In This Episode of Business Lunch, Roland Frasier and Ryan Deiss reflect on the challenges and lessons learned from 2025, emphasizing the disappearance of confidence in business, the importance of profit over margin, and the transformative role of AI. They discuss the need for simplified processes, the significance of content as an asset, and the importance of building systems for predictability as they look ahead to 2026.

Chapters

00:00 Year in Review: Reflecting on 2025

02:58 The Disappearance of Confidence

05:53 Economic Indicators and Market Behavior

08:56 The Shift from Trust to Proof

12:03 Profitability Over Margin Percentage

14:53 AI as a Team Member: A Paradigm Shift

18:07 Transformative AI Applications in Business

23:52 Leveraging AI Protocols for Efficiency

30:10 Implementing Systems for Business Success

35:03 From Momentum to Inevitability

38:44 Rethinking Business Events and Resources

42:21 Simplifying Processes for Better Performance

Connect with me on social:

1. TikTok: Check out my TikTok Here
2. Instagram: Check out my Instagram Here
3. Facebook: Check out my Facebook Here
4. LinkedIn: Check out my LinkedIn Here
5. Subscribe to my YouTube 👉 Here

Resources:

• 7 Steps to Scalable workbook

• Get my book, Zero Down, FREE

Mentioned in this episode:

Build Your CEO Dashboard

Get one report every week of the key metrics you need to know with the CEO Dashboard!

CEO Dashboard

In This Episode of Business Lunch, Roland and Sarah dig into why most business failures aren't actually motivation problems—they're friction problems. They explore how accidental complexity in your systems quietly kills performance, why transparency in pricing beats "customized solutions," and how mapping out every step of a process reveals the hidden friction that's sabotaging adoption.

Sarah pushes back on whether removing friction just accommodates laziness, leading to a nuanced discussion about intentional versus accidental friction. They cover real examples from CRM adoption to project management tools to sales processes, and debate when systems should adapt to people versus when people should adapt to systems.

The core insight: if your strategy requires people to "try harder," your system is poorly designed. Includes practical advice on friction audits and why starting small beats trying to redesign everything at once.

Connect with me on social:

1. TikTok: Check out my TikTok Here
2. Instagram: Check out my Instagram Here
3. Facebook: Check out my Facebook Here
4. LinkedIn: Check out my LinkedIn Here
5. Subscribe to my YouTube 👉 Here

Resources:

• 7 Steps to Scalable workbook

• Get my book, Zero Down, FREE

In This Episode of Business Lunch, we unpack why the real power in AI isn’t the model itself—but the protocols wrapped around it. Even advanced AI systems still get things wrong 15–20% of the time, which makes unchecked automation a serious business risk. The winners aren’t chasing smarter models; they’re building structured decision systems that catch errors, manage leverage, and define when humans step in.

We explore how companies use tools like RAG and multi-layer “triple-check” frameworks to dramatically reduce AI error rates, why stabilizing decision-making must come before accelerating it, and how operating leverage—done right—can either amplify profits or protect downside. The big takeaway: well-designed AI protocols are becoming a new form of intellectual property, increasing predictability, transferability, and valuation by creating true founder-independent businesses.

In short, the future advantage isn’t faster AI—it’s better thinking systems.

Connect with me on social:

• TikTok: Check out my TikTok Here
• Instagram: Check out my Instagram Here
• Facebook: Check out my Facebook Here
• LinkedIn: Check out my LinkedIn Here
• Subscribe to my YouTube 👉 Here

Resources:

• 7 Steps to Scalable workbook

• Get my book, Zero Down, FREE