Vantaca and Maegan Woytek are proud to present Guilty By Association's new segment that will deliver you the news you need to know happening across the industry! We plan to bring you all the critical news, regulatory shifts, market shifts and operational insights that are impacting your business every week, so you can stay ahead of it.

What you need to know for this week's episode:

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Georgia is going nuclear on HOA reform. Senate Bill 406 would double the foreclosure threshold to $4,000 and ban management companies from buying homes at foreclosure auctions. That's just one bill. Two others want to strip foreclosure power completely and let homeowners vote to dissolve their HOAs. This is the most aggressive reform push we've seen in any state.

Insurance is eating everyone's lunch right now. Premiums are up 24% since 2021, and 82% of homeowners are bracing for another increase this year. This isn't just a homeowner problem. It's an HOA problem. Associations in Florida and other climate-risk states are seeing insurance costs become a bigger line item than maintenance. And with everyone expecting climate damage in the next three years, reserve planning just got a whole lot more complicated.

And one more positive note: We're still growing. The Foundation for Community Association Research expects 4,000 new HOAs this year, bringing the total to 377,000 associations serving 80 million Americans.

In the Season 3 premiere of Guilty by Association, host Ben Currin (CEO of Vantaca) sits down for a transformative conversation with Zack Kass, the former Head of Go-to-Market (GTM) at OpenAI.

As the head of GTM during the launch of ChatGPT, who helped bridge the gap between OpenAI’s research and the global launch of ChatGPT, Zack provides a unique, techno-optimist perspective on the future of work and community. This episode explores the core thesis of Zack’s new book, The Next Renaissance (released Jan 13, 2026), and introduces the concept of "The Human Premium."

In this episode, we dive deep into:

1. The OpenAI Legacy: Inside the GTM strategy that brought AI to 100 million users and what it taught Zack about human nature.
2. The "Human Premium" Theory: Why the commoditization of digital intelligence through LLMs makes physical-world connection the most valuable asset of the next decade.
3. The End of Utility Software: How industries like community management are moving toward "Intelligent Ecosystems" that prioritize human leadership over administrative noise.
4. A New Renaissance: Why Zack believes AI is the catalyst for a return to thriving local communities and meaningful human connection.

Whether you are a tech leader, a community builder, or a professional navigating the shift from software to intelligence, this conversation provides the roadmap for thriving in the AI era.

About Zack Kass: Zack Kass is a global AI futurist and strategic advisor to the Fortune 100. During his tenure at OpenAI, he led the Go-to-Market team, shaping the commercial trajectory of the most significant technological shift in history. His book, The Next Renaissance, is available now.

Today on Guilty by Association, Kathleen sits down with Sarah Hudson (Director of Continuous Improvement at Inframark)—a self-described problem solver who has literally spent half her life in this industry. Sarah traces her path from temporary admin to PM lead to CI director, and shares how project management principles, tiny habits, and a renewed focus on wellness can transform the way we lead at work and live at home.

They dig into building an onboarding program from scratch, why “progress over perfection” beats all-or-nothing health kicks, how to start with low-hanging-fruit habits (water, steps, smarter takeout), and the surprising ways sobriety and running unlocked long-term consistency. If your calendar is chaos and your energy is up-and-down, this one’s a blueprint.

• Careers aren’t linear: saying “yes” to interesting problems can create a 20-year arc across ops, AR, software integrations, and leadership.
• Onboarding = a project: treat new-client onboarding like mini projects with clear lifecycle, owners, and checkpoints.
• Start small to stick big: audit one week of life, pick two low-effort wins (e.g., +water, −one takeout), and track for 3–4 weeks.
• Intentional steps > magic numbers: break movement into short walks you can actually do; consistency beats intensity.
• Protein helps adherence: prioritizing protein supports satiety and muscle maintenance while you improve other habits.
• Progress over perfection: miss a day? Reset tomorrow. The goal is autopilot foundations, not a 90-day sprint.
• Leadership lesson: empower people—and explicitly hand off ownership so they know it’s theirs to run.

Sarah Hudson is Director of Continuous Improvement at Inframark. A PMP-certified project leader, she partners across departments to streamline processes, elevate client value, and coach teams through change. Outside work, Sarah is an avid runner and wellness advocate.