Duct Tape Marketing<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nListen to the full episode:<\/em><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Overview<\/h2>\n
On this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, John Jantsch interviews Ava Gutierrez, founder of ThinkWithAI.com and a leading educator and consultant on practical AI adoption for business leaders. With a background in behavioral science and communication, Ava demystifies how AI can be integrated into business workflows, not as a magic replacement for jobs, but as a task-by-task partner that enhances decision-making, brainstorming, recruiting, and day-to-day operations. If you want to move beyond AI hype and build a real-world plan for smarter, more human business, Ava shares a practical, mindset-shifting framework for getting started.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n\nAbout the Guest<\/h2>\n
Ava Gutierrez<\/strong> is the founder of ThinkWithAI.com, an educator, consultant, and trusted voice on AI adoption for business. With expertise in behavioral science and communication, she helps leaders and teams get more value from AI by integrating it into real-world processes, decision-making, and strategy.<\/p>\n\n- Website: thinkwithai.com<\/a><\/li>\n
- AI First Business System & Notion Agents: Learn more on her website<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n\n
Actionable Insights<\/h2>\n\n- AI isn\u2019t about replacing entire jobs overnight\u2014it\u2019s about offloading specific tasks and freeing up time for more impactful work, one step at a time.<\/li>\n
- The biggest shift is seeing AI as a \u201chire\u201d\u2014give it as much context, onboarding, and clear instructions as you would a new employee or VA.<\/li>\n
- Build an org chart for your AI \u201cagents\u201d\u2014each person on your team can recruit AI to assist, strategize, and advise on their specific workflows and tasks.<\/li>\n
- Don\u2019t treat AI as a generic assistant\u2014define clear roles for each tool\/agent, and be intentional about which tasks you offload and which you keep.<\/li>\n
- Hybrid intelligence is the future: the best outcomes come from humans and AI collaborating, with humans making the final decisions and setting guardrails.<\/li>\n
- To create a plan, have every team member list their daily\/weekly tasks, then use AI itself to suggest where it can help as an assistant, strategist, or advisor.<\/li>\n
- Leaders must proactively guide and train teams on how to use AI\u2014don\u2019t just say \u201cgo use it\u201d and hope for the best.<\/li>\n
- The skillset of AI is foundational\u2014learn enough to know what to delegate, what to automate, and when to bring in expert help.<\/li>\n
- AI can also be your \u201crecruiter\u201d\u2014use it to audit your workflows and identify where hiring an AI agent will have the highest impact.<\/li>\n
- The real mindset shift: AI isn\u2019t just a tool to tell what to do\u2014it can help you discover what\u2019s possible (and what you don\u2019t know you don\u2019t know).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n\n
Great Moments (with Timestamps)<\/h2>\n\n- 01:08 \u2013 The Mindset Shift: Task-by-Task, Not Job-by-Job<\/strong>
\nWhy AI adoption is about gradual, practical changes, not sweeping replacements.<\/li>\n- 03:34 \u2013 Treating AI Like a New Hire<\/strong>
\nHow giving AI more context leads to better results and less frustration.<\/li>\n- 07:31 \u2013 The New Org Chart<\/strong>
\nEnvisioning each person with their own suite of AI agents supporting their role.<\/li>\n- 10:42 \u2013 Hybrid Intelligence Defined<\/strong>
\nWhy humans plus AI are stronger together, with humans setting the constraints.<\/li>\n- 12:22 \u2013 Should You Hire an AI Agency or Build the Skill In-House?<\/strong>
\nWhy every leader (and team member) needs foundational AI skills\u2014even when outsourcing.<\/li>\n- 15:36 \u2013 How Leaders Can Build a Company-Wide AI Plan<\/strong>
\nWhy your team is waiting for guidance, and how to map out opportunities for AI support.<\/li>\n- 17:31 \u2013 Using AI as Your Own \u201cRecruiter\u201d<\/strong>
\nHow to have AI audit your workflows and suggest high-impact automation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n\nInsights<\/h2>\n\n\u201cThe true power of AI is in letting it take over the tasks you don\u2019t want to do\u2014so you can focus on what matters most.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\n\u201cTreat AI like a new hire: the more context and clarity you give, the better the output.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\n\u201cHybrid intelligence is about humans and AI collaborating\u2014humans make the decisions, AI gives you superpowers.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\n\u201cDon\u2019t outsource your understanding of AI; learn enough to know what\u2019s possible, so you can lead your team (and not get left behind).\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/section>\n
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