Podcasts about heygen

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Alicia Lyttle. SUMMARY OF THE ALICIA LYTTLE INTERVIEW From “Money Making Conversations Master Class” with Rushion McDonald [ 1. Purpose of the Interview The purpose of this interview was to: Showcase Alicia Lyttle, CEO and co‑founder of Air Innovations, known widely as the “Queen of AI.” [ Educate small business owners, entrepreneurs, and nonprofits on how to leverage AI for growth. Highlight her mission to empower the African American community to not only keep up with AI—but lead in it. [ Demonstrate how AI tools can transform operations, content creation, finances, and productivity in minutes instead of months. Inspire listeners through her entrepreneurial journey, professional pivots, and personal resilience. 2. High-Level Summary Alicia Lyttle returns to the show two years after her last appearance, now positioned at the forefront of the global AI movement. She explains how her work has shifted from annual summits to monthly AI Business Summits, teaching tens of thousands of entrepreneurs how to use AI hands‑on for content, marketing, operations, and scaling. She breaks down how simple tools—such as NotebookLM, ChatGPT, Jasper, Gemini, and HeyGen—can turn a single piece of content into newsletters, PowerPoints, videos, study guides, and more. She stresses that AI is now accessible, especially with free versions like ChatGPT. Alicia also shares her origin story in AI, beginning with a 15‑year‑old speaker at Walmart Tech Live describing IBM Watson. This sparked her fascination and ultimately led her to pivot her entire company toward full-time AI training and consulting by 2022—despite skepticism from her peers. She details the massive growth of her brand, including 21,000+ live summit attendees and explosive social media expansion. The interview also addresses AI’s role in finance, healthcare, government, job disruption, and how individuals can future‑proof themselves. Her personal story of overcoming a restrictive ex-husband who told her she would “never speak again” underscores her powerful message: no one should silence your gifts. Now she speaks to thousands, leads major events, and helps others build new careers in AI. 3. Key Takeaways A. AI Is Evolving Fast—and So Must We AI is changing so quickly that entrepreneurs cannot afford to wait for annual updates. This is why Alicia shifted to monthly training summits. People need ongoing education to stay competitive. B. Hands‑On AI Education Is the Key Alicia doesn’t just lecture—she walks participants through real demonstrations: Uploading YouTube links Creating summaries Generating emails, mind maps, PowerPoints, quizzes, videos, and more…all from a single input. Her approach eliminates fear and teaches entrepreneurs how to use AI immediately. C. Accessibility Has Changed the Game The release of ChatGPT, especially the free version, democratized AI. Before that, tools like IBM Watson were too complex and expensive. Now anyone with a laptop and internet connection can build websites, write content, or automate business flows in minutes. [ D. The African American Community Must Lead—Not Follow Alicia emphasizes that historically, Black communities have been “last in line” in tech innovation, but this AI era presents a once‑in‑a‑generation opportunity to jump ahead.She sees it as her mission to speak everywhere Black entrepreneurs are to ensure they seize this moment. E. AI Will Replace Tasks—But People Can Future‑Proof Themselves Jobs are already shifting. Companies are laying off non–AI‑literate employees.Alicia urges people to: Become AI‑fluent Join AI committees at work Pursue certification Use AI to become their company’s internal expert “There’s no maybe—you have to learn AI,” she warns. F. AI is Transforming Every Sector: Finance, Healthcare, Government She provides insights on… AI receptionists (“Monica” and “Leslie”) that boost customer interaction to 92% Financial analysis using secure ChatGPT setups AI mental health companions Government calls for national AI leadership G. Alicia Monetizes Through Education, Certification & Consulting Her business model includes: Free monthly summits Paid masterclasses Corporate consulting AI certifications Live Atlanta workshops She teaches others to become AI consultants too. H. Her Personal Triumph Story Inspires Thousands A powerful moment is when she recounts her ex-husband saying: “There’s only one quarterback on a team—and you will never speak again.”Yet today, 1,200+ people attend her live events, and tens of thousands join her virtual trainings. Her success proves resilience and purpose overcome adversity. 4. Key Quotes On AI Opportunity “Never has there been a better time in history to start, build, or scale a business than right now.” On Training Entrepreneurs “Open your laptops… use the same prompt I use. See what results you get.” On the Power of AI Tools “You can take one episode and repurpose it into all these different content ways.” On Pivoting Her Entire Company “In 2022, I said we’re closing this business and going all in on AI.” On Being Black in Tech “My mission is to make sure our community is not left behind—but ahead of the curve.” On Personal Resilience “You will be speaking on the best stages… people will come to see you.”(A friend’s response after she was told she’d “never speak again.”) On Future-Proofing Careers “Those using AI will replace you. You have to learn how to leverage AI.” On AI as a Human-First Technology “AI plus human intelligence—that’s what takes things to the next level.” #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSupport the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Alicia Lyttle. SUMMARY OF THE ALICIA LYTTLE INTERVIEW From “Money Making Conversations Master Class” with Rushion McDonald [ 1. Purpose of the Interview The purpose of this interview was to: Showcase Alicia Lyttle, CEO and co‑founder of Air Innovations, known widely as the “Queen of AI.” [ Educate small business owners, entrepreneurs, and nonprofits on how to leverage AI for growth. Highlight her mission to empower the African American community to not only keep up with AI—but lead in it. [ Demonstrate how AI tools can transform operations, content creation, finances, and productivity in minutes instead of months. Inspire listeners through her entrepreneurial journey, professional pivots, and personal resilience. 2. High-Level Summary Alicia Lyttle returns to the show two years after her last appearance, now positioned at the forefront of the global AI movement. She explains how her work has shifted from annual summits to monthly AI Business Summits, teaching tens of thousands of entrepreneurs how to use AI hands‑on for content, marketing, operations, and scaling. She breaks down how simple tools—such as NotebookLM, ChatGPT, Jasper, Gemini, and HeyGen—can turn a single piece of content into newsletters, PowerPoints, videos, study guides, and more. She stresses that AI is now accessible, especially with free versions like ChatGPT. Alicia also shares her origin story in AI, beginning with a 15‑year‑old speaker at Walmart Tech Live describing IBM Watson. This sparked her fascination and ultimately led her to pivot her entire company toward full-time AI training and consulting by 2022—despite skepticism from her peers. She details the massive growth of her brand, including 21,000+ live summit attendees and explosive social media expansion. The interview also addresses AI’s role in finance, healthcare, government, job disruption, and how individuals can future‑proof themselves. Her personal story of overcoming a restrictive ex-husband who told her she would “never speak again” underscores her powerful message: no one should silence your gifts. Now she speaks to thousands, leads major events, and helps others build new careers in AI. 3. Key Takeaways A. AI Is Evolving Fast—and So Must We AI is changing so quickly that entrepreneurs cannot afford to wait for annual updates. This is why Alicia shifted to monthly training summits. People need ongoing education to stay competitive. B. Hands‑On AI Education Is the Key Alicia doesn’t just lecture—she walks participants through real demonstrations: Uploading YouTube links Creating summaries Generating emails, mind maps, PowerPoints, quizzes, videos, and more…all from a single input. Her approach eliminates fear and teaches entrepreneurs how to use AI immediately. C. Accessibility Has Changed the Game The release of ChatGPT, especially the free version, democratized AI. Before that, tools like IBM Watson were too complex and expensive. Now anyone with a laptop and internet connection can build websites, write content, or automate business flows in minutes. [ D. The African American Community Must Lead—Not Follow Alicia emphasizes that historically, Black communities have been “last in line” in tech innovation, but this AI era presents a once‑in‑a‑generation opportunity to jump ahead.She sees it as her mission to speak everywhere Black entrepreneurs are to ensure they seize this moment. E. AI Will Replace Tasks—But People Can Future‑Proof Themselves Jobs are already shifting. Companies are laying off non–AI‑literate employees.Alicia urges people to: Become AI‑fluent Join AI committees at work Pursue certification Use AI to become their company’s internal expert “There’s no maybe—you have to learn AI,” she warns. F. AI is Transforming Every Sector: Finance, Healthcare, Government She provides insights on… AI receptionists (“Monica” and “Leslie”) that boost customer interaction to 92% Financial analysis using secure ChatGPT setups AI mental health companions Government calls for national AI leadership G. Alicia Monetizes Through Education, Certification & Consulting Her business model includes: Free monthly summits Paid masterclasses Corporate consulting AI certifications Live Atlanta workshops She teaches others to become AI consultants too. H. Her Personal Triumph Story Inspires Thousands A powerful moment is when she recounts her ex-husband saying: “There’s only one quarterback on a team—and you will never speak again.”Yet today, 1,200+ people attend her live events, and tens of thousands join her virtual trainings. Her success proves resilience and purpose overcome adversity. 4. Key Quotes On AI Opportunity “Never has there been a better time in history to start, build, or scale a business than right now.” On Training Entrepreneurs “Open your laptops… use the same prompt I use. See what results you get.” On the Power of AI Tools “You can take one episode and repurpose it into all these different content ways.” On Pivoting Her Entire Company “In 2022, I said we’re closing this business and going all in on AI.” On Being Black in Tech “My mission is to make sure our community is not left behind—but ahead of the curve.” On Personal Resilience “You will be speaking on the best stages… people will come to see you.”(A friend’s response after she was told she’d “never speak again.”) On Future-Proofing Careers “Those using AI will replace you. You have to learn how to leverage AI.” On AI as a Human-First Technology “AI plus human intelligence—that’s what takes things to the next level.” #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Alicia Lyttle. SUMMARY OF THE ALICIA LYTTLE INTERVIEW From “Money Making Conversations Master Class” with Rushion McDonald [ 1. Purpose of the Interview The purpose of this interview was to: Showcase Alicia Lyttle, CEO and co‑founder of Air Innovations, known widely as the “Queen of AI.” [ Educate small business owners, entrepreneurs, and nonprofits on how to leverage AI for growth. Highlight her mission to empower the African American community to not only keep up with AI—but lead in it. [ Demonstrate how AI tools can transform operations, content creation, finances, and productivity in minutes instead of months. Inspire listeners through her entrepreneurial journey, professional pivots, and personal resilience. 2. High-Level Summary Alicia Lyttle returns to the show two years after her last appearance, now positioned at the forefront of the global AI movement. She explains how her work has shifted from annual summits to monthly AI Business Summits, teaching tens of thousands of entrepreneurs how to use AI hands‑on for content, marketing, operations, and scaling. She breaks down how simple tools—such as NotebookLM, ChatGPT, Jasper, Gemini, and HeyGen—can turn a single piece of content into newsletters, PowerPoints, videos, study guides, and more. She stresses that AI is now accessible, especially with free versions like ChatGPT. Alicia also shares her origin story in AI, beginning with a 15‑year‑old speaker at Walmart Tech Live describing IBM Watson. This sparked her fascination and ultimately led her to pivot her entire company toward full-time AI training and consulting by 2022—despite skepticism from her peers. She details the massive growth of her brand, including 21,000+ live summit attendees and explosive social media expansion. The interview also addresses AI’s role in finance, healthcare, government, job disruption, and how individuals can future‑proof themselves. Her personal story of overcoming a restrictive ex-husband who told her she would “never speak again” underscores her powerful message: no one should silence your gifts. Now she speaks to thousands, leads major events, and helps others build new careers in AI. 3. Key Takeaways A. AI Is Evolving Fast—and So Must We AI is changing so quickly that entrepreneurs cannot afford to wait for annual updates. This is why Alicia shifted to monthly training summits. People need ongoing education to stay competitive. B. Hands‑On AI Education Is the Key Alicia doesn’t just lecture—she walks participants through real demonstrations: Uploading YouTube links Creating summaries Generating emails, mind maps, PowerPoints, quizzes, videos, and more…all from a single input. Her approach eliminates fear and teaches entrepreneurs how to use AI immediately. C. Accessibility Has Changed the Game The release of ChatGPT, especially the free version, democratized AI. Before that, tools like IBM Watson were too complex and expensive. Now anyone with a laptop and internet connection can build websites, write content, or automate business flows in minutes. [ D. The African American Community Must Lead—Not Follow Alicia emphasizes that historically, Black communities have been “last in line” in tech innovation, but this AI era presents a once‑in‑a‑generation opportunity to jump ahead.She sees it as her mission to speak everywhere Black entrepreneurs are to ensure they seize this moment. E. AI Will Replace Tasks—But People Can Future‑Proof Themselves Jobs are already shifting. Companies are laying off non–AI‑literate employees.Alicia urges people to: Become AI‑fluent Join AI committees at work Pursue certification Use AI to become their company’s internal expert “There’s no maybe—you have to learn AI,” she warns. F. AI is Transforming Every Sector: Finance, Healthcare, Government She provides insights on… AI receptionists (“Monica” and “Leslie”) that boost customer interaction to 92% Financial analysis using secure ChatGPT setups AI mental health companions Government calls for national AI leadership G. Alicia Monetizes Through Education, Certification & Consulting Her business model includes: Free monthly summits Paid masterclasses Corporate consulting AI certifications Live Atlanta workshops She teaches others to become AI consultants too. H. Her Personal Triumph Story Inspires Thousands A powerful moment is when she recounts her ex-husband saying: “There’s only one quarterback on a team—and you will never speak again.”Yet today, 1,200+ people attend her live events, and tens of thousands join her virtual trainings. Her success proves resilience and purpose overcome adversity. 4. Key Quotes On AI Opportunity “Never has there been a better time in history to start, build, or scale a business than right now.” On Training Entrepreneurs “Open your laptops… use the same prompt I use. See what results you get.” On the Power of AI Tools “You can take one episode and repurpose it into all these different content ways.” On Pivoting Her Entire Company “In 2022, I said we’re closing this business and going all in on AI.” On Being Black in Tech “My mission is to make sure our community is not left behind—but ahead of the curve.” On Personal Resilience “You will be speaking on the best stages… people will come to see you.”(A friend’s response after she was told she’d “never speak again.”) On Future-Proofing Careers “Those using AI will replace you. You have to learn how to leverage AI.” On AI as a Human-First Technology “AI plus human intelligence—that’s what takes things to the next level.” #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSteve Harvey Morning Show Online: http://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most of what you've been told about making money online is outdated or straight-up garbage.I'm going to break down exactly what works (and what doesn't) in 2026, based on data from real companies doing✅ Get your FREE Sell by Chat Playbook here: https://go.danmartell.com/4qRbPIATools mentioned:Fiverr: https://www.fiverr.com/YourAtlas: https://youratlas.com/getstarted Stripe: https://stripe.com/Zapier: https://zapier.com/HeyGen: https://www.heygen.com/ElevenLabs: https://elevenlabs.io/Adobe After Effects:https://www.adobe.com/products/aftereffects.htmlFlex-Pay: https://getflex.com/Intercom: https://www.intercom.com/Canva: https://www.canva.com/Gamma: https://gamma.app/ChatGPT: https://chat.openai.com/Midjourney: https://www.midjourney.com/Jasper: https://www.jasper.ai/Captions: https://mirage.appFlux: https://blackforestlabs.ai/Runway: https://runwayml.com/Suno: https://suno.com/Vizard: https://vizard.ai/▸▸ Subscribe to The Martell Method Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3XEBXez▸▸ Get My New Book (Buy Back Your Time): https://bit.ly/3pCTG78

Scott Duffy is back for round two on the podcast! Together, they pull back the curtain on the world of AI cloning for entrepreneurs, creators, and founders. You'll discover how digital twins are transforming business operations by helping leaders scale their time, impact, and sales—freeing them from repetitive tasks while deepening engagement. The hosts break down real-world use cases, compare leading platforms, and share their proven strategies for launching a successful AI clone in just seven days. If you're curious about automating business bottlenecks without sacrificing the "human" touch, this episode is for you!Topics DiscussedWhat is AI Cloning? Definitions and practical explanations of AI clones, digital twins, and how they're used for scaling knowledge and time.Clone Shop AI Process: How Joe Fier and Scott Duffy help clients audit their business, identify bottlenecks, and launch digital clones quickly and securely.Comparing Cloning Platforms: In-depth review of ChatGPT, HeyGen, and Delphi. Discussion on the strengths, weaknesses, and security concerns related to each.Scripted vs. Unscripted Clones: The difference between clones built on pre-written scripts (Heygen) and those leveraging larger knowledge bases (Delphi).Securing Your Intellectual Property: How platforms like Delphi protect personal data, and the risks of using more “open” foundational models.Cloning Use Cases: Real-world examples: HR support, sales, coaching, customer service, pastors, religious organizations, and content creation.Launching in Seven Days: Step-by-step overview of Clone Shop AI's audit, strategy, and quick-launch process for getting clients live quickly.Automations & Actions: Built-in features on Delphi for follow-ups, recap emails, memory nudges, and integrations with other systems.Self-Improvement & Content Creation: Creative ways people use their clones—from prepping for talks to writing books and blog posts using their own IP.Language & Modality Flexibility: How Delphi clones engage users across 50+ languages via text, voice, and even phone calls, ensuring high accessibility.Resources MentionedClone Shop AI: https://thecloneshop.aiDelphi: https://hustleandflowchart.com/delphiConnect with Scott DuffyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottduffymedia/Website: https://scottduffy.comConnect with Joe Fier

Today I'm joined by Samuel Thompson, an internet capitalist who's launched 100 companies in 10 years, and he walks me through a live, end-to-end build of an info product using AI. We break down how he goes from idea → AI-written book → mockups → Shopify product page → ad creatives in a ridiculously short amount of time. The big takeaway is that this isn't just “info products,” it's a repeatable launch system you can apply to e-comm, SaaS, mobile apps, and pretty much anything where customer acquisition matters. We also get into the real game: CAC vs LTV, conversion rates, and how to build what Sam calls a “rigged slot machine” you can scale. Timestamps 00:00 – Intro 02:32 – Choosing the offer 05:36 - Writing ebook with ChatGPT (outline → chapters → upgrade quality) 07:30 – Mockups with Canva & Envato Elements 10:25 – Shopify themes that convert (Solo Drop + Elixir) 12:05 – Finding products to sell 16:28 - Building the Shopify Store 21:16 – Using ChatGPT to generate product-page copy fast 24:13 – What “good” conversion rates look like (3–5% target range) 28:51 – Bonus gifts strategy = perceived value + conversion lift 33:26 – HeyGen for AI photo/video ad assets + voice clone insight 35:37 – Canva static ads + high-performing angles 38:57 – Big picture: one person can build a “real business” with AI Key Points Sam's launch loop is offer → AI asset creation → Shopify page → Meta ads → iterate on math Start with low-friction products (ebook/info) to validate customer acquisition fast The real framework is CAC vs AOV vs conversion rate, not “brand vibes” 3–5% conversion rate is a strong target on a direct-response product page Use bonus gifts to increase perceived value and lift conversion Static ads + strong angles can outperform everything when the message hits The #1 tool to find startup ideas/trends - https://www.ideabrowser.com LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/ The Vibe Marketer - Resources for people into vibe marketing/marketing with AI: https://www.thevibemarketer.com/ FIND ME ON SOCIAL X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/ FIND SAMUEL ON SOCIAL: X/Twitter: https://x.com/samuelthompson

Leading Into 2026: Executive Pastor Insights Momentum is real. So is the pressure. This free report draws from the largest dedicated survey of Executive Pastors ever, revealing what leaders are actually facing as they prepare for 2026. Why staff health is the #1 pressure point Where churches feel hopeful — and stretched thin What worked in 2025 and is worth repeating Clear decision filters for the year ahead Download the Full Report Free PDF • Built for Executive Pastors • Instant access Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. Today we’re sitting down with an executive pastor from a prevailing church to unpack what leaders like you shared in the National Executive Pastor Survey so you can lead forward with clarity. In today’s episode, we’re joined by Kayra Montañez, Executive Pastor at Liquid Church in New Jersey. Liquid is a fast-growing multisite church with six campuses stretching from Princeton to communities just outside New York City. In this conversation, Kayra helps unpack one of the biggest concerns surfaced in the National Executive Pastor Survey: the growing gap between attendance and engagement. While many churches are seeing people return, far fewer leaders feel confident that those people are truly connected, discipled, and serving. Is your church seeing full rooms but thin volunteer pipelines? Are you unsure how engaged people really are beyond weekend services? Kayra offers practical insight into why that gap exists—and what churches can do to close it. Attendance is up, engagement is unclear. // Kayra begins with encouragement. Across the country, churches are seeing renewed spiritual openness. People are coming with expectancy, ready to encounter God. At the same time, many leaders sense a disconnect between attendance and belonging. Kayra identifies several common gaps: people attending without joining “people systems” like groups or teams; online attenders remaining anonymous without a clear bridge to community; seasonal attenders who show up for Christmas and Easter but never return; and potential volunteers who are open to helping but hesitant to commit long-term. These patterns aren't unique to Liquid—they're widespread across the church landscape. From prescribed paths to personalized journeys. // One of Liquid's biggest shifts has been moving away from a rigid, one-size-fits-all connection pathway. Kayra compares the old model to the video game Mario Brothers, where everyone must follow the same prescribed path or “die.” Instead, Liquid now operates more like Zelda: a choose-your-own-adventure approach that honors people's seasons, needs, and interests. Rather than telling people where they must plug in, the church focuses on learning what people actually want and helping them find a meaningful next step. Connect and Conversation. // This shift comes to life through a monthly experience called Connect and Conversation, hosted at every campus after the final service. New and not-yet-connected attendees are invited to a meal where they sit at tables with others like them and facilitators. The event begins with relational icebreakers to help people connect naturally, then moves into guided conversation around what attendees are looking for—community, care, serving, support groups, or spiritual growth. Facilitators take detailed notes, which drive personalized follow-up in the weeks ahead. Kayra describes it as “high-touch, concierge-style ministry,” and the results have been significant movement from attendance into engagement. Measuring what matters. // Liquid tracks what happens after people attend Connect and Conversation—not to claim direct causation, but to see correlation. They monitor whether participants join groups, teams, or discipleship environments in the following months. That data has helped the church refine pathways and remove unnecessary friction. Kayra encourages leaders to examine two key metrics: how many first-time guests take any next step within 30 days, and what percentage move into a people system within 60–90 days. These numbers often reveal where engagement breaks down. Reimagining discipleship. // One surprising insight at Liquid came from surveying the congregation about small groups. While relational connection mattered, the top desire was biblical literacy. In response, Liquid “blew up” its traditional small-group model and launched a new midweek Bible study format called Deep Dive. Rather than prioritizing relationships first, these environments put Scripture front and center, with connection as a natural byproduct. The pilot—an in-depth study of Revelation—drew hundreds of participants and revealed a deep hunger for understanding God's Word. Rebuilding volunteer momentum. // Like many churches, Liquid faced a volunteer crisis as growth outpaced serving capacity—especially in kids' environments. In response, the church launched a short-term campaign called For the One, built around a “try before you buy” serving model. New volunteers could serve a few times with a shortened onboarding process (without compromising safety) and then decide whether to commit long-term, scoring exclusive team swag. More than 400 people stepped in to serve, helping stabilize teams and reignite volunteer culture. Short-term fixes and long-term culture. // Kayra emphasizes that engagement is both a systems problem and a culture challenge. Churches need short-term solutions to address immediate gaps, but long-term health comes from storytelling, celebration, appreciation, and consistently casting vision for why serving and community matter. Engagement doesn't happen accidentally—it's cultivated intentionally over time. To learn more about Liquid Church, visit liquidchurch.com, or connect with Kayra directly via email. Watch the full episode below: Thank You for Tuning In! There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose unSeminary, and I'm grateful for that. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the left hand side of this page. Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they're extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally! Lastly, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live! Episode Transcript Rich Birch — Hey friends, welcome to the unSeminary podcast. We’ve got a special episode on today where we’re diving into some of the results from the National Executive Pastor Survey. And today we’re super excited to have Kayra Montañez with us from Liquid Church in New Jersey. Rich Birch — And today we’re talking all about engagement. One of the things that jumped out, well, one of the top tier results, kind of concerns that came out, 10% of executive pastors in the open questions, expressed fear around discipleship death depth and volunteer sustainability. At the same time, nearly 12% said they lacked really visibility into participation and involvement data. Another 6% pointed specifically to volunteer and team metrics really being an unmet need, not knowing where they are. Rich Birch — So what does that all that mean? Roughly one in five executive pastors are entering 2026 this year, wondering really how engaged their churches are. And Kayra is going to solve all that for us. So Kayra, welcome to the show. Tell us about Liquid. Tell us a little bit about the church. Kayra Montañez — Well I appreciate the vote of confidence but I’m not sure about that. But, Rich, it’s always so great to be with you and to be a guest on your podcast. Thank you so much for having me. So yes, we are in New Jersey. So our church is called Liquid. I get the incredible privilege of serving there as one of two executive pastors. And we are a multisite church. We have six campuses. If you and know anything about New Jersey, one of them is the furthest one is in Princeton, New Jersey – a lot of people know Princeton. Kayra Montañez — And then probably the closest one that we have up north is closest to New York City, about 30 minutes from the city. So that kind of gives you the breadth and width of how we’re trying to saturate the state of New Jersey with the gospel of Jesus Christ. That is our mission. Rich Birch — So good. And Kayra, I really appreciate you jumping in on on today’s conversation, particularly in this area, because I think, man, have so much to offer. You know, so many of our churches, we feel like the volunteer pipelines are thin. How are we getting? It’s like people are underutilized. Maybe are our follow-up process are like overly complex. And you’ve done a great job on on this area. So let’s just jump right in. Rich Birch — Where do you see some of the biggest gaps today in churches, whether it’s Liquid or other churches you interact, between, you know, getting people to attend church attendance and actual engagement. There’s a gap there. what What’s driving that? What do what do you think drives that gap in our churches? Kayra Montañez — Yeah. So I see a couple of things. But before I get to that, you know, I just really wanted to start with something really encouraging because it’s not in my nature to be discouraging. So one of the things that I have noticed, in fact, I was actually spending some time with other pastors from other states in the U.S. And we were talking about like, hey, what is the Lord doing in the in the Big C Church? What are you experiencing in your context? Rich Birch — So good. Kayra Montañez — And one of the things I think that was a theme for all of us is it feels like we don’t have to work as hard to get people to come and be ready for what the Lord has for them. And that feels very exciting. Rich Birch — Yep. Kayra Montañez — And that’s like a theme that I’m seeing repeated across the entire nation with all of my pastor friends from different locations. Having said that, there are still things that we have to do to get people from going to just attending to engaging, like you were saying. I think there’s a couple of things that I saw. Kayra Montañez — One of them is a big one, I would say, is like this idea of, attending versus belonging, right. So like first people actually want to come, but they don’t actually join people systems. So they come in person, they come online, but they don’t actually join any kind of people system. So when I say people system I’m thinking about groups, or dream teams, a support group, a class. That’s actually something that we started seeing a lot post-pandemic, and I would say it’s still here. So that’s one gap that I see. Kayra Montañez — The second gap that I see is digital versus relational. So obviously, we at Liquid have spent a lot of, we’ve invested a lot in our digital ministry, and we really believe online and in-person can both thrive at the same time, and we’re seeing that. Kayra Montañez — However, online services, while they can remove barriers, which is good, it also helps people stay anonymous unless there’s a clear bridge for those people to actually join in-person community. And so churches that haven’t figured out well how to do that will continue to see a gap between people who are attending, whether it’s in person or online, but not actually engaging. Kayra Montañez — There’s also the people who just come for big events, right? Rich Birch — Yep. Kayra Montañez — We’re approaching one of them, even as we film this podcast, next week is Christmas Eve. So we joke at Liquid, we have the CEOs, they come for Christmas, Easter, and other big events, but they don’t actually have a weekly rhythm of attending and engaging. Kayra Montañez — And then there’s people who I would say are curious about serving and for the most part are open to helping, but are not really ready to make a serving commitment and actually take on a very consistent role. So I would say across the breadth and width of churches, that’s probably something that would hit most people, no matter where you are. Rich Birch — Yeah, for sure. Kayra Montañez — Definitely we experience all of them at Liquid. Rich Birch — Yeah, I there was a lot there, in which I appreciate. and i appreciate the way you’ve kind of diagnosed. I think there’s multiple ways to kind of um diagnose or kind of pick apart – Hey, here are different aspects here, or different ways that we’re seeing this kind of attendance versus engagement question. So maybe, you know, pick apart those attending versus belonging. What has Liquid done? What are you doing to try to help move people from just attending, actually getting into those people systems? What does that? What are you learning on that front? Kayra Montañez — Yeah. You know, we’ve had a major shift at Liquid, I would say, in the past two years. The best way that I can explain this is with a gaming analogy, because I have teenagers and they love gaming. Rich Birch — I love it. Kayra Montañez — So if you um go back to when we used to play Mario Brothers, you remember Mario Brothers? Rich Birch — Sure, yeah. Kayra Montañez — Mario Brothers has prescribed path where if you did not follow the path, at some point Mario would die. Like if you stayed behind and the camera kept moving, the character would die. You remember that? Rich Birch — Yes, yes. Kayra Montañez — And that’s the way that a lot of churches, even today, approach helping people connect. There is a prescribed path for you, and we’re going to tell you what you need to do and what you have to do. Then Zelda came into the scene and Zelda is like, hey, choose your own adventure. You can start your adventure anywhere you want. Rich Birch — Right. Kayra Montañez — And so I feel like Liquid, we’ve shifted in that. We used to be Mario Brothers, like, hey, here’s a prescribed path for you. Here’s all the things that you have to do to connect. Whereas now we’ve shifted over the past two years into like, hey, we have a lot of things that we can offer you. And there are many different things depending on your season of life, on your felt needs, on what you’re looking for, on what you’re interested in, on what makes your heart beat. Tell us what you want to do and we’re going to help you. Kayra Montañez — And so in order for us to understand what is it that people want, we created an event that we do every month called Connect and Conversation. And the whole idea and the way that we market it is if you’re new to Liquid, or if you are not new, but you haven’t connected yet, you haven’t found your people, you haven’t found something that you want to be a part of, come to this event. Kayra Montañez — We feed you. We get to know you. And then we follow up personally with you. It’s very high level concierge, kind of a follow up system, where after we connect with you, we ask you, hey, what are you actually interested in? What are you looking for? Because your needs as an empty nester who’s been married for over 25 years, you’re parenting adult children who are already married are very different than mine who have two team have two teenagers. Rich Birch — Yep. Kayra Montañez — One of them is about to go to college, right? Rich Birch — Yep, yep. Kayra Montañez — And so that has actually produced incredible fruit from getting people who are attending. Rich Birch — Yep. Kayra Montañez — Now I’ve actually offered them something they’re interested in, which is making connections with people. And then from there, we follow up to offer, what do you need? Rich Birch — That’s so cool. Kayra Montañez — And everybody has different needs. Some people just wanna join teams because they’re just like, I just wanna serve. Some people, they really just need a lot of care. And so maybe they need a support group and we’re gonna offer that to you. Kayra Montañez — Some people may need marriage mentoring. We’re gonna offer that to you. So it really depends. And what we’ve seen is people taking significant next steps once they go out of that event. And that has really changed the past. In the past, we would only be marketing teams and groups, role and relationship, join, ah you know, get into a role and connect with a relationship. And while that’s still good, I’m not saying that’s not good or not needed. Rich Birch — Right. Kayra Montañez — It’s not the only thing that people are looking for. Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s interesting. Can we, I’d love to dive just a little deeper on on that because I think there’s ah a really key learning there for lots of us. This idea, and you didn’t say it this way, but where my brain went to, you know, I think we have, we have for sure in the past done the thing where it’s like we have these giant funnels that we’re pushing everyone through. Rich Birch — And and the only question we’re really asking is where do you fit in our funnel? Kayra Montañez — Correct. Rich Birch — Like where, You know, and we and we push and literally, and this is no, you know, kind of slam on other systems, but it’s like, this is the, you know, step one, step two, step three, everyone do step one first, then you do step two, then you do step three. Rich Birch — So the the connecting conversation, that feels like highly, like it’s volunteer intensive. You got to get a lot of volunteers in there because it sounds like you’re having one-on-one conversations or something close to one-on-one. Unpack what that looks like. Maybe as a guest, if I arrive at that, what do I actually experience when I show up there? Kayra Montañez — So you you can register up until the time that we have the event. Rich Birch — Yep, that’s great. Kayra Montañez — So we do math you know magical math with the food and and the preparation so that we can just accept people who are going to come on the day of. Because we promote it, obviously, every week. And then the day of, we actually promote it. We get most people to show up the day of the event. Rich Birch — Right, okay. Kayra Montañez — So people will come. There’s going to be a lunch. And then they’re going to sit at a table with about five other people who have a facilitator at that table. Rich Birch — Okay. Kayra Montañez — And that facilitator is actually going to lead them through a series of relational icebreakers because the event is designed for you to first connect. You want to meet other people who are just like you. Maybe they’re new or they’re not new, but they haven’t connected yet with somebody. Rich Birch — That’s good. Kayra Montañez — And so there’s going to be a lot of relational icebreakers you know during the first part of the event. And then after that, we get into like, hey, what are you looking for? What are you hoping to get out of? What do you need? What are you interested in? We make notes. Rich Birch — How can we help? All that kind of stuff. Kayra Montañez — That facilitator takes really good notes based on what people are saying. And then the follow-up begins. Rich Birch — That’s so cool. I love that. That’s what a great learning. You know, I think so many times we’ve seen that step and for sure that echoes what I’ve seen in in a number of churches. There’s really a trend away from the class being the first step. Rich Birch — It’s like the stand that we used to do that thing where it was like, okay, someone stands up at the front and they’re going to talk for 50 minutes about why we’re such a great church. And, ah you know, that really has gone away. I would I would echo that, that we’ve seen that as ah as a best practice for sure. So let’s talk… Kayra Montañez — When we do measure… Rich Birch — Sorry, go ahead. No. Kayra Montañez — …oh sorry, as I was to say, we measure the activity of everyone who goes to Connect in Conversation and what they do. Rich Birch — Oh, that, tell me about that. Kayra Montañez — And so there’s, or ah how we say it at Liquid is it’s correlation, not causation. Like I can’t prove that if you go to this event, your next steps were a direct result of this event… Rich Birch — Yes. Yes. Kayra Montañez — …but we can correlate that because you came to the event you actually took these next steps, if that makes sense. Rich Birch — Yeah. Kayra Montañez — So we’ve seen tremendous, tremendous engagement grow because of that. Rich Birch — And that’s on Sundays. You do it on on campus after the last service, that sort of thing. Kayra Montañez — Every month. Yes, every month at every campus after the last service, we promote it up to the day of the event… Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. Kayra Montañez — …and we do it rain or shine. Whether it’s five people or 10 or 50, obviously at our largest location, sometimes we have about 100 people show up every month to these events. Rich Birch — That’s great. I love that. That’s a great. You’re coming in hot, Kayra. Great learnings, even you know, with friends, we’ve got through the first question. Rich Birch — So yeah, and we’re, you know, it’s fantastic. So one of the one of the things I’d love to hear a little bit about, um you know, that when we look in the data, people’s anxiety, there’s there seems to be some anxiety around or concern around discipling people. We offer these discipleship pathways or engagement pathways. And it’s like, we do this stuff, but then people don’t actually take advantage of it. It’s like, we do, we offer small groups, but people don’t do them. Or people we offer classes and people don’t actually engage on them. Rich Birch —What are you doing to try to move to, to ensure people are actually engaging with the various pathways that you’re developing at Liquid to actually get them to use them? Kayra Montañez — So this is a very interesting question in this particular time because at Liquid we’re just about getting ready to or just ready to ah blow up small groups basically. Rich Birch — Oh, nice. Okay. I’d love to hear more. Kayra Montañez — Yeah, so I would say that small groups was the one metric that did not recover for our church post-pandemic. So even though our volunteer pipelines at times felt thin, we were able to have incredible momentum around that. We can talk more about that later. How did we do that? We recovered in attendance and giving, baptism, but we were not able to crack the code on small groups. We were at an all-time low, about 20% our church… Rich Birch — Oh, wow. Yeah. Kayra Montañez — …was engaged in small groups, pretty low. And so we started surveying people. Rich Birch — Yep. We’re like, what is it that people actually want from the small groups? Like, what is it that we’re not offering that they’re looking for? And the one, it was shocking to us that the number one thing, I mean, it shouldn’t be shocking because we are a church. Kayra Montañez — The number one thing that people wanted was to understand the Bible. So for the first time ever, we have uncoupled relational connection from biblical literacy. In the past, our small groups, the thing that was in the driver’s seat, I would say, was the relational connection. We wanted people to connect, to join a group so that they could make friends, do life together. We used to um promote it that way, if you remember. Do life together. Where are the people that you’re doing life together? Rich Birch — Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. Kayra Montañez — For the first time ever, we’re actually putting biblical literacy in the front seat and relational connection on the passenger seat. So you will actually make connections, but that’s not the goal of this process right now. The process is for you to actually understand and read and study the word of God. In fact, our new tagline is to know the word of God so that you can love the God of the word. Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s great. And is that so if you change the the container that that fits in or are you changing the like, like… Kayra Montañez — We did. We changed the container. Rich Birch — So what’s that look like? Kayra Montañez — So right now we’re offering people different levels of biblical literacy. Kayra Montañez — The biggest vehicle that we’re that we just piloted this fall through the book of Revelations, if you can believe it. So we’re like, why not start with the hardest book of the Bible? Rich Birch — Yes. Kayra Montañez — And what we did was we created a Bible study midweek on a Wednesday night where people would go in person and study the word of God in tables with other people. Now, obviously there’s facilitators who have been trained and vetted. And once you join a table, that was kind of like the table that you were going to go on this journey with, but it’s not a small group. It’s a, it’s a short term. It was 10 weeks. We went through the entire book of Revelations, 22 chapters. We would do homework in order to get ready for this midweek study, we would come, we would have a conversation around what did you put in question 10? Rich Birch — Yep. Kayra Montañez — What did I write? This was hard, I don’t understand. And then there was teaching. Kayra Montañez — And we also piloted doing that same thing with our high school students so that parents could actually come with their kids on the same day, drop their high school kiddos in their own cohort, and then they would go to their own biblical midweek you know Bible study. Kayra Montañez — And that was, too, a great success. So we are trying to figure out like what are the appropriate levels of biblical literacy that we can offer a congregation… Rich Birch — That’s so good. Kayra Montañez — …that is increasingly illiterate in biblic in in the Bible. Rich Birch — Yep. Kayra Montañez — And deep dive, make no mistake, is the highest level. So that’s not for everyone. And we understand that. And so the parts that we’re trying to figure out is what’s like the appropriate next level to that for somebody who’s not willing to come in person 10 weeks to do homework and study, you know, the actual Bible. Kayra Montañez — But, it was fascinating to just uncouple those two things for the first time. And I would say it’s in the right frame of, in the right approach. You’re still making friends. Rich Birch — Yes. Kayra Montañez — You’re just not, that’s just not being the driver. Rich Birch — Right. Yeah, I do wonder. So we for sure have seen that. I’ve seen this conversation. I don’t claim to be a small groups expert. I never have. Kayra Montañez — Me neither. Rich Birch — Like for 20, 30 years, it’s always been a mystery to me. I’m like, it’s like hard. It’s a hard system to run and to to build. And, but for sure, post COVID it it is, I would say that’s a universal concern that it’s like, whatever we used to do, I see this all over the place, whatever we used to do to try to get people into groups, we don’t do that anymore. We’re doing something completely different. I happen to be at Liquid this fall. I think you were speaking at a conference when I was there. Bummer… Kayra Montañez — I was, I missed you. Yeah. Rich Birch — And I saw the deep dive. I think that’s what it was called. Kayra Montañez — Yes. Rich Birch — Deep dive that night. And I remember, i remember thinking, I was like, Whoa, this is like, ah this is incredible. Like, you know, I don’t know how many people were there that night. There was a ton of people all lined up and ready to go. I’m like, that’s, That’s cool. I love that. Rich Birch — Well, let’s pivot. You kind of flagged it there, the volunteer piece. Kayra Montañez — Yes. Rich Birch — I’d love to know what you’re learning on this front, you know, to rebuild volunteer culture. We had this kind of, I don’t know when we’ll stop saying post-COVID. I don’t know whether we’ll be like that generation that was like after the like war or like after the depression where like for 40 years we’re going to be talking about it. Rich Birch — But it does still feel like we’re post-COVID. I don’t know when that is. But what have you done to kind of restart? How what’s going well on that front externally? Liquid feels like a incredibly volunteer you know robust culture – help us understand what’s that looking like what are you learning these days? Kayra Montañez — Sure. Yeah. I mean everything you said is still very much a factor. I mean, we are constantly having to work at this. This is never going to be a problem that I feel we’re ever going to solve. It’s really a tension that we’re managing. And sometimes tension feels better and sometimes it doesn’t feel good. Rich Birch — Right. Kayra Montañez — In fact, this year, I would say in March, we probably had like our biggest crisis in the broadcast campus where our church growth so far outpaced the amount of people that were serving that we were finding ourselves having to close rooms for Liquid family… Rich Birch — Ooh. Kayra Montañez — …not because we we hit ratios, but because we didn’t have enough volunteers. And that doesn’t feel great… Rich Birch — No. Kayra Montañez — …especially if you’re a new here family, right? Rich Birch — Yes. Kayra Montañez — And so we were like, all right, we need to do something really aggressive. And the best way that I can explain it is we did like a try before you buy. Rich Birch — Okay. Kayra Montañez — Very low approach… Rich Birch — Yep. Kayra Montañez — …low hanging fruit. We said, hey, we we casted a vision, right? It’s never about we need volunteers, but we actually told a really significant story of where’s all the fruit that the Lord is bringing to this church, all the spiritual fruit that we’re seeing, like people are getting saved, people are getting baptized, they’re coming to get to know Jesus, they’re studying the Bible. Kayra Montañez — It was incredible. Kayra Montañez — But we need people to use their spiritual gifts. And so we came up with a campaign called For the One. And everything was geared for that one person. Like, who’s who are you going to go serve? Who’s the one that you’re going to go serve? Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. Kayra Montañez — And the try before you buy was, we’re going to give you a hoodie. We designed a hoodie. It was called, it was, you know, at the tagline For the One. And the key is you only get it after you serve a couple of times. Rich Birch — Okay, that’s cool. Kayra Montañez — So this is the try before you buy. You know, you’re going to try it out. Rich Birch — Yes. You’re not going to go through the whole background, pipeline, covenant process because we need people now and we need them quick. Rich Birch — Yeah. Yeah. Kayra Montañez — So you’re trying before you’re buying. But if you like it and we’re going to make sure that first serve experience is incredible for you, then we want you to buy it. Rich Birch — That’s so good. Kayra Montañez — And we’re going to reward you by giving you swag that’s limited, exclusive. Not everybody’s going to get it. Rich, you would be surprised. Like I’m still to this day, i have been at Liquid, it’ll be 13 years in April. And I am still shocked by how much people, the gamification of playing to people’s particular interests… Rich Birch — Yes. Yes. Kayra Montañez — …whether it’s FOMO, they don’t want to miss out, whether it’s the idea of collecting exclusive apparel. Rich Birch — Yeah. Yeah. Kayra Montañez — There’s something here for everyone that just draws people out. Rich Birch — It’s true. It’s true. Kayra Montañez — We had over 400 people sign up for the one. Rich Birch — Wow. That’s amazing. That’s great. Kayra Montañez — It was incredible. And we were able to tell amazing stories of people who were coming and showing up and serving, whether it was our special needs kiddos or high school whatever you want to call it. We had it. And and I would say the appeal of a try before you buy, how can you shortchange without? So this is key. You don’t want to reduce the quality. But you do want to shorten your pipeline so that you can get people quicker to try it. And then once they actually feel like, hey, I really enjoy this, now we’re going to get you through the whole, you know, rest of the process, right? But you can still serve while we do that. Kayra Montañez — So that was a huge thing. And then obviously, you know, like the free apparel swag, that always is a nice incentive to give to people. So that was huge. Rich Birch — It’s true. Kayra Montañez — It was very successful. And that’s what I would recommend is like, hey, can you run, try before you buy little events with like swag, and like you you get you have people serve for a limited amount of time. Like you don’t give them the swag immediately. You make them work for it. Rich Birch — Right. Yes. Kayra Montañez — They got to serve three, four times before you give it to them. Rich Birch — Yeah, we did a similar thing last summer. Our kids ministry team did a similar thing last summer where we did the summer serve, which we hadn’t done in in actually a number of years. And they they pulled that out and did summer serve. And it was the same thing. If you signed up, you got a t-shirt, a specific t-shirt for that. Rich Birch — And then you, there was, they basically were asking you to serve once in June, once in July, once in August, like once a month, just for the summertime. And if you served, um I forget exactly what the ratio was, but it was, you got entered in a draw for however many times. And basically, so if you served all three, you got like 10 times the number of draw things to win. And it was all this stuff that you, you could win. And it was like really great gifts. Kayra Montañez — Yes. Rich Birch — And you would think that that should not motivate people. Kayra Montañez — But it does. Rich Birch — But it does. Kayra Montañez — It does. Rich Birch — And and you know and it was and, you know, they did it in really fun, you know, hey this is going to be a fun thing to be a part of. Talk to me about the, because there’s a friction thing there to learn around trying to reduce the friction the kind of onboarding friction, I think over time that stuff can become, you know, it’s, it’s the, we actually are like our, we can become just too hard for our people. Kayra Montañez — Yeah. Rich Birch — What did you learn through that process in, in trying to find that balance of like, we want to make it easier to onboard people, but we still want to, is there any kind of lessons from that when you look back on that? Kayra Montañez — To me, the the lesson really is, again, there is a tension between you can’t shortchange, especially when it comes to kids. I can’t emphasize this enough. Rich Birch — No, yeah, absolutely. Yep. Kayra Montañez — Like I oversee all of these ministries and it would be not on my watch will will this happen, right? Rich Birch — No, yeah, yeah. Kayra Montañez — So we have to make be very sure that we’re not shortchanging the safety procedures. Rich Birch — Yeah. Yep. Kayra Montañez — At the same time recognizing these things can take some time, right? Like we ask people to get a background check, they have to be interviewed, they have to sign a covenant, they have to have a reference. I mean, these things this is a lengthy process. Rich Birch — Yes. Kayra Montañez — And I stand by it. We have to do that. Rich Birch — Yep. Kayra Montañez — At the same time, can we actually live in a world where we are marrying our need to have someone in the room while also still doing all of these things simultaneously, not actually waiting for all of this to happen so that then they can come. Kayra Montañez — And that’s kind of how we figured it out. Our Liquid family pastor came up with a process where she’s like, okay, we can shorten it this time. They’re only going to do these three things, not four, not six. But while they’re in the room trying it, we’re going to continue to do the other remaining four. Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s great. Kayra Montañez — It’s messy. It’s not always the best thing to do in an ideal world. You are not doing that. But when you’re faced with crisis, then you need to come up with, you know, resourceful ideas. Kayra Montañez — And so what I would say about the volunteer pipeline is this. There are short-term problems that you have to solve while you’re still working on this very long-term. Like this is a culture that you have to create. Rich Birch — Yeah. Kayra Montañez — And in order for you to create a culture, you have to tell stories. You have to celebrate what you want to be repeated. have to make people feel thanked, encouraged, appreciated, seen. You those are all long-term things that you have to be doing all the time. This is like nonstop. Rich Birch — Yes. Yes. Can’t take the, you can’t take the gas off that pedal for sure. Pedal off that gas. Kayra Montañez — Correct. You cannot take your foot off the the pedal. But at the same time, there are things that are short term that you really do have to also do. And sometimes that will require teaching from the stage where you’re actually envisioning people about why this matters so much. Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. Kayra Montañez — And this is what we did in March with the For the One. So I would say it’s it’s both/and; it’s not either/or. And so if that’s helpful, that’s how I would approach it. Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s super good. That’s good. If there was a church that was, if you were sitting across the table from an executive pastor, maybe you’re at a conference or someone drops in your office and they’re, they’re feeling really stuck on this engagement issue. They feel low. Like it’s people were, maybe it’s groups, it’s teams, it’s all of it. Like it’s, we’re not moving people through any kind of pipeline. Rich Birch — What would be some of those first steps or first recommendations, first things you’d have them look at, maybe like a diagnostic or a first couple of things that you’d have them think about in this area? Kayra Montañez — Well, I would say if there’s a way for them to know of the people who are attending and maybe they figure this out with new here, how many of those people take one next step within the first month? Rich Birch — That’s good. Kayra Montañez — That would be one diagnostic that I would first see if I can do with the data that I have and the data that they collect and they actually figured that out. Rich Birch — Yep. Yeah, that’s good. Kayra Montañez — If they’re able to do that, then the next diagnostic would be what percent actually move into a people system… Rich Birch — Yep. Kayra Montañez — …whether it’s a group, a deep dive experience, a dream team within 60 to 90 days, right? Rich Birch — Yep. Kayra Montañez — Because if you do that, you’re going to find the blockage. You’re actually going to discover Maybe our attendance is fine. We don’t have an invest and invite problem, but maybe what we have a problem with is our conversion rate. And so then you can start to identify what is it about our conversion that we need to fix? Kayra Montañez — Is it that we have ah unclear on-ramps? Or is it that our processes are too high friction? It’s too hard people to get involved. If you actually find like, no, actually people are taking next steps. Great. But they’re not sticking to it. Then you have a different problem. Then you can actually diagnose… Rich Birch — Yes, yes. Kayra Montañez — …oh, maybe the first serve experience actually wasn’t sticky enough. It wasn’t welcoming. Maybe there were issues with scheduling. Maybe we didn’t give clear information. So you can kind of figure out what the problem is based on how you’re measuring it and what you’re discovering. That’s how I would start if I didn’t know what the problem was. Does that make sense? Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s so good. That makes total sense. And, you know, it it definitely aligns with one of my bugaboos that I constantly driving with executive pastors. When you look at the actual numbers—I and I have not run into a church yet that this is not the case—most churches actually have a front door problem. They don’t have a back door problem. They their actual problem that we think we feel like, oh, like people aren’t sticking and staying in groups, they’re not staying and volunteering. But statistically, that’s actually not true. When most of the time, if you look at, okay, all the people that end up in a group, what is the kind of churn rate on that? Whatever that number is, I’ve never seen a church where it’s higher than the people we’re missing on the front end with exactly with what you said is how many people are removing from new here to taking the first step in the first month? Rich Birch — Because that you lose a ton of people in that door right there. That is a, you know, by a multiple of 10 or 20, like it’s a lot more that we’re missing out. And, you know, generally in most churches… Kayra Montañez — And can I just [inaudible] to that? Rich Birch — Yeah. Kayra Montañez — Because I just want encourage people, like, figure out a way to target your new here audience. Rich Birch — Yes. Yes. Kayra Montañez — So at Liquid, for example, if you come for the first time, not only do we encourage, highly encourage you to tell us that you’re here for the first time because we give you an awesome gift. Rich Birch — Yes. Kayra Montañez — Lots of churches do this, but then we survey people who came for the first time. Rich Birch — Yeah. Kayra Montañez — And based on what they answer, they receive a custom follow-up process for the first 30 days. Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s great. Yeah. Kayra Montañez — We don’t, so in that regard, like it is worth to look at that. Rich Birch — Yes. Kayra Montañez — Because you’re going to find out a lot of information and a lot of data about what people are choosing to do, where are they going, why they’re not sticking to it or why they’re not even going in the first place. Rich Birch — Yeah. Kayra Montañez — Like I’m shocked that I’ve been to churches sometimes to speak and they don’t actually really do like a new here call out. Like they don’t. Rich Birch — Yeah, I was going to say that. You said, oh, churches do this. Kayra Montañez — Maybe not. Rich Birch — And I’d be like, Kayra, I’ve been to way too many churches where they don’t do any of that. And they’re like, well, we’re not really sure. And I’m like, this is a solvable problem. We can fix this. Kayra Montañez — Yes. Yes. Rich Birch — There’s like real things you can do here. Actually, I worked with a church last year, a fairly large church in 2024, where they were experiencing some of these issues and so and I was like I basically said the same thing I just said, I’m like you’re losing people on the front end. And they’re like they’re like well we do a gift. And I’m like no you don’t. And I said there’s a and there’s a few things to fix around that. In 2025 the year we just ended, they received we made a few changes it’s not about me there’s about them they made a bunch of changes, they ended up receiving 5,000 more first-time guest contacts than they did 2024. Kayra Montañez — Wow. Just like we’ve always told it to do. Rich Birch — Now they did not grow by people but it’s just by focusing on that, right? Kayra Montañez — Amazing. Rich Birch — It’s just by like saying, hey, how are we what are we going to do to ensure that that step goes well with folks? So anyways, there’s huge opportunity there and in lots of churches. Kayra, you’ve been incredibly generous to give us your time at this time of year. As you’re thinking, kind of last question, as we’re thinking about 2026, what are some of those questions that are floating around in your head as you think about Liquid, as you think about the future? What are some things that you’re wrestling with that you’re wondering about that you’re contemplating as we go into this year? Kayra Montañez — Oh my gosh, Rich, so many. After this conversation, you know, I really am interested to see what’s going to happen with our discipleship model since we just blew it up. Rich Birch — Yes, yep. Kayra Montañez — I’m helping all of that and changing the way that we even onboard leaders. Like I’m really invested in seeing this through. Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s great. Kayra Montañez — I also totally unrelated to this, but we just launched, I think in the survey, one of the questions that was asked was what’s the best idea that you had in 2025? Rich Birch — Yeah, yeah, right. Kayra Montañez — And I was like, well, I feel like one of our best ideas was to use AI to launch a Spanish service. And I am really invested in that in seeing like, how do we continue to grow that service? How do we continue to grow that ministry? We’re launching new ministries in 2025, or 2026. So that always feels exciting and daunting. Kayra Montañez — So there’s just the work never ends. And there’s always it is an exciting and fascinating time to be in the church. I’ll say that. Rich Birch — I would agree. I totally would agree. Yeah, it’s the best. I would think, literally, I think this is the best season that I’ve been involved in ministry for sure. Rich Birch — For folks that don’t know what you’re doing with Spanish ministry, give us the 60 second, explain that again. Because I think I keep pointing churches to you saying, have you heard what Liquid’s doing? You go talk to them. So tell us about that. Kayra Montañez — So basically we have a Spanish service. We do have live hosting in Español. We have live worship in Español. But then we take our English message and we pass it through an AI service called Heygen, which actually uses the communicator’s voice and matches the words to their lips and they’re just preaching, they preach it in Spanish. Even if they’re not bilingual, they will preach it in Spanish. And it’s like you, Rich, are speaking in Spanish. Your words match to your voice. Rich Birch — Yes. Yeah, it’s it’s amazing. Kayra Montañez — People get to hear the the gospel and the message in their language. So it’s been fascinating to learn who we’re reaching, who’s coming, who likes that kind of a thing. You know, as a Spanish speaker myself, I’m like, would I go to a service where the message wasn’t actually authentic Spanish and it’s an AI generated? Kayra Montañez — I believe in the quality of our communication so much that I actually have to say, yes, I would. Because like last year, this year, we took our entire church through the book of Revelation. Tim spent 25 weeks teaching us the hardest book of the Bible. Kayra Montañez — The fruit that that endeavor produced is incredible. And so when I think about what we’re doing, I’m like, I believe in that so much that I do think this is a this is a thing that’s actually good to do. Even if people would who would think like, why would they go to that and not like an authentic Spanish speaker? Rich Birch — Yeah, interesting. And that, and you’re, you’ve been a year, that’s been basically almost a year you’ve been doing that now. Kayra Montañez — A year. A year. Rich Birch — And, and you’re be continuing to do it. So obviously something’s working. There’s some sort of version of like, Hey, we’re, we feel. Kayra Montañez — We’re continuing to do it. we’re seeing We’re seeing the fruit. We’re seeing baptisms, people giving their life to Christ, getting baptized, showing up and joining teams, um reaching families. We’re reaching multigenerational families where the parents go to the Spanish service, the kids go to the English service because it’s simultaneous, right? Well, the English is going on, the Spanish is going on. So families get to decide. It’s just really interesting to watch. Obviously, it’s been challenging in the U.S. to grow a Spanish service because of everything that’s been happening. Rich Birch — Yeah, yeah… Kayra Montañez — But it’s just been really fascinating to see like the dynamics of who we’re reaching, who’s is sharing like who’s excited about it, and then using technology to further the gospel. It’s always exciting. Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s fantastic. I know I was goofing around with Heygen a little bit. And the part that actually, this was you know almost a year ago when you guys started doing that that, one of the tests I ran that actually convinced me was, so I was like taking videos of me and I would send them to like a friend who speaks Spanish. And I sent to a friend who speaks, you know, a couple of languages that it was doing, but then I did the reverse. There’s a great church, Nouvelle Vie. It’s a French speaking church, large church, be very similar to Liquid, but they’re French speaking. And so I took one of the, the lead pastors from that. I took a clip of his message and translated into English. And I was blown away. I was like, Oh my word. Like, Kayra Montañez — It is getting better and better every day. Rich Birch — I was I was shocked. I was like, oh, that that is, yeah, could I tell? Yeah, but this guy’s an incredible communicator. And you know similar to you and Tim and the team at at Liquid, I’m like, I could see that work anyway. Rich Birch — So that’s exciting. Kayra, it’s so great to see you. Kayra Montañez — Thank you, Rich. Rich Birch — Thanks so much for having time with us today. If people want to connect with you or with Liquid, where do we want to send them online? Kayra Montañez — Sure. So my name Kayra, K-A-Y-R-A at liquidchurch.com. Happy to connect with anybody have questions. Rich Birch — Thanks so much. Thanks for being here today.

What does 2026 hold for indie authors and the publishing industry? I give my thoughts on trends and predictions for the year ahead. In the intro, Quitting the right stuff; how to edit your author business in 2026; Is SubStack Good for Indie Authors?; Business for Authors webinars. If you'd like to join my community and support the show every month, you'll get access to my growing list of Patron videos and audio on all aspects of the author business — for the price of a black coffee (or two) a month. Join us at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn. Joanna Penn writes non-fiction for authors and is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F. Penn. She's also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and the full transcript is below. (1) More indie authors will sell direct through Shopify, Kickstarter, and local in-person events (2) AI-powered search will start to shift elements of book discoverability (3) The start of Agentic Commerce (4) AI-assisted audiobook narration will go mainstream (5) AI-assisted translation will start to take off beyond the early adopters (6) AI video becomes ubiquitous. ‘Live selling' becomes the next trend in social sales. (7) AI will create, run, and optimise ads without the need for human intervention (8) 1000 True Fans becomes more important than ever You can find all my books as J.F. Penn and Joanna Penn on your favourite online store in all the usual formats, or order from your local library or bookstore. You can also buy direct from me at CreativePennBooks.com and JFPennBooks.com. I'm not really active on social media, but you can always see my photos at Instagram @jfpennauthor. 2026 Trends and Predictions for Indie Authors and Book Publishing (1) More indie authors will sell direct through Shopify, Kickstarter, and local in-person events — and more companies like BookVault will offer even more beautiful physical books and products to support this. This trend will not be a surprise to most of you! Selling direct has been a trend for the last few years, but in 2026, it will continue to grow as a way that independent authors become even more independent. The recent Written Word Media survey from Dec 2025 noted that 30% of authors surveyed are selling direct already and 30% say they plan to start in 2026. Among authors earning over $10,000 per month, roughly half sell direct. In my opinion, selling direct is an advanced author strategy, meaning that you have multiple books and you understand book marketing and have an email list already or some guaranteed way to reach readers. In fact, Kindlepreneur reports that 66% of authors selling direct have more than 5 books, and 46% have more than 10 books. Of course, you can start with the something small, like a table at a local event with a limited number of books for sale, but if you want to consistently sell direct for years to come, you need to consider all the business aspects. Selling direct is not a silver bullet. It's much harder work to sell direct than it is to just upload an ebook to Amazon, whether you choose a Kickstarter campaign, or Shopify/Payhip or other online stores, or regular in-person sales at events/conferences/fairs. You need a business mindset and business practices, for example, you need to pay upfront for setup as well as ongoing management, and bulk printing in some cases. You need to manage taxes and cashflow. You need to be a lot more proactive about marketing, as you won't sell anything if you don't bring readers to your books/products. But selling direct also brings advantages. It sets you apart from the bulk of digital only authors who still only upload ebooks to Amazon, or maybe add a print on demand book, and in an era of AI rapid creation, that number is growing all the time. If you sell direct, you get your customer data and you can reach those customers next time, through your email list. If you don't know who bought your books and don't have a guaranteed way to reach them, you will more easily be disrupted when things change — and they always change eventually. Kindlepreneur notes that “45% of the successful direct selling authors had over 1,000 subscribers on their email lists,” with “a clear, positive correlation between email list size and monthly direct sales income — with authors having an email list of over 15,000 subscribers earning 20X more than authors with email lists under 100 subscribers.” Selling direct means faster money, sometimes the same day or the same week in many cases, or a few weeks after a campaign finishes, as with Kickstarter. And remember, you don't have to sell all your formats directly. You can keep your ebooks in KU, do whatever you like with audiobooks, and just have premium print products direct, or start with a very basic Kickstarter campaign, or a table at a local fair. Lots more tips for Shopify and Kickstarter at https://www.thecreativepenn.com/selldirectresources/ I also recommend the Novel Marketing Podcast on The Shopify Trap: Why authors keep losing money as it is a great counterpoint to my positive endorsement of selling direct on Shopify! Among other things, Thomas notes that a fixed monthly fee for a store doesn't match how most authors make money from books which is more in spikes, the complexity and hassle eats time and can cost more money if you pay for help, and it can reduce sales on Amazon and weaken your ranking. Basically, if you haven't figured out marketing direct to your store, it can hurt you.All true for some authors, for some genres, and for some people's lifestyle. But for authors who don't want to be on the hamster wheel of the Amazon algorithm and who want more diversity and control in income, as well as the incredible creative benefits of what you can do selling direct, then I would say, consider your options in 2025, even if that is trying out a low-financial-goal Kickstarter campaign, or selling some print books at a local fair. Interestingly, traditional publishers are also experimenting with direct sales. Kate Elton, the new CEO of Harper Collins notes in The Bookseller's 2026 trend article, “we are seeing global success with responsive, reader-driven publishing, subscription boxes and TikTok Shop and – crucially – developing strategies that are founded on a comprehensive understanding of the reader.” She also notes, “AI enables us to dramatically change the way we interact with and grow audiences. The opportunities are genuinely exciting – finding new ways to help readers discover books they will love, innovating in the ways we market and reach audiences, building new channels and adapting to new methods of consuming content.” (2) AI-powered search will start to shift elements of book discoverability From LinkedIn's 2026 Big Ideas: “Generative engine optimization (GEO) is set to replace search engine optimization (SEO) as the way brands get discovered in the year ahead. As consumers turn to AI chatbots, agentic workflows and answer engines, appearing prominently in generative outputs will matter more than ranking in search engines.” Google has been rolling out AI Mode with its AI Overviews and is beginning to push it within Google.com itself in some countries, which means the start of a fundamental change in how people discover content online. I first posted about GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) and AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) in 2023, and it's going to change how readers find books. For years, we've talked about the long tail of search. Now, with AI-powered search, that tail is getting even longer and more nuanced. AI can understand complex, conversational queries that traditional search engines struggled with. Someone might ask, “What's a good thriller set in a small town with a female protagonist who's a journalist investigating a cold case?” and get highly specific recommendations. This means your book metadata, your website content, and your online presence need to be more detailed and conversational. AI search engines understand context in ways that go far beyond simple keywords. The authors who win in this new landscape will be those who create rich, authentic content about their books and themselves, not just promotional copy. As economist Tyler Cowen has said, “Consider the AIs as part of your audience. Because they are already reading your words and listening to your voice.” We're in the ‘organic' traffic phase right now, where these AI engines are surfacing content for ‘free,' but paid ads are inevitably on the way, and even rumoured to be coming this year to ChatGPT. By the end of 2026, I expect some authors and publishers to be paying for AI traffic, rather than blocking and protesting them. For now, I recommend checking that your author name/s and your books are surfaced when you search on ChatGPT.com as well as Google.com AI Mode (powered by Gemini). You want to make sure your work comes up in some way. I found that Joanna Penn and J.F. Penn searches brought up my Shopify stores, my website, podcast, Instagram, LinkedIn, and even my Patreon page, but did not bring up links to Amazon. If you only have an author presence on Amazon, does it appear in AI search at all? Do you need to improve anything about what the AI search brings up? Traditional publishers are also looking at this, with PublishersWeekly doing webinars on various aspects of AI in early 2026, including sessions on GEO and how book sales are changing, AI agents, and book marketing. In a 2026 predictions article on The Bookseller, the CEO of Bloomsbury Publishing noted, “The boundaries of artificial intelligence will become clearer, enabling publishers to harness its benefits while seeking to safeguard the intellectual property rights of authors, illustrators and publishers.” “AI will be deeply embedded in our workflows, automating tasks such as metadata tagging, freeing teams to focus on creativity and strategy. Challenges will persist. Generative AI threatens traditional web traffic and ad revenue models, making metadata optimisation and SEO critical for visibility as we adjust to this new reality online.” (3) The start of Agentic Commerce AI researches what you want to buy and may even buy on your behalf. Plus, I predict that Amazon does a commerce deal with OpenAI for shopping within ChatGPT by the end of 2026. In September 2025, ChatGPT launched Instant Checkout and the Agentic Commerce Protocol, which will enable bots to buy on websites in the background if authorised by the human with the credit card. VISA is getting on board with this, so is PayPal, with no doubt more payment options to come. In the USA, ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Free users can now buy directly from US Etsy sellers inside the chat interface, with over a million Shopify merchants coming soon. Shopify and OpenAI have also announced a partnership to bring commerce to ChatGPT. I am insanely excited about this as it could represent the first time we have been able to more easily find and surface books in a much more nuanced way than the 7 keywords and 3 categories we have relied on for so long! I've been using ChatGPT for at least the last year to find fiction and non-fiction books as I find the Amazon interface is ‘polluted' by ads. I've discovered fascinating books from authors I've never heard of, most in very long tail areas. For example, Slashed Beauties by A. Rushby, recommended by ChatGPT as I am interested in medical anatomy and anatomical Venuses, and The Macabre by Kosoko Jackson, recommended as I like art history and the supernatural. I don't think I would have found either of these within a nuanced discussion with ChatGPT. Even without these direct purchase integrations, ChatGPT now has Shopping Research, which I have found links directly to my Shopify store when I search for my books specifically. Walmart has partnered with OpenAI to create AI-first shopping experiences, and you have to wonder what Amazon might be doing? In Nov 2025, Amazon signed a “strategic partnership” with OpenAI, and even though it's focused on the technical side of AI, those two companies in a room together might also be working on other plans … I'm calling it for 2026. I think Amazon will sign a commerce agreement with OpenAI sometime before the end of the year. This will enable at least recommendation and shopping links into Amazon stores (presumably using an OpenAI affiliate link), or perhaps even Instant Checkout with ChatGPT for Amazon. It will also enable a new marketing angle, especially if paid ads arrive in ChatGPT, perhaps even integrating with Amazon Ads in some way as part of any possible agreement, since ads are such a good revenue stream for Amazon anyway. The line between discovery, engagement, and purchase is collapsing. Someone could be having a conversation with an AI about what to read next, and within that same conversation, purchase a bookwithout ever leaving the chat interface. This already happens within TikTok and social commerce clearly works for many authors. It's possible that the next development for book discoverability and sales might be within AI chats. This will likely stratify the already fragmented book eco-system even more. Some readers will continue to live only within the Amazon ecosystem and (maybe) use their Rufus chatbot to buy, and others will be much wider in their exploration of how to find and discover books (and other products and services). If you haven't tried it yet, try ChatGPT.com Shopping Research for a book. You can do this on the free tier. Use the drop down in the main chat box and select Shopping Research. It doesn't have to be for your book. It can be any book or product, for example, our microwave died just before Christmas so I used it to find a new one. But do a really nuanced search with multiple requirements. Go far beyond what you would search for on Amazon. In the results, notice that (at the time of writing) it does not generally link to Amazon, but to independent sites and stores. As above, I think this will change by the end of 2026, as some kind of commerce deal with Amazon seems inevitable. (4) AI-assisted audiobook narration will go mainstream I've been talking about AI narration of audiobooks since 2019, and over the years, I've tried various different options. In 2025, the technology reached a level of emotional nuance that made it much easier to create satisfying fiction audio as well as non-fiction. It also super-charges accessibility, making audio available in more languages and more accents than ever before. Of course, human narration remains the gold standard, but the cost makes it prohibitive for many authors, and indeed many small traditional publishers, for all books. If it costs $2000 – $10,000 to create an audiobook, you have to sell a lot to make a profit, and the dominance of subscription models have made it harder to recoup the costs. Famous narrators and voice artists who have an audience may still be worth investing in, as well as premium production, but require an even higher upfront cost and therefore higher sales and streams in return. AI voice/audio models are continuing to improve, and even as this goes out, there are rumours on TechCrunch that OpenAI's new device, designed by Jony Ive who designed the iPhone, will be audio first and OpenAI are improving their voice models even more in preparation for that launch. In 2026, I think AI-narrated audio will go mainstream with far-reaching adoption across publishing and the indie author world in many different languages and accents. This will mean a further stratification of audiobooks, with high quality, high production, high cost human narrated audio for a small percentage of books, and then mass market, affordable AI-narrated audio for the rest. AI-narrated audiobooks will make audio ubiquitous, and just as (almost) every print book has an ebook format, in 2026, they will also have an audio format. I straddle both these worlds, as I am still a human audiobook narrator for my own work. I human-narrated Successful Self-Publishing Fourth Edition (free audiobook) and The Buried and the Drowned, my short story collection. I also use AI narration for some books. ElevenLabs remains my preferred service and in 2025, I used my J.F. Penn voice clone for Death Valley and also Blood Vintage, while using a male voice for Catacomb. I clearly label my AI-narration in the sales description and also on the cover, which I think is important, although it is not always required by the various services. You can distribute ElevenLabs narrated audiobooks on Spotify, Kobo Writing Life, YouTube, ElevenReader, and of course your own store if you use Shopify with Bookfunnel. There are many other services springing up all the time, so make sure you check the rights you have over the finished audio, as well as where you can sell and distribute the final files. If they are just using ElevenLabs models in the back-end, then why not just do that directly? (Most services will be using someone's model in the back-end, since most companies do not train their own models.) Of course, you can use Amazon's own narration. While Amazon originally launched Audible audiobooks with Virtual Voice (AVV) in November 2023, it was rolled out to more authors and territories in 2025. If your book is eligible, the option to create an audiobook will appear on your KDP dashboard. With just a few clicks, you can create an audiobook from a range of voices and accents, and publish it on Amazon and Audible. However, the files are not yours. They are exclusive to Amazon and you cannot use them on other platforms or sell them direct yourself. But they are also free, so of course, many authors, especially those in KU, will use this option. I have done some for my mum's sweet romance books as Penny Appleton and I will likely use them for my books in translation when the option becomes available. Traditional publishers are experimenting with AI-assisted audiobook narration as well. MacMillan is selling digital audiobooks read by AI directly on their store. PublishersWeekly reports that PRH Audio “has experimented with artificial voice in specific instances, such as entrepreneur Ely Callaway's posthumous memoir The Unconquerable Game,” when an “authorized voice replica” was created for the audiobook. The article also notes that PRH Audio “embrace artificial intelligence across business operations—my entire department [PRH Audio] is using AI for business applications.” And while indie authors can't use AI voices on ACX right now, Audible have over 100 voices available to selected publishing partnerships, as reported by The Guardian with “two options for publishers wishing to make use of the technology: “Audible-managed” production, or “self-service” whereby publishers produce their own audiobooks with the help of Audible's AI technology.” In 2026, it's likely that more traditional publishers — as well as indie authors — will get their backlist into audio with AI narration. (5) AI-assisted translation will start to take off beyond the early adopters Over the years, I've done translation deals with traditional publishers in different languages (German, French, Spanish, Korean, Italian) for some fiction and non-fiction books. But of course, to get these kinds of deals, you have to be proactive about pitching, or work with an agent for foreign rights only, and those are few and far between! There are also lots of languages and territories worldwide, and most deals are for the bigger markets, leaving a LOT of blue water for books in translation, even if you have licensed some of the bigger markets. I did my first partially AI-translated books in 2019 when I used Deepl.com for the first draft and then worked with a German editor to do 3 non-fiction books in German. While the first draft was cheap, the editing was pretty expensive, so I stopped after only doing a couple. I have made the money back now, but it took years. In 2025, AI Translation began to take off with ScribeShadow, GlobeScribe.ai, and more recently, in November 2025, Kindle Translate boosting the number of translated books available. Kindle Translate is (currently) only available to US authors for English into Spanish and also German into English, but in 2026, this will likely roll out to more languages and more authors, making it easier than ever to produce translations for free. Of course, once again, the gold standard is human translation, or at least human-edited translations, but the cost is prohibitive even just for proof-reading, and if there is a cheap or even free option, like Kindle Translate, then of course, authors are going to try it. If the translation gets bad reviews, they can just un-publish. There are many anecdotal stories of indie success in 2025 with AI-translated genre fiction sales (in series) in under-served markets like Italian, French, and Spanish, as well as more mainstream adoption in German. I was around in the Kindle gold-rush days of 2009-2012 and the AI-translation energy right now feels like that. There are hardly any Kindle ebooks in many of these languages compared to how many there are in English, so inevitably, the rush is on to fill the void, especially in genres that are under-served by traditional publishers in those markets. Yes, some of these AI translated books will be ‘AI-slop,' but readers are not stupid. Those books will get bad reviews and thus will sink to the bottom of the store, never to be seen again. The AI translation models are also improving rapidly, and Amazon's Kindle Translate may improve faster than most, for books specifically, since they will be able to get feedback in terms of page reads. Amazon is also a major investor in Anthropic, which makes Claude.ai, widely considered the best quality for creative writing and translation, so it's likely that is used somewhere in the mix. Some traditional publishers are also experimenting with AI-assisted translation, with Harlequin France reportedly using AI translation and human proofreaders, as reported by the European Council of Literary Translators' Associations in December 2025. Academic publisher Taylor and Francis is also using AI for book translation, noting: “Following a program of rigorous testing, Taylor & Francis has announced plans to use AI translation tools to publish books that would otherwise be unavailable to English-language readers, bringing the latest knowledge to a vastly expanded readership.” “Until now, the time and resources required to translate books has meant that the majority remained accessible only to those who could read them in the original language. Books that were translated often only became available after a significant delay. Today, with the development of sophisticated AI translation tools, it has become possible to make these important texts available to a broad readership at speed, without compromising on accuracy.” (6) AI video becomes ubiquitous. ‘Live selling' becomes the next trend in social sales. In 2025, short form AI-generated video became very high quality. OpenAI released Sora 2, and YouTube announced new Shorts creation tools with Veo 3, which you can also use directly within Gemini. There are tons of different AI video apps now, including those within the social media sites themselves. There is more video than ever and it's much easier to create. I am not a fan of short form video! I don't make it and I don't consume it, but I do love making book trailers for my Kickstarter campaigns and for adding to my book pages and using on social media. I made a trailer for The Buried and the Drowned using Midjourney for images and then animation of those images, and Canva to put them together along with ElevenLabs to generate the music. But despite the AI tools getting so much easier to use, you still have to prompt them with exactly what you want. I can't just upload my book and say, “Make a book trailer,” or “Make a short film.” This may change with generative video ads, which are likely to become more common in 2026, as video turns specifically commercial. Video ads may even be generated specifically for the user, with an audience of one, maybe even holding your book in their hands (using something like Cameos on Sora), in the same way that some AI-powered clothing stores do virtual try-ons. This might also up-end the way we discover and buy things, as the AI for eCommerce and Amazon Sellers newsletter says about OpenAI's Sora app, “OpenAI isn't just trying to build a TikTok competitor. They're building a complete reimagining of how we discover and buy things …” “The combination of ChatGPT's research capabilities and Sora's potential for emotional manipulation—I mean, “engagement”—could create something we've never seen before: an AI ecosystem that might eventually guide you through every type of purchase, from the most considered to the most impulsive.” In 2026, there will be A LOT more AI-generated video, but that also leads to the human trend of more live video. While you can use an AI avatar that looks and sounds like you using tools like HeyGen or Synthesia, live video has all the imperfect human elements that make it stand-out, plus the scarcity element which leads to the purchase decision within a countdown period. Live video is nothing new in terms of brand building and content in general, but it seems that live events primarily for direct sales might be a thing in 2026. Kim Kardashian hosted Kimsmas Live in December 2025 with a 45 minute live shopping event with special guests, described as entertainment but designed to be a sales extravaganza. Indie authors are doing a similar thing on TikTok with their books, so this is a trend to watch in 2026, especially if you feel that live selling might fit with your personality and author business goals. It's certainly not for everyone, but I suspect it will suit a different kind of creator to those who prefer ‘no face' video, or no video at all! On other aspects of the human side of social media, Adam Mosseri the CEO of Instagram put a post on Threads called Authenticity after Abundance. He said, “Everything that made creators matter—the ability to be real, to connect, to have a voice that couldn't be faked—is now suddenly accessible to anyone with the right tools.” “Deepfakes are getting better and better. AI is generating photographs and videos indistinguishable from captured media. The feeds are starting to fill up with synthetic everything. And in that world, here's what I think happens.Creators matter more.” It's a long article so just to pick a few things from it: “We like to talk about “AI slop,” but there is a lot of amazing AI content … we are going to start to see more and more realistic AI content.” I've talked to my Patreon Community about this ‘tsunami of excellence' as these tools are just getting better and better and the word ‘slop' can also be applied to purely human output, too. If you think that AI content is ‘worse' than wholly human content, in 2026, you are wrong. It is now very very good, especially in the hands of people who can drive the AI tools. Back to Adam's post: “Authenticity is fast becoming a scarce resource, …The creators who succeed will be those who figure out how to maintain their authenticity [even when it can be simulated] …” “The bar is going to shift from “can you create?” to “can you make something that only you could create?” He talks about how the personal content on Instagram now is: “unpolished; it's blurry photos and shaky videos of people's daily experiences … flattering imagery is cheap to produce and boring to consume. People want content that feels real… Savvy creators are going to lean into explicitly unproduced and unflattering images of themselves. In a world where everything can be perfected, imperfection becomes a signal. Rawness isn't just aesthetic preference anymore—it's proof. It's defensive. A way of saying: this is real because it's imperfect.” While I partially love this, and I really hope it's true, as in I hope we don't need to look good for the camera anymore I would also challenge Adam on this, because pretty much every woman I know on social media has been sent sexual messages, and/or told they are ugly and/or fat when posting anything unflattering. I've certainly had both even for the same content, but I don't expect Adam has been the target for such posting! But I get his point. He goes on:“Labeling content as authentic or AI-generated is only part of the solution though. We, as an industry, are going to need to surface much more context about not only the media on our platforms, but the accounts that are sharing it in order for people to be able to make informed decisions about what to believe. Where is the account? When was it created? What else have they posted?” This is exactly what I've been saying for a while under my double down on being human focus. I use my Instagram @jfpennauthor as evidence of humanity, not as a sales channel. You can do both of course, but increasingly, you need to make sure your accounts at places have longevity and trust, even by the platforms themselves. Adam finishes: “In a world of infinite abundance and infinite doubt, the creators who can maintain trust and signal authenticity—by being real, transparent, and consistent—will stand out.” For other marketing trends for 2026, I recommend publicist Kathleen Schmidt's SubStack which is mostly focused on traditional publishing but still interesting for indies. In her 2026 article, she notes: “We have reached a social media saturation point where going viral can be meaningless and should not be the goal; authenticity and creativity should. She also says, “In-person events are important again,” and, “Social media marketing takes a nosedive… we have reached a saturation point … What publishers must figure out is how to make their social media campaigns stand out. If they remain somewhat uninspired, the money spent on social ads won't convert into book sales.” I think this is part of the rise of live selling as above, which can stand out above more ‘produced' videos. Kathleen also talks about AI usage. “AI can help lighten the burden of publicity and marketing.” “A lot of AI tools are coming to market to lessen the load: they can write pitches, create media lists for you, send pitches for you, and more. I know the industry is grappling with all things AI, but some of these tools are huge time savers and may help a book more than hurt it.” On that note … (7) AI will create, run, and optimise ads without the need for human intervention Many authors will be very happy about this as marketing is often the bane of our author business lives! As I noted in my 2026 goals, I would love to outsource more marketing tasks to AI. I want an “AI book marketing assistant” where I can upload a book and specify a budget and say, ‘Go market this,' then the AI will action the marketing, without me having to cobble together workflows between systems. Of course, it will present plans for me to approve but it will do the work itself on the various platforms and monitor and optimize things for me. I really hope 2026 is the year this becomes possible, because we are on the edge of it already in some areas. Amazon Ads launched a new agentic AI tool in September 2025 that creates professional-quality ads. I've also been working with Claude in Chrome browser to help me analyse my Amazon Ad data and suggest which keywords/products to turn off and what to put more budget into. I'll do a Patreon video on that soon. Meta announced it will enable AI ad creation by the end of 2026 for Facebook and Instagram. For authors who find ad creation overwhelming or time-consuming, this could be a game-changer. Of course, you will still need a budget! (8) 1000 True Fans becomes more important than ever Lots of authors and publishers are moaning about the difficulty of reaching readers in an era of ‘AI slop' but there is no shortage of excellent content created by humans, or humans using AI tools. As ever, our competition is less about other authors, or even authors using AI-assisted creation, we're competing against everything else that jostles for people's attention, and the volume of that is also growing exponentially. I've never been a fan of rapid release, and have said for years that you can't keep up with the pace of the machines. So play a different game. As Kevin Kelly wrote in 2008, If you have 1000 true fans, (also known as super fans), “you can make a living — if you are content to make a living but not a fortune.” [Kevin Kelly was on this show in 2023 talking about Excellent Advice for Living.] Many authors and the publishing industry are stuck in the old model of aiming to sell huge volumes of books at a low profit margin to a massive number of readers, many of them releasing ever faster to try and keep the algorithms moving. But the maths can work for the smaller audience of more invested readers and fans. If you only make $2 profit on an ebook, you need to sell 500 ebooks to make $1000, and then do it again next month. Or you can have a small community like my patreon.com/thecreativepenn where people pay $2 (or more) a month, so even a small revenue per person results in a better outcome over the year, as it is consistent monthly income with no advertising. But what if you could make $20 profit per book? That is entirely possible if you're producing high quality hardbacks on Kickstarter, or bundle deals of audiobooks, or whole series of ebooks. You would only need to sell to 50 people to make $1000. What about $100 profit per sale, which you can do with a small course or live event? You only need 10 people to make $1000, and this in-person focus also amplifies trust and fosters human connection. I've found the intimacy of my live Patreon Office Hours and also my webinars have been rewarding personally, but also financially, and are far more memorable — and potentially transformative — than a pre-recorded video or even another book. From the LinkedIn 2026 Big Ideas article: “In an AI-optimized world, intentional human connection will become the ultimate luxury.” The 1000 True Fans model is about serving a smaller, more personal audience with higher value products (and maybe services if that's your thing). As ever, its about niche and where you fit in the long long long long long tail. It's also about trust. Because there is definitely a shortage of that in so many areas, and as Adam Mosseri of Instagram has said, trust will be increasingly important. Trust takes time to build, but if you focus on serving your audience consistently, and delivering a high quality, and being authentic, this emerges as part of being human. In an echo of what happened when online commerce first took off, we are back to talking about trust. Back in 2010, I read Trust Agents: by Julien Smith and Chris Brogan, which clearly needs a comeback. There was a 10th anniversary edition published in 2020, so that's worth a read/listen. Chris Brogan was also on this show in 2017 when we talked about finding and serving your niche for the long term. That interview is still relevant, here's a quick excerpt, where I have (lightly edited) his response to my question on this topic back in 2017: Jo: The principle of know, like, and trust, why is that still important or perhaps even more important these days? Chris: There are a few things that at play there, Joanna. One is that the same tools that make it so easy for any of us to start and run a business also allow certain elements to decide whether or not they want to do something dubious. And with all new technologies that come, you know, there's nothing unique about these new technologies. In the 1800s, anyone could put anything in a bottle and sell it to you and say, this is gonna cure everything. Cancer — gone. And the bottle could have nothing in. You know, it could be Kool-Aid. And so, the idea of trying to understand what's behind the business though, one beautiful thing that's come is that we can see in much more dimensions who we're dealing with. We can understand better who's the face behind the brand. I really want people to try their best to be a lot clearer on what they stand for or what they say. And I don't really mean a tagline. I mean, humans don't really talk like that. They don't throw some sentence out as often as they can that you remember them for that phrase. But I would say that, we have so many media available to us — the plural of mediums — where we can be more of ourselves. And I think that there's a great opportunity to share the ‘you' behind the scenes, and some people get immediately terrified about this, ‘Ah, the last thing I want is for people to know more about me,' but I think we have such an opportunity. We have such an opportunity to voice our thoughts on something, to talk about the story that goes behind the product. We were all raised on overly produced material, but I think we don't want that anymore. We really want clarity, brevity, simplicity. We want the ability for what we feel is connection and then access. And so I think it's vital that we connect and show people our accessibility, not so that they can pester us with strange questions, but more so that you can say, this person stands with their product and their service and this person believes these things, and I feel something when I hear them and I wanna be part of that.” That's from Chris Brogan's interview here in 2017, and he is still blogging and speaking at writing at ChrisBrogan.com and I'm going to re-listen to the audiobook of Trust Agents again myself as I think it's more relevant than ever. The original quote comes from Bob Burg in his 1994 book, Endless Referrals, “All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to, those people they know, like and trust.” That still applies, and absolutely fits with the 1000 True Fans model of aiming to serve a smaller audience. As Kevin Kelly says in 1000 True Fans, “Instead of trying to reach the narrow and unlikely peaks of platinum bestseller hits, blockbusters, and celebrity status, you can aim for direct connection with a thousand true fans.” “On your way, no matter how many fans you actually succeed in gaining, you'll be surrounded not by faddish infatuation, but by genuine and true appreciation. It's a much saner destiny to hope for. And you are much more likely to actually arrive there.” In 2026, I hope that more authors (including me!) let go of ego goals and vanity metrics like ranking, gross sales (income before you take away costs), subscribers, followers, and likes, and consider important business numbers like profit (which is the money you have after costs like marketing are taken out), as well as number of true fans — and also lifestyle elements like number of weekends off, or days spent enjoying life and not just working! OK, that's my list of trends and predictions for 2026. Let me know what you think in the comments. Do you agree? Am I wrong? What have I missed? The post 2026 Trends And Predictions For Indie Authors And The Book Publishing Industry with Joanna Penn first appeared on The Creative Penn.

Building a personal brand and driving sales usually requires you to be awake, on camera, and actively recording. It's a time-intensive grind that places a hard cap on your revenue; you simply cannot be in every sales conversation at once. But what if you could deploy a digital version of yourself to close deals and create content 24/7?In this episode, I'm joined by Jim Carter III, a highly-sought after AI strategist who I worked with to build the clone for my agency. Together, we break down exactly how to clone yourself with AI. We explore the specific tech stack (HeyGen for video and ElevenLabs for audio) that allows you to create a hyper-realistic digital twin capable of working while you rest. Jim walks us through the step-by-step process of recording "fine-tune" footage to train the AI on your specific mannerisms, and how to use this technology to automate your social media presence and sales outreach. This is your guide to escaping the time-for-money trap.▶▶ Sign Up For Your Free Discovery Callhttps://calendly.com/aneary/strategy-sessionKEY MOMENTS(00:00:00) The Bottleneck: Why You Can't Scale Sales Yourself (00:02:15) The "Digital Twin" Strategy (00:05:40) The Cloning Tech Stack: HeyGen and ElevenLabs (00:10:20) Training the AI: Recording Your "Fine-Tune" Footage (00:15:30) Selling While You Sleep: Automating Outreach (00:19:45) The Future of Agency Growth: Scaling Without BurnoutCONNECT WITH ANDY NEARY

Did AI end up being a political force this year?

Comment l'IA transforme la création de contenus éducatifsDans ce nouvel épisode de DigitalFeeling, j'ai eu le plaisir d'accueillir Julidé Ninek, CEO de Moneykiiz, la première application française dédiée à l'éducation financière des enfants… et de leurs parents.Un échange passionnant, où l'on explore comment l'IA permet de réinventer la pédagogie, d'accélérer la production de contenus et de renforcer la créativité humaine.Moneykiiz : démocratiser l'éducation financière dès le plus jeune âgeMoneykiiz part d'un constat simple : en France, parler d'argent reste un sujet tabou.Résultat : les enfants deviennent des adultes souvent démunis face au crédit, à la consommation ou à la gestion budgétaire.Pour y remédier, l'application propose :10 modules pédagogiques pour les enfants,des vidéos explicatives pour les parents,des quiz, exercices et mini-leçons ludiques,un double parcours pensé pour renforcer compréhension et transmission.Julidé, forte d'une expertise en finance et d'une formation en pédagogie, conçoit une approche vivante, incarnée, ancrée dans le quotidien. L'objectif : former des adultes capables de comprendre les mécanismes financiers… et d'éviter les pièges.Construire une identité de marque forte : un levier stratégiqueAvant même de parler IA, Julidé partage un point clé : la force d'un univers visuel cohérent pour porter un projet éducatif.Accompagnée d'une agence spécialisée et d'une graphiste indépendante, elle a bâti :un univers coloré et identifiable,des mascottes pour faciliter l'engagement des enfants,une identité graphique mémorable.Cette charte visuelle est devenue le socle de tous les contenus numériques — vidéos, posts Instagram, supports pédagogiques.IA & vidéo : produire 10 fois plus vite grâce aux avatarsLe point qui a le plus marqué l'épisode ?➡️ L'utilisation stratégique d'outils d'IA générative pour produire plus de 70 vidéos pédagogiques.Julidé utilise notamment HeyGen, une plateforme permettant :de créer un avatar ultra-réaliste,de générer des vidéos en plusieurs langues,d'éviter les tournages physiques,de réduire drastiquement les coûts.Ce gain de temps a permis à Moneykiizz de produire un contenu éducatif dense, tout en restant cohérent et qualitatif.Julidé insiste sur un point essentiel : L'IA ne remplace jamais la vigilance humaine.Les scripts doivent être revus, corrigés, vérifiés. L'expertise pédagogique et la créativité restent le cœur du dispositif.Sa stack IA : un écosystème intelligent et pragmatiqueJulidé partage les outils qui l'accompagnent au quotidien :ChatGPT paramétré (version premium) pour écrire scripts, idées, contenus.Gamma pour structurer des présentations et éviter la page blanche.Otter.ai pour synthétiser ses réunions.Riverside pour la production de podcasts.CapCut et Canva pour les retouches rapides, animations, synthèses.Une approche hybride, où l'IA accélère — mais l'humain décide.Tout au long de l'épisode, une conviction revient :l'IA permet d'amplifier la créativité, pas de la remplacer.Julidé continue de collaborer avec son vidéaste, non pas pour remplacer la machine, mais pour "dés-IA-iser" les contenus, retrouver l'émotion, la nuance, l'intention humaine.C'est cette alliance entre automatisation intelligente et expertise métier qui donne à MoniKiz sa puissance pédagogique.Envie d'essayer MoniKiz ?L'application est disponible sur les stores depuis juin.Et pour les auditeurs du podcast

Good morning, afternoon, and evening, investors! Scott Carson here, fresh off our "Note Buying for Dummies" workshop, where the #1 lesson is always: market smarter, not harder! As one past coach put it about my students: "Scott knows his shit when it comes to raising capital marketing, and it works!" If you're tired of marketing being a 40-hour work week and want to blast past the competition, this episode is your blueprint. No more smoke signals – let's automate your success, even over holidays!In this episode, you'll learn:Holiday Marketing on Autopilot (Canva + CRM): Create stunning, personalized holiday greetings (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's!) with Canva's AI design templates. Upload your headshot, brand it, and preschedule a year of warm touches to your entire database via your CRM. It's an extra touch that truly pays off!Social Media Domination (Buffer): Schedule all your content (those awesome Canva images!) across every platform with Buffer. Free for two channels (LinkedIn & Twitter!), or super affordable for more. Set it and forget it – your marketing machine keeps rolling while you're enjoying life!Video to Viral (OpusClip.ai): Turn long videos into dozens of engaging shorts for TikTok, Reels, and YouTube. OpusClip.ai auto-generates titles, copy, and hashtags, then mass-schedu les across all your profiles. For just $29/month, transform one interview into weeks of content!AI Avatar Marketing (HeyGen.ai): Create personalized videos with AI avatars (even of yourself – Santa Scott, anyone?). Upload your voice, type your script, and generate professional messages for holidays or deal announcements. Grab free tickets to their upcoming boot camp – why wait for 2026 for cutting-edge marketing?Delegate & Conquer (REVA Global VA Services): Overwhelmed? REVA Global offers phenomenal VAs to manage all these tools, from creating Canva images and posting to Buffer, to bookkeeping and due diligence. Free up your time with their expertise (check out their Black Friday VA placement deal!)Don't be a January 1st resolution casualty! The holidays are prime time to get ahead. These tools – Canva, Buffer, OpusClip, HeyGen, and REVA Global – are for smart investors like YOU. Stop waiting for deals and capital to fall into your lap. Automate your marketing, absolutely shock and awe your competition, and make 2026 your most profitable year yet. Go out, take some action, and we'll see you at the top!Watch the Original VIDEO HERE!Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here's How »Join Note Night in America community today:WeCloseNotes.comScott Carson FacebookScott Carson TwitterScott Carson LinkedInNote Night in America YouTubeNote Night in America VimeoScott Carson InstagramWe Close Notes Pinterest

This episode explores the evolution of AI and Marketing and how today's tools transform content creation, productivity, and research. We discuss the journey from early video production into modern AI workflows. You will learn how interest-based algorithms shape discovery and why TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts are rewriting the rules.We also look at how Reddit serves as a powerful early signal for emerging trends. Brands can use these insights to guide AI enabled Market Research, messaging, and product development.The conversation highlights how Sora, HeyGen, and agentic AI tools reduce complex tasks from hours to minutes. We also break down the importance of structured processes, documentation, and data readiness. AI needs context to deliver results. Without a clean foundation, scale becomes impossible.We also explore why marketers must experiment. Organic social content works as an R&D lab. Most posts will fail. A few will break through. Those insights can fuel bigger strategies across paid advertising, blogs, video, and email.This episode is a guide for marketers who want clear steps to stay ahead in an AI-driven world.

In this episode of Coffee with Carrie, I'm diving into the wild world of AI twins, animation, and digital avatars—and asking the real question: should you actually build an AI version of you? I walk through the tools I'm using (Sora, Midjourney, Canva, Descript, HeyGen, Hedra, D-ID, and more), the opportunities for lead generation and 24/7 content, and the hard truth about not becoming the smartest, brokest agent in your market.We'll also talk copyright, trademarks, compliance, and why you need to slow down before you turn yourself into Barbie, Wonder Woman, or a Chicago Sky starter. If you've been curious about AI avatars but don't know where to start—or what's smart vs. risky—this episode is for you.Connect with me and keep learning:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@carriejolittleInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/carriejolittle/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CarrieJLittle

Good morning, afternoon, and evening, investors! Scott Carson here, fresh off our "Note Buying for Dummies" workshop, where the #1 lesson is always: market smarter, not harder! As one past coach put it about my students: "Scott knows his shit when it comes to raising capital marketing, and it works!" If you're tired of marketing being a 40-hour work week and want to blast past the competition, this episode is your blueprint. No more smoke signals – let's automate your success, even over holidays!In this episode, you'll learn:Holiday Marketing on Autopilot (Canva + CRM): Create stunning, personalized holiday greetings (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's!) with Canva's AI design templates. Upload your headshot, brand it, and preschedule a year of warm touches to your entire database via your CRM. It's an extra touch that truly pays off!Social Media Domination (Buffer): Schedule all your content (those awesome Canva images!) across every platform with Buffer. Free for two channels (LinkedIn & Twitter!), or super affordable for more. Set it and forget it – your marketing machine keeps rolling while you're enjoying life!Video to Viral (OpusClip.ai): Turn long videos into dozens of engaging shorts for TikTok, Reels, and YouTube. OpusClip.ai auto-generates titles, copy, and hashtags, then mass-schedu les across all your profiles. For just $29/month, transform one interview into weeks of content!AI Avatar Marketing (HeyGen.ai): Create personalized videos with AI avatars (even of yourself – Santa Scott, anyone?). Upload your voice, type your script, and generate professional messages for holidays or deal announcements. Grab free tickets to their upcoming boot camp – why wait for 2026 for cutting-edge marketing?Delegate & Conquer (REVA Global VA Services): Overwhelmed? REVA Global offers phenomenal VAs to manage all these tools, from creating Canva images and posting to Buffer, to bookkeeping and due diligence. Free up your time with their expertise (check out their Black Friday VA placement deal!)Don't be a January 1st resolution casualty! The holidays are prime time to get ahead. These tools – Canva, Buffer, OpusClip, HeyGen, and REVA Global – are for smart investors like YOU. Stop waiting for deals and capital to fall into your lap. Automate your marketing, absolutely shock and awe your competition, and make 2026 your most profitable year yet. Go out, take some action, and we'll see you at the top!Watch the Original VIDEO HERE!Book a Call With Scott HERE!Sign up for the next FREE One-Day Note Class HERE!Sign up for the WCN Membership HERE!Sign up for the next Note Buying For Dummies Workshop HERE!Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here's How »Join the Note Closers Show community today:WeCloseNotes.comThe Note Closers Show FacebookThe Note Closers Show TwitterScott Carson LinkedInThe Note Closers Show YouTubeThe Note Closers Show VimeoThe Note Closers Show InstagramWe Close Notes Pinterest

#680 Ever wondered how creators are scaling faster than ever with AI? In this episode, host Kirsten Tyrrel sits down with Julian Goldie, an SEO agency owner turned AI-driven creator whose entire business transformed when he leaned into artificial intelligence instead of running from it. Julian shares how he went from 1,000 YouTube subscribers to nearly 300,000 by documenting his AI learning journey, building an AI clone of himself, and creating content at scale using tools like HeyGen, ElevenLabs, Claude, and more. He breaks down the exact process behind his AI avatar videos, how his team produces multiple tutorials a day, and the surprisingly simple system his community uses to earn affiliate income by repurposing his content. Whether you're building a brand, growing a business, or just trying to keep up with AI, this conversation is packed with practical, mind-bending insights you can apply immediately! What we discuss with Julian: + Pivoting an SEO agency with AI + Growing from 1k to 300k YouTube subscribers + Building an AI avatar with HeyGen + Cloning voice using ElevenLabs + Creating content at massive scale + Team-generated videos without Julian + Using AI for scripting and research + Repurposing content for affiliate income + Reddit and X growth strategies + AI as the new business “cheat code” Thank you, Julian! Join the free AI Money Lab. Follow Julian on LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube. To get access to our FREE Business Training course go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MillionaireUniversity.com/training⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. And follow us on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tik Tok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ To get exclusive offers mentioned in this episode and to support the show, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠millionaireuniversity.com/sponsors⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Want to hear from more incredible entrepreneurs? Check out all of our interviews ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ben Brady, CEO of Harcourts Auctions, is joined by long-time friend and returning guest Tony “Tech Tony” Self, Broker/Owner of Harcourts Hunter Mason Realty — to dissect the rapid rise of AI in 2025, where it's heading, and what's starting to make even the tech optimists a little uneasy.Tony, known for being an early adopter of everything from automation to video avatars, opens up about the first time AI has truly spooked him. The two dive deep into the realities of AI displacement, the threat to white-collar jobs, and what “Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)” might mean for industries like real estate. From autonomous driving to robotics, they break down the economic and ethical implications of a future where machines don't just assist — they think, act, and compete.But it's not all doom and gloom. Ben and Tony also explore how entrepreneurs can stay ahead of the curve, leverage AI tools like HeyGen and 11Labs for content creation, and prepare for the industries being reshaped by automation. Expect bold predictions, uncomfortable truths, and practical insights for agents, leaders, and business owners trying to navigate the AI-driven decade ahead.Timestamps & Key Topics[00:00:00] – How AI started 2025 and where it stands now[00:02:00] – Why Tech Tony is finally nervous about AI[00:03:45] – Job displacement and the automation wave[00:06:30] – From robots to real estate: AI's reach expands[00:08:00] – The rise of generative video tools (HeyGen, Sora, 11Labs)[00:10:45] – Governments vs. progress: who wins the automation race?[00:12:00] – How content creation is changing forever[00:14:30] – What is AGI and when will we see it?[00:18:00] – The illusion of authenticity in social media[00:22:00] – Algorithmic manipulation, misinformation, and bias[00:25:00] – Predictions for 2026: what jobs and skills survive?[00:27:00] – AI reliance, creativity, and the human edge

Property managers are drowning in admin. What if you could save two hours every day? That's an entire month per year. (As Nikki says, "I'd be in Italy.") In this episode of Thought Leaders, we sit down with Nikki D'Agostino, a director, consultant, and mum of two who just won two major REIWA awards: Strata Manager of the Year and Strata Management Agency of the Year. Nikki runs multiple businesses by "automating the mundane to focus on the meaningful." She reveals her "human-first" AI strategy for eliminating the "soul-destroying" busy work (like arrears calls and paperwork) so her team can focus on the 1,600+ owners who need a human touch. In this episode, you will learn: The Monday Task Audit: How to track every task you do for one day, feed it to ChatGPT, and have AI build a matrix of what you must Automate, Delegate, or Eliminate. Agentic AI: Why Nikki is deploying AI agents to handle arrears calls, payment plans, and paperwork, freeing up her team for high-value human interaction. The Human-First Strategy: How the future isn't about replacing people but about creating better humans who excel at relationships and problem-solving. Nikki's AI Toolkit: The exact tools she uses (like Fixer, Notebook LLM, and HeyGen) to save 6+ hours every single week. Stick around to the very end to hear the exact prompt Nikki uses to build her entire "operating system" in ChatGPT and the one bottleneck she would eliminate for every property manager if she had a magic wand. Connect with Nikki https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkidagostino/ https://theefficiencyco.com.au/ https://rezzi.com.au/strata-management/ Chapters Chapters 00:02:18 Meet Nikki Dagestino: The Multi-Hat Wearing Efficiency Expert 00:03:29 Rezzi Strata: Bringing Accountability to an Unregulated Industry 00:04:41 The Efficiency Co Philosophy: Automate the Mundane, Focus on the Meaningful 00:05:13 AML Compliance: What Real Estate Needs to Know for 2025 00:07:12 The Soul-Destroying Tasks: Agentic AI Takes on Arrears Calls 00:09:22 Building Custom GPTs for Every Strata Scheme 00:12:00 The 6-Hour Weekly Time Save: Email Management with AI 00:24:14 The Monday Task Audit: Your First Step to AI Efficiency 00:19:23 Offshore Teams Plus AI: The Ultimate Productivity Hack 00:22:35 The Future Workplace: Social Sciences Over Math Skills 00:26:15 Your Homework: The Matrix Exercise That Changes Everything Resources Mentioned: ChatGPT - AI assistant for content creation and analysis (http://openai.com/chatgpt) Discover More From Elite Agent & Samantha McLean Join the Spark Community for Innovation in Real Estate: https://spark.eliteagent.com Sign up for The Brief for Daily Real Estate News: https://thebrief.eliteagent.com Explore AI Tools, Prompts and Workflows for Real Estate: https://aipoweredagents.com Connect with Elite Agent on Socials Instagram: @eliteagentmag Twitter/X: https://x.com/eliteagentmag LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eliteagentmag/ #EliteAgent #ThoughtLeaders #RealEstateAI #PropertyTech #AustralianRealEstate

On this episode of FDE+, Kortney Harmon and Mike Wolford, CEO of LexDuo, explore how AI is redefining what it means to be a recruiter—and why the future belongs to those who build with it, not just use it.They discuss how recruiters are moving beyond basic prompting into programming and workflow design—creating custom GPTs, connecting APIs, and automating tasks that once drained hours from their day. Mike also explains how imagination has become a recruiter's new competitive advantage and outlines the ethical and legal considerations that come with building AI-driven systems.Key Takeaways • The three levels of AI adoption and how each elevates recruiter performance • Why creativity, not coding, defines success in the AI-driven era • How API connections can integrate your ATS, CRM, and communication tools • The coming divide between corporate TA and staffing—and where opportunity grows • How to “automate and elevate” recruiting by combining AI precision with human judgmentDiscover how forward-thinking recruiters are using AI to amplify—not replace—the human side of hiring.___________Follow Mike Wolford on LinkedIn: LinkedIn | Mike Check out his website: lexduo.net Follow Crelate on LinkedIn: Crelate Want to learn more about Crelate? Book a demo here Subscribe to our newsletter: The Full Desk Experience

Errores de diseño web con casos reales: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVmW0MBaCUU1: No dejar claro quién eres, qué haces y a quién ayudas sin hacer scroll2: Usar imágenes de stock3: Cambiar el icono del cursor del ratón4: No poner foto de la persona de las opiniones ni el nombre real5: Usar frases trilladas: Frases carrusel de Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DQULvA3jb6S/?img_index=1Ofrecemos soluciones integrales - Aumentamos un 30% la facturación de tu clínica dental en 3 mesesComprometidos con la calidad - Si no aumentamos tu facturación un 30% en 3 meses te devolvemos el dineroLíderes del sector - Mostrar reseñas TripAdvisor. Agencia de Marketing Nº1 en TripAdvisor.Tu satisfacción es nuestra prioridad - Sólo trabajamos con una clínica dental por zonaContamos con un equipo altamente cualificado - Muestra foto, descripción, trabajos, vídeo y redes de tus trabajadoresNos adaptamos a tus necesidades - Automatización de reservas con IA para restaurantes en Madrid (servicios específicos)Soluciones personalizadas - Creamos tu tienda online con Shopify para zapateríasMás de 10 años de experiencia - Mostrar proyectos realizados con datos y el antes y después en rrss6: Poner copyright 2023 en el pie7: Mal diseño8: No poner quiénes somos9: No tener faviconY no confíes en una agencia que los cometaWeb con errores: https://seometric.io/Heygen.com cambia el cursorConviértete en un seguidor de este podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/marketing-digital--2659763/support.Newsletter Marketing Radical: https://marketingradical.substack.com/welcomeNewsletter Negocios con IA: https://negociosconia.substack.com/welcomeMis Libros: https://borjagiron.com/librosSysteme Gratis: https://borjagiron.com/systemeSysteme 30% dto: https://borjagiron.com/systeme30Manychat Gratis: https://borjagiron.com/manychatMetricool 30 días Gratis Plan Premium (Usa cupón BORJA30): https://borjagiron.com/metricoolNoticias Redes Sociales: https://redessocialeshoy.comNoticias IA: https://inteligenciaartificialhoy.comClub: https://triunfers.com

In this must-watch episode, Samantha McLean challenges herself to create an episode of thought leaders with her digital twin, two AI Co-hosts Sarah Chen and Marcus Rodriguez and AI generated B-Roll. The entire episode was built with tools like HeyGen Runway, Claude, NotebookLM, and Mind Studio… all in under eight hours (but, of course, with a human in the loop!). Join the next AI First Agent Accelerator Cohort https://aiagentcourse.com What you'll learn in this episode 1. The 8-Step AI Transformation Formula The simple, repeatable process that takes any business task and makes it ready to optimise, automate, and scale with AI. 2. The J-Curve of Productivity Ever feel like AI makes everything slower before it gets better? That's the J-Curve. Most agents bail right at the bottom of it — the exact spot where exponential results are about to kick in. Learn to ride it out. 3. The ‘Human in the Loop' Principle AI isn't your autopilot — it's your copilot. The best agents use it to handle the predictable stuff so they can show up more human in the moments that matter — like delivering that handwritten note or settlement gift that wins lifelong fans. 4. Storytelling SEO with AILSA Every sale tells a story — but are you letting Google and the AIs hear it? Learn how AILSA (AI Local Storytelling Assistant) turns your every just sold into SEO-optimised, editorial-style content that builds your digital authority over time.

Send us a textJoin hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell as they explore the latest developments in education technology leading into NY EDTECH WEEK, from AI adoption in classrooms to major acquisitions and emerging trends across global EdTech.✨ Episode Highlights:[00:03:39] 85% of teachers and 86% of students used AI this year, sparking concerns about disconnection.[00:05:21] Google's Notebook LM and OpenAI apps mark the next phase of AI-driven learning.[00:10:56] Campus acquires Sizzle AI to accelerate AI-powered associate degrees.[00:17:46] “Combine or Die”: AI startups merge with delivery platforms to stay competitive.[00:20:38] India's EdTech resurgence with new investment from Google, Anthropic, and SpeakX AI.[00:22:16] One in five teens report AI relationships, redefining digital social life.[00:23:40] Computer science shifts from major to essential literacy for all students.[00:28:15] AI's rise mirrors the early internet era as it becomes part of everyday life.Plus, special guests: [00:33:56] Joy Chen, Enterprise Account Manager at HeyGen on how AI avatars are reshaping instructional design and interactive learning. [00:59:55] Daniel Pollack-Pelzner, Author of Lin-Manuel Miranda: The Education of an Artist, on creativity, mentorship, and the role of technology in artistic education

Ever wish you could show your Etsy products in action without ever touching a camera?

MY NEWSLETTER - https://nikolas-newsletter-241a64.beehiiv.com/subscribeJoin me, Nik (https://x.com/CoFoundersNik), as I interview Elizabeth Knopf (https://x.com/leveragedupside) about the biggest AI tools updates of 2025.I was incredibly excited to sit down with Liz this week because OpenAI just dropped massive updates, including ChatGPT 5, OpenAI Pulse, and the game-changing Sora 2 AI video generator. We dive straight into Sora 2, a revolutionary AI video generation tool and text-to-video AI platform that's disrupting content creation for entrepreneurs and small business owners.We discuss how Sora 2 creates stunningly accurate AI digital clones and AI avatars of yourself from just five seconds of video—no expensive equipment or video editing software needed. This AI cloning technology is lightyears ahead of older AI video tools like HeyGen, Synthesia, and D-ID.We analyze OpenAI's genius product launch strategy and growth hacking tactics, using an invite-only system and leaning on Sam Altman for founder marketing and personal branding, creating immediate scarcity marketing and viral growth that could launch a totally new AI social media platform and AI content platform to compete with TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.Next, we switch gears to Anthropic's major updates for Claude AI. I was shocked to see the new Claude Chrome extension and Claude browser integration, which allows the AI assistant to analyze web pages, scrape data, automate browser workflows, and perform real-time automation tasks like a virtual assistant. This is perfect for business automation, data entry automation, and workflow optimization for first-time entrepreneurs building their online business.Finally, Liz demonstrates Claude Sonnet 4.5's ability to generate professional PowerPoint presentations, pitch decks for startups, and perfectly formatted CSV files and Excel spreadsheets directly from complex data sources and PDF documents. This eliminates tons of manual data entry and grunt work for any business owner, solopreneur, or content creator trying to scale to their first million dollars.Questions This Episode Answers:How did OpenAI use scarcity marketing and social media strategy to achieve a massive viral product launch for Sora 2 AI?How does the Sora 2 Cameo feature create highly realistic AI digital clones and deepfake avatars faster than previous AI video generation tools like HeyGen, Runway ML, and Pika Labs?How can small business owners and entrepreneurs leverage the new Claude Chrome extension for real-time browser automation, web scraping, data extraction, and workflow automation directly in Google Chrome?What makes Sora 2's inversion of AI technology into an entertainment platform and social network a "paradigm shift" compared to traditional marketing-focused AI tools and B2B SaaS products?How does the updated Claude AI model now generate high-quality PowerPoint decks, business presentations, and structured CSV data exports from complex PDF files and financial documents for business intelligence and data analysis?__________________________Love it or hate it, I'd love your feedback.Please fill out this brief survey with your opinion or email me at nik@cofounders.com with your thoughts.__________________________MY NEWSLETTER: https://nikolas-newsletter-241a64.beehiiv.com/subscribeSpotify: https://tinyurl.com/5avyu98yApple: https://tinyurl.com/bdxbr284YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/nikonomicsYT__________________________This week we covered:00:00 The Rise of AI Automation13:45 Sora: A New Era in Content Creation24:00 Claude's New Features and Updates

Want to create AI Videos? Get the guide: https://clickhubspot.com/mhg Ep. 367 Will Sora 2 make TikTok obsolete? Kipp and Kieran dive into the jaw-dropping launch of Sora 2—a next-gen AI video model that's shaking up everything we know about content, virality, and social networks. Learn more on why Sora 2 could redefine online personas with its AI cloning and “cameo” feature, what happens when anyone can monetize their digital likeness, and how the tidal wave of AI-generated “slop” is forcing marketers and brands to rethink what it means to stand out online. Mentions Sora 2 https://openai.com/index/sora-2/ V03 https://v03ai.com/ Heygen https://www.heygen.com/ ElevenLabs https://elevenlabs.io/ Get our guide to build your own Custom GPT: https://clickhubspot.com/customgpt We're creating our next round of content and want to ensure it tackles the challenges you're facing at work or in your business. To understand your biggest challenges we've put together a survey and we'd love to hear from you! https://bit.ly/matg-research Resource [Free] Steal our favorite AI Prompts featured on the show! Grab them here: https://clickhubspot.com/aip We're on Social Media! Follow us for everyday marketing wisdom straight to your feed YouTube: ​​https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGtXqPiNV8YC0GMUzY-EUFg  Twitter: https://twitter.com/matgpod  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@matgpod  Join our community https://landing.connect.com/matg Thank you for tuning into Marketing Against The Grain! Don't forget to hit subscribe and follow us on Apple Podcasts (so you never miss an episode)! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-against-the-grain/id1616700934   If you love this show, please leave us a 5-Star Review https://link.chtbl.com/h9_sjBKH and share your favorite episodes with friends. We really appreciate your support. Host Links: Kipp Bodnar, https://twitter.com/kippbodnar   Kieran Flanagan, https://twitter.com/searchbrat ‘Marketing Against The Grain' is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by Hubspot Media // Produced by Darren Clarke.

Sales is changing faster than most people realize, and artificial intelligence is leading the charge. In this episode of the Close The Deal Podcast, I sit down with Henry Hayes, founder of Disrupt Ready and adjunct professor at LSU, to unpack what AI really means for sales pros today.We dig into why buyers instantly spot self-serving sales tactics, how mentorship pulls your career forward, and why ignoring AI is like ignoring the internet back in the '90s. Henry shares practical ways to get started—plus the tools he recommends, including ChatGPT, Otter.ai, Fireflies, Heygen, and Synthesia.Henry's bottom line is clear: AI won't replace great salespeople, but it will replace those who refuse to adapt.If you're ready to cut out the boring work, sharpen your focus on customers, and thrive in a world that's changing fast, this conversation is for you.##Visit www.CloseTheDeal.com to see all episodes.Ewell Smith is talking with sales and marketing pros who help professionals and business owners drive more leads and close more deals. Close The Deal Podcast Supported by Your First FranchiseWe have gift for you for listening - grab a copy of Your First Franchise Roadmap.Visit www.CloseTheDeal.com to see all episodes.

Sur quelles tâches as-tu déjà pris l'habitude de te faire aider par des outils de l'IA ? Depuis quelques années, elle s'est imposée dans notre quotidien et dans nos business.Certains entrepreneurs savent déjà en tirer parti pour obtenir d'excellents résultats. Et toi, est-ce que tu maîtrises l'IA ? Te permet-elle de gagner du temps, donc de l'argent… mais surtout, d'attirer plus de clients ?Contrairement à ce qu'on pourrait croire, les différents outils de l'IA ne sont pas juste un effet de mode : c'est un véritable atout, à condition de savoir l'utiliser intelligemment.Dans cet épisode, je te partage les outils d'IA que j'utilise, et comment je les intègre à chaque étape du parcours client.Voici la liste : ChatGPT (https://chatgpt.com/) Happyscribe (https://www.happyscribe.com/fr)Opus Clip (https://www.opus.pro)HeyGen (https://app.heygen.com)Go High Level (https://www.gohighlevel.com/ai-chatbot)Fireflies.ai (https://fireflies.ai/)ClickUp Brain (https://app.clickup.com)Zoom AI Companion (https://www.zoom.com/fr/products/ai-assistant/) Après avoir écouté ce podcast, tu seras capable d'analyser ce que tu peux améliorer dans ton business, grâce à l'IA. Tu peux travailler moins, mais MIEUX, et gagner plus.

Marketing is being eaten by AI.What's that mean? And, more importantly, what does that mean for you and your real estate business?For answers, you've got two of the top marketing minds in real estate, Jimmy Mackin and Jason Pantana, here in our third Techtember episode.Leveraging generative AI and agentic AI.Balancing quality and efficiency - balancing new tools and tech with the good old human touch.Enhancing efficiency and profit.Evolving past basic automations to improve marketing and operations.You've got about 25 minutes Jimmy followed by 24 minutes with Jason - here in our third Techtember episode - on Real Estate Team OS!JIMMY MACKIN“AI is massively under-hyped right now.”“There's never been a better time to be in real estate."“We're living through the most interesting revolution of our time.”You'll hear all three of these statements in just the first three minutes of a philosophical, strategic, and tactical conversation with Jimmy Mackin, who's on a mission to be the most useful person in the real estate industry.Learn how AI is affecting marketing, customer experience, and automation - and get some tools and next steps to help.Watch or listen for insights into:Why “there's never been a better time to be in real estate”Why he recommends buying research tools and hiring a research assistantWhy and how marketing is being “eaten by AI”How to balance quality vs efficiencyHow agentic AI is transforming the if/then automations we've relied onThree things a real estate professional should do today in light of this conversationJASON PANTANAIf you'd benefit from learning processes to audit and automate your operations, segment and personalize your email marketing, leverage AI for content creation, focus on human touch where it matters, and experiment with new AI tools, you're in the right place.For nearly a decade, Jason Pantana's served as a coach, trainer, and speaker for Tom Ferry International, where he's the resident AI expert and creator of the AI Marketing Academy. In this conversation, he shares a simple, powerful “autonomous driving vehicle” metaphor for AI and your email marketing and a simple, powerful vision for an “army of AI agents” powering your business operations.He also gives you a quick-hit round up of 8 top tech tools and ways to use them, including video and voice cloning.Watch or listen for insights into:Why email marketing is the most underused or misused tech in most real estate businesses and how to improve itWhat agentic AI is and why it's the “single greatest operational enhancement and advantage ever known to technology and it's right under your nose right now”A 3-step process to intelligently automate more of your operationsHow to decide where to automate and where to maintain the human touchA quick-hit round up of 8 top tech tools and ways to use themAI-related tools mentioned in this episode: → AI Marketing Academy (use code AIM50OFF) https://aimarketingacademy.ai/→ Endel https://endel.io/→ Perplexity https://www.perplexity.ai/→ Intercom https://www.intercom.com/→ Fyxer https://fyxer.ai→ Zapier Agents https://zapier.com/agents→ Captions https://www.captions.ai/→ BigVu https://bigvu.tv/→ Descript https://www.descript.com/→ CapCut https://www.capcut.com/→ ElevenLabs https://elevenlabs.io/→ HeyGen https://www.heygen.com/→ Claude https://claude.ai/→ ChatGPT https://chatgpt.com/Connect with Jimmy Mackin:→ https://www.instagram.com/jimmymackin/Connect with Jason Pantana:→ https://www.instagram.com/jasonpantana/Connect with Real Estate Team OS:→ https://www.realestateteamos.com→ https://linktr.ee/realestateteamos→ https://www.instagram.com/realestateteamos/

Creamos un clon de voz y video que SÍ parece humano. Por primera vez abrimos pantalla y te llevamos paso a paso: diseño de voz en ElevenLabs, avatar en HeyGen, lipsync limpio, guion corto que no suena robótico, y ajustes finos para que el resultado sea usable en ads, cursos o soporte. Incluye nuestro flujo de trabajo real, pruebas en vivo y los errores que arruinan el resultado (y cómo evitarlos). Apps usadas:

#279 Content Strategy | In this episode, Dave joins Holly Xiao from HeyGen for an unfiltered conversation about where AI and video marketing are headed. Holly leads B2B marketing at HeyGen, an AI-powered video platform, and she sat down with Dave to dig into what's working (and what's not) when it comes to creating content that actually connects.Dave and Holly cover:Why video hits differently in B2B and how to make yours stand out without blowing your budgetHow AI is reshaping the content production cycle and freeing up marketers to focus on storytellingWhy early adoption matters, and how small teams can use AI to punch above their weightYou can expect a candid, practical conversation about how to scale content, stay relevant, and make the most of AI.Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro (01:27) - – Why this conversation matters (02:44) - – AI is making marketing exciting again (03:53) - – Dave's early bet on video (05:53) - – How LinkedIn video exploded (07:10) - – ROI vs. brand building (08:25) - – From connection to conversion (10:10) - – Why video feels more human (12:16) - – “Maybe your videos suck” (14:22) - – The problem with corporate videos (16:10) - – The value of repetition and reps (18:34) - – How AI speeds up content cycles (20:51) - – Real AI tools Dave is using (22:28) - – Decks, data, and automation (24:53) - – Why creativity still wins (27:15) - – The return of the creative CMO (31:14) - – Personalized content at scale (33:13) - – AI vs. in-person experiences (35:55) - – Do audiences care if it's AI? (38:41) - – What makes an AI video work (41:18) - – Using AI to test and scale video (43:59) - – What small teams should do first (47:37) - – Final advice: be an early adopter Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***This episode of the Exit Five podcast is brought to you by Qualified.AI is the hottest topic in marketing right now. And one thing we hear a lot of you marketers talking about is how you can use AI Agents to help run your marketing machine.That's where Qualifed comes in with Piper, their AI SDR agent.Piper is the #1 AI SDR Agent on the market according to G2, and hundreds of companies like Box, Asana, and Brex, have hired Piper to autonomously grow inbound pipeline. How good does that sound?Qualified customers are seeing a massive business impact with Piper: a 3X increase in meetings booked and a 2X increase in pipeline.The Agentic Marketing era has arrived. And if you're a B2B marketing leader looking to scale pipeline generation, Piper the #1 AI SDR Agent is here to help.Hire Piper, the #1 AI SDR Agent, and grow your pipeline today.You can learn more at qualified.com/exit5

Send us a textIn this audio-focused episode of Sidecar Sync, Mallory Mejias and Amith Nagarajan explore three groundbreaking advancements in AI audio technology—starting with Google's real-time voice translation for seamless cross-language communication. They then unpack Microsoft's open-source Vibe Voice, capable of generating full-length, multi-speaker podcasts, before diving into ElevenLabs Music, an AI tool creating fully-licensed, studio-quality tracks from simple prompts. Tune in for laughs, live demos, and serious implications for associations, from global content reach to AI-driven personalization. Plus, hear the hilarious tale of Amith's early-morning car debacle and Mallory's AI-generated bounce anthem for associations. This one hits all the right notes!

Join me as I chat with Cody Schneider, where we go through a comprehensive marketing playbook for founders of "vibe-coded" startups, focusing on paid acquisition strategies that deliver immediate results. He walks through the exact process of setting up Google Ads campaigns with proper keyword targeting and conversion tracking, then explains how to create effective Facebook/Instagram ads using AI-generated content. The emphasis throughout is on testing multiple creative variations and optimizing for actual conversions. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 03:29 - Validate Demand 07:00 - Google Ads Overview 11:43 - Finding Keywords 15:59 - Setting Up Google Ads Campaign 17:16 - Landing page best practices 19:25 - Google Tag Manager Tutorial 24:38 - Why RUN Paid Ads 28:29 - How to structure the funnel 31:04 - Meta Ads Overview 33:26 - Finding Pain Points with Perplexity 34:25 - Writing the script for the Ad 40:34 - Creating AI avatar with HeyGen and ElevenLabs 44:01 - Setting Conversion Tracking for Meta Ads 46:04 - Setting Conversion Tracking for Meta Ads Key Points: • Focus on transactional marketing (immediate signups) when starting out rather than long-term strategies like SEO • Google Ads setup with phrase match keywords and conversion tracking is essential for SaaS products • Facebook/Instagram ads work differently than search ads - they disrupt users rather than fulfill search intent • AI avatar videos with compelling hooks perform best for SaaS marketing currently The #1 tool to find startup ideas/trends - https://www.ideabrowser.com LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/ Boringmarketing - Vibe Marketing for Companies: boringmarketing.com  The Vibe Marketer - Join the Community and Learn: thevibemarketer.com Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.skool.com/startupempire/about FIND ME ON SOCIAL X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/ FIND CODY ON SOCIAL Cody's startup: https://www.graphed.com  X/Twitter: https://x.com/codyschneiderxx  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@codyschneiderx

In this episode of Project Synapse, the team delves into a plethora of AI tools and technologies, rekindling their original playful approach to understanding AI's latest advancements. Marcel Gagner takes the lead, showcasing various tools like Google's Nano Banana, Gemini 2.5 Image Generator, and the emergent Genie 3, among others. The discussion highlights real-world physics, world models, and interactive environments. They also explore the use of voice cloning and digital twins with Heygen, and music generation with Suno. The episode emphasizes the importance of educating, monitoring, and involving oneself in AI technology, particularly for parents with children interacting with AI systems. 00:00 Introduction to Project Synapse 00:50 Meet Marcel Gagner 02:33 AI Tools and Subscriptions 08:38 Exploring Google's Gemini 10:43 Creating Custom Images and Videos 32:31 Storybook Creation with AI 41:12 The Importance of Monitoring Kids' AI Usage 41:51 Parental Involvement and AI Risks 45:50 AI and Music Generation Tools 49:45 Creating Personalized AI Content 54:01 Exploring Advanced AI Tools and Ethics 56:25 The Future of AI in Creative Fields 59:34 Interactive AI Worlds and Final Thoughts

Engineering leadership is undergoing a seismic shift, requiring playbooks to be rewritten, in real-time. In this special episode, hosts Patrick Gallagher and Jerry Li give you an inside look at the ELC Annual 2025 experience, and how the two-day conference will equip you with new mental models, skills, and frameworks required to lead.Get a preview of tactical takeaways from deep operational dives into companies like OpenAI, Amplitude, and HeyGen. Discover how the conference will help you redesign your innovation engine, transform your team's workflows, and blur the lines between engineering, product, and business to drive impactful change. Through a unique mix of tactical sessions, peer-led roundtables, and curated mentorship, you'll learn how to find the community and coaching needed to lead through uncertainty and invest in your own career growth.To learn more & get tickets, go to sfelc.com/annual2025Use code podcast15 for 15% off tickets - group tickets / discounts available. ABOUT ELC ANNUALThe playbook for engineering leadership is being rewritten. ELC Annual 2025, happening September 10-11 in San Francisco, is where you'll gain the insights, strategies, and deep connections needed to lead in this new era. 50+ speakers, 50+ peer-led roundtables discussions, 1:1 matching to expand your network. Insights, connections & support.Join the community of engineering leaders who are co-creating the future of our field.Listener Discount → Use code podcast15 for 15% offGroup Tix → For teams looking to attend together, special group discounts can be found under the 'Tickets' section of our website!Secure your ticket at sfelc.com/annual2025 ToolHive Unlocks the Full Value of MCP & Your AI AgentsSo you've invested in AI agents for code generation, but they're limited to experiments or even stuck on the shelf. To do real, valuable work, those AI agents need access to your data and systems.ToolHive helps you confidently connect the pieces by making it simple and secure for you to use the Model Context Protocol (MCP).ToolHive includes a pre-vetted registry of MCP servers, containerizes every MCP server for consistency and leans on built-in security to keep your secrets safe.Leaders trust ToolHive to put MCP into production and put their AI agents to work.ToolHive is open source, so get started for free at toolhive.dev Join us at ELC Annual 2025ELC Annual is the premier event for engineering leaders. This is our biggest event of the year: 1,000+ CTOs, VPs & Directors in San Francisco @ ELC Annual 2025 for two days of leadership breakthroughs, tactical peer learning & curated connections!

In this episode of the Tech Seeking Human podcast, hosts Joshua Sims and Dave Anderson explore the latest advancements in AI tools, including ChatGPT, Gemini, VO3, HeyGen and Suno. They discuss the implications of these technologies on creative industries, the ethical concerns surrounding deepfakes, and the future of work in an AI-driven world. The conversation includes hands-on demos, personal experiences with AI applications, and predictions for how these tools will shape various sectors. Including how Dave purchased a Bronco using ChatGPT. 00:00Introduction to AI Tools and Demos01:26Exploring ChatGPT and Gemini for Work06:17Deep Dive into Gemini and Visual Tools08:41HeyGen and the Future of Digital Avatars12:07Ethics of AI and Deepfakes15:22The Role of AI in Creative Industries19:19VO3: AI Video Generation and Its Impact29:57Suno: AI Music Creation and Its Implications35:08Building Apps with AI: A Case Study44:19The Future of Work in an AI-Driven World51:15Final Thoughts and Future Predictions

Welcome to Episode 292 of the Grow Your Law Firm podcast, hosted by Ken Hardison. In this episode, Ken sits down with Michael Mills, founder of Business Design Corporation and creator of the TouchStone Business System, to explore how law firms can escape SOP chaos and achieve operational independence. With over 25 years of experience as an entrepreneur, software innovator, and Master Certified E-Myth Consultant, Michael has helped thousands of business owners turn disorganized operations into scalable, process-driven companies. His TouchStone platform is built specifically for implementing systems—not just documenting them—making it easier to train teams, maintain consistency, and grow without losing control. What you'll learn about in this episode:   AI-generated videos support diverse learning styles - Touchstone uses AI videos to match how different people learn - Tools like HeyGen turn SOPs into clear, engaging video formats Keep processes simple and clear - Processes should be concise and easy to follow - Train staff to write clear, actionable instructions Structure processes by core business functions - Organize SOPs across sales, marketing, HR, and more - Avoid SOP chaos with a clear implementation plan Know when and what to systematize - Only write processes for tasks that are frequent and complex - Focus leadership on high-impact work, not routine tasks Boost training with video and written SOPs - AI videos make SOPs easier to absorb and retain - Use video and text together for stronger training outcomes     Resources:  Website: www.businessdesigncorp.com/  LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/michael-mills-bdc/  Facebook: www.facebook.com/BusinessDesignCorp Twitter (X): x.com/TouchStoneBDC Additional Resources:    https://www.pilmma.org/aiworkshop https://www.pilmma.org/the-mastermind-effect https://www.pilmma.org/resources https://www.pilmma.org/mastermind

In this episode of The Healthier Tech Podcast, we dive headfirst into the uncanny rise of AI-generated influencers—and what it means for your health, your identity, and your sanity. If you've ever scrolled past a flawless face on social media and felt just a little worse about your own, this episode is for you. We break down how synthetic influencers like Lil Miquela and AI video tools like HeyGen and Sora are reshaping not only marketing and media—but also our perception of what's real, what's desirable, and what's even possible. Highlights you won't want to miss: How the digital influencer economy is being infiltrated by perfect, programmable personas Why our brains struggle to tell the difference between reality and AI-generated content The psychological toll of comparing ourselves to flawless fakes How ideal self distortion is warping mental health, especially in teens Why authenticity is becoming the new luxury in the age of AI 5 real-world ways to protect your mental clarity and digital wellness starting today This isn't just a tech trend—it's a cultural shift. And it's happening right now, on your feed, in your head, and across every scroll of your screen. If you care about digital wellness, tech-life balance, and protecting your mental health in a synthetic world, hit play. This episode is brought to you by Shield Your Body—a global leader in EMF protection and digital wellness. Because real wellness means protecting your body, not just optimizing it. If you found this episode eye-opening, leave a review, share it with someone tech-curious, and don't forget to subscribe to Shield Your Body on YouTube for more insights on living healthier with technology.

#270 Strategy | Dave is joined by Holly Xiao, Head of B2B Marketing at HeyGen, an AI video generation platform that helps teams produce personalized, high-quality content, fast. Holly has led marketing at high-growth startups and now runs the enterprise GTM motion at HeyGen, where she blends strategy, creative execution, and AI-powered workflows to reach modern B2B buyers.Dave and Holly cover:The 4 channels her lean team is betting on to drive enterprise pipeline (and what's not working anymore)How B2B marketers are using AI video for event marketing, sales enablement, onboarding, and beyondWhy SEO is falling short and how HeyGen is shifting focus to webinars, events, and YouTube insteadIf you're figuring out how to use AI in your marketing or just trying to do more with less, this one's full of practical ideas to help you think differently about team structure, channels, and strategy.Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro (03:48) - – Holly's nonlinear path to marketing (06:48) - – Getting started in marketing ops (08:48) - – Why she joined an AI startup (10:48) - – How HeyGen's marketing org works (13:48) - – PLG vs SLG: Key differences (15:48) - – The 4 channels driving pipeline (17:48) - – What's working: Events + webinars (19:48) - – Booth strategy that stands out (24:23) - – Brand vs demand events (26:23) - – Building community and user events (27:53) - – SEO is declining. Now what? (30:23) - – Running marketing in 2-month sprints (33:23) - – Aligning product and marketing cadence (35:23) - – Her daily AI tools (36:53) - – ChatGPT vs Gemini workflows (38:23) - – Real AI video use cases (40:23) - – Personalized event promos with avatars (41:23) - – Support, training, and onboarding videos (42:23) - – Fortune telling and music videos?! (43:23) - – Why AI won't replace marketers Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Walnut.Why are we pouring all this effort into marketing just to push buyers to a “request a demo” or “contact sales” button?Come on, today's buyers don't want to talk to sales right away. They want to explore your product themselves, see how it works, and understand its value before booking a meeting.That's where Walnut comes in.Walnut empowers marketers and GTM teams to create interactive, self-guided product experiences in minutes. Embed these experiences on your site, in emails, or anywhere in your funnel to let buyers engage on their terms, from awareness to close and beyond. That's the beauty of Walnut - you're getting a platform that your sales and CS colleagues can use to showcase the product too.And the best part? You get real intent data—see which features prospects love, where they drop off, and what's actually driving pipeline. Demo Qualified Leads are the new MQL.Over 500 companies, like Adobe and NetApp, use Walnut to drive 2-3x higher website conversion rates and 7 figures in pipeline on a yearly basis. So do you want to drive more leads, shorten sales cycles, and actually show your product instead of hiding it behind another typical B2B CTA? Go check out Walnut.io. And if you tell them Dave from Exit 5 sent you, they'll build out your first demo for free!

Personalized video prospecting is transforming outreach. Mark and Tony Morris (the brilliant mind behind ‘Coffee Is for Closers') explore how tools like Lusher, Apollo, and RocketReach are reshaping the European prospecting landscape. They'll delve into the nuances of crafting video messages that not only capture attention, but also elevate your brand in today's competitive market. With AI advancements like HeyGen, discover how these technologies can streamline your workflow. Learn how tools like BombBomb and HeyGen are making waves with their innovative features. Imagine sending video messages that appear custom-made, using sophisticated lip-syncing technology to address thousands of prospects individually. With open rates soaring to 48% for cold emails, these strategies are not just enhancing engagement, but transforming the entire outreach paradigm. Mark and Tony also share insights on fine-tuning email components — from subject lines to body content — ensuring that your message doesn't just reach inboxes but actually resonates and leads to conversions.

Google Veo leads the generative video market with superior 4K photorealism and integrated audio, an advantage derived from its YouTube training data. OpenAI Sora is the top tool for narrative storytelling, while Kuaishou Kling excels at animating static images with realistic, high-speed motion. Links Notes and resources at ocdevel.com/mlg/mla-26 Try a walking desk - stay healthy & sharp while you learn & code Build the future of multi-agent software with AGNTCY. S-Tier: Google Veo The market leader due to superior visual quality, physics simulation, 4K resolution, and integrated audio generation, which removes post-production steps. It accurately interprets cinematic prompts ("timelapse," "aerial shots"). Its primary advantage is its integration with Google products, using YouTube's vast video library for rapid model improvement. The professional focus is clear with its filmmaking tool, "Flow." A-Tier: Sora & Kling OpenAI Sora: Excels at interpreting complex narrative prompts and has wide distribution through ChatGPT. Features include in-video editing tools like "Remix" and a "Storyboard" function for multi-shot scenes. Its main limits are 1080p resolution and no native audio. Kuaishou Kling: A leader in image-to-video quality and realistic high-speed motion. It maintains character consistency and has proven commercial viability (RMB 150M in Q1 2025). Its text-to-video interface is less intuitive than Sora's. Summary: Sora is best for storytellers starting with a narrative idea; Kling is best for artists animating a specific image. Control and Customization: Runway & Stable Diffusion Runway: An integrated creative suite with a full video editor and "AI Magic Tools" like Motion Brush and Director Mode. Its value is in generating, editing, and finishing in one platform, offering precise control over stylization and in-shot object alteration. Stable Diffusion: An open-source ecosystem (SVD, AnimateDiff) offering maximum control through technical interfaces like ComfyUI. Its strength is a large community developing custom models, LoRAs, and ControlNets for specific tasks like VFX integration. It has a steep learning curve. Niche Tools: Midjourney & More Midjourney Video: The best tool for animating static Midjourney images (image-to-video only), preserving their unique aesthetic. Avatar Platforms (HeyGen, Synthesia): Built for scalable corporate and marketing videos, featuring realistic talking avatars, voice cloning, and multi-language translation with accurate lip-sync. Head-to-Head Comparison Feature Google Veo (S-Tier) OpenAI Sora (A-Tier) Kuaishou Kling (A-Tier) Runway (Power-User Tier) Photorealism Winner. Best 4K detail and physics. Excellent, but can have a stylistic "AI" look. Very strong, especially with human subjects. Good, but a step below the top tier. Consistency Strong, especially with Flow's scene-building. Co-Winner. Storyboard feature is built for this. Co-Winner. Excels in image-to-video consistency. Good, with character reference tools. Prompt Adherence Winner (Language). Best understanding of cinematic terms. Best for imaginative/narrative prompts. Strong on motion, less on camera specifics. Good, but relies more on UI tools. Directorial Control Strong via prompt. Moderate, via prompt and storyboard. Moderate, focused on motion. Winner (Interface). Motion Brush & Director Mode offer direct control. Integrated Audio Winner. Native dialogue, SFX, and music. Major workflow advantage. No. Requires post-production. No. Requires post-production. No. Requires post-production. Advanced Multi-Tool Workflows High-Quality Animation: Combine Midjourney (for key-frame art) with Kling or Runway (for motion), then use an AI upscaler like Topaz for 4K finishing. VFX Compositing: Use Stable Diffusion (AnimateDiff/ControlNets) to generate specific elements for integration into live-action footage using professional software like Nuke or After Effects. All-in-one models lack the required layer-based control. High-Volume Marketing: Use Veo for the main concept, Runway for creating dozens of variations, and HeyGen for personalized avatar messaging to achieve speed and scale. Decision Matrix: Who Should Use What? User Profile Primary Goal Recommendation Justification The Indie Filmmaker Pre-visualization, short films. OpenAI Sora (Primary), Google Veo (Secondary) Sora's storyboard feature is best for narrative construction. Veo is best for high-quality final shots. The VFX Artist Creating animated elements for live-action. Stable Diffusion (AnimateDiff/ComfyUI) Offers the layer-based control and pipeline integration needed for professional VFX. The Creative Agency Rapid prototyping, social content. Runway (Primary Suite), Google Veo (For Hero Shots) Runway's editing/variation tools are built for agency speed. Veo provides the highest quality for the main asset. The AI Artist / Animator Art-directed animated pieces. Midjourney + Kling Pairs the best image generator with a top-tier motion engine for maximum aesthetic control. The Corporate Trainer Training and personalized marketing videos. HeyGen / Synthesia Specialized tools for avatar-based video production at scale (voice cloning, translation). Future Trajectory Pipeline Collapse: More models will integrate audio and editing, pressuring silent-only video generators. The Control Arms Race: Competition will shift from quality to providing more sophisticated directorial tools. Rise of Aggregators: Platforms like OpenArt that provide access to multiple models through a single interface will become essential.

Want to scale your side hustle with AI? Get 700 prompts here: https://clickhubspot.com/wbc Episode 725: Sam Parr ( https://x.com/theSamParr ) talks to the founder of Airtable, Howie Liu ( https://x.com/howietl ), about 7 AI business ideas he would start if he was in his 20s. — Show Notes: (0:00) IDEA: Live Shopping w/ AI avatars (5:34) IDEA: AI personalized news (10:36) IDEA: AI Personal Finance Advisor (18:27) IDEA: AI PE model of buy an existing business (24:20) IDEA: Cursor for email (36:53) IDEA: AI-native social apps (38:42) IDEA: Uncensored AI search — Links: • Sesame - https://www.sesame.com/ • Whatnot - https://www.whatnot.com/ • HeyGen - https://www.heygen.com/ • Superhuman - https://superhuman.com/ • Kubera - https://www.kubera.com/ • Addepar - https://addepar.com/ • Airtable - https://www.airtable.com/ • Chief.so - http://chief.so/ — Check Out Shaan's Stuff: • Shaan's weekly email - https://www.shaanpuri.com • Visit https://www.somewhere.com/mfm to hire worldwide talent like Shaan and get $500 off for being an MFM listener. Hire developers, assistants, marketing pros, sales teams and more for 80% less than US equivalents. • Mercury - Need a bank for your company? Go check out Mercury (mercury.com). Shaan uses it for all of his companies! Mercury is a financial technology company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group, Column, N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust, Members FDIC — Check Out Sam's Stuff: • Hampton - https://www.joinhampton.com/ • Ideation Bootcamp - https://www.ideationbootcamp.co/ • Copy That - https://copythat.com • Hampton Wealth Survey - https://joinhampton.com/wealth • Sam's List - http://samslist.co/ My First Million is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by HubSpot Media // Production by Arie Desormeaux // Editing by Ezra Bakker Trupiano

In this episode, I sit down with Craig Grant, CEO of RETI and renowned tech educator, for a high-energy conversation about how artificial intelligence is transforming the real estate industry. From practical insights on leveraging ChatGPT and Google Gemini for day-to-day efficiency, to a deep dive into must-have tools like Canva Pro and the game-changing HeyGen video platform, we unpack what's working now for agents looking to level up their business with the power of AI. Craig shares his perspective on the meteoric rise of AI, why every Realtor needs to embrace it, and how the right technology can automate heavy lifting—without sacrificing legal or ethical standards. We discuss real-world examples, from creating marketing content at lightning speed to AI video editing with Descript, and even how tools like Reimagine Home can help you virtually stage and redesign properties in seconds. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just curious about new tech, Craig drops invaluable nuggets on avoiding AI pitfalls, choosing the right platforms for your workflow, and the importance of always treating artificial intelligence as your first draft—not your final word. He also gives listeners access to his resource-packed slides and a treasure trove of vetted AI recommendations to supercharge your marketing, client communications, and productivity. If you're ready to learn how AI can save you time, amplify your personal brand, and future-proof your real estate career, this episode is packed with actionable strategies you can put to work immediately.

OnBoard! 今年第一场直播回放来啦！我们跨洋连线硅谷资深增长顾问陈畅，2个多小时的访谈，探讨了关于AI应用出海增长的各种干货，直播间饱爆满好评如潮，我们经过整理放出精修音频，绝对值得你反复听几遍！Hello World, who is OnBoard!?今年真是AI应用爆发的大年！诞生不到26个月的ChatGPT 月活已超过8亿，OpenAI 和Anthropic ARR 分别超过100亿美金和50亿美金，Cursor, Lovable, Manus, Genspark 等 AI 应用的用户数和收入增长不断刷新纪录。越来越多的AI应用创业者涌入赛场，如何做增长，就成了最经常被谈论的话题。尤其是对于广大打造出海应用的中国创业者，更是希望听到来自硅谷最一线的经验。Chang 是增长顾问公司Hockey Stick Growth创始人。过去8年里，她服务过的很多客户不仅获得了顶尖VC投资，更是实现了扎实的用户和收入的跃升。这个名单，一定有不少你熟知的公司：HeyGen, Gamma, Otter.ai, 还有最近大火的语音模型公司 Cartesia, 成立不到2年，融资超过$90M, 上千万美金收入……在两个多小时的对话里，Chang非常坦诚地分享了他在硅谷一线观察到的AI产品增长变化，以及那些成功案例背后的真实策略。比如：AI应用增长方式过去几年的变化从"AI化"到"去AI化"的品牌定位趋势背后发生了什么？面对越来越卷的增长渠道，AI产品如何找到突破口？那些"剑走偏锋"的增长策略到底值不值得尝试？KOL和各种渠道营销的具体方法论为什么要考虑 product-channel-fit...如果你正在做AI产品，或者对AI应用的增长策略感兴趣，这期来自硅谷一线的实战分享，绝对不容错过！听过直播的同学，也值得反复复习~Enjoy!嘉宾介绍Chang Chen（陈畅） – 硅谷增长顾问，Hockey Stick 增长顾问公司创始人；曾助力 HeyGen、Gamma、Otter.ai 等头部产品打造爆款增长闭环。OnBoard! 主持：Monica：美元VC投资人，前 AWS 硅谷团队+ AI 创业公司打工人，公众号M小姐研习录 (ID: MissMStudy) 主理人 | 即刻：莫妮卡同学OnBoard! 主持：GN：前SaaS及科技投资人，Global SaaS 社区 Linkloud 发起人，公众号我思锅我在 (ID: thinkxcloud) 主理人。| 即刻：High寧我们聊了什么02:59 Chang 自我介绍，最近看到的有意思的AI 产品和增长方式06:36 AI 应用增长方式的演变：从强调“AI”到回归“产品价值”的“去AI化”趋势。13:30 Go Viral 的底层逻辑：如何利用“猎奇、强大、共情”的用户心理策划病毒式传播？17:37 案例复盘：如何结合热点话题 (Elon Musk's Grok) 策划成功的营销活动？19:59 Product-Channel Fit：如何为产品的不同阶段和用户画像找到最合适的增长渠道？24:00 被低估的增长渠道：为什么 ToB 产品应该重视 LinkedIn？30:12 KOL 营销全攻略：如何识别、触达、并与高质量的 KOL 建立长期合作？41:49 从“爆款”到“体系”：当市场变卷，如何建立可持续的增长护城河？49:47 AI 产品如何收费？订阅制、Pay-as-you-go、混合模式的利弊分析。58:53 从 PLG 到 PLS/SLG：AI 公司如何抓住企业客户，何时应该拓展企业市场？01:10:59 Product-Market Fit 是一个动态过程，出海创业者如何更好地找到它？01:16:24 AI 如何赋能增长团队？从内容生成到渠道拓展的最佳实践和误区。01:20:20 LLM-Native 新渠道：如何在 ChatGPT 和 GPT Store 中获取流量？01:24:07 Product Hunt 打榜还值得做吗？效果、用户质量和平台公信力的变化。01:27:06 从0到1搭建增长团队：创始人何时应该招聘第一个全职增长负责人？01:32:28 推荐的增长信息渠道：Twitter, LinkedIn 和线下分享。01:33:00 未来展望：AI Agent 赛道有哪些“卖铲子”的机会？我们提到的公司和概念HeyGen - AI视频生成领军企业Gamma - AI PPT生成先驱，不到30人团队超过5000万美金ARRCartesia - 语音模型公司，成立不到两年融资超过9000万美金Otter.ai - 会议转录和AI助手，超过1亿美金ARRCluely - "AI agent to cheat on everything"争议性定位Eleven Labs - 语音合成领域头部公司Apollo - 销售线索工具Synthesia - AI 虚拟人生成工具PLG (Product-Led Growth) - 产品驱动增长SLG (Sales-Led Growth) - 销售驱动增长ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) - 理想用户画像PMF (Product Market Fit) - 产品市场契合度别忘了！同步关注两位 Host 的微信公众号，看更多干货内容哦：M小姐研习录 (ID: MissMStudy) by Monica我思锅我在 (ID: thinkxcloud) by GN欢迎在评论区留下你的思考，与听友们互动。喜欢 OnBoard! 的话，也可以点击打赏，请我们喝一杯咖啡！如果你用 Apple Podcasts 收听，也请给我们一个五星好评，这对我们非常重要。最后！快来加入Onboard！听友群，结识到高质量的听友们，我们还会组织线下主题聚会，开放实时旁听播客录制，嘉宾互动等新的尝试。添加任意一位小助手微信，onboard666, 或者 Nine_tunes,小助手会拉你进群。期待你来！

Send me a message Using AI to Post 41 Videos a Week Without Lifting a Finger with Josh RogersIf you're still sitting on the sidelines watching other agents blow up on Instagram, this episode is your wake-up call.I sat down with Josh Rogers, who went from 0 to over 22,000+ Instagram followers in 90 days using a system. Josh is cranking out 41 videos a week while homeschooling 8 kids and still running a high producing sales team in Jacksonville, FL. And the wildest part? Most of the videos aren't even made by him.In this episode, we break down:The exact tech stack Josh is using (HeyGen, ElevenLabs, and ChatGPT)How his VA runs the entire content machineWhat kind of content actually gets views, shares, and DMsHow to use Instagram Stories + polls to generate leads without being salesyAnd why you need to stop waiting until it's “perfect” if you ever want to scalePlus, Josh gives you access to the full system via his free cheat sheet:

In today's episode, Brock Johnson shares how you can create 100 Instagram Reels with the help of AI tools like ChatGPT, GetMunch, OpusClip, Veo 3, and CapCut. We'll explore how these AI-powered platforms can help you come up with fresh post ideas, automate your content creation process, and significantly boost your Instagram productivity. Brock will  guide you through the steps to efficiently generate Instagram Reel ideas, using AI to speed up the process and ensure you're consistently posting engaging content. If you're looking to increase your output on Instagram without sacrificing quality, this episode provides actionable tips and insights on how to use AI to create Reels faster and smarter. Watch On YouTube So You Can Screenshot all the Prompts!

Tired of chasing leads and burning out on content? AI expert and multi-7-figure agency founder Billy Sticker reveals how entrepreneurs can grow faster and with less stress using practical AI tools. Discover how to automate lead gen, scale your authority, and free up your time using cutting-edge tech like chatbots, custom GPTs, and voice/video cloning platforms.What You'll Learn: 24/7 Lead Generation with AI — How tools like ChatGPT and CloseBot qualify leads, book appointments, and follow up automatically. Next-Level Content Creation — Create weekly authority-building videos using tools like ElevenLabs and HeyGen. Outcome-First AI Strategy — Why the smartest entrepreneurs focus on business "buckets" and results, not shiny tools. Whether you're raising capital, building investor relationships, or scaling operations, this episode gives you the blueprint to work smarter, not harder, with AI.Timestamps:00:00 Introducing Billy Sticker2:26 From pastor to marketer3:31 Why AI is Facebook 2.06:30 Lead Gen and chatbot technologies19:18 Must-have AI tools21:19 Avoiding misinformation in legal use23:27 Creating content without burning out32:22 Automation tools and time-saving tips36:25 Balancing AI with human touch  37:55 Practical AI implementation tips42:01 Best platforms to use daily45:49 Metrics and KPIs47:03 Personal insights and giving back47:26 Closing thoughts and contact informationVISIT OUR WEBSITEhttps://lifebridgecapital.com/Here are ways you can work with us here at Life Bridge Capital:⚡️START INVESTING TODAY: If you think that real estate syndication may be right for you, contact us today to learn more about our current investment opportunities: https://lifebridgecapital.com/investwithlbc⚡️Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheRealEstateSyndicationShow

OpenAI just pitched “OpenAI for Countries,” offering democracies a turnkey AI infrastructure while some of the world's richest quietly stockpile bunkers and provisions. We'll dig into billionaire Paul Tudor Jones's revelations about AI as an imminent security threat, and why top insiders are buying land and livestock to ride out the next catastrophe. Plus, a wild theory that Gavin has hatched regarding OpenAI's non-profit designation. Then, we break down the updated Google Gemini Pro 2.5's leap forward in coding… just 15 minutes to a working game prototype…and how this could put game creation in every kid's hands. Plus, Suno's 4.5 music model that finally brings human‑quality vocals, and robots gone wild in Chinese warehouses. AND OpenAI drops 3 billion on Windsurf, HeyGen's avatar model achieving flawless lip sync from any angle, the rise of blazing‑fast open source video engines, UCSD's whole‑body ambulatory robots shaking like nervous toddlers, and even Game of Thrones Muppet mashups with bizarre glitch art. STOCK YOUR PROVISIONS. THE ROBOT CLEANUP CREWS ARE NEXT. #ai #ainews #openai Join the discord: https://discord.gg/muD2TYgC8f Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/AIForHumansShow AI For Humans Newsletter: https://aiforhumans.beehiiv.com/ Follow us for more on X @AIForHumansShow Join our TikTok @aiforhumansshow To book us for speaking, please visit our website: https://www.aiforhumans.show/ // Show Links //   Does AI Pose an “Imminent Threat”? Paul Tudor Jones ‘Heard' About It Conference https://x.com/AndrewCurran_/status/1919759495129137572 Terrifying Robot Goes Crazy https://www.reddit.com/r/oddlyterrifying/comments/1kcbkfe/robot_on_hook_went_berserk_all_of_a_sudden/ Cleaner Robots To Pick Up After The Apocalypse https://x.com/kimmonismus/status/1919510163112779777 https://x.com/loki_robotics/status/1919325768984715652 OpenAI For Countries https://openai.com/global-affairs/openai-for-countries/ OpenAI Goes Non-Profit For Real This Time https://openai.com/index/evolving-our-structure/ New Google Gemini 2.5 Pro Model https://blog.google/products/gemini/gemini-2-5-pro-updates/ Demis Hassabis on the coding upgrade (good video of drawing an app) https://x.com/demishassabis/status/1919779362980692364 New Minecraft Bench looks good https://x.com/adonis_singh/status/1919864163137957915 Gavin's Bear Jumping Game (in Gemini Window) https://gemini.google.com/app/d0b6762f2786d8d2 OpenAI Buys Windsurf https://www.reuters.com/business/openai-agrees-buy-windsurf-about-3-billion-bloomberg-news-reports-2025-05-06/ Suno v4.5 https://x.com/SunoMusic/status/1917979468699931113 HeyGen Avatar v4 https://x.com/joshua_xu_/status/1919844622135627858 Voice Mirroring https://x.com/EHuanglu/status/1919696421625987220 New OpenSource Video Model From LTX https://x.com/LTXStudio/status/1919751150888239374 Using Runway References with 3D Models https://x.com/runwayml/status/1919376580922552753 Amo Introduces Whole Body Movements To Robotics (and looks a bit shaky rn) https://x.com/TheHumanoidHub/status/1919833230368235967 https://x.com/xuxin_cheng/status/1919722367817023779 Realistic Street Fighter Continue Screens https://x.com/StutteringCraig/status/1918372417615085804 Wandering Worlds - Runway Gen48 Finalist https://runwayml.com/gen48?film=wandering-woods Centaur Skipping Rope https://x.com/CaptainHaHaa/status/1919377295137005586 The Met Gala for Aliens https://x.com/AIForHumansShow/status/1919566617031393608 The Met Gala for Nathan Fielder & Sully https://x.com/AIForHumansShow/status/1919600216870637996 Loosening of Sora Rules https://x.com/AIForHumansShow/status/1919956025244860864  

In this episode, recorded at the 2025 Abundance Summit, Joshua Xu dives into HeyGen, the future of AI avatars, and Steve Brown displays a use case for AI clones.   Recorded on March 10th, 2025 Views are my own thoughts; not Financial, Medical, or Legal Advice. Joshua Xu is the co-founder and CEO of HeyGen, an AI-powered video creation platform revolutionizing how businesses produce content by making video production significantly faster, cheaper, and scalable across languages. With a background in software engineering at Meta and Bloomberg LP, Xu brings deep technical expertise to his role, driving HeyGen's rapid growth to over $35 million in annual recurring revenue. A graduate of Duke University with a degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, he's passionate about leveraging AI to democratize high-quality video communication for companies around the world. Steve Brown is a technologist and filmmaker passionate about media and innovation that strengthen human connection and sustainability. With a Physics degree from Stanford, he's founded and sold two tech startups and developed award-winning documentaries. As Chief AI Officer at Abundance360, he builds tools that help people harness AI and exponential tech for creativity and impact. Learn more about HeyGen: https://www.heygen.com/  Learn more about Abundance360: https://bit.ly/ABUNDANCE360  For free access to the Abundance Summit Summary click: https://bit.ly/Diamandisbreakthroughs ____________ I only endorse products and services I personally use. To see what they are,  please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:  Get started with Fountain Life and become the CEO of your health: https://fountainlife.com/peter/ AI-powered precision diagnosis you NEED for a healthy gut: https://www.viome.com/peter  Get 15% off OneSkin with the code PETER at  https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod ____________ I send weekly emails with the latest insights and trends on today's and tomorrow's exponential technologies. Stay ahead of the curve, and sign up now:  Blog _____________ Connect With Peter: Twitter Instagram Youtube Moonshots