All Episodes 165: Chris Carter | Mastering Systems Without Losing Your Soul
165: Chris Carter | Mastering Systems Without Losing Your Soul
Christopher Carter, four-time best-selling author and founder of Approyo, knows firsthand how technology and human adaptability must evolve together. In this episode of The Prestigious Initiative, Chris and Christopher dive deep into the intersection of enterprise systems, cloud-based AI, and the mindset leaders need to stay relevant in a rapidly changing world. They explore how to build teams that don’t just survive automation — but thrive through it; how to rewire workflows for efficiency while preserving human values; and why lifelong learning will beat complacency every time. Whether you’re a tech professional, entrepreneur, or high-performer navigating change, this conversation offers a roadmap to mastering systems without losing your soul.
What's up, everyone? Chris Beane here. Let me paint a picture for you. Imagine showing up to a baseball game, but you're not even on the field yet. You're still in the clubhouse, pulling on your uniform, getting ready to head out for batting practice.
That's where we are with AI.
As my guest this week, Chris Carter, put it:
"We are barely in the clubhouse getting our uniform on to go out for batting practice in AI. 99% of the people still think that Canva is the best thing built on AI, but yet they don't realize that the perplexities, the ChatGPTs, and all these other tools are growing and evolving."
We're in the absolute infancy of this revolution. ChatGPT is on version 4.0. Gemini is at 3.2. We're acting like these tools are fully grown adults, when in reality, they're toddlers just learning to walk. And the biggest mistake we're making? Thinking we can just bark orders at them and get magic back.
In this episode, Chris Carter and I (the Chris Squared, as we called ourselves) dove deep into what it actually takes to stay relevant when machines start getting smarter. Today, I'm breaking down the key takeaways from that conversation. Let's get into it.
Your Prompts Are the Problem
We started by tackling the single biggest mistake most people make with AI. They treat it like a vending machine. Put in a few words, get out a result. But as Chris explained, that approach is doomed to fail.
"Your prompts shouldn't just be 15 words. You should store your prompts and you should keep your prompts. Go into detail. Talk about what their needs are. Talk about who they are. Talk about what you do for them."
He shared a story about asking his own daughters and staff members a simple question: "What tone do you want that in?" And they had no idea what he was talking about.
This is the gap. We're not teaching people how to communicate with these tools. We're just handing them a hammer and wondering why they can't build a house.
I shared my own approach, which is to treat the AI like an expert I'm hiring:
"I tell it to act like an expert in whatever field you're in. Act like an expert in data analysis. Act like an expert in marketing. And then at the end, I say, 'Please introduce yourself and give me a brief resume of why I should choose you to do this task.'"
But here's the real game-changer. Chris dropped a piece of advice that I think is worth the price of admission all by itself:
"Have you asked ChatGPT or Gemini what they need to be successful by asking you questions? Ask me any questions that you may have."
Most people stop at the first answer. The pros ask for follow-ups. They ask for validation. They turn it into a conversation. And when you do that, something magical happens. You're not just using a tool anymore. You're educating it, and it's educating you right back.
"This is almost your next level of master's degree. You're trying to get educated and you're educating a tool to help educate you that helps educate it. It's this back and forth of education."
The Failure of Our Education System
This led us to a bigger conversation about how we're preparing (or failing to prepare) the next generation. Chris didn't hold back.
"I've got a really good friend who is a teacher. Their school has outlawed AI completely still to this day. I've sat down with her and said, 'I appreciate the fact that you guys are worried about cheating. But let's look at it this way. I used to have the Encyclopedia Britannica. It was 26 books. AI is that system on steroids.'"
He's right. Instead of banning these tools, we should be teaching students how to use them. How to ask better questions. How to verify information. How to go deeper.
I added my own thoughts on this, riffing on how the current school model was literally designed by Rockefeller to create factory workers.
"They wanted robots to be these machines, these factory workers. But we don't have those things so much anymore. I think a fantastic way for AI to be brought into the school system is to revolutionize it totally."
Imagine a classroom where a facilitator poses a question, students go explore it with AI (asking follow-up after follow-up), and then they come back together to discuss what they learned. That's not cheating. That's learning how to learn. And in a world where information is doubling every 12 hours, that's the only skill that matters.
Chris summed it up perfectly:
"Instead of saying you're cheating, what it's doing is allowing them to be able to pick and choose items that are of knowledge to them. It's the individual going down the path that they want to, with left turns and right turns and back and forth."
The Fear of Job Loss and the Power of Adaptability
We circled back to the elephant in the room. Everyone's afraid AI is going to take their job. Chris's response? That's the wrong way to look at it.
"People keep saying, 'Oh, AI is going to take away my job.' Companies aren't going to rehire people in the manner that they have. They're going to look for those bigger, better, faster, stronger people that know and like and enjoy and use the tools."
This is the distinction that matters. It's not about man versus machine. It's about man with machine. The people who thrive won't be the ones who fight the change. They'll be the ones who ride it.
I chimed in with my 50-50 take:
"We're told that AI is going to be taking our jobs. And with that, we think of AI as a being. But really, it's just another tool. Like a computer is a tool that helps us do our job. These AI systems are going to come in and help us do our jobs even better, more efficiently."
Will some jobs disappear? Sure. They always have. Remember the person waving the flag directing traffic before stoplights? But new jobs will appear. New opportunities. New ways to create value.
The key is adaptability. And the people who are adaptable aren't the ones who have all the answers. They're the ones who ask the best questions.
The One Skill AI Can't Replace
Toward the end of our conversation, I asked Chris what he thought was the most important human skill that no software will ever replace. His answer was immediate and powerful:
"Be inquisitive. Cognitive activities. Thinking outside the lights. Being a forward-thinking, inquisitive thinker. Don't just rely on one question, one answer. Be more inquisitive about the activities that are going on."
He went back to basics.
"Go back to elementary school. Who, what, where, when, why, and how. Use those every time you get in front of your Gemini, your ChatGPT. And it's amazing what you will find back and grow from."
This resonated deeply with me. Every great leader in history, every innovator, every mover and shaker—they all had this in common. They weren't satisfied with the status quo. They kept asking "why?" until they found a better way.
"Do not stand on the status quo. Always be thinking about the next activity, the next concept, the next forward."
That's the human advantage. Curiosity. And the beautiful thing? It's free. It doesn't require a degree or a certification. It just requires the willingness to admit you don't know and the courage to ask.
Culture, Connection, and Climbing Together
We also touched on something that often gets lost in the tech talk: culture. Chris shared his philosophy on building teams that remain adaptable while implementing heavy technical systems.
"The culture of an organization is paramount. Our culture is to help others grow, to lead them up the ladder to success. And we simply use the tools that are at our disposal to also help."
This is the part the textbooks don't teach you. You can have the best AI, the most efficient systems, the most cutting-edge SAP implementations. But if your culture is broken, none of it matters.
Chris's parting challenge to listeners was simple and powerful:
"If you've got a mentor who's helping you bring you up the ladder of success, connect with that mentor and then mentor somebody else."
This is how we win. Not by hoarding knowledge, but by sharing it. Not by climbing alone, but by reaching back and pulling someone else up.
Your Call to Action
Talking with Chris Carter was a reminder that technology is not the enemy. Stagnation is. Fear is. Complacency is.
The tools are here. They're getting better every day. The question isn't whether they'll change your industry. They will. The question is whether you'll change with them.
So here's your challenge this week. Pick one AI tool—ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, whatever flavor you prefer—and have a conversation with it. Don't just ask for a task. Ask it what it needs to know to help you better. Ask follow-up questions. Ask for validation. Treat it like a curious student and a wise professor at the same time.
See what happens.
Until next time, stay adaptable, stay humble, and stay relentless. And remember: becoming bigger, better, faster, stronger isn't just a mantra. It's a choice you make every single day.
Join us weekly for deep, unfiltered conversations about personal development, leadership, productivity, and excellence. Each episode is crafted to help you take initiative and unlock your full potential — both personally and professionally
Kiki Clarke has spent over 20 years developing teams and coaching individuals to unlock their potential and build lives filled with clarity, joy, and fulfillment. As the founder of Vibrant Life Coaching, she helps clients overcome burnout, reframe challenges, and rediscover what makes them come alive. In this episode of The Prestigious Initiative, Chris and Kiki explore why so many people feel stuck on autopilot, how to create balance without sacrificing ambition, and what practical steps you can take today to live with more energy and purpose. Whether you’re an executive, entrepreneur, or simply someone navigating life’s pressures, Kiki’s compassionate, results-driven approach will give you the tools and mindset shifts needed to not just succeed, but thrive.
Joe Elphick spent four decades building and selling a manufacturing company before writing the book TRUE Fulfillment, which offers a practical formula for lasting happiness in a culture obsessed with quick fixes. His approach blends science, timeless wisdom, and actionable tools, centering on his TRUE method: Test, Reframe, Understand, Embrace. In this episode of The Prestigious Initiative, Chris and Joe explore how radical honesty built trust and saved a multi-million-dollar deal, why positive living is a choice, and how 10 simple commitments can transform the way we pursue success and happiness. Joe’s story shows that fulfillment isn’t found in shortcuts—it’s built through courage, clarity, and commitment.
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