http://www.kairoscarolinadigital.com/kairos-growth-accelerator-lead-page

Bruce Waller, Asheville, NC (2026)

06/17/2026

AI Isn’t Here to Replace You It’s Here to Partner With You.

Every time I mention AI and automation, somebody says,
“Man, that’s gonna take people’s jobs.”

But here’s the truth: automation doesn’t replace people.
It replaces inefficiency.

The goal isn’t to take humans out of business.
It’s to take the busy out of business.

AI is not your competitor, it's your collaborator.
When you learn how to use it correctly, it becomes your digital teammate, one that never sleeps, never complains, and helps you focus on what really matters: building relationships, creating vision, and leading from purpose.

The entrepreneurs who resist it will drown in manual work.
The ones who embrace it will multiply their impact not because they work harder, but because they work wiser.

Automation isn’t the end of humanity.
It’s the evolution of stewardship.

The future belongs to those who partner with intelligence both divine and artificial to serve people at a higher level.

06/16/2026

Honoring the People Who Quietly Help Heal a City

Big shoutout to Shari Smith for receiving the Black Wall Street Legacy Award at our annual GrindFest event this past weekend. What an incredibly well-deserved moment.

When I think about people who have consistently shown up for Asheville with love, patience, and real leadership…

Shari is one of those people.

For years, she has been deeply committed to helping our city heal, restore, and move toward the vision we all know is possible.

And what I respect most?
Her consistency.

Whether in the church…
On the streets…
In conference rooms…
At community events…

The love never changed.

As long as I’ve known Shari, she has always been fully present for people. Showing up. Listening. Helping. Serving.

Never for applause.
Never for recognition.
Just because that’s who she is.

Even today, through her work with schools, nonprofits, organizations, and community hubs, she continues to pour into restorative and healing-centered practices that are making a real difference across our region.

And it made the moment even more special seeing her sister, Sheneika Smith, former Vice Mayor and current Asheville City Council member, show up, represent, and speak such powerful words before Shari received the award.

That sisterhood was beautiful to witness.

At Black Wall Street AVL and GrindFest, we believe in celebrating the people who quietly carry communities on their backs. The ones who plant seeds, build bridges, and keep showing up even when nobody is watching.

These are the treasures sitting in our city.

And we are honored to celebrate one of Asheville’s heroes.
Congratulations again, Shari. 💯

Your work matters. Your presence matters. And this recognition was well deserved.

06/15/2026

From a Napkin Idea to a Citywide Movement

What a moment.

We officially now have our actual day for GrindFest and recently stood alongside city, county, and state representatives for our proclamation recognizing the work we’ve been building in this community.

And I gotta say…

That moment meant something.

Because when people in leadership stop and recognize the impact, it reminds you that the work matters.

Big shoutout to Leslie for blessing the city and singing our anthem for the people. That set the tone in a powerful way.

And this year?

Pack Square was a chess move.

Not checkers.

Chess.

And honestly… it felt like checkmate.

Thousands of people came through throughout the day.

The energy was incredible.

Businesses from our tribe were selling out.

The music was fire.
The food was hitting.
The vendors showed up.
The community showed love.

And the beautiful thing?

It wasn’t just an event.

It felt like a movement.

What’s wild is…

When we first dreamed up GrindFest on a piece of napkin almost 6 years ago, we could’ve never imagined it would grow into this.

Just an idea.
A vision.
A belief that our city needed something bigger.

Proof that sometimes the craziest visions become reality when you stay committed long enough.

I’m just honored to be in the room.

Honored to build alongside Dr. Hackett, our team, our sponsors, volunteers, vendors, and every single person who believed in this thing.

What a day.

And trust me…

We just getting started.

See y’all next year. 💯

06/11/2026

This Not Just a Festival… This a Whole Weekend

It started as a simple question…
“Are you coming to Grindfest?”

Now it’s turned into a whole city response.

Because people feel it.
Something different is building.

Yeah, June 13th is the main day.
But the truth is… we not containing this to one moment.

We’re activating the entire weekend.

The city gonna feel it before you even step into Pack Square.
Energy on Friday.
Full experience on Saturday.
Momentum still moving on Sunday.

This is what happens when culture, business, and community actually align.

Live bands.
Local artists.
Poetry.
Pitch competitions.
Opportunities being created in real time.

Not just entertainment…
This is exposure.
This is access.
This is people finally getting a shot.

We didn’t build this to just “have an event.”
We built this to shift the atmosphere of the city.

And if you’ve been paying attention…
you already know something special is happening.

June 13th. Downtown Asheville. Pack Square.

Pull up. Bring your people.
Or better yet… be part of it.

Vendors. Sponsors. Volunteers tap in:
https://grindfestavl.com

06/10/2026

Success Rarely Happens in a Straight Line

Who would’ve ever thought me and my brother Julian would be out here jumping out of airplanes for the military?

This picture had to be around 2011-ish… the pixels definitely telling our age 😂

But looking back, one thing I can say for sure:

The experience translated.

A lot of people think success happens in a straight line.

Go to school.
Get the degree.
Follow the exact roadmap.
Then somehow arrive at the dream.

But life rarely works like that.

Some of the most successful people I know got where they are through a non-linear path.

Unexpected turns.
Hard seasons.
Career pivots.
Experiences that made absolutely no sense at the time.

And yet… every piece mattered.

The military taught me discipline.
Pressure.
Trust.
Adaptability.
Leadership under uncertainty.

At the time, I had no idea those same lessons would show up in entrepreneurship, community work, leadership, and business.

That’s the thing people don’t talk about enough:

Every experience translates.

Even the ones that don’t seem connected.

Sometimes the greatest lessons only come when you’re willing to take the path of the unknown.

So if your journey looks different than everybody else’s…

Don’t panic.

Don’t discount the walk.

Because all of it, the setbacks, pivots, wins, and weird chapters, might just be preparing you for the exact place you’re supposed to end up.

Trust the process. Even when the path looks unconventional.

06/09/2026

The Life You Want Requires More Than Passion

One thing I have learned:

Spending time with the people you love should fuel the way you build.

Moments like this remind me why I work hard in the first place.

Not just to make money.
Not just to say I’m successful.

But to actually have the freedom to be present.

To travel.
To make memories.
To experience life with the people I love most.

But let me be real for a second…

The life you want usually lives on the other side of uncomfortable decisions.

The discipline.
The sacrifice.
The consistency.
The hard conversations.
The days you don’t feel like showing up.

A lot of people got passion.

But passion without discipline becomes frustration.

Passion gets you excited.
Discipline gets you results.

And when passion and discipline work together?

You unlock better experiences.
Better opportunities.
Better memories.

So here’s your reminder:

Build the business that gives you the life you actually want to live.

And never forget why you started.

For me?

It’s moments like this.

06/08/2026

Our Baby Girl Turned 6 💜

Almost two weeks ago, we celebrated one of the biggest blessings of our lives… Patience turning 6 years old.

And man, what a birthday it was.

Watching this little girl grow has been one of the greatest honors of our lives. It feels like yesterday we were holding a tiny baby in our arms, and now she is growing in confidence, personality, wisdom, and joy in ways that honestly amaze us.

Patience is truly growing leaps and bounds.

She has such a beautiful heart, a huge personality, and is surrounded by so many friends, family members, and people who genuinely love her. Watching everyone show up for her birthday reminded us just how blessed she is and how blessed we are.

And this birthday?

Yeah… this one was for the books.

The laughter.
The swimming.
The dancing.
The memories.
The joy on her face.

These are the moments that matter.

As parents, one thing Naomi and I care deeply about is creating healthy, lasting memories and meaningful experiences for our children. We want her to remember what love felt like. What community felt like. What joy felt like.

Because childhood moments like these become lifelong anchors.

Baby girl, we are so proud of you. 💜

You are gifted.
You are deeply loved.
And we are honored that God chose us to be your parents.

Happy 6th Birthday again, PayPay. The world is brighter because you’re in it.

06/05/2026

Real Builders Only.

Moments like this matter more than people realize.
This was in Richmond at the Omniclave, chopping it up with my brother Travis Malloy. Different lanes, same heart. Same commitment to building something that actually impacts people.

When you see someone show up, travel, pour out, and represent with integrity, that deserves recognition. This wasn’t about noise or hype. It was about presence and purpose.

What I respect most is consistency. Showing up when nobody is watching. Representing the Kingdom without needing a microphone. Building businesses that create opportunity, ownership, and legacy in real communities.

This is what Black excellence looks like when it’s rooted and intentional. Brotherhood. Alignment. Movement.

Salute someone who’s building with purpose and showing up for their people.

06/03/2026

Most entrepreneurs stop at using ChatGPT to “write content.”

But that’s like buying a spaceship and never leaving the driveway.

The real power isn’t in the words it creates, it's in the worlds it helps you build.

AI isn’t here to make you more robotic.
It’s here to make you more human.

When you learn how to think with it, not just through it, you start to move differently.
You make faster decisions. You see systems where others see chaos.

You buy back time and redirect your energy toward impact, not just output.

For me, it’s not about “what can I make with this?”
It’s “how can I multiply what already lives inside me?”

That’s the Kairos way of using technology as a bridge between divine creativity and disciplined ex*****on.

Most people see ChatGPT as a shortcut.
I see it as stewardship, a tool that lets me do what I’ve been called to do with more precision, more peace, and more purpose.

The future won’t belong to those who know prompts.
It’ll belong to those who know perspective.

06/02/2026

IGNITE THE PERSONAL FIRST

This is the Ignite Retreat…

Me and the squad we had the honor of leading the Personal Track, and let me tell you this one hits differently.

Before you build anything in the world…
Before you launch the idea…
Before you step into the vision…

You have to unlock yourself.

That’s why this track is so powerful.
It digs beneath the surface.
It finds the embers people forgot they still had.
And all we do is breathe on it until the fire grows.

Purpose, identity, clarity that’s the foundation.
Everything else becomes easier once the person is awakened.

Shoutout to the team for holding space and showing up with heart.

This is only the beginning.

Bruce Waller

06/17/2026

06/16/2026

06/15/2026

06/11/2026

06/10/2026

06/09/2026

06/08/2026

06/05/2026

06/03/2026

06/02/2026

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