On AIBiz, host Sayan sits down with Alisha Esmail to unpack what it really takes to evolve from purpose-led entrepreneurship into a modern AI strategist. Alisha shares how she built Road Coffee, a mission-first brand designed to close the gap between coffee farmers and consumers by paying farmers above production cost and addressing predatory lending cycles.
Then the conversation pivots into the real operator stuff. Building scalable systems, creating SOP-driven workflows, and why “vision without systems” is basically a hobby. Alisha breaks down how she built an internal AI brain using multiple custom GPTs to centralize company knowledge, speed up customer response time, and reduce operational drag.
You also get her 5 Tanks Framework for founder energy (emotional, mental, physical, relational, spiritual) and a practical AI playbook starting with inbox, calendar, and finance automation. This episode is for founders who want impact and income without frying their nervous system.
About the Guest :
Alisha Esmail is a founder, strategist, and speaker working at the intersection of AI, entrepreneurship, and human performance. She founded Road Coffee, led global development and IT work across multiple countries, and now helps founders implement AI systems that scale operations while protecting focus, energy, and mission alignment.
Key Takeaways :
Purpose-led brands scale only when systems and workflows are real, documented, and owned.
AI should free your genius, not replace your thinking or decision-making.
Alisha built an internal AI brain using multiple custom GPTs trained on SOPs, culture, tone, and departmental knowledge.
The AI brain can route questions to the right function and standardize responses across sales, ops, and customer care.
Founder sustainability improves when you track energy like a KPI using the 5 Tanks Framework.
A fast self-audit is rating each tank 1 to 10 then choosing one action to refill the lowest tank.
AI implementation works best as top-down direction plus bottom-up experimentation from employees closest to problems.
Start AI automation with inbox and calendar because they run your day and stress levels.
Finance is ripe for disruption because bookkeeping and accounting workflows are highly structured and numeric.
How Listeners Can Connect With The Guest
You can connect with Alisha here:
Email: alishaesmail@gmail.com
Instagram: connect via DM
LinkedIn: Connect with Alisha Esmail and send a direct message
Alisha welcomes DMs from founders and impact driven entrepreneurs who want to talk AI, automation, ethical supply chains and building companies that give more than they take.
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