Building AI teammates isn’t a future-state fantasy—it’s already happening. Megan Ratcliff shares how she tackled resource constraints in SaaS marketing by creating a custom AI ecosystem that filled key gaps across content, strategy, and cross-functional alignment. The result? Less time on execution, more space for strategic leadership.

This conversation brings grounded insight into how AI can be used to replace tasks, not people—while creating opportunities to reimagine roles entirely. From demystifying the learning curve to managing team adoption and navigating the future of work, Megan offers a clear-eyed look at how to use AI meaningfully without losing the human judgment that drives results.

Resources from this episode:

• Join the Digital Project Manager Community
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get our latest articles and podcasts
• Connect with Megan on LinkedIn
• Check out Clarity and Motion Collective

Project managers are often tasked with delivering “on time and on budget”—but what if that’s not enough? In this episode, Galen Low sits down with Stephen Devaux, a longtime project management theorist and the mind behind techniques like critical path drag and value breakdown structures. Together, they unpack why project leaders need to start managing their work like investors—not just builders—and why this mindset shift matters more than ever in the AI era.

From projects that save lives to projects that launch products, Stephen explains how understanding a project’s value profile—not just its deliverables—is the key to smarter decision-making. They cover real-world applications of treating projects as investments, explore the bridge-building metaphor that will stick with you for life, and discuss how AI could (and should) support project managers in this paradigm shift.

Resources from this episode:

• Join the Digital Project Manager Community
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get our latest articles and podcasts
• Connect with Stephen on LinkedIn
• Stephen’s books:
  • Managing Projects as Investments: Earned Value to Business Value
  • Total Project Control: A Practitioner’s Guide to Managing Projects as Investments

Feeling behind on your agency's data game? Marcel Petitpas, CEO of Parakeeto, joins Galen Low to reframe what it really takes to build profitable, data-driven operations. Hint: it’s not about buying software or pushing for time tracking compliance. Marcel breaks down why starting with metrics, models, and meaning—not tools—is the real shortcut to operational clarity.

With real-talk on utilization myths, data fluency for PMs, and how AI can actually drive measurable impact (without overwhelming your team), this episode is a field guide for agency leaders who want to do more than just keep up. It's about building a smarter foundation for the long haul—and doing it in a way that doesn’t burn you out.

Resources from this episode:

• Join the Digital Project Manager Community
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get our latest articles and podcasts
• Connect with Marcel on LinkedIn
• Check out Parakeeto
• Agency Profit Podcast
• Parakeeto Profitability Framework & Toolkit

What if regulation wasn’t a blocker to AI transformation—but a strategic advantage? Galen sits down with Lauren Wallace—former Chief Legal Officer at RadarFirst and a veteran in legal, product, and AI governance—to explore how regulated industries can harness their existing compliance muscle to lead responsibly in the AI era.

They get into the practicalities of building privacy-first AI strategies, setting clear ethical baselines, and creating internal momentum across cross-functional teams. If you’re navigating digital transformation in a high-stakes, high-compliance environment, this episode delivers grounded advice and hard-won insights you can act on.

Resources from this episode:

• Join the Digital Project Manager Community
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get our latest articles and podcasts
• Connect with Lauren on LinkedIn
• Check out RadarFirst
• NOYB - None of Your Business (Max Schrems' privacy rights organization)
• AI Incident Database

Work sometimes triggers our fight‑or‑flight responses—especially in agency life. In this episode, Galen sits down with leadership coach and operations strategist Abigail Jones and project manager/coach Matthew Fox to explore what happens when we ignore the signals our bodies are giving us, and how tapping into our “body intelligence” can help us lead more consciously in a technology‑driven world. They unpack how our nervous systems get hijacked by stress in modern work, how noticing our physical responses becomes a tool (not just a symptom), and how teams and agencies can shift culture to reclaim better performance and wellbeing.

This is a grounded, real‑world conversation—no fluff—about how our bodies, our minds, and our projects intersect.

Resources from this episode:

• Join the Digital Project Manager Community
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get our latest articles and podcasts
• Connect with Abigail on LinkedIn and Instagram
  • Check out Southleft
• Connect with Matthew on LinkedIn and The Bureau
• The Leadership Circle Profile assessment
  • What it is: The most comprehensive 360-degree leadership assessment that measures both competencies (what you do) and internal assumptions (how you think)
  • Why I use it: It's the only tool I've found that measures both reactive leadership patterns (controlling, protecting, complying) and creative leadership capacities (relating, self-awareness, authenticity, systems thinking)
  • Visual profile shows leaders exactly where they're operating from fear vs. trust
  • I'm certified to administer and interpret this assessment
• Somatic & Body Intelligence Practices
  • Window of Tolerance (from Polyvagal Theory): there's a "window" where you can think clearly and respond consciously. When stress pushes you outside that window, you go into survival mode.
  • Concept from Dr. Stephen Porges' Polyvagal Theory
    • Understanding your nervous system's capacity to handle stress before going into fight/flight/freeze
  • Helps leaders recognize when they're dysregulated and need to pause
  • Links to learn more
    • https://www.polyvagalinstitute.org/whatispolyvagaltheory
    • https://www.stayingsane101.com/post/polyvagal-theory-enhancing-the-window-of-tolerance
  • Body Scan Practice
    • Simple 60-second practice: scan from head to toe and notice sensations without judgment
    • Before big decisions, difficult conversations, or anytime you feel activated
    • Brings you into present-moment awareness and accesses somatic intelligence
    • Free guided meditations
      • https://www.uclahealth.org/uclamindful/guided-meditations
      • https://www.mindful.org/beginners-body-scan-meditation/
      • https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/body_scan_meditation
    • Tech solutions
      • Headspace body scan guide: https://www.headspace.com/meditation/body-scan
      • Calm bo

Healthcare is hiring — and not just for clinicians. As digital health systems expand and AI transformation efforts ramp up, there’s a growing demand for technical project professionals who can bring experience from tech, product, and government IT into healthcare environments. But if the opportunities are there, why aren’t more people making the pivot?

Galen chats with Rachel M. Keyser — healthcare IT consultant and founder of Project Elevation Partners — about what’s holding project professionals back, how to navigate the complexity and pace of healthcare work, and why your existing skills might be more transferable than you think. Whether you’re burned out by big tech or just curious about how to break into health tech, this conversation offers grounded, practical guidance for taking the leap.

Resources from this episode:

• Join DPM Membership
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get our latest articles and podcasts
• Connect with Rachel on LinkedIn
• Check out Project Elevation Partners

AI is fundamentally reshaping how digital products are conceived, built, and delivered—and the shift isn’t just technical, it’s cultural. Jyothi Nookula, a seasoned AI product leader with experience at companies like Netflix, Meta, Amazon AWS, and Etsy, joins Galen to unpack what makes AI-native products so different from conventional ones, why building them demands new evaluation frameworks, and how product teams can evolve their skills and mindset to keep pace.

Whether you're dealing with unpredictable model outputs, shifting success metrics, or a team with uneven comfort levels around emerging tech, Jyothi offers grounded, real-world strategies for staying user-centered, experiment-driven, and confidently collaborative in the face of rapid change.

Resources from this episode:

• Join DPM Membership
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get our latest articles and podcasts
• Connect with Jyothi on LinkedIn
• Check out Next Gen Product Manager and Jyothi’s website

Empathy isn't just a feel-good buzzword; it's infrastructure. In this episode, Galen Low chats with Andrea Goulet, communication systems architect and long-time software entrepreneur, about how empathy can act as a technical tool for collaboration, innovation, and high-performance in the age of AI.

Drawing from her experience building a $4M consultancy and translating complex human dynamics into actionable frameworks, Andrea breaks down the mechanics of empathy, why it matters more than ever, and how we can cultivate it in our teams to drive better outcomes. This isn't about being soft—it's about being strategic.

Resources from this episode:

• Join DPM Membership
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get our latest articles and podcasts
• Connect with Andrea on LinkedIn
• Check out Andrea’s website
• The Diversity Bonus by Scott E. Page
• Self-Compassion Research by Kristin Neff