In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, Anthony Sapountzis is joined by Deborah Szabo, Digital Marketing Strategist, Video Coach, and founder of The Content Catalyst. With a background in the wine industry and a deep understanding of both strategic content and technology, Deborah now empowers service-based businesses, coaches, and digital entrepreneurs to maximise their visibility through video and AI. She shares her insights on modern content marketing, the shift away from outdated tactics, and how leveraging artificial intelligence can give business owners a powerful competitive edge without sacrificing authenticity or personal touch.

Deborah introduces her signature approach to helping people show up on camera confidently, explaining that understanding one’s personality type, like the hesitant “Penelope Perfectionist” or spontaneous “Wing-it Wendy”, can transform how content is created and shared. By tailoring strategies to individual creators and redefining “content” as anything a business communicates publicly, she underscores the value of intentional messaging across platforms. As AI continues to integrate into tools like Canva and CapCut, Deborah believes the opportunity lies in combining these technologies with personalised, strategic guidance.

The conversation explores how business owners can overcome common hurdles such as lack of time, camera shyness, and creative block by incorporating content creation into daily habits. Deborah champions the use of long-form video, particularly on YouTube, as a sustainable and scalable strategy for building digital presence. Anthony echoes this sentiment, pointing out that unscripted, knowledge-driven content often performs better than overly polished production. Together, they encourage a workflow where live video and AI-enabled repurposing do the heavy lifting, helping brands stay visible without burning out.

Deborah also unpacks her custom-built AI blueprint system designed to align content strategy with business goals in just a few clicks. From planning monthly marketing calendars to producing blogs, video scripts, and even B-roll lists, she showcases how AI assistants can streamline operations without compromising on quality. With tools like Claude, Perplexity, and ChatGPT, she demonstrates how to personalise outputs by training models to reflect your tone and brand. Her goal is to demystify AI and empower everyday business owners to integrate it into their workflows with confidence.

Rounding off the episode, Anthony and Deborah discuss the future of AI in business, agreeing that the greatest risk is standing still. Anthony shares his own method of staying ahead, from curated YouTube roundups to using bots that summarise key insights for his team. He urges businesses to focus on automating repetitive tasks and warns against misusing AI agents for jobs better suited to workflows. Deborah reinforces this by highlighting the power of equipping remote teams and VAs with tailored AI systems, ensuring they’re not just replaced by AI—but elevated by it. Together, they offer a practical roadmap for small businesses ready to embrace the future of tech-enabled marketing.

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