We admit to slipping a week and use it to unpack how new projects fail without systems. Ken shares the path from the Air Force to homelessness to rebuilding two businesses, why partnerships broke, and how process, automation, and plain talk build trust and results.
• purpose of the show for Four Corners owners and residents
• why a missed deadline happens with new products
• past hosts and next guest teaser
• early career, Air Force lessons, and IT pivot
• layoff, homelessness, and rebuilding in Farmington
• city marketing work and agency partnership collapse
• rebrand to Ken Collins Marketing and shift to consulting
• what makes the approach different, local roots and global range
• relationships over sales talk and telling hard truths
• automation, onboarding gaps, and careful use of AI
• simplifying complex ideas for clients
• sales as the current challenge and near‑term fixes
• support for youth entrepreneurship as a future goal
“Stay tuned. Next up is Ramon Valdez from Ramon Valdez Fine Furniture.”
A confession with teeth. We missed a week, and instead of glossing over it, we break down why new projects fall through the cracks—and how to build systems that keep your work on track when life gets loud. I walk through my path from Farmington kid to Air Force process junkie, from executive support at Langley to the IT bust that knocked me flat, and the hard climb back through city marketing, a messy agency breakup, and the rebuild that became Ken Collins Marketing and Strategic Horizons Consulting.
Across the story, I share the frameworks that actually help small business owners in the Four Corners and beyond: why automation is a lifeline for teams wearing too many hats, how to schedule content without sounding robotic, and where AI fits—useful, but never on autopilot. We get honest about sales being my weakest muscle and how I’ve learned to keep explanations simple, stack detail only as needed, and earn trust by telling the truth, even when it stings. If you’ve ever been overwhelmed by process, partnerships, or priorities, you’ll hear exactly how I structure onboarding, audits, and playbooks so they scale with a tiny team.
What makes this conversation different is the mix of local roots and global context. I’ve worked with mom‑and‑pop shops scraping for a hundred-dollar bill and with international organizations navigating heavy bureaucracy, and that range shapes how I solve problems here at home. I also share a dream I can’t shake: building a real pipeline for youth entrepreneurship so students with hustle get coaching, sprints, and launch support, not just a pat on the back. Until then, the plan is simple—keep serving owners, tighten the systems, and make this podcast a reliable window into how leaders in our community build, stumble, and get back up.
If this resonates, share it with a business owner who needs the lift, hit follow so you never miss the next story, and leave a quick review with your biggest takeaway—what will you automate first?
