In this latest episode of Women WithAI, host Joanna Shilton welcomes back the always dynamic Joy Dean, EMEA VP of Publisher Partnerships at Optima, founder of The Digital Dean, and a creative entrepreneur who’s helping individuals and companies reimagine their approach to AI, strategy, and scale.

Joy brings radical clarity to a rapidly evolving space, cutting through the noise to offer practical insight into how AI can become a true partner in business, creative practice, and personal productivity. From her background in global ad tech to her wellness retreats and bespoke consultancy, Joy is the definition of a multidimensional leader for the AI age.

In this thoughtful and energising conversation, Joy explains the difference between being a cyborg (toggling between human and machine) and a centaur (seamlessly collaborating with AI), and why this distinction matters if you want to work smarter, not harder.

Whether you’re running a solo business, managing a team, or just trying to stay afloat in the digital noise, this episode is packed with practical inspiration and tools to help you thrive.

Key Takeaways

1. The Cyborg vs Centaur mindset: Why your approach to collaborating with AI matters and how to build trust with it as a creative partner.
2. Using AI to scale solo ventures: How creative entrepreneurs can harness AI to replace repetitive tasks, sense-check decisions, and organise their workflows.
3. AI literacy for all: Why it's not just about tools—it's about understanding how data, tone, prompts, and personal context shape AI responses.
4. Custom GPTs and creative automation: How Joy builds personal GPTs and agents that work with her tone, goals, and workflows, plus the tools she recommends.
5. Ethical engagement and data hygiene: Joy shares her golden rules for protecting privacy, respecting copyright, and using AI responsibly.
6. Wellness, identity and AI integration: From yoga and retreat planning to ad tech strategy, Joy’s holistic use of AI brings creativity and clarity to every corner of her life.
7. Start before you’re ready: You don’t need to be an expert to begin. Joy’s approach is hands-on, humble, and deeply human, perfect for anyone learning as they go.

Digital Contacts for Joy Dean (The Digital Dean):

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedigitaldean/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedigitaldean/

Links Relevant to this episode:

• Emma Wharton – Founder of Spark AI - https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmawhartonlove/
• Maninder Paul – https://www.linkedin.com/in/maninderpaul/
• Jon Walsh – https://www.linkedin.com/in/walshjon/
• AdTech Chat - https://www.linkedin.com/company/adtech-chat-community/
• Optima – https://optima.tech/
• The Women in Programmatic Network (TWIN) - https://www.thewomeninprogrammaticnetwork.com/
• Digital Leading Ladies – https://www.instagram.com/digitalleadingl/
• Gamma – AI presentation & content tool - https://gamma.app
• Canva – Visual design platform with AI features - https://www.canva.com
• ChatGPT / OpenAI - https://chat.openai.com
• Claude - https://claude.ai
• Midjourney – AI image generation tool - https://www.midjourney.com
• DALL·E (OpenAI) – AI image generation tool - https://openai.com/dall-e
• Runway – AI video editing platform - https://runwayml.com
• Yoodli – AI-powered speech coach and content assistant - https://www.yoodli.ai
• Corsiv – Online AI learning platform mentioned - https://corsiv.ai

Thanks for listening

//Women WithAI Host// Joanna Shilton