In this episode of the Breakfast Leadership Show, I sit down with Tony Falco to explore the real story behind AI adoption in organizations—and it’s probably not what you think. We dig into how companies are rushing into AI without fully understanding their own workflows, and why that approach can create more problems than it solves. Tony brings decades of experience in internet technology to the conversation, giving a grounded perspective on where AI actually delivers value.

We also get into the human side of technology—how curiosity, play, and experimentation are becoming essential skills in today’s AI-driven world. Along the way, we unpack how data is reshaping decision-making, exposing inefficiencies, and even challenging traditional corporate hierarchies. If you’ve been wondering how AI fits into leadership, operations, and innovation, this conversation will give you plenty to think about.

• The evolution of internet technology and how it set the stage for today’s AI boom
• Why understanding workflows is critical before implementing AI solutions
• How AI is empowering individuals to uncover insights hidden in massive datasets
• The risks of rushing AI adoption without clear processes or strategy
• How data-driven insights can expose inefficiencies and organizational bottlenecks
• The role of curiosity and experimentation in navigating new technologies
• Challenges organizations face when multiple departments adopt AI independently

• hydrolix.io (Tony Falco’s company focused on log data and AI-driven workflows)

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to follow the Breakfast Leadership Show, leave a rating and review, and share it with someone who’s navigating the world of leadership and innovation.

Today's Deep Dive is from the Breakfast Leadership Newsbrief from June 2026 that highlights a critical execution gap currently paralyzing corporate leadership. Data suggests a massive decline in CEO confidence, as many organizations find themselves fundamentally unable to fulfill their own digital transformation agendas. While artificial intelligence adoption has become nearly universal, a significant lack of governance frameworks and strategic clarity has led to diminishing returns and potential legal liabilities. Furthermore, the report identifies employee burnout as a major operational risk, driven more by the cognitive strain of complex systems than by mere workload volume. Ultimately, these sources argue that the most successful modern firms are those focusing on simplifying workflows rather than simply adding new technological tools.

Schedule your Leadership Diagnostic, to see how ready you are for AI.

https://www.breakfastleadership.com/executivediagnostic

Vadim Voss, founder of Next Level DeFi, joins the Breakfast Leadership Show to share how everyday people can put their money to work through decentralized finance without trading, without chart-watching, and without being a tech expert. His mission is to help one million people break free from a banking system that was never built to serve them.

What You Will Learn

• Why a savings account earning 2 to 3 percent is quietly losing you money
• What liquidity mining is and why it puts you on the "house side" of crypto trading
• How stablecoins like USDT allow you to earn 20 to 30 percent annually with minimal risk
• Why DeFi positions can be insured for as little as $30 per month per $10,000 deployed
• How Vadim's students manage their positions in just 5 to 10 minutes per week
• Why diversification across real estate, gold, stocks, and DeFi is the smart path forward

Key Insights

Vadim built Next Level DeFi after losing the majority of a $6 million fortune to unreliable foreign banks. Rather than retreat from finance, he learned decentralized systems inside and out and now teaches total beginners how to become the infrastructure that crypto traders rely on. His students are not speculating on the next hot coin. They are providing liquidity to decentralized exchanges and collecting fees the way Robinhood collects trading fees, except those fees flow back to them.

The stablecoin liquidity mining strategy Vadim teaches is designed for people who want consistent, predictable monthly income in U.S. dollars without exposure to volatile assets. Since stablecoins are always pegged to $1, the principal does not fluctuate. Returns in the 20 to 30 percent range significantly outperform any traditional bank product, and the addition of smart contract insurance from platforms like Nexus Mutual makes the position arguably safer than a standard FDIC-insured deposit in terms of the user's control and transparency.

Michael and Vadim both reinforce that education is the true entry point. Just as Warren Buffett observed that those who do not learn to make money while they sleep will work until they die, both host and guest emphasize that passive income is not a luxury for the wealthy. It is a learnable skill available to anyone willing to invest the time to understand it.

Guest Bio

Vadim Voss is the founder of Next Level DeFi, a platform dedicated to helping everyday people generate passive income through decentralized finance. An NYU graduate who built and lost a $6 million fortune through international business ventures across Lithuania, Moscow, and Kyiv, Vadim turned adversity into expertise. With over 14 years of experience in crypto and DeFi, he specializes in teaching total beginners how to deploy capital using liquidity mining strategies on platforms like Uniswap. His mission is to help one million people escape the traditional banking system.

Free Resource for Listeners

Vadim has put together an exclusive bundle for Breakfast Leadership Show listeners called the DeFi Income Blueprint, available free at:

nextleveldefi.com/leadership

The bundle includes:

• A DeFi Income Calculator that forecasts your monthly and annual returns based on your capital and risk appetite
• The Uniswap Ultimate Playbook, a 27-page step-by-step guide to deploying capital on Uniswap. This is the same playbook provided to Vadim's $3,000 coaching clients.

Connect with Vadim Voss Website: nextleveldefi.com Free Bundle: https://nextleveldefi.com/leadership