In this interview, the leader of Head's Plumbing (referred to as Heads Up) discusses their experience with the MAX program, a suite of AI‑enabled products that were previously operating independently. The conversation highlights how the program unified these tools into a single, communicative ecosystem, creating a "village of knowledge" for the business. The leader emphasizes an inclusion‑first approach, positioning AI not as a replacement but as a means to elevate each employee’s capabilities. They stress the importance of speed, noting the mantra "success loves speed," and outline plans to rapidly pilot and phase AI implementation. Finally, they argue that for a 45‑year‑old company, embracing AI is essential to avoid becoming obsolete.
Chapters
It's not my first time now, but every time I show up, it feels like day one again because I feel like I'm being introduced to a software program, a new sense of a way to operate my business.
And so what— I mean, you guys are not a Max customer right now, correct?
Yes.
Yes.
Emphasis on the yes.
How much did just today move you toward wanting to be a Max customer?
It definitely moved the You don't realize, you don't know what you don't know, specifically when it comes to the MAX program. See, all of the different products work independently, and today really put everything into a basket, and it understood how they can communicate across channels. And to me, that's the really big benchmark that moved it from separate operating system to a cohesive village of knowledge.
As the leader of your organization, how do you move your staff toward what's been talked about today? Because it is a different way for working for all of us.
Absolutely. So I always start from a place of inclusion. I'm not bringing this in to replace you. I'm bringing this in to heighten your experience and allow you to branch out, grow beyond what is today possible for you. In this organization, and they give you a set of tool steps that are going to help lift us all up individually and collectively as a team.
How fast are you going to move now? I mean, the world's moving fast. How fast are you going to move to, to follow it into this AI reality?
Well, one thing and one phrase that I love is success loves speed. So as soon as we get back, we're going to sit down, get on a great thing, and figure out what does this look like for Heads Up. How quickly can we implement? When does it happen and at what phases and what stages does it happen? But it's definitely—
How much sense would it make to not get on board with what is happening today?
It wouldn't make much sense at all. AI is all around us. So our individual company, your individual company, it can't be an exception. We've been in business for 45 years and it's one thing I know, we gotta go and grow or become a dinosaur.
