This episode of the Top Voice Podcast features Sharita Humphrey discussing her “unexpected CEO” journey from government auditor and analyst to entrepreneur and CEO. Humphrey shares that she initially had no desire to start a business, but felt a persistent tug to serve rural communities and prepared for the leap by saving two years of salary, setting aside funds for bills, and learning from auditing businesses and interviewing CEOs, along with resources like The Big Leap and The 12 Week Year. She explains how she founded Change in Motion, an economic development consulting and small business advisory firm focused on helping rural communities drive growth while keeping a community feel, and later launched Eco Power to develop geothermal-powered data centers and related infrastructure in rural areas to generate taxable revenue for 30–50 years, create job growth, and improve quality of life with fair wages. The conversation covers identity shifts from employee to CEO, handling fear and introversion, seeking advisors and a team, learning through iteration, avoiding perfectionism and analysis paralysis, and the importance of mindset, planning, and not building alone. Humphrey also answers a closing question about AI by emphasizing that relationships, teams, and human capital remain essential, and shares where to follow her on LinkedIn and at cheritamhumphrey.com.

Timestamps:
00:24 Welcome to Top Voice Podcast + Meet Sharita Humphrey
01:37 From Government Auditor to Taking the Leap (Rebel vs. Trailblazer)
02:58 How She Prepared: Savings, Learning from CEOs, and ‘The Big Leap’
05:04 What She Builds Now: Change in Motion & Rural Economic Development
06:06 Eco Power Vision: Geothermal-Powered Data Centers for Rural Growth
08:50 The ‘Tug’ You Can’t Ignore: Sleepless Nights, Volunteering, and Going Quiet
11:57 Playing Offense in Entrepreneurship: Safety Nets, First Clients, and Calculated Risks
16:06 First Client Milestones + Bringing Government Planning into Business Building
19:40 Owning Your Voice as an Introvert (and Why It Matters for Your Business)
21:15 Leadership vs. Entrepreneurship: You Don’t Have to ‘Just Take the Leap’
21:36 Identity Shifts: From Employee to Building It Yourself
24:17 Stage Fright as a CEO: Toastmasters, Butterflies, and Showing Up Anyway
27:01 Planning vs. Perfection: Launch, Learn, and Iterate
30:21 2–3 Takeaways for Making the Corporate-to-Entrepreneur Leap
33:11 Bonus Question: What Stays Human in an AI-Driven World?
34:59 Where to Follow Sharita + Final Wrap-Up

Connect with Sharita:
https://sharitamhumphrey.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharitamh/
https://x.com/sharitamh2

Join us for a fascinating episode of the Top Voice Podcast as we explore the AI market dynamics in 2025 with Jason Saltzman from CB Insights. Jason shares unique insights on the ecosystem of players, investments, and funding in the AI landscape. We dive into the record-setting year for private company equity funding, driven largely by the big players like OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI. Discover the growing importance of infrastructure, AI agents, and the future of work as influenced by AI. Don't miss out on this in-depth analysis of what 2026 holds for AI and how it compares to past tech booms.

Timestamps:
00:24 Welcome to the Top Voice Podcast
01:17 Introduction to Jason Saltzman and CB Insights
04:04 AI Market Overview for 2025
04:21 Funding Trends and Major Players in AI
07:11 The Rise of AI Agents
09:39 Impact of AI on Customer Service
12:01 Big Tech and AI Investments
25:54 Navigating the AI Landscape
29:47 Looking Ahead to 2026
34:33 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Connect with Jason:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-salt/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cb-insights/
https://www.cbinsights.com
https://www.cbinsights.com/learn/ai-dashboard

In this episode of the Top Voice Podcast, we welcome Vinicius David to discuss AI adoption for small and medium businesses. Vinicius, an expert with 20 years in tech, shares her journey and provides actionable advice on AI implementation. Learn about the differences between AI use in large enterprises vs. SMBs, the importance of data, and practical steps to get started with AI. If you're a business owner looking to boost productivity and scale efficiently, this episode is packed with valuable insights!

Timestamps:
00:24 Introduction and Guest Welcome
01:27 Vinicius’ Background and Journey
02:27 AI Adoption for Small and Medium Businesses
04:37 Challenges and Misconceptions in AI Adoption
07:22 Practical Steps for Implementing AI
14:42 The Fundamentals of AI for SMBs
18:44 Navigating the Transition Phase
22:12 Understanding the AI Journey for Businesses
22:33 Resources for Advanced AI Implementation
24:34 Choosing the Right Technology Partner
26:26 Navigating the AI Market: Major vs. Minor Leagues
29:23 Starting Your AI Journey: First 90 Days
32:22 Key Takeaways for Small to Medium-Sized Businesses
35:59 The Importance of Critical Thinking in AI
38:17 Closing Thoughts and Where to Find More Information

Connect with Vinicius:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/vdavid/
https://www.viniciusdavid.com