We engaged Callan Faulkner, a local expert in AI, to spend a few hours with our Members walking us through how AI is being applied in business today. There was so much good content that we wanted to capture it—not just for those who were there, but also for those who weren’t. I highly recommend plugging into Callan’s work and workshops. She does an incredible job of educating with a practical approach—absolute mastery of her craft.
I'll admit it—I’ve been struggling to incorporate AI into my daily work at a deep level.
Not because I don’t understand its potential and capabilities as a strategic thought partner, but rather, to make time to learn how to tap into those capabilities effectively.
But sitting in our recent Allied Executives event, listening to an expert practitioner in AI, Callan Faulkner, break down how she's actually using AI in her businesses, something clicked.
This isn't another shiny object to be ignored or thought of passively.
Callan runs AI-driven operations across multiple businesses, delivering real numbers, meaningful productivity gains, measurable cost reductions, and competitive advantages that are trackable. But what stopped me cold wasn't the results (they stopped me, though, too, of course). It was her observation about the divide that's already forming.
She calls it the split between AI Architects and AI Offloaders. And she's right.
Architects are building intelligent systems that learn from their institutional knowledge. They're creating workflows that get smarter over time. Think of it like compound interest, but for operational efficiency.
Offloaders, on the other hand, are treating AI like an advanced search engine. They copy and paste generic outputs and wonder why they're not seeing transformational results. It's like having a Ferrari and only driving it in first gear.
The gap between these two approaches isn't just widening—it's accelerating.
What hit me hardest was realizing how many business owners I work with who are still debating whether to engage with AI, while their competitors are already learning how to architect systems that compound their competitive advantage. It reminded me of the early days of the internet, when some companies built e-commerce capabilities while others were still questioning if online business was "real."
Here's what Callan made clear: this isn't about technology adoption. It's about strategic positioning.
The companies that treat AI as a strategic imperative, not just an operational tool, won't just improve their efficiency. They'll redefine what's possible in their industries. And once it becomes obvious which companies are which, it may be too late to catch up.
Callan walked us through many specific principles and examples that she and her clients are already implementing. The frameworks for thinking and what’s required to pull out the best of AI, along with concrete examples, really got me thinking differently about how to approach this transformational opportunity.
Lesson Learned: The question isn't whether AI will transform your business or industry. It will. It's whether you'll be the one doing the transforming. Choose to be an architect, not an offloader.
Who is Callan Faulkner?
Callan is the founder of The Uncommon Business, where she helps entrepreneurs and executives integrate AI into daily operations to scale with less stress. She has trained over 1,500 businesses, ranging from solo founders to enterprises with nine-figure revenues, on AI adoption and workflow automation.
Learn more at: theuncommonbusiness.co