Expert Insights
Partnered expert columns for Austin business owners
Growing Fit Local: Real Numbers, Lessons, and What Comes Next
FitLocal founder Conley Miller shares real numbers from the platform's first month of live client campaigns: strong click-through rates, cheap clicks, 250 app downloads, and the conversion problem of turning downloads into bookings. A candid look at bootstrapped growth for anyone building a marketplace that depends on trust.
2026-09-28
How Do You Know It's Time to Hire?
In this installment of The People Brief, Jami Adkins and Andrés Traslaviña take on the question founders ask them most: how do you know it's actually time to hire? Three questions to ask before opening a search, what the failure odds really look like, and why Austin's tight-knit circles make executive hiring harder, not easier.
2026-09-20
Is Your Financial Safety Net Big Enough?
Financial advisor Thomas Anzivino explains how to know when your financial safety net is complete, using two measurements: the emergency fund and the current ratio. A practical guide for individuals and business owners who want to protect themselves from life's shocks before building wealth.
2026-09-14
Attention Is the Last Scarce Resource
Fit Local founder Conley Miller argues that in crowded categories, story has to come before the sales funnel. It's a case for building a brand people want to watch rather than one merely fighting to be watched, aimed at founders in noisy markets.
2026-08-31
How People ATX Works. And Why We Start With the Plan, Not the Posting.
In part two of The People Brief, Jami Adkins and Andrés Traslaviña show the work: why the job description is out of date the day you post it, the difference between placing a candidate and selecting one, and the five-step engagement that starts with a workforce plan instead of a posting.
2026-08-16
Why Transparent Communication Is the Cheapest Growth Lever You Have
Taylor Jones closes out The Growth Engine with the growth lever that costs nothing: how often and how honestly you communicate. He breaks down why an un-had conversation gets more expensive on a curve rather than a line, why frequent and imperfect updates beat polished ones, and the three habits that keep a partnership aligned.
2026-07-27
Introducing People ATX: Austin's New Talent Partner Built for Founders
Jami Adkins and Andrés Traslaviña have spent over 30 combined years in talent and recruiting. They explain why your best candidates aren't applying, what a bad hire really costs, and the scorecard exercise that makes every search twice as fast.
2026-07-19
Find The Duct Tape Before It Snaps
When a business outgrows its 'duct tape' — the workarounds and one-person knowledge holding operations together — the fix isn't automating the mess. Nawal El Solh shares the four-step system she returns to after 20+ years cleaning up back offices, with an AI tip under each step.
2026-06-29
The Room Beats the Inbox: Why I'm Betting on IRL in the Age of AI
Cold email reply rates have collapsed and inboxes are now half AI-generated. Taylor Jones argues that "the room" — in-person gatherings — has quietly become the highest-signal channel a B2B operator has, and the cheapest edge available to a sub-$10M Austin company.
2026-06-14
Thousands of Dollars are Hiding in Your Vendor Invoices
Thousands of Dollars are Hiding in Your Vendor Invoices
Most vendors aren't auditing the invoices they send you. Nawal El Solh has recovered $100K+ in overcharges and walks through the four places to look first: IT and telecom, software licenses, auto-renewals, and buried rate hikes.
2026-05-29
