
Building Real AI Value with Wes Bender and Mikey Ames
From Working Forward by PeopleForward Network
April 7, 2026 · 1h 22m
About this episode
The episode discusses how to build and deploy AI that creates genuine value for organizations with insights from Wes Bender and Mikey Ames.
In this episode of Working Forward, Jason Cochran sits down with Wes Bender, Head of Business Development at Admired Leadership, and Mikey Ames, Digital Marketing and Social Media Lead at Admired Leadership, to explore what it takes to build and deploy AI that creates genuine value for organizations. Wes and Mikey share how their firm developed Alex, an AI executive leadership coach grounded in 35 years of behavioral leadership research and why most leaders are getting AI wrong. They break down the difference between AI slop and real value, explain how AI actually works at a fundamental level, and make the case that the most important question isn't whether to use AI, but how to use it to make your people better. Additional Resources: Connect with Wes on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesleybender/ Connect with Mikey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeyames/ Watch the Working Forward Podcast on YouTube! Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-d-cochran/ Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/peopleforward-network/posts/?feedView=all Learn more about PeopleForward Network…
People in this episode
Host: Jason Cochran
Guests: Wes Bender, Mikey Ames
Topics covered
- AI value
- leadership
- digital marketing
- behavioral research
- organizational development
Keywords
- AI
- leadership coach
- behavioral research
- digital marketing
- organizational value
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Admired Leadership, PeopleForward Network
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