In this episode of Progress in Practice, Charlie sits down with Chetan Joshi, founder of coglateral.ai, a specialist firm helping business owners, entrepreneurs and financial services firms move from AI experimentation to real-world execution.

Chetan unpacks the difference between generative AI and vertical AI, explains why most organisations are paralysed by choice rather than by a lack of technology, and shares the seven-step vertical AI A.U.T.O.B.O.T. framework he built to help businesses go from zero to hero on their AI journey. He talks candidly about spending years as a "human robot" in banking, why the smartest thing you can do is build systems that make you redundant, and why the next generation needs to build skills that compound rather than just chase status and money.

Key Talking Points

• Who Chetan serves: financial services firms and entrepreneurs moving from AI experimentation to execution
• The difference between generative AI (horizontal) and vertical AI (narrow) — explained simply
• Why vertical AI gives businesses far greater accuracy, control, and data security than general AI tools
• How Chetan spent his early career as a "human robot" in banking — and why that drove his mission
• The power of building systems that work without you: making yourself redundant as a route to a scaleable business
• A real-world example: how an AI agent reduced a team's inbox from 200 daily emails to zero in 15 minutes
• Why the biggest obstacle to AI adoption isn't the technology — it's organisational hesitation and paralysis by choice
• The build vs buy vs partner debate: why partnering is often the smartest move
• Chetan's autobot framework: seven steps from identifying automation opportunities to operating AI agents at scale
• Practical advice for one-person businesses and small firms on where to start with AI
• Why the next generation must build skills that compound, not just chase money or status
• The ACI framework: Automation, Control, and Intelligence
• Book recommendation: Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
• The Intellimation.ai framework and how it shaped Chetan's thinking

About the Guest

Chetan Joshi is the founder of Coglateral AI, working with financial services organisations and entrepreneurs to solve complex business problems using vertical AI. With a career spanning banking operations, technology, and trading, Chetan brings deep practical experience to AI implementation, helping businesses move beyond experimentation to build AI agents that are trained on their own data, integrated into their workflows, and delivering real results. He is also the creator of the Autobot framework, a seven-step methodology for building vertical AI solutions from scratch.

To learn more about Chetan and coglateral.ai, visit: www.coglateral.ai

To connect with Chetan visit: www.linkedin.com/in/chetannjoshi/

Cogateral AI: www.coglateral.ai

Intellimation.ai — ACI framework

Rich Dad Poor Dad — Robert Kiyosaki

Charlie's AI Masterclass: https://thetrusted.team/the-ai-advance-masterclass/

Ningi CRM — AI-powered financial services CRM: https://ningi.co.uk/

About the Podcast

Progress in Practice is brought to you by The Trusted Team — helping professional service business owners build scalable, saleable businesses while working less and enjoying more.

Find out more: https://thetrusted.team

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In this episode of Progress in Practice, Charlie Reading is joined by Michelle Hoskin, founder of Standards International and the Business and Operations Management Network, known as BOMS

Michelle shares how nearly three decades of working with business owners led her to a bold pivot: walking away from coaching business owners to champion the operations managers, practice managers, and business managers who are the unsung backbone of professional service firms.

This is an energetic, honest, and often hilarious conversation about following your gut, finding your people, building a community from scratch, and why the ops manager is simultaneously the most valuable and most neglected person in most businesses.

If you run a business with a team, or you are the person holding that business together from behind the scenes, this episode will resonate deeply.

Key Talking Points

• Who Michelle serves: operations managers, practice managers, and business managers in professional service firms
• Why she pivoted away from coaching business owners and why it took her 20 years longer than it should have
• How the Business and Operations Management Network (BOMS) went from idea to 700 members in under a year
• Why ops managers are the biggest flight risk in most businesses and what owners can do about it
• The personal advice Michelle would give her younger self: find a partner who has your back, and stop dimming your light
• Why confidence and refusing to settle are the two greatest gifts she'd pass on to her daughter
• The biggest obstacle facing Michelle right now: getting business owners to invest in their ops people
• Why writing a 20-page business case for a £175 conference ticket is the reality for many ops managers
• How Charlie's Learning Library concept connects to Michelle's community model
• The power of growing together: why BOMS is built on shared learning, not exclusivity
• Book recommendations: Necessary Endings, Essentialism, and Passion to Profit by Andy Harrington
• Why it's easier to find 100 ideas that make 1% difference than one idea that makes 100% difference

About the Guest Michelle Hoskin is the founder of Standards International and creator of the Business and Operations Management Network (BOMS)- a fast-growing community dedicated to the people who run professional service businesses from the inside. With nearly 30 years of experience working with business owners, Michelle made a bold pivot to champion operations managers, practice managers, and general managers who are too often overlooked, undervalued, and unsupported. Her community has grown to over 700 members and runs events, retreats, a membership platform, and an annual conference.

Find Out More

• Website: https://leadersinbusinessoperations.com
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/standardsexpert

Resources & Links Mentioned

• Necessary Endings — Henry Cloud
• Essentialism — Greg McKeown
• Passion to Profit — Andy Harrington
• The Business and Operations Management Network on LinkedIn: Business and Operations Management Network
• Charlie's Learning Library concept: https://thetrusted.team/learning-library/

About the Podcast Progress in Practice is brought to you by The Trusted Team- helping professional service business owners build scalable, saleable businesses while working less and enjoying more. Find out more: https://thetrusted.team

In this episode of Progress in Practice, Charlie Reading is joined by Ross Jones, founder of Home Financial and Evolve Commercial Finance.

Ross shares how his business was born out of adversity, why he is passionate about helping clients whose income does not fit the standard box, and how specialising in more complex mortgage scenarios has allowed his firm to create real value.

This is a candid conversation about entrepreneurship, mistakes, patience, bravery, and the reality that in most businesses, the biggest bottleneck is often the founder themselves.

If you are building a business, navigating growth, or trying to create more freedom on your own terms, this episode is packed with practical lessons and honest reflections.

Key Talking Points

• Who Ross helps: clients with non-standard or non-permanent income
• Supporting limited company directors, contractors, sports professionals, and others with more complex borrowing needs
• Why Ross focuses on turning difficult cases into yeses
• How niche expertise can create strong referral momentum and organic growth
• The adversity that led Ross to start his own business
• Moving from the military into mortgage advice and then into entrepreneurship
• How a family health crisis reshaped Ross’s priorities and desire for autonomy
• The reality that starting a business does not instantly create freedom: first you have to build it
• The advice Ross would give his younger self: be patient, be brave, and make mistakes faster
• Why failure is not the opposite of success, but part of the path to it
• The legacy lesson Ross would pass on: don’t leave crumbs
• Why integrity matters when making difficult decisions
• Ross’s biggest business obstacle: recognising that he is the bottleneck
• The importance of empowering others, delegating better, and getting out of your own way
• Two standout book recommendations: Legacy and 24 Assets
• Why values and assets, not just leads, should shape the way you build a business

About the Guest

Ross Jones is the founder of Home Financial and Evolve Commercial Finance, helping clients secure lending where income or circumstances do not fit standard mortgage criteria.

Ross specialises in supporting people with more complex income structures, including limited company directors, contractors, and sports professionals. His businesses are built around creating solutions where others may struggle, helping clients navigate specialist lending with greater confidence and clarity.

Find Out More

• Website: http://www.homefinancialnw.co.uk
• Linked In: linkedin.com/in/ross-jones-3688584b

🚀 Resources & Links Mentioned

• Legacy by James Kerr
• 24 Assets by Daniel Priestley
• Charlie Reading’s workshop on building a saleable and scalable business: https://youtu.be/pFigtSmHqTY

About the Podcast

Progress in Practice is brought to you by The Trusted Team- helping professional service business owners build scalable, saleable businesses while working less and enjoying more.

Find out more: https://thetrusted.team

Enjoying the Show?

If this episode resonated, make sure you follow the podcast and leave a rating and review. It helps more founders discover these conversations and allows us to bring you even better guests.