I'm Now a Certified AI Consultant Through IWAI
I just earned my AI consultant certification through Innovating with AI (IWAI) and became an inaugural member of the IWAI Consultant Directory. Here's what that means and why it matters.
I just earned my AI consultant certification through Innovating with AI (IWAI) and became an inaugural member of the IWAI Consultant Directory. This post covers what that certification means, what IWAI is, and why any of it should matter to you if you're a small or mid-sized business thinking about hiring an AI consultant.
What Innovating with AI Is
Innovating with AI runs a program called The AI Consultancy Project. It's built specifically for consultants who are designing, launching, and scaling AI consultancies for real business clients.
This isn't a generic online course. It functions as both a training platform and a professional community where consultants across the country and around the world share what's working, what's changing, and how to serve clients well as the AI landscape keeps evolving.
The curriculum covers:
- AI skills that update as the tools do. The course is designed to keep pace with how fast this space moves, not lock you into what was true two years ago.
- Healthy client acquisition strategies. No high-pressure sales tactics. The focus is on building client relationships that actually serve the client's needs.
- AI ethics. How to incorporate ethical considerations into client work, not just treat AI as a productivity shortcut.
What the IWAI Consultant Directory Means
IWAI recently launched a Consultant Directory, and you have to be certified to be listed. I'm one of the inaugural members.
To earn a listing, a consultant has to demonstrate:
- Real experience delivering results for clients across a range of AI services, including training, builds, and workflow automation.
- Completed training through the IWAI program on both AI skills and consultancy management.
- Experience incorporating AI ethics into client-facing work.
This isn't a badge you buy or a test you pass in an afternoon. The directory is designed to help businesses find consultants with actual, verifiable experience.
You can view my listing directly at innovatingwithai.com/consultant/brandon-hurter.
Why This Matters If You're Vetting an AI Consultant
The AI consulting space has exploded. Anyone can put "AI consultant" in their LinkedIn bio. There's no licensing board, no bar exam, no standard credential that every legitimate consultant holds.
That's exactly why third-party verification matters. When you're evaluating any AI consultant, the questions worth asking are:
- Have they done this before, for businesses like mine? Experience with real clients, not just internal projects or sandbox experiments.
- Do they stay current? AI tools from 6 months ago may already be outdated. Ask how the consultant keeps their skills up to date.
- Do they work with your best interests in mind? A consultant who leads with a hard sell is probably optimizing for their revenue, not your outcomes.
- Do they think about the risks, not just the benefits? Ethical considerations, data handling, staff impact — these deserve to be part of the conversation.
The IWAI certification exists to validate all four of those dimensions. It gives you an independent data point that goes beyond what any consultant says about themselves on their own website — including me.
For more on how to evaluate AI consultants, see Why Certification Matters When Choosing an AI Consultant.
What This Means for Pivot180 Clients
For businesses already working with Pivot180, the day-to-day doesn't change. The approach has always been practical, client-first, and focused on sustainable results rather than flashy demos.
What this adds is a layer of external accountability. Being part of the IWAI community means staying connected to a broader network of practitioners, getting exposure to emerging tools and methods as they surface, and holding to a standard of conduct that goes beyond "did the automation work."
If you've been curious about what working with Pivot180 looks like, or you want to refer someone who's been asking about AI for their business, you can book a meeting directly through my IWAI listing.
For context on how I approach AI implementation, The Pivot180 Method: A Practical Framework for AI Adoption walks through the full methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Innovating with AI certification for consultants?
The IWAI certification is earned through The AI Consultancy Project, a training program and professional community for practicing AI consultants. To be certified, consultants must demonstrate real client experience across AI services, complete IWAI's curriculum on AI skills and client management, and incorporate ethical practices into their work. It is not a self-reported badge; it reflects verified experience and ongoing training.
Why does it matter whether an AI consultant is certified?
The AI consulting industry has no universal licensing requirement, so credentials vary widely. Third-party certification from a program like IWAI gives businesses an independent data point about a consultant's skills, experience, and ethical standards. It's one of the clearest ways to separate consultants who have done real work from those who have only followed the trend.
What industries does Pivot180 work with?
Pivot180 works with small and mid-sized businesses across a range of industries, including home services, healthcare practices, law firms, private clubs and hospitality businesses, and professional services firms like accounting and consulting practices. The focus is always on practical, workflow-level improvements rather than broad technology strategy.
What does an AI consultant actually do for a small business?
A good AI consultant identifies specific bottlenecks in your operations, recommends tools and workflows that address them, and helps your team actually adopt and use those tools. This can include automating appointment reminders, building lead response systems, reducing document review time, or setting up AI-powered client communication workflows. The goal is measurable time and cost savings, not technology for its own sake.
How do I book time with Pivot180?
You can book a meeting through my IWAI listing or visit pivot180.ai. If you're not sure whether AI consulting is the right fit right now, the free AI Readiness Assessment is a good first step.
Find out if your business is ready to put AI to work.
If this post raised questions about where your own operations could benefit from AI, the free assessment is designed to give you a clear, honest answer based on your specific situation.