Value Factory Podcast

Most owners reach for AI to trim costs. Michael Ellison is using it to change what his company is fundamentally worth.
Mike is President and CEO of Corporate Insight, a competitive intelligence firm his father founded in 1992 and that Mike joined in 1997, now a roughly 100-person operation in New York City serving financial and healthcare institutions. On this episode of the Value Factory Podcast, host Andrew Ballard asks him what convinced him the business had to change, and what he thinks the bigger prize actually is.
His answer starts with a promise to his team:
"I am not about leveraging AI to lay off half the staff. But what I want to be able to do is leverage AI to make a 100-person firm do the capabilities of a 200-person firm."
Mike saw the threat early. In a professional services business, he says, "that knowledge work is gonna get eaten by AI", so the firm moved before it was forced to. For years its research was manual: analysts working through client websites page by page. Now Corporate Insight is building "digital twins" of those analysts, and the deliverable itself is changing shape.
The core insight is about where the value actually sits:
"The knowledge was locked in a PDF."
"I don't want the PDF to be the initial data architecture. I want it to be the end result of what's already in the system."
That shift, from producing documents to producing queryable data, is what changes the economics. It opens up on-demand reports, MCP access for clients who want to plug the firm's data into their own stacks, and dashboards. It also changes who the firm can serve: instead of only Fortune 500 engagements, Mike asks whether you can "do something profitably at a $50,000 or $25,000 price point."
He's blunt that none of it moves the number on its own:
"Multiple is still all gonna come down to EBITDA."
The most striking part of the strategy is that he's deliberately building his own competitor:
"I don't want to be disrupted blindly by this. So I'm trying to set up a digital twin that is potentially a competitor."
He also makes the case for prototypes over strategy decks, "you can prototype things at a cost and speed that was not remotely possible three years ago", and for keeping the company human while it automates:
"I think the culture is the business in many ways."
"I also don't want to become a faceless machine."
"And I will always have humans in the loop."
Also in this episode: Mike's work as co-chair of the Financial Literacy Committee at the SPARK Institute and with FinEd50, why Claude is the firm's main model, and the maritime history publishing imprint and relaunched magazine Ships and Scale he says he "couldn't have done pre-AI."
Guest: Michael Ellison, LinkedIn (two L's in Ellison), corporateinsight.com
CHAPTERS0:00 Cold open0:12 Intro0:40 Welcome - who is Mike Ellison3:22 The SPARK Institute and financial literacy4:40 FinEd50 and state-level financial literacy5:42 Why the business had to change now8:32 From page-by-page analysts to digital twins9:44 Not layoffs: a 100-person firm with 200-person capability10:59 From documents to queryable data13:17 How AI changes the math on capacity and margin16:16 Why a prototype beats a strategy deck18:43 Did you build your own AI agent?19:50 Where the pushback comes from20:34 Building a digital twin designed to disrupt us23:39 Is AI raising your multiple, or just cutting expenses?25:29 The wow factors27:07 Culture, and not becoming a faceless machine28:10 The maritime history imprint30:14 How to reach Mike31:01 Close

Payroll is the biggest line item on the P&L. So what is it returning?
That is the question Sel Watts builds her entire practice around. On this episode of The Value Factory Podcast, host Andrew Ballard talks with Sel Watts, founder of wattsnext PX, a culture architecture firm for founder-led professional services businesses across the US and Australia, about "return on person," and why the number almost nobody calculates is the one that now matters most.
In Sel's words:
"In professional services firms, the product has been the people."
"And so we say it's gross revenue divided by payroll."
"We can now have someone who maybe is a hundred thousand dollars a year and they could actually be giving a return of five hundred thousand dollars a year."
On why a weak return is almost never a people problem:
"Telling people exactly what success looks like and then giving them the resources and the opportunity to deliver on that. Sounds very simple."
On annual performance reviews:
"Don't even talk to me about annual performance reviews. That just drives me insane that you would do a review of someone once a year."
And the line that gives this episode its edge:
"So I would say don't be trying to do your people stuff internally. Because you're really the worst person to do it. I'm not allowed to be in the first round interviews in our business. Like I'm not, I'm banned."
Connect with Sel Watts: sel@wattsnextgroup.com
The Value Factory Podcast is presented by OneAccord, a national consulting firm headquartered in Kirkland, Washington.

Nick Anderson gave Jesse Kreun one job: make OneAccord, a 26-year-old professional services firm, AI native by January 1, 2027.
This episode is the unglamorous conversation nobody films: not prompts and demos, but file architecture, metadata, SharePoint lists, CRM columns, and the change management required to get 25 people to actually put the data in.
"I have asked you to get OneAccord to this place of AI nativity. Make us AI native by January 1, 2027." (Nick)
"For decades, we've just been filing stuff in the old folder system... you started putting things in folders, organizing in subfolders, and kind of had your own system created." (Jesse)
Nick is blunt about his own habits: "Let's be honest, man. I save everything to my desktop and then I put it in a folder later... my file nomenclature, my file architecture, my folder architecture, it's horrendous."
They get concrete fast. On the other side of the podcast studio wall is a storage room full of banker boxes and manila folders, and Nick's point is that OneAccord's SharePoint looks exactly the same. Jesse walks through what metadata actually is, why a single "city, state, zip" column kills your ability to report, and why automation has to come before AI.
Then it gets uncomfortable:
"Every online fitness influencer from 2020 to 2023 is now an AI expert, and they're all pitching a $997 AI audit for your small business to have this conversation that we just had right here. Newsflash: nobody's ready. Just saved you a thousand bucks." (Nick)
They talk real numbers. A Fortune 100 data cleanup runs "three hundred, five hundred, eight hundred thousand dollars." OneAccord is running about $3,500 a month in AI applications and token spend, and six months in Nick tallies the whole bet at roughly $75,000, while admitting the honest answer on ROI: "Is there an R on this I yet? ... The answer's no, right? I mean, not yet."
Nick's resolution is the most useful idea in the episode: "I can't go back and not eat the ice cream... but I can make the decision today to not eat ice cream tomorrow." Don't spend $500K cleaning up 26 years of history, just do it right from today forward.
The back half is the part most AI conversations skip entirely: adoption. Jesse and Nick work through ADKAR and SCARF, why "make someone aware" isn't awareness, and why status, certainty and autonomy are what actually stop a team from using the tools you built.
"You have built beautiful systems. But if nobody uses them, they're worthless." (Nick)
Also in this one: letting Claude loose on 20 years of SharePoint and surfacing client testimonials nobody knew existed; running the sales pipeline through Claude and not liking the answer; conversational intelligence that turns every recorded call into coaching; why chasing unqualified deals is the expensive habit; and the "say the exact words back" rule Nick borrows from marriage coaching and applies to clients.
Guest: Jesse KreunHost: Nick Anderson, CEO of OneAccord.
Chapters00:00 Cold open00:41 Welcome to the Value Factory01:09 The mandate: make us AI native by January 1, 202701:59 26 years of folders, why legacy filing breaks AI02:56 Letting Claude loose on SharePoint03:50 "Talk to me like we've been friends since fifth grade"04:47 What metadata actually is06:08 The banker boxes on the other side of the wall08:07 Why it matters: automation comes before AI10:04 Nobody's tracking the data, including the top sellers10:42 "Diagnose me": where the problem really starts12:00 Addresses, columns, and why granularity pays14:35 Start with the end in mind15:59 Everyone knows the answer, so why doesn't anyone do it?16:56 Make it easy: pop-up fields and required data17:26 Sell the vacation, not the plane18:49 What clean data actually unlocks19:44 The 767 engagements Nick can't count21:14 Conversational intelligence: recording every call23:38 This isn't Otter or Read AI25:03 "Only 132 people will watch this": sharing the secret sauce25:41 The sales coach in your pocket27:52 Say the exact words back, the marriage-coach rule29:47 Where it goes wrong: becoming the ChatGPT yes-man30:15 A quarter century of experience as the filter32:07 Chasing the wrong deals, AI as the objective screen33:05 The 25-to-100-million ideal client, and the tractor vs. the shovel33:59 Turning Claude loose on the sales pipeline35:26 The $997 AI audit: newsflash, nobody's ready36:23 Medallion architecture and what Fortune 100 data cleanup costs37:03 What's the real investment? The intern experiment38:38 Is there an ROI yet? The honest answer39:45 Collective 54, the one firm that can point to returns40:13 $3,500 a month in tokens, and "I've been doing sit-ups for five days"40:43 Don't fix the past, fix everything going forward41:33 If the architecture changes in six months, why sign up?42:59 Seven steps down to one: the change-management win43:29 ADKAR and SCARF: awareness, desire, knowledge, ability46:43 Beautiful systems that nobody uses are worthless47:17 SharePoint lists, document libraries, and self-updating SOPs49:39 Databases that point at each other51:31 What changes when the call auto-populates the CRM52:44 The living organization: agents that revise your SOPs54:33 How real is this, and how far away?56:00 Six months in: tallying the actual bill
OneAccord helps founders and owners of $25M+ companies increase enterprise value ahead of transition. oneaccordpartners.com

Nick Anderson runs OneAccord, a 25-year-old consulting firm that leads lower-middle-market companies (manufacturers, trades, professional services doing $25M+) through transition and growth. In January 2026 he stopped being an AI cynic and started building agents. Today three of them work in his company: Donna, his digital chief of staff, who has a OneAccord email, a Microsoft 365 license and a seat on the org chart; Harper, who runs marketing, content and video; and Grace, who writes code.
Ansh Nanda, founder of Chorus.com, sits down with Nick to get the unfiltered version: what it actually cost, what broke, what he still won't hand to an agent, and why the answer to almost every "AI readiness audit" in America is the same.
In this conversation:
Why Nick went from ChatGPT early adopter (around user number 500,000) to full cynic: the charlatans, the hallucinations, the AI pitch decks that were "presented to me as if it was like diamonds, but it wasn't."
"Every fitness influencer from 2022 is now an AI expert consultant, and they want to do an AI readiness audit for 2,500 bucks. I know the answer to the audit... The answer to the audit is you're not ready. Your data is messy. Get your data together."
The unglamorous prerequisite nobody sells you: OneAccord had no live SOP document when Nick took over a 23-year-old company. Three years of writing down every decision produced the 150-page SOP that made the first agent possible.
The Copilot Studio reality check: four weeks at 20 hours a week to get an MVP agent that could produce OneAccord's standard 50-to-80-slide consulting deliverable, and it was "maybe, maybe okay."
"By January 2027, my org chart is going to have agents alongside humans." He said that on a podcast a year early. His answer now: "We are there."
What it costs: under $2,000 a month in tokens for all three agents. A paid-ads build he priced at roughly $20,000 from an agency. Two cents to post a piece of content.
The delegation rule: "I don't ever exclusively delegate to an agent... it's the agent doing 80% of the work, but the human is responsible for that 20% that is the judgment, that is the taste. Taste really matters."
The A-Team: all three agents in one iMessage group chat, each on a different model, arguing out a Meta/LinkedIn/Google retargeting campaign like a marketing committee.
Rapid fire: lose your best employee for a year, or lose AI for a year? Nick's answer is not the one you expect: "AI cannot produce revenue for us. Can't close sales. Not yet."
Budgeting AI like payroll: an $80K minimum-wage exempt employee in Washington costs about $100K a year fully loaded, or $8,000 a month. "I can easily 10X output with $8,000 of token spend... and we're nowhere near that right now."
And the long view: "By the end of 2027... the agents that we build will be able to deliver the knowledge that we offer better, faster, cheaper than we can as human individuals."
Guest host: Ansh Nanda, founder of Chorus.com.Host: Nick Anderson, CEO of OneAccord.
Chapters00:00 Cold open00:56 Welcome to the Value Factory01:21 Banker at 17, CEO at 25 years in: who Nick is02:44 What OneAccord actually does, the lower middle market07:16 First contact with AI: user ~500,000 on ChatGPT08:32 From curious to cynical: charlatans, hallucinations, data risk11:14 "Every fitness influencer from 2022 is now an AI expert consultant"11:52 January 2026: the demo that changed his mind15:23 "I'm building agents": Copilot Studio and weekly Innovation Day16:58 The 150-page SOP nobody wanted to write18:22 Four weeks, 20 hours a week, one "maybe okay" MVP19:32 "By January 2027 my org chart has agents alongside humans"20:43 OpenClaw, Gemini, and why a terminal was a wall27:23 Meet the agents: Donna, Harper, Grace28:33 What three agents actually cost per month30:37 The A-Team: three agents planning a paid ads campaign in iMessage32:28 Harper builds the campaign, and why nothing ships without review36:34 A $20,000 agency quote vs. under $2,000 in tokens37:19 Agent in the loop: 80% of the work, 20% judgment and taste39:23 Two cents per post: the unit economics of an action42:58 10X productivity, and the hidden cost of learning44:23 Rolling agents out to the team47:39 Agents for clients: the "change agent"48:49 "Better, faster, cheaper" by the end of 202754:54 Rapid fire: lose your best employee, or lose AI?55:33 Four kids and the future of work56:29 Budgeting AI like payroll: $8,000 a month58:17 Close
OneAccord helps founders and owners of $25M+ companies increase enterprise value ahead of transition. oneaccordpartners.com

Every business has an operating system. The question is whether it's helping your company grow or holding it back.
In this episode of the Value Factory Podcast, host Andrew Ballard sits down with business operating system expert Sergiu Simmel to discuss how the right systems create stronger leadership, better execution, and greater enterprise value. They also explore why AI can't fix broken processes and what leaders should look for as their businesses grow.
Learn more about building a scalable business at oneaccord.co.

What if the biggest obstacle to growing your business is you?
In this episode of the Value Factory Podcast, host Andrew Ballard sits down with executive coach, retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, and bestselling author Ben Morley to explore the connection between personal transformation and enterprise value. They discuss owner dependency, leadership, process documentation, and why the strongest businesses are built to thrive beyond their founders.
Discover practical insights for building a more scalable, transferable business at oneaccord.co.

Why do so many strategic plans fail to deliver results?
In this episode of the Value Factory Podcast, host Andrew Ballard sits down with Joseph Thompson, CEO of Target Tech and former Army officer, to explore why execution is often the missing link between strategy and success. They discuss the difference between urgent and important work, how CEOs can create lasting enterprise value, and why accountability and operating cadence matter more than another planning session.
Learn practical insights for building a stronger, more valuable business at oneaccord.co.

What makes one company impossible to compete against while another gets stuck competing on price?
In this episode of the Value Factory Podcast, host Andrew Ballard sits down with Lorraine McGregor, founder of Spirit West Management, to explore how discovering your company's unique X factor can drive growth, increase profitability, and create lasting enterprise value.
Together, they discuss customer perception, Blue Ocean Strategy, and why the strongest businesses stop chasing competitors and start building on what makes them truly different.
Learn more at oneaccord.co.

Why do so many business strategies fail?
In this episode of the Value Factory Podcast, OneAccord Principal Huba Rostonics joins host Andrew Ballard to explain why execution, not strategy, is the biggest challenge facing growing businesses. Together, they explore the relationship between vision, strategy, and execution, why most strategic initiatives fall short, and how a business operating system creates the accountability needed for lasting growth.
If you're a business owner, CEO, or leader looking to turn strategy into results, this episode offers practical insights you can apply immediately.
Learn more at oneaccord.co.

In this episode of The Value Factory Podcast, host Andrew Ballard sits down with Jeromie Jackson, founder and CEO of Cinder Labs, to expose a problem most leaders don’t even realize they have: AI is already inside your business—and it’s creating risk faster than you can see it.
Jeromie brings 30+ years of cybersecurity experience and breaks down the hidden dangers of AI adoption, from shadow AI and data leakage to the illusion of control created by traditional security tools. He explains why policies and training aren’t enough, how employees unintentionally expose sensitive information through everyday AI use, and why most organizations lack the visibility required to manage this new threat landscape.
The conversation cuts straight to what matters: AI risk governance, data classification, and real visibility. Jeromie shares real-world examples—including how confidential M&A activity was accidentally exposed through AI—and explains why compliance frameworks like SOC 2, HIPAA, and CMMC are scrambling to catch up. He also makes the bigger point: AI isn’t optional. It’s the next internet—and leaders who don’t build a strategy around it will fall behind fast.
If you’re a business owner or executive pushing into AI without a clear plan, this episode is a wake-up call. The risk isn’t coming—it’s already here.