In this conversation, Mike Montague, founder and CEO of Avenue9, discusses how businesses can use AI in a human-first way to improve marketing, sales, and customer relationships. He explains why AI should support people rather than replace them, how strong strategy and context shape better AI results, and why generative AI is only one part of a larger set of tools that includes automation, machine learning, predictive analytics, and answer engine optimization. The discussion also covers practical AI use cases for content creation, sales calls, customer service, podcast repurposing, and business workflows, while highlighting the need for original human thinking at the center of every AI-driven process.

Takeaways

• Human-first AI marketing starts with improving the customer experience, not just saving time.
• AI works best when it supports people like an assistant, rather than replacing full roles.
• Strong strategy must come before AI, because AI can make weak ideas fail faster.
• Context engineering helps AI create better results for a specific business, team, and audience.
• No single AI tool fits every job, so teams need the right mix of tools for each task.
• Generative AI is powerful, but automation, machine learning, and predictive analytics still matter.
• Meeting transcripts, podcast transcripts, and customer service tickets can become rich sources of business insight.
• Answer engine optimization focuses on how people find businesses through AI-driven search and direct questions.
• Original human content gives AI stronger material to repurpose into posts, summaries, keywords, and sales assets.
• Agentic workflows, AI skills, and tools like Claude Cowork may shape the next stage of knowledge work.

Today's guest, Mike Montague , can be found at:

Website: https://avenue9.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikedmontague/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikedmontague/

Your host, Hunter Jensen, can be found online at:

Website: https://www.barefootsolutions.com/

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/hunterjensen/

Keywords

AI marketing, human-first AI, content marketing, sales conversations, customer relationships, strategy, context engineering, generative AI, automation, machine learning, predictive analytics, answer engine optimization, AEO, SEO, LLMs, ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, Grok, Gamma, Whispr Flow, meeting transcripts, podcast transcripts, customer service tickets, trust signals, LLMs.txt, LinkedIn, YouTube, Reddit, Wikipedia, AI search, marketing automation, sales calls, customer success, content repurposing, long-form content, agentic workflows, Claude Cowork, AI skills, Perplexity Sonar, knowledge work

In this episode, entrepreneur Laurent Cohen, founder of GetOblic, shares his journey from the early days of e-commerce and SEO to building an AI company focused on voice AI solutions for small and medium-sized businesses. He explains why trust, not technology, is the biggest challenge when selling AI to SMBs and how GetOblic uses a unique business directory model to demonstrate value before asking customers to pay. The conversation explores the rapid evolution of generative AI, the rise of AI agents as digital coworkers, the limits of current AI systems, and the importance of human judgment in achieving exceptional results. Laurent also discusses transparency in AI, the risks of voice cloning, the future of voice interfaces, and why he believes we are living through one of the most exciting periods in human history.

Takeaways

• GetOblic focuses on voice AI for SMBs and prioritizes building trust before selling subscriptions.
• The company provides free AI-powered business profiles that allow business owners to experience the technology before purchasing.
• Laurent believes the SMB market is one of the largest long-term opportunities for voice AI adoption.
• AI agents should be treated like team members, with clear expectations, processes, and oversight.
• Human judgment remains essential because AI often produces average results without guidance and refinement.
• AI allows entrepreneurs to quickly develop expertise across multiple disciplines and tackle challenges that once required specialized knowledge.
• The biggest limitation for many AI users is not technology, but the quality of their direction and involvement.
• Voice AI is already capable of replacing many traditional call center functions through multilingual support, availability, and scalability.
• Transparency is critical when deploying AI, especially with technologies such as voice cloning, which can undermine customer trust.
• Laurent views AI as a new form of currency that can be exchanged for knowledge, resources, and influence, while amplifying the intentions of the person using it.

Today's guest, Laurent Cohen, can be found at:

Website: https://getoblic.com/?v3=true

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurent-cohen-usa/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GetOblic/

Your host, Hunter Jensen, can be found online at:

Website: https://www.barefootsolutions.com/

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/hunterjensen/

Keywords

Voice AI, Generative AI, AI Agents, Artificial Intelligence, SMB Technology, Small Business Automation, Business Directory, Customer Trust, AI Adoption, Conversational AI, Entrepreneurship, Digital Marketing, E-commerce, SEO, AI Workflows, Human Judgment, Voice Assistants, AI Ethics, Voice Cloning, Transparency, Business Automation, AI Productivity, Agent Management, Social Media Content, AI Strategy, Customer Experience, Call Center Automation, Technology Innovation, Future of Work, AI Integration, Startup Growth, Business Scaling, AI Tools, Machine Learning, Automation Technology, Digital Transformation

In this episode, Greg Grand, CEO of G Squared Advisors, shares how he integrates AI into sales leadership, coaching, and business operations. Drawing on more than three decades of sales experience, Greg explains how his approach evolved from chasing new AI tools to focusing on solving specific business problems. The conversation explores practical AI applications in sales training, role play coaching, meeting analysis, hiring, workflow automation, and productivity. Greg also discusses the future of AI in sales, why consultative selling remains irreplaceable, and how sales professionals can start using AI today to save time, improve performance, and stay competitive in a rapidly changing market.

Takeaways

• Greg Grand transitioned into fractional sales leadership after seeing small and mid-sized businesses struggle to scale without experienced sales management.
• His breakthrough with AI came when he stopped chasing tools and started identifying business problems first.
• AI serves as a brainstorming partner, helping solo consultants and business leaders generate new ideas and challenge assumptions.
• Sales role play training powered by AI can provide personalized coaching, grading, and feedback at scale.
• AI-driven interview analysis helps evaluate candidates for cultural fit, sales skills, and role suitability.
• Meeting transcription and automated summaries save significant administrative time for sales leaders and consultants.
• AI is most effective today in preparation, research, training, documentation, and workflow optimization rather than replacing complex sales conversations.
• High-value consultative sales skills remain difficult to automate because trust, relationships, and human judgment drive buying decisions.
• Entry-level sales development and transactional sales roles face greater disruption from AI than senior consultative sales positions.
• The best way to start with AI is to dedicate regular learning time, follow trusted AI educators, and look for opportunities to save time in daily work activities.

Today's guest, Greg Grand, can be found at:

Website: https://gsquaredadvisors.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greggrand/

Your host, Hunter Jensen, can be found online at:

Website: https://www.barefootsolutions.com/

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/hunterjensen/

Keywords

Artificial Intelligence, AI, Sales Leadership, Fractional CRO, Revenue Growth, Sales Coaching, Sales Training, Role Play Training, Sales Enablement, Business Development, Prospecting, CRM Management, Workflow Automation, Meeting Transcripts, Zoom AI, Custom GPTs, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, ChatHub, AI Agents, Make Automation, Sales Process, Consultative Selling, Sales Strategy, Candidate Assessment, Hiring, Revenue Operations, Productivity, Knowledge Work, Sales Playbooks, Pipeline Management, Lead Generation, B2B Sales, Sales Technology, Business Scaling, Time Management, AI Adoption, Voice AI, Sales Performance, Customer Discovery, Objection Handling, Coaching Frameworks, Automation Tools, LinkedIn Prospecting, Dux-Soup, Sales Operations, Human Connection, Trust Building, Revenue Leadership, AI Workflows, Digital Transformation