Ashley Gross has been at the forefront of AI long before ChatGPT made headlines and has spent years helping enterprise and mid-market companies implement AI in ways that drive real business impact. Her expertise lies in aligning leadership and teams, ensuring AI isn’t just a buzzword but a strategic tool that delivers measurable results.

Beyond consulting, Ashley speaks, teaches, offers courses, and leads executive workshops, breaking down AI into practical, actionable strategies that help companies stay ahead. She is one of the top voice in AI on linkedin and I recommend you give her a follow.

In this conversation, Ashley breaks down how to identify the right use cases for AI, where companies waste time and money with misaligned tools, and how to architect a sustainable AI roadmap that includes strategy, enablement, and internal builds. She shares her philosophy on why change management is the most critical skill in AI adoption, and how to get stakeholder buy-in across departments—even in risk-averse environments.

We also dive into her favorite foundational automations and life hacks. Please enjoy this conversation with Ashley Gross.

TOOLS & PLATFORMS MENTIONED

• Generalist LLMs – ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, Perplexity
• Automation & Agent Platforms – Make, N8N, Blue Prism
• Note-taking & Sentiment Tools – Read AI
• Communication Optimization – Prompt libraries for stakeholder management
• Enterprise Builds – Custom AI tools connected to tech stacks via Slack/Teams with Microsoft Cognitive Search

ASHLEY’S COURSES

• Optimizing ChatGPT (launching May 13)

→ Get it for $50 (first 500 signups): theashleygross.com

• Also available:

→ Automation & agentic workflow courses

→ Courses on building internal AI solutions

→ Strategic AI implementation playbooks

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theashleygross/
• Website: aiworkforcealliance.com/
• X (Tweeter): X.com/theashleygross
• Instagram: instagram.com/theashleygross

Today, we're speaking with Joe Apfelbaum, CEO and founder of Ajax Union, a B2B digital marketing agency based in Brooklyn, NY.

Joe is a dynamic business strategist, LinkedIn trainer, and AI expert and developer. He frequently shares his insights on digital marketing, professional networking, and personal development through seminars, webinars, and articles. Joe is also an accomplished author of several books, including High Energy Secrets, High Energy Networking, and his latest High Energy Marketing.

In our conversation, Joe dives deep into the world of AI and its transformative potential for entrepreneurs. He also discusses a platform he developed called evyAI which turbo-charges LinkedIn engagement by automating everything from generating posts, comments, and responses that sounds just like you to optimizing profiles, generating strategic comments, and creating high-quality LinkedIn content with just a few clicks. Joe also touches on the importance of integrating AI into personal development, using tools to create custom strategies for both personal and professional growth. He emphasizes how AI can help identify patterns, suggest improvements, and create personalized plans for success. There’s a TON of information in this episode and it flies very fast so prepare to take notes and please welcome Joe Apfelbaum.

SHOW NOTES

AI APPS/ TOOLS

• evyAI.com - An AI assistant for LinkedIn developed by Joe, designed to help with posts, comments, direct messages, and profile optimization.
• Synthesia - Used for avatar creation.
• Suno.com - A tool for creating music with personalized affirmations.
• MidJourney - A platform for image creation.
• 11 Labs and Synthesia - For voice cloning and virtual avatars.
• Haygen - Another tool for creating human avatars.
• D-ID - Specializes in real-time talking images for websites.
• Google Bard (now Gemini), Google Cloud, Meta AI, Perplexity, and ChatGPT - Different AI technologies Joe mentions for integration with his app.
• Copilot - Related to the Microsoft ecosystem, useful for Microsoft-related tasks.
• Zapier and Make.com - Automation tools.
• Opus Clip and Cap Cut - Video content creation and editing tools.
• Pi.ai - An AI tool noted for its conversational abilities, similar to a therapy session.
• SubMagic - Another tool for video editing highlighted for performance.
• Veed.io - Mentioned in the context of emerging video editing tools.
• InVideo - Mentioned for video creation and editing.
• Grok - Praised for its speed in processing and real-time interactions.

COURSES/ BOOKS

• High Energy Networking - A book by Joe on networking strategies.
• Evergreen Business Development Circle (evyrgreen.com) - Offers courses and resources focused on AI-driven business development.
• AI Business Development Circle - Joe's initiative for teaching AI applications in business. Can also be found at evyrgreen.com

Follow Joe here:

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/joeapfelbaum
• Website: www.joeapfelbaum.com
• X: twitter.com/joeapfelbaum
• Instagram: instagram.com/joeapfelbaum

Today we're speaking with Caleb Ward, the mind behind Curious Refuge, a company that stands at the forefront of integrating AI into creative filmmaking, marketing and education. Caleb has spent over a decade in filmmaking across editing, production, animation, and visual effects pipelines. His journey took a significant turn with the advent of generative AI, leading him to explore its capabilities in storytelling, which culminated in the viral success of multiple videos you may have seen including: Barbenheimer, Star Wars by Wes Anderson, Lord of the Rings by Wes Anderson, and Avatar by Wes Anderson among many more.

Caleb pivoted his learnings and passion for democratizing AI filmmaking into the founding of Curious Refuge, an online academy of courses designed to teach advanced AI filmmaking techniques with courses from people like Caleb himself and Dave Clark who’s appeared multiple times on the show.

With students in over 109 countries, Curious Refuge has become a beacon for those looking for in-depth and cutting edge knowledge of AI in filmmaking and advertising. In addition to its courses, of which I’m a student, one of the other amazing things about Curious Refuge is its global community.

There’s a real spirit of sharing within Curious Refuge and this community is dedicated to creating a collective repository of knowledge, with members sharing discoveries and innovations in AI in real time. Members are not keeping their discoveries secret but instead freely sharing them within the community so everyone can learn together in real time which is very rare and very extraordinary.

In this episode, Caleb discusses the importance of community in navigating the rapidly evolving landscape of AI tools as well as the potential of AI to democratize creativity. We also get into the origin story of Curious Refuge and some of Caleb’s favorite AI lifehacks. All this and so much more on today’s episode of Brand Bots.

SHOW NOTES

Educational and Online Platforms

• DALL-E
• ChatGPT
• Midjourney V5
• Adobe Photoshop, Premiere, and After Effects
• DaVinci Resolve
• Adobe Firefly
• Runway AI

Courses and Learning Materials

• AI Advertising course with Dave Clark - A course offered at Curious Refuge.

Business and Administrative Tools

• Gusto
• Notion

Follow Caleb Ward at:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/caleb-ward-43543b2b
• Websites: curiousrefuge.com , calebwardportfolio.com
• X: twitter.com/calebwward
• Instagram: instagram.com/calebwward/ 

Learn AI Filmmaking and AI Advertising at Curious Refuge: https://account.curiousrefuge.com/a/aff_s6vd1tn0/external?affcode=461245_y4w7j-xi

Dave Clark is a filmmaker and creative force who's directed commercials for major brands along with multiple narrative films, including his 2019 feature, 'After She Wakes.'

Dave recently released a must-watch short film called ‘Another’ which is not only terrifying and beautifully made, but a great example of blending AI with live action filmmaking.

This film exemplifies Dave's significant contribution to the AI filmmaking landscape, showcasing how AI should not replace humans or any facets of the filmmaking process. Instead, it can serve as an incredible creative tool, adding unique and exciting dimensions to the work. Dave has been a pioneer in the AI filmmaking conversation, demonstrating what accessible AI tools like Midjourney, Magnific, and Runway are capable of when combined with a skilled and discerning eye for cinema. His understanding of cinema and filmmaking has seriously enabled him to get really incredible results.

Dave champions a future where AI is just another tool in the toolbelt and not a replacement for anyone. Dave was also recently brought in by SAG to deliver a presentation on AI and filmmaking to over 1,000 Screen Actors Guild Members.

In this episode Dave get into the practical applications of AI in pre-visualization and post-production, and its ability to bring high-quality VFX within the reach of filmmakers. He stresses the importance of balancing AI tools with traditional filmmaking techniques, ensuring the human touch remains central in storytelling and cinematic aesthetics.

Dave also shares his process for creating ‘Another’ his short film that integrates AI with live action and together we explore how AI can act as a creative partner, offering fresh insights and accelerating the writing and development phase without overriding the unique voice of the writer.

Overall Dave provides valuable insights into how filmmakers can navigate this new landscape, using AI as a tool to enhance, not replace, their creative processes.

SHOW NOTES

Dave's AI Projects:

• Another (Dave's short that integrates AI into live action) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyeZn4Xks8E
• Dave's AI Adidas Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzWOyzM3RSs
• Dave's AI Nike Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0c3yiODsOJw
• Dave's AI Tesla Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n56q3TpNVEs
• Dismal Swamp - Dave’s AI Movie Pitch: https://daveclarkcreative.com/the-dismal-swamp

Follow Dave here:

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidarthurclark/
• Instagram: https://t.co/aVtAQYmjnG
• X: https://twitter.com/diesol
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Afraid2Sleep

Dave's Personal website: https://daveclarkcreative.com/

Other Projects

• T2 AI Remake from Nem Perez - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rIWHl07Iak

AI Tools Discussed:

• ChatGPT
• Midjourney
• Stable Diffusion
• Stable Video
• Runway
• Pika
• Leonardo
• Comfy UI
• Topaz
• Magnific
• Curious Refuge AI Filmmaking Course

Thanks for listening, don't forget to subscribe today so you never miss an episode.

Today we welcome Matt Lorrain, the Global Head of Creative Innovation at Google. With a career spanning over 16 years at Google, Matthieu has cemented his status as a pivotal figure in the intersection of emerging technology and storytelling. 

Matt works across product, design & partnerships to invent the next-generation of content experiences  and has been leading global teams to develop cutting-edge creative platforms with iconic brands such as Google, Gorillaz, Star Wars, the NBA, Louis Vuitton, Space Invaders, Lego and Nike.

Matt also works closely with Google's R&D and product teams (XR, Deepmind, etc) to incubate early use cases of creative experiences using Google's latest creative technologies (genAI, XR, 3D, Google Lens).

In this episode, Matt shares insights from his recent talks at South by Southwest, discussing the future of technology, particularly the integration of AI in creative and business processes. He delves into the very interesting concept of "liquid content," envisioning a future where content is highly personalized and dynamic, adapting to individual users' needs and contexts.

Matt also addresses the challenges and strategies for businesses integrating AI, stressing the importance of starting small with internal processes and pilots to manage risk effectively. His perspective on AI integration in business is both practical and forward-thinking, offering valuable guidance for any organization looking to navigate the AI landscape.

Without further ado, please enjoy this conversation with Matt Lorrain. This episode starts now. 

Follow Matthieu:,

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/matthieulorrain

Website: matthieulorrain.com

SHOW NOTES

Tech & Tools

• ChatGPT
• Gemini (Google's LLM)
• MidJourney (for images)
• Lang Chain (framework for chaining models)
• Comfy UI (open-source tool for creating unique automation for visuals)

Today, we're thrilled to have a special guest, Philip Maggs, Creative Director and Head of New Horizons at Superside. Superside is the leading Creative-as-a-Service (CaaS) company, and has been pivotal in assisting over 450 ambitious brands in achieving outstanding design and creative outcomes at scale. From major corporations like Meta, Google, and Amazon to iconic brands such as Coca-Cola, Nike, and Rolls Royce.

By offering a design subscription service, Superside enables teams to overcome design bottlenecks, accelerate their pace, and drive more consistent creative performance across advertising creative, brand design, video production, and more.

As a long-time Superside client myself, I can personally attest to their remarkable capabilities. Think of Superside as a NASCAR pit crew of designers, ready to enhance your existing team's output or serve as an autonomous creative and design powerhouse.

In this conversation Phil and I discussed Superside’s approach to AI at scale across its hundreds of employees and clients. We get into the ways AI is being integrated into their branding and marketing workflows, the evolving role of creative professionals in this AI-driven landscape and the operational intricacies and challenges of embedding AI into business processes and Phil shares some of his favorite AI lifehacks. All here on today’s episode of Brand Bots with Philip Mags of Superside.

SHOW NOTES

AI Tools and Applications:

• Superside - Phil’s company, a fantastic design at scale company (superside.com)
• MidJourney
• Stable Diffusion
• Comfy UI - A user interface layer or toolset used within stable diffusion for specific tasks.
• 11 Labs or Play HD - Tools used for creating voice overs, possibly referring to AI-powered voice synthesis platforms.
• Adobe Acrobat - Software by Adobe that allows interaction with PDFs, now with AI features for querying content.
• Figma - A web-based graphics editing and user interface design app.
• Runway - An AI software platform that offers creative tools, including video gen and motion brush for animation.
• Magnifique - An upscaling tool, used for improving image resolutions.
• After Effects - Adobe's digital visual effects, motion graphics, and compositing application used in the post-production process of film making, video games, and television production.
• Craiyon AI - Image gen tool

Other Tools, Platforms

• Zapier - An online automation tool that connects your favorite apps, such as Gmail, Slack, Mailchimp, and more than 2,000 others.
• Seth Godin - An author, entrepreneur, marketer, and public speaker known for his work in marketing and the post-industrial revolution.

Rory Flynn, Midjourney Super Expert, recommended courses

• Ultimate Midjourney Beginners Guide Pack. (Everything You Need to Become a Midjourney Intermediate) https://gumroad.com/a/602629075/ofqwei
• Ultimate Midjourney Intermediates Guide Pack. (Intermediate to Pro in Less Than 3 Hours)
• https://gumroad.com/a/602629075/zlils
• Ultimate Midjourney PRO Creator Kit. [29 Guides To Hack Visual Content Creation with Midjourney] https://gumroad.com/a/602629075/utbksc

Things to Check Out:

• Where to Start with Creative AI (Superside) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2bYh-fGOXs
• How Voice AI Generators Are Changing the Creative Industry https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f81dlrP4u4I

Follow Phil & Superside here:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philmaggs/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SupersideHQ

Welcome to Brand Bots. Today, we're thrilled to welcome Howard Gray, the CEO and Founder of Wavetable. Wavetable is a creative studio that partners with brands & talent to unlock their hidden potential by building educational ventures and brand experiences through consulting, coaching, courses, and consultation. They work with a variety of heavy hitters, including The New York Times, Vice Media, Amplitude, Dig, SXSW, WeWork, and Wasserman. 

Beyond Wavetable, Howard's influence extends to the advisory board of SXSW, curating tracks in Advertising & Brand Experience, Creator Economy, and International Innovation. His mentoring roles with ISDI, Techstars, and The New School further amplify his voice in the industry.

Howard is driven by a deep-rooted commitment to creating a world where skills and confidence are accessible to all, empowering people to realize and actualize their potential. His approach transcends individual growth, impacting teams, communities, and brands by uncovering and leveraging hidden talents and opportunities through his company’s work. 

Howard's foray into AI spans the many different elements of his varied career path, and in this episode, we delve into AI's transformative role in marketing and content creation, its impact on business operations, its influence on strategy and decision-making, and its innovative applications in education. 

Please enjoy this discussion with Howard Gray; this episode starts now. 

SHOW NOTES:

Resources:

• Wavetable, Howard’s company: https://www.wavetable.net/
• Mid Journey: Visual creation and design AI tool.
• Chat GPT: AI chatbot for various tasks.
• Perplexity AI: AI tool for research and search.
• Leonardo: AI for creating 3D assets and visual content.
• Scenario: AI platform for game characters and assets.
• Make.com: Platform for building custom software or websites.

Things to check out:

• Client Magic Essentials Edition -
• Link:  https://www.youIntroducing Client Magic - a course by Wavetabletube.com/watch?v=uCb4nCUcdr4

Follow Howard On:

• LinkedIn
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/itshowardgray
• Twitter https://twitter.com/HowardGray
• Youtube
• https://www.youtube.com/@wavetablestudio

Website

https://www.howardgray.net/

Dave Clark is a filmmaker and creative force who's directed commercials for major brands along with multiple narrative films, including his 2019 feature, 'After She Wakes.'

In the marketing world, you probably know Dave best by the stunning AI spec ads he's done on Nike, Adidas, and Tesla. If you haven't, head down to the show notes below and watch these videos - what they are are essentially spec commercials made entirely with AI without any official brand involvement and they are breathtaking. 

With his spec videos, Dave's been a real pioneer in the AI marketing conversation by showing what accessible AI tools like Midjourney, Magnific, and Runway are capable of when you mix them together with a killer eye.

Dave's understanding of cinema and filmmaking has seriously enabled him to get really incredible results and in this episode, Dave details his exact process for making his AI videos, as well as predictions on the future of AI's role in filmmaking and if you listen til the very end, you'll hear Dave's never before revealed secret tool that elevates his videos.

This was really fun and educational. Dave delivers some serious insights on all things generative AI. I hope you enjoy it. This episode starts now. 

SHOW NOTES

Resources:

• Midjourney: An AI tool mentioned for image creation.
• DALL-E: Another AI tool referenced for image generation.
• Runway: An application used for AI-related video production.
• Pika: Software mentioned in the context of video production with AI.
• Stable Diffusion: Discussed as a tool for AI video production.
• Topaz AI: Specifically for video, noted for enhancing frame rate and removing jitter.
• Magnifique: An upscaling tool used for enhancing image quality.

Things to Check Out:

• Dave's AI Adidas Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzWOyzM3RSs
• Dave's AI Nike Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0c3yiODsOJw
• Dave's AI Tesla Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n56q3TpNVEs
• Dismal Swamp - Dave’s AI Movie Pitch: https://daveclarkcreative.com/the-dismal-swamp

Follow Dave here:

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidarthurclark/
• Instagram: https://t.co/aVtAQYmjnG
• X: https://twitter.com/diesol
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Afraid2Sleep

Dave's Personal website: https://daveclarkcreative.com/

Rory Flynn is a Midjourney power user who makes some of the most explosive AI art that you're likely to find on the internet. His journey spans from head of client acquisition at Commerce 12 to co-running his AI consultancy, Systematiq. 

Rory has mastered Midjourney to an intensely detailed degree and has shared his findings in a series of downloadable guides that teach you everything from getting started with Midjourney to really dialing in the visuals to be super specific and visually striking. If you really want to master Midjourney, Rory's Pro Creator Kit is fantastic and is worth way more than it costs. You can find a link to Rory's guides in the show notes below, and I highly recommend you check them out. 

In this episode, Rory shares his knowledge of techniques and advanced prompting that really let you get the most out of Midjourney. He also gets into why artists and designers are more crucial for marketing teams now more than ever and shares his Anthony Bourdain-inspired AI life hack for travel and restaurants. Please enjoy.

SHOW NOTES

• Rory’s products on Gumroad (Ultimate Pro Creator Kit is highly recommended) https://roryflynn.gumroad.com/
• Neurons: AI-based design critique tool - https://www.neuronsinc.com/predict
• Duplichecker - ensures you don't create copywritten images - http://www.duplichecker.com
• Soundraw: No copyright AI music - https://soundraw.io/

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Welcome to Brand Bots - an AI marketing podcast designed to teach you how to implement AI into your marketing business.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai said that the advent of AI would be more revolutionary than electricity or fire ... FIRE. 

If the CEO of Google says this is more important than fire, it's pretty f**king important.

The truth is AI is developing at light speed, and those who adopt it early will come out on top, but most marketers are already spread thin between work, clients, and managing employees, making it nearly impossible to keep up with these changes, let alone put them into practice. We're here so you can keep up with AI on your time and to present real actionable strategies and workflows that you can implement immediately. 

I’m your host, Nick Taylor, and I'm not here to theorize; I'm not here to postulate; I'm here to help you get to work.

What's different about our podcast is we give you the specific frameworks and use cases on everything from prompt engineering and automation to getting the most out of top tools like Chat GPT, Midjourney, Claude, Grok, Jasper, and whatever comes next.

We don't just talk about these tools; we take you through how to use them properly through conversations with marketing experts, creators, and AI engineers.

So whether you’re just starting out in AI or looking to elevate your game, we got you.

Subscribe today, and let's surf the AI tsunami together into the shores of excellence. (Ok, that was kinda lame). Don't forget to hit that subscribe button today and join us on Brand Bots!