Small Business Big AI

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IMPACT Series · Episode 1

The Problem Starts Before the Prompt

Most entrepreneurs think better prompts are the answer. But what if the real problem happens before the prompt is even written? Kim & Hal unpack the thinking that separates operators who get results from those who stay frustrated.

Why AI disappoints — even when the answers seem correct
The thinking most business owners skip entirely
How to design intelligence into your business, not just use tools
Launching a 5-episode deep dive into the IMPACT framework

▶ Listen on Apple Spotify IMPACT Series

My Unfair Advantage

Two frameworks. One transformation.

Built by Kim Lewis Howard and Hal Howard from real operator experience. The SBTM gives you the transformation principles; the IMPACT Framework gives you the intelligence leadership system to execute them.

The Method

Small Business Transformation Model

Five principles for AI-era growth · Stabilize → Systemize → Scale → Prosper

SBTM

Embrace Intelligent Change

Replace reactive decisions with proactive, data-driven moves — turning chaos into confidence.

Build AI-Enhanced Alignment

Synchronize people, processes, and profit so the entire team rows in the same direction.

Simplify and Automate Systems

Design systems that scale profit, not paperwork — freeing you to focus on growth.

Measure Meaningful Impact

Track what actually moves the needle — margin, cash, and customer lifetime value.

Celebrate Human + Machine Wins

Reinforce success to build momentum — recognizing both human creativity and machine efficiency.

The Framework

The IMPACT Framework

How leaders manage intelligence — human, AI, or agentic

IMPACT

Identify

Clarify the business intent, decision, and outcome before assigning intelligence

Mode

Define how intelligence is allowed to think, act, and decide

Parameters

Set the constraints, standards, and success criteria that guide execution

Activate

Translate intent, authority, and boundaries into clear, executable instruction

Check

Apply human judgment to evaluate, calibrate, and refine intelligence before acting

Transform

Operationalize and integrate intelligence to create compounding business impact

The Wealth Arc · Your Transformation Journey

Stabilize

Stop the bleeding. Gain clarity on cash, costs, and constraints.

Systemize

Build the systems that replace chaos with repeatable results.

Scale

Grow without adding proportional complexity or headcount.

Prosper

Design a business that serves your life — not the other way around.

Hal Howard · Business Strategist

Five Tenets of Financial Strength

The financial layer beneath every transformation principle

Profit-Driven Sales

Focus on profitable volume, not vanity volume.

Control COGS

Tighten cost of goods sold without choking quality or throughput.

Control Overhead

Trim waste so profit isn’t consumed by clutter.

Minimize Taxes

Structure proactively to keep more earnings in the business.

Enjoy the Fruits

Design your business to serve your life — not the other way around.

The Course

SBTM Accelerator — 6 weeks, operator-paced

Five Transformation Principles + the IMPACT Framework + Hal’s Five Tenets of Financial Strength. Live cohort. Direct access to Kim and Hal.

Get Early Access →

Results

Operators who went all in.

“

AI isn’t here to add another hat to your collection. It’s here to help you get rid of a few.

Kim Lewis Howard

Host, Small Business Big AI

🎧

45+ episodes. Real operators. Real strategies. No theory — just what actually works when you’re in the seat running a business.

Start from Episode 1 →

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Join the AI Insiders Community — a private group for small business owners putting these frameworks to work right now.

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6wk

Accelerator program

Proprietary frameworks

1:1

Access to Kim

Work With Kim

Three ways in. One direction.

Whether you're ready to invest, explore, or just get the thinking — there's a path for where you are right now.

Course · Now Enrolling

◈

SBTM Accelerator

Six weeks. All three frameworks. Live cohort with Kim and Hal. Walk in with a business bottleneck — walk out with a working intelligence system.

Five Transformation Principles
IMPACT Framework in full
Five Tenets of Financial Strength
Weekly live sessions with Kim & Hal
Lifetime access to materials

Enroll Now →

Speaking · Available

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Keynote & Conference

Kim speaks on AI strategy, business transformation, and what it actually takes for small businesses to compete in an AI-shaped economy.

Conferences & summits
Corporate offsites
Association events

Inquire about speaking →

Book · Coming Soon

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The SUCCESS Sequence

A Woman Entrepreneur's Guide to Start, Scale, and Sell a Business in the AI Era — Kim's forthcoming book distilling every framework into one definitive playbook.

Start, Scale & Sell frameworks
AI integration at every stage
Written for women entrepreneurs

Get on the early list →

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AI Systems · Latest

From Tools to Systems: The AI Chief of Staff

Most businesses bought AI tools. Very few built AI systems. Kim & Hal explore how to shift from experimenting to operating.

Listen → Systems

Mindset & Messaging

Stop Thinking Like a Technician. Start Leading Like a Transformer.

The 7 hidden technician traps that cause AI projects to stall — and how to avoid them with city-planner precision.

Listen → Leadership

Coffee Table Conversations

AI Was Supposed to Make It Easier

Why capable operators feel slower and more taxed with AI — and the leadership shift no one trained you for.

Listen → Operations

Now Enrolling

Ready to lead AI — not follow it?

Six weeks with Kim and a cohort of small business operators who are done waiting for the right moment. The SBTM Accelerator is the moment.

Five Transformation Principles (SBTM)
IMPACT Framework for leading intelligence
Hal’s Five Tenets of Financial Strength
Live weekly sessions with Kim & Hal
Private operator community
30-day money-back guarantee

Enroll in the Accelerator →

Limited cohort size. Next session starts soon.

Stop using AI like a tool. Start leading it like a team.