Preparing for the Intelligence Age: The New Year Cohort
Tuesday, January 13, 2026 – Tuesday, March 3, 2026
1:00-2:00 PM ET
Live Online Learning • Kicks off January 13, 2026
Change isn’t coming, it’s already here.
AI, shifting client expectations, and economic pressure are rewriting how work gets done. Some agencies are experimenting. Others are rethinking their services. Most are somewhere in between, aware they need to evolve but unsure where to begin.
This cohort helps leaders in professional services understand where they stand, what’s holding them back, and how to prepare their teams, culture, and positioning for what’s next.
It’s not about chasing tools. It’s about building readiness and resilience and having the confidence and clarity to adapt without losing what makes your company human.
Limited to 20 participants • Starts Tuesday, January 13, 2026
$1,899 for Bureau Members / $2,899 for Nonmembers
What to Expect:
🧠 Weekly live sessions (starting January 13)
Eight guided sessions led by Carl Smith, leader of The Bureau and author of the upcoming book Built to Change: Designing the Agency of Tomorrow.
💬 Practical frameworks and real-world discussions
No buzzwords, no slide decks full of hype. You’ll explore how agencies at different stages of change can take the next right step.
📚 Resources you’ll actually use
Guidelines, frameworks, and checklists designed to turn learning into progress. You’ll leave each week knowing how to apply what you learned to your team and your workflow.
Most professional service companies know they need to “do something” with AI, automation and emerging tech, but jumping too fast can be just as risky as waiting too long. This program helps you find the balance: practical, thoughtful, forward-moving readiness that fits your agency’s current reality.
Who It’s For:
Agency owners and team leads ready to evolve how they work
Creative and digital leaders looking for clarity in a noisy space
Operations and strategy folks connecting people, process, and technology
Anyone tired of reacting and ready to lead with intention
What We’ll Work Through
Week 1 : - The Fundamental Changes We’re Just Starting to See
Week 2 : - The Shift from Expertise to Intelligence
Week 3 : - Partnering with Machines
Week 4 : - From Design Thinking to Systems Thinking
Week 5 : - Building Teams That Can Think
Week 6 : - Packaging Wisdom
Week 7 : - Leading Through Uncertainty
Week 8 : - Reinventing Professional Services
Ready to Lead Your Team Into The Future?
👋 Sign up to join us this new year!
Limited to 20 participants • Starts Tuesday, January 13, 2026
$1,899 for Bureau Members $2,899 for Nonmembers
Who’s Leading the Cohort…
Carl Smith
Carl has spent over three decades helping creative leaders run agencies that last. As a founding member and current leader of The Bureau Community, and the author of the upcoming book, Built to Change: Designing the Agency of Tomorrow, Carl’s work sits at the intersection of leadership, systems thinking, and human transformation.
He’s guided hundreds of individuals through real change: shifting from chaos to clarity, from fear to trust, and from survival to sustainability.
Carl’s approach blends community wisdom, hard-won experience, and practical optimism with just a dash of humor to help agency leaders not just adapt to the Intelligence Age, but define it.
Thank You to Our Wonderful Partners
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