We’re building faster than ever.

Automated onboarding. Instant replies. AI-generated scheduling, data summaries, and support responses. It’s impressive. Efficient. Scalable.

But here’s the question I keep asking:
What’s being left untouched?

Where in your business are you still making space for moments that don’t scale? Where are you holding room for the things the wires can’t reach?

The Playlist That Pulled Me Back

Not long ago, I was working while a playlist played in the background. Three songs came on in a row. No agenda. Just timing.

First was Billy Joel’s “And So It Goes” — love offered without guarantee.

Then Simon & Garfunkel’s “America” — a long drive through questions.

And finally Don McLean’s “Empty Chairs” — the sound of absence where someone once breathed.

I stopped working.

Not because of the songs.
Because of what they reminded me of.

The businesses we remember — the ones that actually stick — are built on something more than clean systems or clever strategy.

They’re built on presence. The moments when someone slowed down, looked up, and said, “You matter.”

That’s the part AI can’t do.

Not really.

Not in the way that matters.

AI Helps. It Just Doesn’t Hold.

I use AI every day. I teach others how to use it well.
It’s a powerful tool. It helps free up time, improve clarity, and keep things consistent.

But it’s never asked a quiet question at the exact right moment.

It’s never paused when a customer’s voice cracked.

It’s never checked in with a team member who just seemed a little off.

It doesn’t know what it means to sit beside someone in silence and just be there.

That kind of presence can’t be automated. But it’s often the reason people stay loyal.

Not because of what your business did. Because of how someone felt when it mattered.

Questions Worth Asking

If you’re a leader, ask yourself:

  • Are our systems saving time but costing presence?
  • Where have we made things seamless—but lost the feeling of being known?
  • Who’s holding the space where real trust is built?

It might be a moment of grief.
It might be a gesture of care.
It might be a pause that reminds someone they’re not invisible.

Those moments don’t need to scale. They just need to be real.

Because the businesses people come back to are the ones that remember what lives where the wires can’t reach.

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