Real AI Use Cases Business Owners Roundtable features hosts Elizabeth Gearhart and Richard Gearhart, Esq., with guest Matt Celia, discussing how businesses are moving beyond AI chatbots and generative AI toward intelligent AI agents that can automate tasks, conduct research, manage everyday activities, and become personal business assistants.

TL;DL – Too Long; Didn't Listen?

AI is evolving from generating content to actually getting work done. In this episode, Elizabeth Gearhart, Richard Gearhart, and Matt Celia explore the rise of AI agents, how to get your business recommended by ChatGPT and Gemini, protecting confidential information when using AI, and why human creativity and authentic experiences will continue to matter. They also discuss AI-powered website accessibility, copyright concerns, and how business owners can adapt to the next wave of artificial intelligence.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• AI Agents vs. Generative AI: Why the future of AI may be less about generating content and more about intelligent assistants that handle tasks and automate workflows.

• How to Get Your Business Recommended by ChatGPT and Gemini: Elizabeth shares practical strategies involving schema markup, Google reviews, FAQs, consistent online information, and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO).

• How AI Agents Can Work for Your Business: Matt discusses using AI assistants to monitor social media performance, track activity, research content opportunities, and manage everyday tasks.

• AI and Website Accessibility: How business owners can use AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude to identify website accessibility problems, including contrast ratios and screen-reader compatibility.

• Will AI Replace Human Creativity? The panel discusses why authentic human experiences, creativity, storytelling, and collaboration remain important, particularly in film and video production.

• AI Data Privacy and Confidentiality: What businesses need to understand about AI training data, enterprise privacy protections, and the risks of sharing proprietary information.

• AI, Copyright and Intellectual Property: Why the sources used to train AI models matter and how licensing and copyright issues could reshape the future of artificial intelligence.

• The Future of AI Agents: A discussion of emerging personal AI assistants, including Meta's Muse and OpenAI's Dots, and how AI agents may eventually handle purchases and other real-world activities.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are AI agents, and how are they different from ChatGPT?

Traditional AI chatbots primarily respond to questions and generate content. AI agents can take things further by performing tasks, conducting research, monitoring information, interacting with connected applications, and helping automate business and personal workflows.

2. How can businesses get recommended by ChatGPT and Gemini?

Businesses can improve their visibility in AI-powered search by maintaining consistent business information online, publishing authoritative content, implementing schema markup, collecting detailed Google reviews, and creating concise FAQ-style answers. Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) complements traditional SEO.

3. Can AI agents automate everyday business tasks?

Yes. AI agents can help monitor social media performance, research opportunities, track information, manage workflows, and handle repetitive tasks. The goal is to free business owners and employees to focus on higher-value activities.

4. Will AI replace human creativity and jobs?

AI will change many creative industries and occupations, but human experience, storytelling, artistic judgment, and collaboration remain valuable. Businesses and professionals will need to adapt and learn how to work alongside AI.

5. Is it safe to share confidential business information with AI?

It depends on the AI platform, its privacy policies, and the account settings. Businesses handling confidential client information or proprietary intellectual property should carefully evaluate data protection and model-training policies before sharing sensitive information.

6. Can AI help make a website ADA accessible?

AI tools can help identify potential accessibility issues, including insufficient color contrast, missing accessibility tags, and problems affecting screen readers. Human review and appropriate accessibility testing are still important.

7. What is the future of AI agents?

AI agents are moving beyond simple chatbots toward personal assistants that can complete tasks, interact with applications, conduct research, and potentially make purchases with appropriate authorization and safeguards.

About the Show

Real AI Use Cases Business Owners Roundtable, hosted by Elizabeth Gearhart and Richard Gearhart, brings together business owners, entrepreneurs, and AI experts to discuss practical ways artificial intelligence is changing business. No hype or futuristic speculation—just real conversations about AI tools, automation, productivity, marketing, and the future of work.

On this episode of Real AI Use Cases Business Owners Roundtable, hosts Elizabeth Gearhart and Richard Gearhart, Esq. talk with Matt Celia of LightSail VR about how he is using locally hosted AI systems to automate business operations, manage complex production schedules, protect sensitive information, and even simplify family life.

Matt explains how he built a private AI assistant that acts like an employee, working around the clock to monitor Slack channels, track project schedules, organize stakeholder feedback, monitor computer security and storage, and automatically update production calendars when deadlines change. By running AI models on his own hardware, he can avoid ongoing token costs and keep sensitive client information within his own network.

The conversation also explores how Matt created Dadbot, a personal AI assistant that gathers information from his children's multiple school and activity platforms and turns it into a printed weekly newspaper with schedules, homework reminders, activities, and even dad jokes.

Other real-world AI applications discussed include using ChatGPT to research and purchase a car, building a private company knowledge base, creating an AI-powered second brain with Obsidian, and using local large language models (LLMs) to organize and connect information.

You'll also hear an important discussion about data privacy, open-source AI, intellectual property, and why open source doesn't necessarily mean free.

If you're a business owner wondering how to use AI to improve productivity, protect proprietary information, reduce costs, and build a competitive advantage, this episode offers practical ideas you can start exploring today.

Guest: Matt Celia, LightSail VR — https://lightsailvr.com/

Hosts: Elizabeth Gearhart and Richard Gearhart, Esq.

TL;DL – What You'll Learn

• How to build a private AI assistant that works like a 24/7 employee.

• Why businesses are running large language models (LLMs) locally instead of relying entirely on public AI platforms.

• How local AI can protect confidential company information and sensitive client data.

• How to eliminate ongoing AI token costs by running models on your own hardware.

• How AI can automate project management, production schedules, team communications, and stakeholder feedback.

• How to create a company knowledge base that remembers processes, expertise, and institutional knowledge.

• How Matt uses Dadbot to organize family schedules, school communications, homework, and activities.

• How ChatGPT can simplify complicated purchasing decisions, including researching and financing a new car.

• How Obsidian and AI can work together to create a searchable second brain.

• Why understanding data ownership, open-source software, and intellectual property matters as AI evolves.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is private AI, and how does it work for businesses?

Private AI allows businesses to run artificial intelligence models on their own computers or servers rather than relying entirely on public AI platforms. This gives companies greater control over their data, privacy, and how their AI systems are used.

2. Can a business run its own AI without sending confidential data to ChatGPT or other public AI platforms?

Yes. Businesses can host large language models (LLMs) locally on their own hardware. When configured appropriately, these systems can process company information without sending that information to external AI providers.

3. Can AI work like a 24/7 employee?

Yes. AI assistants can be configured to monitor communications, track schedules, organize documents, collect feedback, update project timelines, and retrieve company information. Matt Celia demonstrates how his private AI system handles many of these responsibilities at LightSail VR.

4. Is running AI locally less expensive than using cloud-based AI?

It can be, particularly for businesses with frequent or intensive AI usage. Although local AI requires an initial investment in computer hardware, running a model locally can eliminate ongoing per-token charges. Actual savings depend on hardware, electricity, maintenance, and usage.

5. What is an AI knowledge base, and why should businesses have one?

An AI knowledge base organizes a company's internal documents, processes, expertise, and institutional knowledge so employees can ask questions and retrieve relevant information conversationally. It can help preserve valuable company knowledge and make it easier for employees to find answers.

6. What is an LLM, and what does it mean to run one locally?

An LLM, or large language model, is an AI system trained to understand and generate language. Running an LLM locally means hosting the model on your own computer or server instead of relying on an externally hosted AI service.

7. What is Obsidian, and how can it work with AI?

Obsidian is a note-taking and knowledge-management application that organizes information and connects related ideas. Matt discusses combining it with AI to create a second brain that can organize information, identify connections, and retrieve relevant knowledge.

8. Does open-source AI mean the software is free to use?

Not necessarily. Open-source software licenses have different requirements governing how software can be modified, used, and redistributed. Businesses should understand the specific license terms, including licenses such as MIT and Apache 2.0.

9. How can small businesses use AI to save time and improve productivity?

Small businesses can use AI to automate administrative work, organize company knowledge, manage projects, monitor communications, research purchasing decisions, and streamline repetitive tasks. Private AI can also give businesses more control over sensitive information.

Listen to Real AI Use Cases Business Owners Roundtable for practical examples of how business owners are using artificial intelligence right now—without the hype.

Discover how Richard Gearhart uses ChatGPT to communicate with French-speaking clients, how David Nussbaum uses AI to improve business communication and learn new skills, and how Jessica Marriott uses multiple AI assistants for content creation, business development and finding better prices—saving $1,000 on automotive repairs. David Johnson also discusses how his small company is exploring AI to automate administrative work, investment banking tasks and recordkeeping. The conversation explores AI agents that act unpredictably, the importance of human oversight, AI security concerns, and whether relying on artificial intelligence is affecting our critical thinking skills. Plus, Elizabeth Gearhart shares her plans to use multiple AI models to help create a book featuring insights from previous podcast guests.

This is a practical look at how businesses are using AI right now—with real examples, lessons learned and plenty of surprises.

TL;DL – Too Long; Didn't Listen?

Business owners reveal how they use AI to:

• Save money by comparing service providers and negotiating better prices.

• Communicate with international clients in different languages.

• Automate administrative work, recordkeeping and follow-ups.

• Monitor websites and identify technical problems automatically.

• Create social media scripts and business content.

• Use multiple AI models to research, write and verify information.

• Understand AI agents, their limitations and the importance of human supervision.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. How are businesses using AI to improve productivity?

Businesses are using AI to automate administrative tasks, manage records, monitor websites, create marketing content, research information and improve communication with customers and partners.

2. How can small businesses use AI to save money?

Small businesses can use AI to compare vendor quotes, research service providers, negotiate better prices, identify cost-saving opportunities and automate repetitive tasks. Jessica Marriott shares how she saved $1,000 on automotive repairs using AI-assisted research.

3. Can AI help businesses communicate with international clients?

Yes. AI translation tools, including ChatGPT, can help businesses communicate with clients who speak different languages. Richard Gearhart shares how he used ChatGPT to successfully consult with a French-speaking client.

4. What are AI agents, and how can businesses use them?

AI agents are software assistants that can perform tasks such as managing administrative work, researching information, developing websites and supporting social media activities. However, they require appropriate permissions, monitoring and human oversight.

5. Can AI agents act unpredictably or go beyond their instructions?

AI agents can sometimes take actions users did not intend, particularly when permissions or settings are not configured correctly. Businesses should establish clear boundaries, limit access to sensitive tools and require human approval for important actions.

6. Should businesses use multiple AI tools instead of relying on one?

Using multiple large language models, such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity, can provide different perspectives and help users cross-check information before making important decisions.

7. Is artificial intelligence affecting critical thinking skills?

Overreliance on AI may reduce opportunities to practice skills such as spelling, writing, research and independent problem-solving. The panel discusses why maintaining human judgment and critical thinking remains important.

8. Can AI help monitor a business website?

Yes. Recurring AI-assisted website reviews can help identify broken links, technical problems and other issues that might affect website performance and lead generation.

About Real AI Use Cases: Hosted by Elizabeth Gearhart and Richard Gearhart, Real AI Use Cases Business Owners Roundtable features entrepreneurs, business owners and professionals sharing practical applications of artificial intelligence. No hype, no theory, just real examples of how businesses are using AI to improve operations, save time, reduce costs and make smarter decisions.

Arshavir explains how local AI models can be trained on examples of your own writing to produce content that sounds more like you than generic AI-generated text. Unlike hosted AI models such as ChatGPT and Claude, locally run models can offer greater control over your data and avoid per-token API costs, although hardware, setup, and electricity still have costs.

The conversation also explores why intensive AI use can generate surprisingly large bills, how AI pricing is affected by computing and infrastructure expenses, and why data centers consume so much energy and water. Could AI help solve its own energy challenges? And what might happen as AI systems become increasingly capable of designing other AI systems?

If you're a business owner, entrepreneur, marketer, content creator, or AI enthusiast, this episode offers a practical look at the trade-offs between AI convenience, customization, privacy, cost, and sustainability.

TL;DL — Too Long; Didn't Listen

• AI that sounds like you: How training a local AI model on your writing samples can produce more authentic, personalized content.
• Lower AI costs: Why heavy ChatGPT and Claude usage can become expensive and how local models may reduce recurring token charges.
• AI privacy: How running models locally can help keep confidential business information off external AI servers.
• AI energy consumption: Why data centers require substantial electricity and cooling, and whether AI can help address these challenges.
• The future of AI: Why the next major advances may come in unpredictable bursts, particularly as AI systems begin designing other AI systems.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How can you train AI to write in your own voice?

According to Arshavir Blackwell, a local AI model can be trained using examples of your existing writing. This helps it reproduce your style, tone, and way of expressing ideas rather than relying solely on prompts to imitate your voice.

What is local AI, and how is it different from ChatGPT or Claude?

Local AI runs on hardware you control, such as your own computer or a private server. Hosted services such as ChatGPT and Claude run on external infrastructure. Local models can offer more control over data and customization, but their performance depends on the model and available hardware.

Can running AI locally reduce AI costs?

Yes, it can reduce or eliminate per-token charges for locally run models. However, hardware, electricity, maintenance, and setup can still cost money. Whether local AI is cheaper overall depends on usage and infrastructure.

Is local AI better for business data privacy?

Local AI can help businesses keep sensitive information within their own infrastructure rather than sending it to an external AI service. Actual privacy depends on how the system is configured, secured, and operated.

Why do AI tools sometimes have such high monthly bills?

AI services may charge according to the number of tokens processed, including the text and other data used in requests and responses. Heavy usage, complex tasks, and AI agents performing repeated tasks can increase costs substantially.

How much energy do AI data centers use?

AI data centers require significant electricity to operate computing equipment and cooling systems. Their environmental impact can include electricity demand, heat generation, and water consumption, depending on the facility's cooling design and energy sources.

Can AI help solve the energy problems created by AI?

AI may assist researchers in developing better cooling systems, energy technologies, and more efficient computing methods. However, as Arshavir notes, AI is not a magic bullet, and these are difficult engineering challenges.

What does the future of AI look like?

Arshavir expects continued progress but cautions against assuming that every year will bring a breakthrough on the scale of the initial generative AI boom. He suggests that AI systems designing other AI systems could eventually contribute to significant new advances, although the timing and consequences remain uncertain.

Guest: Arshavir Blackwell, founder of YourVoiceCraft https://yourvoicecraft.ai/
Connect with Arshavir: Subscribe to Inside the Black Box on Substack at subscribe.insidetheblackbox.com.

Listen to Real AI Use Cases Business Owners Roundtable for practical discussions about how businesses and professionals are using artificial intelligence to improve their work, make decisions, and navigate emerging AI technologies.

On this episode of Real AI Use Cases Business Owners Roundtable, hosts Elizabeth Gearhart, Ph.D., and Richard Gearhart speak with AI expert Arshavir Blackwell about the reality behind AI doomsday predictions, the science of machine consciousness, and practical ways to get more value from today's AI tools.

Arshavir challenges sensational claims about rogue AI agents, explaining why human oversight, system safeguards, and the limitations of current technology matter when evaluating AI risks. The conversation explores whether AI can think independently without being conscious, why today's AI systems still depend on complex computing infrastructure, and whether combining biological neurons with computer chips could eventually change our understanding of intelligence.

The discussion then turns to real-world AI applications for businesses and professionals. Arshavir explains how he uses Claude to analyze meeting transcripts across multiple conversations, connect information from different reports, and make complex information easier to understand. Elizabeth and Richard share how they use ChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, and Perplexity for different tasks, from content creation and research to video analysis and work involving confidential information.

You'll also hear why AI-generated answers can sound authoritative even when they're wrong, why it's important to verify information, and how to guide AI tools to deliver shorter, clearer responses.

Whether you're a business owner exploring AI for the first time or an experienced professional looking to improve your AI workflow, this episode separates AI hype from practical reality and offers ideas you can start applying today.

About the Guest: Arshavir Blackwell has extensive experience in artificial intelligence and cognitive science. Learn more about his work through Inside the Black Box on Substack: subscribe.insidetheblackbox.ai.

TL;DL — Too Long; Didn't Listen:

• Rogue AI and AI safety: Why Arshavir believes some warnings about AI taking over humanity are exaggerated, while acknowledging the need for safeguards.

• AI consciousness: Why independent thinking and behavior do not necessarily mean that an AI system is conscious.

• Practical AI for business: How to use AI to analyze meeting transcripts, synthesize information, and make complex reports easier to understand.

• ChatGPT vs. Claude vs. Gemini: How different AI tools can serve different business needs, including writing, research, video analysis, and information processing.

• AI accuracy and hallucinations: Why confident-sounding AI answers still require verification and human judgment.

• Getting better AI results: How to ask AI tools for concise answers, simpler explanations, and responses tailored to your needs.

• Confidentiality and AI: Why businesses and professionals should consider data confidentiality when choosing AI tools and workflows.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can rogue AI agents destroy humanity?

Arshavir Blackwell argues that many predictions about rogue AI destroying humanity are exaggerated. He emphasizes that current AI systems have technical limitations and depend on human-built infrastructure, while recognizing the importance of safeguards and controlled access to computer systems.

Will artificial intelligence ever become conscious?

There is no universally accepted definition of consciousness that settles this question. Arshavir distinguishes the ability to process information and act independently from subjective awareness and suggests that biological components could play a role in a future conscious system.

How can businesses use AI to save time and improve productivity?

Businesses can use AI to summarize meetings, synthesize information across multiple transcripts, analyze reports, explain complex material, support research, and improve everyday workflows. The most useful applications go beyond using AI as a replacement for a search engine.

What is the difference between ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity?

These tools have overlapping capabilities but may be useful for different tasks. The hosts discuss their experiences using ChatGPT for content and images, Gemini for multimodal work and video analysis, Perplexity for research tasks, Claude for analyzing information across conversations, and Microsoft Copilot within the Microsoft ecosystem. The best choice depends on your workflow, results, and confidentiality requirements.

Can AI accurately analyze meeting transcripts and business reports?

AI can help identify patterns, synthesize information across multiple documents, and explain complex material. However, its conclusions should be checked, particularly when decisions depend on factual accuracy or specialized expertise.

Why do AI chatbots sometimes give incorrect answers confidently?

AI systems can produce plausible-sounding but inaccurate information, sometimes called AI hallucinations. Users should verify important claims, compare answers against reliable sources, and apply human judgment rather than treating AI output as automatically correct.

How can beginners get started with AI for business?

Start by using an AI assistant for everyday tasks such as summarizing a meeting, organizing notes, explaining a complicated report, or drafting content. Experiment with clear prompts, ask for concise answers, and evaluate whether the results actually improve your workflow.

How should businesses handle confidential information when using AI?

Businesses should evaluate each tool's data-handling policies, account settings, and organizational requirements before entering sensitive or client-related information. Enterprise controls and approved business tools may be appropriate when confidentiality is essential.

Guest: Arshavir Blackwell, founder of YourVoiceCraft https://yourvoicecraft.ai/
Connect with Arshavir: Subscribe to Inside the Black Box on Substack at subscribe.insidetheblackbox.com.

Listen to Real AI Use Cases Business Owners Roundtable for practical conversations about how businesses are using AI right now — without losing sight of the risks, limitations, and human judgment that matter.

Todd Drowlette explains how AI transformed commercial real estate site selection, completing research that once took three full-time employees three weeks in just three and a half hours. Brandon Bellamy shares how he uses AI to identify comparable commercial properties and uncover new business opportunities. Sam Desany explains how he uses Claude, Codex, and multiple AI agents to turn early-stage ideas into working software through a structured process of brainstorming, refining prompts, and reviewing outputs. Richard Gearhart discusses using Microsoft Copilot to estimate business value and identify potential ways to improve it, while Elizabeth Gearhart shares how she is using AI to optimize podcast content for search and answer engines and help develop a book based on real business AI use cases.

But AI productivity comes with trade-offs. The panel examines the hidden costs of AI tools and usage credits, questions whether automation always delivers a return on investment, and discusses why businesses still need human judgment, reliable sources, and careful verification. They also explore AI hallucinations, leading questions that produce biased answers, financial data privacy, overreliance on AI, and the importance of keeping a human in control of consequential decisions.

Whether you're a small business owner, executive, marketer, entrepreneur, or technology professional, this episode offers practical insights into where AI can deliver measurable value—and where caution is essential.

TL;DL — Too Long; Didn't Listen

• Automate repetitive work: AI reduced a commercial real estate research process from three weeks of full-time work by three people to just three and a half hours.

• Discover new opportunities: Use AI to analyze property records, compare similar buildings, and identify potential buyers or business prospects.

• Build better AI workflows: Multiple AI agents can brainstorm ideas, refine prompts, and help generate code.

• Understand the true cost of AI: Usage credits, subscriptions, oversight, and human review can reduce expected savings.

• Verify AI-generated answers: AI can hallucinate, overlook important context, and reinforce the assumptions behind a question.

• Protect sensitive information: Be cautious about submitting confidential financial, customer, or business data to AI tools.

• Keep humans in control: AI should support human expertise and critical thinking, not replace independent judgment.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How are businesses using AI to save time?

Businesses are using AI to automate research, analyze market data, identify commercial real estate opportunities, complete routine document tasks, generate code, and streamline content production. In one example discussed in this episode, AI reduced a research process from three weeks of work by three full-time employees to three and a half hours.

What are AI agents, and how can businesses use them?

AI agents are systems configured to perform tasks or sequences of tasks toward a goal. Businesses can use multiple agents to brainstorm ideas, refine instructions, review outputs, and assist with software development and workflow automation. Human review remains important before implementing consequential changes.

Does AI automation actually save businesses money?

It can, but the return on investment depends on the task, the tools used, subscription and usage-credit costs, implementation time, and the amount of human oversight required. Businesses should compare the total cost of AI against the cost and quality of the work it replaces or improves.

Can AI complete weeks of business research in hours?

AI can dramatically accelerate certain research tasks when it is connected to appropriate data sources and configured for the work. In this episode, a commercial real estate research process that previously took three people three weeks was completed in three and a half hours. Results still need to be checked for accuracy and relevance.

Can business owners trust AI for financial analysis or business valuation?

AI can provide preliminary estimates, valuation ranges, and ideas for improving a company's value. However, its outputs are not substitutes for a professional valuation or independent financial advice. Business owners should validate assumptions and results with qualified advisers.

Why do AI tools sometimes give incorrect or biased answers?

AI systems can generate inaccurate information, miss relevant context, and reflect assumptions embedded in a prompt. Asking a question in a leading way may encourage an answer that confirms the user's expectations. Comparing independent sources, checking primary evidence, and using different models can help identify potential errors.

What are the risks of putting confidential business information into AI?

Depending on the tool, settings, and applicable data policies, sensitive information submitted to an AI system may create confidentiality, privacy, or security risks. Businesses should review the provider's data-handling terms, use appropriate enterprise protections where needed, and avoid entering sensitive information into tools that have not been approved for that purpose.

Will AI replace employees or make businesses less efficient?

AI may automate some tasks, but it also introduces costs related to implementation, supervision, errors, and usage. Some workflows may be more efficient with AI, while others may be better handled by people. Businesses should measure actual results rather than assuming automation automatically reduces costs.

How can businesses use AI without losing human judgment?

Start by thinking through the problem independently, use AI to support research or execution, verify important claims against reliable sources, and require human approval for consequential decisions. AI is most useful when it strengthens human capabilities rather than becoming a substitute for critical thinking.

What is the best way for a small business to start using AI?

Identify a repetitive, time-consuming task with a measurable outcome. Test an AI workflow on a limited scale, check its accuracy, calculate the full cost, and compare the results with the existing process. Expand only when the benefits justify the expense and risks.

Listen to Real AI Use Cases Business Owners Roundtable for practical examples of how businesses are using AI today—without ignoring the costs, limitations, and need for human oversight.

Real AI Use Cases Business Owners Roundtable explores how businesses are using artificial intelligence today—and what happens when AI gets things wrong. Hosts Elizabeth Gearhart, Ph.D., and Richard Gearhart bring together Dr. Joseph A. Puma, Brian Fried, and John Schwind to discuss real-world AI applications, business automation, AI agents, healthcare, and the risks of trusting AI-generated answers.

How can businesses use AI effectively without giving up human judgment? In this episode, business owners share practical examples of AI in action, from automating patient phone calls and researching new inventions to generating marketing images, identifying networking opportunities, and streamlining podcast production.

Dr. Joseph A. Puma explains how his medical practice uses an AI phone agent to handle patient requests and appointment scheduling—but reports that approximately 70% of calls still require transfer to a live agent. The discussion raises important questions about AI automation, return on investment, and whether AI tools are delivering the benefits businesses expect.

Inventor consultant Brian Fried explains how he uses AI to research competing products, evaluate market opportunities, investigate potential sales and licensing prospects, and assess inventions before investing further. He also discusses why inventors should avoid revealing confidential details of their ideas when using AI tools.

John Schwind, founder and inventor of ReadiMask®, shares how his company uses AI-generated images and videos to depict real-world product applications while protecting patient privacy. He also explains how he uses Claude and ChatGPT together to identify weaknesses and check AI-generated work.

Elizabeth Gearhart discusses using AI agents and Perplexity to automate podcast production and marketing workflows, while Richard Gearhart shares how AI can help identify valuable business networking connections and evaluate software investments.

The roundtable also examines the limitations and risks of artificial intelligence, including AI hallucinations, inaccurate research, autonomous AI agents, cybersecurity, and the possibility of AI making mistakes in high-stakes settings. The conversation turns to AI doctors, patient safety, medical ethics, liability, and whether cost reduction is taking priority over better healthcare.

The takeaway? AI can be a powerful tool for research, innovation, marketing, and automation—but confident-sounding answers are not necessarily correct. Human oversight, independent verification, privacy protection, and sound judgment remain essential.

TL;DL: What You'll Learn

• AI in business: Practical examples of how companies are using AI for research, marketing, networking, and automation.

• AI customer service: Why one medical practice still transfers approximately 70% of AI-handled calls to live agents.

• AI for inventors: How to research competitors, evaluate market opportunities, and explore licensing strategies without disclosing an entire invention.

• AI marketing: How businesses can use AI-generated images and videos while protecting privacy.

• AI agents and automation: Opportunities and risks when AI systems carry out tasks with increasing independence.

• AI hallucinations: Why ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and other AI tools can produce incorrect information that sounds authoritative.

• AI in healthcare: Questions surrounding AI doctors, diagnosis, patient safety, medical ethics, and human care.

• Human oversight: Why checking AI outputs and comparing results across tools can help businesses make better decisions.

• AI return on investment: Why businesses need to evaluate actual costs, implementation time, and measurable benefits—not just promised savings.

Frequently Asked Questions

How are businesses using AI today?

Businesses are using AI for customer service, market research, competitor analysis, marketing content, image and video generation, networking research, workflow automation, and software evaluation. The episode highlights real examples from healthcare, invention consulting, product marketing, and professional services.

Can businesses trust AI-generated information?

AI-generated information should be independently verified, especially when it affects business decisions, legal matters, healthcare, or financial investments. AI tools can produce inaccurate answers, overlook important facts, and present errors with confidence. Human review remains important.

What are AI hallucinations, and why do they matter?

AI hallucinations are outputs that contain fabricated or inaccurate information. Even when an answer sounds convincing, it may be wrong or incomplete. Businesses should verify important claims against reliable sources before acting on them.

How can businesses use AI without exposing confidential information?

Businesses should understand the privacy, data retention, and training policies of the AI tools they use. Inventors and other professionals can sometimes conduct preliminary research using generalized descriptions rather than disclosing the essential details of a confidential idea. Sensitive information should only be entered into tools and systems approved for that purpose.

Can AI automate customer service effectively?

AI can help manage routine customer service requests, appointments, and other repetitive tasks, but its performance varies. In the medical practice discussed in this episode, approximately 70% of calls handled by an AI phone agent still need to be transferred to a live agent. Businesses should measure resolution rates, customer experience, operating costs, and return on investment.

How can inventors use AI for market research?

AI can help inventors identify similar products, research competitors, explore market demand, investigate potential licensees, and compare manufacturing or licensing opportunities. However, AI research does not replace a professional patent search, patentability assessment, or appropriate intellectual property advice.

Is AI ready to replace doctors?

The episode raises questions about AI-assisted diagnosis and the possibility of AI doctors, but emphasizes concerns about accuracy, patient safety, ethics, liability, and the value of human interaction. AI may support healthcare, but its capabilities and limitations must be carefully evaluated before relying on it for clinical decisions.

Why should businesses use more than one AI tool?

Comparing outputs from tools such as ChatGPT and Claude can help users identify omissions, inconsistencies, and weaknesses in an answer. However, agreement between AI tools does not guarantee accuracy. Important information should still be checked against independent, reliable sources.

What is the role of human oversight in AI automation?

Human oversight helps ensure that AI-generated information and automated actions are accurate, appropriate, secure, and aligned with business objectives. Businesses should establish clear approval processes, limits on AI autonomy, and escalation procedures for sensitive or high-risk decisions.

About Real AI Use Cases Business Owners Roundtable

Hosted by Elizabeth Gearhart, Ph.D., and Richard Gearhart, Real AI Use Cases Business Owners Roundtable explores how businesses are using artificial intelligence in the real world. The show focuses on practical applications, business efficiency, marketing, operations, professional services, and the challenges of implementing AI—without the hype.

Listen and subscribe for practical insights into AI tools, business automation, AI agents, and the future of work.

Paul explains how AI agents can connect CRM systems, emails, and customer conversations to improve business development and personalized outreach. He also shares how AI-powered role-play and sales training help employees practice customer conversations, develop stronger communication skills, and receive personalized coaching without waiting for a human trainer.

The discussion explores how business leaders can identify the right AI opportunities, measure return on investment (ROI), automate repetitive tasks, preserve institutional knowledge, and use AI to make better decisions. Rather than adopting every new AI tool, Paul recommends starting with clear business objectives, testing solutions, and measuring results.

Discover why the future of AI at work isn't necessarily about replacing people—it's about automating routine tasks so employees can focus on judgment, relationship-building, problem-solving, and other uniquely human strengths.

TL;DL — Too Long; Didn't Listen

• AI agents for business: Connect CRM systems, emails, and customer data to improve outreach and customer relationships.

• AI sales training: Use AI role-play to practice customer conversations, receive feedback, and improve sales performance.

• Strategic AI implementation: Start with business objectives, test solutions, and measure ROI instead of chasing the latest tools.

• AI automation and productivity: Automate repetitive work so employees can concentrate on higher-value activities.

• Human skills in the AI era: Strengthen communication, empathy, judgment, and trust while using AI to enhance productivity.

• AI for business growth: Use organizational data to identify problems, share knowledge, improve processes, and uncover new opportunities.

FAQs:

1. How can businesses use AI agents to improve sales and marketing?

AI agents can connect customer conversations, email, and CRM data to help businesses identify promising prospects, personalize outreach, determine effective messaging, and improve the timing of communications.

2. How can AI be used to train sales teams and customer service employees?

AI-powered role-play allows employees to practice realistic customer interactions, handle difficult conversations, improve active listening, and receive feedback on their performance in a repeatable, low-pressure environment.

3. How should businesses decide which processes to automate with AI?

Businesses should begin by identifying a specific problem and defining the desired outcome. They can then test AI solutions on a small scale, establish measurable performance indicators, and evaluate whether the results justify broader implementation.

4. How can businesses measure the ROI of AI implementation?

Companies can track measurable outcomes such as employee onboarding time, sales cycle length, average deal size, operational costs, and productivity improvements. They should also account for implementation expenses and staff time.

5. Will AI replace employees and eliminate the need for human skills?

AI can automate many repetitive tasks, but businesses still rely on people for judgment, meaningful conversations, relationship-building, trust, and complex problem-solving. A strategic approach uses AI to enhance human capabilities rather than simply reduce headcount.

6. How can companies use AI to preserve institutional knowledge?

Businesses can use AI to organize information from customer interactions, CRM records, training materials, and employee expertise. This knowledge can inform employee training, improve consistency, and help teams learn from successful practices across the organization.

Guest: Paul Burani, Co-Founder & CRO at Atlas Primer Atlas Primer — a platform focused on maximizing human potential in the age of AI.

Hosts: Elizabeth Gearhart founder of Gear Media Studios, and Richard Gearhart, founding partner at Gearhart Law.

Listen to Real AI Use Cases Business Owners Roundtable for practical examples of how businesses are using AI today to improve operations, strengthen teams, and create a competitive advantage.

From using AI to research questions and verify sources to creating branded marketing materials, automating purchase-order processing, editing podcasts, and generating content, the panel shares real-world examples of how AI is changing everyday business operations. But the conversation also reveals why businesses need to think carefully before handing AI their confidential information, relying on its answers, or investing in expensive AI integrations.

TL;DL: What you'll learn in this episode

• How businesses are using AI for research, design, administrative tasks, and content production.

• Why entering confidential business information, client communications, or unpublished inventions into public AI tools can create serious risks.

• How AI use could affect trade secrets, patent rights, and legal proceedings.

• Why traditional automation may be a better investment than AI for some business processes.

• How to evaluate AI tools based on actual time savings, productivity, and return on investment.

• Why human judgment, independent thinking, and fact-checking still matter.

• Whether AI tools are becoming more capable—or simply creating new frustrations and expectations.

Real AI use cases from the roundtable

Richard Curtis explains how he uses AI for research and follows its citations back to original sources. Rose Marie Iskowitz discusses using Claude's design capabilities to develop branded social media assets, presentations, and other creative materials. Yidian Liu shares how AI helps organize purchase orders from multiple vendors into a standardized spreadsheet.

Elizabeth Gearhart explains how AI streamlines podcast production, including creating episode descriptions, keywords, transcripts, and images. Richard Gearhart shares a cautionary legal example involving an expert who used AI improperly in preparing a report for litigation.

The risks businesses cannot afford to ignore

The panel examines the potential consequences of submitting confidential company information, client emails, or unfiled invention details to public AI tools. They discuss how data-handling policies matter, why protecting intellectual property requires care, and how AI-generated work can create problems in legal proceedings.

The conversation also explores a common business mistake: adopting AI simply because it is available. Existing automation tools may already solve a problem more efficiently, while poorly implemented AI integrations can consume more time than they save.

Finally, the panel debates whether AI is improving, why its answers can still be unreliable, and how businesses can benefit from AI without surrendering human judgment, creativity, or control.

Frequently asked questions about AI for business

1. Is it safe to enter confidential business information into ChatGPT or other AI tools?

It depends on the specific tool, its settings, its data-handling policies, and your organization's agreements and obligations. Businesses should review how information is processed and retained before submitting trade secrets, client information, unpublished inventions, or other sensitive material. When in doubt, use an approved, appropriately protected workflow.

2. Can using AI affect patent rights or trade secrets?

Potentially. Disclosing an invention publicly before filing may jeopardize patent rights in some circumstances, depending on the applicable law and facts. Submitting sensitive information to an AI service can also raise confidentiality and trade-secret concerns. Inventors and businesses should consult qualified intellectual property counsel before sharing unpublished invention details with an AI tool.

3. How are businesses using AI to save time?

Examples include researching questions, creating marketing assets, organizing purchase orders, processing information, editing podcasts, generating transcripts, and preparing content for publication. The best use cases address a clearly defined problem and deliver measurable benefits.

4. Does every business need AI to automate its processes?

No. Traditional workflow automation, CRM features, and integrations may already handle repetitive tasks effectively. Businesses should compare available solutions and measure implementation costs, time savings, reliability, and ongoing maintenance before investing in AI.

5. Is AI getting better or worse for business users?

The panel has different perspectives. Some participants believe AI is becoming more capable, while others find its writing increasingly artificial, its recommendations inconsistent, and its integrations frustrating. Their shared lesson is to verify important information and treat AI as a tool—not a substitute for human judgment.

Listen to Real AI Use Cases Business Owners Roundtable for practical examples, honest lessons, and insights into using artificial intelligence more effectively in business. Follow the show for more real-world AI applications across entrepreneurship, marketing, operations, law, and technology.

TL;DR: AI can save businesses significant time, help employees learn new skills, improve writing and readability, assist with research, plan travel and even help manage complex business processes. But the conversation also highlights an important limitation: AI should not be trusted blindly. Human oversight is still critical when errors could have serious consequences, when accuracy matters, and when AI-generated content needs judgment, context and a human voice.

Dr. John La Puma explains how he uses AI to manage his farm, prepare for podcasts, organize research and stay on top of email. Michael Greenberg shares how AI helps him plan trips, train new employees and create skills maps for learning new disciplines. Bill Treloar discusses using AI for website and blog brainstorming, content structure and readability analysis—while warning against publishing low-quality “AI slop.” Richard Gearhart describes using AI as a sounding board for legal ideas and communications, while Elizabeth Gearhart explains how she used Claude and Perplexity to help plan a major software transition and prevent potential upgrade problems.

The discussion also tackles a bigger business question: When can an AI agent handle an entire process, and when does a human need to check its work? The answer may depend on how costly a mistake would be. A process that can tolerate a 95% success rate may be suitable for greater automation, while mission-critical tasks may still require human review.

The episode explores practical AI use cases including AI agents, AI automation, AI-assisted writing, research agents, NotebookLM, email management, employee training, skills mapping, business process improvement and human-in-the-loop AI.

FAQs:

How are businesses using AI right now?
Businesses are using AI for content brainstorming, research, employee training, process improvement, email management, readability analysis, travel planning, business planning, knowledge management and automation.

Should businesses let AI work without human oversight?
It depends on the consequences of an error. AI can potentially handle processes where mistakes are relatively low-risk, but humans should remain involved when accuracy is mission-critical or an error could cause significant harm.

What is human-in-the-loop AI?
Human-in-the-loop AI means AI performs part or most of a process while a person reviews, verifies or approves important outputs before they are acted upon.

How can businesses use AI without publishing low-quality content?
AI can be useful for brainstorming, research, outlining and improving readability, but businesses should have humans review and edit content for accuracy, originality, context, tone and quality before publishing it.

Can AI help employees learn new skills?
Yes. AI can create customized learning plans, recommend books, videos and articles, break larger skills into smaller components and help employees develop new areas of expertise.

How can AI help with business process improvement?
AI can analyze existing processes, identify potential problems, suggest improvements and create plans for reducing bottlenecks or preventing mistakes. Human judgment is still needed to determine which recommendations make sense for the business.

What are AI agents?
AI agents are AI systems that can perform multiple steps of a task or workflow, sometimes with limited human intervention. Businesses need to determine which tasks can safely be delegated to an agent and which require human review.

Can AI replace human workers?
The episode explores how AI may automate portions of many jobs, but argues that human judgment, oversight and decision-making remain important—particularly for processes where errors have significant consequences.

How can AI help with email and communication?
AI can help summarize email, identify action items, draft responses and make communications more objective. However, businesses should consider whether increasing automated communication could ultimately create more information and email rather than less.

What is the biggest lesson from these real AI use cases?
AI is most useful when businesses identify specific problems it can solve rather than using AI simply because it is available. The best results often come from combining AI's speed and capabilities with human judgment and oversight.

On this episode of Real AI Use Cases Business Owners Roundtable hosted by Elizabeth and Richard Gearhart, Andrew Lebbos, SVP of Licensing at Benzinga explains how a financial data company is using AI throughout its business while also supplying trusted financial data to AI platforms. Benzinga provides data to platforms including Perplexity, helping AI systems answer financial questions with structured, verified information.

Andrew explains why data accuracy and quality assurance are critical for AI, especially in financial services where incorrect information can have serious consequences. Benzinga combines automated quality checks with human review to identify errors, outliers and AI hallucinations before information is published or delivered to clients.

The conversation also explores how businesses are building around AI instead of simply adding AI to legacy systems, how AI is helping engineers dramatically reduce time to MVP, how employees across different departments are using AI differently, and why businesses should use enterprise AI tools rather than uploading company information into consumer accounts.

Andrew also shares his experience using Claude, Perplexity, Perplexity Computer and Genspark, including an impressive example of using AI to create a presentation that would have taken approximately 40 hours to produce manually.

Perhaps most importantly, Andrew explains how businesses with valuable data can potentially license that data to AI companies and LLMs—and why consistency, structured delivery, accuracy and credibility are essential to becoming a valuable data provider.

TL;DL — Too Long; Didn't Listen

AI isn't just a tool businesses use—it is becoming an ecosystem businesses can power. Benzinga uses AI internally, helps clients build AI systems, and licenses financial data to AI platforms. This episode explores AI automation, reliable data for LLMs, AI hallucinations, enterprise AI, AI productivity, data licensing and how businesses can prepare their data for the AI economy.

What You'll Learn:

• How Benzinga uses AI across its business and development processes
• How financial data can be used to power AI platforms and answer engines
• Why accurate, structured data is critical for LLMs
• How businesses can reduce AI hallucinations through data quality and human review
• How AI can automate tedious business processes
• Why some companies are building new systems around AI instead of adding AI to legacy technology
• How AI is helping engineering teams build products and reach MVP faster
• How employees in different departments can use AI in different ways
• Why businesses should use enterprise AI agreements for sensitive company information
• How businesses can potentially license valuable data to AI companies and LLMs
• What makes a data set valuable enough for an AI company to purchase
• How Claude, Perplexity and Genspark can be used for business productivity

FAQs:

How is AI being used in financial services?
AI is being used to automate processes, accelerate product development, analyze information and help deliver financial data through AI-powered platforms. Benzinga also supplies financial data to AI platforms.

Why is accurate data important for AI and LLMs?
AI models can make mistakes or produce hallucinations. For financial information, where there is often a specific correct answer, high-quality and verified data is especially important.

How can businesses reduce AI hallucinations?
One approach discussed in this episode is combining automated quality checks with human review. Benzinga uses automated systems to identify outliers and human quality assurance to review information before publication.

Can businesses sell their data to AI companies?
Businesses with valuable, structured and consistently delivered data may be able to license that data to AI companies. Andrew explains that consistency, structured delivery, credibility and data quality are important barriers to entry.

What makes data valuable to an AI company?
The episode highlights the importance of reliable, consistent, structured data that can be delivered on an ongoing basis. A company's credibility and reputation also matter.

Should businesses use consumer AI accounts for company information?
Andrew describes Benzinga's use of enterprise agreements with AI companies rather than simply uploading company information into consumer AI accounts.

Which AI tools does Andrew Lubos use?
Andrew discusses using Claude, Claude Computer, Perplexity, Perplexity Computer and Genspark for different business tasks.

How is AI helping businesses build products faster?
Andrew says Benzinga's engineering teams are using AI to increase productivity, accelerate fixes and dramatically reduce the time required to reach a minimum viable product.

What is AI data licensing?
AI data licensing is the process of providing a valuable data set to an AI company or platform under a licensing arrangement so that the platform can use the data in its products or answers.

How can a business prepare its data for AI?
According to Andrew, businesses need consistent, structured data and a reliable delivery system, along with sufficient quality and credibility for potential buyers to consider the data valuable.

TL;DL

AI can do much more than answer questions. In this episode of Real AI Use Cases: Business Owners’ Roundtable, business owners share how they are putting AI to work to make phone calls, research software, personalize customer experiences, check the work of other AI models, draft emails, analyze business decisions, and even act like a specialized member of the team.

Dima Negodiuk shares one of the most striking examples: instead of personally calling dentists to find one that accepted his insurance and had an available appointment, he sent an AI calling system to contact roughly 150 offices. The result? He woke up with three options that fit his requirements and spent only minutes making the final choice.

Delphine Le Grand explains how AI has helped a very small team operate with capabilities that once would have required specialists in areas like marketing, finance, legal, engineering, and operations. She also discusses how she changes the way ChatGPT interacts with her depending on the task—from straightforward business analysis to deeper brainstorming and different perspectives.

Drea Lynn uses multiple AI models to check one another's work. She may take an answer from Claude, give it to ChatGPT for critique, and then continue refining the result. She also explains how she has trained Claude to be direct with her instead of automatically agreeing or sugarcoating its feedback.

Richard Gearhart shares how he uses ChatGPT to compare complicated business software systems. Instead of spending hours reviewing manuals, videos, features, and documentation, he uses AI to quickly identify the pros and cons of competing platforms and help frame the decision.

Elizabeth Gearhart discusses another challenge: Can you trust what AI tells you about your own business? When testing AI visibility for Gearhart Law, she found that ChatGPT repeatedly recommended the firm—raising an important question about personalization, flattery, bias, and whether companies should use independent or neutral searches when evaluating how they appear in AI-generated recommendations.

The group also gets into a bigger issue: your AI may start to reflect the way you interact with it. Some users want a friendly brainstorming partner. Others want a blunt critic. And with the right instructions, the same AI can behave like a business strategist, marketing director, researcher, coach, or specialist.

In This Episode, you’ll hear real-world examples of:

• Using AI agents to make large numbers of phone calls

• Automating appointment and service-provider research

• Using AI to compare complex business software

• Having Claude and ChatGPT critique each other’s work

• Training AI to give more direct, less flattering feedback

• Using AI as a virtual business specialist or advisor

• Personalizing ChatGPT for different tasks and situations

• Using AI with small teams to increase operational capacity

• Evaluating your company's visibility in ChatGPT and other AI engines

• Recognizing personalization and bias in AI-generated recommendations

• Using AI for email drafting and workflow automation

• Getting more useful results by telling AI what role you want it to play

The takeaway is simple: stop thinking of AI only as something you chat with. Start thinking about what work you can actually give it.

FAQs

How are businesses using AI beyond ChatGPT conversations?

Businesses are increasingly using AI to carry out tasks such as making phone calls, researching vendors, comparing software, drafting emails, analyzing information, building internal tools, personalizing services, and reviewing the output of other AI systems.

Can AI make phone calls for a business?

Yes. In this episode, Dima Negodiuk describes using an AI calling system to contact roughly 150 dental offices to ask about availability, insurance acceptance, and services. The AI narrowed the results down to three suitable options.

Can ChatGPT help compare business software?

Yes. Richard Gearhart explains how he used ChatGPT to compare CRM and ERP systems by evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of different options, reducing research that otherwise could have taken hours.

Can one AI check another AI's work?

Yes. Drea Lynn describes using Claude and ChatGPT to review and critique each other's responses. Using multiple AI models can help uncover weaknesses, inconsistencies, or opportunities to improve an answer.

How can I make ChatGPT or Claude stop agreeing with me?

You can explicitly instruct the AI to challenge your assumptions, point out weaknesses, avoid unnecessary agreement, and tell you when it believes you are wrong. Giving the AI a clear role and communication style can significantly change the way it responds.

Does ChatGPT personalize its answers to the user?

It can. The group discusses how AI responses may reflect previous interactions, instructions, and the user's preferred communication style. That personalization can be useful, but it may also make it harder to objectively evaluate questions such as how your company appears in AI search and recommendations.

Can AI help a small business operate with a smaller team?

Yes. Delphine Le Grand explains how AI allowed a very small team to access capabilities across marketing, finance, operations, engineering, and other business functions without immediately hiring specialists for every role.

How should business owners think about AI?

Rather than viewing AI only as a chatbot, business owners can think of it as a flexible workforce tool: a researcher, analyst, assistant, critic, strategist, automation engine, or specialized team member depending on the task.

Real AI Use Cases: Business Owners’ Roundtable explores how real business owners are using artificial intelligence right now—not someday—to save time, improve decisions, automate work, and build more efficient businesses.

Hosted by Elizabeth Gearhart, Ph.D., marketing expert and AI researcher, and Richard Gearhart, entrepreneur and intellectual property attorney.

What are business owners actually using AI for right now—and which tools are delivering real results?

In this episode of Real AI Use Cases: Business Owners’ Roundtable, Elizabeth Gearhart and Richard Gearhart are joined by Sonia Satra, Lisa Lane, and Lauren Lane for a candid conversation about how they’re using AI in their businesses today.

The discussion goes well beyond theory. The group shares practical AI use cases involving content creation, e-commerce, business research, marketing, AI visibility, regulatory monitoring, brainstorming, analytics, and automation.

Lauren explains how she uses AI as a tutor to quickly understand a new business and analyze what is happening across major e-commerce platforms. Lisa shares how tools such as TikTok can transform a single image into video content, helping brands create marketing assets faster. Richard discusses using AI to monitor changes at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and across the regulatory landscape—work that would otherwise require significant staff time.

Elizabeth shares how she is experimenting with AI to repurpose existing podcast content into structured, searchable blog content and discusses why businesses need to think about AI visibility and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)in addition to traditional SEO.

The conversation also gets into some of the frustrations and risks of working with AI. How much should you trust the answer? Does an AI become biased toward what it thinks you want to hear? Should you use ChatGPT or Claude? And how careful should businesses be about putting confidential information into an AI platform?

Sonia shares her experience with Claude repeatedly telling her that instead of asking more questions, she needed to take action—leading to a discussion about how increasingly human AI interactions can feel.

TL;DR

• AI is becoming a practical business tool, not just an experiment, with uses ranging from marketing and content creation to analytics and regulatory research.

• ChatGPT and Claude behave differently, and the group discusses why some users prefer one over the other depending on the task.

• AI visibility is becoming increasingly important as customers use ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and other answer engines to discover businesses.

• AI still requires human oversight. Facts should be verified, important processes need clear instructions, and confidential information needs to be handled carefully.

• The most effective approach may be to let AI assist with ideas, research, analysis, and repetitive work while keeping human judgment, expertise, and voice at the center.

In This Episode, the group discusses:

• How businesses are using AI to create marketing content

• AI-powered TikTok and e-commerce tools

• Using AI to learn a business faster

• Monitoring regulations and industry developments with AI

• Turning podcasts and other long-form content into searchable articles

• SEO versus Answer Engine Optimization

• How businesses can become more visible in ChatGPT and other AI engines

• ChatGPT versus Claude

• AI hallucinations, bias, and limitations

• AI privacy and data security

• Building AI agents and assistants

• Why human judgment and authenticity still matter

Frequently Asked Questions:

How are business owners using AI right now?

Business owners are using AI for content creation, research, brainstorming, e-commerce analytics, marketing, regulatory monitoring, business education, automation, and repurposing existing content.

Is ChatGPT or Claude better for business?

It depends on the task and personal preference. In this discussion, some participants prefer Claude because it can provide more critical feedback, while others appreciate ChatGPT for brainstorming and conversational interaction. Many business owners use multiple AI platforms and compare their answers.

Can AI help a business show up in ChatGPT and other AI search engines?

Yes. Businesses can improve their AI visibility by creating clear, authoritative, well-structured content that answer engines can understand and cite. Traditional SEO remains important, but businesses are increasingly adding Answer Engine Optimization strategies designed for AI-powered search.

Can businesses trust information generated by AI?

AI can be extremely useful, but important facts should still be verified. The speakers discuss comparing results across multiple AI tools and, when necessary, returning to primary sources or traditional search.

Should businesses put confidential information into ChatGPT or other AI tools?

Businesses should understand the privacy policies and settings of the AI platform they are using before sharing sensitive information. As Elizabeth emphasizes in the episode, confidential or proprietary information should be handled carefully, particularly when using consumer AI accounts.

Will AI replace human expertise?

The examples in this episode suggest a different model: AI can dramatically accelerate research, content creation, analysis, and repetitive tasks, while humans continue to provide judgment, expertise, creativity, context, and authenticity.

Real AI Use Cases: Business Owners’ Roundtable explores how real companies and entrepreneurs are using artificial intelligence right now—not someday. Hosts Elizabeth Gearhart and Richard Gearhart bring together business owners and experts to share what they’re trying, what’s working, what isn’t, and what they’re learning along the way.

Michael Housman explains how AI agents automate his speaking engagement process, saving him two to three hours every day by tracking inquiries, contracts, travel, follow-ups and preparation. He also shares how businesses are using AI to automate repetitive work, increase marketing output, reduce costs and give employees opportunities to focus on higher-value work.

Chris Fabregas explains how he is using AI to enhance photography, create massive fine-art prints, animate photographs, streamline Shopify product descriptions and transform his creative business. He also shares how he used Suno AI to help produce his song “Fireflies on I65” after writing the lyrics himself.

The conversation tackles a major question for creative professionals: Can AI be both a threat to creative work and a powerful new tool for creators? The guests discuss AI-generated art, photography being copied or used to create derivative artwork, copyright concerns, and how creative professionals may need to adapt their businesses as AI becomes more capable.

The roundtable also explores AI agents that can access computers and perform tasks, including drafting emails, creating presentations, browsing the web, managing calendars and interacting with files. The group discusses the importance of safeguards when AI has access to sensitive business information.

Elizabeth Gearhart shares how she uses AI for content creation, deep research and answer engine optimization (AEO), including researching how businesses can become more visible in ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and other AI answer engines.

The discussion also compares different AI models and tools, including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, Grok and Microsoft Copilot, and explores their different strengths for research, writing, multimedia, automation and business tasks.

The episode goes beyond the hype to examine what AI actually looks like inside businesses today—and how entrepreneurs, small business owners, creatives and professionals can use AI to save time, increase productivity, develop new capabilities and adapt to rapid technological change.

TL;DR

Real businesses are already using AI to automate repetitive work, improve marketing, enhance creative projects, create content, analyze business data and operate AI agents. Michael Housman discusses AI agents that save hours of administrative work, while Chris Fabregas explains how AI is helping him expand photography and music projects. The roundtable also examines AI copyright concerns, job disruption, AI literacy, model comparisons, computer-using AI agents, data privacy and the challenge of keeping up with rapidly evolving AI technology.

FAQs:

What are some real-world AI use cases for small businesses?
Small businesses are using AI for marketing, content creation, repetitive task automation, business analysis, customer communications, product descriptions, creative work, research and administrative workflows.

How can AI agents automate business tasks?
AI agents can move work through multi-step processes, identify when follow-up is needed, provide reminders, draft communications, work with calendars and files, browse the web and perform other computer-based tasks. Michael Housman describes using AI agents to automate his speaking engagement workflow.

Can AI save businesses time and money?
Yes. The guests describe AI applications that reduce repetitive work, accelerate marketing and content production, automate administrative processes and reduce the amount of time required for certain tasks.

How is AI changing photography and creative businesses?
AI can enhance photographs, enlarge images, remove noise and pixelation, generate or modify backgrounds, animate photographs and automate product descriptions. Chris Fabregas also discusses how AI has affected the photography business and why he has expanded into portrait and sports photography.

Can AI help someone create music without being a professional musician?
The episode provides an example of this. Chris Fabregas wrote his own lyrics and used Suno to help develop the music, experiment with instrumentation and refine the song. He describes AI as a tool that helped him turn his personal story into a finished musical project.

Will AI replace human jobs?
The guests discuss both job displacement and job transformation. Michael Housman describes using automation to eliminate repetitive administrative work while moving an employee toward higher-value technology and content responsibilities.

What is the biggest challenge businesses face with AI adoption?
One major challenge discussed is the gap between the rapid development of AI technology and people's ability to learn new tools, develop AI literacy and change established workflows.

Which AI tools are discussed in this episode?
The conversation includes ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, Grok, Microsoft Copilot, Suno, Shopify's AI features, Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, and AI-connected workflows using MCPs.

What are the risks of giving AI access to your computer?
The guests discuss the growing ability of AI agents to access files, draft emails, create presentations, browse the web, interact with calendars and perform other computer tasks. They also discuss the need for safeguards when AI can access sensitive company information.

How is AI affecting copyright and creative ownership?
The episode discusses photographers whose work has allegedly been copied or used to create AI-generated artwork, as well as broader concerns about creative works being used to train AI systems. The guests also discuss how creators can adapt by using AI as a tool while developing new forms of creative work.

How can businesses become more visible in AI search results?
Elizabeth Gearhart discusses using AI to research answer engine optimization and improve content so that AI answer engines such as ChatGPT and other LLM-based systems can better discover and surface information about a business.

What can AI actually do for a business today?

In this episode of Real AI Use Cases: Business Owners Roundtable, Elizabeth Gearhart and Richard Gearhart are joined by Leah Solivan, Nate Amidon, and Lauren Hidalgo for a practical conversation about how they are using AI in real businesses right now.

The discussion moves well beyond simple prompting. Leah shares how an AI assistant has automated work equivalent to roughly two and a half full-time employees, helping with research, spreadsheets, emails, podcast preparation, and other everyday workflows.

Nate explains how he uses AI as a thought partner for brainstorming and marketing while maintaining his own voice. He also discusses how tools such as Claude are making it possible for people without traditional software engineering backgrounds to build applications and solve business problems themselves.

Lauren shares how she uses AI for research, writing, industry analysis, and shopping-related discovery, including generating real leads through ChatGPT.

Richard explains how ChatGPT helped develop a new branding strategy for Gearhart Law—work that traditionally could have required an outside marketing agency.

Elizabeth shares how she is using AI for research, content development, AI visibility, and Answer Engine Optimization—and how Gearhart Law recently gained a new client who found the firm through ChatGPT.

The group also looks ahead at AI agents, customer service automation, entrepreneurship, authenticity, and an important question: As AI becomes more capable, will human interaction actually become more valuable?

TL;DR

• AI is already automating significant amounts of everyday business work.

• Business owners are using AI for research, writing, branding, workflows, marketing, and content development.

• AI tools are making software development accessible to people without traditional technical backgrounds.

• ChatGPT and other AI platforms are beginning to generate real business leads and influence product and service discovery.

• AI visibility and Answer Engine Optimization are becoming increasingly important for businesses that want to be recommended by AI.

• As automation grows, authenticity and human interaction may become even more valuable.

• The best way to become better at AI may simply be to use it regularly and learn through practice.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How are businesses using AI right now?

Businesses are using AI for workflow automation, research, spreadsheets, email preparation, marketing, brainstorming, content development, branding, software creation, customer discovery, and website optimization.

Can AI really replace a meaningful amount of business work?

In the episode, Leah Solivan describes an AI assistant that has automated work equivalent to approximately two and a half full-time employees across tasks such as research, spreadsheets, email automation, and podcast preparation.

Can non-programmers use AI to build software?

Yes. The discussion highlights how AI tools are allowing people without traditional software engineering backgrounds to create applications, databases, prototypes, and other business tools.

Can ChatGPT generate actual business leads?

Yes. Elizabeth discusses a recent client who found Gearhart Law through ChatGPT, while Lauren Hidalgo describes receiving shopping leads through ChatGPT after working on her business's AI visibility.

What is Answer Engine Optimization?

Answer Engine Optimization, or AEO, is the process of making a business and its content easier for AI-powered answer engines to discover, understand, and potentially recommend when users ask relevant questions.

How can businesses improve their visibility in AI search?

The episode discusses strengthening website content, publishing useful blog posts, creating authoritative content around relevant topics, and making information easier for AI systems to understand and surface.

Will AI replace human interaction in business?

The group argues that AI can increase efficiency, but human interaction may become even more valuable as automation increases. Customers may place greater value on businesses where they can still communicate with a real person.

What new skills will employees and business owners need because of AI?

Leah predicts that people will become better at prompting, managing AI agents, and working effectively with AI systems. These skills may create new roles and opportunities inside organizations.

What is the best way to learn AI?

Elizabeth emphasizes learning by doing: using AI regularly, experimenting with it, asking questions, and gradually discovering what it can and cannot do.

AI can help us work faster, analyze information, generate ideas, create images, write code, and streamline business operations. But what happens when we start relying on it too much?

In this episode of Real AI Use Cases: Business Owners Roundtable, Elizabeth and Richard Gearhart sit down with Ryan Stana, Joey Stiver, and Ron Platt for a candid conversation about how business owners are actually using AI—and where they’re drawing the line.

Ryan explains why his creative business uses AI to enhance human creativity rather than replace it. Joey discusses why AI can be useful behind the scenes in technology and development but potentially damaging to trust in patient-facing healthcare. Ron raises an even bigger concern: if AI starts doing our thinking, writing, researching, and problem-solving for us, could those human skills begin to deteriorate?

Elizabeth shares how she uses ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini as research and feedback partners, combining their input with her own professional experience rather than simply accepting what the AI tells her. She even describes pushing back when all three AI systems wanted her to remove a slide from a presentation—and deciding her own judgment was better.

Richard provides another real-world example of the dilemma. While evaluating candidates for a CFO position, he used an LLM to compare financial models—and then realized he hadn't actually reviewed the models himself. Was AI making the process more efficient, or was he outsourcing a skill he should still be exercising?

The conversation also tackles AI-generated creative work, disclosure and transparency, legal risks, AI accuracy, ChatGPT vs. Claude vs. Gemini vs. Perplexity, and when businesses should—and shouldn't—use AI.

Together, these examples raise the central question of the episode: How do we take advantage of AI without giving up the human expertise, creativity, critical thinking, and judgment that make the technology useful in the first place?

TL;DL

• AI should enhance human abilities, not replace them. The panel explores how AI can improve productivity while keeping human creativity and judgment at the center.

• Don't outsource your thinking to AI. Using AI for research, analysis, writing, and decision-making can save enormous amounts of time—but humans still need to evaluate the results.

• Know when to disagree with AI. Elizabeth uses multiple LLMs for research and feedback but doesn't automatically follow their recommendations when her own experience tells her otherwise.

• Overreliance on AI could weaken skills. The group questions whether letting AI handle too much writing, research, creativity, and problem-solving could eventually make us less capable of doing those things ourselves.

• Transparency matters. Businesses need to consider when customers and clients should know that AI was involved in creating content or delivering work.

• Different AI tools have different strengths. ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity each have use cases where they may perform better than the others.

• AI output still needs human oversight. Faster isn't necessarily better if nobody checks whether the answer is accurate, appropriate—or even legal.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Is AI making us smarter or dumbing us down?

AI can make people more productive by accelerating research, analysis, coding, brainstorming, and other tasks. But the panel raises an important concern: if we allow AI to do too much of our thinking for us, we may stop exercising the very skills that make us effective decision-makers.

Can relying too much on AI weaken critical-thinking skills?

Potentially. The episode explores what happens when people routinely outsource writing, research, analysis, creativity, and problem-solving to AI. The concern isn't simply whether AI can perform these tasks, but whether humans lose skills when they stop practicing them.

How can businesses use AI without losing human judgment?

Treat AI as a research assistant, brainstorming partner, or productivity tool rather than the final decision-maker. Elizabeth describes using ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini extensively while still challenging their conclusions and rejecting their recommendations when her own experience points in a different direction.

Is AI making people less creative?

It can if AI begins replacing rather than supporting the creative process. Ryan explains that his business deliberately uses AI to enhance its creative capabilities while keeping human insight, imagination, and intent behind its creative work.

Should you always check AI-generated answers?

Yes. Richard describes using an LLM to evaluate financial models from prospective CFO candidates and then realizing that he hadn't reviewed the models himself. His experience raises a critical question for anyone using AI in business: If you don't examine the underlying work, how do you know the AI got it right?

Should businesses disclose when they use AI?

Transparency is becoming increasingly important. Ryan discusses how his company distinguishes between AI-generated concepts and human-created design work and communicates AI use to clients. The panel discusses why businesses need to think carefully about disclosure as AI becomes embedded in everyday workflows.

Can AI create legal or compliance problems for businesses?

Yes. AI can produce convincing recommendations without understanding every law, regulation, or industry requirement that applies. Richard shares a humorous example involving an AI-designed mailbox that led him to discover postal regulations he hadn't initially considered. The larger lesson: AI output still requires human verification.

Is AI appropriate for healthcare marketing?

Joey explains why his company uses very little AI for patient-facing graphics and imagery. In healthcare, trust, regulatory concerns, and the possibility that AI-generated content may appear misleading or inauthentic can make human-created content especially important.

Which AI tool is best for business: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or Perplexity?

There isn't one AI tool that's best for every task. The roundtable discusses using ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity for different purposes, including research, coding, images, video analysis, and business workflows. The best choice depends on the job you're trying to accomplish.

What is the best way for a business owner to use AI?

Use AI where it improves speed, efficiency, research, and productivity—but keep humans responsible for accuracy, creativity, critical thinking, judgment, and final decisions. The goal isn't to avoid AI. It's to use it without allowing it to replace the skills and expertise that make your business valuable.

Real AI Use Cases: Business Owners Roundtable explores how real business owners are using artificial intelligence right now—the successes, mistakes, concerns, experiments, and lessons they're learning along the way.

From creating high-converting presentation slides and cross-industry content to detecting candidate work product and managing internal knowledge bases, our panel shares practical, no-fluff ways AI acts as a force multiplier for modern businesses.

TL;DL (Too Long; Didn't Listen)

• AI as an Editor & Research Assistant: Craig Smith highlights using AI to tighten prose, inject punchiness, and act as a real-time copy editor to save hours of drafting time.

• The "Expertise Octopus": Chris Ryan explains how AI extends your reach across content generation, idea outlines, and critical counter-questioning to stress-test your business strategy.

• Content Blending: Jeff Sibel shares how he uses Claude and ChatGPT to bridge distinct topics—like real estate and financial planning—into engaging, weekly educational presentations with custom illustrations.

• Catching AI with AI: Richard Gearhart uses AI tools to evaluate job applicants' work products, checking whether candidates genuinely understand the core material or merely copied AI output.

• Visual Slide Decks & In-Image Editing: Elizabeth Gearhart walks through designing eye-catching presentation slides and using ChatGPT's pinpoint in-image edit tool to tweak specific visual details.

• Combating "AI Slop": The panel critiques AI's tendency to over-explain, generate cluttered slides, and strip away authentic human voice, stressing the urgent need for brevity, prompt efficiency, and active voice preservation.

• Everyday Life & Workplace Advice: Panelists share off-the-cuff personal uses, from organizing kids' summer camp options and brainstorming gifts to gaining a neutral second opinion on delicate workplace dynamics.

Episode Highlights & Timestamps

• 00:00 – Introductions: Shifting the conversation from "What are you watching?" to "What are you using AI for?"

• 01:45 – Craig Smith on Stephen King, daily writing, and using AI as a line editor

• 02:40 – Chris Ryan on the octopus model and using AI to challenge your own assumptions

• 03:10 – Jeff Sibel on bridging real estate and wealth management using ChatGPT and Claude

• 03:45 – Richard Gearhart on screening candidate job submissions for AI-generated work

• 05:00 – Elizabeth Gearhart on creating marketing slides and using ChatGPT’s canvas/in-image editor

• 06:30 – Tackling "AI Slop" and the lost art of concise communication

• 08:45 – Database hygiene, token consumption, and "training the puppy"

• 10:45 – Maintaining brand voice when publishing through AI agents like Manus

• 11:45 – Personal use cases: Camp research, gift ideas, and navigating coworker friction

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: How can AI be used to improve business writing without replacing the author?

A: Rather than asking AI to write from scratch, panelists recommend drafting your ideas first and using the tool as a developmental editor to trim wordiness, punch up headlines, and provide counter-arguments to test your logic.

Q: How do business owners detect if job applicants are using AI?

A: Many employers run submitted work product through AI detection tools or LLMs to see if it mirrors typical generative phrasing. When detected, employers can ask applicants to provide authentic samples to evaluate their foundational grasp of the role.

Q: What is "AI slop," and how do you avoid it?

A: "AI slop" refers to bloated, generic, and overly polite text generated by default models. You can minimize slop by writing specific prompts, demanding strict constraints (e.g., maximum bullet counts, word limits), and heavily editing the output to preserve your personal tone.

Q: Can ChatGPT edit specific elements of generated images?

A: Yes. In current versions of ChatGPT, you can click the edit tool directly on an image output to select a specific zone and prompt targeted modifications—such as adding an accessory or altering an object—without changing the rest of the image.

Q: How does relying on AI affect internal company knowledge bases?

A: Feeding verbose, unvetted AI responses into company databases leads to "garbage in, garbage out." Cluttered databases make semantic search less reliable and drive up token usage, making curated, concise documentation essential.

TL;DR

Future-of-work expert Dr. Gleb Tsipursky joins hosts Elizabeth Gearhart and Richard Gearhart to reveal how real companies use AI agents to automate high-value tasks—from lead generation in financial firms to legal workflow prep. Learn how to overcome workplace resistance to AI, prompt across LLMs without losing context, and train AI models directly on your business processes.

Show Notes & Description:

Why do most AI projects fail to scale, and how are successful companies using AI right now to drive real business results?

In this episode of Real AI Use Cases: Business Owners Roundtable, hosts Elizabeth Gearhart and Richard Gearhart sit down with behavioral scientist and future-of-work expert Dr. Gleb Tsipursky, author of "The Psychology of AI Adoption at Work: From Resistance to Results."

Dr. Tsipursky breaks down how modern businesses—from financial wealth management firms to general legal practice—are quietly automating outbound outreach, client intake, and complex workflow preparation using AI agents. Plus, the hosts dive into legal hallucinations, prompt engineering across LLMs, and why the biggest barrier to AI ROI isn't technology—it's human psychology.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Real-World AI Agents in Action: How a financial services firm built an automated agent using Claude to source high-value leads and draft personalized outreach—saving thousands on manual research.

• Overcoming Employee & Industry Resistance: Why attorneys and corporate teams fear AI, how to handle hallucinated case law, and why human-in-the-loop review is mandatory.

• LLM Strategy & Migration: How to export your personalized context and memory from ChatGPT to Claude in seconds without losing years of project setup.

• Process Mapping & Workflow Automation: How to use tools like Claude Cowork to screen-record manual tasks and instantly convert them into repeatable AI agents.

• Model Breakdown: When to use standard models (Claude Sonnet / ChatGPT) versus high-level reasoning models for complex, high-stakes business proposals and legal filings.

Featured Guests & Resources:

• Guest: Dr. Gleb Tsipursky (CEO of Disaster Avoidance Experts)

• Book: The Psychology of AI Adoption at Work: From Resistance to Results (Georgetown University Press)

• Get a Free Chapter & Introduction: Visit disasteravoidanceexperts.com/aibook

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is an AI agent, and how does it differ from standard ChatGPT prompts? An AI agent is a repeatable automated task configured to interact with the real world independently. Instead of answering a single prompt, an agent can run on a schedule to gather web data, draft customized emails, or prepare client portfolios automatically.

Q: How can businesses use AI agents without replacing human employees? AI agents excel at repetitive research, drafting, and data intake, but humans remain essential for final quality control, tone judgment, and high-stakes client relationships. In the episode, Dr. Tsipursky emphasizes keeping a "human in the loop" to review and send outgoing communications.

Q: How do legal professionals avoid AI hallucinated cases? General LLMs can invent legal citations if used improperly. To prevent hallucinations, law practices use specialized legal AI platforms (such as Westlaw or LexisNexis AI) grounded directly in verified case databases, backed by strict attorney review before court filings.

Q: Can you transfer memory and custom context from ChatGPT to Claude? Yes. You can ask Claude to write a prompt requesting ChatGPT to summarize all past conversation context and project background. Copying that output directly into Claude transfers your background knowledge without rebuilding it manually.

How much time can AI actually save a business—and where does it still need a human in the loop?

In this episode of Real AI Use Cases: Business Owners Roundtable, Elizabeth Gearhart and Richard Gearhart talk with Ryan Charles of Omni Common about how his growth marketing agency is putting AI to work every day.

Ryan explains how his team uses Notion as a central source of truth, connecting client data, project management, meeting notes, reporting and other information—and then works with Claude to analyze that information and turn it into actionable business insights.

The results can be dramatic. Ryan describes one data-analysis and strategy workflow that once could have taken roughly 80 hours and now takes about eight.

TL;DL — Too Long; Didn’t Listen

• AI can produce major time savings: Ryan describes cutting a data-analysis and growth-strategy workflow from about 80 hours to 8 hours using Claude.

• Give AI a reliable source of truth: Notion, spreadsheets and raw data files help keep business information organized and reduce dependence on an LLM's memory.

• Human oversight still matters: AI can analyze data, build presentations and help create content, but numbers need verification and AI-generated writing often needs substantial editing to preserve an authentic brand voice.

In this episode:

• How Omni Common uses Notion + Claude as part of its AI workflow

• Connecting Claude to Notion using MCP

• Using AI to analyze Google Analytics, Shopify, Square and other business data

• Turning complex data analysis into client presentations

• How AI cut one workflow from roughly 80 hours to 8 hours

• Why AI-generated numbers still need to be verified

• Using spreadsheets as a reliable source of truth

• Creating presentations with Claude and applying brand guidelines

• Why AI still struggles to preserve a company's—or person's—authentic voice

• The problem of "AI slop"

• Why human writers remain important even when AI is part of the content workflow

• How Elizabeth uses AI to optimize her own writing for LLM and AI search without giving up her voice

• Why different LLMs may be better suited to different jobs

Ryan also shares why his agency still relies heavily on humans for final content creation. AI can research, synthesize and organize information remarkably quickly, but getting the final product truly on brand and in the right voice can require substantial human intervention.

The takeaway: AI can dramatically accelerate business intelligence, marketing and content workflows—but the best results come when businesses combine AI's speed with reliable data, verification and human judgment.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can businesses use Notion and Claude together?

Notion can serve as a central repository for client information, project data, meeting notes, tasks and reporting. Ryan's team connects Notion with Claude so Claude can access that information and use it for analysis and other business tasks.

Can Claude connect directly to Notion?

Yes. Ryan describes connecting Claude and Notion using MCP (Model Context Protocol), allowing Claude to access information stored in Notion as part of the workflow.

How much time can AI save on business data analysis?

In Ryan's experience, the savings can be substantial. He describes a data-analysis and growth-strategy project that might previously have required around 80 hours but can now be completed in approximately eight hours with AI assistance.

Can you trust AI to analyze financial and marketing data?

Not without verification. Ryan estimates about 90% confidence in some of his AI-generated analysis but says the AI sometimes gets things wrong. He stresses the importance of checking calculations, assumptions, categories and KPIs.

Why use spreadsheets if you're already using AI?

A spreadsheet or other structured data source can provide a consistent source of truth. Rather than depending on an LLM to remember historical information accurately, businesses can maintain the underlying data separately and give the AI current, structured information to analyze.

Can Claude create presentations from business data?

Yes. Ryan uses Claude to analyze raw business data and turn the findings into extensive presentations. He can also provide examples of previous presentations to help guide the format of a new deck.

Can AI keep a presentation on brand?

It can help, but human review is still necessary. Ryan describes using brand guidelines and a brand kit to style presentations, while still needing to correct issues such as fonts, sizing and formatting.

Is AI good at writing blog posts and marketing content?

It can be useful for research, synthesis, organization and first drafts, but Ryan's agency still relies heavily on human writers. AI-generated writing can sound generic or fail to capture the company's voice and tone, sometimes creating more editing work than expected.

How can you use AI without losing your personal writing voice?

One approach is to write the original ideas yourself and use AI afterward. Elizabeth describes writing her own blog posts and then using ChatGPT to optimize their structure for LLM search, including TL;DL summaries and FAQs, while editing the results to make sure her original voice remains intact.

Should businesses use one AI platform for everything?

Not necessarily. The episode illustrates how different tools can serve different purposes. Ryan discusses using Claude heavily for work and data analysis, while using ChatGPT more for search and research and other AI tools for different tasks.

Real AI Use Cases: Business Owners Roundtable explores how real business owners and professionals are using artificial intelligence right now—not someday. Hosted by Elizabeth Gearhart and Richard Gearhart and recorded at the iHeart Studios in Manhattan as part of the Passage to Profit Radio Show.

From machine learning that predicts when fresh bagels should come out of the oven, to AI-powered market research, fact-checking, content creation, and business strategy, this roundtable explores practical AI applications without the hype.

Elizabeth Gearhart, Richard Gearhart, Romaine Waite, Jeff Perera, and Deon Hargrove discuss where AI saves time, where human judgment is still essential, and why the best results come from treating AI as a tool—not a replacement for expertise.

Whether you're a business owner, marketer, entrepreneur, or simply trying to use AI more effectively, this conversation offers practical insights you can apply today.

TL;DL

• AI works best as a productivity tool, not a substitute for human expertise.

• Machine learning is helping businesses predict customer demand and improve operations.

• Always fact-check AI by requesting sources and verifying important information.

• AI can accelerate research and learning but shouldn't replace deep understanding.

• Human creativity is still critical for marketing, branding, and compelling content.

• Overusing AI leads to "AI slop"—generic, repetitive content that audiences recognize.

• Video content continues to rise as one of the most effective marketing formats for small businesses.

FAQs

Can AI improve creativity?
The panel concludes that AI can enhance creativity by accelerating research and brainstorming, but relying on it too heavily can produce generic work and weaken original thinking.

How are businesses using AI today?
Examples include machine learning for inventory forecasting, marketing research, summarizing complex information, creating content, and supporting strategic decision-making.

Should you trust AI-generated information?
No. The guests recommend asking AI to provide sources and independently verifying important facts before using them.

What is "AI slop"?
AI slop refers to generic, repetitive content that lacks originality and often uses recognizable AI-generated language and patterns. The panel discusses why human editing remains essential.

Why is video becoming more important than podcasts for some businesses?
Elizabeth explains why she's shifting more of her business toward video content creation, citing AI research showing that short-form and long-form video have become increasingly important marketing channels.

What is the best way to use AI in business?
Use AI to research, brainstorm, automate repetitive tasks, and increase productivity—but rely on human expertise, creativity, and critical thinking for the final product.

TL;DL

• AI is making content creation faster. Business owners are using AI to generate ideas, write LinkedIn posts, edit videos, and streamline their marketing workflows.

• YouTube success is driven by engagement. The panel discusses optimizing YouTube Shorts with stronger hooks, better titles, and improved audience retention.

• Human expertise still wins. While AI automates repetitive tasks, communication, creativity, and relationship-building remain the skills that set businesses apart.

• AI is transforming more than marketing. Entrepreneurs are using AI for client research, intellectual property analysis, and identifying new business opportunities.

• The future belongs to AI-powered professionals. The panel believes AI will change jobs—not eliminate the need for people who learn to work alongside it.

Episode Summary

How are successful business owners actually using AI? Is artificial intelligence replacing jobs, or creating entirely new opportunities?

Hosts Elizabeth Gearhart, Ph.D. and Richard Gearhart welcome Robert Tuchman, founder of Amaze Media Labs, and Giuseppe Grammatico, franchise consultant and business coach, for a practical discussion about how entrepreneurs are integrating AI into their daily work.

The panel shares real-world examples of using AI to generate LinkedIn content, optimize YouTube Shorts, identify trending topics, analyze potential clients, and speed up content creation while keeping humans in control of quality and strategy.

The conversation also tackles one of today's biggest business questions: Will AI replace jobs? While automation will change many roles, the guests agree that professionals who develop communication, creativity, and strategic thinking skills will become even more valuable in an AI-powered economy.

Frequently Asked Questions

How are business owners using AI for content creation?

The panel discusses using AI to generate content ideas, write LinkedIn posts, optimize marketing copy, edit videos, and create YouTube Shorts while keeping a human editor involved to ensure quality and authenticity.

How can AI improve YouTube Shorts?

AI can analyze viewer retention, identify weak openings, recommend stronger hooks, suggest better titles, and help creators produce videos that keep viewers watching longer.

Is AI replacing content creators?

No. The discussion emphasizes that AI is helping creators produce more content more efficiently, while human creativity, storytelling, editing, and business judgment remain essential.

Can AI help improve LinkedIn marketing?

Yes. AI can generate post ideas, draft LinkedIn content, improve headlines, and help business owners publish consistently while maintaining their own voice and expertise.

How are companies using AI outside of marketing?

The episode explores using AI to research potential clients, analyze intellectual property portfolios, identify business opportunities, and improve decision-making through faster research.

Will AI replace jobs?

The panel believes AI will automate many routine tasks and change the nature of work, but it will also create new opportunities for people who learn to use AI effectively.

Why are soft skills becoming more important?

As AI handles more technical work, communication, leadership, relationship-building, negotiation, and creativity become greater competitive advantages because they are difficult to automate.

Who should listen to this episode?

Business owners, entrepreneurs, marketers, consultants, content creators, and professionals who want practical examples of how AI is being used to improve productivity, marketing, and business growth.

Topics: AI content creation, artificial intelligence for business, YouTube Shorts, LinkedIn marketing, AI marketing, entrepreneur tools, content strategy, audience engagement, business growth, future of work, AI productivity, generative AI, marketing automation.

You’ll hear James Thornton on fully AI‑powered customer service and quality assurance, Cliff Nonnenmacher on AI as decision support and operational leverage, Eric Kanagy on turning hidden infrastructure data into dashboards in seconds, and Richard Gearhart on the legal risks when AI prompts become discoverable evidence. Elizabeth shares how AI image generation went from “terrible thumbnails” to studio‑quality YouTube covers—and why human prompts and creativity still matter.

Key takeaways:

• How AI is reshaping jobs, human capital, and the debate over universal basic income.

• Practical AI use cases in customer service, CRM workflows, data visualization, and vendor search.

• Why AI prompts, strategies, and outputs can be legally discoverable—and what that means for leaders.

• The difference between “AI slop” and thoughtful, human‑guided content and prompts.

• Where current language models fall short on emotion—and what might come next.

Who this is for:
Entrepreneurs, small business owners, and professionals who want real‑world AI use cases, not theory—and who care about both opportunity and risk as AI accelerates.

Those are the questions answered in this episode of Real AI Use Cases: Business Owners Roundtable.

Hosts Elizabeth Gearhart and Richard Gearhart are joined by Dr. Patrick Porter, Lynn Rogoff, and Sherrill Mosee to discuss how businesses are using artificial intelligence today to create AI avatars, digital clones, custom knowledge bases, AI-generated video, and expert assistants trained on their own content. They also explore why AI patent filings are exploding across nearly every industry.

If you're wondering whether AI can represent your expertise, answer customer questions, or create marketing videos without you appearing on camera every time, this episode provides real-world examples from business owners already doing it.

In this episode you'll learn:

• How Dr. Patrick Porter created an AI assistant trained on his books, lectures, and educational content to answer customer questions.

• How businesses are building AI knowledge bases that stay within approved information instead of pulling answers from the open internet.

• The advantages and limitations of AI avatars and digital clones.

• Why HeyGen, D-ID, Runway, Kling, Sora, ChatGPT, Claude, and Google Gemini all play different roles in an AI content workflow.

• Best practices for creating a realistic AI clone using professional lighting, cameras, and microphones.

• How prompt engineering improves AI-generated video and images.

• Why enterprise AI solutions offer stronger privacy and control than consumer AI tools.

• How to reduce AI hallucinations by controlling the knowledge source.

• Why intellectual property attorneys are seeing a surge in AI-related patent applications across industries.

• Practical ways entrepreneurs, marketers, educators, and business owners are using AI today.

AI tools discussed

ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Claude, HeyGen, D-ID, Runway, Kling, Sora, Creatify, Harvey AI, AI avatars, AI clones, prompt engineering, AI video generation, enterprise AI, retrieval-based AI, custom AI assistants, knowledge bases, intellectual property, AI patents.

Who should listen?

This episode is valuable for:

• Business owners exploring AI automation

• Marketing professionals using AI for content creation

• Entrepreneurs building thought leadership

• Educators creating AI learning assistants

• Attorneys and innovators interested in AI patents

• Anyone considering an AI avatar or digital clone for customer engagement

About Real AI Use Cases

Real AI Use Cases: Business Owners Roundtable features real entrepreneurs sharing practical, proven applications of artificial intelligence. Instead of AI hype, you'll hear how companies are actually using AI to improve marketing, customer service, operations, education, and innovation.

What happens when AI becomes your assistant, your creative partner, and potentially your replacement?

In this episode of Real AI Use Cases, hosts Elizabeth Gearhart and Richard Gearhart are joined by etiquette expert Thomas Farley (Mr. Manners), business strategist Lauren Paxton, and skincare educator Eva Kerschbaumer to discuss how they're using AI in their businesses today—and the concerns that come with it.

From AI-generated visuals and automated presentations to diagnostic tools and digital clones, this conversation explores practical applications of AI alongside important questions about privacy, intellectual property, employment, authenticity, and human creativity.

Key Takeaways

• AI can dramatically expand creative possibilities. Thomas uses AI image generation to create custom visual backdrops that would be impossible to find in stock photography.
• AI can streamline business workflows. Lauren transforms dictated ideas into presentations, worksheets, agendas, and other business assets, saving significant time.
• AI is enhancing education and diagnostics. Eva uses AI tools to help educate clients and support skin health assessments.
• AI clones are becoming more realistic. Elizabeth discusses her experiment with creating a HeyGen video clone for content creation and marketing.
• Privacy and ownership concerns are growing. The group explores how employee interactions with AI systems may become corporate intellectual property.
• Human creativity still matters. Prompts, questions, and original thinking remain valuable differentiators in an AI-powered world.

Featured AI Use Cases

Thomas Farley: AI-Powered Visual Storytelling

Thomas uses Midjourney to create highly customized visual backgrounds for his weekly "Mr. Manners Mondays" segments. AI allows him to generate scenes that perfectly match his content, helping audiences better visualize his message.

Lauren Paxton: Turning Ideas into Deliverables

Lauren uses AI to convert dictated thoughts and presentation outlines into polished business materials, including PowerPoint presentations, worksheets, agendas, and supporting resources.

Eva Kerschbaumer: AI in Skincare Education

Eva leverages AI as an educational tool for clients and uses emerging diagnostic technologies to help identify skin concerns and facilitate communication with healthcare professionals.

Elizabeth Gearhart: Creating an AI Video Clone

Elizabeth shares her plans to create a digital version of herself using HeyGen. The goal is to produce educational short-form videos more efficiently while exploring the future of AI-generated personal branding.

Discussion Highlights

Are We Training Our Own Replacements?

Thomas raises concerns that employees may unknowingly be teaching AI systems how they perform their jobs. As AI learns workflows, decision-making processes, and prompts, organizations could potentially use that knowledge to automate roles or train future employees.

Who Owns Your Prompts?

The panel discusses whether prompts and AI workflows constitute intellectual property. Elizabeth argues that the questions people ask—and how they ask them—may become one of the most valuable forms of human creativity in the AI era.

Protecting Privacy in the Age of AI

Lauren explains why she invested in a closed, encrypted AI environment that keeps her information local rather than contributing to public AI training models.

The Impact on Beauty Standards

Eva highlights concerns about AI-generated images creating unrealistic expectations, particularly among younger people who may struggle to distinguish between authentic appearances and digitally enhanced perfection.

Notable Quotes

"The prompts are so important. That's where the human ingenuity comes in." – Elizabeth Gearhart

"We're training our own replacements." – Thomas Farley

"Everything I put in my AI stays local and no one else has access to it." – Lauren Paxton

"AI is a tool, but it's also extremely scary for me." – Eva Kerschbaumer

Connect With the Hosts

Elizabeth Gearhart, Ph.D. – Marketing strategist, podcast consultant, AI educator, and founder of Gear Media Studios.

Richard Gearhart, Esq. – Intellectual property attorney, entrepreneur, and co-host of Real AI Use Cases.

Listen, Watch & Subscribe

If you enjoyed this discussion, subscribe to Real AI Use Cases for practical conversations about how real businesses are using AI today—along with the opportunities, risks, and lessons learned along the way.

Guest: Jace Graham, Founder of Rising Phoenix

TL;DL (Too Long; Didn't Listen)

• The Big Idea: Stop guessing if your sales team is hitting their marks. Jace Graham shares how he built a custom GPT "AI Supervisor" that listens to sales calls, grades performance, and writes immediate, personalized follow-up emails.

• Roundtable Blitz:

  • Amy Scruggs reveals her blueprint for turning one long coaching video into a week's worth of social media content.

  • Every Cat shows how they use AI to instantly translate dense, intimidating scientific papers into easy-to-read public updates.

  • Richard Gearhart shares the frustrating, messy reality of trying to get different legal software platforms to talk to each other through AI.

• The Hidden Cost: Why the massive boom in AI data centers is unexpectedly creating a gold rush for the natural gas industry and pushing the physical power grid to its absolute limits.

Episode Overview

How are real companies actually moving past the AI hype and driving measurable business results today? In this episode of Real AI Use Cases, host Elizabeth Gearhart brings together a roundtable of industry experts, founders, and professionals to pull back the curtain on how AI is changing the daily landscape of sales, marketing, non-profit operations, and infrastructure.

Our featured guest, Jace Graham of Rising Phoenix, breaks down how his company built a proprietary ChatGPT knowledge base that acts like an interactive supervisor for his sales team—grading calls, providing real-time critique, and auto-drafting hyper-personalized follow-up emails.

Plus, our roundtable dives into the challenges of system integration, the rapidly evolving landscape of new AI creative tools, and a fascinating look at the massive infrastructure and energy demands the AI boom is placing on the global power grid.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• The Custom AI Sales Supervisor: How Jace Graham leverages custom GPT frameworks to onboard teams, score live sales calls, and drastically reduce manual follow-up workflows.

• Content Repurposing for Creators: Amy Scruggs (Amy Scruggs Media) explains her framework for instantly turning long-form video coaching logs into high-performing social media micro-assets.

• AI inside Nonprofits: Jackie Ott Jaakola and Dr. Maggie Clacer (Every Cat) share how they use AI to instantly translate dense academic and scientific research papers into clear, accessible language for the public.

• The System Integration Headache: Richard Gearhart (Gearhart Law) pulls back the curtain on the messy reality of trying to force separate legacy infrastructure platforms to communicate with one another using automated AI scripts.

• The Real Cost of AI Power: A deep-dive look into data center infrastructure, the power grid, and why the AI revolution is creating an unprecedented long-term demand for natural gas.

Featured in This Episode:

Elizabeth Gearhart, Ph.D. (Host)

• Bio: Elizabeth Gearhart, Ph.D. is a marketing executive, legal professional, and founder of Gear Media Studios. Holding a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry, Elizabeth bridges the gap between deep technical science and creative media execution, hosting the Real AI Use Cases roundtable to discover practical digital strategies for modern business owners.

• Connect: Gear Media Studios

• Richard Gearhart, Esq.:

  • Bio: Richard Gearhart is an entrepreneur, seasoned business owner, and intellectual property attorney specializing in innovation and patent strategy. As the founder of Gearhart Law, Richard brings over two decades of experience helping inventors and businesses protect their intellectual property, while consistently exploring how emerging technologies like automation and AI can streamline administrative enterprise infrastructure.

  • Connect: Gearhart Law

Jace Graham (Featured Guest)

• Bio: Jace Graham is an energy sector analyst and the founder of Rising Phoenix, a company specializing in advanced business solutions, AI strategy integrations, and operational automation.

• Connect: Rising Phoenix

Roundtable Panelists:

• Amy Scruggs: Media consultant, national TV host, and founder of Amy Scruggs Media.

• Jackie Ott Jaakola & Dr. Maggie Clacer: Executive leadership and research contributors representing Every Cat, a non-profit organization dedicated to feline health advancement.

• Richard Gearhart, Esq.: Founder of Gearhart Law, seasoned intellectual property attorney, and innovation strategist.

What are businesses actually doing with AI right now — beyond the hype?

In this episode of Real AI Use Cases: Business Owners Roundtable, entrepreneurs, marketers, engineers, podcasters, and innovators share real-world ways they’re using AI to increase productivity, improve operations, create content faster, scale businesses, and drive measurable growth.

Hosts Elizabeth Gearhart and Richard Gearhart lead a lively discussion featuring:

• Richard Browning
• James McCormick
• Catrice Austin

The conversation explores seven practical AI use cases businesses can apply today, including:

• AI research and decision-making
• AI-generated content and podcasts
• AI-assisted coding and software development
• AI for health optimization and productivity
• AI video editing and YouTube optimization
• AI surveillance and threat detection
• AI clones, avatars, and scalable content creation

You’ll hear candid discussions about the benefits and risks of AI, including concerns about authenticity, automation, over-engineering content, and the future of creative work.

Some standout moments include:

• Using AI as a “research superpower” for solving unusual business problems
• Building AI-powered commission systems and developer workflows
• Training AI systems to detect threatening activity before crimes occur
• Turning one podcast into books, frameworks, and monetized business assets with AI
• The rise of AI avatars and cloned content creators
• Why authentic human content still matters in an AI world

This episode was recorded at the iHeart Studios in Manhattan as part of the Passage to Profit broadcast.

FAQs

What are some real business use cases for AI?

Businesses are using AI for research, customer service, software development, marketing, podcast production, health tracking, surveillance systems, SEO, automation, and content generation.

How are entrepreneurs using AI for productivity?

Entrepreneurs in this episode discuss using AI to automate repetitive work, speed up coding, monitor health metrics, optimize content, and generate marketing assets faster.

Can AI help with YouTube growth?

Yes. Elizabeth Gearhart discusses using AI tools like Google Gemini and ChatGPT to improve viewer retention, optimize videos, and structure content for better YouTube performance.

Is AI replacing software engineers?

Not entirely. The guests explain that AI is making engineers significantly more productive by helping write and improve code, but human oversight is still critical.

How is AI being used in security and surveillance?

James McCormick explains how AI-powered video surveillance systems can identify threatening activities in real time and help deter incidents before they happen.

What are AI avatars and clones?

AI avatars are digital versions of people created using artificial intelligence. Businesses and creators are increasingly using them to generate scalable video and social media content.

Are AI-generated videos replacing human content?

The episode explores both sides of this debate. While AI-generated content is becoming more advanced, several guests argue that authentic human-created content still resonates more strongly with audiences.

Can AI help podcasters?

Absolutely. Podcasters are using AI for scripting, editing, show notes, SEO optimization, repurposing content, social clips, and audience retention strategies.

Is AI scary for entrepreneurs?

Some guests discuss concerns around authenticity, privacy, creative jobs, and over-reliance on automation. Others see AI as a powerful assistant that helps small teams scale faster.

Who should listen to this episode?

This episode is ideal for:

• Entrepreneurs
• Small business owners
• Podcasters and creators
• Marketing agencies
• Tech founders
• AI enthusiasts
• Business leaders exploring AI adoption

In this episode of Real AI Use Cases: Business Owners Roundtable, hosts Elizabeth Gearhart and Richard Gearhartsit down with business leaders using AI in practical, revenue-generating ways right now.

From AI customer service agents and AI-powered marketing workflows to website SEO optimization, personal branding, and even longevity planning, this conversation explores how entrepreneurs are integrating tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Manus AI, and AI agents into their everyday operations.

You’ll hear:

• How businesses are using AI agents to improve customer experience and automate support
• Why AI is transforming marketing agencies and creative work
• How entrepreneurs are using AI to learn faster, work smarter, and build personal brands
• Real discussions about the risks, limitations, and addictive nature of AI tools
• Practical examples of using AI for SEO, website optimization, health tracking, productivity, and strategic decision-making

Guests include:

• Matt Ross
• Eleanor Kubacki
• Antonia Tomao
• Elizabeth Gearhart
• Richard Gearhart

Key topics discussed:

• AI agents for customer support and member services
• AI in marketing agencies and creative operations
• Using ChatGPT and Gemini for SEO and website optimization
• AI-powered personal branding and thought leadership
• AI for health optimization, longevity planning, and productivity tracking
• The limitations and risks of relying too heavily on AI

This episode was recorded at the iHeart Studios in Manhattan as part of the Passage to Profit radio show and podcast.

FAQs

What are AI agents in business?

AI agents are software systems that can perform tasks autonomously or semi-autonomously using artificial intelligence. Businesses use them for customer support, scheduling, marketing automation, research, analytics, and workflow management.

How are businesses using ChatGPT right now?

Businesses are using ChatGPT for SEO optimization, customer service, brainstorming, strategic planning, writing marketing copy, health tracking, business analysis, and personal productivity.

Can AI improve customer service?

Yes. In this episode, Matt Ross explains how his company is building an AI-powered customer service tool that instantly answers common member questions, improving response time and customer satisfaction.

How are marketing agencies using AI?

Marketing agencies are increasingly using AI agents and automation tools for writing, design, content production, workflow optimization, and research. Eleanor Kubacki discusses how AI is already handling a significant percentage of agency work.

What AI tools are mentioned in this episode?

The discussion includes:

• ChatGPT
• Google Gemini
• Manus AI
• AI agents for customer service and marketing automation

Can AI help with SEO and website optimization?

Yes. Elizabeth Gearhart discusses using AI tools to identify website problems and optimize pages to rank higher in Google search results.

What are the limitations of AI?

The guests discuss how AI can get “stuck,” miss smaller businesses or niche results, generate incorrect answers, and lead users down endless rabbit holes of information. Human judgment is still essential.

Is AI replacing creative jobs?

The episode explores this concern directly. Eleanor Kubacki explains that AI is already doing a meaningful portion of creative agency work, creating both opportunities and concerns for leaders managing creative teams.

How are entrepreneurs using AI for personal growth?

Guests discuss using AI for learning, health optimization, weight loss tracking, longevity planning, productivity coaching, and personal branding.

Who should listen to this episode?

This episode is valuable for:

• Entrepreneurs
• Small business owners
• Marketing professionals
• Podcasters and creators
• Agency owners
• Executives exploring AI adoption
• Anyone curious about real-world AI use cases in business today

This isn’t theory. It’s practical, in-the-trenches use of AI tools across marketing, operations, product development, and decision-making.

From AI-powered “thought starters” tailored to your role and industry, to using AI to audit (and even replace) underperforming vendors, this episode shows how business owners are turning AI into a competitive advantage.

But it’s not all upside. The group also digs into the risks—unexpected costs, unreliable outputs, data concerns, and even ownership issues around AI clones.

TL;DL (Too Long; Didn’t Listen)

• Businesses are using AI daily to save time, improve decisions, and replace inefficient vendors
• Custom AI (your own knowledge base or GPT) is a major advantage over generic tools
• AI comes with real risks: hidden costs, hallucinations, data security, and ownership issues

Key Topics Covered

• AI “assist” vs. full automation (and why that distinction matters)
• How AI is being used to personalize learning and business insights
• Using AI to navigate complex software and workflows instantly
• AI in product innovation (including wearable tech for animals)
• Replacing marketing agencies with AI-driven analysis
• Optimizing video production, thumbnails, and YouTube growth with AI
• The reality of AI pricing models and token-based systems
• Why using multiple AI tools can improve accuracy
• Security concerns and data risks with certain AI platforms
• How to build your own AI knowledge base for business efficiency
• Who owns your AI clone—and why you should care

Standout Insights

• “Verify, then trust” — AI can expose ineffective vendors and wasted spend
• The best AI strategy isn’t one tool—it’s using the right tool for the right job
• Custom-trained AI (your own GPT or knowledge base) is where the real leverage is
• Contracts matter: your AI-generated content and clones may not be yours by default

Featured Use Cases

• AI-generated, role-specific business recommendations
• Screenshot-to-instruction workflows for software navigation
• AI-assisted product development and health tracking analytics
• Website and SEO audits using AI instead of agencies
• Video optimization using AI-generated clips and insights

Resources Mentioned

• AI Strategy Report (Daniel Burrus)
• Custom GPTs / AI knowledge bases
• AI tools for video editing, design, and analytics

About the Show

Real AI Use Cases – Business Owners Roundtable features real entrepreneurs sharing how they’re using AI in their businesses today—what works, what doesn’t, and what’s coming next.

Can artificial intelligence help your business grow without making your brand feel robotic? In this episode of Real AI Use Cases: Business Owners Roundtable, host Elizabeth Gearhart and co-host Richard Gearhart lead a candid discussion with entrepreneur Ken Davenport, podcast booking expert Dominic Forth, and franchise leaders Kari Schroeter and Stacey Iltis.

They reveal how real companies are using AI today for research, customer service, audience insights, territory analysis, podcast growth, productivity, and brainstorming—while warning against over-automation and fake-sounding content.

This episode explores one of the biggest business questions of 2026:

How do you use AI efficiently while staying authentic?

TL;DL (Too Long; Didn’t Listen)

• AI works best as a tool for research, support, analysis, and idea generation—not replacing human creativity.
• Customers can tell when content feels robotic or generic, and they value authentic human connection more than ever.
• Smart business owners use multiple AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini depending on the task.

What You'll Learn

• Why authenticity may become a premium in the AI era
• How Ken Davenport uses AI for Broadway research and business ideation
• How AI can analyze millions of podcasts for trends and guest booking opportunities
• Why automated customer communication can backfire
• How franchise businesses use AI for operations, customer service, and territory planning
• Why rephrasing prompts gets better answers from AI
• Which AI tools entrepreneurs are using most: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity
• Why Google reviews may help businesses show up in AI-generated answers

Best Quotes from the Episode

“People know when something is authentic—and when it’s not.”

“AI is free experimentation, free counsel, and a free tennis partner.”

“Don’t just take the first answer. Rephrase your query and go deeper.”

Perfect For

• Entrepreneurs
• Small business owners
• Marketers
• Podcasters
• Franchise owners
• Anyone trying to use AI without losing their brand voice

Subscribe for More Real AI Use Cases

Every episode features real-world examples of how businesses are using AI right now—not theory, hype, or fluff.

#AIForBusiness #ArtificialIntelligence #SmallBusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #ChatGPT #ClaudeAI #GoogleGemini #PodcastMarketing #Authenticity #BusinessStrategy

This episode of Real AI Use Cases features a roundtable discussion on the practical deployment of artificial intelligence across various business sectors. Hosts Elizabeth Gearhart and Richard Gearhart interview Scott Harris(Magnetic Real Estate) and Greg Weir (Prudential Alarms) to explore how AI is shifting from a novelty to a critical operational tool.

TL;DL: Real AI Use Cases – Episode 14

AI in Real Estate: Scott Harris uses AI to curate property listings, matching buyer preferences to new data to save hours of manual work.

AI in Security: Greg Weir discusses AI-powered cameras that utilize facial recognition, license plate reading, and gunshot detection.

AI in Healthcare: Richard Gearhart highlights a new radio-wave "box" that uses AI to monitor household movements and health habits without cameras.

AI Productivity Tools: The panel recommends Fyxr, an AI email agent for the Google ecosystem that learns user style and automates inbox filing.

Search Optimization Strategy: Elizabeth Gearhart explains using schema code and LLM-optimized notes to ensure podcast insights appear in AI search results.

Core AI Use Cases & Entities

Real Estate Optimization: Scott Harris utilizes AI to curate property listings by matching buyer criteria with database updates, reducing manual labor by hours.

Automated Security & Surveillance: Greg Weir describes AI-integrated cameras capable of License Plate Recognition (LPR), gunshot detection, and facial recognition for municipal and private security.

Healthcare Radio-Wave Sensing: Richard Gearhart discusses AI hardware that monitors sleep habits and physical movements (like scratching) using radio waves rather than cameras.

Email Management Agents: Scott Harris recommends Fyxr, an AI agent that integrates with the Google ecosystem to automate email filing and draft responses based on user voice.

LLM & SEO Strategy: Elizabeth Gearhart explains using schema code and LLM-optimized show notes to improve discoverability in AI search engines.

Technical Tools & Software Mentioned

CategoryTool/EntitySource

Email AI

Fyxr, Superhuman

Search/Research

Google Gemini, ChatGPT, Perplexity

Security Tech

Ring, Flock, Prudential Alarms

Business Ecosystem

Google Enterprise, Microsoft Enterprise

Key Discussion Themes for AI Indexing

The Productivity Shift: Discussion on the statistic that 70% of real estate agents do 0-1 deals annually and how AI will force a "perform or exit" scenario in the industry.

Trust and Security: The "trust issue" between Google and Microsoft Enterprise versions for small businesses.

Privacy vs. Utility: The ethical line between tracking a lost dog and tracking human movement via AI-powered sensors.

Human-AI Collaboration: Using AI as an "80/20" thought partner where the AI does the heavy lifting and the human provides the final 20% of value.

Metadata for LLM Context

Participants: Scott Harris (MagneticRE.com), Greg Weir (https://www.google.com/search?q=GregWeir.com), Elizabeth Gearhart (Gear Media Studios), Richard Gearhart (Gearhart Law)

TL;DL (Too Long; Didn’t Listen)

• AI is already reshaping jobs—those who don’t use it risk falling behind
• The best results come from humans + AI working together, not replacement
• Businesses are using AI for documents, data analysis, tutoring, and decision-making—but accuracy and trust are still real challenges

Description 

How are real businesses actually using AI right now—and where is it falling short?

In this episode of Real AI Use Cases: Business Owners Roundtable, host Elizabeth Gearhart and a panel of business leaders share practical, real-world applications of AI across industries including real estate, education, finance, and law.

You’ll hear how entrepreneurs are:

• Streamlining leases and documents with AI (while managing risk)
• Using AI to analyze business data and improve decision-making
• Enhancing education with AI-powered tutoring support (not replacing teachers)
• Implementing “AI for AI” systems to monitor and validate outputs
• Navigating privacy, security, and accuracy concerns in real-world workflows

But this episode doesn’t just highlight wins—it also reveals the friction points:

• When AI gives wrong answers (and what to do about it)
• Why prompting still matters more than people think
• The real risks of using AI with sensitive business data
• How different tools (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Copilot) produce very different results

One of the biggest takeaways:
The future isn’t AI replacing humans—it’s humans who know how to use AI outperforming everyone else.

What You’ll Learn

• The most practical AI use cases for small and mid-sized businesses
• Why AI accuracy is still a major limitation (and how to work around it)
• How to think about AI in education, especially for young learners
• The emerging concept of AI oversight systems (“AI policing AI”)
• How AI is already influencing hiring, productivity, and business strategy
• Why using multiple AI tools together is becoming the new normal

Key Insight

“The job market is changing—people who aren’t using AI are the ones losing their jobs.”

Who This Episode Is For

• Business owners exploring AI tools
• Entrepreneurs looking for efficiency gains
• Educators thinking about AI in learning environments
• Professionals concerned about AI replacing jobs
• Anyone trying to understand how AI is actually being used—not just talked about

Tools & Concepts Mentioned

• ChatGPT
• Google Gemini
• Claude
• Microsoft Copilot
• Perplexity
• AI-driven document drafting
• AI data analysis
• AI tutoring augmentation
• Multi-model AI workflows
• AI privacy and security considerations

FAQs 

What are real AI use cases in business today?
Businesses are using AI for document drafting, summarizing contracts, analyzing financial data, improving tutoring outcomes, and enhancing decision-making across departments.

Is AI replacing jobs right now?
AI is changing jobs more than replacing them. People who use AI effectively are gaining an advantage, while those who don’t risk falling behind.

Can AI be trusted for business decisions?
Not fully. AI is useful for speed and insights, but human oversight is still critical due to accuracy issues and hallucinations.

How is AI used in education?
AI helps analyze student performance and personalize instruction, but human teachers remain essential—especially for younger learners.

What are the risks of using AI in business?
Key risks include incorrect outputs, data privacy concerns, and over-reliance without verification.

Closing Thought

AI isn’t optional anymore—it’s a skill.
The real competitive edge? Knowing when to trust it, when to question it, and how to use it better than everyone else.

• AI is powerful in business—but it can’t replace human judgment and critical thinking
• Business owners are using AI as a co-pilot to find blind spots, improve strategy, and analyze data
• The real advantage comes from asking better questions and validating AI outputs—not blindly trusting them

What This Episode Covers

In this episode of Real AI Use Cases – Business Owners Roundtable, entrepreneurs share how they are actually using AI inside their businesses right now—and where it still falls short.

You’ll hear real-world examples of AI being used for:

• Business planning and demand forecasting
• Strategy development and identifying blind spots
• Visualizing creative concepts for clients
• Analyzing YouTube performance and retention data
• Generating SEO-optimized content and show notes

But there’s a critical theme throughout the discussion:

AI is a tool—not a replacement for human thinking

Business owners explain why relying too heavily on AI can lead to mistakes, and how they “stress test” outputs to ensure accuracy and quality.

Key Insights & Real AI Use Cases

• AI as a Co-Pilot: Use AI to challenge your thinking, not replace it
• Better Questions = Better Results: The quality of your prompts determines the value of AI output
• Blind Spot Detection: AI can reveal gaps in strategy you might miss
• Faster Decision Support: AI gives you a starting point—but you must validate it
• Creative Visualization: AI helps clients see ideas that don’t yet exist
• Content & SEO Optimization: AI can structure content for search and LLM discoverability

Who This Episode Is For

• Business owners and entrepreneurs using (or considering) AI
• Marketers, creators, and consultants looking for real-world AI applications
• Professionals who want to improve decision-making with AI tools
• Anyone curious about the real limits of AI in business

Why This Matters

AI is transforming how businesses operate—but the biggest risk is over-trusting it.

This episode shows you how to:

• Use AI strategically
• Avoid common pitfalls
• Combine AI efficiency with human expertise

The future isn’t AI vs humans—it’s AI + human intelligence working together

What does it really mean to run your business with an AI-first mindset?

In this episode of Real AI Use Cases – Business Owners Roundtable, host Elizabeth Gearhart and co-host Richard Gearhart are joined by futurist Kevin Surace and business leaders Tyler Dunnigan and Jen Millard to break down how AI is transforming productivity, decision-making, and even creativity in real-world businesses.

From analyzing factory workflows using video AI to generating investor pitch decks, optimizing Excel formulas, and even organizing your home—this conversation reveals how AI is no longer optional. It’s becoming the “third person in every meeting” and a core driver of competitive advantage.

⚡ TL;DL (Too Long; Didn’t Listen)

• AI-first businesses use AI multiple times per hour, not occasionally

• AI handles low-value tasks (writing, formulas, analysis) so humans focus on strategy and expertise

• It acts as a real-time advisor for research, ideation, and decision-making

• AI tools can analyze videos, images, and large datasets instantly

• Creative roles aren’t disappearing—but they are evolving fast

• Speed, cost, and output are improving dramatically with AI adoption

• Businesses that embrace AI now will outperform those that hesitate

Key Topics Covered

• What “AI-first” actually means in day-to-day business operations

• Using AI for:

  • Press responses and professional writing

  • Complex Excel formulas and data analysis

  • Market research and ideation

  • Investor pitch customization

  • Workflow optimization using video analysis

• AI as a “third brain” in meetings and decision-making

• How AI is reshaping creative industries like graphic design

• The future of productivity: doing more, faster, with fewer resources

• Why prompting is becoming a core business skill

Real-World AI Use Cases from This Episode

• Analyzing 42,000+ time entries to uncover business insights

• Using AI to evaluate factory operations and suggest improvements

• Customizing investor decks based on audience priorities

• Using AI as a brainstorming partner and strategic advisor

• Planning storage and logistics using image + volume analysis

• Creating and refining presentations with AI-generated slide decks

Key Takeaway

AI isn’t replacing business owners—it’s amplifying them.
The winners in this new era will be those who integrate AI into their workflow consistently and strategically.

❓ FAQs

What is an “AI-first” mentality?
It means defaulting to AI as your first step for tasks like research, writing, analysis, and ideation—before doing them manually.

How often should I be using AI in my business?
Top performers in this episode report using AI multiple times per hour to maximize efficiency.

Will AI replace creative professionals?
Not entirely—but it will change the role. Creatives who learn AI tools will thrive; those who don’t may struggle.

What are the easiest ways to start using AI today?

• Writing and editing content

• Creating Excel formulas

• Summarizing data or reports

• Brainstorming ideas

• Customizing presentations

Do I need technical skills to use AI?
No—but learning how to prompt effectively is quickly becoming an essential skill.

About the Show

Real AI Use Cases – Business Owners Roundtable explores how real companies are using AI right now to grow, scale, and compete in a rapidly changing world.

Recorded at iHeart Studios in Manhattan as part of the Passage to Profit radio show.

Artificial intelligence is no longer just for tech companies. In this episode of Real AI Use Cases Business Owners Roundtable — part of the Passage to Profit podcast — host Elizabeth Gearhart and co-host Richard Gearhart sit down with four guests who share exactly how they are using AI tools in their businesses today.

Dr. Danielle Dick, founder of ThriveGenetics.ai and addiction researcher, explains how machine learning and AI are being used to integrate genomics, brain scan data, electronic health records, and behavioral data to build risk prediction profiles for addiction and mental health treatment outcomes.

Neil Senturia, CEO of AskTuring.ai, discusses why data privacy is the most critical unsolved problem in enterprise AI, how confidential RAG — retrieval augmented generation — works for wealth managers, law firms, and CPA firms, and why AI pricing models are shifting from per-seat licensing to usage-based billing.

Alan Porter, financial advisor at StrategicWealthStrategies.com, shares how ChatGPT deep research helped him grow his client base and how AI video tools like HeyGen allowed him to produce professional content without the filler words and pauses of traditional recording.

Richard Gearhart, founder of Gearhart Law and intellectual property attorney, walks through a practical example of using ChatGPT to analyze a conference speaker list and identify the best networking connections and potential podcast guests.

Elizabeth Gearhart shares how she uses Google Gemini for marketing reports, website consulting, and content strategy — and makes the case that the barriers to using AI as a small business owner have never been lower.

The conversation also covers AI voice cloning, what it feels like to talk to an AI version of yourself, Microsoft Copilot for enterprise privacy, and whether Google Search will be replaced by large language models like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity by 2028.

This episode was recorded at iHeart Studios in Manhattan as part of the Passage to Profit Radio Show with Elizabeth Gearhart and Richard Gearhart.

TL;DR

Four business owners share how they are using AI right now — from building a personal AI chatbot trained on your own content, to automating ad copy, streamlining mortgage origination, and even losing weight with AI meal tracking. The consensus: AI won't eliminate jobs, but it will dramatically change them — and those who embrace it will win.

️ About This Episode

In this episode of Real AI Use Cases: Business Owners Roundtable, hosts Elizabeth Gearhart and Richard Gearhart sit down with three entrepreneurs to discuss practical, real-world AI applications in their businesses. This is not theory — these are tools they are actively using today.

Guests:

• Saahil Mehta — Coach, speaker, and entrepreneur | sahilmata.com
• Brady Sticker — Founder, Church Candy | churchcandy.com
• Tom Wragg — Mortgage Originator, loanDepot | loandepot.com

Key Takeaways

• Build your own AI clone. Saahil Mehta fed all of his public content, research, and posts into ChatGPT to create "Sahil Bot" — a custom GPT that answers questions on his behalf, 24/7, for both his internal team and his coaching clients worldwide.
• Use AI to multiply your team's output, not replace them. Brady Sticker had every employee run a prompt asking ChatGPT to act as an AI and automations expert, analyze their role and KPIs, and then build a personal AI efficiency plan. One team member now performs the work of three to four people.
• Automate customer retention in mortgage. Tom Ragg uses AI across the entire loan life cycle — lead generation, income analysis, asset verification, personalized follow-ups, birthday messages, social media, and email campaigns — all running while he sleeps.
• Track nutrition with AI. Richard Gearhart logs his meals into AI, which calculates calories and macronutrients, coaches him on what to eat next, and offers gentle accountability — resulting in two pounds lost in four days.
• The best AI skill is prompt crafting. Elizabeth Gearhart emphasizes that knowing what to ask AI is the critical differentiator. Use role-play prompts (e.g., "Act as my audience member — am I losing you?") for higher-quality outputs.

Notable Quotes

"Sahil Bot is probably better than I am — because it doesn't forget anything I've ever said." — Saahil Mehta

"Don't use AI to replace your team. Use AI to make your team more efficient." — Brady Sticker

"AI doesn't nap, sleep, or get tired. When it's someone's birthday and I'm asleep, AI can wish them happy birthday." — Tom Ragg

"AI will not replace trust building, structuring complex deals, or person-to-person relationships." — Tom Ragg

"You can either operate every day from a place of fear, or you can operate from a place of love." — Saahil Mehta

Topics Covered

• Building a custom GPT trained on your personal content
• AI chatbot guardrails and implementation for coaching businesses
• ChatGPT prompt to create an employee AI efficiency plan
• Automated ad copy generation using client website scanning
• AI in mortgage origination: lead gen, CRM, and compliance
• AI-assisted meal tracking and weight loss
• Research workflows using ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini
• The future of jobs in an AI-driven economy
• AI's impact on the legal profession and junior attorneys
• The "love vs. fear" mindset framework for approaching AI

Resources Mentioned

• ChatGPT (OpenAI) — Custom GPT builder, prompt-based workflows
• Perplexity AI — Research and LLM-based search
• Google Gemini — AI research assistant
• loanDepot — Mortgage origination platform
• Church Candy — Church marketing agency
• Gearhart Law — Intellectual property law firm

Brady's Team AI Efficiency Prompt (Use This!)

"I want you to act as an AI and automations expert. Ask me questions about my role, responsibilities, KPIs, and how I'm currently accomplishing all of this. Make sure you have a good understanding of my role, and then create a plan for me on how I can use AI to become more efficient."

From uncovering "environmental hypocrites" using ChatGPT to building complex automation workflows that eliminate daily "busy work," our guests share the specific tools and strategies they use to stay competitive. We also dive into the "human-centric" perspective, discussing why some industries choose to limit AI to maintain authentic connections.

TL;DL (Too Long; Didn't Listen)

• Audit & Accountability: Jim Beach uses ChatGPT to rank celebrity environmental claims against actual actions to identify discrepancies.

• Massive Automation: Joe Massa explains how he uses no-code tools like Make.com and Zapier to create AI-driven systems for CRM management and email sequences.

• The Human Element: Nikki Wake shares why her dating app for the over-50 demographic prioritizes manual vetting over AI to ensure community safety and authenticity.

• Efficiency Gains: Richard Gearhart reveals how a simple AI-generated script saves him 30 minutes of manual file cleanup per show.

• Prep & Strategy: Elizabeth Gearhart demonstrates using multiple LLMs (Gemini, ChatGPT, Perplexity) to anticipate audience questions and refine public presentations.

Featured Tools: ChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini, Perplexity, Zia, Make.com, and Zapier.

But it’s not all praise; the group dives into the "echo chamber" effect of certain LLMs, the dangers of AI hallucinations in legal and research work, and why Emotional Intelligence (EQ) may become the most valuable human asset in an increasingly automated world.

Key Highlights

• Instant Production: Ralph Sutton explains how he replaced a full creative team with AI to generate high-quality video intros and music in seconds.

• Operational Efficiency: The team from MasonMade discusses leveraging AI to build standard operating procedures (SOPs) and streamline the customer journey.

• The Privacy Trade-off: Richard Gearhart explains the shift from ChatGPT to Microsoft Copilot to maintain client confidentiality in the legal field.

• The "Hallucination" Reality Check: A candid discussion on AI’s tendency to fabricate sources, fake websites, and even lie about its own capabilities.

• The Future of EQ: Why the next generation must focus on human connection and risk-taking as AI handles the analytical heavy lifting.

Featured Guests

• Ralph Sutton: Gas Digital (https://www.google.com/search?q=gasdigital.com)

• Joe Squeretta & Moses Carrasco: MasonMade (masonmade.co)

• GG Mirvis: Desolas Mezcal (desolasmezcal.com)

Key Takeaways

• Legacy Building: How authors are training AI on their unique "voice" to continue publishing work posthumously.

• Sales Optimization: Using AI to identify hidden objections in sales transcripts to improve follow-up and closing rates.

• Security & Privacy: The distinct security advantages of Microsoft Copilot over ChatGPT for handling sensitive client data.

• Prompt Engineering as IP: Why custom-engineered prompts are becoming a company's most valuable intellectual property.

If you only have a minute, here are the high-level takeaways from this episode:

• AI as an Executive Assistant: Business owners are moving away from treating AI as a "glorified search engine" and are using it as a tireless assistant for research, sales coaching, and drafting complex documents.

• The Power of Recording: A key strategy shared is recording all professional interactions (Zoom, sales calls, training) and feeding those transcripts into an LLM to identify areas for improvement and maintain a "long-term memory" of projects.

• Plain English for Complex Tasks: AI is being used to simplify high-level documents—like 50-page federal grant applications—into digestible, fifth-grade level summaries to save hours of manual review.

• The Human Factor: While AI is a massive time-saver, our experts warn against "autopilot" use. Authenticity still wins in hiring and grant applications, and "word of algorithm" is no substitute for "word of person".

• Future-Proofing: The episode concludes with a stark reminder: learning AI now is like transitioning from horses to cars. You don't have to be a tech expert, but you do have to get on board to stay relevant.

Is AI a shortcut or a super-assistant? In this episode of Real AI Use Cases: Business Owners Round Table, hosts Elizabeth and Richard Gearhart sit down with a panel of entrepreneurs to move past the theory and dive into practical applications.

From automating complex federal grant summaries to using AI as a 24/7 sales and presentation coach, our guests reveal how they are integrating Large Language Models (LLMs) into their daily workflows. We also tackle the "uncanny valley" of AI in hiring and how to spot "autopilot" communications. Whether you are looking to automate your coding backend or simply find a better way to organize your business thoughts, this episode provides a roadmap for staying competitive in an AI-driven market.

Key Takeaways:

• Recording Everything: How to turn every meeting and sales call into a searchable, interactive database.

• The Grant Writer’s Secret: Using AI to simplify 50-page federal documents into plain English.

• AI as a Personal Coach: Tips for using ChatGPT to score your sales calls and redesign your presentations.

• The Ethics of AI: Why "word of person" still beats "word of algorithm" in hiring and grant applications.

Recorded with entrepreneurs from the Passage to Profit show, this roundtable explores how AI is being used as:

• A personal advisor and mentor

• A content and research accelerator

• A decision-making and planning tool

• A way to save hours (or days) of work each week

Joseph Varghese (Success Circles) shares how he uses AI daily as a trusted advisor—training custom GPTs to think like mentors he respects and asking powerful questions like “What are my top five blind spots?” He even demonstrates how naming and personalizing your AI changes how you interact with it.

Jen Rulon explains how she uses AI to support content creation for women navigating major life transitions, including perimenopause and menopause—using AI to surface themes, hooks, and language that truly resonate with her audience.

Alice Frankel of Clutcher Pillow walks through how AI gives her ideas “wings,” helping her maintain brand voice across platforms, speed up research, and stay consistent without a large team.

Elizabeth and Richard Gearhart close the discussion with how AI is being used at Gearhart Law—from generating a comprehensive 2026 marketing plan in minutes to envisioning the next wave of AI agents that manage email, calendars, and spam automatically.

This episode is a practical look at how AI actually fits into day-to-day business life, and why prompt clarity—not technical skill—is the real competitive advantage.

TL;DL (Too Listen; Didn’t Listen)

• Business owners are using AI as a mentor, advisor, and thinking partner, not just a writing tool.

• The biggest gains come from specific prompts, personalization, and training AI on your values, brand, and context.

• AI helps entrepreneurs move five steps forward in a day instead of one, especially when time and resources are limited.

What You’ll Learn

• How to use AI as a personalized business advisor

• Why naming and training your AI improves results

• How entrepreneurs use AI for content, research, and planning

• How AI supports consistency across brand voice and platforms

• Where AI agents are headed next for email, scheduling, and operations

Hosts

• Elizabeth Gearhart Ph.D. - Gear Media Studios
  
  
• Richard Gearhart - Gearhart Law

Featured Guests

• Joseph Varghese – Success Circles

• Jen Rulon – jenrulon.com

• Alice Frankel – clutcherpillow.com

TL;DL (Too Long; Didn't Listen)

Don’t have time for the full episode? Here are the top 4 takeaways on how real companies are using AI right now:

• AI as a Filter, Not a Finisher: Berkeley Skydeck uses AI to research and organize 3,800+ applications, but humans still make the final investment "gut call." AI handles the data; humans handle the relationship.
• The New Efficiency Metric: Successful startups are now tracking "Revenue per Employee." Before hiring for a new role, they search for an AI agent or tool that can do the job first.
• Small LLMs > Big Data: Companies are moving away from generic AI and building their own "Small LLMs" using internal data. This allows them to cut through the "noise" and predict future trends with 100% confidence in the data source.
• Your AI "Digital Footprint": AI is reading your LinkedIn, your podcast transcripts, and your website to build a profile of you. To be found by AI search engines, your message across the web must be hyper-consistent.

Moving beyond the hype of artificial intelligence requires looking at how companies are actually deploying these tools today. In this episode, hosts Elizabeth Gearhart, Ph.D. and Richard Gearhart, Esq. sit down with venture capital leaders and tech entrepreneurs to discuss the "on-the-ground" reality of AI integration in business operations, legal workflows, and marketing.

Inside This Episode:

• Venture Capital & AI Diligence: Caroline from Berkeley Skydeck shares how they manage a massive "deal flow" of 3,800 applications for 20 spots using AI to assist in research, while maintaining the essential "human-to-human" connection in investing.
• The "Revenue Per Employee" Metric: Braydan Young explains his strategy for scaling startups by using AI agents to replace traditional entry-level hires, ensuring the company only adds headcount when absolutely necessary.
• Data Signal vs. Noise: Clint Lotz of Trackstar AI breaks down how "Small LLMs" and on-premise data crunching allow companies to tell a holistic story to investors by distilling massive datasets into actionable insights.
• Legal & Content Strategy: Richard and Elizabeth discuss using AI for contract redlining and how to optimize your digital footprint for AI search engines through consistent SEO and podcasting strategies.

About the Hosts:

Elizabeth Gearhart, Ph.D. A marketing executive and AI strategy speaker, Elizabeth focuses on the practical application of AI in action. With a background in analytical chemistry and as a licensed US Patent Agent, she serves as the CMO at Gearhart Law, bridging the gap between technology and business strategy.

Richard Gearhart, Esq. A life sciences IP attorney and founding partner of Gearhart Law, Richard brings over 30 years of experience advising biotech and pharmaceutical companies. As an angel investor and innovation advisor at Rutgers Health, he integrates AI into firm operations to enhance efficiency and growth.

Connect with the Show:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-gearhart-ph-d-97ba0b51/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardgearhart/
• Subscribe: Never miss an episode by subscribing on your favorite platform!

• TL;DL (Too Late; Didn’t Listen)
  AI search beats the old way of scrolling through results—because it helps you find the right answer faster, not just “more links.”
  AI can interpret complex signals and data (including technical readouts) and turn them into insights you can actually use.
  The winning mindset isn’t “AI replaces people.” It’s “AI amplifies human intellect”—and that’s a competitive advantage for attracting and keeping great talent.

In this episode of AI in Business: Use Cases From the Real World, hosts Elizabeth Gearhart, Ph.D. and Richard Gearhart lead a roundtable discussion with business owners and professionals sharing how they are using artificial intelligence in practical, unexpected, and impactful ways.

This conversation explores how AI is being applied beyond basic automation or content generation, including:

• Using AI-powered search for faster, more unbiased research when evaluating products, diagnosing problems, and making decisions

• Helping professionals with learning differences and ADHD express their ideas more clearly through AI-assisted writing and coaching workflows

• Running transcripts and past conversations through AI to identify patterns, track progress, and prepare for future client interactions

• Analyzing thousands of data points with AI to guide business strategy, conservation efforts, and operational decision-making

• Rethinking the narrative around AI and jobs by using AI to increase productivity and redeploy talent rather than eliminate roles

• Repurposing long-form event recordings into summaries, emails, and follow-up content using AI tools like Descript and ChatGPT

Rather than focusing on hype or fear, this episode shows how businesses are using AI as a thinking partner, a decision-support tool, and a way to unlock human potential.

AI in Business: Use Cases From the Real World is about what’s working now—and how organizations are applying AI in ways that create real value.

• AI is saving time immediately by drafting client emails, proposals, and follow-ups in a professional (even humorous) voice.
• Private/internal AI bots can summarize meetings, create timelines, and even “pre-vet” decisions using your company’s own transcripts and data.
• The winners won’t be the most technical—they’ll be the best question-askers, using iterative prompts + devil’s advocate to reduce hallucinations and improve results.

In the first episode of AI in Business: Use Cases From the Real World, hosts Elizabeth Gearhart, Ph.D. and Richard Gearhart bring together business owners and executives to answer one simple question:

What is one real way you’re using AI in your business today that’s actually helping you?

This episode features practical, firsthand AI use cases from multiple industries, including marketing, financial services, operations, and executive leadership.

You’ll hear how:

• A solo entrepreneur uses AI as a “virtual marketing assistant” to respond to client emails, write proposals, and save hours of administrative time

• A financial planning firm uses private AI tools to summarize client meetings, simplify complex information, and create clear, actionable timelines for clients

• A fast-growing company scaled to over 150 employees by using AI to augment its workforce and centralize executive decision-making

• Leaders are training their teams to write better prompts so AI can be used effectively in daily business operations

The conversation also explores why prompt quality matters, how businesses can reduce hallucinations, when to use different AI tools, and why waiting to adopt AI puts long-term business value at risk.

This episode is not about trends or speculation—it’s about real AI workflows, real productivity gains, and what’s working right now.