Is AI the end of human connection, or the beginning of a new Renaissance? Karin Volo joins the show to discuss why trust is the "secret sauce" for successful AI implementation in business.

In this episode, Karin shares her incredible journey from a Stage 4 cancer diagnosis to becoming a leading voice in AI certification. We explore the "Utopia vs. Dystopia" crossroads, why leaders must prioritize human values over "AI slop," and how tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gamma are changing the way we work forever. Whether you are an entrepreneur or a corporate leader, this is a roadmap for navigating the "Space Race" of our generation.

• 0:00 – Reconnecting through AI certification.

• 1:15 – Karin’s journey: Health, Resilience, and AI.

• 2:45 – Why Trust is the foundation of AI culture.

• 3:30 – "AI: Dystopia or Utopia" – The Choice Point.

• 5:10 – Human in the loop: Avoiding "AI Slop".

• 7:00 – The "Space Race" of LLMs: ChatGPT vs. Claude.

• 8:30 – Practical AI tools: Gamma, Microsoft, and Google.

• 11:00 – Advice for business owners starting with AI.

• Karin Volo’s Website: evoloshen.com

• Karin’s Personal Site: karinvolo.com

• Read the Book: AI: Dystopia or Utopia (Available on Amazon)

• Connect on LinkedIn: Search "Karin Volo"

Is NotebookLM the "smarter, dumber assistant" we’ve all been waiting for? In this episode, Lou Bortone sits down with the mother-son duo Sue and Matt Guiher to discuss how they are using Google’s NotebookLM to revolutionize business systems and academic research. From "source grounding" to the "Writing Wingman," learn how to use AI as a tool rather than a replacement.

Is AI making you more productive or just more "busy"? Dr. Ana Melikian, host of the Mindset Zone podcast, joins Lou Bortone to discuss how to navigate the "100-foot wave" of AI without losing your humanity—or your mind.

What You’ll Learn:

• The ACE Framework: A simple, 3-step method (Act as, Context, Engage) for high-impact prompting.

• The Savant Intern Mindset: Why you should treat AI like a brilliant assistant—but never accept the first draft.

• The 4 Rules of Co-Intelligence: From acknowledging AI's limitations to keeping a "human in the loop".

• Beyond Business: Practical (and surprising) AI use cases, from home crafts to personalized recipes.

• The Trust Factor: Why faking authenticity with AI is the quickest way to undermine your brand.

Timestamps:

• 00:00 – Intro: The intersection of psychology and the AI revolution.

• 03:45 – The ACE Framework: Act as, Context, and Engage.

• 06:20 – Co-Intelligence: Treating AI as a "Savant Intern".

• 09:10 – The "Human in the Loop" rule: Protecting your agency.

• 11:30 – Surprising Home Hacks: Solving a sewing machine mystery via AI.

• 13:50 – The Future of Trust: Why Ana stopped using fake backgrounds.

Think AI is too generic for your brand? Rob Schultz joins Lou Bortone to explain why the problem isn't the AI—it's your willingness to push it further.

What You’ll Learn:

• The "Jump Through Hoops" Philosophy: Why you should never settle for the first AI response.

• Contextual AI: How to use transcripts to teach ChatGPT your specific voice, tone, and point of view.

• Visual Storytelling: A look at the tools bridging the gap between text and high-end video production.

• The "Take 48" Mindset: Why elite content creation requires pushing AI through multiple iterations.

• Tool Spotlight: Deep dives into Blotato and Poppy for visual content and source-based prompting.

Timestamps:

• 00:00 – Why AI doesn't judge: Making technology work for you.

• 03:15 – The origin story: How one Facebook post launched a prompting obsession.

• 04:30 – Start with the Problem, not the Tool.

• 05:40 – The Secret Sauce: Training AI on your own transcripts to clone your voice.

• 07:50 – From "Yesterday" to "Scrambled Eggs": Lessons in iteration from The Beatles.

• 10:30 – Blotato & Poppy: Advanced tools for visual and source-based marketing.

• 13:40 – Final Thoughts: Why AI is just the latest "electric guitar" in marketing history.

Are you overwhelmed by the "tool-of-the-week" fatigue? Jen Lehner joins Lou Bortone to pull back the curtain on how to actually integrate AI into your business workflow rather than just playing with it.

What You’ll Learn:

• The Meta-Prompting Secret: How to make ChatGPT interview you to build a perfect business knowledge base.

• Google Workspace Studio: How to use the "Zapier-killer" built directly into your Gmail.

• Custom "Gems": The difference between automation and AI, and how to use Gems as specialized employees.

• The App-Building Revolution: Watch as Jen builds a functional YouTube dashboard in seconds using Google AI Studio.

Timestamps:

• 00:00 – Intro: The early days of live streaming vs. the AI revolution.

• 05:40 – The "Interview Prompt": Training AI to know your business.

• 06:35 – Meta-Prompting: The prompt that creates better prompts.

• 11:30 – Google Workspace Studio & "The Zapier Effect."

• 13:10 – Real-world automation: Auto-forwarding receipts to AI bookkeepers.

• 17:00 – Live Demo: Building a custom dashboard in Google AI Studio.

Are you overwhelmed by the "New AI Tool of the Week" cycle? Lou Bortone welcomes social media agency founder and short-form video expert Nika Stewart to discuss how to quiet the noise and use AI to amplify your unique human voice.

What You’ll Learn:

• The Overwhelm Antidote: Why focusing on one tool 100% is better than testing four tools at 25%.

• Meet "Goldie": How Nika trained a Custom GPT on her books and life story to create an effortless writing assistant.

• ChatGPT vs. Claude: Why Nika disagrees with the "experts" on which tool is a better creative writer.

• The NotebookLM Edge: How to use Google’s newest tool to eliminate "AI hallucinations."

• Creative Freedom: Why Nika is spending 2026 on documentaries, children's books, and music—powered by AI.

Ready to move past "playing" with AI and start profiting from it? Lou Bortone sits down with the "Live Stream Queen," Tanya Smith, to discuss the high-level frameworks she uses to automate video production and analyze social data.

What You’ll Learn:

• The "VIDEO" Framework: A specific strategy for creating high-conversion prompts in Sora.

• The Copywriting Shift: Why Claude is Tanya's go-to for brand-consistent copy over ChatGPT.

• Agental Automation: How to connect Vista Social to Claude via MCP servers for deep data analysis.

• The Future of Content: Building a "Digital Twin" to maintain visibility while you focus on high-level strategy.

• Closing the Gap: Addressing the growing "AI Pay Gap" and Tanya's mission to teach the next generation.

Is AI a replacement for your creativity, or the ultimate amplifier? Lou Bortone welcomes long-time friend and digital marketing expert Bob Sparkins to cut through the "shiny object" noise and focus on tools that actually save time and generate revenue.

What You’ll Learn:

• The "Invisible" AI: Why SaneBox is the must-have tool for email sanity you didn't know was AI.

• Juicing the Brain: How to use interviews and ChatGPT as a ghostwriter to create high-converting content.

• The Realist’s Privacy Take: Why standard platforms like Gmail and Facebook have already set the privacy bar.

• Workflow Optimization: Leveraging Descript and Riverside for a seamless video editing process.

• The Future of Search: How early adopters of AI tools are securing their spot in future search results.

Are you using AI as a toy or a teammate? Rich Brooks, founder of flyte new media and the Agents of Change podcast, joins Lou Bortone to pull back the curtain on the exact AI workflows driving his multi-decade agency.

What You’ll Learn:

• The Workflow Shift: Why Claude is beating ChatGPT for brand-voice writing.

• The "Invisible" Teammate: How to build an AI assistant for podcast show notes and social promo.

• The Privacy Play: How (and why) to run LLMs locally on your own laptop.

• SEO Evolution: What "AI Overviews" mean for your website traffic in 2025.

• Future-Proofing: Why relationships still trump algorithms in a world of "AI Slop."

http://www.LouBortone.com presents…Day 12: Building Websites with AI-Powered Lovable | 12 Days of AI Tools FinaleJoin Lou Bortone for the grand finale of the 12 Days of AI Tools series! On the final day, Lou introduces Lovable, an AI-powered web development platform that transforms written descriptions into fully functional websites and web apps. Learn how Lou used Lovable to create the 12 Days of AI Tools website, complete with countdown timers and door-opening animations. Discover how Lovable makes web development accessible to everyone and delivers clean, professional code. Don't miss out on this innovative tool and catch more AI insights on the AI Today Podcast. Happy holidays and happy new year from Lou Bortone!00:00 Introduction and Day 12 Announcement00:26 Introducing Lovable: The AI-Powered Web Development Platform00:40 How Lovable Works: Building Websites with Natural Language01:39 Real-World Example: The 12 Days of AI Tools Website01:59 Why Lovable Stands Out02:50 Conclusion and Final Thoughts