Putting AI to Work in Your Business: Practical Advice from Ashley Gross [Endless Customers Podcast Ep. 52]

You’ve probably heard a lot about artificial intelligence (AI) lately. But if you’re a business leader, you might be scratching your head about how to actually use AI in your day-to-day operations.

We get it. It seems like there’s a new AI tool or update every day. You’re already juggling a million things – how are you supposed to keep up with all this new tech, let alone use it effectively?

Don’t worry, you’re not alone in feeling this way. And here’s the good news: using AI doesn’t have to be as complicated or time-consuming as you might think. In fact, with the right approach, AI can seriously boost your productivity and your bottom line.

To dig into this topic, we recently chatted with Ashley Gross on our Endless Customers podcast. Ashley is an AI strategist, business owner, and founder of the Prompt Community. She shared some great insights on how businesses can start using AI tools effectively, without getting bogged down in all the hype.

Ashley’s Personal AI Journey

Ashley’s AI adventure began in 2020 when she was expecting her first child. She knew she needed to seriously up her productivity game, so she started playing around with AI tools to squeeze a 40-hour workweek into just 15 hours.

“I started using what was then called Jarvis, now Jasper AI,” Ashley explains. “I learned so many ways to use it on my own and really just supercharged my productivity.”

This personal exploration led to Ashley becoming known as the “AI girl” at her company. Some colleagues were pumped about the potential productivity boosts, while others were more hesitant. Sound familiar?

The real game-changer came when Ashley’s CMO asked her to roll out AI tools across their marketing team. The results were pretty jaw-dropping:

“We blew past our pipeline goal of $90 million and hit $115 million just three months after implementing the AI tools,” Ashley shares. “That was kind of my mic drop moment where I thought, ‘Wow, this is really going to change things.'”

The key takeaway from Ashley’s story is to start small with AI, focus on fixing specific productivity pain points, and keep an eye on how it impacts your bottom line. You might be surprised by the results.

Beating AI Burnout and Finding Tools That Actually Work

While 2023 saw a lot of excitement around AI, Ashley notes that 2024 has brought a shift in mood:

“Now we’re in a bit of a burnout phase. We still have some people who are against it, but we also have a lot of people who are just tired of hearing about it. They tried it once, didn’t have a good plan, didn’t see any real benefits, and gave up.”

This burnout is understandable, especially with all the constant AI news and updates. But Ashley stresses that business owners don’t need to get caught up in every headline:

“From a marketing perspective, I don’t even pay attention to the news… I try to cut through all the noise and just tell people what they actually need to succeed. If you want to follow all the AI drama, go for it. But you really don’t need to.”

Instead of chasing every shiny new AI tool, Ashley suggests focusing on solving specific business problems. Here are some of her favorite AI tools for marketers:

Vizio: Works with CRMs like Salesforce and HubSpot, letting you update customer info via text message.
Zipkin: Puts trackable links in videos, helping you measure how well your marketing is working across different channels.
Jasper AI: Powerful tool for creating and repurposing content.
Descript: Video editing with cool AI features like fixing eye contact in recordings.

Don’t get overwhelmed by all the AI buzz. Focus on tools that fix your specific business headaches and measure how they impact your productivity and revenue.

Building Your AI Toolkit (Without Breaking the Bank)

One of the most surprising things we learned from Ashley was how affordable her AI toolkit is. For her main marketing tools, she only spends $75 per month.

“In terms of productivity, I used to spend 12 hours every Sunday creating content,” Ashley explains. “Now I’ve got it down to three hours.”

This huge time savings allows Ashley to create tons of content across different platforms, including:

YouTube tutorial videos
LinkedIn posts across 3 business accounts
Instagram posts
Twitter (X) posts

When building your own AI toolkit, Ashley recommends:

Start with free trials to test tools before you commit.
Use a time-tracking tool like Toggl to see how much time you’re saving.
Only buy tools on a monthly basis at first, since things change so quickly in the AI world.
Focus on solving specific problems rather than collecting tools just for the sake of it.

“I have the bare minimum toolkit,” Ashley says. “And I actually think that’s worked really well for me… because I know exactly what each tool does and why I’m using it.”

You don’t need a huge budget to start using AI. Focus on affordable tools that directly impact your productivity and bottom line.

Introducing AI to Your Team: The Human Touch

For business leaders looking to bring AI tools into their teams, Ashley emphasizes the importance of a strategic, people-first approach:

Connect AI projects to bigger business goals: “I got one person from every department together… and asked, ‘What’s our biggest business problem this quarter?'”
Start with fun, low-pressure uses: “I always tell people to start with something silly… ask ChatGPT what recipe you can make with the ingredients already in your fridge.”
Gradually increase complexity: Move from 30-second tasks to 60-second, then 90-second, building confidence and familiarity.
Focus on communication skills: Introduce the idea of “prompt engineering” by having employees practice clear, concise communication.

“Most people aren’t great communicators… so you have to help them improve without making them feel bad about it,” Ashley explains.

By showing immediate value to your team, they will be excited to take on more AI challenges.

The Future of AI in Business: Stay Curious and Experiment

As we wrapped up our chat, Ashley left us with some solid advice for business leaders and individuals looking to embrace AI:

For business leaders: “Your employees, whether they say it or not, are curious about AI and want to learn. The best thing you can do as a leader is to help them learn. Advocate for them, empower them, support them.”

For everyone: “Start small, make thoughtful improvements, and keep your curiosity alive. Curiosity is the secret sauce of innovation. That’s really all it is. So stay curious, start somewhere, and be willing to experiment and learn.”

At IMPACT, we couldn’t agree more. AI is a powerful tool that, when used thoughtfully, can seriously improve your business operations, marketing efforts, and bottom line. But it’s not about replacing human creativity and expertise – it’s about boosting and amplifying what your team can already do.

Remember, the goal isn’t to become an AI genius overnight. It’s about finding practical, impactful ways to use this technology to make your business more efficient, productive, and successful. Start small, stay curious, and don’t be afraid to try new things. The future of AI in business is bright – and you have the power to shape it.