Newsletters

Hello go-to-market leaders, strategists, and innovators! 👋

As we prepare for Thanksgiving, I’m taking a break from our usual strategic AI use case discussions to share something more personal. In this year of crazy AI advancement, what stands out most isn’t the technology. It’s the amazing people who make this journey worthwhile.

While some know me for my AI work, I’m no expert – we’re all learning together in this new era. AI is simply a powerful teammate that helps advance what I’m truly passionate about:

• Elevating the strategic value of marketing to drive business growth

• Ensuring diverse perspectives have a seat at the table

• Using business as a force for good

These passions have always driven me. AI just gives us new ways to make a bigger impact. This is why I lean in on infusing AI responsibly in my work ad personal life.

Prefer to Listen? Try the AI-Generated Podcast

For those who prefer to consume information through audio, I’ve used Google’s NotebookLM to transform this newsletter into a short podcast episode, featuring a natural conversation between two AI hosts. Although the hosts refer to me LIE-za instead of LEE-zuh :-), the podcast captures the insights in an engaging and relatable way, making the content more inclusive for different learning styles. You can listen to it here.

Disclaimer: This podcast was generated by AI based on this written newsletter and reviewed by me to ensure ethical and responsible AI use. It’s designed to provide an efficient, more inclusive way to consume information.

Recently, Phil Nugent from Colorado AI News wrote about my journey. Click the image below to read the article.

He compared my approach to Wayne Gretzky’s famous philosophy of skating to where the puck is going to be.

I had to laugh (I can’t skate!), but his observation made me think about something I’ve wanted to share: how life’s detours often take us exactly where we need to be, especially when we’re surrounded by the right people.

When One Door Closes…

In late 2022, life threw me for a loop. An acquisition led to an earlier-than-planned exit from a company I loved, where I led marketing.

It was a purpose-driven business with amazing people, exceptional product-market fit, loyal customers, and a culture that felt like home. Despite headwinds, we were making great strides disrupting a stodgy incumbent. Leaving after just a year and a half was tough.

Although a successful exit, I found myself soul-searching. I explored board service, I learned that marketing leaders are still rare in boardrooms: only 41 marketers serve on Fortune 1000 boards and less than 3% of all board members, regardless of company size, have marketing experience.

This partly reflects a common perception of marketing as tactical rather than strategic.

But sometimes what feels like a setback is really a setup. As in early 2023, I explored OpenAI’s newly launched ChatGPT.

I realized something exciting: AI could be a gift to marketers. It could help us flip the script on being seen as merely tactical.

With AI as a thought partner, we could gain deeper market insights, ensure product-market fit, optimize the full customer lifecycle, align executive teams, and drive growth. What could be more strategic than that?

Being strategic, having deep market understanding, and AI expertise is our ticket to the boardroom.

A Gratitude Journey

Phil wrote about how I see the whole field, like the best athletes do. But what he really captured was how every success comes from the people around us.

The amazing humans below help me learn more, pursue my passions, inspire others, and make an impact beyond what I had originally imagined.

To all of you, from the bottom of my heart, I’m incredibly grateful. You have made me a better version of myself and I will continue to work to pay it forward.

1. Communities & Thought Leaders: Rising Tide Lifting All Boats

You know that saying about going fast alone or far together? Phil noted this in his article how the best work happens when we figure things out as a community.

In this new AI world, none of us have all the answers. That’s what makes our communities so powerful.

Every day, I see curious people sharing their experiences—what works, what doesn’t, how to apply AI responsibly, and insights on new developments.

These communities aren’t just professional networks; they’re spaces where we learn from each other. The Marketing AI Institute, Pavilion, AI Marketing Forum, The AI Exchange, CMO Huddles, Rocky Mountain AI Interest Group (RMAIIG), CMO Coffee Talk, LinkedIn, in general, are great examples.

A HUGE thank you to those who organize, facilitate, and manage these communities: Matt Heinz, Saima Rashid, Cathy McPhillips, Rachel Woods, Drew Neisser, Colin Campbell 🏔 🚲, Kathleen Booth, Dan Murray, Jason Cormier, Jessie Shipman, and so many more. We appreciate you!

People connect and many partnerships and friendships form initially through Slack, Zoom, social, text, and emails. Those connections strengthen when we meet in person. I have truly enjoyed and cherished meeting IRL.

Thank you to those who have shared with me how I have inspired and helped you with my work. You have no idea how much your words motivate me every single day. I write, speak, and act from a place of passion and you are my tribe.

Then there are the thought leaders who give generously through their posts, podcasts, webinars, and event speaking like Jessica Hreha, Andy Crestodina, Rachel Woods, Paul Roetzer (I never miss your weekly podcast), Christopher Penn, Sandy Carter, Karl Yeh, Nicole Leffer, Isar Meitis, Dan Sanchez, Jonathan Moss, Drew Neisser, Carilu Dietrich, and many others. You have a wealth of knowledge and are such fantastic collaborators!

While big tech races to advance AI, we’re figuring out the human side together—no experts, no judgment, just shared learning. The rising tide really does lift all boats.

2. Business Partners: My Go-to-Market Justice League

Phil mentioned my love of superhero analogies—and it’s true. (Watched Batman Begins with Christian Bale while drafting this newsletter last night.)

I think about great partnerships like the Justice League: different but complementary powers, one mission. I’m lucky to work alongside partners who bring their own unique strengths:

• Tahnee Perry – deep knowledge of AI-driven marketing and sales tech stacks.

• Carilu Dietrich – extensive experience guiding CEOs and CMOs with growth strategies. (Excited to pilot the AI CMO Club next month with you, Carilu!)

• Daniel O’Neill – thoughtful approach to AI in sales.

• Chris Andrew – innovative solution for AI search relevance.

• Christopher Penn – brilliant methods with data and Large Language Models (LLMs).

• Lori Sutorius Jones – dedication to building trust through communication.

Thank you all for being not just brilliant collaborators but also amazing friends.

Your commitment to ethical AI and genuine desire to help others succeed inspires me daily. I’m grateful for our shared mission to make AI work for everyone.

3. Clients: Growing a Beautiful Garden

Phil shared my belief in the power of “attracting, not chasing.”

I love this analogy: If you chase butterflies, they’ll fly away. But if you make your garden as beautiful as you can because you’re passionate about it, they’ll come naturally.

That’s exactly how my partners and I have been blessed with amazing clients, from innovative startups to global at-scale companies, in the US and abroad (even in my birth city in Manila), who share our vision and passion.

These leaders inspire me daily. They keep customers as their north star. They think beyond department lines. They believe in lifting up their teams and doubling down on responsible AI literacy.

Thank you, Paige O’Neill, Scott Morris, Amy Heidersbach, Jill Axline, Tamir Hardof, Judy Ash, Alexandra Gobbi, Sydney Sloan, Michelle Swan, Randall Lozano, Donna Charlevoix, Frank Nardi, Keshila Vallot Shannon, Heidi Melin, Ana Grace Marcial,CMP, Keith Myer, Marino Fresch, and so many others for bringing us along on your journey.

AI innovation isn’t the biggest challenge—change management is. It requires a shift in mindset and behavior. While early business results are encouraging, what’s truly remarkable is seeing how teams open up to more uses for AI and change the way they work. Teams are:

• Discovering AI possibilities beyond basic tasks.

• Building their own AI teammates through custom GPTs.

• Creating ethical guidelines together in cross-functional AI Councils.

• Using unique data, in-depth knowledge, and specialized expertise to guide AI.

• Supporting each other empathetically and gracefully on their AI learning journey.

4. DEI Champions: Making the Invisible Visible

“I represent some invisible people out there,” I told Phil during our interview. The truth of this hit home when Delen Trance, an early-in-career Filipino-American product marketer approached me at a Product Marketing Alliance (PMA) Summit in Denver:

“Are you Filipino? I am, too. I was inspired to see someone who looks like me achieve what you have. I’ve never seen a female Filipino tech executive, much less one who talks about AI. I want to be like you.”

Those words remind me why representation matters. I’m thankful for organizations creating space for all voices:

• Access Mode – Thank you Mariah Kamei and Zaneta Kelsey for inviting me to speak and for showing me how entrepreneurship opens doors for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) entrepreneurs.

• Athena Alliance – Thank you Coco Brown for championing women in the C-suite and boardroom.

• Katalista.org – Thank you Nicole C. Cacal for supporting Filipino-American entrepreneurs.

• Empowered CMO – Thank you Latané Conant (she/her) for lifting women leaders and the CMO role.

• Wednesday Women – Thank you Leslie Greenwood for celebrating executive women we should know and learn from.

• Women in Revenue – Thank you Debe Rapson and Lauren Shleifer Goldstein for advancing careers of women in revenue roles.

I’ve only called out a few people on this list but know that there are many more who I’d love to thank.

With women using AI 16-20% less than men, we can’t afford for the gap to widen. Together, these groups remind us that if AI is going to serve everyone, everyone needs a seat at the table.

5. Next Generation and Entrepreneurs: Preparing Them for an AI World

Phil noted my passion for mentoring comes from gratitude for those who helped me. I’m grateful for organizations shaping tomorrow’s leaders.

The next generation will enter a world where IQ, efficiency, and capability are table stakes. We need to ensure they rise with EQ, purpose, community, authenticity, and human judgment.

• DECA Inc. – prepares high school students for business careers. Judging their marketing plan competitions, I see poise, creativity, and critical thinking—a bright future. I’m so proud of my daughter, Alana Adams, and the many kids in this program.

• Anderson College of Business and Computing – Regis University – Under Dean Madhu Rao’s leadership, Anderson stands for leveraging business and tech to develop ethical leaders committed to a just society.

• Bridge Entrepreneurs Network Colorado (BEN) – serves Colorado entrepreneurs so they can grow companies and elevate their communities. The “give first, give back” culture is contagious.

To Kimber Spradlin and Lori Sutorius Jones, big thanks for supporting DECA kids with internship roles in your companies. The experience is invaluable to them.

Thank you to Dean Madhu Rao for your vision in preparing ethical business leaders at Anderson College, and to Kay Henze, CDI.D and Mick Freeman at BEN for leading such an incredible “give first” entrepreneurial community. Special thanks to innovative entrepreneurs like Adam Oliver, CEO of Crafted, who exemplify BEN’s mission.

6. Leadership Champions: Giants Who Lift Us Up

“She can see the whole field,” Phil wrote. But that vision came from standing on giants’ shoulders. Many leaders have changed my path forever, but three stand out:

• Christine / Chris Heckart – A brilliant strategist with a generous heart. She builds teams like the Justice League, bringing out everyone’s superpowers. She has taught me to think big, start small, and move fast. Now Founder and CEO of Xapa, she and her team are making sure human strengths shine in the AI era.

• Vasu Jakkal – The most compassionate leader I know. She taught me that being effective matters more than being right. I have taken inspiration from her 5 principles of leadership: Passion, Purpose, Possibilities, People, and Positivity. Today she champions security and privacy at Microsoft, protecting our digital future.

• Kimberly O’Neil – A master at bringing people together and genuinely listening and considering other perspectives. She showed me how to balance vulnerability with strength, when to push forward, and when to pivot. Her resilience, drive, and ability to reinvent herself are inspiring.

Thank you, Christine, Vasu, and Kim, for being more than mentors—for being true champions who showed me what great leadership looks like. You are lifelong friends.

Your lessons shape not just my career but how I try to show up for others every day. I hope to make you proud by passing on the gifts you’ve given me.

7. Family: My Heart

Phil mentioned our family’s “boxtume” tradition—making Halloween costumes from cardboard boxes. Our 5 mins of fame during the Today Show’s Halloween special was fun.

We love family adventures, game nights, hosting parties, sports, DIYs, and enjoying the outdoors with our pups, Penny and Isla. Here’s Penny in her Halloween boxtume as an Amazon delivery driver.

My husband, Michael Adams, has been my anchor, supporting me through my career, including when I was practically married to an airplane.

His work from home allowed him to be with the kids, easing my guilt when I traveled. Our biggest contribution may not be what we do—it’s who we raise.

To my family, I love you. You and my faith are my rock and none of this is possible without you. Thank you.

Looking Forward with Gratitude

As we navigate the AI era, I’m constantly reminded that technology often shows what’s most human about us. The tools we build matter less than how we use them to lift each other up.

I believe that:

Each step of this journey, even the hard ones, has led to unexpected gifts. That company exit that felt too early? It pushed me toward this community of amazing humans figuring out AI together. Sometimes our biggest gifts come wrapped in unexpected packages.

As we gather around Thanksgiving tables, I’m grateful for this journey and all of you who make it meaningful.

From our creative, boxtume-making, adventure-seeking Adams family to yours, may your holiday be filled with those perfect little moments that no AI could ever replicate.

To Phil, you’re an awesome storyteller. Thank you for sharing my story and for inspiring me to write this newsletter.

Want to know more about this journey? Read the full story in Colorado AI News.

The Practical AI in Go-to-Market newsletter is designed to share practical learnings and insights in using AI responsibly for go-to-market strategy, product, brand, demand, content, and digital, and growth marketing. Subscribe today and let’s learn together on this AI journey!

For those who prefer more interactive learning, explore our applied AI workshops, designed to inspire teams with real-life use cases tailored to specific go-to-market functions.

Also check out this team transformation case study and step-by playbook of how we helped transform a lean GTM team into a human-AI powerhouse with human and AI teammates.

Or, if audio-visual content is your style, here are virtual and in-person speaking events where I’ve covered a variety of AI topics. I’ve also keynoted at many organization and corporate-wide events. Whether through the newsletter, multimedia content, or in-person events, I hope to connect with you soon.

Hello go-to-market leaders, strategists, and innovators! 👋 Thank you for dropping by to learn practical AI applications and gain strategic insights to help you grow your business and elevate your team’s strategic value.

Quick Take

AI is changing how customers buy, and it’s faster than we think. Today’s buyers expect seamless, relevant answers at every step. Are your teams ready? To keep up, we need to break down silos and unify every stage of the journey—from research to growth. In this edition, see how AI can transform your approach, with real-world examples and actionable steps to get started.

Prefer to Listen? Try the AI-Generated Podcast

For those who prefer to consume information through audio, I’ve used Google’s NotebookLM to transform this newsletter into a short podcast episode, featuring a natural conversation between two AI hosts. You can listen to it here.

Disclaimer: This podcast was generated by AI based on this written newsletter and reviewed by me to ensure ethical and responsible AI use. It’s designed to provide an efficient, more inclusive way to consume information.

Why AI Changes Everything

Ever noticed how AI is pushing us to rethink how we serve customers? It’s not just about better tools. It’s about fundamentally changing how we work together across marketing, sales, and customer success.

The need to break down silos has always been there—delivering the seamless experience customers expect requires unified effort across functions. But with AI driving change, this alignment is no longer optional. AI isn’t just encouraging us to unify; it’s making it possible, especially as buyer behaviors and journeys evolve. As customers increasingly demand fast, relevant answers and direct interactions, AI enables us to remove silos and deliver the experiences they want at every stage.

Here’s why this matters now:

1. AI search is changing buyer behavior – Buyers can now get direct answers to their inquiries instead of scanning multiple websites and resources. They might engage with us differently or later in their journey. Here are five must-do strategies for marketers to stay ahead in AI search.

2. AI serves up insights from across the entire customer lifecycle – Why have separate teams looking at pieces of the puzzle when AI can identify patterns across the whole journey?

The chart below shows how GTM workflows and teams can evolve with AI. We’re moving from siloed teams to AI-connected workflows and, ultimately, to unified customer experiences. It’s about combining “Human Layer – Strategy & Relationships” with the “AI Layer – Shared Data & Insights.” Together, they create seamless, connected customer journeys.

This fundamental shift is changing how companies approach customer success. As Sanjay Kini, Chief Customer Officer at 6Sense, observes:

“Driving success for customers has shifted from being a Customer Success goal to a Company goal. Customers constantly give us crumbs of valuable information through their interactions with Sales, CS, Marketing, Services, Finance, Product and Support.

Great companies will consume this data and convert them into meaningful signals that activate plays to give customers a fantastic Customer Experience. This would be impossible (or really difficult at a minimum) to do without the use of AI.”

Take a simple example: A company researching enterprise analytics software. Today’s AI tools can do the following all before the first conversation:

• Understand their specific forecasting needs from search behavior

• Share relevant insights with sales teams

• Guide customer success on potential implementation needs

And this is just the beginning. AI agents will take this further by actually doing tasks for us autonomously across the customer journey.

Think Amazon’s Rufus (AI shopping assistant currently in beta), which already connects shopping questions to related products and content. I shared my experience in using Rufus in this post.

What This Means for Teams Today

Let’s look at how this transforms each stage of the customer journey, from research through growth.

Wendy White, CMO of Daxko, explains:

“The signals are clear. B2B buyers solve problems in ways that ignore our departmental boundaries. They research deeply, make decisions faster, and expect seamless responses at every step. AI isn’t just making unified experiences possible, it’s making them necessary.

While AI tools are making unified experiences more possible than ever, the real shift is in mindset. Start by mapping your buyers’ natural problem-solving journey. You’ll likely find it doesn’t match most internal processes and workflows. The gaps are your biggest opportunity.”

Let’s follow how this works with our enterprise analytics platform example:

Research Stage

Problem: Enterprise buyers want relevant answers, not marketing pitches

• AI notices they’re researching “predictive analytics for sales forecasting”

• Shows case studies of similar enterprises using your platform

• Shares these early signals with sales to prepare relevant examples

• Instead of marketing just passing a form fill

Buy Stage

Problem: Multiple stakeholders, complex needs

• AI helps connect tech specs to their IT requirements

• Guides sales on which features matter to their use case

• Helps tailor ROI based on their industry benchmarks

• Instead of sales rediscovering what marketing already knew

Use Stage

Problem: Enterprise rollouts are complex

• CS team starts with insights from sales discussions

• AI suggests training programs based on similar customers

• Proactively flags potential adoption blockers

• Instead of CS starting from scratch post-sale

Grow Stage

Problem: Growth depends on proving enterprise value

• AI spots teams ready for advanced features

• Identifies potential new use cases from usage patterns

• Helps predict renewal risks early

• Instead of waiting for quarterly business reviews

AI Agents: Taking Unity Further – With Trust as Foundation

My experience using Amazon’s Rufus showed something important: AI is evolving to handle more complex tasks, but only because Amazon has earned customer trust over years of delivering value.

Trust starts with transparency. Share how your AI works with your customers. Be open about what data it uses and how it makes recommendations. When customers know they’re in control, they’ll be more comfortable trusting AI to assist them.

Here’s how AI agents could change customer interactions when trust is earned:

Companies that build trust now through consistent value, transparency, and customer control will have the foundation for successful AI agent adoption.

Before we jump into specific steps, let’s consider where your company stands today. In a previous post, I explored how Product-Market Fit (PMF) and trust work together to position companies for AI transformation.

The matrix helps you have honest conversations with your exec team about:

• How well you’re solving customer problems

• Whether you’ve earned the trust needed for AI adoption

• Where to focus improvement efforts

• When to accelerate AI initiatives

Remember: Strong PMF and trust aren’t just nice-to-haves, they’re the foundation for successful AI transformation. Companies that excel in both areas will have the customer confidence needed to push boundaries with AI.

Starting Your Journey: Build Value, Earn Trust

Success with AI isn’t just about technology. It’s about solving customer problems and building trust at every step as shown below:

Applied AI workshops are also a powerful way to help teams explore practical, real-life use cases for AI, tailored to specific functions. These sessions can inspire teams with actionable examples, showing what’s possible with AI in their unique roles. Learn more about these workshops here.

Here’s a sample B2B software company scenario:

• Noticed customers repeatedly asking similar technical questions

• Built AI to quickly answer these questions

• Shared answers across sales, CS, and marketing

• Built trust through accuracy and transparency

• Now expanding to more complex tasks

Frank Nardi, CEO of Cloud Coach, puts this journey in perspective:

“AI has the power to transform how we break down silos and work across teams. It’s no longer just about individual departments efforts, marketing generating leads, sales closing deals, and CS driving adoption—it’s about unifying the entire customer experience into one seamless flow. AI does the heavy lifting connecting our data and automates workflows behind the scenes.

My advice? Don’t try to do everything at once. Start by fixing one customer handoff point with AI, prove its value, and then expand. The leaders who thrive will be those who see the customer journey as one continuous stream of value.”

Remember: Meet customers where they are. Some will want AI to do more, others less. The key is giving choice and earning trust through consistent value.

Your Turn to Guide the Future

The shift toward unified, AI-enabled customer experiences is happening now. The rise of AI agents will accelerate this change, but there’s no need to wait.

Start small:

• Pick one customer problem that spans teams

• Use AI to connect the dots

• Build trust through transparency

• Expand thoughtfully

Your competitive advantage will come from how well you:

• Unify around customer needs

• Balance innovation with trust

• Focus teams on strategic value

• Build genuine relationships

Where are you on this journey? What customer problems could you solve by breaking down silos? How are you building trust with AI? Share your thoughts. We’d love to hear and learn from you.

The Practical AI in Go-to-Market newsletter is designed to share practical learnings and insights in using AI responsibly for go-to-market strategy, product, brand, demand, content, and digital, and growth marketing. Subscribe today and let’s learn together on this AI journey!

For those who prefer more interactive learning, explore our applied AI workshops, designed to inspire teams with real-life use cases tailored to specific marketing functions.

Also check out this team transformation case study and step-by playbook of how we helped transform a lean GTM team into a human-AI powerhouse with human and AI teammates.

Or, if audio-visual content is your style, here are virtual and in-person speaking events where I’ve covered a variety of AI topics. I’ve also keynoted at many organization and corporate-wide events. Whether through the newsletter, multimedia content, or in-person events, I hope to connect with you soon.

Hello marketing leaders, strategists, and innovators! 👋 Thank you for dropping by to learn practical AI applications and gain strategic insights to help you grow your business, elevate your and your team’s strategic value as marketers, use business as a force for good, and help advance your career.

Prefer to Listen? Try the AI-Generated Podcast

For those who prefer to consume information through audio, I’ve used Google’s NotebookLM to transform this newsletter into a short podcast episode, featuring a natural conversation between two AI hosts.

The podcast captures the insights in an engaging and relatable way, making the content more inclusive for different learning styles. You can listen to it here.

Disclaimer: This podcast was generated by AI based on this written newsletter and reviewed by me to ensure ethical and responsible AI use. It’s designed to provide an efficient, more inclusive way to consume information.

A Human-First Framework

“The more technology advances, the more authentic human connections matter.”

We’re facing an interesting paradox in marketing. As AI gets better at creating content, authentic human experiences become more valuable, not less. Let’s think about it. When everyone has access to AI tools that can generate “good enough” content, what will make your brand stand out?

Gartner predicts web traffic will fall 25% by 2026 as people increasingly rely on AI for answers. AI assistants (like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude), answer engines (like Perplexity and SearchGPT), and Google are transforming search with AI-generated responses. The game is changing fast, and we’re all asking:

• How do we create content that AI engines will actually serve up?

• More importantly, how do we make our content stand out in this AI-driven world?

The answer might surprise you. It’s not about being more technical or using more AI tools (though those help). It’s about being more human.

From Africa to AI: Stories That Transform Marketing

When I first wrote about my African adventure with 15 of my dear friends in 2019, I shared it because it was a powerful experience that reinforced fundamental truths about storytelling in business. But revisiting it now, in 2024, with AI influencing everything about marketing, I realize these lessons are more important than ever.

Picture this: A small group of mountain gorillas, among the last 1,000 left on Earth, allowing us into their world at 10,000 feet in Rwanda’s Virunga Mountains. Our guide Francis’s words still echo in my mind: “The gorillas welcomed you into their home. Now, it’s on you to amplify their voice.”

Later, in South Africa’s MalaMala game reserve, we found ourselves surrounded by a herd of 50 elephants, watching a week-old baby trail behind its mother. These weren’t just wildlife sightings, they were moments of profound connection that changed how we saw our role in the world.

But the most powerful stories came from the people we met. A driver sharing his heart-wrenching tale of survival and reunion after the Rwandan genocide. Villagers inviting us to join their traditional Intore dance, breaking through language barriers with shared movement and smiles. Each moment taught us that the most memorable stories aren’t just told, they’re experienced.

Here are the written and AI-generated podcast versions of the full story.

Turn Real Experiences into Marketing Gold: 3 Proven Strategies

These experiences taught me something we can’t ignore about modern marketing: in a world of AI-generated content, authentic human experiences become your strongest differentiator. Let’s explore how to apply these lessons in today’s digital landscape.

Expert Quote #1

1. Create Content That Both AI and Humans Love: A Practical Guide

The journey of content optimization on our websites tells its own story:

• Late 90s: Pure human-focused content

• 2000-2022: Google algorithm optimization

• 2023 onwards: LLM/AI agent era

Here’s the fascinating part: We’ve come full circle. While we spent years optimizing for Google’s algorithms, AI agents (AI that do tasks for us autonomously) are now pushing us back toward what truly matters – human value and trust.

AI agents, like human guides, succeed when they serve genuine human needs and give us authentic, valuable content. We need to create content and websites designed for both humans and the AI agents that serve humans.

These AI agent may be doing research, comparing competitive products, signing up for webinars, taking notes and analyzing podcast content, and even subscribing to services on our behalf.

Creating Content That Matters:

Technical Layer (For AI Discovery):

• Clear headers that signal intent

• Key terms your audience searches for

• Well-structured information

• Comprehensive coverage of topics

Human Layer (For Connection):

• Personal experiences

• Emotional moments

• Authentic voice

• Unexpected insights

2. Earn and Build Trust: Your Story-First Strategy

Just as our African experiences built upon each other, from wildlife encounters to human connections, your content should create layers of trust:

Trust-Building Elements:

• Start with authentic human needs

• Share real experiences and outcomes

• Add unique insights only you can provide

• Demonstrate consistent values through action

Remember: AI can compile facts about any topic, but it can’t replicate authentic human experience and emotion. That’s your advantage.

3. Scale Your Story Impact: Building a Trust-Based Content System

Think about how every person we met in Africa, from Francis to the village dancers, reinforced the authenticity of our experience. Your content strategy should work the same way:

Practical Implementation:

• Document real customer journeys

• Capture authentic team moments

• Share both successes and learning experiences

• Let multiple voices and perspectives emerge

• Use AI tools to amplify authentic stories, not replace them

Expert Quote #2

Your 4-Step Action Plan: From Stories to Marketing Success

1. Audit Your Current Content

• Does it reflect real experiences?

• Could an AI have written it?

• Does it serve genuine human needs?

2. Create Your Story Framework

• Identify unique experiences in your organization

• Document customer transformation stories

• Capture authentic team moments

3. Balance AI and Humanity

• Use AI to optimize and amplify

• Keep human experience at the core

• Measure both efficiency and connection

4. Build Trust Through Consistency

• Regular authentic content sharing

• Multiple formats for different preferences

• Continuous story collection and curation

Expert Quote #3

Take Action Now: Your Path to Standing Out in the AI Era

As I reflect on our African journey and today’s AI revolution, one truth becomes crystal clear: the more technology advances, the more authentic human connections matter.

Your opportunity in the AI era:

• While others focus on volume, you can focus on value

• While AI generates content, you can create connections

• While algorithms process data, you can share experiences

• While others optimize for metrics, you can build trust

Remember: The brands that thrive won’t be those with the most sophisticated AI tools, but those who best balance technology with humanity, efficiency with empathy, automation with authentic connection.

Your stories matter more than ever. Share them well.

What authentic stories is your brand ready to tell? How are you balancing AI efficiency with human connection? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

The Practical AI in Marketing newsletter is designed to share practical learnings and insights in using AI responsibly for strategic, product, digital, brand, demand, and growth marketing. Subscribe today and let’s learn together on this AI journey!

For those who prefer audio-visual content, click here to access recorded sessions on various topics I’ve covered, from specific AI use cases to elevating the strategic role of marketing leaders.

Hello go-to-market leaders, strategists, and innovators! 👋 Thank you for dropping by to learn practical AI applications and gain strategic insights to help you grow your business, elevate your and your team’s strategic value as marketers, use business as a force for good, and help advance your career.

Prefer to Listen? Try the AI-Generated Podcast

For those who prefer to consume information through audio, I’ve used Google’s NotebookLM to transform this newsletter into a short podcast episode, featuring a natural conversation between two AI hosts.

The podcast captures the insights in an engaging and relatable way, making the content more inclusive for different learning styles. You can listen to it here.

Disclaimer: This podcast was generated by AI based on this written newsletter and reviewed by me to ensure ethical and responsible AI use. It’s designed to provide an efficient, more inclusive way to consume information.

AI is changing the way we work faster than ever before. But with rapid changes come new challenges, especially when it comes to hiring the right people.

How do you know if your team is ready for AI? Are you focusing too much on skills and not enough on adaptability? These are the questions many leaders face today.

To help you make the best decisions for your team, I will share three tools that will help you find and hire AI-ready talent:

1. AI Readiness Assessment Quiz – This quiz helps you decide if your organization should focus more on AI skills or adaptability.

2. AI Readiness Assessment Matrix – This matrix helps you see how different types of candidates fit your needs.

3. AI-Ready Employee Hiring Guide – This guide helps turn insights into interview questions and candidate evaluations.

Let’s discuss how these tools can help you make smart hiring decisions.

Hiring for AI Skills: More Than Expertise

Hiring the right AI talent is tough. Many leaders do not know exactly what skills they need, what questions to ask, or how to tell if a candidate is the right fit.

This challenge is backed by recent data: 65% of companies are regularly using generative AI, nearly double from just ten months ago. This fast adoption shows how important it is to find AI-ready talent.¹

That is why I built the AI-Ready Employee Hiring Guide GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer), a custom AI tool specifically designed to make hiring for AI talent easier. The guide is free (if you have a paid version of ChatGPT) and helps you figure out if candidates are ready for AI work.

The goal is not just to hire people who know AI, but to find those who can make AI work for your business. People who can adapt, learn, and create value with AI.

According to Carol-Lyn Jardine, VP of Growth Marketing at DHI Group, Inc., companies need to prioritize more than just technical knowledge when hiring for AI roles.

“The value in AI talent comes from technical capabilities and the skills to leverage AI in driving innovation and business results. Look for candidates who are adaptable. They can translate their technical expertise into meaningful, actionable solutions for your organization.”

AI Readiness Assessment Quiz: Where to Start

The first step in building an AI-ready team is to understand what your organization needs—deep AI skills or adaptability. The AI Readiness Assessment Quiz can help you figure this out.

The quiz will ask you to rate statements about your organization’s needs. Questions might be about how important AI is to your projects or how advanced your industry is with AI.

Based on your answers, the quiz will guide you on whether to focus more on hiring for AI skills or adaptability. Here is how to use it:

• Step 1: Rate Statements: Rate statements like “We have urgent projects that need AI expertise” on a scale of 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree).

• Step 2: Assess Needs: Use your results to decide if you need immediate AI skills or if adaptability is more important.

• Step 3: Match Outcomes with Roles: Match the result with the roles you are hiring for. If adaptability is more important, look for candidates who are fast learners, even if they do not have a lot of AI experience.

I used the AI assistant Claude to build this quiz using natural language, no code. You do not need a subscription to Claude to use it. Here’s a video that shows the quiz in action and below are screenshots.

AI Readiness Assessment Matrix: Visualizing Candidate Fit

After understanding your organization’s needs, you can see how different candidates fit using the AI Readiness Assessment Matrix. This is a 2×2 chart that compares Current AI Skills and Adaptability.

Each part of the matrix shows a different type of candidate:

This matrix helps you figure out which type of candidate best fits specific roles in your team.

AI-Ready Employee Hiring Guide: Crafting Your Questions

Now that you have used the quiz and the matrix, the AI-Ready Employee Hiring Guide GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) will help you turn this knowledge into action.

This GPT helps hiring manager develop interview questions and offers tips to evaluate how well candidates can adapt to AI in their jobs.

Scott Morris, CMO of Sprout Social put the guide to the test.

“Custom GPTs help maintain consistency and improve efficiency across teams, including in hiring processes. For example, the AI-Ready Employee Hiring Guide GPT ensures that hiring managers can consistently prepare relevant interview questions and evaluate candidates’ AI skills in line with role requirements.”

Here is how to use the guide:

• Step 1: Define the Role – Start by defining what the role requires. Are you hiring a content marketer who needs AI skills, or a data scientist who will work with machine learning?

• Step 2: Use Matrix Insights – Use the 2×2 matrix to decide the kind of candidate you need—high skills, high adaptability, or something in between.

• Step 3: Create Questions – The guide will create questions that assess things like adaptability, ethical thinking, and AI experience. For example: “Describe a time when you had to learn a new technology quickly. How did you handle it?”

• Step 4: Assess Responses – Use the guide to know what good answers look like and what red flags to watch for. Adaptability-focused roles should show excitement for learning and strategic thinking.

• Step 5: Evaluate and Decide – Evaluate candidates based on their adaptability and AI knowledge to see if they meet your needs.

The AI-Ready Employee Hiring Guide gives you a simple way to turn broad skills into real interview questions.

If you don’t have a paid ChatGPT subscription, this video and the screenshots below show you how the guide works with an example:

Upskilling Your Current Team: An Untapped Resource

The right AI talent might already be part of your team. Upskilling and reskilling your current employees can be an effective way to build AI skills without hiring new people. Training existing staff has several benefits:

• Familiarity with Company Goals – Current team members already understand your business goals, culture, and workflow. Upskilling them means you save time and resources on onboarding.

• Improves Morale and Retention – Offering growth opportunities shows your commitment to employees’ careers. This boosts morale and can lead to higher retention rates.

• Cost-Effective – Hiring new talent can be expensive, especially for specialized AI roles. Investing in training your existing team is often more affordable.

• Greater Trust – You already know the strengths and weaknesses of your team members, which makes it easier to predict how they will apply new skills in practice.

Consider creating an AI learning program for your team, using resources like applied AI workshops with real-life use cases for specific functions and roles, online courses, or AI tools that they can experiment with in a safe learning environment. The AI-Ready Employee Hiring Guide can also be adapted to assess existing team members’ readiness for AI roles and identify key areas for growth.

AI as a Teammate: Shifting Perspectives

In my previous newsletter titled “Humans + AI: The New Marketing Dream Team, Built with Heart”, I talked about using AI as a teammate. This idea is supported by many AI users. Workers who see AI as a teammate are 33% more likely to be more productive compared to those who see it just as a tool.³ The same is true when hiring AI talent—we need people who can work with AI to do better work.

Recent studies show that people who use generative AI save more than 30 minutes every day, and over 90% of them say AI makes their work easier to handle.²

Only 39% of people globally who use AI at work have received AI training from their company. And only 25% of companies are planning to offer training on generative AI this year. Giving your team proper learning opportunities is key to their success.²

This is especially important because 75% of workers around the world are now using AI, and 46% of them started in the last six months.²

Here’s a playbook for how a real 25-human and 20 AI-team was built in 6 months and results.

Building Your AI-Ready Team

AI is changing fast, and hiring needs to keep up. It is about building a team ready to learn, adapt, and grow, not just hiring someone with the right skills today. This is even more important because AI use has grown to 72% in organizations worldwide.¹

Use the AI Readiness Quiz, the 2×2 Matrix, and the AI-Ready Employee Hiring Guide to structure your hiring process and get your team ready for a future with AI. Remember, 85% of people who are strong AI users start their workday with AI and use it to prepare for the next day. This shows how important AI is becoming in daily work.²

Erica Seidel, Founder and Executive Recruiter at The Connective Good, reinforces the need to think about hiring strategically.

“As AI changes the workplace, leaders need to carefully decide when to upskill their current team and when to hire from outside. Upskilling internal talent can be cost-effective and builds loyalty, while hiring externally brings in new skills that the team may not have yet. Using both approaches together is often the best way to meet both immediate and long-term goals.”

Share Your Thoughts

If you are hiring for AI talent, try the AI-Ready Employee Hiring Guide. Explore the AI Readiness Assessment Quiz to better understand your organization’s needs. I would love to hear how these tools work for your team and any feedback you have.

The future belongs to those who can mix AI with human creativity. Is your team ready? 67% of respondents expect their organizations to invest more in AI over the next three years, so now is the time to get your team ready for an AI-driven future.¹

Feel free to share your thoughts or any challenges you face in building an AI-ready team.

Sources:

1. “The state of AI in early 2024: Gen AI adoption spikes and starts to generate value.” McKinsey & Company, May 30, 2024.

2. “AI at Work Is Here. Now Comes the Hard Part.” Microsoft Work Trend Index, May 8, 2024.

3. “The State of AI at Work.” Asana Work Innovation Lab and Anthropic, 2024.

The Practical AI in Go-to-Market newsletter is designed to share practical learnings and insights in using AI responsibly for go-to-market strategy, product, brand, demand, content, and digital, and growth marketing. Subscribe today and let’s learn together on this AI journey!

For those who prefer more interactive learning, explore our applied AI workshops, designed to inspire teams with real-life use cases tailored to specific marketing functions.

Also check out this team transformation case study and step-by playbook of how we helped transform a lean GTM team into a human-AI powerhouse with human and AI teammates.

Or, if audio-visual content is your style, here are virtual and in-person speaking events where I’ve covered a variety of AI topics. I’ve also keynoted at many organization and corporate-wide events. Whether through the newsletter, multimedia content, or in-person events, I hope to connect with you soon.

Hello go-to-market leaders, strategists, and innovators! 👋 Thank you for dropping by to learn practical AI applications and gain strategic insights to help you grow your business, elevate your and your team’s strategic value as marketers, use business as a force for good, and help advance your career.

Prefer to Listen? Try the AI-Generated Podcast

For those who prefer to consume information through audio, I’ve used Google’s NotebookLM to transform this newsletter into a short podcast episode, featuring a natural conversation between two AI hosts. Although the hosts refer to me LIE-za instead of LEE-zuh :-), the podcast captures the insights in an engaging and relatable way, making the content more inclusive for different learning styles. You can listen to it here.

Disclaimer: This podcast was generated by AI based on this written newsletter and reviewed by me to ensure ethical and responsible AI use. It’s designed to provide an efficient, more inclusive way to consume information.

AI has the power to change the game, but to use it fully, we need to shift our mindset, learn together, and build new habits. It’s about creating an environment that encourages creativity, trying new things, and being open to what AI can do. Let’s look at practical examples, expert tips, and steps to help you start using AI in your team.

Here are three big ideas to guide your AI journey.

1. Changing How We Think About AI

Many teams use AI for basic tasks like summarizing reports and writing blogs, but we can’t reach the $1.4 to $2.6 trillion in added business value predicted by McKinsey with simple tasks alone.

To unlock AI’s potential, we need to go beyond those basic applications. AI should be leveraged for content creation, collaboration and ideation, automation, research and analytics for decision-making, and personalization.

The real challenge isn’t the tech—it’s changing how we work with AI every day. This is a mindset and behavior shift that leaders need to encourage and support actively.

A number of AI-forward CMOs and marketing leaders are advocates of this thinking, including Tamir Hardof, CMO of Nucleus Security.

“Push AI beyond just productivity tasks into real innovation. Challenge your team to use AI not just for making things faster, but as a partner to generate new ideas and solve big problems. This way, we turn AI from a tool into a co-creator for our strategies.”

We want our teams to see AI as an important part of our creative and strategic work. This means including AI in brainstorming, campaign planning, and personalizing customer experiences. It’s a mindset change, and we need to lead our teams through it.

Leaders should create a space where experimenting with AI is encouraged. It’s not about being perfect, but about exploring how AI can help us. This shift starts with leaders using AI themselves, inspiring others, and guiding their teams.

Sometimes, this also means recognizing when external expertise, like advisors, applied AI workshops, or courses, can provide the structure and insights needed to support the team effectively.

Sharing real examples of AI success makes AI feel less like an abstract tech tool and more like a core part of our marketing work. Show not just the wins but also the challenges and how they were overcome. I shared some early AI successes and quantified impact here.

2. Practical AI Applications for Specific Marketing Roles

Adopting AI goes beyond learning how to prompt and use different AI features and capabilities effectively like:

• Creating and editing images

• Analyzing screenshots

• Interacting with AI in voice mode

• Writing and editing

• Visually representing data, and

• Automating tasks

It’s about seeing what AI can do in our own jobs.

Think of AI capabilities like a bunch of powerful Lego pieces. Each piece is amazing on its own, but without a clear picture or instructions, it’s hard to know what to build.

It’s difficult to shift from seeing AI as just a fancy search engine or question-answer tool to using it as a real business and thought partner. I get it. We are given a simple conversation box and prompts like “Ask me anything”, “Message ChatGPT”, and “How can I help you?”. Then we’re supposed to just start typing something!

We need to show AI use cases for each role. What works for a Creative Director might not fit a Product Marketing Manager.

It’s like using a smartphone: a small business owner might use it to manage inventory, process transactions, and connect with customers, while a fitness enthusiast might leverage it for creating personalized workout plans, tracking nutrition, and even connecting with virtual coaching for motivation. 

The table below shows just a small sample of AI use cases by marketing function. When people see how AI can help their work, it inspires them to try it. Here’s some information about applied AI workshops designed to do just that.

Here are some examples of inspiring what’s possible with applied AI use cases, showing the actual process and conversations with AI to solve real-world problems:

• CMO/Head of Marketing and Product Marketing – Here’s a use case for selecting top market segments and aligning exec teams. I explain it in the video below, from 30:47-43:55 in Drew Neisser‘s CMO Huddles podcast and in this edition of my newsletter.

• Digital, Content, Brand, Demand Gen, Customer Marketing – Here’s how we can make our brands, products, and content relevant in Zero-Click/AI search. Click here to see the full process.

• Product Marketing – Analyzing customer perceptions and competitive position can be done faster and more effectively with AI. I walked through the process from 6:28-24:22 in Isar Meitis‘s Leveraging AI podcast below.

Alice Hansen, CMO of Absolute Security, and her team are using this approach in their AI adoption journey.

“Effective AI in marketing goes beyond understanding its capabilities. The key is showing teams how to apply AI responsibly in their specific roles. When we combine AI’s power with our industry expertise and unique data, while prioritizing ethical use, we unlock real value in our daily work. We amplify and expand value created by marketers to grow revenue, brand value, and customer success.”

By linking AI to daily tasks, we inspire team members to see it as a powerful partner.

Beyond inspiring individuals, think about the bigger picture: how AI can be used across roles to solve team problems. The more specific examples we give, the more people will understand how AI can work for them.

3. Think Big, Start Small, Grow Strategically

You don’t have to become an AI expert or scale adoption overnight. Start by focusing on a few high-impact AI use cases and align them with strategic initiatives. Connecting AI to high-priority business goals increases its support and likelihood of success.

These initiatives already have resources, budget, timelines, and visibility—this makes AI projects tied to them more impactful. Here’s a template that you can use to map use cases or combination of use cases to top priorities.

Encourage experimentation, celebrate early wins, and build from there. Small wins lead to larger changes as others see the results and want to join in.

Judy Ash, VP of Digital CX Marketing at SiTime, is strategically leading her team, starting with having a handful of meaningful AI wins under their belt.

“To thrive with AI in marketing, foster curiosity and encourage experimentation. Start small, have fun, and think big. Pilot with radical ideas for AI leverage and allow your teams access to learn new technologies. Take a practical approach managing risks with data & security issues. Create spaces for joint learning and sharing of AI experiences across teams. As you see early wins, success breeds success. Build from there to expand AI’s impact.”

The big AI companies are racing to advance AI technology, but it’s on us to learn, share, and use AI responsibly. Hold team meetings, conduct workshops, and engage in Slack to discuss what’s working and what’s not. There are no best practices yet in AI. We’re all figuring things out and if we go together, we’ll go far.

Start Your AI Journey Now

AI is more than a tool, it’s a partner. To make AI work for us, we need to shift our mindset and behavior, integrate it into daily tasks, and leverage our unique strengths. Start small, connect AI initiatives to high-priority goals, and build momentum with early wins.

Make AI relevant to each role. Like tools that meet different needs for different people, AI’s true power lies in serving specific marketing functions. Our domain expertise, unique knowledge, and data are critical in guiding AI responsibly and ensuring it creates real value.

Here’s a playbook for how a real 25-human and 20 AI-team was built in 6 months and results.

Share your journey, recognize those who lead the way, and encourage shared learning. Together, we can make AI a core part of how we plan, create, and succeed.

Where are you on your AI journey? Which AI use cases have been most impactful in your role? How do you see your domain expertise driving AI’s success? 

The Practical AI in Go-to-Market newsletter is designed to share practical learnings and insights in using AI responsibly for go-to-market strategy, product, brand, demand, content, and digital, and growth marketing. Subscribe today and let’s learn together on this AI journey!

For those who prefer more interactive learning, explore our applied AI workshops, designed to inspire teams with real-life use cases tailored to specific marketing functions.

Also check out this team transformation case study and step-by playbook of how we helped transform a lean GTM team into a human-AI powerhouse with human and AI teammates.

Or, if audio-visual content is your style, here are virtual and in-person speaking events where I’ve covered a variety of AI topics. I’ve also keynoted at many organization and corporate-wide events. Whether through the newsletter, multimedia content, or in-person events, I hope to connect with you soon.