Hi friends,

Joey Pinz Digest: September 2026 Second Edition

AI Is Accelerating. Discipline Must Guide It.

I’ll be doing some traveling during the final week of September—first to the MSP Summit in Orlando and then across the country to Seattle for Thread, an AI and automation conference.

These events may focus heavily on technology and business, but the larger conversation affects all of us.

AI is changing how we work, communicate, learn, create, and make decisions. It is moving quickly, and the opportunities are enormous. But technology has always moved faster than our ability to understand its full impact.

That is where discipline comes in.

AI gives us speed. Discipline determines the direction.

It is easy to become distracted by every new platform, promise, and possibility. It takes discipline to slow down and ask better questions:

Does this solve a meaningful problem?

Is it helping us think—or simply thinking for us?

Does it improve our lives and relationships?

Are we using technology intentionally, or are we allowing it to shape our habits without noticing?

AI can process information, automate repetitive work, analyze data, and help us make faster decisions. But it cannot decide what kind of person we want to become. It cannot define our values, establish our purpose, or determine what deserves our attention.

Those responsibilities still belong to us.

The future will not belong only to those who understand how to use AI. It will belong to those who remain curious enough to explore it, thoughtful enough to question it, and disciplined enough to use it with intention.

That theme runs through many of the conversations dropping during the second half of September. Alex Stanton explains why the AI era needs thinkers, not simply workers. Heather McLean discusses how people-first leaders can make AI work. Matt Peters reminds us why human care still wins in an AI-driven world.

Other guests explore leadership, resilience, rejection, cybersecurity, branding, ambition, and having the courage to ask for what we want. Different subjects, but a common thread runs through them: technology may change our circumstances, but growth still requires something from us.

Discipline does not mean rejecting new technology or resisting change. It means remaining in control of our choices. It means protecting time for deep thought, meaningful conversations, creativity, movement, rest, and the people who matter to us.

It also means having the humility to stay curious.

As I travel from Orlando to Seattle, I’ll be listening for more than product announcements and predictions about the future. I want to hear how people are using AI to become better leaders, creators, business owners, parents, partners, and human beings.

AI is accelerating.

Episodes Dropping September 16

#926 A Kid’s Place July 2026: Zakiya White

🎓 What Foster Children Wish Teachers Understood

Zakiya White offers a perspective educators and communities need to hear. This conversation explores what foster children may carry into the classroom—and how greater understanding can help them feel seen and supported.

#927 Brianna Sylver

🧠 How Great Ideas Become Real Change

Having a great idea is only the beginning. Brianna Sylver explores what it takes to move from imagination to implementation and create change that genuinely matters.

#928 Kevin Barros

From Technician to Owner: Building an MSP That Lasts

Kevin Barros shares the transition from doing the technical work to carrying the responsibilities of ownership. We discuss leadership, growth, and the discipline required to build a business that can endure.

#929 Alex Stanton

🤖 The AI Era Needs Thinkers, Not Workers

As AI takes on more tasks, our ability to think critically becomes even more valuable. Alex Stanton challenges us to remain curious, adaptable, and willing to question the answers technology gives us.

#930 John Hurley

🎯 The Leadership Discipline Behind High-Performing Teams

High-performing teams are not created through motivation alone. John Hurley discusses the consistent leadership habits that help people work together, take responsibility, and perform at their best.

#931 Alane Boyd

🚫 Stop Being Your Own First No

How many opportunities have we rejected before anyone else had the chance to respond? Alane Boyd challenges us to stop eliminating ourselves and start giving others the opportunity to say yes.

#932 Andrea Waltz

🚫 How Hearing More No’s Leads to Greater Success

Rejection does not have to be something we fear. Andrea Waltz explains how intentionally becoming more comfortable with “no” can open the door to greater confidence, action, and success.

ChannelCon 2026 Episodes Dropping September 23

#933 Jennifer Anaya

💡 Stop Selling Technology—Start Selling Business Value

Customers rarely care about technology for technology’s sake. Jennifer Anaya explains why the strongest conversations begin with business outcomes, meaningful problems, and the value we can create.

#934 Roberto Elizondo

💻 What 30 Years in Tech Teaches You

Three decades in technology provide a valuable perspective on constant change. Roberto Elizondo reflects on what lasts, what evolves, and why experience must always remain open to curiosity.

#935 Reza Sanjideh

🧠 Think Differently Before the Next Crisis

The middle of a crisis is not the ideal time to begin thinking differently. Reza Sanjideh discusses preparation, perspective, and why we must challenge our assumptions before circumstances force us to.

#936 Hollie Whittles

👑 The Hidden Cost of High Achievement

Achievement can look wonderful from the outside while quietly taking a toll within. Hollie Whittles explores ambition, well-being, and the discipline required to pursue success without losing ourselves.

#937 Greg Jones

🤝 Why MSPs Should Never Grow Alone

Growth becomes more sustainable when we have trusted people around us. Greg Jones discusses the value of community, partnerships, and learning from others who understand the journey.

Episodes Dropping September 30

#938 Stella Grigoryan

🎨 Why Beautiful Branding Still Fails

A beautiful brand is not automatically an effective one. Stella Grigoryan explains why appearance must be supported by clarity, purpose, and a meaningful connection with the people we want to reach.

#939 Robin Harris

🌟 Stop Climbing the Wrong Mountain

Working harder does not help if we are pursuing something we no longer want. Robin Harris challenges us to examine our definition of success and make sure the mountain we are climbing is truly ours.

#940 Anne Montgomery

🎙️ From ESPN to Foster Mom: When Life Rewrites the Plan

Anne Montgomery’s journey reminds us that life rarely follows the path we originally imagined. This conversation explores reinvention, purpose, and responding when a new calling changes the plan.

#941 Andy Syrewicze

🛡️ The Cybersecurity Basics Businesses Keep Missing

The newest technology cannot compensate for neglected fundamentals. Andy Syrewicze discusses the basic cybersecurity practices businesses continue to miss and why consistency remains one of our strongest defenses.

#942 Heather McLean

🚀 How People-First Leaders Make AI Work

Successful AI adoption is not simply a technology project—it is a people challenge. Heather McLean explores how thoughtful leaders can introduce change while keeping communication, trust, and humanity at the center.

#943 Victoria Nelson

🎯 The Power of Asking for What You Want

We cannot expect others to understand what we never communicate. Victoria Nelson discusses the courage and clarity required to ask for what we want—and why the answer may surprise us.

#944 Michelle Woodward Hodges

🎯 Show Up to Glow Up

Growth begins when we consistently show up, especially when doing so feels uncomfortable. Michelle Woodward Hodges explores visibility, confidence, and the small actions that allow us to become more fully ourselves.

#945 Matt Peters

🤖 Why Human Care Still Wins in an AI World

AI may improve speed and efficiency, but people still remember how we make them feel. Matt Peters explains why empathy, attention, and genuine human care will remain powerful advantages in an increasingly automated world.