The AI Marketing Companion, hosted by Sandy Carter, is the world's most entertaining marketing podcast. Sandy is a bestselling author of "AI First, Human Always," a Forbes Top 150 contributor, and a keynote speaker at Davos, CES, SXSW, and the United Nations. She took the mic in January 2026 from founding host Mark Schaefer, carrying forward 13 years of laugh-out-loud conversation, surprise guests, and sharp insight. New episodes dig into AI, agentic commerce, and the future of digital business, always fun, always interesting, always ready to turn your marketing intellect up to 11
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August 31, 2026Episode 34932 min
40% of Marketing Budgets Are Moving to Creators. Here's Why
Creators are dead. Long live creators. The experimental era of creator marketing is over, and 40% of marketing budgets now flow to creators. The brands still treating that spend like a test are already behind. Jeff Barrett has lived every side of the creator economy: Shorty Award winning creator, creator partnerships lead for Fortune 500 brands like Adobe and Oracle, It's No Fluke columnist on Yahoo Creators, and board chair of the Creator Guild of America. In this episode of The AI Marketing Companion, Jeff and Sandy Carter get into why trust is pulling budgets toward creators, how creators became the new creative department, and the mistake brands make when they pay for authenticity and then script it away. WHAT WE COVER: ▶ The lesson Jeff learned wearing all three hats: creator, agent, and brand buyer ▶ Why 40% of marketing budgets now flow to creators ▶ Trust and the parasocial relationships brands can't manufacture ▶ Creators as the new creative department, involved from ideation ▶ The "ick": what happens when brands over-script creator content ▶ Why Jenny Hoyos is the blueprint for the next generation of creators ▶ How to select the right creator: motivation and niche fit over raw metrics CONNECT WITH SANDY CARTER: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandyacarter/ The AI Marketing Companion is a top 1% podcast globally and a 5-time podcast award winner. #CreatorEconomy #InfluencerMarketing #AIMarketing #MarketingStrategy #JeffBarrett
August 27, 20262 min
The real AI Status Symbol
What is the real AI status symbol in 2026? It may not be what you think. Artificial intelligence is changing how we work, create, communicate and compete. But beyond simply using AI tools, there is a bigger shift happening in how people and businesses think about AI, productivity and the future. In this video, we explore the real AI status symbol and what it reveals about the changing relationship between people, technology and artificial intelligence. You'll discover why AI adoption is becoming more than just a technology trend, what separates people who use AI from those who truly understand how to leverage it, and why AI skills could become increasingly valuable in the future. Whether you're a business owner, creator, professional, entrepreneur or simply interested in the future of technology, this conversation will give you a different perspective on what AI really means in today's world. #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #AITools
August 18, 2026Episode 34830 min
Shira Lazar: 5 Creator Lessons for Marketers
TIME Top 100 creator Shira Lazar shares her creator playbook. Before "creator" became a career path, Shira Lazar was already building one. In this episode of The AI Marketing Companion, Shira shares the lessons she's learned from more than 15 years of building media brands, identifying trends, and helping creators navigate a rapidly changing digital landscape. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and Shira's journey from early digital media to the creator economy 04:25 How to recognize a real trend before it reaches peak popularity 10:18 Why follower counts don't tell the whole story when selecting creator partners 16:42 How to use AI to enhance your work without losing your authentic voice 22:10 Authenticity in an era of AI-generated content and invisible watermarking 27:35 The Creator Bill of Rights and building healthier creator partnerships 31:12 Shira's homework assignment for every marketer What signals are you missing? Which creator partnerships are worth pursuing? And how can AI amplify your work without replacing what makes it uniquely yours? Listen in for a practical playbook from one of the world's most influential creators. Connect with Sandy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandyacarter/ Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/sandycarter/ Sandy Carter: https://sandycarter.net/ Youtube: https://youtube.com/@aifirstmarketing?si=Qkyd3smETP8HQ7SM
August 4, 2026Episode 34734 min
The Devil Wears Prompts | Cathy Hackl on the Brand You No Longer Control
Cathy Hackl on what AI is doing to brands. Fewer than 10% of the sources AI assistants cite rank in Google's top 10 for the same question. Your brand equity moved and nobody sent a memo. Cathy Hackl has spent a decade being early. She was calling the metaverse before most boardrooms could spell it. USA Today named her one of the best predictors of tech behavior in the world, Newsweek named her a top AI visionary, and she is the number one voice on LinkedIn for spatial AI. As CEO of Future Dynamics, co-founder of Journey, and Futurist in Residence at Nokia, she has guided Nike, Walmart, Louis Vuitton, and Estee Lauder through what comes next. But she did not just predict the technology. She built one of the most recognizable personal brands in tech while doing it. So this conversation is about both kinds of brand, the company one and the personal one, now that AI sits between you and everyone you are trying to reach. We get into what a slop moment really costs, and whether one machine-sounding post means you lose the benefit of the doubt on everything you have ever written. Why executives believe young audiences are fine with AI content far more than those audiences say they are. What happens to persuasion when agentic shopping goes from 19% to 46% of consumers and the buyer is software that does not care whether your brand is loved. And what proof of human survives when a convincing version of any of us can appear anywhere, voice clone included. CONNECT WITH CATHY HACKL LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathyhackl/ THE AI MARKETING COMPANION New episodes twice a month with Sandy Carter. Subscribe: https://youtube.com/@aifirstmarketing?si=sy4P6ERqEzeQtFqK Sandy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandyacarter/ #AIMarketing #PersonalBranding #SpatialAI
July 21, 2026Episode 34633 min
We're All in the Diaper Business (And Mark Schaefer Explains Why)
The biggest disruption in marketing history isn't coming for your job. It's coming for your customer. In this episode of The AI Marketing Companion, Sandy Carter sits down with bestselling author, keynote speaker, and marketing thought leader Mark Schaefer to explore one of the biggest shifts happening in business today: AI isn't just changing marketing—it is fundamentally changing the people we market to. Mark explains why we're "all in the diaper business," shares the surprising Betty Crocker lesson that every brand needs to understand, and explores how AI companions, cognitive offloading, and machine-driven recommendations are reshaping customer behavior. In this episode you'll discover: Why the real disruption is happening to customers, not marketers The "Diaper Business" story everyone is talking about The Betty Crocker lesson that predicts the future of customer experience What AI companions mean for brands and authentic human connection Why algorithms increasingly make decisions before people do How AI search and AI referrals are changing influence and discovery How marketers can remain indispensable in an AI-first world Whether you're a CMO, founder, marketer, or business leader, this conversation will challenge how you think about customers, trust, and the future of marketing.
July 7, 2026Episode 34532 min
How a 24-Year Army Veteran Built 360K LinkedIn Followers by Telling Stories
America turns 250 this year. Every brand on the planet is reaching for the moment. And most of them are about to miss it completely. Michael Quinn has spent years studying why, and what to do instead. He is a 3x LinkedIn Top Voice with a following above 360,000, a Forbes Coaches Council member, and the founder of Tenova LLC, with a monthly social reach that exceeds two million people. He knows what makes content land, what makes brands earn trust, and what the difference looks like between honoring a moment and just borrowing it. In this conversation we get into three ideas that every marketer needs right now. Story is the only strategy that lasts. Authenticity is a decision, not a vibe. And the opportunity sitting inside America's AI disruption is bigger than most brands realize. Michael also designs an AI-powered campaign to honor the 250th live, and closes with what he wants every marketer to do the moment this episode ends. If you want to get this moment right, this one's for you. SPOTIFY SHOW NOTES America is turning 250. And the biggest marketing opportunity of the decade is sitting right in front of every brand on the planet. Most of them are going to waste it. In this episode of The AI Marketing Companion, Sandy Carter sits down with Michael Quinn, 3x LinkedIn Top Voice, Forbes Coaches Council member, and founder of Tenova LLC, to talk about what it actually takes to own a cultural moment like America's 250th. He shared 3 ideas that are simple but not easy! 1. Story Is the Only Strategy That Works Brands are flooding the zone with America 250 content right now. Flags. Fireworks. Slogans. Almost none of it will be remembered by August. Michael has built a following above 360,000 on LinkedIn and a monthly reach beyond two million people by doing one thing differently: starting with a real story, not a campaign brief. The brands that will own this moment are the ones that find a human being at the center of the celebration and let that person speak. Not a tagline. A story with stakes, with heart, with something true at the center of it. 2. Authenticity Is Not a Vibe. It Is a Decision. Every brand wants to feel authentic right now. Very few are willing to make the decisions that create it. In a world where AI can generate unlimited content in seconds, the one thing that cannot be faked is a genuine point of view. That is what audiences are filtering for. That is what earns trust. And trust, Michael says, is the only currency that compounds. 3. The Opportunity in America Is Bigger Than You Think AI is reshaping the economy faster than anyone predicted. A lot of people are scared. Michael sees something different. He sees an opening. America at 250 is not just a birthday. It is a reset point. The brands and individuals who use AI as a tool for human storytelling rather than a replacement for it are going to have an extraordinary advantage in the years ahead. The opportunity is real. The window is open. About Michael Quinn SGM (Ret.) Michael Quinn is the founder and Chief Growth Officer of Tenova LLC and its HireMilitary brand, a verified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business. He is a 3x LinkedIn Top Voice with a following above 360,000 and a monthly social reach beyond two million people, a Forbes Coaches Council member, and creator of the Digital Networking Professional Program. His brand promise: Teamwork and Innovation. Connect with Michael LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/quinnmi Tenova LLC: https://tenovallc.com/ HireMilitary: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hiremilitary-us Connect with Sandy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandyacarter/ Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/sandycarter/ Sandy Carter: https://sandycarter.net/ If this episode moved you, share it with one marketer who needs to hear it before America's 250th.
June 23, 2026Episode 34431 min
Your Brand's Soul Isn't Dead, It Just Needs AI Done Right | Tatyana Kanzaveli
A few weeks ago, I was talking with a marketing leader who summed up the challenge facing most teams in a single sentence: "We need to create three times more content with the same number of people." I suspect that sounds familiar. Every platform wants more. LinkedIn wants consistency. Short-form video is consuming marketing calendars. Leadership wants greater visibility. Customers expect faster responses. Somehow, all of that has landed on teams that aren't dramatically larger than they were a year ago. So marketers do what marketers always do. They look for leverage. Right now, that leverage is AI. The problem is that many teams discover the downside almost immediately. The content gets produced faster, but it starts sounding generic. The personality fades. The perspective that made people pay attention in the first place gets lost somewhere between prompt number three and post number thirty. That's why I enjoyed my conversation this week with Tatyana Kanzaveli, founder of SocialBrilliance.ai. What interested me wasn't another promise to generate more content. We've all seen enough of those. What interested me was her focus on preserving voice. Because I don't think marketers have a content volume problem anymore. We have a differentiation problem. The internet is filling up with competent content. What remains scarce is content that sounds like it came from a real person, a real company, or a real point of view. Tatyana and I spent a lot of time discussing how smaller marketing teams can use AI without giving up the very thing that makes their brand recognizable. We talked about brand voice, publishing velocity, authenticity, and the guardrails that matter when AI becomes part of your content process. One idea from our conversation stuck with me. The goal isn't to use AI to sound better. The goal is to use AI to sound more like yourself. That may sound obvious, but it's a very different approach from what much of the market is selling. As I was preparing for the interview, I realized it also completed a pattern that emerged across all of our June episodes. First, Simon Davis challenged the idea that more content is automatically better content. His warning about AI slop wasn't really about technology. It was about originality. The brands that stand out will be the ones that continue to contribute new ideas instead of recycling the same ones faster. Then Shawn Reddy joined me to discuss Claude's Dynamic Workflows. His message was that the next generation of marketers may be valued less for writing prompts and more for designing systems. As AI becomes capable of handling increasingly complex work, workflow design becomes a competitive advantage. And now Tatyana brings the third piece of the puzzle: authenticity. Looking back, June was really about three skills marketers need to develop in the AI era. - The ability to avoid AI slop. - The ability to build intelligent workflows. - And the ability to scale an authentic voice. Technology will continue to change. Models will improve. New tools will arrive every month. But those three capabilities feel surprisingly durable. If you can think originally, build intelligently, and communicate authentically, you'll be ahead of most of the market regardless of which AI platform happens to be winning the headlines. I'd love to know what you think. Of those three skills—original thinking, workflow design, or authentic voice—which do you believe will matter most over the next few years?
June 18, 2026Episode 34333 min
The AI Shift Marketers Must Know: Claude Just Overtook ChatGPT
Anthropic's Claude has officially surpassed ChatGPT in enterprise adoption—but that's not the biggest story. The real shift is happening beneath the surface. In this episode of AI Marketing Companion, Sandy Carter sits down with Shawn Reddy of Team Nebula to explore why businesses are moving beyond prompts and chatbots toward dynamic AI workflows that can execute real work. From content creation and campaign execution to brand consistency and productivity, this conversation breaks down what marketers need to know about the next phase of AI. In this episode: 00:00 Introduction 02:10 Anthropic surpasses OpenAI in enterprise adoption 05:25 Why marketers should care about the shift 08:40 The most important Claude Opus 4.8 feature most people are missing 12:15 What dynamic workflows actually are 16:40 Dynamic workflows vs prompt engineering 21:05 Turning a webinar or podcast into a complete content engine 27:20 Can AI workflows reduce AI-generated "slop"? 32:10 The marketing skills becoming more valuable in the AI era 37:05 One workflow every CMO should implement in the next 90 days 41:55 What marketers are still underestimating about AI 45:30 Lightning Round 49:15 Final takeaways Key Takeaways • AI is shifting from answering questions to executing workflows. • Dynamic workflows may become more important than prompt engineering. • Marketers can automate entire content distribution pipelines while maintaining brand consistency. • The future competitive advantage won't be access to AI—it will be workflow design. • Human judgment, creativity, and strategic thinking become more valuable as execution becomes automated. Guest Shawn Reddy Founder, Team Nebula Shawn works with organizations implementing practical AI systems and workflows that help teams scale content creation, operations, and business processes. Related Reading • Read Sandy Carter 's Forbes coverage of Anthropic's rise in enterprise adoption: https://www.forbes. com/sites/ sandycarter /2026/06/ 05/claude-becomes-the- enterprise-favorite-as- anthropic-passes-openai/ • Read Sandy Carter 's analysis of the government's Fable restrictions and what they mean for enterprise AI leaders: https://www.forbes. com/sites/ sandycarter /2026/06/ 13/anthropic-fable-government- lockdown-enterprise-ai-risk/ Subscribe for more conversations on AI, marketing, business transformation, and emerging technology. #Claude #Anthropic #ChatGPT #ArtificialIntelligence #MarketingAI #GenerativeAI #ContentMarketing #CMO #FutureOfWork #AIMarketingCompanion
June 9, 2026Episode 34232 min
AI Slop Or Original Thinking?
AI has solved one of marketing's oldest problems: creating content at scale. Now it may be creating a new one. In this episode of The AI Marketing Companion , Sandy Carter welcomes Simon Davis , Co-Founder and CEO of wearemighty, to discuss the growing challenge of maintaining originality in an era of unlimited AI-generated content. Simon shares how a request for 25 million branded assets led his team to discover a critical flaw in many AI workflows: content scales faster than brand consistency. That insight ultimately led to the creation of SecretSauce, a platform designed to help organizations preserve their identity across millions of assets. Together, Sandy and Simon explore the rise of AI slop, the hidden costs of brand drift, the future of agent-driven marketing, and why the most successful brands of the next decade may be those that remain unmistakably human. Whether you're leading a marketing team, building a brand, or experimenting with AI, this episode offers practical insights into the future of creativity, differentiation, and trust. Key Topics: AI slop versus original thinking The hidden costs of unlimited content Brand drift and consistency at scale Marketing agents and autonomous publishing Teaching AI to understand a brand Why originality matters more than ever Subscribe to The AI Marketing Companion for conversations at the intersection of marketing, technology, and the future of business.
May 27, 2026Episode 34128 min
Will AI Take My Job? Insights from a Mother-Daughter Conversation
Will AI take your marketing job? That's exactly what this conversation explores. In this mother-daughter discussion, we talk about how AI is changing marketing, creativity, and the future of work. Instead of fear, we focus on understanding how AI can actually help marketers think better, move faster, and create smarter. We discuss: • How AI is transforming marketing jobs • Why AI should be used as a system, not just a shortcut • The difference between automation and creativity • How marketers can stay valuable in the AI era • The danger of relying too heavily on AI • Practical ways to use AI without losing your human touch One of the biggest takeaways from this conversation is simple: AI may speed things up, but creativity, storytelling, emotion, and critical thinking still belong to humans. If you're a marketer, creator, business owner, student, or simply curious about the future of AI, this conversation will give you a realistic perspective on where things are heading. #AI #Marketing #ArtificialIntelligence #AIInMarketing #DigitalMarketing #FutureOfWork #MarketingCareer #Creativity #AITools #BusinessGrowth
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