The honest AI review for operators who don't have time for AI hype.

A focused 48-hour review that tells you exactly where AI and automation will save your business hours every week, and where they won't.

Book a discovery call → See how it works

Built by an engineer with 25 years in operations.

Most AI consultants will sell you AI.

I'll tell you when you don't need it.

Half of what gets called an "AI project" today is actually an automation project. Automation costs a tenth as much. It breaks less. You see results in a week, not a quarter.

Most consultants won't tell you that. AI sells. Automation doesn't have a press release.

I've spent 25 years inside operations. I've built dashboards, fixed broken processes, watched a lot of businesses get sold expensive answers to cheap problems. That's what this is for.

How it works

One short call. One precise report. Forty-eight hours.

The review is intentionally narrow. You don't get a 60-page strategy deck. You get a written list of the specific things that will move the needle in your business this quarter, plus a clear answer on whether each one needs AI, automation, or neither.

01

Intake form

About 10 minutes on a questionnaire about your business, your tools, and where your time goes. I read it before the call.

02

Thirty-minute call

We meet on Zoom (or in person, if you're in Charlotte). I ask the questions the form didn't cover. You walk me through what's actually slow or broken in your business.

03

48-hour written report

You receive a document with three to five specific recommendations, prioritized by impact. Tools, costs, and payback estimates included for each.

The review at a glance
Price
$1,000 fixed fee. 30-minute discovery call is free.
Format
10-minute intake form, 30-minute call, 48-hour written report
Deliverable
3-5 prioritized recommendations with cost, payback, and tooling for each
Who it's for
Small business owners across service, professional, health, and ops
Who it's not for
Enterprises, anyone wanting a 60-page strategy deck, or anyone looking to be sold AI they don't need
What's next
You get a report. If you want help implementing one of the recommendations, there's a tier for that. No upsell pressure during the review.
Who I am
Founder of Honest AI Review

Find me on LinkedIn →

An engineer who has run operations, not pitched them.

I've spent 25 years inside operations and supply chain. Building processes, building dashboards, watching what works and what's expensive theater.

I don't sell AI. I sell fewer hours wasted. Sometimes that means a custom GPT. More often it means a $30/month tool nobody told you about, wired to your CRM the right way.

I write a weekly newsletter on supply chain, business, and tech called Blueprint Memo. This review started after I kept hearing the same thing from readers: "I keep hearing about AI but I have no idea where to start, and I don't trust the people offering to help."

If that sounds familiar, you're who I built this for.

Get started

Ready to start?

The first step is a 30-minute discovery call. I ask the questions that didn't fit on the intake form. You walk me through what's actually slow or broken in your business. We decide together whether a paid review makes sense.

  • 30-minute Zoom call (or in-person if you're in Charlotte).
  • A direct read on whether the review is worth your money.
  • If yes, we schedule it. If no, you've still got a clearer picture of where AI fits in your business.
  • No pitch on the call.
Book a discovery call →
If you want help implementing

After the review, you choose.

The review deliverable is yours. If one of the recommendations is something you'd like help executing, here's roughly what that looks like. Quotes are starting points. Every engagement is scoped to what you actually need.

Quick Win Implementation
One off-the-shelf tool deployed, configured, and handed off in 1-2 weeks.
$1,500 – $3,000
Speed-to-Lead Voice Agent
An AI voice agent answers your phone when you can't, books appointments, and texts customers back. The single best ROI move for service businesses.
$2,500 + $500/mo
Custom GPT or AI Workflow
A purpose-built assistant or workflow trained on your business. Useful for quoting, support, sales follow-up, or onboarding.
$3,000 – $5,000
CRM & Process Setup
A real CRM (GoHighLevel, HubSpot, or Pipedrive) properly configured with the automations you actually need.
$3,000 – $5,000
Monthly Advisory Retainer
Ongoing AI & ops advisor. Strategy calls, monthly reviews, ad-hoc questions, light implementation.
$1,000 – $2,500/mo
Larger Custom Build
Multi-system integrations, dashboards, internal tools. Scoped fixed-fee after a brief paid discovery.
$5,000 – $15,000+
From the first reviews

What clients are saying.

I'm just getting started, so this section is mostly empty. Real testimonials will fill in as the first reviews finish.

Testimonial coming soon.
Small business owner
Testimonial coming soon.
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Testimonial coming soon.
Could be you
Common questions

FAQ

Why is the review only $1,000?

Because it's productized. Fixed scope, fixed deliverable, fixed time. I'm not selling you 40 hours of consulting buried in a fog of "discovery." You're paying for a clear written assessment delivered in 48 hours. A Big Four firm would wrap the same work in a $50,000 strategy engagement. I'd rather charge you for the answer.

What if you don't find anything useful?

That happens. If after the call I don't think there are at least three meaningful opportunities in your business, I'll tell you, and I won't bill you. I don't write filler reports.

Is the review fee credited back if I hire you for implementation?

No. Doing that converts the review into a sales call, which would compromise the honesty of the recommendations. The review is its own deliverable. If I recommend an implementation and you hire me, you pay for that work separately.

What kinds of businesses is this for?

Small businesses, especially service businesses (HVAC, plumbing, contractors, landscaping), health practices (dental, chiropractic, fitness), professional services (law, accounting, real estate, insurance), and small operations (manufacturing, distribution, e-commerce, retail). If you have a phone that rings, customers who repeat, and at least one process you'd like to stop doing manually, you're a fit.

Do I need to be technical or already use AI tools?

No. Most of my recommendations involve off-the-shelf tools you can deploy without code. The review will tell you which ones you'd actually use, configured the right way for your business.

Will you recommend AI tools that aren't actually AI?

Yes, often. I'll be upfront when it happens. A solid Make scenario isn't AI. A good CRM isn't AI. A missed-call text-back isn't AI. Some of the highest-ROI recommendations I make have nothing to do with AI. You hire me for results, not buzzwords.

Do you only work with Charlotte businesses?

No. I work with small business owners anywhere. Most of the work happens on Zoom, and the deliverable is the same regardless of location. Charlotte clients can have in-person discovery calls if they prefer. Everyone else is on video. A contractor in Phoenix gets the same review a contractor in Cornelius would.

Do you do this in person?

For Charlotte-area clients, I prefer in-person discovery within 30 minutes of Uptown. Coffee, your office, or your job site work. For everyone else, Zoom is fine and the deliverable is identical.

What happens after the report?

You get a written deliverable to keep. You can implement everything yourself for free, take some recommendations to another vendor, or hire me to implement one. There's no obligation either way and no follow-up sales pressure.

Forty-eight hours. One honest review.

If you've been meaning to figure out the AI question for your business but haven't trusted anyone offering to help, this is the lowest-risk way to find out.

Book a discovery call →

Read the newsletter

Every week I write Blueprint Memo, a short letter on supply chain, business, and tech for owners and operators who'd rather have a useful idea than a Big Idea.

Subscribe to Blueprint Memo →