From IT Staffing to Award-Winning AI: A CEO’s Bold Pivot

AI is changing business faster than most organizations can adapt. While many companies hesitated, CEO, Ankit Pathak led a bold transformation.

In this episode, we unpack how he pivoted ConsultAdd Inc. from traditional IT staffing into an award-winning AI solutions firm, earning recognition as Best Bespoke AI Solutions 2025 USA. Under Ankit's leadership, the company restructured teams, retrained talent, and rebuilt its market positioning to deliver customized AI agents for Fortune 500 and high-growth companies. An incredible pivot. 

This is more than a conversation about technology. It’s about leadership and what it takes a fast paced, and evolving world of business.

Join us weekly as we dig into the real stories behind work culture transformation.

Not theory. Not fluff. Just honest conversations with leaders and innovators who've been in the trenches.

Transcript

Setting The Stage On AI Fear

SPEAKER_00 0:00

And once they see the value, the fear goes away. It's just like how people once doubted uh using the smartphone. Now they just can't live without them. So I always tell my clients that you don't understand uh uh you don't need to understand AI fully to benefit uh from it. You just need to start small and experience the results.

SPEAKER_02 0:18

So at Elements of Culture, we sit down with experts in leadership and team building to explore the DNA that drives a thriving organization. Hello, everyone, and welcome to Elements of Culture. My name is Taryn, and I'm joined with my co-host Julie. And today we're so excited to welcome Ankit Patak to our podcast show. I hopefully I said that correctly, but you can correct me in just a moment. Umkit, welcome. We're so glad you're here.

SPEAKER_00 0:44

Same year, guys. Thank you so much for having me uh on your show.

SPEAKER_02 0:48

Yes, we're excited. So we're gonna have lots of conversation, maybe even some cultural conversation as well. Um, but I I want to let everybody know you are the CEO of a company called Consult Ad Inc., which is an IT consulting company uh with AI solutions. So before we get into the ins and outs of what your company does, tell us a little bit about your background, where are you joining us from, and then we'll get uh into the conversation a bit more.

SPEAKER_00 1:15

Sure. I'll I'll give you a brief introduction. I'll not take more than uh uh 30 seconds, although I speak a lot, but I'll I'll try to be very, very um uh brief today. Uh hi guys, hi everybody. My name is Ankit. I am the co-founder and CEO of Consulted Incorporation, and we provide AI solutions. Um I born and brought up in India, uh, but from past eight years, I'm living in the United States. I started my career uh 10 years back as a management trainee. And uh then I moved to a tech background where I started working with Centen as a Python developer, then I worked with Amazon, um, I worked with Sony Music. So I worked with multiple clients, and then two years back, my own sponsored company, consultant, asked me that hey, we are pivoting our business to AI. Uh are you interested to be our CEO? I said, why not? So um while working for those big clients, now they are our partner. So um uh I'm trying to help uh mostly uh small businesses if we can solve their uh current problems, whatever pain points they have in their business. So that's something my motive. And I work uh mostly on trust. I know there are agreements, I know they are like uh um uh SOWs, but for me, building a trust is something that uh the first baseline that you have to do. So that's that's all about me. And in terms of fun, I am uh a fun-loving guy. I have a principle uh to be kind and humble. I manifest a lot, and uh that's worked for me. And in terms of hobbies, I love writing poetry, I love singing, I love Hindi classical music, and I'm a big time sneakerhead.

Young Teams And Culture Fundamentals

SPEAKER_01 3:00

Unkead, that's great. That's the best introduction I've we've heard so far. So I think um and you're multi-talented, so that's that's amazing because you write poetry. That's that's a first. I haven't heard that yet. So um, Ankid, um, I would love to talk to you about this because I love um you you've helped you're the CEO of this company. Talk to me a little bit because you're a company, you're a multicultural company, you're international. Talk to me about how you keep your teams and you're in Indian out with your team right now. Talk to me a little bit about how you help create one uniform company to feel uniformity. And there's something very interesting about your uh team in India too. There are under the age of 30, is that correct? All the employees?

SPEAKER_00 3:44

Yes. I am also like uh 15 years old.

SPEAKER_01 3:47

Of course you are, of course you're 15, of course. I believe you, I believe you. So talk to me a little bit about team dynamics and how you keep the team and lead the team in a good, positive place, even like during bad seasons, you know, the economy can drop, sales can go down, the economy is changing. I think AI is changing, IT is changing, business is changing, so many changes. How do you help keep you know everybody in one company managing multiple teams? You're based out of New York. Talk to me a little bit about that. And I know you're really jolly, so you love being with your team. You said you're not even in your own office, you're just with the team right now. So talk to me a little about how you keep that culture going and alive on the team.

Clarity Over Control In Leadership

SPEAKER_00 4:29

Sure. So um definitely we hire uh only young people uh and we don't have anybody more than 30 in our company, only me and uh the founder of the company is uh more than 30. Although I am uh 18 by by heart. Uh but uh sure. Yeah, so that's something that uh I can talk about. But in terms of first of all, I'll start with uh um your first part in terms of uh the multiculture uh international company and how do we keep everyone connected? So for me, um the culture uh is the real operating system of company. Whether someone's in New York or a Pune, I want them to feel uh the same heartbeat. Okay. Ownership, trust, and curiosity. We do that uh through um uh open conversations, small celebrations, and reminding everyone that titles don't define people, impact us. So whatever you're doing, do it with loyalty. That's something uh we do. Okay. Uh in terms of um uh about your second part of your question, is uh um definitely um all my employees are under 30, and uh in terms of uh how I lead such a young team, okay, it's basically my favorite part, and I don't call myself a leader, I call them my um I'm their friend, okay. And they bring energy and I bring uh patience, although I'm not, but yeah, for a podcast I can say that. Uh, and together uh we build um balance, and balancing in life is really important. Uh, it's personal, professional, you have to do that. So I tell them don't work for the company, work for yourself through the company. And that mindset keeps them hungry, humble, and ready for any strong, whether it's an AI uh uh disruption or a changing economy. So that's something we are really important. So for me, their learning is is is something that I always always look for. Um in terms of the positivity, uh uh uh what what I try to bring uh on the floor is that by being real, I share the the good news uh and a bad news uh the same day. And I think uh team follows transparency more than motivation. So everybody who's listening to us today, I'll tell you be transparent to your employee, your colleagues. That's that's really important. Whether it's a good or bad news for them, be clear and honest. Honesty is something that is really important. And um, apart from that, uh I joke around with them. So uh laughter helps. So I'm not typically uh uh corner office CEO. I I am usually sitting with uh the team, sometimes even stealing their snacks as well. So that's something uh I do. So in short, uh at the end of the day, if we are not just building AI, we are building trust through AI. That the mission I leave by. Uh um stay kind, stay curious, and never stop learning.

SPEAKER_02 7:39

Wow, Anki, are you hiring? Who doesn't want to work for a CEO like that?

SPEAKER_01 7:45

Don't think we meet the age quality.

SPEAKER_02 7:49

I mean, I mean, this is just amazing. You I want to highlight something though, because you actually said so many like really good things. And I I do so here's the thing. I think sometimes people have language, but they don't actually have a culture that backs it up. And I can see that you are genuine on kit. And uh I it makes me want to go visit your company. And this I was serious. If you're hiring, you know, anybody who's listening, go check them out. Uh, but you said something culture is the operating system of a company. Um, this show is called Elements of Culture. And I think sometimes we don't think about some of those fundamental things that are actually truly impacting the culture. Um, and I love that you said building that trust and transparency because that obviously can overflow into the business itself. So even into the AI, you know, models and the AI teammates that you guys are building. That's so fascinating. I'm just like, I'm blown away. Um, okay, so let me ask you this. You know, Julie was talking about the cultural aspect of having employees both in the states um but also in India. How do you go about with like communication when because yes, you can be jolly, yes, you can have fun and be transparent, but there are also leaders that are like, well, sometimes you gotta kind of lay the lay down the law, right? Or rule with an iron fist. Do you ever find yourself like trying to navigate when to lead differently? Or is it just different because all of your teammates are younger?

What AI Agents Actually Do

SPEAKER_00 9:27

Uh thank you, first of all. Uh if you want a AI agent, uh please uh contact us, guys. Uh and even if both of you need uh an agent for your company, please uh talk to me. We'll talk.

SPEAKER_02 9:40

We'll talk.

SPEAKER_00 9:43

Uh we we will solve the issues in very minimal amounts. So uh let me send you a contact right now uh to both of you.

SPEAKER_02 9:51

You guys look at this CEO. He's making a sale on a podcast. This is impressive.

SPEAKER_00 9:56

So let's come to uh your point. Um uh definitely uh in terms of a culture, as I mentioned, that it's the operating system, right? Um that's a really great question. I don't really believe in leading with fear or uh with uh uh an iron uh for uh faced. I believe in um leading uh with clarity. And uh the truth is when your team, especially a young team, understand the why, you don't have to enforce the how. They take the ownership naturally. And of course, uh there are moments where you have to be uh um very very firm, but even uh then I I remind myself firmness doesn't mean losing kindness, and you can uh be uh decisive and uh compassionate about uh um um at the same time. Okay. Uh I always say the best leaders don't uh create followers, they create clarity. And once people see the clarity, they they drive the culture forward on their own.

SPEAKER_01 11:03

Now that is great. Uh I'm blown away too. Terrence, like me and her looking at each other. Um, I love that because I think we, you know, we heard um, we had a friend of ours and he would always say, um, clarity is kindness. Um and when you're clear, you're being kind because you're helping people understand what's going on, what's happening, and helping them. It doesn't leave them in the dark, right? Like the worst thing you could possibly do is leave out the details and let people feel the anxiety of not knowing something. And so I think always clarifying is good. I love that, Anke. Okay, you also have a few hundred consultants here in the US. Talk to me a little bit about an AI agent and the need for this. And you're you have passion for small business and helping small business. Talk to me about your what you're actually what your team is actually selling and how it's changing because I know right now AI is on the forefront, and there's a group of people that are jumping on the the wagon, and there's a group of people that are very scared. What would you say to the group of people being scared after you tell me a little bit about what you guys do?

Pivoting A 1,000‑Person Company To AI

SPEAKER_00 12:06

Sure, definitely. Uh great question. Uh so um honestly speaking, people nowadays like definitely there there is a hype or uh there's a bubble people call up of AI, right? And a lot of people are uh scared uh to bring AI in their company, a lot of people are scared of uh using it. But imagine when there was a no phone or there was no computer, we still adopted that, right? And uh uh when there was no internet, then the internet came, people are scared. Hey, my data will be safe or not. When there is a cloud came, people adopted that as well. And AI is not uh here to replace human, AI is there to argument with human that we have to understand, right? And um the reason why I love this question because this is exactly what we are trying to fix uh for small businesses. At Consultad, we build uh AI agents that take care of the daily repetitive work that steals your time. Things uh like managing leads, responding to customer emails, updating CRM, or um maybe like uh filling out some form which is taking like too much time, okay? Or maybe if you need a summary. So instead of replacing people, our AI helps them to focus on what really matters relationship, creativity, and growth. Okay. And in our company, we don't sell a custom like uh any generic product. You can go on on Google Search AI, bunch of SaaS products are there, you have a chat GPT, definitely there's helping, but this do those are very generic. We have to understand that generic product can definitely help you, but not with the accuracy. What we bring on the table is accuracy and customized tool. Imagine a tool who can think like you, who can talk like you and work like you. Uh, you can see yourself in a mirror, but in the form of AI. Right? So, about those who are scared of AI, I totally understand it, but I want to tell everyone this that AI isn't here to take your job, uh, it's here to take your job's boring part. Okay, so once you see it uh saves you hours every week, you stop hearing it and start enjoying it. And my goal is simple make AI feel human, useful, and easy for every small business.

SPEAKER_02 14:35

That's so good. Anke, I want to bring up something. You mentioned to us before we started um the recording today, you said that your company actually took a pivot uh last year with AI. And because you guys are a fairly large organization, how how large is your team?

SPEAKER_00 14:52

We have around like um thousand employees, thousand plus, I would say.

SPEAKER_02 14:57

But you made a quick pivot. Tell us uh about you know what you saw coming and and how you went about doing that. Because I think sometimes companies maybe fear holds them back, maybe the unknown, right? With AI. How does how did you guys go about a pivot and then completely kind of changing your business model?

SPEAKER_00 15:19

Oh very tough question.

SPEAKER_02 15:21

That's a loaded question. You can share as much as you'd like or as little as you'd like, but I'm just curious.

Education First, Proofs Of Concept Next

SPEAKER_00 15:28

No, the reason why it is like uh uh scared me because uh when uh me and the founder Parat Bhate was uh was in the conversation uh when we are doing staffing business, and one day he called me and he said that do you saw that AI is changing the world? Uh can we do something there? And I was like, we spoke around four hours and I was like in a shock. I was so scared that we have a thousand people. If you pivot from IT staffing, consulting to uh to uh to AI, how are we going to do it? We have a running business, understand that where we are earning good, we have a good revenue, and we are helping a lot of clients by delivering uh the uh the consulting and consultants to them. But now, sudden change. But uh after talking to him, I asked him, he said, Yeah, are you all in? I said uh yes, I am all in, but give me some time. So I took a weekend, I I um read and did research about AI. And then after doing research, I realized that uh by 2027 or 2028, uh AI will be everywhere. It's not about that we're going to uh take your job, but that's something where uh um everybody start using it. And we already see in our life, right? We uh whenever we have to uh ask something, you just go to chat GBD, not on Google. Whatever we have to ask, we ask to AI. If if if I'm getting sick, I was like, hey, I am having uh fever today, do I have a cancer? That's something simple, right? I can ask AI anything but I want. So um last year, uh last year we saw one clear thing that AI uh isn't just another tool, it was a new way of uh working. So instead of waiting, uh we decided to rebuild ourselves around it. And we took the same consulting DNA we had for years and starting helping clients build their own AI agents. And those tools actually that actually work with their teammates, uh, just like their teams, not replace them. And the first few months were hard, definitely it's very hard, and still hard because I have to take a lot of punch-off meetings, but still it's very hard. But uh, we had to retain teams, rebuild uh departments, even uh change our pitch, right? Because previously we had to uh sell something else, now it's AI agent. But once people started seeing a result, like saving hours daily or unlocking the new businesses, it becomes our biggest strength. So the lesson for me uh with this pivot was don't fear the wave. Learn uh to surf it. So who are listening to us, guys? Uh don't fear it. If you want to pivot, if you want to change, do change. Come out of your uh uh bubble and from your comfort zone. That's that's really important. It it will be hard, but at the time uh you can learn and grow.

SPEAKER_01 18:25

And Kate, do you find yourself with your clients and customers having to educate them a little bit more on AI? Are they hesitant? Are you finding yourself having to do the education piece? Because I feel like some people don't want to be left behind. Okay. Um, but at the same time, they're kind of weary of like, well, you know, what is this agent gonna say? Is it gonna be kind? Is it gonna be accurate? Like there's all these questions because it's so funny to me. People find a lot of accuracy in themselves. And we all know human error is like the biggest. So I I find it interesting. Now, mind you, I feel like when AI was first coming out, we were, Taryn and I were playing with it a lot more, I think a few years ago. And so I feel like maybe, and we've heard a lot more from other leaders in regards to it and what's happening. So maybe a little bit more um excited about it and understanding it. But tell me a little bit about how the education piece when you're going to market, when you're going to your clients and you're selling this um product and you're advising, you know, what's the education piece look like? What do they require? And or is you is the results enough? Are they willing to take the risk, see the results? Is that sufficient?

Is The AI Agent Space Crowded

SPEAKER_00 19:36

Makes sense. Um in terms of uh like when two years back I shared with the Stuitat, I was also hesitant if I have to pivot it or not. And if you're running a business, hesitation uh definitely comes with it. People are scared. Uh um to at least even like listen to us. When we started, we when the first cold call we made, you're like, hey, I'm calling from Consulted, we uh uh provide AI solution. Are you interested? No, thank you. Simple, and that's a part of sales, right? But uh definitely uh a big part of uh what we do is uh is is education first and sales later. As I mentioned, that uh that educating people are really important. If they don't know what uh like first of all, I have to educate my team. If they don't know what to sell, they cannot sell. Okay, if they don't know how what to create, they will not. And definitely uh uh our clients as well, we have to educate them as well. So most clients are curious, uh um but uh cautious that they they have heard about AI, they just don't know how to uh fit into their business. So we don't uh throw uh tech terms uh at them, we show them uh real examples like um here's how this agent can answer your customer calls, or here's how it can save your time uh four hours a day. Imagine that if I will tell you that, hey, you don't have to come to a podcast uh to take podcast of your guest, we can create your avatar with the AI who can take the podcast, ask the question, and more interactive than you, you will say, that's great. Bye-bye, Ankit. We don't want you to take our job. So that's this is like how we how we educate uh uh people. And once they see the value, the fear goes away. It's just like how people once doubted uh using the smartphone, now they just can't live without them. So I always tell my clients that you don't understand, uh uh you don't need to understand AI fully to benefit uh from it. You just need to start small and experience the results. So we uh don't sell directly. What we do is that we start with uh with uh simple POCs. So we'll first talk to clients, uh sh uh uh understand their pain points, educate them uh and uh After uh collecting all the data, we create a small prototype to give the glimpse at what we can achieve and what we can do. If they like the prototype, um, it will start with a small POC. I'm not asking them to, hey, throw me 100k, I'll build uh uh an agent for you. No, I'll start with the small POC where I first give them a proof of concept. Hey, this is something that you can build with AI and how you can change it. And once they are in, it's it's uh it's done. They started seeing the value.

SPEAKER_02 22:28

Angit, I have one question. So, and you know, things move quickly. It's like you're saying, I think that people are hesitant to adopt some things, but just like the cell phone, just like lots of other things. Do you feel like the the AI teammate thing solution, do you feel like this is a crowded space yet? Or is it still like there's so much opportunity? Like what's your thoughts on that?

SPEAKER_00 22:51

What what do you think? Uh if I ask you both of you guys, uh do you see the the crowded uh place in the podcast area as well nowadays? Or no?

SPEAKER_02 22:59

For podcasts. Yeah, yeah, good point.

SPEAKER_00 23:03

Same. Every business uh has competitors, have the area is crowded. And I uh actually think it's still still early for uh uh most of the uh companies because people are still very hesitant to adopt AI, right? So everyone is talking about AI, but very few are actually using it to solve real business problems. Most are still uh experimenting. Uh when I take discovery calls, they come to me and just to explore what we are selling and how we can help them out. So I don't uh see um it as a crowded, I see it as uh a wide open for people who can turn ideas into working product. Yeah. And the way I look at it, uh this is uh like uh the internet in the 90s. A few people build websites, a few uh build empire, and same with AI today. If you can build uh real useful uh uh teammates uh that actually make uh life easier, that's the endless opportunity ahead is is still waiting.

Global GTM And Regional Mindsets

SPEAKER_02 24:06

I love that. It's kind of like the 90s. This is the 90s of AI, everybody. So I want to ask you a question in terms of customers. Um, do you guys serve customers globally? Um, do you have customers kind of all over the world, or is it mostly Southeast Asia or is it US-based? And the the direction I'm going on kit is how does your your go-to market strategy change in terms of different cultures or different um regions of the world?

SPEAKER_00 24:36

Oh, definitely. Very, very, very uh uh good question, I would say, because the reason, uh first of all, we we deliver and um uh globally, okay. We definitely started with the United States because the IT consulting staffing business that we had was only uh in the United States. But when we started with AI, we thought that we cannot uh keep ourselves with one region, we have to grow uh globally as well. So we help a lot of companies uh um um all over the world, but definitely my preference you ask me, it's US. But if anybody wants to come and use the AI, I love to help them. Uh but yeah, we uh gradually expanding uh globally, and what's interesting uh is that uh the need of AI is universal, but the mindset change uh changes by region. So in the US, it's all about uh speed and ROI. So how fast can it save uh my time or money, right? And in Asia, uh it's more about uh trust and position. Can I rely on the system? It is secure. Every region has their own questions, right? And um it depends on uh where are you reaching, and then by the time you will you will learn. But there's something that how we uh how we how we learn because we are understanding the region wise, what are the questions they are asking? Some people are afraid of uh security, some people are afraid of uh um uh the results, some people are ROI uh um uh uh people. So that's something we are dependent on that, and our go-to market strategy always starts with uh empathy. So we'll listen, okay, we uh localize uh the message and we build proof through result. So AI may be global, but adoption is always personal.

SPEAKER_01 26:22

Yeah, and kid, I love that. Um, I I'm thinking of a couple of conversations we've had with other people where we've seen them struggle with the go to market, and they had one go-to-market strategy strategy and try to use it in multiple places all over the world, and obviously it didn't work. Uh, and so they were talking about the difficulties of that. So I think that's great. And can ask, talk to me a little bit about what does the future hold? What am I gonna read on Forbes magazine about Ankit in two to three or four years? What are you guys planning as a company? What lays on the forefront? What can we expect in AI and IT world in the future?

The Next Few Years In AI Teammates

SPEAKER_00 26:59

Sure. So, first of all, definitely I'll be on a on a cover page. Uh and you can tell your uh uh friends and family that hey, this is my friend Ankit now here. See so uh uh jokes apart, but uh definitely um in um uh in a few years or maybe like uh in two, three years, I would say not in few years. Uh my goal is simple. I want Consultat to be known as the company that made AI teammates and uh AI agent uh which are customized. As normal as hiring as a real employee, you will see us uh building agents that can handle uh sales, HR, even customer service. So your next best employee might actually be digital, but with uh human touch, right? Uh a lot of people are scared that hey, it is going to take much of no, no, guys. And if you uh uh open FOPs, I just hope the headline says uh the chill CEO who made AI work for humans, not the other way around.

SPEAKER_02 28:07

I love that. Ankit, well, thank you so much for joining us for this podcast. Um, you've truly been just a lot of fun, and I can see that why you and your team might like to have fun together. But before we wrap up, um, do you have any bit of advice for leaders that are out there? Maybe you maybe they're in this position where they're trying to figure out how to pivot. Um, maybe they're trying to navigate this um very quick changing uh business world. Is there any has there been any like guiding thoughts that has helped you along your career journey or anything that you'd like to encourage leaders with?

Final Advice For Leaders

SPEAKER_00 28:45

So I think uh if I have to start uh um I'll start with that uh first of all, don't be afraid of uh to pivot, uh, even if it uh means starting a small uh again. Okay. And even uh a big leap, I have taken uh started with uh one uncomfortable step. And also take care of your people. Uh tech uh will evolve, uh AI will evolve, but kindness and clarity will always stay the best leadership uh tools, right? Make sure that you always uh uh whenever you make a decision, think uh like customer, think like your employees, whatever decision you are making. Always be in their shoes and then make a decision. That's something what I believe in. That's why uh um I don't have a cabin uh in my office. I sit with my people at the floor, and uh that's something I have learned. Lead with the heart and the growth will follow you. That's that's that's really important.

SPEAKER_02 29:53

Beautiful. So well said. Thank you, Ankit, for joining us for this beautiful conversation. So appreciate it today.

SPEAKER_00 30:00

Thanks to you guys. I I really appreciate it and enjoyed the conversation. Your questions were really amazing, and uh I know that uh you interviewed a lot of people and uh uh I do I do jokes around. So thank you so much. This was honestly more fun than most of my uh board meetings.

SPEAKER_02 30:20

Good to hear it. Thanks, Anke. Appreciate you.