AI has been around for decades—but only recently has it become accessible, scalable, and deeply personal. In this episode of One Sharp Sword, Dr. Wayne Pernell speaks with Nick Yaitsky, Chief AI Officer at Lulav Technology Partners, about what actually works when AI meets healthcare, leadership, and organizational culture.

Nick breaks down hyper-personalization, data ethics, failing fast vs. learning fast, and why leaders must fix broken processes before layering in AI. This is a grounded, human conversation about growth, fear, adaptability, and building organizations that are truly future-ready.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why AI enables personalization at a level humans alone can’t scale
• The difference between AI-native and AI-branded organizations
• How leaders can evolve culture without burning it down
• Why fear is information—not a stop sign
• The leadership mindset required to navigate rapid change

Connect with Nick:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nickyaitsky
• Email: nick@lulav.ai
• Website: https://lulav.ai

🎥 Watch the full episode on my YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/EUckhht5Ego

In this episode of One Sharp Sword, Dr. Wayne Pernell sits down with Robert Beaven—human-centered culture architect and leadership coach—to explore why culture isn’t a side initiative, it is the strategy.

Together, they unpack what it really takes to build trust and psychological safety in organizations, especially in a world shaped by rapid change, remote work, and increasing complexity. Robert shares hard-earned lessons from his journey through corporate leadership, consulting, and culture design—along with practical insights leaders can use immediately.

This conversation dives into curiosity as the foundation of trust, the danger of perfectionism, the power of presence, and why great leaders don’t call people out—they call them in.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Why culture is the primary driver of sustainable performance
• Psychological safety as a leadership responsibility
• Curiosity as the foundation of trust and belonging
• The myth of perfection and the cost of comparison
• Leadership presence: how you show up is the message
• Calling people in vs. calling people out
• Building trust through boundaries, grace, and consistency
• Supporting introverts and quieter voices on teams
• Why leaders must grow people—not just results
• Giving yourself (and others) grace in a polarized world

This conversation dives into curiosity as the foundation of trust, the danger of perfectionism, the power of presence, and why great leaders don’t call people out—they call them in.

Robert Beaven is a human-centered culture architect with more than 20 years of experience helping leaders design cultures where people thrive and performance follows. His work focuses on leadership alignment, psychological safety, trust, and courageous conversations.

Connect with Robert:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/robertbeaven

🎥 Watch the full episode on my YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/nReCgtQtG3I

What does it take to live above your perceived potential—and help others do the same?

In this episode of One Sharp Sword, Dr. Wayne Pernell sits down with Damon Dixon, a lifelong leader whose journey spans Division I athletics, a 33-year Naval career, biotech leadership, and now senior operations at BYU Athletics. Rather than a straight résumé walk-through, this conversation dives into the inner architecture of leadership: identity, vision, faith, perseverance, and service.

Damon shares the story behind his personal “why”—to inspire all he comes in contact with so they maximize their potential—and how that purpose guided him through setbacks, career pivots, and moments where the plan fell apart… only to lead somewhere better.

🔑 Key Themes & Takeaways

• Living Above Potential: How Damon reframed limitations and outperformed expectations as a 5’8” Division I wide receiver
• Identity Before Outcome: Why becoming the person matters more than achieving the title
• The Navy as a Leadership Laboratory: Lessons in people-first leadership learned over three decades of service
• Setbacks as Redirection: When the “dream job” disappears—and why that may be essential
• The Power of Mentorship: How seeking (and becoming) mentors accelerates growth
• Multipliers, Not Diminishers: Building teams that scale talent, trust, and impact
• Faith + Effort: “Work as if everything depends on you; pray as if everything depends on God.”

👤 About Damon Dixon
Damon Dixon is the Chief of Staff for BYU Athletics, a former Naval officer, Division I football player, biotech executive, and mentor. Across every chapter of his career, Damon has focused on one core mission: helping people perform beyond what they thought possible.

🔗 Connect with Damon LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damon-b-dixon-mba/

🎥 Watch the full episode now on my YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/6TmCXPsso2g