Worried you've missed the AI game? Brad Sugars has good news. The world's leading business coach says the window is wide open. You're not late. You're early.
Brad runs ActionCoach. He's coached entrepreneurs for over 30 years. We sat down at the Global Biz X event in Wales. He was direct, optimistic, and clear about what AI means right now.
His main point: the AI game has reset. The biggest risk isn't AI itself. It's pretending it isn't happening.
From the Information Age to the Intelligence Age
Brad believes we've crossed a line. The Information Age was about gathering data. The Intelligence Age is about reading it.
There's now too much data for one person to handle. Think of a Chief Marketing Officer. They can't read every dashboard, every channel, every signal. It's just not possible.
The fastest path? Push your data into a tool like Perplexity. Get the analysis. Then act.
Only 1% to 3% of businesses use AI well. So most entrepreneurs aren't late to the AI game. They're early.
Where to Actually Start
Brad's advice is simple. Don't try to implement. Just play. Open ChatGPT or Copilot. Ask it to write something. Get a feel for it.
He shared one trick worth the price of admission. Most people write weak two-line prompts. Try this instead. Ask the AI to write the prompt for you.
Type: "Write me a prompt to do a SWOT analysis of my business." It'll give you fifty lines back. Paste it in. Run it. Ten minutes later, you have a full SWOT.
He then offered three questions every owner should ask:
Are your suppliers using AI? If your agency does manual work AI could handle, you're paying too much.
Is your software AI-enabled? If your accounting tool isn't doing the thinking for you, upgrade.
Is your team using it? Brad's meeting rule has flipped. It's now "laptops open." Every idea goes into ChatGPT in 10 seconds.
AI Is a Multiplier, Not a Magic Wand
Here's the line that should stop you. "If you have a bad system, AI will make a bad product faster."
AI doesn't fix broken fundamentals. It amplifies them. Get the product right first. Get the service right. Get the systems right. Then AI multiplies them.
For ActionCoach, that means coaches serve more clients. Results come faster. Admin work fades. Brad even described an "AI Coach Brad" that calls every team member for ten minutes a day. The next morning, you have a report on the whole company.
That's the leverage we're talking about in the AI game.
The 20-Hour Week and the Billion-Dollar Solo Company
A century ago, Henry Ford cut the work week from 72 hours to 40. People said his business would die. It didn't.
Brad predicts the next shift. He sees us moving to a 20-hour week. People will produce ten times more, thanks to AI.
He also believes we'll soon see a billion-dollar company with just one employee. The shift is from selling people's time to capital and AI doing the work.
What AI Can't Replace
Brad is bullish but not naive. The human element stays.
He talked about noticing the hesitation in someone's voice. Asking why a client used a certain phrase. That's coaching. That's irreplaceable.
He compared it to a live concert versus a stream. As more of life gets automated, the experience economy grows.
The Real Danger of the AI Game
I asked Brad about the risks. His answer was clear. The danger is not bothering.
People who skipped social media lost ground they never got back. People who skip AI will lose more. You won't be beaten by AI. You'll be beaten by a rival who uses it.
If Brad Started Over With $500
His final answer painted the picture. He'd build an AI CFO service. Then an AI CMO service alongside it. He'd ship the whole thing in 10 days.
AI would build the app. AI would build the videos. AI would build the website. AI would reach out to prospects and book the calls.
He'd launch globally in 15 languages from day one. Subscription model. Recurring revenue. Live in two weeks.
Key Takeaways: How to Win the AI Game
Only 1–3% of businesses use AI well. You're not late. You're early.
Ask AI to write the prompt for you. Two-line prompts get two-line results.
Audit three things: your suppliers, your software, and your team's AI use.
AI multiplies what you already have. Fix the fundamentals first.
The biggest risk is inaction. Your rivals are already moving.
Commit 90 days to learning AI. That's all it takes to win the AI game.
Listen to the full conversation with Brad Sugars on the podcast. For more on AI for entrepreneurs, see our guide to getting started with AI tools and why most businesses get AI wrong.