A Strategic Clarity
Workshop for
Business Leaders
A Strategic Clarity Workshop for Business Leaders
Turn AI confusion into business clarity — in 90 minutes
Apex Brand Acceleration is a 90-minute,
live workshop designed for Chambers of
Commerce, professional organizations,
and entrepreneurial communities.
Everyday you're
not using AI, the gap gets wider.
Everyday you're
not using AI, the gap gets wider.
Most Small
Businesses
Are Stuck.
Very few know where to start,
what to ignore, or how to use it
without breaking their business.
The Reality
What small businesses are facing right now
AI Is No Longer
Emerging
68% of U.S. small businesses
now use AI regularly.
AI adoption has crossed the tipping point.
What was experimental in 2023 is now
operational. The gap is no longer between
users and non-users—it’s between businesses
using AI casually and those using it deliberately.
Source:
Source: SMB AI Readiness & ROI Studies (2026)
Adoption Is High.
Clarity Is Not.
Most SMBs are experimenting—
but not scaling.
Despite widespread use, many businesses
are stuck in “pilot purgatory.” Tools are
everywhere, but strategy is missing. Without
clear priorities, AI creates noise instead of leverage.
Source:
2026 Productivity Impact Reports
Source: Salesforce, Small
Business Trends
Time Is the Constraint
AI saves time—but only
when applied correctly.
The average small-business worker saves
5.6 hours per week using AI. Managers save
even more. But without structure, those gains
fragment across tools and tasks instead of
compounding into growth.Busy owners don’t need more experiments.
They need decisions that stick.
Source: 2026 Productivity Impact Reports
AI Is No Longer
Emerging
68% of U.S. small businesses now use
AI regularly.
AI adoption has crossed the tipping point. What was experimental in 2023
is now operational. The gap is no longer between users and non-users—it’s between businesses using AI casually and those using it deliberately.
Source: Jan–Feb 2026 SMB AI Adoption Reports
Adoption Is High.
Clarity Is Not.
Most SMBs are experimenting—but not scaling.
Despite widespread use, many businesses are stuck in “pilot
purgatory.” Tools are everywhere,
but strategy is missing. Without clear priorities, AI creates noise instead of leverage.The problem isn’t access. It’s knowing what to apply, where, and why.
Source: SMB AI Readiness &
ROI Studies (2026
Time Is the
Constraint
AI saves time—but only when applied correctly.
The average small-business worker saves 5.6 hours per week using AI. Managers save even more. But
without structure, those gains
fragment across tools and
tasks instead of compounding into growth.Busy owners don’t need more experiments. They need decisions
that stick.
Source: 2026 Productivity
Impact Reports
AI isn’t the challenge.
Lack of direction is.
The Opportunity
What becomes possible
when AI is applied with intention
Time Reclaimed
Businesses using AI strategically
saves 5–10 hours per week per employee.
That’s hundreds of hours per year redirected
away from busywork — and back toward
growth, customers, and decision-making.
Source: McKinsey & Company,
The Economic Potential of Generative AI (2023)
Small Teams,
Big Leverage
AI delivers productivity gains
of 20–40% in knowledge and
marketing work.
When used correctly, AI allows small
teams to operate with the effectiveness
of much larger organizations— without
hiring or bloated systems.
Source: McKinsey Global Institute /
Harvard Business Review (2023)
Source: Salesforce, Small
Business Trends
Advantage
Compounds Early
Early clarity compounds.
Late adoption costs more.
The advantage isn’t speed. It’s learning
early, refining often, and letting small
gains stack over time.
Source: McKinsey Global Institute /
Harvard Business Review (2023)
Time Reclaimed
5–7 hours per week per
employee—redirected.
When AI is aligned to real priorities, time comes back fast. That time moves away from reactive busywork and back into customers, strategy, and decisions that matter.This is not marginal efficiency.
It’s operational breathing room.
Source: 2026 SMB Productivity Studies
Small Teams,
Big Leverage
AI delivers productivity gains
of 20–40% in knowledge and marketing work.
Small teams are now outperforming larger ones—not by working harder,
but by working cleaner.AI lets focused businesses operate with the effectiveness of much larger organizations, without headcount or complexity.
Source: Global SMB AI Impact Research (2026)
Advantage
Compounds Early
94% of small business owners expect growth in 2026.
Growth is no longer about adopting AI.
It’s about using it with intent.Businesses that establish clarity early—what matters, what doesn’t, and where AI creates unfair advantage—compound faster. Late adopters don’t just move slower. They pay more to catch up.The advantage isn’t speed.
It’s direction.
Source: 2026 SMB Growth &
Tech Outlook
You don't need
to master every
AI tool. You just
need three.
You don't need
to master every
AI tool.
You just
need three.
What will
Apex deliver?
→ The APEX Acceleration Method 7 principles for faster brand growth that work for any business→ Live AI Tool Demonstrations
See exactly how to use the tools that matter (not just theory)→ Your 90-Day Acceleration Plan
Leave with a complete roadmap you can implement Monday morning→ Templates, Prompts
& Systems
Ready-to-use resources that save you 10+ hours per week→ Clarity, Confidence
& Momentum
Finally know exactly what
to do and how to do it
Stop chasing
AI tools.
Start building
a system.
Stop chasing
AI tools.
Start building
a system.
Designed For:
• Chambers of Commerce
• Business Dev Centers
• Professional Associations
• Corporate Training Programs
• Entrepreneurial CommunitiesIdeal for groups of 20-50 small-business owners ready to accelerate their growth.
Meet Your Instructor
Chip Sheean
Meet Your Instructor
Chip Sheean
Chip is a 30-year brand strategist/creative who's built
campaigns for Walmart, General Motors, Tesco, Dr Pepper,
Sony Playstation, and dozens of national brands.Worked for The Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros.,
Deutsch/LA, LinkedIn, Goodby Silversteen and Partners,
Nike. Currently teaches advertising and design at Academy
of Art University in San Francisco.APEX distills three decades of Fortune 500 brand strategy
into a practical framework designed for businesses without
Fortune 500 budgets.For select clients, Chip offers hands-on brand strategy and
creative services.
Chip is a 30-year brand strategist /creative who's built campaigns for Walmart, General Motors, Tesco,
Dr Pepper, Sony Playstation, and dozens of national brands.Worked for The Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros., Deutsch/LA, LinkedIn,
Goodby Silversteen and Partners, Nike. Currently teaches advertising and design at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.APEX distills three decades of Fortune 500 brand strategy into a practical framework designed for businesses without Fortune 500 budgets.For select clients, Chip offers hands-on brand strategy and
creative services.
→ View portfolio at chipsheean.design
Ready to accelerate
your brand?Book a 15-minute discovery call
to discuss bringing APEX to your organization.Or email: [email protected]
Ready to accelerate
your brand?Book a 15-minute discovery call to discuss bringing APEX to your organization.Or email: [email protected]
