AI Literacy for Entrepreneurs – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode of AI Literacy for Entrepreneurs, host Susan Diaz heads into the world of storytelling and content creation with Dori Adams, founder of shutterb. Dori is revolutionizing the way businesses capture content by making high-quality storytelling accessible to everyone through a unique gig platform that functions like the "Uber of content creators"

🎙️ Episode Highlights

The Vision Behind shutterb, designed to solve the problem of businesses needing constant, high-quality content.

How AI Enhances Storytelling: Dori uses ChatGPT to streamline content creation, including crafting LinkedIn posts, email marketing, and even scripting her educational courses for shutterb labs. We talk about the importance of training custom GPTs for different business functions (e.g., social media, business development, HR) to optimize workflows.

The Power of Delegation with AI: By training GPTs as “employees”, you can delegate repetitive tasks and focus on high-level strategy.

Breaking Down Storytelling Myths: AI doesn’t replace storytelling; it enhances it. Dori emphasizes the importance of maintaining your unique voice and narrative.

Why AI Literacy Matters: Both Susan and Dori emphasize the importance of AI literacy for entrepreneurs. Staying ahead of the curve means embracing AI not just for productivity but as a co-pilot in business strategy.

Key Takeaways

💡 Storytelling + AI = Authentic Marketing: AI helps with the heavy lifting, but your voice and narrative remain the most powerful tools.

💡 Delegate to AI: Treat your GPTs like team members - train them, give feedback, and optimize your processes.

💡 Start with Strategy: Whether creating content or building a business, having a strategic foundation enhances every AI-powered workflow.

💡 AI Literacy is non-Negotiable: As Susan says, "Promote your AI to a thought partner, not just a task executor" The future belongs to those who leverage AI strategically.

🔗 Connect with Dori Adams on LinkedIn
🔗 Connect with Susan Diaz on LinkedIn

🎧 Listen to the Episode now

 

🚀 Ready to Leverage AI for Your Business?

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👉 Click here to learn more https://cpdigitalinc.vipmembervault.com/products/courses/view/1157552 

💬 Join the Conversation:

What’s your biggest takeaway from this episode? Drop a comment on social or DM Susan Diaz to chat about all things AI, storytelling, and entrepreneurship!

Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with fellow entrepreneurs!

 

💡 AI is changing the way we work, learn, and grow - are you keeping up?

In this episode of AI Literacy for Entrepreneurs, I sit down with Leigh Mitchell, growth manager, educator, and changemaker, to unpack how AI is reshaping both education and business. Leigh shares insights from her work with York University, University of Guelph-Humber, and the startup ecosystem, offering a real-world perspective on AI adoption in learning and marketing.

What you’ll Learn in This Episode:

🔹 The Future of Work – Why every company is now a tech company and how professionals can upskill to stay ahead
🔹 AI in Education – How educators are leveraging AI to enhance learning without replacing critical thinking
🔹 Marketing and AI – Why prompt engineering is a must-have skill for modern entrepreneurs
🔹 DEI and AI Bias – The role AI plays in shaping inclusivity and the risks we need to be aware of
🔹 AI for Business Owners – How Leigh uses AI inside The ChangeMaker Collective to streamline content, automate research, and improve strategic decision-making

💡 Key Takeaway: AI isn’t replacing humans - it’s amplifying those who learn to use it strategically. Whether you're a student, entrepreneur, or corporate leader, mastering AI is becoming as essential as digital literacy.

🎧 Listen now to gain the edge in this AI-driven world!

Resources and Next Steps:

💡 Join the Marketing Power Circle (MPC) – The only mastermind designed for small business owners looking to implement AI at speed and scale 🚀

📩 Subscribe to my AI Newsletter for exclusive insights on how to stay ahead with AI.

💬 Let’s discuss! What’s one way you’ve used AI in your business or learning journey? Comment on our socials ⬇️

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Connect with Susan Diaz on LinkedIn 

 

Welcome back to the 4am Report AI Literacy Podcast! As we transition our podcast name to better reflect our focus on AI literacy for entrepreneurs, I’m diving deep into debunking some of the most damaging AI myths that present often in the entrepreneurial community.

What I Cover in This Episode:

🚫 Myth 1: Using AI is Cheating

I explore why this belief is a misconception and how AI, like any tool, is designed to augment human capabilities and foster innovation, not replace our ethical minds or creativity.

🛠️ Myth 2: AI Implementation is Complicated

Real Talk: Ditch the myth that AI requires extensive tech knowledge. You’re firmly in the era of no-code solutions enabled by AI.

I share a story from my own experience on how AI (and a friend in my network) helped me save my business website from malware without expensive and time-consuming traditional fixes.

🤖 Myth 3: AI Results are Unreliable and Sound Robotic

I address concerns about AI-generated content’s quality, explaining the importance of quality inputs (garbage in; garbage out, folks) and the role of prompt engineering in achieving better outputs.

Looking Ahead:

This marks the last episode under the name "The 4AM Report". 

Stay tuned for our new name and a refreshed focus, continuing our mission to enhance AI literacy among entrepreneurs. Expect a lineup of incredible guests and impactful discussions in upcoming episodes!

Engage with Us:

Have thoughts on these AI myths or questions about AI implementation drop us a comment on our social media platforms. Your insights make our community stronger!

Connect with me - Susan Diaz on LinkedIn: Entrepreneur, podcast host, and passionate advocate for using AI to enhance small business revenue and productivity.

Special Announcement Reminder:

Be the first to experience our podcast under its new name in the next episode, where we'll continue to unravel the complexities of AI with expert insights and practical advice. Hit Subscribe!

Thank you for your continued support over the last five years. 

We kid ye not. There really is an international “Talk like a Pirate Day” on the 19th of September, so we decided to honour this as we introduce our latest episode of 🎙The 4am Report🎙. Being the kind, caring and salty duo we are (self-titled of course), this episode shares the five things ye need for a successful podcast launch. Take a glimpse at what we discuss:

1. Why ye need a solid content calendar with your content mapped out
2. What makes your podcast stand out (yes, that hook we keep harping on about and a few other treasures that may or may not be pirate-related🦜)
3. The tech suite ye choose and why it matters 
4. Good writing ✏ (underestimate it at ye peril)
5. Great relationships and how to foster them🤲

🎧Tune in for more sound and sage podcasting advice🎧

She. Was. 21. 
If you’re of a certain age, even if you’re not  American, you most likely remember THE presidential scandal of the 90s and have heard of Monica Lewinski. Considered the home wrecker of the century, the then-21 year old’s name was dragged through the mud after being groomed by a much older, powerful man, in a way that would be totally unacceptable these days.  Fast forward to now, the 48 year old has not only used her platform to advocate for anti-bullying measures, she’s producing her very own American Crime Story episode on the subject of the presidential impeachment. We love seeing the strength she has to rise above after years and years of abuse from the media.   Extreme Contract Makeover When it comes to being the spokesperson of a brand, the contracts end of things isn't always easy, breezy, or even beautiful. At least not until poet and activist Amanda Gorman came to the bargaining table and gave the whole deal a makeover. Now known as the "Global Changemaker" of 75-year-old and woman-founded Estée Lauder, Amanda says "I'm never just lending my body or my face. They are getting my spirit, my breath, my brain." Over the 3 year contract, Estée Lauder companies have pledged to donate $3 million to support writing and equality initiatives. Yassss!   Superbowl ad spots are going...going...almost gone
If you’ve got a cool $6.5 million just hanging around, you’d better move quickly to grab your advertising spot during the Super Bowl. Despite a lackadaisical response to the game in February, including a huge advertiser backing out in favour of supporting vaccination initiatives, this year spots are at a premium and going fast. While we’re not super crazy into the world of athletics (Go Sports!), we’re obviously not going to miss out on the epic commercials that just happen to come along with those big guys pushing each around over a ball.   The birth of an album Lil Nas X has been delighting us with his fearless marketing ever since he tossed in some red contacts, put blood into shoes, and killed the devil in one of the most controversial videos of the year. Now, in the leadup to the "birth" of his debut album, he's taking the pregnancy theme to the next level. On top of posting many photos of his very realistic baby bump and counting down to his September 17th due date, he has now released a "baby registry" - a list of 15 charitable organizations (each matched to one of the 15 tracks on the album) people can donate to, including the Transinclusive Group and The Bail Project. That is one classy baby daddy. Even Obama got involved. Listen to the podcast if you want the deets.   It’s the most wonderful time of the year Also possibly the most stressful time of this year, with parents wondering about how back to school is going to look once again with a potential 4th wave of covid on the horizon. Megan O’Neill (who subbed for resident host Will Lamont, who’s on a much needed break) is closely watching the Twitter bets on if and when schools will shut down again, sending her kids back to virtual learning, while Susan’s family has opted for virtual schooling. They can both agree that this is a huge topic on everybody’s minds right now.          

Hey, content creator. This episode of 🎙The 4am Report🎙 we’re telling you to:

🛑 Stop creating new content! 🛑

Yes, we know those words feel like a knife going into the creator’s heart. It’s controversial, it’s hard-hitting, but ultimately, we just share a different, fun way to be creative. Learn all about the mixed-media artist metaphor and how it applies to you. And how repurposing is a bit like creating different invitations to the same party🥳. 

So how do you repurpose?

1. Reclaim something with a successful lifespan and give it some more play
2. Reimagine how you present or promote that content

Nobody’s telling you not to create. Just create in a different way.

🎧Tune in for more!🎧

Did somebody say podcast cohort?

We were excited to hear the news that ABC announced that they’re doing a special podcast series called Behind The Table, based on The View. They will have past View cohosts talking about their time on The View, with behind the scenes stories and the hosts spilling the tea on the many controversies over the years. Obviously ABC is doing this because we have recently been thirsting for our View-like podcast panel services, where we bring together experts who share a similar audience to speak panel style, like a fireside chat. September 14th - check it out if you want to catch Meredith Vieira, Lisa Ling, and all your other faves!

Riot if not McPizza   McDonalds Canada recently posted a teaser saying they were bringing back a fan favourite, immediately leading the nostalgic internet to assume they were reviving the popular McPizza from the 80s. Turns out this was not the case, and what ensued was a hilarious thread of disappointed people, great (slightly panicked) marketing from McD’s, and a lot of newsjacking from other companies. Oh yeah, and it’s actually spicy McNuggets coming back. 

On another spicy note? Mountain Dew and Flaming Hot Cheetos have teamed up to make a spicy monstrosity of a beverage. As Will says, Mountain Dew? More like Mountain Don’t.    Pearl Milling Company

Pearl Milling Company, previously known as Aunt Jemima, has released their first ad since their huge rebranding from a long-time look that really smacked of racism. This ad features several black families enjoying the food they’ve made. No word on how sales have been, but we’re watching closely to see how this works out for them.   Zoom Doom   DYK that since remote working has been the norm, 1 in 4 bosses have had to fire someone for some kind of inappropriate Zoom behaviour, and most have had to dole out some discipline over poor Zoom etiquette? While things have been a bit more relaxed in general considering the circumstances (who really wears “hard pants” on these calls, amiright?), some people have slipped a little too far and execs and clients aren’t digging it. Not only that, evidently the higher ups don’t totally trust that work is getting done effectively enough at home either. Take it from some remote working experts - stay professional, stay on task, and just wear something - anything, please - on your bottom half.    Empowering or demeaning?
If you’ve been around for a while, you’ve definitely heard the term ”girl boss”. Love it or hate it, it’s been the war cry of women everywhere who have worked to be seen as equal to men in the same situations. Head over to this interesting article in Nymag's 'The Cut' column and let us know your take.
  Adaptive Fashion for the win   In the leadup to New York Fashion Week, we’re seeing a great trend of designers showcasing their inclusive designs. It’s not just about race and religion either. These designers are also creating “adaptive fashion” - clothes that are accessible to those with physical disabilities. 

So, you’ve got a podcast brand and you want to develop the visual side of it? On this episode of 🎙The 4am Report🎙 we share how you can grab your audience through your podcast promo visuals:

1. Think beyond cover art – get tactical
2. Use visual storytelling – and change it up often
3. Keep your video on 

🎧Tune in for more!🎧

With birthday boy Will off celebrating, Susan is joined this week by Global Marketing Director of Shared Services & Outsourcing Network (SSON), Dionne Vaz for this week’s #ThirstList

****

AirBnB and Afghanistan

The news cycle has been heavy the last little while and we’ve seen individuals and brands reacting to the situation in Afghanistan. One of the companies that is really stepping up is AirBnB, who are planning on paying for 20000 Afghan refugees to be housed in host homes.  This is fantastic, but not surprising, as this is super on brand for AirBnB. From Hurricane Sandy to the Pulse Nightclub shooting, they have been great in times of crisis.  One thing that bothered Susan just a little was that the story was rushed out with no real meat to it. So how are they going to go about doing this? What are the next steps? When you release things that are purpose-driven, make sure you include all the details in one spot so people get the dirt without all the digging. 

Want to help out in Afghanistan but not sure where to start? Check out this link for a list of curated and verified GoFundMe campaigns.   Podcast Wars - Spotify's on our radar again
At Spotify, after some beta testing, they have opened up Podcasts Subscriptions service to all US creators. Some of the highlight points: 

1) No more FOMO - you want in, you got it!
2) Lots of detail on the pricing - we appreciate that they noted that creators like more flexibility in prices. 3) The ability to use RSS feeds

Apple already jumped on the podcast subscription bandwagon a while back, but Spotify, an Apple critic in the antitrust fight, is so far keeping their prices more affordable.    #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt

While we’re still swimming around in the realm of Creator Economy, we had some news this week about how TikTok is expanding its ecommerce efforts in a partnership with Shopify and are allowing creators the ability to affiliate with brands. Users will be able to shop right from their favourite TikTokker’s account. We heart a good UX. Instagram has used this feature well, so why not?     OnlyFans tries to pull out, but there's a happy ending   This week OnlyFans, under pressure from banks and financial services companies, announced that they were banning sexually explicit content from the site. This decision was quickly reversed after a huge uproar from both fans and creators, many of whom are relying on their content as a main source of income. Talk about failure to identify both their target audience and target creators, but good on them for supporting their peeps in the end.    Curry is not a spice!
  Padma Lakshmi, Indian author, actor, model, and tv presenter, took on The Washington Post and one uber-annoying opinionated writer who ranted about how much he disliked Indian food. Ok that’s totally fine, right? Not when you do it in a lazy, racist, and frankly non-factual way, claiming it’s the only ethnic food completely based on one spice - curry. Um, what? Ugh. Padma fairly kindly Instagram-shamed him whilst also cleverly plugging her new book, “The Encyclopedia of Spices & Herbs” Hello, newsjacking! We love it, Padma!   Sort of Thirsting in T.O.    From right here in the hood, a story of a new tv series called Sort Of, created by and starring Bilal Baig, who is the first queer south asian Muslim playing the lead of a primetime show. How freaking amazing that we get to live in this wonderful diverse city and now it is going to be showcased all over mainstream TV! 

Want to get people hooked on your podcast? The Holy Trinity of Hooking tells you how (in our trademark style, because if your mind went there, you’re our people).  On this episode of 🎙The 4am Report🎙 we dive into the 3 ways you can make sure your podcast is memorable:

1. Up your visual 
2. Rethink your intro 
3. Ditch the fluff

🎧Tune in for more!🎧