Business Growth Spotlight
Welcome to Business Growth Spotlight, the podcast where we shine a light on innovative business leaders, cutting-edge strategies, and the latest trends shaping the world of business growth. Whether you're a CEO, Founder, Corporate leader or Entrepreneur, this podcast delivers actionable insights and expert conversations to help you scale your business, increase revenue, and stay ahead in a competitive market.
Join host Heidi Schalk as we dive deep into the stories and strategies of industry leaders, uncovering the tools and tactics they use to drive success. From navigating corporate challenges to mastering online visibility, this podcast is your go-to resource for scaling your business and reaching your goals.
Tune in on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, for inspiring conversations, practical advice, and a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to thrive in today’s ever-evolving business landscape.
Business Growth Spotlight
Ep. 241 Why Human Agency Is the Next Competitive Advantage in an AI-Driven World with Dr. Michael J. Becker
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Show Notes:
In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Dr. Michael J. Becker, founder of Identity Praxis, educator at Cal Poly Pomona and National University, and a strategic leader who has spent over two decades helping people navigate how technology reshapes the way we work, think, and connect. His work centers on a vital shift: moving organizations away from transactional thinking, where people and data are treated as one-off numbers, and toward relational approaches built on genuine trust and lasting connection.
Michael walks through the four pillars of what he calls relational technology architecture: artificial intelligence, identity and data sovereignty, knowledge management, and engagement. He unpacks the difference between deterministic, generative, and agentic AI, and explains why human agency and sovereignty matter more than ever as autonomous agents begin acting on our behalf. Along the way he shares a chilling real-world example of an AI agent that erased a company's entire production database and every backup in a matter of seconds.
The conversation moves into what all of this means for how businesses reach people. Michael explains the coming shift from the traditional purchase funnel to relationship journeys, the rise of RCS messaging, the emergence of self-sovereign identity and "MyTerms" protocols, and why the connected individual has become the point of sale. He and Heidi also dig into the growing reality that buyers now research and get recommendations through AI rather than traditional search, why that makes findability and recommendability essential, and how to use AI in content without losing the human voice that earns trust.
This is a wide-ranging, forward-looking conversation that every business leader needs to hear, because the infrastructure underneath how we connect, communicate, and conduct commerce is already changing beneath our feet.
Bio:
Hi, I’m Dr. Michael J. Becker. My work focuses on a simple, yet vital shift: moving organizations away from 'transactional' thinking—where people and data are treated like one-off numbers to be processed—and toward 'relational' approaches that build genuine trust and lasting connections.
In today's complex world, I help leaders and teams clear the noise, manage their information better, and make decisions that actually lead to meaningful results. As the founder of Identity Praxis, an educator at Cal Poly Pomona and National University, and a strategic advisor, I’ve spent over two decades helping people navigate how technology changes the way we work, think, and solve problems together.
To connect with our guest, click on the links below:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmichaeljbecker/
Website: www.identitypraxis.com
Connect with me:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/
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