Preparing for the Intelligence Age: The New Year Cohort

Live Online Learning • Kicks off January 13, 2026 • Limited to 20 participants

Change isn't coming, it's already here. 

AI, shifting client expectations, and economic pressure are rewriting how work gets done. Some agencies are experimenting. Others are rethinking their services. Most are somewhere in between, aware they need to evolve but unsure where to begin.
This cohort helps leaders in professional services understand where they stand, what’s holding them back, and how to prepare their teams, culture, and positioning for what’s next.

It’s not about chasing tools. It’s about building readiness and resilience and having the confidence and clarity to adapt without losing what makes your company human.

WHAT TO EXPECT

🧠 Weekly live sessions – Eight guided sessions led by Carl Smith, leader of The Bureau and author of the upcoming book Built to Change: Designing the Agency of Tomorrow.

💬 Practical frameworks and real-world discussions – No buzzwords, no slide decks full of hype. You’ll explore how agencies at different stages of change can take the next right step.

📚 Resources you’ll actually use – Guidelines, frameworks, and checklists designed to turn learning into progress. You’ll leave each week knowing how to apply what you learned to your team and your workflow.

Most professional service companies know they need to “do something” with AI, automation and emerging tech, but jumping too fast can be just as risky as waiting too long. This program helps you find the balance: practical, thoughtful, forward-moving readiness that fits your agency’s current reality.

WHO IT'S FOR

✔️ Agency owners and team leads ready to evolve how they work
✔️ Creative and digital leaders looking for clarity in a noisy space
✔️ Operations and strategy folks connecting people, process, and technology
✔️ Anyone tired of reacting and ready to lead with intention

WHAT YOU'LL WORK THROUGH 

• Week 1 – The Fundamental Changes We’re Just Starting To See
• Week 2 – The Shift from Expertise to Intelligence
• Week 3 – Partnering with Machines
• Week 4 – From Design Thinking to Systems Thinking
• Week 5 – Building Teams That Can Think
• Week 6 – Packaging Wisdom
• Week 7 – Leading Through Uncertainty
• Week 8 – Reinventing Professional Services

WHO'S LEADING THE COHORT? 

Carl Smith has spent over three decades helping creative leaders run agencies that last. As a founding member and current leader of The Bureau Community, and the author of the upcoming book, Built to Change: Designing the Agency of Tomorrow, Carl’s work sits at the intersection of leadership, systems thinking, and human transformation.

He’s guided hundreds of individuals through real change: shifting from chaos to clarity, from fear to trust, and from survival to sustainability.

Carl’s approach blends community wisdom, hard-won experience, and practical optimism with just a dash of humor to help agency leaders not just adapt to the Intelligence Age, but define it.

READY TO LEAD YOUR TEAM INTO THE FUTURE?

This cohort isn’t about learning the latest software, prompts or chasing what everyone else is doing. It’s about developing a mindset, a structure, and a plan so when the next shift comes, you’re already two steps ahead.

Interested in member pricing? Explore membership here.