4 Stages of AI Adoption in SMB

AI isn’t optional anymore. The question is: What stage is your organization in?

In this episode of the Coach.Win Podcast, Rob Simons and John Lund break down the 4 stages of AI adoption they’re seeing across organizations heading into 2026.

Coming out of annual planning sessions and SWOT assessments, one theme is clear: nearly every leadership team has AI on their objectives. But most companies don’t know how to move from experimentation to real impact.

John outlines the four stages:

1️⃣ Explorer – Getting comfortable with tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, and Claude. Small wins. Faster daily tasks.
2️⃣ Thinker – Using AI as a thought partner to elevate strategic thinking and problem-solving.
3️⃣ Builder – Creating structured prompts, GPTs, bots, and internal tools that scale capability.
4️⃣ Leader – Scaling AI across the organization to increase productivity, alignment, and strategic leverage.

If you’re asking:
• How do we start using AI without overwhelming the team?
• How do we make our people smarter and more strategic?
• How do we grow without hiring 3–6 more employees?
• How do we scale AI across the organization?

This episode gives you a roadmap.