From Sports Teams to AI Systems: The Evolution of Efficiency with R. Kenner French
Most business owners start their journey with a "grind-first" mentality. They assume that success is directly proportional to the number of hours spent at a desk, often sacrificing family time and mental well-being for the sake of growth. But what happens when the business outpaces the human capacity to manage it?
In this episode of What’s Kenner French Thinking?, host Elaine Mingus sits down with R. Kenner French to discuss his transition from a sports-obsessed youth to a pioneer in AI-driven finance. Kenner shares how the principles of teamwork he learned on the basketball court translated into building a high-performance team of tax attorneys and admins—and eventually, a digital "team" of artificial intelligence models.
We dive into the "Why" behind Kenner’s mission: helping business owners take the longest vacations of their lives. By automating mundane tasks and optimizing tax liability through his AI system, Einstein, Kenner demonstrates that retirement isn’t just an age—it’s a level of operational efficiency. Whether you are an early adopter or a tech-skeptic, this conversation explores how AI serves as the ultimate equalizer for small business owners looking to reclaim their time.
What You’ll Learn
• The "Teamwork" overlap: How competitive sports prepare you for the world of finance and asset protection.
• The 2010 Turning Point: Kenner’s early predictions about AI and why it took a decade for the mainstream to catch up.
• Scaling to 80+ new clients a month: Why manual processes are the biggest bottleneck to your growth.
• Work-Life Balance in the AI Age: How automation allowed Kenner to stay present for his family without losing his competitive edge.
• The Future of Local Governance: Why Kenner is pushing for AI-enabled city management on Bainbridge Island.
Who This Episode Is For
This episode is for small business owners who feel buried under administrative tasks, financial professionals curious about the history of AI in tax, and anyone looking to balance high-level career success with meaningful family engagement.
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