Using AI at Work: AI in the Workplace & Generative AI for Business Leaders

Before you spend another dollar on ads, what if you could test your message against a digital version of your exact market? In today’s episode, Justin Brooke, founder of AdSkills and Agent Skills AI, joins Chris Daigle to break down how synthetic audiences and virtual focus groups are transforming modern marketing. After getting his start interning for Russell Brunson and famously turning $60 into six figures with Google Ads, Justin has spent two decades mastering message-to-market match. Now, he’s using AI to simulate highly detailed customer personas, running ads, landing pages, and even full funnels through structured “virtual focus groups” before a single dollar is deployed. In this conversation, Justin explains how to build high-quality AI personas using real demographic, psychographic, and empathy-map data; how multi-persona scoring systems are outperforming gut instinct; and why this approach may soon become the first step in every serious marketing strategy. He also shares his perspective on emerging agent frameworks like Open Claude, the security implications leaders need to consider, and where AI is realistically delivering value today—without hype. If you want a practical framework for reducing marketing risk and increasing message precision before you go live, this episode will reshape how you think about AI in your growth strategy. 🔎 Find Out More About Justin Brooke X: @IMJustinBrooke Website: https://www.adskills.com 🛠 AI Tools and Resources Mentioned MindStudio - https://mindstudio.ai Make – https://www.make.com Claude – https://claude.ai OpenAI – https://openai.com DigitalOcean – https://www.digitalocean.com Docker – https://www.docker.com CrewAI – https://www.crewai.com LangChain – https://www.langchain.com Fathom – https://fathom.video Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 03:13 “Virtual Focus Groups” and Why They Matter 03:47 Justin’s Origin Story: From Intern to Advertiser 08:45 From Personas to Synthetic Audiences 15:24 How the System Produces Variations and Picks Winners 20:09 How “Mad Men” Marketers React to Market Feedback 22:21 Building Real ICPs: 1,000+ Words, Not One-Liners 27:15 The New York Times “Digital Twin” and 92% Accuracy 30:13 Tool Stack: MindStudio, Claude Projects, and Agent Frameworks 35:16 Running Agents on DigitalOcean and Security Implications 49:55 Staying Focused: Pick Your Lane in AI

Most companies are experimenting with AI. The leaders who win are rebuilding around it. In this episode, Chris Daigle sits down with Jason Eubanks, Co-Founder and CEO of Aurasell AI, to explore why incremental AI experiments aren’t enough—and why go-to-market teams must shift to an AI-native operating model. Jason explains why simply plugging AI into legacy systems won’t change your productivity model, and why companies that fully embrace intelligent automation now will create an advantage competitors won’t be able to close. They discuss how AI-native architecture can double productivity, eliminate CRM busywork, and cut onboarding time for sales teams by 50%. From removing copy-and-paste workflows to automating outreach, enrichment, and follow-up, Jason outlines what happens when AI doesn’t just provide insights—but executes. He also introduces Aurasell’s new GTM operating system that sits on top of existing CRMs like Salesforce and HubSpot, plus an agent builder that enables powerful AI-driven workflows through simple natural language prompts. If you’re looking to unlock real productivity gains—not just incremental improvements—this episode outlines what that shift actually requires. 🔎 Find Out More About Jason Eubanks LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoneubanks/ 🌐 Learn More About Aurasell AI https://aurasell.ai 🛠 AI Tools and Resources Mentioned Aurasell GTM Operating System https://www.aurasell.ai Chat Gpt https://chatgpt.com/ Salesforce https://www.salesforce.com/ HubSpot https://www.hubspot.com Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:17) What “AI-native” really means (beyond chat wrappers) (03:02) The productivity gap: why incremental AI adoption fails (06:45) Urgency explained: first movers and 2–3x productivity gains (10:08) Fixing the broken B2B sales productivity model (12:27) Case study: carving out teams to go all-in on AI (15:07) The AI-native GTM platform and unified customer journey (21:26) Cutting onboarding time by 50% with intelligent automation (26:10) Eliminating sales busywork and manual CRM toil (28:46) Agentic workflows: natural language → automated execution

Chris Daigle sits down with Hernan Lardiez, COO of RagMetrics, to break down AI evaluations (evals) and why monitoring matters when you put GenAI into production especially in regulated or high-risk environments. Hernan explains what “good evals” actually look like without getting lost in technical weeds: building test datasets, measuring accuracy and consistency, and then continuously re-testing so you can catch drift before it becomes a business problem. They compare the “spreadsheet + spot check” approach to automated eval pipelines that can run fast, repeatable tests at scale. The conversation also covers a practical way to think about pre-production testing vs. in-production monitoring, why token usage and cost should be part of evaluation, and how small RAG tuning decisions (like Top-K chunks) can improve accuracy while cutting token consumption. If you’re leading AI adoption and you want confidence not guesswork this episode will help you build the control points and guardrails to scale GenAI safely. 🔎 Find Out More About Hernan Lardiez Hernan Lardiez on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/hlardiez/ RagMetrics https://ragmetrics.ai/ 🛠 AI Tools and Resources Mentioned RagMetrics - https://ragmetrics.ai The AI Exchange (Rachel Woods) - https://www.theaiexchange.com/ Chief AI Officer - https://www.chiefaiofficer.com/ 📌 Chapters 00:00 Why regulated industries can’t “hope” with AI 02:04 What model evaluations (evals) actually are 05:08 The two audiences: business owner vs builders 08:52 Pre-production testing vs in-production monitoring 14:23 Why “monitoring is required” to reduce risk 16:14 Manual spreadsheet grading vs automated evals 18:01 Building test datasets + injecting through the pipeline 31:21 Measuring accuracy AND token consumption (cost) 34:01 Continuous evals to catch drift over time 42:11 RAG tuning: Top-K chunks, accuracy vs noise, token savings 49:21 Evals as “low-cost insurance” for production AI 50:27 Closing advice: control points + IT boundaries In this clip from the Using AI at Work podcast, we explore the challenges of AI implementation, particularly for organizations in regulated markets. The discussion highlights the critical role of effective risk management in navigating potential outcomes. We identify key stakeholders, like the business owner and the development team, who are crucial for understanding AI requirements and ensuring compliance. This session emphasizes the importance of strategic ai leadership and how ai business can integrate these considerations for successful operations management.

Chris Daigle sits down with Bill Gallagher, leadership expert and longtime advisor to executives, to explore what it really means to use AI at work during periods of rapid organizational change. Bill shares why technology alone never drives transformation and how trust, clarity, and human leadership remain the deciding factors when AI enters the workplace. The conversation focuses on how leaders can introduce AI without creating fear, resistance, or confusion, how to avoid treating AI as a shortcut instead of a responsibility, and how strong leadership principles apply even more as automation increases. This episode is a practical guide for executives who want to adopt AI while maintaining credibility, alignment, and trust across their teams. 🔎 Find Out More About Bill Gallagher https://www.linkedin.com/in/billgall/ 🛠 AI Tools and Resources Mentioned ChatGPT Internal AI tools within organizations 📌 Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Bill Gallagher 04:12 Leadership challenges during AI driven change 10:08 Why trust matters more than technology 17:26 How leaders should talk about AI internally 23:41 Avoiding fear and resistance during AI adoption 30:05 The human role in AI driven organizations 37:18 Leading with clarity in times of uncertainty 43:02 Final thoughts on leadership and AI 48:10 How to connect with Bill Gallagher

Chris Daigle sits down with Kate Bravery, Global Head of Talent Advisory at Mercer, to explore how AI at work is reshaping people strategy, leadership, and workforce decision making. Kate shares how organizations are using AI to support talent planning, skills intelligence, and workforce design while navigating trust, governance, and ethical responsibility. The conversation focuses on how business leaders can adopt AI in the workplace without losing the human element. Kate explains why AI should augment judgment rather than replace it, how leaders can build confidence using AI powered insights, and what it takes to responsibly deploy AI across HR, talent, and leadership teams. This episode offers a grounded perspective on workplace AI adoption for executives who want progress without unintended consequences. 🔎 Find Out More About Kate Bravery and Mercer Kate Bravery on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/katebravery Mercer https://www.mercer.com 🛠 AI Tools and Resources Mentioned ChatGPT https://openai.com/chatgpt Internal AI systems used for workforce analytics and decision support 📌 Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Kate Bravery 03:42 How AI is changing people strategy 09:15 Using AI for workforce planning and skills insights 15:28 Balancing human judgment with AI recommendations 21:10 Building trust and confidence in AI systems 27:44 Ethical considerations in workplace AI 34:02 Leadership responsibility in AI adoption 40:18 What executives should focus on next 45:56 How to connect with Kate Bravery

In this solo episode of Using AI at Work, Chris Daigle breaks from the interview format to share the AI tool stack he recommends to executives, leaders, and knowledge workers who want real value without chasing every new release. Chris introduces the concept of “thinking in AI” and explains how leaders move from using AI for isolated tasks to developing an instinctive, organization-wide mindset where AI supports daily work, decisions, and workflows. He also addresses common fears around AI replacing jobs, clarifying the difference between task-level automation, project-level assistance, and full job replacement. The episode walks through a curated set of AI tools that Chris believes are best-in-class, easy to use, and likely to stick around, helping leaders save time, reduce confusion, and build real context inside their organizations. This is a practical starting point for anyone looking to use AI at work with confidence and clarity in 2026. 🔎 Learn More About Chris Daigle and Chief AI Officer Chris Daigle on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisdaigle Chief AI Officer https://chiefaiofficer.com 🛠 AI Tools and Resources Mentioned Fathom https://chiefaiofficer.com/fathom Perplexity https://www.perplexity.ai Comet Browser by Perplexity NotebookLM https://notebooklm.google Gamma https://chiefaiofficer.com/gamma Nano Banana image generation inside Google Gemini ChatGPT https://openai.com/chatgpt 📌 Chapters 00:00 Why this episode is different 01:14 The problem with AI tool overload 02:10 What “thinking in AI” really means 03:22 From discrete AI use to an AI reflex 04:28 Sharing AI wins to build culture 05:35 AI governance and cultural readiness 06:18 Will AI replace jobs 07:15 Tasks, projects, and job-level work 08:42 What AI can realistically automate today 10:02 Economic impact of AI on knowledge work 11:48 Why meeting transcription builds business context 12:57 Using Fathom as an AI meeting assistant 13:45 Replacing Google with Perplexity 14:58 Agentic browsing with the Comet browser 15:42 NotebookLM as a learning environment 16:36 Creating executive decks with Gamma 17:18 Image generation with Nano Banana 18:02 Why community matters for AI adoption 19:22 Final advice for leaders getting started

Chris Daigle sits down with Panos Siozos, CEO and co-founder of LearnWorlds, to explore how AI at work is changing the way we learn, teach, and build real expertise. Panos explains why access to information is no longer the challenge and why critical thinking, judgment, and structured learning matter more than ever in an AI-driven world. The conversation breaks down the difference between knowledge and understanding, the risk of cognitive laziness when relying too heavily on AI, and why learning still requires friction, effort, and human guidance. They also discuss how AI should support learning rather than replace it, how credibility and authority are shifting in the age of generative AI, and what professionals and organizations must do to keep skills relevant as AI accelerates. This episode is a grounded look at using AI at work without losing the ability to think, learn, and grow. 🔎 Find Out More About Panos Siozos and LearnWorlds Panos Siozos on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/siozos/ LearnWorlds https://www.learnworlds.com 🛠 AI Tools and Resources Mentioned ChatGPT https://openai.com/chatgpt 📌 Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Panos Siozos 02:12 Panos’ background in learning and education technology 05:18 Why learning is not disappearing in the AI era 08:44 Knowledge vs real understanding 12:06 The risk of cognitive laziness with AI 16:22 Why struggle and friction matter in learning 20:35 How AI changes authority and credibility 25:11 Turning expertise into meaningful learning experiences 29:54 Using AI to support, not replace, human learning 35:18 Building premium learning products in the AI age 41:02 Final advice for professionals learning with AI

Chris Daigle sits down with Tim Cakir, founder of AI Operator, to talk about why most companies feel overwhelmed by AI and how leaders can move past tool overload to real productivity at work. Tim shares his experience training teams across industries and explains why AI adoption fails when organizations chase tools instead of outcomes. The conversation focuses on building human centered AI habits, reducing fear around AI, and helping teams work with AI as a collaborator rather than seeing it as a threat. They also explore how leaders can tailor AI training by role, why behavior change matters more than policies, and how voice AI and assistants are beginning to reshape how people plan, think, and execute at work. This episode is a practical guide for leaders who want progress with AI without burnout or confusion. 🔎 Find Out More About Tim Cakir Tim Cakir on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/timcakir/ AI Operator https://aioperator.com 🛠 AI Tools and Resources Mentioned ChatGPT — https://chat.openai.com Google Gemini — https://deepmind.google/technologies/gemini/ Google AI Studio — https://aistudio.google.com Claude — https://claude.ai NotebookLM — https://notebooklm.google ElevenLabs — https://elevenlabs.io Vapi — https://vapi.ai Make — https://www.make.com Zapier — https://zapier.com n8n — https://n8n.io Notion — https://www.notion.so MCP (Model Context Protocol) — https://modelcontextprotocol.io Custom GPTs — https://chat.openai.com/gpts AI Operator — https://www.aioperator.com Internal AI assistants used inside organizations 📌 Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Tim Cakir 02:18 Why leaders feel overwhelmed by AI 05:06 Tool overload vs outcome driven adoption 08:44 Human plus AI collaboration mindset 13:02 Reducing fear around AI at work 17:36 Training teams based on real workflows 22:41 Behavior change vs policy driven adoption 27:15 Using voice AI to reclaim time and focus 31:48 How leaders should evaluate new AI tools 36:05 Where AI Operator helps organizations start 40:12 How to connect with Tim Cakir

Chris Daigle sits down with Mohamed Yousuf, founder of Smart Workforce AI, to explore how AI in the workplace can dramatically improve workforce scheduling, planning, and operational efficiency across industries. Drawing on more than a decade of experience in airlines, healthcare, hospitality, and large scale operations, Mohamed explains how AI powered forecasting and scheduling can reduce overtime, prevent burnout, and help companies put the right people in the right place at the right time. The conversation covers real world AI applications like demand forecasting, seasonal planning, labor law compliance, and intelligent shift swapping, all supported by AI copilots that work alongside human decision makers. This episode is a practical look at how AI productivity tools can turn workforce management from reactive firefighting into a strategic advantage, while keeping human well being at the center of operations. 🔎 Find Out More About Mohamed Yousuf and Smart Workforce AI https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohamed-a-yousuf/ Smart Workforce AI https://smartworkforce.io 🛠 AI Tools and Resources Mentioned ChatGPT https://openai.com/chatgpt AI powered workforce forecasting models Large language models for scheduling and planning Internal AI copilots for workforce management 📌 Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Mohamed Yousuf 01:10 From Airline Scheduling to Workforce AI 03:55 Why Workforce Planning Is a Universal Business Problem 05:21 Using AI to Complement Human Decision Making 06:54 Healthcare staffing and burnout challenges 09:16 Forecasting demand using demographic and immigration data 11:23 Hospitality, events, and seasonal workforce planning 12:48 Avoiding panic hiring and panic firing 14:32 Measuring labor cost savings and productivity gains 17:53 Making AI powered scheduling accessible to smaller teams 21:17 Onboarding and system learning timelines 22:56 Handling labor laws and contract complexity with AI 25:19 AI assistants for managers and employees 27:15 Giving employees more control over schedules 29:52 Minimum team size to benefit from AI scheduling 33:16 The future of micro shifts and flexible work 35:29 Pricing and ROI for small and mid sized businesses 39:34 How to get started with Smart Workforce AI

Chris Daigle sits down with Patrick Leung to explore how AI is being applied inside modern marketing and revenue teams to drive efficiency, consistency, and scale. Patrick shares real examples of how teams are using AI in the workplace to support go to market execution, internal knowledge sharing, and decision making without overwhelming non technical leaders. The conversation covers practical AI adoption for business leaders, how to avoid overcomplicating workflows, and where AI productivity tools deliver the most value today. Patrick also breaks down how organizations can move from experimentation to repeatable AI powered processes that actually support growth. This episode is a grounded look at workplace AI adoption for teams focused on execution, not hype. 🔎 Find Out More About Patrick Leung https://www.linkedin.com/in/puiwah/ 🛠 AI Tools and Resources Mentioned ChatGPT ➡ https://openai.com/chatgpt Internal AI assistants used by marketing and revenue teams 📌 Chapters 00:00 - Introduction to Patrick Leung 04:12 - Where AI Fits Inside Marketing and Revenue Teams 10:36 - Practical AI Use Cases for Execution 17:48 - Supporting Non Technical Teams with AI 24:15 - Avoiding Tool Overload and Overengineering 31:02 - Using AI to Improve Consistency and Speed 38:20 - Moving from Experiments to Scaled Workflows 45:10 - Final Advice for Leaders Adopting AI 48:55 - How to Connect with Patrick Leung

Chris Daigle sits down with Zak Ali, General Manager at Finder, to unpack how search is evolving as people move from traditional search engines to large language models like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. Zak explains why SEO is not dead, how LLMs decide which brands to surface, and why trust signals like authority, recency, and editorial rigor matter more than ever. He shares how Finder adapted its content strategy to show up consistently inside AI answers, what types of long tail queries perform best in LLM search, and how AI powered browsers are changing the future of discovery. They also explore how Finder is approaching AI upskilling internally, why hands on experimentation beats mandates, and how non technical teams are using tools like Claude Code and MCPs to dramatically increase productivity. This episode is a must listen for leaders who want to understand where search is headed and how AI is reshaping how customers find solutions. 🔎 Find Out More About Zak Ali LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/zak-ali44/ Substack https://thoughtson.substack.com Finder https://www.finder.com 🛠 AI Tools and Resources Mentioned ChatGPT https://openai.com/chatgpt Claude https://claude.ai Perplexity https://www.perplexity.ai Notebook LM https://notebooklm.google 📌 Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Zak Ali and Finder 02:10 SEO vs LLM search and why fundamentals still matter 04:55 How LLMs choose which sources to cite 07:40 Bing, Google, and triangulating AI search results 10:30 Inspecting ChatGPT queries to understand discovery 13:05 Recency, trust, and authority signals for LLMs 15:45 AI generated content and human quality standards 18:35 Long tail queries and why they win in AI search 21:40 Measuring traffic and revenue from LLM discovery 24:10 AI browsers and the future of click data 27:30 Internal AI upskilling without mandates 30:20 Claude Code, MCPs, and terminal based workflows 34:10 Non technical teams building real tools with AI 37:40 Executive blind spots and the knowledge gap 41:05 Getting started with practical AI habits 44:00 Where to follow Zak Ali and keep learning

Chris Daigle sits down with Geoff Gibbins, strategy and AI transformation expert and author of "Critical Intelligence," to explore how companies can redesign their workflows and help their teams develop stronger thinking skills in the age of AI. Geoff shares what he has learned from working with major enterprises on AI transformation, including why so many AI pilots fail, how to avoid automating broken processes, and how to create human AI systems that actually deliver value. They discuss why top companies are shifting from using AI for simple automation to re-engineering entire workflows, how agents fit into modern processes, and why understanding human and AI collaboration is now a competitive advantage. Geoff also explains how individuals can future-proof their careers by focusing on long half-life skills and learning to use AI as a true collaborator rather than a tool. This episode gives leaders a practical lens on AI transformation, human capability development, and how to prepare teams for a hybrid future of people and intelligent agents working together. 🔗 Resources Mentioned Geoff’s Book: Critical Intelligence: Strengthening Human Thinking in the Age of AI https://www.amazon.com/Critical-Intelligence-Strengthening-human-thinking-ebook/dp/B0FKZZCMTZ# Geoff Gibbins on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffgibbins/ ChiefAIOfficer Resources: https://chiefaiofficer.com 📌 Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:10 Geoff’s background in strategy, innovation, and AI transformation 04:20 Why most AI pilots fail 06:00 Automating broken workflows vs reinventing them 07:40 Marketing to agents vs marketing to humans 09:20 Reinventing work with agents and human AI workflows 12:30 How to integrate humans into agent-driven systems 14:10 Working with process owners inside companies 17:00 Are people afraid AI will take their job 20:00 Individual overwhelm and the pace of change 22:30 The skill variation inside large companies 24:00 How enterprise understanding has changed in the past year 25:30 How companies differentiate when everyone has the same tools 26:30 Designing human AI collaboration inside orgs 27:40 Shifting from "AI as a tool" to "AI as a collaborator" 29:00 How individuals future-proof their skills 31:00 Why prompt engineering is already outdated 32:20 Talking to AI like a collaborator 33:30 How careers may shift as roles evolve 37:20 Advice for non-technical business professionals 38:40 About the book 39:30 Closing Thoughts

Chris Daigle sits down with Michael Stelzner, founder of Social Media Examiner and host of the Social Media Marketing Podcast, to explore how AI is transforming content creation, audience building, and the future of media businesses. Michael shares how he and his team use AI to brainstorm, repurpose, and accelerate production—without losing the human connection that drives trust and creativity. They discuss the balance between automation and authenticity, how AI fits into editorial workflows, and why leaders must stay curious instead of fearful when adopting new technologies. Michael also breaks down the evolving landscape of social media and SEO in the age of AI, explaining how creators and companies can stay relevant as algorithms and consumer behaviors shift. This episode offers practical insights for marketers, executives, and entrepreneurs looking to integrate AI into their creative process while keeping the focus on human storytelling. 🔎 About Michael Stelzner Michael Stelzner is the founder of Social Media Examiner and Social Media Marketing World, the industry’s largest social media marketing conference. He is also the founder of the AI Business Society and the AI Business World conference. Michael hosts the Social Media Marketing Podcast and the AI Explored Podcast, and is the author of two widely acclaimed books: Launch and Writing White Papers. 🎁 Exclusive Offer for Our Listeners Michael has created a special discount for the Using AI at Work audience: Get $100 off tickets to AI Business World or Social Media Marketing World All Access tickets. Redeem here → http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/AIatWork Offer valid through December 31st, 2025. 🔗 Find Out More About Michael Stelzner LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/stelzner/ Social Media Examiner https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com Social Media Marketing Podcast https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/shows/ 🛠 AI Tools and Resources Mentioned ChatGPT https://openai.com/chatgpt Notion AI https://www.notion.so/product/ai Descript https://www.descript.com Chief AI Officer Resources https://chiefaiofficer.com 📌 Chapters 00:00 – Introduction to Michael Stelzner 04:12 – How AI Is Changing Content Creation 08:48 – Using AI for Brainstorming and Research 13:35 – The Role of Human Judgment in Content Strategy 19:20 – Balancing Efficiency and Authenticity 24:50 – Repurposing Content with AI Tools 31:10 – SEO, Social Algorithms, and AI Search Evolution 37:05 – The Future of Media in the AI Era 42:30 – Advice for Leaders Embracing AI 46:55 – How to Connect with Michael Stelzner

Chris Daigle sits down with Etan Polinger, founder of Raize Digital, to discuss how AI is transforming marketing, customer journeys, and brand strategy. Etan shares how he helps companies implement AI tools that simplify operations, enhance personalization, and generate consistent creative output without replacing human insight. They explore how to design AI systems that support marketing teams instead of overwhelming them, how to measure ROI from AI experiments, and how small businesses can leverage generative AI to compete with larger brands. Etan also explains how AI content generation, predictive analytics, and workflow automation create scalable, customer-focused growth while staying true to brand voice. This episode is packed with actionable ideas for leaders looking to build stronger customer relationships through intelligent, human-centered automation. 🔎 Find Out More About Etan Polinger LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/etan-polinger/ 🛠 AI Tools and Resources Mentioned ChatGPT https://openai.com/chatgpt Jasper AI https://www.jasper.ai Surfer SEO https://surferseo.com Chief AI Officer Resources https://chiefaiofficer.com 📌 Chapters 00:00 – Introduction to Etan Polinger 03:15 – How AI is Changing Marketing Strategy 07:42 – Designing AI Systems that Support Teams 12:30 – AI Content and Brand Consistency 17:08 – Balancing Automation with Human Creativity 21:55 – Building AI Workflows for Customer Experience 26:14 – Measuring ROI from AI Experiments 31:27 – AI Tools for Marketers and Small Businesses 37:10 – Future of Marketing and AI Leadership 41:45 – How to Connect with Etan Polinger

Chris Daigle sits down with Peter Cappelli, Professor of Management at the Wharton School, to explore how AI is changing how companies hire, train, and manage people. Peter breaks down the myths around job displacement, explains why most organizations misunderstand what AI can and cannot automate, and shares how leaders can adapt workforce strategies for the AI era. They discuss the balance between efficiency and humanity in AI adoption, why prediction and decision-making should stay in human hands, and what executives need to know about reskilling and internal mobility as automation grows. Drawing from research and decades of experience, Peter provides an unfiltered look at what the future of work will truly require from both employees and employers. 🔎 Find Out More About Peter Cappelli LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-cappelli-14936a3/ Book by Peter Cappelli https://www.pennpress.org/9781613631911/the-future-of-the-office-with-a-new-afterword-by-the-author/ 🛠 AI Tools and Resources Mentioned ChatGPT https://openai.com/chatgpt Chief AI Officer Resources https://chiefaiofficer.com 📌 Chapters 00:00 – Introduction to Peter Cappelli 02:35 – How AI is Reshaping Hiring and Training 07:45 – Separating AI Hype from Workplace Reality 12:20 – Why Prediction Still Needs Human Judgment 17:15 – Redefining Workforce Planning in the AI Age 23:42 – What Executives Get Wrong About Automation 29:30 – Reskilling and Internal Mobility for the Future of Work 35:05 – AI Governance and Trust Inside Organizations 40:18 – Balancing Efficiency with Human Value 44:12 – Advice for Leaders Adopting AI Responsibly 48:20 – How to Connect with Peter Cappelli

Chris Daigle sits down with Chris Duffy, AI strategist and fractional Chief AI Officer, to talk about how companies can adopt AI in a way that is responsible, practical, and centered on people. Chris explains why most organizations do not need more tools. They need clarity, governance, and leadership alignment. They discuss how to identify true bottlenecks in a business, how to design AI policies that actually get used, and why focusing on real workflow problems drives far more value than chasing shiny technology. Chris also shares how fractional AI leadership works in companies that are not ready to hire a full time CAIO and why the most successful AI programs start with listening before building. This episode gives leaders a blueprint for implementing AI with intention, trust, and measurable impact. 🔎 Find Out More About Chris Duffy Website https://www.chrisduffy.ai LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisfduffy/ 🛠 AI Tools and Resources Mentioned ChatGPT https://openai.com/chatgpt Perplexity https://www.perplexity.ai Chief AI Officer Resources https://chiefaiofficer.com 📌 Chapters 00:00 – Introduction to Chris Duffy 02:10 – Why AI Transformation Starts With People 05:20 – Finding Real Bottlenecks vs Tool Chasing 09:44 – How to Build AI Policies That Work 14:35 – Shadow AI and Trust in the Workplace 18:50 – Leadership Alignment and AI Priorities 23:12 – The Role of a Fractional Chief AI Officer 27:40 – Listening Before Building: Discovery First 31:25 – Turning Problems Into Measurable ROI 36:58 – Helping Teams Use AI Safely and Effectively 41:10 – Where to Start With Responsible AI Adoption 45:55 – How to Connect with Chris Duffy

Chris Daigle sits down with Allen Martinez, founder of Noble Digital and Chief Growth Officer at Noble Vision, to talk about how AI is reshaping creative strategy, storytelling, and business growth. Drawing on his experience with global brands and data-driven campaigns, Allen explains how teams can use AI to enhance creativity, speed up decision-making, and find stronger brand-to-audience alignment. They dive into how AI tools can turn raw data into powerful creative insight, how to balance human intuition with machine intelligence, and why the next generation of business storytelling will depend on those who learn to collaborate with AI rather than compete with it. This episode offers a roadmap for leaders and marketers who want to use AI not just to automate, but to think more creatively, act more strategically, and scale their impact. 🔎 Find Out More About Allen Martinez and Noble Digital Allen Martinez - https://linktr.ee/allenmartinez Noble Digital Website https://nobledigital.com 🛠 AI Tools and Resources Mentioned ChatGPT ➡ https://openai.com/chatgpt Claude ➡ https://claude.ai ChiefAIOfficer Resources ➡ https://chiefaiofficer.com 📌 Chapters 00:00 – Intro to Allen Martinez 03:12 – How AI is Transforming Creative Strategy 08:24 – Human Intuition vs Machine Intelligence 14:17 – Data-Driven Storytelling with AI 19:45 – The Creative Process in an AI World 25:03 – Building AI-Powered Marketing Frameworks 31:42 – Balancing Speed and Quality in Content Creation 38:18 – Scaling Brand Impact with Automation and Insight 44:29 – How to Get Started Integrating AI into Creative Workflows 50:12 – Connect with Allen Martinez and Learn More

In this episode, Chris Daigle is joined by Kristin Ginn, founder of trnsfrmAItn, to discuss the real reason most companies fail with AI adoption. Spoiler: it is not the technology. It is the humans. Kristin breaks down why AI productivity gains at the individual level rarely translate into measurable organizational outcomes and how to close that gap by activating employees through mindset shifts, habit building and better enablement strategies. You will learn how leaders can make AI visible from the top down and how champions can drive change from the bottom up so the entire organization benefits. This conversation is a practical guide for business leaders who want AI to increase productivity, energy and competitive capability without leaving humans behind. 🔎 Connect with Kristin Ginn https://www.trnsfrmaitn.com/ Follow Kristin Ginn on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ginnkristin/ 🛠 AI Tools and Resources Mentioned ChatGPT https://openai.com/chatgpt Microsoft Copilot https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot Claude https://claude.ai Internal AI Assistants (Company specific and not publicly linked) 📌 Chapters 00:00 Intro to Kristin Ginn 02:21 Why AI adoption fails at the organizational level 06:13 Human change vs technology rollout 11:10 Employee fears and “AI is cheating” mindset 15:44 Creating intentional AI habits 21:09 AI champions and sharing wins 26:28 Making AI visible through leadership 31:47 Four AI mindsets for everyday work 37:55 Changing culture with practical success stories 43:28 Where to start with enterprise AI transformation 49:02 How to connect with Kristin and get her AI e-book

Chris Daigle sits down with Zac Engler, Chief AI Officer and author of Turning On Machines, to discuss how organizations can adopt AI responsibly and practically while preparing their teams for a transformed future of work. Zac shares his framework for helping companies move through the Crawl → Walk → Run stages of AI adoption, from getting every employee comfortable with large language models and prompting frameworks, to deploying agentic workflows that drive exponential productivity gains. They discuss how leaders can address fear, risk, and confusion around AI tools, how to decide between infrastructure vs. operations strategy, and why delaying adoption means falling exponentially behind. Zac also gives a preview of his new book, Turning On Machines, exploring the three meanings behind the title: activation, rebellion, and connection, and how each reveals the complex relationship between humans and intelligent systems. If you’re leading AI transformation or rethinking how humans and machines will work together, this episode delivers both frameworks and foresight. 🛠 AI Tools and Resources Mentioned in This Episode https://openai.com/chatgpthttps://chiefaiofficer.com 📌 Chapters 00:00 – Introduction to Zac Engler and Turning On Machines 02:30 – The Chief AI Officer Role and the People Side of AI 04:10 – The Crawl–Walk–Run Framework for AI Adoption 06:00 – Three Levers for 10% Instant Productivity Gains 09:00 – Infrastructure vs. Operations: Two Types of AI Strategy 12:00 – From Walk to Run: Deploying Agentic Workflows 14:00 – Why Waiting on AI Means Falling Behind 16:30 – Managing Risk and Choosing the Right Tools 19:00 – Favorite AI Tools: Copilot, Perplexity, Notebook LM 21:30 – Inside Turning On Machines: Three Meanings and Lessons 26:00 – Parallels Between the Printing Press and AI 30:00 – Pushback, Fear, and the Trifurcation of Work 33:00 – Becoming a “Machine Shepherd” and Future-Proofing Your Role 39:00 – Human-Only, Human + AI, and AI-Only Workflows 43:30 – Frameworks for Mapping Where AI Fits in Your Business 46:00 – Why Reflection Matters: Learning How to Think About AI 49:00 – Where to Get Turning On Machines and Connect with Zac

Chris Daigle sits down with Maria Elena Duron, fractional Chief AI Officer and marketing strategist, to explore how small and mid-sized businesses can successfully adopt AI without overwhelming their teams. Maria shares her experience helping businesses bridge the gap between awareness and real application — from her years training entrepreneurs on Google tools to guiding leaders through AI adoption today. You’ll hear how she helps companies build AI councils, manage shadow AI risks, and develop AI use policies that protect both data and teams. Maria explains why change management is central to AI success, how to identify the “low-hanging fruit” for measurable results, and why executives must align goals with realistic timelines. With practical insights on governance, productivity vs. efficiency, and building custom role copilots with tools like Notebook LM and GPTs, this episode is a roadmap for leaders navigating AI adoption. 🔎 Find Out More About Maria Elena Duron Instagram: Marketing Coach Maria ➡ https://www.instagram.com/marketingcoachmaria Website: SmartBrandSystem.com ➡ https://smartbrandsystem.com 🛠 AI Tools and Resources Mentioned in This Episode ChatGPT ➡ https://openai.com/chatgpt Notebook LM ➡ https://notebooklm.google 📌 Chapters 00:00 – Introduction to Maria Elena Duron 03:00 – Lessons from Early Tech Shifts: Internet, Social Media, and AI 05:56 – Helping Small Businesses Understand Google and Visibility 08:31 – AI Adoption Parallels: Google Search vs. Generative AI 11:04 – Starting with Leadership: Goals, Fears, and Change Management 12:31 – Overcoming Team Fear and Shiny Object Syndrome 13:59 – Positioning AI as Investment in People 14:57 – Interviewing Teams and Vendors to Build Roadmap Reports 21:00 – Who Owns AI in a Company? Building AI Councils 24:07 – Establishing AI Use and Tool Policies for Security 26:28 – Setting Priorities and Roadmaps with Leadership 31:03 – Where to Start: Pilots and Low-Hanging Fruit 32:19 – Building Role Copilots with Custom GPTs and Notebook LM 34:53 – Using Notebook LM for Knowledge Retrieval and Productivity 40:19 – Defining Success: Efficiency vs. Productivity vs. Effectiveness 42:09 – Managing Expectations and Avoiding Unrealistic Timelines 44:22 – Webinar Wednesdays and Community Training Episode tags: AI in small business, AI in the workplace, AI adoption strategies, Change management and AI, Workplace AI governance, Non-technical AI leadership, AI use policies, AI productivity tools, Real-world AI applications, Executive AI training, AI transformation stories, AI councils in business