What does it really take to prepare a business for the future? In this episode of The Entrepreneur’s Chair, Elizabeth Davis sits down with Ashley Connell, Founder and CEO of Prowess Project, to talk about what professional services firms need to rethink as technology and AI continue to change the way we work.
Ashley shares why strong operations have to come before AI, the risks of adopting new tools without a clear strategy, and why leaders need to decide what should be powered by technology and what should remain human. She also discusses “shadow AI,” the importance of having a human in the loop, and why constantly introducing the latest tool can actually hurt adoption and trust within a team. The conversation also gets into a challenge Ashley has uncovered through dozens of interviews with accounting and professional services firm owners: many founders become the default operator of their business, leaving them caught between serving clients and actually running the company. Ashley also opens up about her own entrepreneurial journey, how Prowess Project has evolved over the years, and why she believes founders should stay committed to the problem they want to solve.