What does real AI implementation actually look like when the hype fades, and the hard work begins?
In this episode of the Innovation Storytellers Show, I sit down with Brett Norton, President of Buffalo Construction, and Mike Gadsby, Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer at O3XO, for a candid conversation about what it takes to move AI from curiosity to business impact. This is not a discussion about vague transformation promises or shiny tools looking for a problem. It’s a practical story about how one construction company partnered with an AI-focused innovation team to rethink workflows, identify friction points, and build a smarter path forward.
Mike shares how O3XO approaches AI through a human-centered lens, starting with business goals, operational pain points, and the people closest to the work. Brett brings that thinking into the real world of construction, where teams are busy, systems are fragmented, and change only sticks when it clearly makes people better at what they already do. Together, they unpack how workshops, using case prioritization, and an internal AI council helped Buffalo move beyond surface-level experimentation and start applying AI in ways that improved estimating, accelerated learning, and opened new capacity across the business.
What makes this conversation stand out is its honesty. Brett and Mike talk openly about skepticism, messy data, cultural resistance, and the challenge of making time for innovation when everyone is already stretched. But they also show what happens when leaders focus on small wins, practical outcomes, and involving the right people early. The result was not just faster processes, but stronger engagement, better knowledge sharing, and a clearer story for clients about how technology can strengthen execution.
We also step back and look at the bigger picture, from the democratization of knowledge to the future of work, leadership, and community in an AI-powered world. If you are tired of hearing abstract claims about AI and want to hear how real companies are actually making it work, this episode will give you a much more useful place to start.
Name: Mike Gadsby
Title: Co-Founder & Chief Innovation Officer
Company: O3XO
LinkedIn | O3XO Website |
Mike Gadsby is the Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer at O3XO and a Co-Founder of O3, where he helps leadership teams turn AI and digital strategy into measurable business outcomes. With 20+ years of experience partnering with complex organizations, he focuses on practical implementation, fast proof of value, and building adoption into the work so initiatives actually stick.
He is also a Co-Founder of 1682: business of innovation conference, bringing together business leaders to explore how AI is reshaping profit, process, and competitive advantage. The conference is hosted annually at the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia.
Name: Brett Norton
Title: President
Company: Buffalo Construction
LinkedIn | Buffalo Construction Website |
Brett Norton is the President and Visionary of Buffalo Construction, a $300 million commercial construction management firm based in Louisville, Kentucky, serving clients nationwide. Since joining in 2003, he has helped grow Buffalo from a 25-person, restaurant-focused contractor into a 160+ teammate, multi-sector organization, while developing its proprietary Herd Build Cycle to align culture, process, and execution at scale. He leads with a dual focus on long-term strategy and field execution, grounded in the belief that culture drives performance and leadership exists to support the people doing the work.
His experience spans estimating, project execution, preconstruction, and operations, shaping an accountability-driven approach to building durable organizations through multiple cycles of growth and disruption. Today, he is focused on preparing Buffalo for its next generation—integrating technology, developing leaders from within, and advancing toward employee ownership.
Outside of work, Brett is a five-time Ironman athlete and nonprofit leader supporting hospital and business development efforts in Malawi, and serves on the board of the Kentucky Science Center. He lives in Louisville with his wife and two daughters.