Speaking & workshops

Practical talks for people who have to go back to work on Monday.

I speak on growth, systems and practical AI for conferences, associations, chambers, universities and leadership teams. No hype and no jargon. You get real examples from real businesses, plus a clear next step for everyone in the room.

Based in Charleston · In person or virtual · Keynotes · Workshops · Executive briefings · Lunch-and-learns

University of Charleston Downtown Innovation Hub

Career totals since 2011, including my digital marketing years.

Growth & Constraints

Find the Real Bottleneck: Why Growth Stalls and What to Fix First

When growth slows, most organizations add something: a tool, a hire, a campaign. This session shows why that rarely works, and how to find the constraint that’s actually holding things back. Attendees walk through the full picture of problems, constraints, assets and opportunities, then learn to separate symptoms from causes before spending a dollar.

Works well as: keynote, workshop, executive briefing

Good fit for: owners, executive teams, chambers, associations

Your audience will leave with

• A simple way to map what’s really going on in their business or department
• How to tell a symptom from the constraint behind it
• Questions to ask before buying the next tool or making the next hire

Practical AI Implementation

AI That Survives Monday Morning

Most AI talks stop at the demo. This one starts at Monday morning, when the real work begins. I cover where AI actually saves time, where it shouldn’t be trusted with the call, and how to roll it out so people use it after the training’s over. Examples come from real implementations, and the session can be tailored to an industry. For instance, the Big I WV convention version focuses on independent insurance agency operations.

Works well as: workshop, lunch-and-learn, keynote

Good fit for: associations, industry conventions, training organizations, small-business programs

Your audience will leave with

• Where AI saves real time in day-to-day operations, and where it doesn’t
• Where to keep people in the loop for judgment calls
• How to avoid getting locked into one AI tool or subscription as prices and limits change

Systems & Leverage

Build It So It Doesn’t Break: Systems That Don’t Depend on One Person, Tool or Vendor

A lot of businesses run on one key person, one platform or one vendor relationship. That works until it doesn’t. This session shows how to design systems where tools, models and people can be swapped in without everything falling apart. One example: a procurement intelligence system for a contractor that automates opportunity discovery and screening, built so the AI model behind it can be swapped as tools and prices change.

Works well as: keynote, workshop, executive briefing

Good fit for: executive groups, owners, operations leaders, entrepreneurship programs

Your audience will leave with

• How to spot single points of failure in their own operation
• What “tool-agnostic” means in practice, and why it protects you
• A first system to document or rebuild this quarter

The AI-Ready Business / Future of Business

The AI-Ready Business: What to Do Now, and What Can Wait

A leadership-level look at how AI is changing the way organizations operate, compete and get found. This isn’t a forecast of robots taking over. It’s a practical way for leaders to decide what deserves attention now, what can wait, and how to get their people and processes ready either way.

Works well as: keynote, executive briefing

Good fit for: conferences, associations, universities, boards and executive groups

Draws on research I’m co-authoring with the University of Charleston on the gap between AI use and real implementation.

Your audience will leave with

• A way to sort AI decisions into “now”, “next” and “not yet”
• Why roles, processes and data readiness matter more than tool choice
• What to ask vendors and internal teams before committing

Not sure which session fits your audience?

Schedule a 15-minute conversation to discuss your event, audience, and what would be most useful.

Speaker bio · copy-ready for your program

About Sean Hyde

Sean Hyde is a business strategist, systems thinker and educator based in Charleston. Since 2011 he has worked with more than 500 businesses and organizations, first through digital marketing and increasingly through the systems, automation and practical AI that let a business run without everything depending on one person, tool or vendor. He is the founder of Ideation Digital and the creator of LIFT, a four-step approach to finding the highest-leverage move in a business and acting on it. Sean has spoken at the WVSAE Annual Meeting and the University of Charleston, and is on the 2026 Big I WV Annual Convention program. His philosophy: understand first, recommend second.

Speaking inquiry

Discuss Your Event

Schedule a 15-minute conversation to discuss your event, audience, and what would be most useful.

It’s a Zoom call, not a commitment. Bring your date, your audience and what you’re hoping people walk away with. If I’m not the right fit, I’ll say so.

Prefer email? [email protected]

Looking for advisory instead? Work with Sean

Pick a time: 15-minute Zoom call

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