In this episode of the Throttle Up Leadership Podcast, Dr. John Dentico sits down with Chris Carter, a visionary tech entrepreneur, four-time bestselling author, and CEO of Approyo. With over 25 years in the IT industry, Chris shares the fascinating "behind-the-scenes" story of launching the first SAP Cloud in 2005—a breakthrough moment that involved late-night brainstorming sessions with global teams and a surprise encounter with SAP's executive leadership. Chris discusses how his early passion for creative coding on a Commodore Vic 20 evolved into leading a global organization recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine and Forbes for its impact on digital transformation.

The conversation takes a deep dive into the practical reality of Artificial Intelligence, moving past the "bombastic claims" to focus on how leaders can use AI to find greater meaning and efficiency in their work. Chris emphasizes the importance of human oversight, noting that while AI tools like Claude or Gamma are powerful, they still require "human eyes" to prevent hallucinations and ensure quality. Exploring themes of leadership evolution and the emerging entrepreneurial age, Chris and John discuss why lifting others up and truly listening to customers remains the ultimate secret to a high-performing company culture.

00:00 – Introduction to Chris Carter: SAP Expert and Visionary Entrepreneur

02:36 – Early Influences: From Lake Michigan to Georgia Tech

04:13 – The Breakthrough: Building the First SAP Cloud in 2005

07:01 – Meeting Bill McDermott: When Innovation Outpaces Contracts

09:40 – Meaning as Currency: Why Work Must Matter

11:02 – The AI Truck: Navigating Hype vs. Reality

12:21 – Strategic Tooling: Moving Beyond "Boiling the Ocean"

14:35 – Software vs. Hardware: The Evolving Tech Horse Race

16:45 – The Prompting Evolution: Why AI Still Needs Human Eyes

19:07 – Coding Wars and the End-User Experience

22:01 – The "Human Hack": Getting Past Automated Screening

23:58 – The Cultural Secret: Listening and Lifting People Up

26:12 – AI Augmentation: Addition vs. Multiplication in Teams

31:04 – Leadership Evolution: From George Washington to Steve Jobs

33:22 – Hope for the Future: Growing the Next Generation of Talent

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In this episode of the Throttle Up Leadership Podcast, host Dr. John Dentico welcomes Al Kushner, an award-winning author and strategist specializing in the intersection of artificial intelligence and professional presence Al shares his journey from a Brooklyn art school background to becoming a 20-year veteran of LinkedIn, explaining how his unique perspective on art and design helps him help others refine their digital identities. He discusses the inspiration behind his book, The AI LinkedIn Advantage, emphasizing that while many resources cover AI or LinkedIn separately, few combine them to provide a truly competitive edge in today's "noise-filled" digital landscape.

The conversation dives deep into practical strategies for maintaining authenticity while leveraging automation tools like Perplexity, Claude, and 11 Labs. Al explains his "two-prong" approach to profile optimization and outreach, sharing a recent success story of an accountant who grew his connection rate by 400% through targeted AI tactics. Looking toward the future, Al and Dr. Dentico discuss the emerging "entrepreneurial age" and why professionals must embrace AI-powered education and certifications to remain marketable. The episode concludes with a look at the future of search engines and Al's free resources for listeners to audit their own LinkedIn profiles.

• 00:00 – Introduction to Al Kushner and The AI LinkedIn Advantage
• 01:44 – Early Influences: From Coney Island to Art School
• 02:27 – Two Decades on LinkedIn: Evolution of a Thought Leader
• 04:02 – Why Combine AI with Personal Branding?
• 05:03 – Establishing Authority through Content and Newsletter Strategy
• 07:20 – Top AI Tool Recommendations: Perplexity, Google Gemini, and Claude
• 09:48 – Balancing Automation with Human Authenticity
• 10:52 – Video Strategy: Using AI Avatars and Cloned Voices
• 14:16 – LinkedIn Success Rules and Influencer Engagement
• 16:29 – Transparency: Admitting to the Use of AI
• 18:34 – Case Study: A 400% Increase in Connection Growth
• 19:52 – The Future of Work: Certifications and Lifelong Learning
• 22:52 – The Coming AI Shakeout and the Future of Search
• 28:02 – Final Thoughts and Free LinkedIn Audit Resources

You can reach AL at https://linkedvantage.com/

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Lauren Perez traded Broadway dreams for trademark expertise and discovered her true calling wasn't performing on stage but creating light bulb moments for business owners navigating intellectual property chaos. As founder of LVP Solutions, this former law firm VP now helps entrepreneurs understand what they didn't even know they needed to know about protecting their brands in a borderless digital economy where an $80 LLC competes with billion-dollar corporations before breakfast. Her journey began with everything stolen from her car on Day One in New York, forcing reinvention that led to pioneering work in licensing, globalization, and trademark strategy decades before most recognized IP would power commerce.

The conversation explores the art of stillness. Lauren champions listening over talking, creating space for those breakthrough light bulb moments rather than rushing to solutions. She discusses her Small Business Forum, a vetted expert network for founders tired of guessing games, and her expanding mediation practice that saves relationships and money by avoiding litigation. Her philosophy? She's done chasing titles and career ladders. This chapter is about finding happy through client success and making genuine difference, one light bulb moment at a time.

From Broadway Dreams to IP Pioneer - 02:59

The Car Robbery That Changed Everything - 04:13

Slow Burn to Breaking Point - 04:07

Teaching Creates Light Bulb Moments - 06:45

The Small Business Forum Vision - 11:30

Global Commerce Without Borders - 15:20

Mediation Over Litigation - 19:45

The Power of Being Still - 27:58

Listening for Light Bulb Moments - 28:14

Letting the Subconscious Work - 28:23

Finding Happy Over Building Empire - 29:00

Making Difference Through Client Success - 30:28

if you enjoy our podcasts please like, share and subscribe we genuinely appreciate your support.