Entrepreneur School (In the AI Era)

Hosted by Kelly Sinclair

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180

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Jun 2026

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Entrepreneur School in the AI Era is a podcast for experienced business owners who’ve already built something meaningful and are now figuring out how to work in a world where AI is suddenly everywhere. Hosted by Kelly Sinclair, award-winning marketer turned AI platform co-founder, the show explores how to integrate AI in practical, human-centred ways without sounding like a robot, losing touch with your unique gifts, or dismantling the business you’ve already built. Kelly originally adopted AI to elevate her work in marketing and visibility but quickly realized it was reshaping far more than she ever expected, ultimately transforming her entire business. This podcast is about navigating that reality together. Because AI isn’t a one-time upgrade. It’s an ongoing shift, and there’s both a right way and a very wrong way to use these tools. Expect strategic conversations, AI-forward guest spotlights, and honest perspectives on how to evolve with intention, protect what matters, and stay grounded as the way we work continues to change.

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June 16, 202620 min

Why We Refused to Launch Our Software the Normal Way

Here's a confession: I've bought at least a handful of softwares in my life that I've literally never logged into. Not once.So when it came time to launch wAIv to the public, every coaching instinct in my body refused the traditional software playbook. Open the doors, run ads, free trial, hope they convert? Absolutely not. I've watched too many entrepreneurs buy a thing that just sits there, and Andrew and I did not want to build a company on people not using the thing.Instead, we built something I'm calling the most coach-brained software launch you've ever seen: Bot Squad Bootcamp. This episode is the full tour.In this episode, you'll learn:Why the traditional software launch playbook was a hard no for us (and what we designed instead)What a bot squad actually is, and why your bots get noticeably smarter the moment they share contextThe duct tape problem: why your clients shouldn't be the connective tissue between your AI toolsThe real risk of housing your frameworks and IP on platforms you don't controlThe week-by-week build path inside Bot Squad Bootcamp, from gathering your materials to graduating with a live, sellable squadExactly who this is for, who it's not for and a transparent breakdown of what wAIv costs after your first three months>>Resources MentionedBot Squad Bootcamp (doors close June 28, kickoff July 6): https://graviastudio.com/bootcampBook a 20-minute fit call with KellyLast week's episode with Dr. Michelle MazurQuestions? Email kelly@graviastudio.com>>Introducing wAIvThis episode is brought to you by wAIv—our brand-new platform built for online experts who want to securely build and sell AI tools powered by YOUR thinking, YOUR frameworks and YOUR methodology.wAIv helps you create Bot Squads—a suite of AI tools that work together to help your clients implement your expertise faster and with better results than ever before.We're currently rolling out in beta, and you can join the waitlist now to access our AI Tool Launch Playbook, which walks you through exactly how to start thinking about your first Bot Squad—what to put in it, what it will solve for your clients, what to name it, and exactly how to build it.Head to https://waiv-ai.com to get on the list.>>Your Next Steps:🤖See what an AI tool built on your expertise actually looks like. Explore wAIv🤖Train AI to sound like you (in under 2 hours) with BrandCalibrator™ Follow our new Instagram account @joinwaiv>>Thanks for Listening!If you enjoyed this episode, please help us share it by:⭐ Following the show—this helps you stay updated and supports us!⭐ Leaving a positive review—this boosts our ranking and helps more entrepreneurs find the podcast.--------------------------Entrepreneur School is proud to be featured on the Feedspot list of 30 Best Canada CEO Podcasts!

June 9, 202643 min

What Happens When You Train AI on Your IP

Join us for the Blueprint to Bot Workshop June 17. Save $70 with coupon: PODCAST70--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------What if the thing blocking your clients from getting results could be solved by AI—without replacing your expertise?I sat down with Dr. Michelle Mazur, our very first wAIv beta client, to talk about how she's embedding AI tools directly into her Expert Up Club—and why it's completely transforming how fast her clients get results.This is about building expert-backed AI that actually reflects your frameworks, your methodology, and your years of experience so your clients can move faster and you can coach at a higher level.If you've been wondering whether AI has a place in your coaching, consulting, or course business, this conversation will show you exactly how to think about it.WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODEWhy voice-of-customer research used to be Michelle's biggest client blocker—and how AI removed that obstacle completelyThe difference between "limping along with AI" and building expert-backed AI tools that actually deliver resultsHow Michelle went from 6-session messaging sprints to 3 sessions using her bot squad, MoxieWhy AI is rewarding real expertise over influencer marketing—and what that means for your businessMichelle's advice for experts who want to start building bots: start with one pain point your clients always get stuck onWHY THIS EPISODE MATTERSIf you're a coach, consultant, or course creator, you've probably noticed:Your clients are already using AIThey're getting mediocre, generic resultsYou have frameworks, but your clients struggle to apply themYou're spending time teaching how to do things instead of refining strategyMichelle is solving this by building AI tools trained on her methodology—so her clients get expert-level support without her doing all the heavy lifting.And here's the thing: this isn't taking away from her expertise. It's amplifying it.She's now able to coach at a higher level, offer tiered pricing, compress timelines, and create stickiness in her business ecosystem. Her clients are getting faster results. And she's building on infrastructure that's protected, not just handing out prompts that anyone could copy.This is what I call expert-backed AI—and it's the future of how knowledge-based businesses will stay competitive and valuable.>>Connect with MichelleGet your free messaging reality checkCheck out the Expert Up ClubMichelle on Instagram>>Introducing wAIvThis episode is brought to you by wAIv—our brand-new platform built for online experts who want to securely build and sell AI tools powered by YOUR thinking, YOUR frameworks and YOUR methodology.wAIv helps you create Bot Squads—a suite of AI tools that work together to help your clients implement your expertise faster and with better results than ever before.We're currently rolling out in beta, and you can join the waitlist now to access our AI Tool Launch Playbook, which walks you through exactly how to start thinking about your first Bot Squad—what to put in it, what it will solve for your clients, what to name it, and exactly how to build it.Head to https://waiv-ai.com to get on the list.>>Your Next Steps:🤖See what an AI tool built on your expertise actually looks like. Explore wAIv🤖Train AI to sound like you (in under 2 hours) with BrandCalibrator™ Follow our new Instagram account @joinwaiv>>Thanks for Listening!If you enjoyed this episode, please help us share it by:⭐ Following the show—this helps you stay updated and supports us!⭐ Leaving a positive review—this boosts our ranking and helps more entrepreneurs find the podcast.--------------------------Entrepreneur School is proud to be featured on the Feedspot list of 30 Best Canada CEO Podcasts!

June 2, 202622 min

Two Skills That Actually Matter With AI

Join us for the Blueprint to Bot Workshop June 17. Save $70 with coupon: PODCAST70--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Here's the thing nobody's telling you: being good at AI has nothing to do with being technical.I know, I know—you've been spiraling thinking you need to learn to code or become some kind of tech wizard. But the real skills that make AI work? They're human skills. And you probably already have them.In this episode, I'm breaking down the two critical abilities that separate people who get mediocre results from AI and people who build bot squads that actually work and make money.Spoiler: it's not about prompt engineering or knowing Python. It's about communication and systems thinking.I'm sharing what I've learned as co-founder of an AI tech company (pause for dramatic reflection), how I've been using Airtable to finally organize my entire podcast guest pipeline, and why your messy Google Drive full of random screenshots from 2019 is absolutely wrecking your AI outputs.Plus, I'm walking you through a real example of how I built a marketing strategy for Wave's next beta phase—and how that one document became the single source of truth for an entire bot squad that writes emails, creates social content, and scripts podcasts.If you've ever felt like AI just "doesn't get you," this episode will show you exactly why—and what to do about it.You'll learn:Why communication (not coding) is the #1 skill for getting great AI resultsThe difference between tasks that need AI and tasks that need a humanWhy I finally started using Airtable in 2026 (and how it changed everything)How to think in systems so you can build bot squads that work for multiple clientsThe framework for any bot squad>>Introducing wAIvThis episode is brought to you by wAIv—our brand-new platform built for online experts who want to securely build and sell AI tools powered by YOUR thinking, YOUR frameworks and YOUR methodology.wAIv helps you create Bot Squads—a suite of AI tools that work together to help your clients implement your expertise faster and with better results than ever before.We're currently rolling out in beta, and you can join the waitlist now to access our AI Tool Launch Playbook, which walks you through exactly how to start thinking about your first Bot Squad—what to put in it, what it will solve for your clients, what to name it, and exactly how to build it.Head to https://waiv-ai.com to get on the list.>>Your Next Steps:🤖See what an AI tool built on your expertise actually looks like. Explore wAIv🤖Train AI to sound like you (in under 2 hours) with BrandCalibrator™ Follow our new Instagram account @joinwaiv>>Thanks for Listening!If you enjoyed this episode, please help us share it by:⭐ Following the show—this helps you stay updated and supports us!⭐ Leaving a positive review—this boosts our ranking and helps more entrepreneurs find the podcast.--------------------------Entrepreneur School is proud to be featured on the Feedspot list of 30 Best Canada CEO Podcasts!

May 26, 202616 min

Free Info Is Dead (Here’s What Replaces It)

I was working with my AI this week when it dropped this line on me: "Free information has less currency now. The value is in interpretation, filtering, proprietary frameworks, and access—not knowledge itself."I literally stopped. I thought, "OMG. I need to do an entire episode on this."Because this is real: information scarcity is gone. Lead magnets now compete with instant AI answers. The bar has shifted from "does this teach them something" to "does this give them something AI can't?"In this episode, I'm breaking down why the old knowledge economy model is broken, what AI has changed about how we position our expertise, and how to reframe your value in a world where generic answers are free and instant. If you're in the knowledge industry—if you sell coaching, courses, consulting, or any form of your expertise—this episode is for you.You'll learn:Why the traditional lead magnet funnel doesn't work the same way anymore—and what AI has to do with itThe difference between "accurate" and "good"—and why that gap is where your value livesWhat your audience actually needs from you now: interpretation, filtering, and human pattern recognitionHow to reposition yourself as the expert in the AI era without resisting the tools your audience is already usingWhy your lived experience, battle wounds, and proprietary frameworks can't be replicated by AIWhat it looks like to become an AI-forward educator—and why that's the shift we're all navigating right now>>Your Next Steps🤖Train AI to sound like you (in under 2 hours) with BrandCalibrator™ 🔹Let’s talk Bots for your business! Book a coffee chat🔹 Connect on Instagram>>Thanks for Listening!If you enjoyed this episode, please help us share it by:⭐ Following the show—this helps you stay updated and supports us!⭐ Leaving a positive review—this boosts our ranking and helps more entrepreneurs find the podcast.--------------------------Entrepreneur School is proud to be featured on the Feedspot list of 30 Best Canada CEO Podcasts!

May 19, 202625 min

How AI Is Changing Your Business Model (And What to Do About It)

Most people are using AI completely wrong—and if you're teaching your expertise through courses, coaching, or memberships, you're sitting on a business model opportunity that most experts are completely missing.I've been having the same conversation over and over lately with course creators, coaches, and membership leaders: How is AI actually impacting our businesses?And here's what I've realized—most of us are approaching AI as a task machine. We're asking it to write captions, summarize emails, draft sequences. And sure, that's useful. But that's like having a world-class chef in your kitchen and only asking them to wash the dishes.In this episode, I'm breaking down the real opportunity: the difference between generic AI and expert-backed AI—and why that distinction could genuinely transform your business model.I walk through three concrete before-and-after examples for course creators, coaches and membership leaders to show you what it actually looks like when you embed your frameworks, your methodologies, and your thinking into AI tools (we call them Bot Squads) that your clients can use, not just learn from.This isn't about becoming an AI teacher. It's about getting AI to help you teach your expertise so your clients can actually implement what you're sharing, at a much higher success rate than ever before.---In This Episode, You'll Learn:Why most entrepreneurs are using AI wrong (and what to do instead)The difference between generic AI and expert-backed AI—and why it mattersThe implementation gap that's costing you client results (and referrals)Real stats: Why 80–90% of online course buyers never finish what they buyThree business model before-and-afters:Course creators: How expert-backed AI helps students get unstuck and actually finishCoaches/Service providers: How Bot Squads deepen your client work and create new revenue streamsMembership leaders: How AI tools increase retention by 30% and reduce overwhelmWhy this is a business model shift, not just a featureHow to sell your thinking at scale—without adding more hours to your calendarThe hybrid approach our beta clients are using to go deeper with their expertise (not replace it)>>Introducing wAIvThis episode is brought to you by wAIv—our brand-new platform built for online experts who want to securely build and sell AI tools powered by YOUR thinking, YOUR frameworks and YOUR methodology.wAIv helps you create Bot Squads—a suite of AI tools that work together to help your clients implement your expertise faster and with better results than ever before.We're currently rolling out in beta, and you can join the waitlist now to access our AI Tool Launch Playbook, which walks you through exactly how to start thinking about your first Bot Squad—what to put in it, what it will solve for your clients, what to name it, and exactly how to build it.Head to https://waiv-ai.com to get on the list.>>Your Next Steps:🤖See what an AI tool built on your expertise actually looks like. Explore wAIv🤖Train AI to sound like you (in under 2 hours) with BrandCalibrator™ Follow our new Instagram account @joinwaiv>> Research Referenced Industry research cited by Noomii Corporate Coaching found that AI tools increased coaching session efficiency by 25% and improved client retention rates by 30%.Source: Noomii Corporate Coaching — *"7 Game-Changing Best AI for Business Coaching Tools"*🔗 https://orgs.noomii.com/best-ai-for-business-coaching/>>Thanks for Listening!If you enjoyed this episode, please help us share it by:⭐ Following the show—this helps you stay updated and supports us!⭐ Leaving a positive review—this boosts our ranking and helps more entrepreneurs find the podcast.--------------------------Entrepreneur School is proud to be featured on the Feedspot list of 30 Best Canada CEO Podcasts!

May 12, 202626 min

Life Is Lifing: How AI Became My Family Command Center

Let me paint you a picture: I'm trying to record this podcast while getting texts from my kids at school. One needs sweatpants. The other forgot a trifold board. Welcome to my life right now.I just got back from Social Media Marketing World in Anaheim, landed straight into six days a week of softball season (for TWO kids), plus gymnastics competitions, and oh yeah—I have a teenager now. And somehow, in the middle of all this chaos, I'm building an AI platform called Wave.So no, this isn't a pity party. This is me keeping it real about what life actually looks like behind the scenes when you're running a business and living in the deep end of the family logistics pool.In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on:What my "typical" week looks like right now (spoiler: there's no such thing)How I'm using AI as my Family Command Center to manage the madnessWhy founders don't have it all together either—even at AI Business WorldThe biggest takeaway from the conference that every entrepreneur needs to hearHow to give yourself permission to survive (and still move your business forward) in a messy seasonA sneak peek at what's happening with wAIv and how you can get early accessThis one's about more than productivity hacks. It's about using AI to think better, not just work faster. It's about building a life-first business that doesn't fall apart when life gets lifey.If you're in a crazy season right now and wondering how the hell anyone balances it all—this episode is for you. (Spoiler: they don't. And that's okay.)>>Your Next Steps!Sign up for our waitlist here.🤖See what an AI tool built on your expertise actually looks like. Explore wAIv🤖Train AI to sound like you (in under 2 hours) with BrandCalibrator™ Follow our new Instagram account @joinwaiv>>Thanks for Listening!If you enjoyed this episode, please help us share it by:⭐ Following the show—this helps you stay updated and supports us!⭐ Leaving a positive review—this boosts our ranking and helps more entrepreneurs find the podcast.--------------------------Entrepreneur School is proud to be featured on the Feedspot list of 30 Best Canada CEO Podcasts!

May 5, 202613 min

3 Entrepreneurs Share How They’re Making Money with AI

I just got back from Social Media Marketing World/ AI Business World in Anaheim, CA (yes, I went to Disneyland—you know me) and I brought home something WAY better than mouse ears: real conversations with real entrepreneurs who are actually making money with AI.And not in some hypothetical "maybe someday" kind of way. Like, right now. Today. In their businesses.This episode is raw, scrappy, and full of ideas you can steal. I sat down on-site with three brilliant humans—Maddie Van Patton (wedding industry), Emma Tiegan (social media scheduling), and Lauren deVane (visual AI queen)—and asked them one question:How are you monetizing AI?What I got back was pure gold.We're talking about:Building AI tools that help small businesses compete with the big guys (without the big budgets)Using AI to automate content scheduling so solopreneurs can batch and chillCreating custom GPTs and courses that teach visual creation without the fear factorLaunching paid memberships because static courses can't keep up with how fast AI movesThe difference between using AI and selling AI expertiseIf you've ever opened ChatGPT and stared at the blank screen going "...now what?"—this episode is your spark. It's not about being perfect. It's about being curious and exploring what's possible.Oh, and I'm totally handing out stickers that say "My Bot Squad Makes Bank" because why not? 😎>>MEET THE GUESTS<<Maddie Van PattonWedding industry pro helping small businesses in California's Central Valley compete with the big names using AI tools and custom bots.Connect on IG: https://www.instagram.com/maddie_vanpattie/Emma TieganWorking with Smarter Queue—a social media scheduling tool built for solopreneurs who want to batch content and let AI handle the rest.Learn more: https://smarterqueue.comLauren deVaneVisual AI strategist and creator of Prompty Poppins and Bot Muse. She teaches entrepreneurs how to use AI for image generation.Connect: https://www.instagram.com/youraiauntie/>>Your Next Steps!Get a sneak peek of what we are building with wAIv, your AI monetization platform.🤖Train AI to sound like you (in under 2 hours) with BrandCalibrator™ 🔹Let’s talk Bots for your business! Book a coffee chat🔹 Connect on Instagram>>Thanks for Listening!If you enjoyed this episode, please help us share it by:⭐ Following the show—this helps you stay updated and supports us!⭐ Leaving a positive review—this boosts our ranking and helps more entrepreneurs find the podcast.--------------------------Entrepreneur School is proud to be featured on the Feedspot list of 30 Best Canada CEO Podcasts!

April 28, 202624 min

[Encore] Expert-Backed AI Is the New Online Course

We're living through another gold rush moment in the online space, and most people don't even realize it yet.Between 2019 and 2021, the online course market exploded from $45 billion to $165 billion. Early movers captured 70% of that market just by being first. But by 2022? The market hit saturation. Course completion rates dropped to 20%. Content fatigue set in. And honestly? I've got my own course graveyard collecting dust on Google Drive. (I know I'm not alone!)But here's what's happening now: Expert-backed AI is creating an entirely new category and it's not just a trend. It's a fundamental shift in how we deliver transformation.In this episode, I'm breaking down what expert-backed AI actually is, why it's different from just using ChatGPT, and how it's changing the monetization game for coaches, course creators, and service providers.This isn't about replacing you. It's about extending your brain into tools your clients can access 24/7 so they get faster results, you have deeper conversations, and everyone wins.In this episode, you'll learn:Why expert-backed AI is NOT the same as a generic large language modelThe shocking stats behind the online course boom—and bustHow AI completion rates are 3–5x higher than traditional coursesWhy "time to first result" has dropped from 4–6 weeks to 2–5 daysThe difference between teaching people how to think vs. letting them use your thinkingHow supplementary AI tools are elevating coaching sessions (not replacing them)Why your old worksheets should probably become interactive botsWhat the $50 billion AI Education Tools Market means for creators in 2025How to pair your expertise with AI without losing the human touchA sneak peek at Project Vault and what we're building for expert-backed AI monetizationThe Big Idea:Courses teach others how to think.Expert-backed AI tools allow others to use your thinking.It's like having a little clone of you—or a brain extension—that your clients can access whenever they want. And that? That's a game-changer for implementation, impact and income.>>Your Next Steps:🤖See what an AI tool built on your expertise actually looks like. Explore wAIv🤖Train AI to sound like you (in under 2 hours) with BrandCalibrator™ Follow our new Instagram account @joinwaiv>>Thanks for Listening!If you enjoyed this episode, please help us share it by:⭐ Following the show—this helps you stay updated and supports us!⭐ Leaving a positive review—this boosts our ranking and helps more entrepreneurs find the podcast.--------------------------Entrepreneur School is proud to be featured on the Feedspot list of 30 Best Canada CEO Podcasts!

April 21, 202625 min

We launched a new AI platform!

Okay, I'm finally spilling it.After months of being *annoyingly* coy about "the platform," I can officially tell you what Andrew and I have been building—and what it's called.Meet wAIv (yes, spelled like that—lowercase w, capital AI, lowercase v). It's an AI platform designed to help expert creators like you build, protect, and *monetize* your knowledge through custom AI tools we call bot squads.In this episode, I'm taking you behind the scenes of our launch—how we named the company (pizza + whiteboards were involved), why we're doing this, and what makes wAIv different from anything else out there.I'll also share:The origin story of wAIv and Gravia Studio (and why naming a company is WAY harder than it should be)What a "bot squad" actually is—and why it's like a custom GPT, Claude skill, and workflow all rolled into oneHow we're protecting creator IP in a world where people are already feeding your worksheets into ChatGPT (yep, it's happening)Why we believe in *human-first AI adoption*—and what that means for your businessA sneak peek at our beta program and how creators are already rethinking their entire delivery modelsHow you can try the **AI Tool Launch Playbook** and experience what wAIv does firsthandThis isn't just another AI tool. It's a philosophy shift. It's about enhancing your expertise, not replacing it. It's about helping your clients get results faster while deepening the work you do together.If you're a coach, course creator, or consultant who's ever thought, "I wish my clients could access my brain when I'm not there," this episode is for you.>>Your Next Steps:🤖See what an AI tool built on your expertise actually looks like. Explore wAIv🤖Train AI to sound like you (in under 2 hours) with BrandCalibrator™ Follow our new Instagram account @joinwaiv>>Thanks for Listening!If you enjoyed this episode, please help us share it by:⭐ Following the show—this helps you stay updated and supports us!⭐ Leaving a positive review—this boosts our ranking and helps more entrepreneurs find the podcast.--------------------------Entrepreneur School is proud to be featured on the Feedspot list of 30 Best Canada CEO Podcasts!

April 7, 202618 min

How to Stay Grounded When AI Is Moving Faster Than You Can Process

I didn't sleep last night.My brain wouldn't shut off—and it wasn't my kids, my snoring husband, or even my senior dog waking me up at 2 a.m. It was the relentless pace of AI news, the fear of falling behind, and the pressure of building in this space while trying to make sense of it all.So I figured if I'm feeling it, you probably are too.In this episode, I'm getting real about what it actually feels like to be a business owner right now—when AI is moving faster than most of us can process, when the headlines are loud, and when you're trying to figure out what actually matters versus what's just noise.I'm sharing:How to filter out the AI noise without missing what's actually importantThe difference between excitement and overwhelm—and how to move forward with intention instead of panicWhy chasing every shiny object means building nothing sustainableMy own struggle with staying focused while building a platform in the AI space (spoiler: I'm figuring it out in real time too)The mantra that's keeping me sane: What am I protecting? What am I building toward? What's one step forward right now?A sneak peek at our platform reveal happening April 16th (and why I'm nervous and excited in equal measure)If you've ever felt that low-level hum of "Am I keeping up? Is this going to change everything? What am I even supposed to do with this?"—this episode is for you.Because here's the truth: Your expertise is real. Your relationships with your clients are real. And the value you create is real. AI doesn't change that. It just changes how you deliver it, scale it, and protect your time while doing it.So let's take a breath together and figure out how to move forward with clarity instead of chaos.>>Your next steps📋Get on the waitlist for our new platform🤖Train AI to sound like you (in under 2 hours) with BrandCalibrator™ 🔹Check out my Interactive AI Starter Kit to see how worksheets can become bots🔹Let’s talk Bots for your business! Book a coffee chat🔹 Connect on Instagram>>Thanks for Listening!If you enjoyed this episode, please help us share it by:⭐ Following the show—this helps you stay updated and supports us!⭐ Leaving a positive review—this boosts our ranking and helps more entrepreneurs find the podcast.--------------------------Entrepreneur School is proud to be featured on the Feedspot list of 30 Best Canada CEO Podcasts!