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.

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

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