Don't Stop Us Now AI Edition

Imagine you're a marketing professor who saw the AI revolution coming years before ChatGPT hit the scene, wrote the definitive book on AI marketing in 2021, and now find yourself at the epicentre of one of the most dramatic transformations in history.

This is the very position this week’s guest, Jim Lecinski, finds himself in. Jim is a Clinical Professor of Marketing at Northwestern University's prestigious Kellogg School of Management, where he teaches AI in Marketing and has won Professor of the Year. 

Adding to Jim's canny foresight is his prior, 13-year career as a VP at Google. As a result, Jim brings both the practitioner's real-world experience and the academic's analytical rigour to one of the most important questions facing leaders and marketers today: how do you harness AI not just for efficiency gains, but for genuine competitive advantage and growth?

In our conversation, you'll also hear about:

• Jim's 2x2 framework for thinking strategically about AI applications in marketing 
• Use-case examples from brands such as Coca-Cola, Starbucks, and IKEA where AI is used to revolutionise everything from creative development to customer service
• Why businesses need to prepare for the shift from search engine optimisation (SEO) to "generative engine optimisation" (GEO), and what that means practically
• The emerging world of AI agents and how this will fundamentally change how we all shop, and
• Jim's essential learning resources for those who want to stay ahead of the curve.

We loved the way Jim shares his own wisdom and insights as well as sharing many examples of what market leaders are actually doing with AI.

We know you’ll enjoy this conversation with the whip-smart professor who saw the AI future ahead of the crowd. 

Useful Links

Jim Lecinski on LinkedIn

AI Marketing Association 

Marketing AI Institute 

Andrew Ng’s AI for Everyone course on Coursera

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever wondered what it's really like inside one of the world's fastest-growing AI companies? This week we get unprecedented access to the inner workings of Leonardo AI through their Chief Commercial Officer, Donna Thomas.

Leonardo AI is a Gen AI-powered image and video generator and it’s one of Australia's AI success stories. It scaled from zero to 19 million users in just two years before being acquired by Canva last year.

At ‘Leo’ as they call it, Donna plays a central role  overseeing customer, marketing, sales and enterprise adoption, as Leo charts its evolution from a fast-growing creative AI platform to an enterprise-scale solution.        

Donna takes us behind the scenes and shares what hypergrowth feels like from the inside. She says Leo has redefined her understanding of speed itself.

In such a fast moving environment,  the challenges of managing and sustaining teams through constant change become critical and Donna shares the specific structures and rituals Leo uses to maintain team stability while moving faster than she's ever experienced.

In this conversation, you'll also discover:

• The key differences between working at a traditional tech giant versus an AI-native startup and what skills become essential
• The "listening muscle" required to synthesise signals from customers, competitors, and tech developments in real-time
• Practical strategies for managing and sustaining teams through hypergrowth and hyper-fast work rhythms 
• Why Leonardo embeds AI across everything from customer service to engineering and HR, and how they manage the complexity of using multiple different AI tools internally; and . . .
• Donna's advice for professionals wanting to become more AI-fluent and free up time for deep work.

Whether you're curious about life inside a cutting-edge AI company or looking for practical insights on adapting and leading in our rapidly changing work environment, this conversation offers a rare glimpse into how a world-leading AI-native organisation is managing these challenges and opportunities. 

Enjoy this episode! 

Useful Links

Leonardo AI

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest this week gets straight to the heart of what actually makes AI work in practice: seamless data integration and moving at what she calls "the speed of trust."

Ann Maya is the EMEA Chief Technology Officer at Boomi, a company that connects applications, devices, and systems to help organisations navigate digital transformation. With over 20 years in software—from developer to solution architect to senior leadership—Ann has a rare ability to bridge technical complexity with business reality.

In this conversation, we explore why most organisations struggle to scale AI beyond pilots, and why the answer isn't just about the technology itself. Ann shares:

• How a container ship insurance company transformed their underwriter workflow from three days to 15 minutes—and why their legal team immediately wanted in
• Why she believes your company's data is your "competitive secret sauce" and how to protect it while still leveraging AI's power
• The psychology behind why change happens at "the speed of trust" and how smart companies bring their people along on the AI journey
• Real examples of what she calls "creative destruction"—and why the next revolution might come from the most unexpected places

Ann also reveals how Boomi has embedded 11 different AI agents into their own platform and shares a fascinating perspective on the current AI race: who's winning, who's getting left behind, and what you can control when everything feels like it's moving at breakneck speed.

Whether you're wondering how to turn AI skeptics into advocates or trying to understand why your organisation's data strategy matters more than ever, this conversation offers practical insights from someone who's helping companies navigate this transformation every day.

Enjoy this episode with the innovative and customer-focused Ann Maya. 

Useful Links

Ann on LinkedIn

Boomi home page

Boomi - Discover 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we explore how AI is reshaping all things marketing with Emma Wharton Love, co-founder of UK-based Spark AI. 

Emma helps creative agencies and in-house teams navigate the AI era, and her unique background includes helping the entire UK House of Commons transition to hybrid working during Covid.

That experience taught Emma something crucial that we explore in this episode, successful AI deployment isn't really about the technology, it's about people and change management. 

We also probe one of the most sensitive areas for the marketing services industry, how AI is impacting the creative process itself. We also explore what AI video means for advertising and how it may result in a much bigger pool of advertisers in future.

During this great conversation you'll also discover:

• What to avoid when starting out on the AI pathway
• The value of synthetic market research (and what it is)
• Where Emma believes the biggest gains for agencies lie 
• How she thinks about AI’s future role in marketing creativity, and 
• The one mindset Emma believes is essential for AI success.

Whether you're in marketing or not, Emma's approach to managing AI transformation offers valuable lessons for any professional or business trying to harness this technology thoughtfully.

Useful Links

Spark AI website

Emma Wharton Love on LinkedIn

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're sharing an AI conversation many executives are afraid to have. Our guest, Peter Guagenti, CEO of agentic platform and AI agent builder, EverWorker, is one of those rare voices willing to say what others won't: "AI will replace jobs”. Perhaps surprisingly, he goes on to explain why that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

While many in the industry underestimate or downplay AI's capabilities, Peter speaks plainly about what he's seeing happen right now in businesses across multiple industries.

Peter has been at the forefront of enterprise AI adoption for nearly a decade. Before EverWorker, he was President of TabNine, a pioneering AI code assistant, and he’s held leadership roles at major data infrastructure and dev tools companies including Cockroach Labs.

What you'll hear Peter share in this episode:

• Why job replacement fears are missing the bigger picture 
• Which "boring" businesses are actually leading early AI agent adoption
• Skills you need to successfully implement AI for automation in any business
• Why Peter calls AGI talk "nonsense" and what leaders should focus on instead, and
• The one thing about AI's future that genuinely worries him most.

Peter has a gift for cutting through the hype with plain talking, concrete examples and practical insights in an easy to understand way.

This is a refreshing and informative conversation for anyone wanting a glimpse into early adoption of AI agents and much more. 

Enjoy this conversation with the plain-speaking and savvy Peter Guagenti. 

Useful Links

EverWorker website

EverWorker AI Academy - free AI fundamentals course for business leaders

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re not long back from attending the AI Summit in London - the headline event for London Tech Week. And so this week’s episode is all about sharing the sometimes surprising key insights we took away. 

The Summit brought together an incredible cross-section of nationalities, perspectives, and industries, giving us what felt like a real-time pulse check of where AI stands right now. We were there on your behalf, identifying amazing leaders and securing some fantastic upcoming guests for the show.

In this episode, we share our biggest takeaways from the event - and we suspect at least one of them will challenge what you might expect about AI's current impact in the business world.

What you'll hear:

• The surprising reality about AI's bottom-line impact in most organisations 
• Why even the biggest companies are missing a crucial strategic opportunity with their AI approach
• The coming wave of autonomous AI Agents and what this means for how we'll all be working soon, 
• Some rare ‘behind the curtain’ examples of how some of the most forward thinking businesses are applying AI, and . . . 
• The fascinating cultural divide we observed between how Europeans and Americans are talking about AI's impact on jobs.

We also explore why so many AI pilots are failing to scale, the risks of unauthorised AI tool usage in workplaces, and what successful AI deployment actually looks like when companies think beyond just automating existing processes.

If you've been wondering whether your organisation is behind the curve with AI, or if you're curious about what's really happening beyond the hype, this episode offers some much-needed perspective from the front lines of the AI world around the globe.

Useful Links

The AI Summit London

McKinsey report on the 'Gen AI Paradox'

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever wondered what really happens after you hit 'apply' on that dream job? We're pulling back the curtain on modern recruitment with Magdalena Orascanin, an international HR consultant and speaker who advises and trains HR teams globally on strategic AI implementation.

Based in Switzerland and founder of Magnate HR, Magdalena has a wealth of HR experience, and a refreshingly honest perspective on how AI is actually being used in hiring and in HR today - spoiler alert: it's not what most people think. 

Magdalena speaks regularly about AI and HR including at the AI Summit London where we can also be found this week. :-)

In this episode we explore:

• The ATS Mythology Magdalena reveals the biggest myth about Applicant Tracking Systems and shares what's really screening your CV 
• The Application Avalanche Why recruiters are drowning in applications like never before and what this means for your job search strategy
• How to successfully apply for roles
• Using AI as Your Career Coach How to flip the script and use AI tools to your advantage, and . . .
• Future-Proofing Your Career Essential skills for staying relevant as AI reshapes the workplace.

Magdalena shares fantastic insider knowledge and tips in our conversation.  She also reveals her favourite AI tools for automation and content creation, plus why she believes we're still at the "dial-up internet" stage of AI development.

Whether you're actively job hunting, or just want to understand how the hiring landscape is shifting, or how roles will change as AI is deployed, this conversation offers priceless insider insights. 

Enjoy this episode with the dynamic and optimistic Magdalena Orascanin. 

Useful Links: 

Magdalena on LinkedIn

Magdalena’s business Magnate 

The AI Summit London

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week’s episode, we speak with Dr Nici Sweaney, founder of AI Her Way, who brings a powerful perspective on why women urgently need to engage with artificial intelligence - not just for their own personal productivity, but for the future quality of AI itself.

Nici's journey into AI consulting and training began with a moment of clarity while rocking her toddler to sleep. As an academic, data scientist, and mother of four, she realised women,  especially those juggling multiple responsibilities, stand to benefit enormously from AI assistance. More importantly, she recognised a concerning gender gap in AI adoption that could have far-reaching consequences.

In our fascinating conversation, Nici shares:

• Why the current gender imbalance in who is using AI presents both a personal productivity loss AND a broader societal challenge
• How AI tools are actively learning from us and re-presenting our world back to us - making women's voices critical in these formative stages of the tech
• Practical strategies for moving beyond ‘tinkering’ with AI to integrating it throughout your work and personal life
• A revealing look inside Nici's own business, where AI ‘staff members work alongside humans in every function, and
• Nici’s vision for how AI could transform our future - from solving global challenges to enabling more entrepreneurial thinking.

We were particularly struck by Nici's perspective that women have a "moral obligation" to engage with AI. As she explains, these systems are currently being shaped predominantly by male users, and without diverse input they risk perpetuating bias for generations to come.

So whether you're AI-curious but hesitant, already experimenting with these tools, or looking to take your AI skills to the next level, this episode offers valuable insights on claiming your place in the AI revolution - not just for your benefit, but for all the women who follow.

Enjoy this episode with this forward thinking champion of women, Dr Nici Sweaney.

Useful Links

AI Her Way website

Nici on LinkedIn

Nici on Instagram

Special Offer for Listeners

Dr Nici has generously offered our listeners free 14 day trial access to her AI for Impact Hub, which includes comprehensive education on the five levels of AI integration, from basic prompting to agentic AI.

Access it here: https://aiherway.short.gy/DontStop

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we share a thought-provoking episode of Don't Stop Us Now AI Edition, where we tackle head-on some of the most challenging realities of the AI revolution.

Our guest, Isar Meitis, Founder of Multiplai AI, gives us a reality check, without the sugarcoating, explaining the potential disruption heading our way. As an entrepreneur, investor, podcaster and AI strategist who's deeply embedded in this space, Isar brings a refreshingly frank perspective about what's coming, perhaps sooner than many of us expect.

In this compelling conversation, Isar shares his predictions about the dramatic workforce changes we're likely to see in the next 2-3 years. While many experts talk about gradual transitions, Isar believes we're approaching a tipping point where AI's capabilities may create significant employment challenges across numerous industries.

We explore:

• Why AI's impact on jobs could be more sudden and widespread than most people realise
• How staggeringly capable autonomous Agents will become in the next few years
• How to think about creating a comprehensive and winning AI strategy for your organisation, and 
• Specific AI tools Isar loves and uses in his own business. 

Isar also shares practical strategies for listeners looking to remain relevant and valuable in an increasingly AI-enhanced workplace. 

This is an ‘edge of your seat’, fascinating and somewhat controversial conversation which, as you’ll discover, runs a little longer than our usual episodes. We think you’ll know why once you hear for yourself.  

Enjoy this unmissable episode with the knowledgeable and straight-talking Isar Meitis. 

Links mentioned:

• Isar Meitis LinkedIn
• Multiplai AI website 
• Isar’s AI Business Transformation Course (starts May 12 2025) **Listeners get a discount for this or future sessions of this course using the code: LEVERAGINGAI100
• Leveraging AI Podcast (on YouTube) 

* Don’t forget to share this episode with any friends, family or colleagues who may be interested in this reality check on what's coming with AI

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our episode this week tackles that quiet question many of us ponder: are others using AI more effectively than we are?

We explore some fascinating new research just published by Harvard Business Review that reveals the top 100 AI use cases based on actual user reports. It shows some dramatic changes in how people are using AI compared with just one year ago. We know it will give you new insights on how you could be using AI right now too.

What's particularly interesting is that the top five use cases have been completely reshuffled. Entirely new entrants making their debut straight into the top five spots. From deeply personal uses to professional applications, we were surprised by the findings.

The research has a unique approach which we explore in this episode as well as:

• Explore the top 5 use case types and share prompts and experiences 
• Share personal examples of how others are using AI to save hours organising their lives
• Discuss why certain uses have skyrocketed in popularity, and 
• Examine a thought-provoking observation from AI thought leader Andrej Karpathy about why AI is unfolding completely differently than any other tech.

If you’ve been fretting that your workplace is falling behind in the AI race we share exactly why this might be. And if you have been wondering how your use of AI compares to other peoples’, then this episode may answer that question too. 

If you’re looking for inspiration on how to use AI then stay tuned for a wealth of practical ideas. Enjoy this episode. 

Full list of HBR’s Top 100 AI use cases - check our website for the complete list - www.dontstopusnow.co

Harvard Business Review article on Top 100 AI use cases

Andrej Karpathy's blog post on consumers as AI power users

Subscribe to Don't Stop Us Now – AI Edition wherever you get your podcasts to stay in the loop on what you need to know to remain relevant in this fast-changing world.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.