very different to how it used to be.

I think the things that have really served me well is a tad bit of paranoia in terms of like wondering what's around the corner and what am I missing and where do we need to be before anyone else gets there.

And that served me very well.

You know, back then when it was the Chamber of Commerce, we completely reimagined the organization as a kind of a universal visitor center for an entire community in Pinellas County.

and took that trajectory from there.

Same for all the other businesses.

My last group I was with, THM Media, it was a print publication in 30 markets across the US that now has events, has email, has data, has AI components that's competing against some of the larger groups out there and really took what everyone knew as a great brand and said, how do you extend this brand beyond what it currently does, right? Because there's trust there.

um where do you think tom that most companies are getting it wrong when it comes to ai

But what was that like for you as you were learning about the Inman opportunity and ultimately accepting the role as CEO and taking on the leadership?

Yeah, you know, I think part of my career has been all about going into good brands and good brands that have thought, hey, maybe our better days are behind us and really helping them to reimagine who and what they are for an entirely new generation.

And what Brad Inman built here was incredible.

I've heard so many people over and over and over again say just what you said.

This was absolutely instrumental in my career.

And my job, which I take very seriously, is now how do we reimagine that for the future? Because the truth of it is that news has become a commodity.

So now how do you start to build a platform that is relevant for the next generation of agents? and brokerages and people within this incredible industry.

media guy saying, yeah, it is clickbait.

And

that's what matters.

And that's where I think Inman is really starting to try to step into.

We're trying to stand above all that and get out of that because I want them to all compete.

We don't want to put our thumb on that scale in any way, shape, or form.

I do think from trends you're going to see beyond some of the consolidation is we just have a gentleman in there who's talking about AI.

I think despite all the buzz on AI, and there's a ton of buzz on AI right now, I don't think people truly understand how quickly it's accelerating.

Where does that kind of content and journalism side of it? I mean, look, I think it's no surprise.

So

there's always a path.

You just have to always kind of keep thinking that the first thing's not going to work.

And I have so much admiration for him because he's now doing it as an agent is getting hired on incredible things.

And it's like, hey, you did it.

You just, you know, it's not going to be easy.

It takes time.

Oh, they're