Using AI at Work: AI in the Workplace & Generative AI for Business Leaders

113: Using AI Agents for Business: From Chatbots to Autonomous Workflows with Bryan McAnulty

Send us Fan MailSummaryThe biggest shift in AI may be moving from asking questions to assigning work. In this episode Chris sits down with Bryan McAnulty, founder and product director of Heights Platform and LatchLoop, to explore why leaders should approach AI as a worker assigned to tasks and projects rather than a chatbot producing one-time answers. Bryan explains how long-running agents can conduct research, analyze information, automate recurring work, and support teams without constant human supervision.Chris and Bryan also unpack the operating model leaders need around context, permissions, approval gates, prompt injection, process ownership, and human judgment. Listen to learn how to begin with specialized agents, protect critical systems, and use expanded AI capacity to create better customer outcomes rather than simply reduce headcount.Chapters00:00 Episode Trailer02:11 Meet Brian McAnulty: From Creator Platforms to AI Agents06:36 New Chat vs. New Task: A Fundamental Shift in AI12:08 Three Ways to Work with AI Agents17:23 How AI Agents Actually Work Behind the Scenes24:16 Security & Guardrails: Keeping AI Agents Safe29:51 Will AI Agents Replace Jobs? A Better Question to Ask33:30 Owning Your Processes: Why It Matters in the AI Era38:06 What Is an Agent Harness? Explained39:38 How Soon Is Too Soon to Deploy AI Agents?43:24 Closing the Implementation Gap: Getting Started with Agents🔎 Find Out More About Bryan McAnultyBryan McAnulty on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanmcanultyLatchLoop: https://www.latchloop.com/Heights Platform: https://www.heightsplatform.com/The Creator’s Adventure Podcast: https://www.heightsplatform.com/the-creators-adventure🛠 AI Tools and Resources Mentioned:ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com/ChatGPT Work: https://help.openai.com/en/articles/20001275/OpenAI Codex: https://openai.com/codex/OpenAI GPT-5.6: https://help.openai.com/en/articles/20001354-gpt-56-in-chatgptClaude: https://claude.ai/Claude Code: https://www.anthropic.com/product/claude-codeClaude Cowork: https://www.anthropic.com/product/claude-coworkClaude Tag: https://www.anthropic.com/news/introducing-claude-tagGoogle Gemini: https://gemini.google.com/OpenClaw: https://openclaw.ai/Hermes Agent: https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/Model Context Protocol: https://modelcontextprotocol.io/GitHub: https://github.com/

112: AI-Driven Leadership: Using the CRIT Framework Make Faster, Smarter Decisions with Geoff Woods

Send us Fan MailAI adoption stalls when leaders delegate the thinking. In this episode Chris sits down with Geoff Woods, bestselling author of The AI-Driven Leader and founder of AI Leadership, to explore why AI strategy must begin with the CEO and executive team. Geoff explains the difference between using AI for minor tasks and using it as a strategic thought partner for the decisions that shape enterprise value.They break down the CRIT framework, practical prompts for solving major business problems, a financial review exercise that created stronger operating visibility, and a leadership exercise designed to multiply the value of high-performing employees. Geoff also shares what changed in the updated 2026 edition of his book and how leaders can access its companion training and bonuses. Listen to learn how to move AI from scattered tool usage into a leadership discipline that improves judgment, alignment, and execution.Chapters:00:00 Introduction03:23 From Executive Operator to AI-Driven Leader07:12 Why AI Leadership Belongs to the CEO10:10 Solving Strategic Problems With the CRIT Framework15:48 Two Sticky Notes for Daily AI Adoption17:01 The AI CFO Prompt and Financial Visibility24:37 Scaling AI From Strategy to Company-Wide Execution27:19 How AI Champions Drive Cultural Adoption34:27 What Changed in the Updated Edition37:58 The Executive Multiplier Exercise43:16 Book Bonuses, Leadership Training, and the Team Accelerator🔎 Find Out More About Geoff Woods:Geoff Woods Official Bio: https://www.aileadership.com/geoff-woods/Geoff Woods on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoff-woods-8534774Book: The AI-Driven Leader, updated 2026 edition: https://www.aileadership.com/book/Bonus redemption page:https://www.aileadership.com/book/redeemAI Leadership: https://www.aileadership.com/AI Leadership Newsletter: https://www.aileadership.com/newsletterThe AI-Driven Leader Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2qSY9ZFTBJisoKp9eACbebThe AI-Driven Leader Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ai-driven-leader/id1723615439🛠 AI Tools and Resources Mentioned:The CRIT Prompt FrameworkCRIT stands for Context, Role, Interview, and Task.Context: Describe the problem in vivid detail.Role: “You are a world-class chief growth officer who is also an aggressive, growth-minded board member. You think strategically about the business that could put us out of business and how we could build it first. Focus on the 20% that drives 80% of the results.”Interview: “Interview me. Ask me one question at a time, up to three questions, to gain deeper context.”Task: “Give me the top three high-impact, non-obvious strategies I can deploy to solve this problem.”CRIT framework resource:https://www.aileadership.com/newsletter/crit-happens-the-viral-framework-transforming-how-leaders-thinkFinancial Review CRIT PromptContext: “Here are my financials for the last month.” Attach the relevant financial statements.Role: “You are a world-class CFO who is excellent at telling a CEO what they do not know, but should know, about their business based on their financials.”Interview: “Interview me. Ask me one question at a time, up to five questions, to gain deeper context.”Task: “Tell me the top five things I am not seeing that I should be seeing, and what I should do in the next 30 days to improve the financial health of my company.”Executive Multiplier ExerciseWrite a CRIT prompt that asks AI to help you identify your greatest strengths, including strengths you may not currently be using inside the business. Compare those strengths with the company’s goals and cast a vision for how you could bring 10 times to 100 times more value.Then identify:The high-value work to double down onWork that should stopWork AI can augment or automateWork that still requires a humanThe responsibilities, priorities, onboarding plan, and job description for the person who could take over the remaining workThis exercise is based on the leadership example Geoff shares during the episode.The Two-Sticky-Note ExerciseSticky note one: “How can AI help me do this?”Sticky note two: “Context, Role, Interview, Task.”Place both notes where you work and use them as a daily trigger to apply AI to meaningful strategic problems rather than only administrative tasks.ChatGPThttps://chatgpt.com/Claudehttps://claude.ai/Microsoft Copilothttps://copilot.microsoft.com/Google Geminihttps://gemini.google.com/Claude Codehttps://www.anthropic.com/claude-codeElevenLabshttps://elevenlabs.io/AI Leadership Collectivehttps://www.aileadership.com/collective/

111: Using AI in the Workplace for Smarter Hiring and Pay Decisions with Cary Sparrow

Send us Fan MailThe labor market is moving faster than most leaders can see. In this episode Chris sits down with Cary Sparrow, founder and CEO of WageScape, to discuss how real time labor market intelligence is reshaping hiring, compensation, workforce planning, and the competition for talent.Cary explains why traditional labor market data often moves too slowly for executive decisions, how pay transparency is changing the talent market, and why AI literacy is becoming a practical requirement across roles. The conversation gives leaders a clear view of how AI is affecting both workforce strategy and individual career resilience, making this episode worth listening to for anyone responsible for hiring, talent, or organizational performance.Chapters:(00:00) Introduction(03:50) From Submarine Officer to WageScape Founder(07:56) Why Traditional Labor Market Data Falls Short(11:38) Building a Global Labor Market Data Engine(14:53) How WageScape Uses Claude, Gemini, and ChatGPT(17:37) Better Pay Decisions With Local Talent Intelligence(21:02) What Pay Transparency Really Means(25:57) AI Literacy Is Showing Up in Job Descriptions(30:55) What Hiring Teams Really Mean by AI Literacy(36:17) Where AI Creates Growth and Workforce Risk(43:07) Why Executives Need Strategic AI Fluency(49:38) Career Advice for Executives and Staff LeadersResources:🔎 Find Out More About Cary Sparrow:Cary Sparrow LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/carysparrowWageScape https://wagescape.comWageScape LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/wagescape-1 🛠 AI Tools and Resources Mentioned:WageScape https://wagescape.com/ (WageScape)Claudehttps://claude.com/ (Claude)Anthropic https://www.anthropic.com/ChatGPThttps://chatgpt.com/OpenAI https://openai.comGoogle Gemini https://gemini.google.comBureau of Labor Statisticshttps://www.bls.gov/

110: AI in Education: Building Trust While Preparing Students for the Future with Jason Hill

Send us Fan MailAI in education is no longer a future debate, it is a leadership decision happening now. In this episode Chris talks with Jason Hill, Deputy Superintendent and CBO at Redlands Unified School District, about what AI adoption looks like inside a large K-12 school district with major operational, safety, instructional, and community considerations.Jason explains how Redlands approached staff AI access, parent concerns, student safety, AI use policies, and the importance of teaching AI literacy as a core readiness skill. He also shares practical lessons business leaders can apply immediately, including acceptable-use levels, human review, workflow automation, and the mindset shift from prompting to delegation.Listen to this episode to understand how responsible AI adoption happens when leaders balance speed, governance, trust, and real-world execution.Chapters00:00 Episode Trailer02:20 Meet Jason Hill: Leading AI Adoption in K-12 Education05:41 Overcoming Fear: The Strategy to Flip the AI Switch11:42 Navigating Parental Pushback and Teacher Concerns17:05 The Core Argument: Preparing Students for the Future of Work22:41 What Parents Should Ask Their School Districts About AI23:49 Implementing Levels of AI Access for Different Age Groups26:37 Safety First: Filtering and Monitoring AI Interactions29:41 How Parents Can Get Involved in AI Policy Decisions35:16 Real-World AI Application: Analyzing Complex Financial Reports42:11 The Future of AI: From 'The Thing' to an Everyday Tool47:06 Establishing Acceptable Use Policies in Business and EducationResources🔎 Find Out More About Jason HillJason Hill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jsn-hillRedlands Unified School District Business Services: https://www.redlandsusd.net/departments/business-services (redlandsusd.net)Redlands Unified School District: https://www.redlandsusd.netJason Hill email: jason_hill@redlands.k12.ca.us 🛠 AI Tools and Resources Mentioned:Claude https://claude.aiGamma https://gamma.appChatGPT https://chatgpt.comOpenAI https://openai.comAnthropic https://www.anthropic.comGoogle Gemini for Education https://edu.google.com/products/google-workspace-for-education/gemini/ Circle https://circle.soCodex https://openai.com/index/introducing-codex/

109: Using AI Meeting Notes to Turn Conversations Into Business Outcomes with Artem Koren

Send us Fan MailAI adoption often succeeds or fails in the ordinary work leaders overlook. In this episode Chris sits down with Artem Koren, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Sembly AI, to discuss how organizations can turn everyday conversations into structured intelligence, clearer decisions, and measurable execution. Artem’s work focuses on agentic systems, professional workflows, and making AI useful, safe, and practical for teams. Chris and Artem explore how AI-powered workflows can replace manual meeting admin, surface the work that matters, and help managers spend more time on strategy, judgment, and people. They also discuss responsible AI adoption, trust, and what executives need to understand before scaling AI across the organization. Leaders should listen for a grounded view of how to make AI adoption useful inside real operating teams.Chapters:(00:00) Introduction(04:38) Starting Sembly AI Before the Market Was Ready(07:42) The Hard Technical Problems Behind AI Meeting Notes(10:48) Selling AI Meeting Assistants Before AI Was Mainstream(16:04) From Meeting Notes to Meeting Intelligence(23:04) Defining Meeting Intelligence for Business Outcomes(25:31) Turning Meeting Context Into Proactive Workflows(34:30) How to Evaluate AI Meeting Assistant Tools(37:30) The Shift Toward Agentic AI in Business Workflows(45:31) Creating Client Ready Business Materials With AI(49:53) Where to Learn More About Artem and Sembly AI 🔎 Find Out More About Artem Koren:Artem Koren Website https://www.artemkoren.com/Artem Koren LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/akorenSembly AI Website https://www.sembly.ai/🛠 AI Tools and Resources Mentioned:Sembly AI https://www.sembly.ai/ChatGPT https://chatgpt.com/Otter.ai https://otter.ai/Gonghttps://www.gong.io/Fireflies.aihttps://fireflies.ai/Granola https://www.granola.ai/Recall.ai https://www.recall.ai/Rev https://www.rev.com/Speechmatics https://www.speechmatics.com