurship: Newport Business School, Wales, UK

Adjunct Faculty: Justice Management Master’s DegreeProgram, University of Nevada, Reno, NV

Professor, Marketing and Management, BusinessSchool, University of Nevada, Reno, NV

Websites: www.hiredrandre.com

www.plan4change.org

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/plan4change

Calendar: https://app.simplymeet.me/hiredrandre

Thank you for listening to this episode of Mike Schiano In the Queue with Dr. Andre Walton.

In this In the Queue episode, Mike Schiano explains how small business owners can use AI like a dependable new employee to streamline operations, write better prompts, create SOPs, and save time without losing the human touch.

Discover how AI can become your business’s best employee. Mike Schiano shares a simple framework for using AI in daily operations, customer service, training, and workflow design for real business results.

Mike’s argument is simple: most small businesses are already better prepared for AI than they think. Why? Because they already run on systems, checklists, schedules, policies, and repeatable tasks. AI performs best in structured environments, and that is exactly how many successful small businesses already operateIn this episode:

• AI for small business

• AI for operations

• small business AI tools

• AI SOP templates

• AI for customer service

• AI workflow automation for SMBs

Get your copy of the SMB AI SOP Starter Kit

A complete set of AI-powered Standard Operating Procedure templates designed for independent business owners - Everything from customer service scripts to inventory processes to employee onboarding. The prompts are pre-built. The Master Context worksheet is included. You plug in your information and you have a professional ops system running in a day.