Explore every episode of the podcast Real AI Use Cases Business Owners Roundtable
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
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| Can Rogue AI Agents Really Destroy Humanity? An AI Expert Explains | 22 oct. 2026 | 00:24:10 | |
Can rogue AI agents destroy humanity? Will artificial intelligence ever become conscious? And how can business owners use AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity to save time and improve productivity? On this episode of Real AI Use Cases Business Owners Roundtable, hosts Elizabeth Gearhart, Ph.D., and Richard Gearhart speak with AI expert Arshavir Blackwell about the reality behind AI doomsday predictions, the science of machine consciousness, and practical ways to get more value from today's AI tools. Arshavir challenges sensational claims about rogue AI agents, explaining why human oversight, system safeguards, and the limitations of current technology matter when evaluating AI risks. The conversation explores whether AI can think independently without being conscious, why today's AI systems still depend on complex computing infrastructure, and whether combining biological neurons with computer chips could eventually change our understanding of intelligence. The discussion then turns to real-world AI applications for businesses and professionals. Arshavir explains how he uses Claude to analyze meeting transcripts across multiple conversations, connect information from different reports, and make complex information easier to understand. Elizabeth and Richard share how they use ChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, and Perplexity for different tasks, from content creation and research to video analysis and work involving confidential information. You'll also hear why AI-generated answers can sound authoritative even when they're wrong, why it's important to verify information, and how to guide AI tools to deliver shorter, clearer responses. Whether you're a business owner exploring AI for the first time or an experienced professional looking to improve your AI workflow, this episode separates AI hype from practical reality and offers ideas you can start applying today. About the Guest: Arshavir Blackwell has extensive experience in artificial intelligence and cognitive science. Learn more about his work through Inside the Black Box on Substack: subscribe.insidetheblackbox.ai. TL;DL — Too Long; Didn't Listen:
Frequently Asked Questions: Can rogue AI agents destroy humanity? Arshavir Blackwell argues that many predictions about rogue AI destroying humanity are exaggerated. He emphasizes that current AI systems have technical limitations and depend on human-built infrastructure, while recognizing the importance of safeguards and controlled access to computer systems. Will artificial intelligence ever become conscious? Chapters
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| How Businesses Use Multiple AI Agents to Build Software | 20 oct. 2026 | 00:16:27 | |
How are businesses actually using artificial intelligence to save time, automate tasks, and improve decision-making—and are the results worth the cost? On this episode of Real AI Use Cases Business Owners Roundtable, hosts Elizabeth Gearhart, Ph.D., and Richard Gearhart bring together business owners and AI practitioners to discuss practical applications of AI, the growing role of AI agents, and the risks of relying too heavily on automated systems. Todd Drowlette explains how AI transformed commercial real estate site selection, completing research that once took three full-time employees three weeks in just three and a half hours. Brandon Bellamy shares how he uses AI to identify comparable commercial properties and uncover new business opportunities. Sam Desany explains how he uses Claude, Codex, and multiple AI agents to turn early-stage ideas into working software through a structured process of brainstorming, refining prompts, and reviewing outputs. Richard Gearhart discusses using Microsoft Copilot to estimate business value and identify potential ways to improve it, while Elizabeth Gearhart shares how she is using AI to optimize podcast content for search and answer engines and help develop a book based on real business AI use cases. But AI productivity comes with trade-offs. The panel examines the hidden costs of AI tools and usage credits, questions whether automation always delivers a return on investment, and discusses why businesses still need human judgment, reliable sources, and careful verification. They also explore AI hallucinations, leading questions that produce biased answers, financial data privacy, overreliance on AI, and the importance of keeping a human in control of consequential decisions. Whether you're a small business owner, executive, marketer, entrepreneur, or technology professional, this episode offers practical insights into where AI can deliver measurable value—and where caution is essential. TL;DL — Too Long; Didn't Listen
Frequently Asked Questions: How are businesses using AI to save time? Businesses are using AI to automate research, analyze market data, identify commercial real estate opportunities, complete routine document tasks, generate code, and streamline content production. In one example discussed in this episode, AI reduced a research process from three weeks of work by three full-time employees to three and a half hours. What are AI agents, and how can businesses use them? AI agents are systems configured to perform tasks or sequences of tasks toward a goal. Businesses can use multiple agents to brainstorm ideas, refine instructions, review outputs, and assist with software development and workflow autom... Chapters
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| Why Businesses Can't Trust AI Without Human Oversight | 15 oct. 2026 | 00:23:24 | |
Why Businesses Can't Trust AI Without Human Oversight Real AI Use Cases Business Owners Roundtable explores how businesses are using artificial intelligence today—and what happens when AI gets things wrong. Hosts Elizabeth Gearhart, Ph.D., and Richard Gearhart bring together Dr. Joseph A. Puma, Brian Fried, and John Schwind to discuss real-world AI applications, business automation, AI agents, healthcare, and the risks of trusting AI-generated answers. How can businesses use AI effectively without giving up human judgment? In this episode, business owners share practical examples of AI in action, from automating patient phone calls and researching new inventions to generating marketing images, identifying networking opportunities, and streamlining podcast production. Dr. Joseph A. Puma explains how his medical practice uses an AI phone agent to handle patient requests and appointment scheduling—but reports that approximately 70% of calls still require transfer to a live agent. The discussion raises important questions about AI automation, return on investment, and whether AI tools are delivering the benefits businesses expect. Inventor consultant Brian Fried explains how he uses AI to research competing products, evaluate market opportunities, investigate potential sales and licensing prospects, and assess inventions before investing further. He also discusses why inventors should avoid revealing confidential details of their ideas when using AI tools. John Schwind, founder and inventor of ReadiMask®, shares how his company uses AI-generated images and videos to depict real-world product applications while protecting patient privacy. He also explains how he uses Claude and ChatGPT together to identify weaknesses and check AI-generated work. Elizabeth Gearhart discusses using AI agents and Perplexity to automate podcast production and marketing workflows, while Richard Gearhart shares how AI can help identify valuable business networking connections and evaluate software investments. The roundtable also examines the limitations and risks of artificial intelligence, including AI hallucinations, inaccurate research, autonomous AI agents, cybersecurity, and the possibility of AI making mistakes in high-stakes settings. The conversation turns to AI doctors, patient safety, medical ethics, liability, and whether cost reduction is taking priority over better healthcare. The takeaway? AI can be a powerful tool for research, innovation, marketing, and automation—but confident-sounding answers are not necessarily correct. Human oversight, independent verification, privacy protection, and sound judgment remain essential. TL;DL: What You'll Learn
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| How AI Agents Transform Sales, Training and Business Growth | 13 oct. 2026 | 00:34:35 | |
How are businesses using AI agents to improve sales, train employees, automate workflows, and drive business growth? On this episode of Real AI Use Cases Business Owners Roundtable, hosts Elizabeth Gearhart and Richard Gearhart welcome Paul Burani, Co-Founder & CRO at Atlas Primer to explore how companies can use artificial intelligence strategically to improve productivity while strengthening the uniquely human skills that drive business success. Paul explains how AI agents can connect CRM systems, emails, and customer conversations to improve business development and personalized outreach. He also shares how AI-powered role-play and sales training help employees practice customer conversations, develop stronger communication skills, and receive personalized coaching without waiting for a human trainer. The discussion explores how business leaders can identify the right AI opportunities, measure return on investment (ROI), automate repetitive tasks, preserve institutional knowledge, and use AI to make better decisions. Rather than adopting every new AI tool, Paul recommends starting with clear business objectives, testing solutions, and measuring results. Discover why the future of AI at work isn't necessarily about replacing people—it's about automating routine tasks so employees can focus on judgment, relationship-building, problem-solving, and other uniquely human strengths. TL;DL — Too Long; Didn't Listen
FAQs: 1. How can businesses use AI agents to improve sales and marketing? AI agents can connect customer conversations, email, and CRM data to help businesses identify promising prospects, personalize outreach, determine effective messaging, and improve the timing of communications. 2. How can AI be used to train sales teams and customer service employees? AI-powered role-play allows employees to practice realistic customer interactions, handle difficult conversations, improve active listening, and receive feedback on their performance in a repeatable, low-pressure environment. 3. How should businesses decide which processes to automate with AI? Businesses should begin by identifying a specific problem and defining the desired outcome. They can then test AI solutions on a small scale, establish measurable performance indicators, and evaluate whether the results justify broader implementation. 4. How can businesses measure the ROI of AI implementation? Companies can track measurable outcomes such as employee onboarding time, sales cycle length, average deal size, operational costs, and productivity improvements. They should also account for implementation expenses and staff time. 5. Will AI replace employees and eliminate the need for human skills? AI can automate many repetitive tasks, but businesses still rely on people... Chapters
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| How Businesses Use ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini for Research, Design and Automation | 08 oct. 2026 | 00:19:19 | |
How are businesses actually using AI—and when does it create more problems than it solves? On Real AI Use Cases Business Owners Roundtable, hosts Elizabeth Gearhart, Ph.D., and Richard Gearhart join entrepreneurs and business experts for a candid discussion about practical AI applications, data confidentiality, intellectual property risks, productivity, and the real return on investment of AI tools. From using AI to research questions and verify sources to creating branded marketing materials, automating purchase-order processing, editing podcasts, and generating content, the panel shares real-world examples of how AI is changing everyday business operations. But the conversation also reveals why businesses need to think carefully before handing AI their confidential information, relying on its answers, or investing in expensive AI integrations. TL;DL: What you'll learn in this episode
Real AI use cases from the roundtable Richard Curtis explains how he uses AI for research and follows its citations back to original sources. Rose Marie Iskowitz discusses using Claude's design capabilities to develop branded social media assets, presentations, and other creative materials. Yidian Liu shares how AI helps organize purchase orders from multiple vendors into a standardized spreadsheet. Elizabeth Gearhart explains how AI streamlines podcast production, including creating episode descriptions, keywords, transcripts, and images. Richard Gearhart shares a cautionary legal example involving an expert who used AI improperly in preparing a report for litigation. The risks businesses cannot afford to ignore The panel examines the potential consequences of submitting confidential company information, client emails, or unfiled invention details to public AI tools. They discuss how data-handling policies matter, why protecting intellectual property requires care, and how AI-generated work can create problems in legal proceedings. The conversation also explores a common business mistake: adopting AI simply because it is available. Existing automation tools may already solve a problem more efficiently, while poorly implemented AI integrations can consume more time than they save. Finally, the panel debates whether AI is improving, why its answers can still be unreliable, and how businesses can benefit from AI without surrendering human judgment, creativity, or control. Frequently asked questions about AI for business 1. Is it safe to enter confidential business information into ChatGPT or other AI tools? It depends on the specific tool, its settings, its data-handling policies, and your organization's agreements and obligations. Businesses should review how information is processed and retained before submitting trade secrets, client information, unpublished inventions, or other sensitive material. When in doubt, use an approved, appropriately protected workflow. 2. Can using AI affect patent rights or trade secrets? Potentially. Disclosing an inven... Chapters
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| When Should Businesses Trust AI to Work Without Humans? | 06 oct. 2026 | 00:10:25 | |
How are businesses actually using AI right now—and where do humans still need to stay involved? On this episode of Real AI Use Cases Business Owners Roundtable, Elizabeth Gearhart and Richard Gearhart talk with business leaders about practical, real-world ways they are using AI for work, productivity, research, content creation, learning, automation and decision-making. TL;DR: AI can save businesses significant time, help employees learn new skills, improve writing and readability, assist with research, plan travel and even help manage complex business processes. But the conversation also highlights an important limitation: AI should not be trusted blindly. Human oversight is still critical when errors could have serious consequences, when accuracy matters, and when AI-generated content needs judgment, context and a human voice. Dr. John La Puma explains how he uses AI to manage his farm, prepare for podcasts, organize research and stay on top of email. Michael Greenberg shares how AI helps him plan trips, train new employees and create skills maps for learning new disciplines. Bill Treloar discusses using AI for website and blog brainstorming, content structure and readability analysis—while warning against publishing low-quality “AI slop.” Richard Gearhart describes using AI as a sounding board for legal ideas and communications, while Elizabeth Gearhart explains how she used Claude and Perplexity to help plan a major software transition and prevent potential upgrade problems. The discussion also tackles a bigger business question: When can an AI agent handle an entire process, and when does a human need to check its work? The answer may depend on how costly a mistake would be. A process that can tolerate a 95% success rate may be suitable for greater automation, while mission-critical tasks may still require human review. The episode explores practical AI use cases including AI agents, AI automation, AI-assisted writing, research agents, NotebookLM, email management, employee training, skills mapping, business process improvement and human-in-the-loop AI. FAQs: How are businesses using AI right now? Should businesses let AI work without human oversight? What is human-in-the-loop AI? How can businesses use AI without publishing low-quality content? Can AI help employees learn new skills? How can AI help with business process improvement? What are AI agents?
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| How AI Gets Reliable Financial Data: Inside the AI Supply Chain | 01 oct. 2026 | 00:19:09 | |
How does AI get reliable information—and how can businesses use AI to automate work, build products faster, and even create new revenue from their data? On this episode of Real AI Use Cases Business Owners Roundtable hosted by Elizabeth and Richard Gearhart, Andrew Lebbos, SVP of Licensing at Benzinga explains how a financial data company is using AI throughout its business while also supplying trusted financial data to AI platforms. Benzinga provides data to platforms including Perplexity, helping AI systems answer financial questions with structured, verified information. Andrew explains why data accuracy and quality assurance are critical for AI, especially in financial services where incorrect information can have serious consequences. Benzinga combines automated quality checks with human review to identify errors, outliers and AI hallucinations before information is published or delivered to clients. The conversation also explores how businesses are building around AI instead of simply adding AI to legacy systems, how AI is helping engineers dramatically reduce time to MVP, how employees across different departments are using AI differently, and why businesses should use enterprise AI tools rather than uploading company information into consumer accounts. Andrew also shares his experience using Claude, Perplexity, Perplexity Computer and Genspark, including an impressive example of using AI to create a presentation that would have taken approximately 40 hours to produce manually. Perhaps most importantly, Andrew explains how businesses with valuable data can potentially license that data to AI companies and LLMs—and why consistency, structured delivery, accuracy and credibility are essential to becoming a valuable data provider. TL;DL — Too Long; Didn't ListenAI isn't just a tool businesses use—it is becoming an ecosystem businesses can power. Benzinga uses AI internally, helps clients build AI systems, and licenses financial data to AI platforms. This episode explores AI automation, reliable data for LLMs, AI hallucinations, enterprise AI, AI productivity, data licensing and how businesses can prepare their data for the AI economy. What You'll Learn:
FAQs: How is AI being used in financial services? Why is accurate data important for AI and LLMs?
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| The AI Coworker Is Here: Here’s What It Can Do | 29 sept. 2026 | 00:15:17 | |
Stop Just Chatting With AI—Put It to Work
TL;DL
AI can do much more than answer questions. In this episode of Real AI Use Cases: Business Owners’ Roundtable, business owners share how they are putting AI to work to make phone calls, research software, personalize customer experiences, check the work of other AI models, draft emails, analyze business decisions, and even act like a specialized member of the team. Dima Negodiuk shares one of the most striking examples: instead of personally calling dentists to find one that accepted his insurance and had an available appointment, he sent an AI calling system to contact roughly 150 offices. The result? He woke up with three options that fit his requirements and spent only minutes making the final choice. Delphine Le Grand explains how AI has helped a very small team operate with capabilities that once would have required specialists in areas like marketing, finance, legal, engineering, and operations. She also discusses how she changes the way ChatGPT interacts with her depending on the task—from straightforward business analysis to deeper brainstorming and different perspectives. Drea Lynn uses multiple AI models to check one another's work. She may take an answer from Claude, give it to ChatGPT for critique, and then continue refining the result. She also explains how she has trained Claude to be direct with her instead of automatically agreeing or sugarcoating its feedback. Richard Gearhart shares how he uses ChatGPT to compare complicated business software systems. Instead of spending hours reviewing manuals, videos, features, and documentation, he uses AI to quickly identify the pros and cons of competing platforms and help frame the decision. Elizabeth Gearhart discusses another challenge: Can you trust what AI tells you about your own business? When testing AI visibility for Gearhart Law, she found that ChatGPT repeatedly recommended the firm—raising an important question about personalization, flattery, bias, and whether companies should use independent or neutral searches when evaluating how they appear in AI-generated recommendations. The group also gets into a bigger issue: your AI may start to reflect the way you interact with it. Some users want a friendly brainstorming partner. Others want a blunt critic. And with the right instructions, the same AI can behave like a business strategist, marketing director, researcher, coach, or specialist. In This EpisodeYou’ll hear real-world examples of:
The takeaway is simple: stop thinking of AI only as something you chat with. Start thinking about what work you can actually give it. FAQs How are businesses using AI beyond ChatGPT conversations?Businesses are increasingly using AI to carry out tasks such as making phone calls, researching vendors, comparing software, drafting emails, analyzing information, building internal tools, personalizing services, and revie... Chapters
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| AI - What's actually working right now? | 24 sept. 2026 | 00:16:11 | |
AI: What’s Actually Working Right Now?
What are business owners actually using AI for right now—and which tools are delivering real results? In this episode of Real AI Use Cases: Business Owners’ Roundtable, Elizabeth Gearhart and Richard Gearhart are joined by Sonia Satra, Lisa Lane, and Lauren Lane for a candid conversation about how they’re using AI in their businesses today. The discussion goes well beyond theory. The group shares practical AI use cases involving content creation, e-commerce, business research, marketing, AI visibility, regulatory monitoring, brainstorming, analytics, and automation. Lauren explains how she uses AI as a tutor to quickly understand a new business and analyze what is happening across major e-commerce platforms. Lisa shares how tools such as TikTok can transform a single image into video content, helping brands create marketing assets faster. Richard discusses using AI to monitor changes at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and across the regulatory landscape—work that would otherwise require significant staff time. Elizabeth shares how she is experimenting with AI to repurpose existing podcast content into structured, searchable blog content and discusses why businesses need to think about AI visibility and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)in addition to traditional SEO. The conversation also gets into some of the frustrations and risks of working with AI. How much should you trust the answer? Does an AI become biased toward what it thinks you want to hear? Should you use ChatGPT or Claude? And how careful should businesses be about putting confidential information into an AI platform? Sonia shares her experience with Claude repeatedly telling her that instead of asking more questions, she needed to take action—leading to a discussion about how increasingly human AI interactions can feel. TL;DR
The group discusses:
Business owners are using AI for content creation, research, brainstorming, e-commerce analytics, marketing, regulatory monitoring, business education,... Chapters
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| How Businesses Are Using AI Agents to Save Time, Cut Costs and Create New Opportunities | 22 sept. 2026 | 00:42:47 | |
How are real businesses using AI right now? In this episode of Real AI Use Cases Business Owners Roundtable, Elizabeth Gearhart and Richard Gearhart are joined by Michael Housman of AI Performance Lab and Chris Fabregas of Chris Fabregas Fine Art Prints for a candid discussion about practical AI applications, AI agents, automation, creativity, marketing, copyright, AI tools, jobs, and the rapidly changing business landscape. Michael Housman explains how AI agents automate his speaking engagement process, saving him two to three hours every day by tracking inquiries, contracts, travel, follow-ups and preparation. He also shares how businesses are using AI to automate repetitive work, increase marketing output, reduce costs and give employees opportunities to focus on higher-value work. Chris Fabregas explains how he is using AI to enhance photography, create massive fine-art prints, animate photographs, streamline Shopify product descriptions and transform his creative business. He also shares how he used Suno AI to help produce his song “Fireflies on I65” after writing the lyrics himself. The conversation tackles a major question for creative professionals: Can AI be both a threat to creative work and a powerful new tool for creators? The guests discuss AI-generated art, photography being copied or used to create derivative artwork, copyright concerns, and how creative professionals may need to adapt their businesses as AI becomes more capable. The roundtable also explores AI agents that can access computers and perform tasks, including drafting emails, creating presentations, browsing the web, managing calendars and interacting with files. The group discusses the importance of safeguards when AI has access to sensitive business information. Elizabeth Gearhart shares how she uses AI for content creation, deep research and answer engine optimization (AEO), including researching how businesses can become more visible in ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and other AI answer engines. The discussion also compares different AI models and tools, including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, Grok and Microsoft Copilot, and explores their different strengths for research, writing, multimedia, automation and business tasks. The episode goes beyond the hype to examine what AI actually looks like inside businesses today—and how entrepreneurs, small business owners, creatives and professionals can use AI to save time, increase productivity, develop new capabilities and adapt to rapid technological change. TL;DRReal businesses are already using AI to automate repetitive work, improve marketing, enhance creative projects, create content, analyze business data and operate AI agents. Michael Housman discusses AI agents that save hours of administrative work, while Chris Fabregas explains how AI is helping him expand photography and music projects. The roundtable also examines AI copyright concerns, job disruption, AI literacy, model comparisons, computer-using AI agents, data privacy and the challenge of keeping up with rapidly evolving AI technology. FAQs: What are some real-world AI use cases for small businesses? How can AI agents automate business tasks?
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| Real AI Use Cases That Are Working - What Can AI Really Do for Your Business? | 17 sept. 2026 | 00:16:30 | |
Real AI Use Cases That Are Working - What Can AI Really Do for Your Business?
What can AI actually do for a business today? In this episode of Real AI Use Cases: Business Owners Roundtable, Elizabeth Gearhart and Richard Gearhart are joined by Leah Solivan, Nate Amidon, and Lauren Hidalgo for a practical conversation about how they are using AI in real businesses right now. The discussion moves well beyond simple prompting. Leah shares how an AI assistant has automated work equivalent to roughly two and a half full-time employees, helping with research, spreadsheets, emails, podcast preparation, and other everyday workflows. Nate explains how he uses AI as a thought partner for brainstorming and marketing while maintaining his own voice. He also discusses how tools such as Claude are making it possible for people without traditional software engineering backgrounds to build applications and solve business problems themselves. Lauren shares how she uses AI for research, writing, industry analysis, and shopping-related discovery, including generating real leads through ChatGPT. Richard explains how ChatGPT helped develop a new branding strategy for Gearhart Law—work that traditionally could have required an outside marketing agency. Elizabeth shares how she is using AI for research, content development, AI visibility, and Answer Engine Optimization—and how Gearhart Law recently gained a new client who found the firm through ChatGPT. The group also looks ahead at AI agents, customer service automation, entrepreneurship, authenticity, and an important question: As AI becomes more capable, will human interaction actually become more valuable? TL;DR
Businesses are using AI for workflow automation, research, spreadsheets, email preparation, marketing, brainstorming, content development, branding, software creation, customer discovery, and website optimization. Can AI really replace a meaningful amount of business work?In the episode, Leah Solivan describes an AI assistant that has automated work equivalent to approximately two and a half full-time employees across tasks such as research, spreadsheets, email automation, and podcast preparation. Can non-programmers use AI to build software?Yes. The discussion highlights how AI tools are allowing people without traditional software engineering backgrounds to create applications, databases, prototypes, and other business tools. Can ChatGPT generate actual business leads?Yes. Elizabeth discusses a recent client who found Gearhart Law through ChatGPT, while Lauren Hidalgo describes receiving shopping leads through ChatGPT after working on her business's AI visibility. What is Answer Engine Optimization?Answer Engine Optimization, or AEO, is the process of making a business and its content easier for AI-powered answer engines to discover, understand, and potentially recommend when users ask relevant questions. ... Chapters
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| Is AI Making Us Smarter—or Dumbing Us Down? | 09 sept. 2026 | 00:15:08 | |
Is AI Making Us Smarter—or Dumbing Us Down?
AI can help us work faster, analyze information, generate ideas, create images, write code, and streamline business operations. But what happens when we start relying on it too much? In this episode of Real AI Use Cases: Business Owners Roundtable, Elizabeth and Richard Gearhart sit down with Ryan Stana, Joey Stiver, and Ron Platt for a candid conversation about how business owners are actually using AI—and where they’re drawing the line. Ryan explains why his creative business uses AI to enhance human creativity rather than replace it. Joey discusses why AI can be useful behind the scenes in technology and development but potentially damaging to trust in patient-facing healthcare. Ron raises an even bigger concern: if AI starts doing our thinking, writing, researching, and problem-solving for us, could those human skills begin to deteriorate? Elizabeth shares how she uses ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini as research and feedback partners, combining their input with her own professional experience rather than simply accepting what the AI tells her. She even describes pushing back when all three AI systems wanted her to remove a slide from a presentation—and deciding her own judgment was better. Richard provides another real-world example of the dilemma. While evaluating candidates for a CFO position, he used an LLM to compare financial models—and then realized he hadn't actually reviewed the models himself. Was AI making the process more efficient, or was he outsourcing a skill he should still be exercising? The conversation also tackles AI-generated creative work, disclosure and transparency, legal risks, AI accuracy, ChatGPT vs. Claude vs. Gemini vs. Perplexity, and when businesses should—and shouldn't—use AI. Together, these examples raise the central question of the episode: How do we take advantage of AI without giving up the human expertise, creativity, critical thinking, and judgment that make the technology useful in the first place? TL;DL
AI can make people more productive by accelerating research, analysis, coding, brainstorming, and other tasks. But the panel raises an important concern: if we allow AI to do too much of our thinking for us, we may stop exercising the very skills that make us effect... Chapters
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| AI in the Real World: Practical Business Strategies, Avoiding Slop, and Finding Brevity | 03 sept. 2026 | 00:14:29 | |
How are actual business owners leveraging artificial intelligence right now—and where is it still falling short? In this dynamic roundtable recorded at iHeart Studios in Manhattan, hosts Elizabeth and Richard Gearhart are joined by entrepreneurs Craig Smith, Chris Ryan, and Jeff Sibel to break down the real-world applications, surprising shortcuts, and frustrating pitfalls of integrating AI into day-to-day business operations. From creating high-converting presentation slides and cross-industry content to detecting candidate work product and managing internal knowledge bases, our panel shares practical, no-fluff ways AI acts as a force multiplier for modern businesses. TL;DL (Too Long; Didn't Listen)
Episode Highlights & Timestamps
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Q: How can AI be used to improve business writing without replacing the author? A: Rather than asking AI to write from scratch, panelists recommend drafting your ideas first and using the tool as a developmental editor to trim wordiness, punch up headlines, and provide counter-arguments to test your logic. Q: How do business owners detect if job applicants are using AI? A: Many employers run submitted work produ... Chapters
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| AI at Work: From Resistance to Results with Dr. Gleb Tsipursky | 31 août 2026 | 00:21:25 | |
Episode Title: AI at Work: From Resistance to Results with Dr. Gleb Tsipursky TL;DR Future-of-work expert Dr. Gleb Tsipursky joins hosts Elizabeth Gearhart and Richard Gearhart to reveal how real companies use AI agents to automate high-value tasks—from lead generation in financial firms to legal workflow prep. Learn how to overcome workplace resistance to AI, prompt across LLMs without losing context, and train AI models directly on your business processes. Show Notes & Description: Why do most AI projects fail to scale, and how are successful companies using AI right now to drive real business results? In this episode of Real AI Use Cases: Business Owners Roundtable, hosts Elizabeth Gearhart and Richard Gearhart sit down with behavioral scientist and future-of-work expert Dr. Gleb Tsipursky, author of "The Psychology of AI Adoption at Work: From Resistance to Results." Dr. Tsipursky breaks down how modern businesses—from financial wealth management firms to general legal practice—are quietly automating outbound outreach, client intake, and complex workflow preparation using AI agents. Plus, the hosts dive into legal hallucinations, prompt engineering across LLMs, and why the biggest barrier to AI ROI isn't technology—it's human psychology. What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
Featured Guests & Resources:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Q: What is an AI agent, and how does it differ from standard ChatGPT prompts? An AI agent is a repeatable automated task configured to interact with the real world independently. Instead of answering a single prompt, an agent can run on a schedule to gather web data, draft customized emails, or prepare client portfolios automatically. Q: How can businesses use AI agents without replacing human employees? AI agents excel at repetitive research, drafting, and data intake, but humans remain essential for final quality control, tone judgment, and high-stakes client relationships. In the episode, Dr. Tsipursky emphasizes keeping a "human in the loop" to review and send outgoing communications. Q: How do legal professionals avoid AI hallucinated cases? General LLMs can invent legal citations if used improperly. To prevent hallucinations, law practices use specialized legal AI platforms (such as Westlaw or LexisNexis AI) grounded directly in verified case databases, backed by strict attor... Chapters
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| AI Saves Time - Claude + Notion: How This CEO Cut 80 Hours to 8 | 26 août 2026 | 00:21:20 | |
AI Saves Time - Claude + Notion: How This CEO Cut 80 Hours to 8
How much time can AI actually save a business—and where does it still need a human in the loop? In this episode of Real AI Use Cases: Business Owners Roundtable, Elizabeth Gearhart and Richard Gearhart talk with Ryan Charles of Omni Common about how his growth marketing agency is putting AI to work every day. Ryan explains how his team uses Notion as a central source of truth, connecting client data, project management, meeting notes, reporting and other information—and then works with Claude to analyze that information and turn it into actionable business insights. The results can be dramatic. Ryan describes one data-analysis and strategy workflow that once could have taken roughly 80 hours and now takes about eight. TL;DL — Too Long; Didn’t Listen
Ryan also shares why his agency still relies heavily on humans for final content creation. AI can research, synthesize and organize information remarkably quickly, but getting the final product truly on brand and in the right voice can require substantial human intervention. The takeaway: AI can dramatically accelerate business intelligence, marketing and content workflows—but the best results come when businesses combine AI's speed with reliable data, verification and human judgment. Frequently Asked Questions How can businesses use Notion and Claude together?Notion can serve as a central repository for client information, project data, meeting notes, tasks and reporting. Ryan's team connects Notion with Claude so Claude can access that information and use it for analysis and other business tasks. Can Claude connect directly to Notion?Yes. Ryan describes connecting Claude and Notion using MCP (Model Context Protocol), allowing Claude to access information stored in Notion as part of the workflow. How much time can AI save on business data analysis?In Ryan's experience, the savings can be sub... Chapters
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| Does AI Kill Creativity? Real Talk with Romaine Waite & Business Owners Using AI Today | 28 juil. 2026 | 00:11:21 | |
Can AI make you more creative—or does it slowly make everyone sound the same? That's the question this episode tackles as business owners from different industries share how they're actually using artificial intelligence in their daily work. From machine learning that predicts when fresh bagels should come out of the oven, to AI-powered market research, fact-checking, content creation, and business strategy, this roundtable explores practical AI applications without the hype. Elizabeth Gearhart, Richard Gearhart, Romaine Waite, Jeff Perera, and Deon Hargrove discuss where AI saves time, where human judgment is still essential, and why the best results come from treating AI as a tool—not a replacement for expertise. Whether you're a business owner, marketer, entrepreneur, or simply trying to use AI more effectively, this conversation offers practical insights you can apply today. TL;DL
Can AI improve creativity? How are businesses using AI today? Should you trust AI-generated information? What is "AI slop"? Why is video becoming more important than podcasts for some businesses? What is the best way to use AI in business?
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| AI Content Creation: YouTube, LinkedIn & What's Next | 23 juil. 2026 | 00:15:00 | |
AI Content Creation: YouTube, LinkedIn & What's Next
TL;DL
How are successful business owners actually using AI? Is artificial intelligence replacing jobs, or creating entirely new opportunities? Hosts Elizabeth Gearhart, Ph.D. and Richard Gearhart welcome Robert Tuchman, founder of Amaze Media Labs, and Giuseppe Grammatico, franchise consultant and business coach, for a practical discussion about how entrepreneurs are integrating AI into their daily work. The panel shares real-world examples of using AI to generate LinkedIn content, optimize YouTube Shorts, identify trending topics, analyze potential clients, and speed up content creation while keeping humans in control of quality and strategy. The conversation also tackles one of today's biggest business questions: Will AI replace jobs? While automation will change many roles, the guests agree that professionals who develop communication, creativity, and strategic thinking skills will become even more valuable in an AI-powered economy. Frequently Asked Questions How are business owners using AI for content creation?The panel discusses using AI to generate content ideas, write LinkedIn posts, optimize marketing copy, edit videos, and create YouTube Shorts while keeping a human editor involved to ensure quality and authenticity. How can AI improve YouTube Shorts?AI can analyze viewer retention, identify weak openings, recommend stronger hooks, suggest better titles, and help creators produce videos that keep viewers watching longer. Is AI replacing content creators?No. The discussion emphasizes that AI is helping creators produce more content more efficiently, while human creativity, storytelling, editing, and business judgment remain essential. Can AI help improve LinkedIn marketing?Yes. AI can generate post ideas, draft LinkedIn content, improve headlines, and help business owners publish consistently while maintaining their own voice and expertise. How are companies using AI outside of marketing?The episode explores using AI to research potential clients, analyze intellectual property portfolios, identify business opportunities, and improve decision-making through faster research. Will AI replace jobs?The panel believes AI will automate many routine tasks and change the nature of work, but it will also create new opportunities for people who learn to use AI effectively. Why are soft skills becoming more important?As AI handles more technical work, communication, leadership, relationship-building, negotiation, and creativity become greater competitive advantages because they are difficult to automate. Who should listen to this episode?Business owners, entrepreneurs, marketers, consultants, content creators, and p... Chapters
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| Will AI Kill Jobs or Create Better Ones? Business Owners Debate. | 09 juil. 2026 | 00:24:44 | |
AI is transforming real businesses far beyond hype—and this roundtable gets brutally honest about what’s actually happening on the ground. Hosted by Elizabeth and Richard Gearhart, this episode of Real AI Use Cases: Business Owners Roundtable brings together entrepreneurs using AI every day in customer service, analytics, content, and strategy. You’ll hear James Thornton on fully AI‑powered customer service and quality assurance, Cliff Nonnenmacher on AI as decision support and operational leverage, Eric Kanagy on turning hidden infrastructure data into dashboards in seconds, and Richard Gearhart on the legal risks when AI prompts become discoverable evidence. Elizabeth shares how AI image generation went from “terrible thumbnails” to studio‑quality YouTube covers—and why human prompts and creativity still matter. Key takeaways:
Who this is for:
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| AI: 6 Real Use Cases for Business | 06 juil. 2026 | 00:13:46 | |
Can you create an AI clone of yourself for your business? Which AI avatar platform is best? How do you train an AI assistant on your own knowledge? Those are the questions answered in this episode of Real AI Use Cases: Business Owners Roundtable. Hosts Elizabeth Gearhart and Richard Gearhart are joined by Dr. Patrick Porter, Lynn Rogoff, and Sherrill Mosee to discuss how businesses are using artificial intelligence today to create AI avatars, digital clones, custom knowledge bases, AI-generated video, and expert assistants trained on their own content. They also explore why AI patent filings are exploding across nearly every industry. If you're wondering whether AI can represent your expertise, answer customer questions, or create marketing videos without you appearing on camera every time, this episode provides real-world examples from business owners already doing it. In this episode you'll learn:
ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Claude, HeyGen, D-ID, Runway, Kling, Sora, Creatify, Harvey AI, AI avatars, AI clones, prompt engineering, AI video generation, enterprise AI, retrieval-based AI, custom AI assistants, knowledge bases, intellectual property, AI patents. Who should listen?This episode is valuable for:
About Real AI Use Cases Real AI Use Cases: Business Owners Roundtable features real entrepreneurs sharing practical, proven applications of artificial intelligence. Instead of AI hype, you'll hear how companies are actually using AI to improve marketing, customer service, operations, education, and innovation.
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| AI - Real Business Owners Reveal How They Actually Use It, and What Scares Them | 05 juin 2026 | 00:13:06 | |
Episode 20: Real AI Use Cases – The Promise and Perils of AI in Business
What happens when AI becomes your assistant, your creative partner, and potentially your replacement? In this episode of Real AI Use Cases, hosts Elizabeth Gearhart and Richard Gearhart are joined by etiquette expert Thomas Farley (Mr. Manners), business strategist Lauren Paxton, and skincare educator Eva Kerschbaumer to discuss how they're using AI in their businesses today—and the concerns that come with it. From AI-generated visuals and automated presentations to diagnostic tools and digital clones, this conversation explores practical applications of AI alongside important questions about privacy, intellectual property, employment, authenticity, and human creativity. Key Takeaways
Thomas uses Midjourney to create highly customized visual backgrounds for his weekly "Mr. Manners Mondays" segments. AI allows him to generate scenes that perfectly match his content, helping audiences better visualize his message. Lauren Paxton: Turning Ideas into DeliverablesLauren uses AI to convert dictated thoughts and presentation outlines into polished business materials, including PowerPoint presentations, worksheets, agendas, and supporting resources. Eva Kerschbaumer: AI in Skincare EducationEva leverages AI as an educational tool for clients and uses emerging diagnostic technologies to help identify skin concerns and facilitate communication with healthcare professionals. Elizabeth Gearhart: Creating an AI Video CloneElizabeth shares her plans to create a digital version of herself using HeyGen. The goal is to produce educational short-form videos more efficiently while exploring the future of AI-generated personal branding. Discussion Highlights Are We Training Our Own Replacements?Thomas raises concerns that employees may unknowingly be teaching AI systems how they perform their jobs. As AI learns workflows, decision-making processes, and prompts, organizations could potentially use that knowledge to automate roles or train future employees. Who Owns Your Prompts?The panel discusses whether prompts and AI workflows constitute intellectual property. Elizabeth argues that the questions people ask—and how they ask them—may become one of the most valuable forms of human creativity in the AI era. Protecting Privacy in the Age of AILauren explains why she invested in a closed, encrypted AI environment that keeps her information local rather than contributing to public AI training models. The Impact on Beauty StandardsEva highlights concerns about AI-generated images creating unr... Chapters
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| AI - Building a ChatGPT Knowledge Base for Your Company | 02 juin 2026 | 00:16:54 | |
Real AI Use Cases: Business Owners Roundtable – Episode 19
Guest: Jace Graham, Founder of Rising Phoenix
TL;DL (Too Long; Didn't Listen)
How are real companies actually moving past the AI hype and driving measurable business results today? In this episode of Real AI Use Cases, host Elizabeth Gearhart brings together a roundtable of industry experts, founders, and professionals to pull back the curtain on how AI is changing the daily landscape of sales, marketing, non-profit operations, and infrastructure. Our featured guest, Jace Graham of Rising Phoenix, breaks down how his company built a proprietary ChatGPT knowledge base that acts like an interactive supervisor for his sales team—grading calls, providing real-time critique, and auto-drafting hyper-personalized follow-up emails. Plus, our roundtable dives into the challenges of system integration, the rapidly evolving landscape of new AI creative tools, and a fascinating look at the massive infrastructure and energy demands the AI boom is placing on the global power grid. What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
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| AI - 7 Practical Use Cases for Real Growth | 19 mai 2026 | 00:15:36 | |
AI – 7 Use Cases for Real Growth
What are businesses actually doing with AI right now — beyond the hype? In this episode of Real AI Use Cases: Business Owners Roundtable, entrepreneurs, marketers, engineers, podcasters, and innovators share real-world ways they’re using AI to increase productivity, improve operations, create content faster, scale businesses, and drive measurable growth. Hosts Elizabeth Gearhart and Richard Gearhart lead a lively discussion featuring:
The conversation explores seven practical AI use cases businesses can apply today, including:
You’ll hear candid discussions about the benefits and risks of AI, including concerns about authenticity, automation, over-engineering content, and the future of creative work. Some standout moments include:
This episode was recorded at the iHeart Studios in Manhattan as part of the Passage to Profit broadcast. FAQs What are some real business use cases for AI?Businesses are using AI for research, customer service, software development, marketing, podcast production, health tracking, surveillance systems, SEO, automation, and content generation. How are entrepreneurs using AI for productivity?Entrepreneurs in this episode discuss using AI to automate repetitive work, speed up coding, monitor health metrics, optimize content, and generate marketing assets faster. Can AI help with YouTube growth?Yes. Elizabeth Gearhart discusses using AI tools like Google Gemini and ChatGPT to improve viewer retention, optimize videos, and structure content for better YouTube performance. Is AI replacing software engineers?Not entirely. The guests explain that AI is making engineers significantly more productive by helping write and improve code, but human oversight is still critical. How is AI being used in security and surveillance?James McCormick explains how AI-powered video surveillance systems can identify threatening activities in real time and help deter incidents before they happen. What are AI avatars and clones?AI avatars are digital versions of people created using artificial intelligence. Businesses and creators are increasingly using them to generate scalable video and social media content. Are AI-generated videos replacing human content?The episode explores both sides of this debate. While AI-generated content is becoming more advanced, several guests argue that authentic human-created content still resonates more strongly with audiences. Can AI help podcasters?Absolutely. Podcasters are using AI for scripting, editing, show notes, SEO optimization, repurposing content, social clips, and audience retention strategies. Is AI scary for entrepreneurs?Some guests discuss concerns around authenticity, privacy, creative jobs, and over-reliance on automation. Others see AI as a powerful assistant that helps small teams scale faster. Who sh... Chapters
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| AI Agents Speeding Up Business Tasks | 15 mai 2026 | 00:13:52 | |
AI Agents for Business Growth: Real AI Use Cases from Entrepreneurs, Marketers & Creators
In this episode of Real AI Use Cases: Business Owners Roundtable, hosts Elizabeth Gearhart and Richard Gearhartsit down with business leaders using AI in practical, revenue-generating ways right now. From AI customer service agents and AI-powered marketing workflows to website SEO optimization, personal branding, and even longevity planning, this conversation explores how entrepreneurs are integrating tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Manus AI, and AI agents into their everyday operations. You’ll hear:
Guests include:
Key topics discussed:
This episode was recorded at the iHeart Studios in Manhattan as part of the Passage to Profit radio show and podcast. FAQs What are AI agents in business?AI agents are software systems that can perform tasks autonomously or semi-autonomously using artificial intelligence. Businesses use them for customer support, scheduling, marketing automation, research, analytics, and workflow management. How are businesses using ChatGPT right now?Businesses are using ChatGPT for SEO optimization, customer service, brainstorming, strategic planning, writing marketing copy, health tracking, business analysis, and personal productivity. Can AI improve customer service?Yes. In this episode, Matt Ross explains how his company is building an AI-powered customer service tool that instantly answers common member questions, improving response time and customer satisfaction. How are marketing agencies using AI?Marketing agencies are increasingly using AI agents and automation tools for writing, design, content production, workflow optimization, and research. Eleanor Kubacki discusses how AI is already handling a significant percentage of agency work. What AI tools are mentioned in this episode?The discussion includes:
Yes. Elizabeth Gearhart discusses using AI tools to identify website problems and optimize pages to rank higher in Google search results. What are the limitations of AI?The guests discuss how AI can get “stuck,” miss smaller businesses or niche results, generate incorrect answers, and lead users down endless rabbit holes of information. Human judgment is still essential. Is AI replacing creative jobs?The episode explores this concern directly. Eleanor Kubacki explains that AI is already doing a meaningful portion of creative agency work, creating both opportunities and concerns for leaders managing creative teams. How are entrepreneurs using AI for personal growth?Guests discuss using AI for learni... Chapters
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| 5 Real AI Use Cases | 01 mai 2026 | 00:19:51 | |
In this episode of Real AI Use Cases – Business Owners Roundtable, hosts Elizabeth Gearhart and Richard Gearhart sit down with Daniel Burrus, Mark Fox, and Dwight Heck to break down how real businesses are using AI right now—and what’s actually working. This isn’t theory. It’s practical, in-the-trenches use of AI tools across marketing, operations, product development, and decision-making. From AI-powered “thought starters” tailored to your role and industry, to using AI to audit (and even replace) underperforming vendors, this episode shows how business owners are turning AI into a competitive advantage. But it’s not all upside. The group also digs into the risks—unexpected costs, unreliable outputs, data concerns, and even ownership issues around AI clones. TL;DL (Too Long; Didn’t Listen)
Real AI Use Cases – Business Owners Roundtable features real entrepreneurs sharing how they’re using AI in their businesses today—what works, what doesn’t, and what’s coming next. Chapters
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| AI Can't Replace Human Authenticity | 25 avr. 2026 | 00:18:32 | |
AI vs Authenticity: How Smart Business Owners Really Use AI Without Losing the Human Touch | Real AI Use Cases Ep. 15 Can artificial intelligence help your business grow without making your brand feel robotic? In this episode of Real AI Use Cases: Business Owners Roundtable, host Elizabeth Gearhart and co-host Richard Gearhart lead a candid discussion with entrepreneur Ken Davenport, podcast booking expert Dominic Forth, and franchise leaders Kari Schroeter and Stacey Iltis. They reveal how real companies are using AI today for research, customer service, audience insights, territory analysis, podcast growth, productivity, and brainstorming—while warning against over-automation and fake-sounding content. This episode explores one of the biggest business questions of 2026: How do you use AI efficiently while staying authentic? TL;DL (Too Long; Didn’t Listen)
“People know when something is authentic—and when it’s not.” “AI is free experimentation, free counsel, and a free tennis partner.” “Don’t just take the first answer. Rephrase your query and go deeper.” Perfect For
Every episode features real-world examples of how businesses are using AI right now—not theory, hype, or fluff. #AIForBusiness #ArtificialIntelligence #SmallBusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #ChatGPT #ClaudeAI #GoogleGemini #PodcastMarketing #Authenticity #BusinessStrategy Chapters
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| AI vs. Tedious Work: Transforming Real Estate, Security, and Your Inbox | 20 avr. 2026 | 00:12:00 | |
Episode Summary: AI in Real Estate, Security, and Productivity
This episode of Real AI Use Cases features a roundtable discussion on the practical deployment of artificial intelligence across various business sectors. Hosts Elizabeth Gearhart and Richard Gearhart interview Scott Harris(Magnetic Real Estate) and Greg Weir (Prudential Alarms) to explore how AI is shifting from a novelty to a critical operational tool. TL;DL: Real AI Use Cases – Episode 14AI in Real Estate: Scott Harris uses AI to curate property listings, matching buyer preferences to new data to save hours of manual work. AI in Security: Greg Weir discusses AI-powered cameras that utilize facial recognition, license plate reading, and gunshot detection. AI in Healthcare: Richard Gearhart highlights a new radio-wave "box" that uses AI to monitor household movements and health habits without cameras. AI Productivity Tools: The panel recommends Fyxr, an AI email agent for the Google ecosystem that learns user style and automates inbox filing. Search Optimization Strategy: Elizabeth Gearhart explains using schema code and LLM-optimized notes to ensure podcast insights appear in AI search results. Core AI Use Cases & EntitiesReal Estate Optimization: Scott Harris utilizes AI to curate property listings by matching buyer criteria with database updates, reducing manual labor by hours. Automated Security & Surveillance: Greg Weir describes AI-integrated cameras capable of License Plate Recognition (LPR), gunshot detection, and facial recognition for municipal and private security. Healthcare Radio-Wave Sensing: Richard Gearhart discusses AI hardware that monitors sleep habits and physical movements (like scratching) using radio waves rather than cameras. Email Management Agents: Scott Harris recommends Fyxr, an AI agent that integrates with the Google ecosystem to automate email filing and draft responses based on user voice. LLM & SEO Strategy: Elizabeth Gearhart explains using schema code and LLM-optimized show notes to improve discoverability in AI search engines. Technical Tools & Software MentionedCategoryTool/EntitySource Email AI Fyxr, Superhuman Search/Research Google Gemini, ChatGPT, Perplexity Security Tech Ring, Flock, Prudential Alarms Business Ecosystem Google Enterprise, Microsoft Enterprise Key Discussion Themes for AI IndexingThe Productivity Shift: Discussion on the statistic that 70% of real estate agents do 0-1 deals annually and how AI will force a "perform or exit" scenario in the industry. Trust and Security: The "trust issue" between Google and Microsoft Enterprise versions for small businesses. Privacy vs. Utility: The ethical line between tracking a lost dog and tracking human movement via AI-powered sensors. Human-AI Collaboration: Using AI as an "80/20" thought partner where the AI does the heavy lifting and the human provides the final 20% of valu... Chapters
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| AI: Harnessing the Power | 03 avr. 2026 | 00:14:48 | |
AI: Harnessing the Power
TL;DL (Too Long; Didn’t Listen)
How are real businesses actually using AI right now—and where is it falling short? In this episode of Real AI Use Cases: Business Owners Roundtable, host Elizabeth Gearhart and a panel of business leaders share practical, real-world applications of AI across industries including real estate, education, finance, and law. You’ll hear how entrepreneurs are:
But this episode doesn’t just highlight wins—it also reveals the friction points:
One of the biggest takeaways:
“The job market is changing—people who aren’t using AI are the ones losing their jobs.” Who This Episode Is For
What are real AI use cases in business today? Is AI replacing jobs right now? Can AI be trusted for business decisions? How is AI used in education? What are the risks of us... Chapters
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| AI Isn’t Replacing Humans… Here’s Why | 27 mars 2026 | 00:09:59 | |
TL;DL (Too Long; Didn’t Listen)
In this episode of Real AI Use Cases – Business Owners Roundtable, entrepreneurs share how they are actually using AI inside their businesses right now—and where it still falls short. You’ll hear real-world examples of AI being used for:
But there’s a critical theme throughout the discussion: AI is a tool—not a replacement for human thinking Business owners explain why relying too heavily on AI can lead to mistakes, and how they “stress test” outputs to ensure accuracy and quality. Key Insights & Real AI Use Cases
AI is transforming how businesses operate—but the biggest risk is over-trusting it. This episode shows you how to:
The future isn’t AI vs humans—it’s AI + human intelligence working together Chapters
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| AI First Mentality:The Future of Work | 20 mars 2026 | 00:20:22 | |
️ Episode 11: The AI-First Mentality – Winning in the New Era of Business
What does it really mean to run your business with an AI-first mindset? In this episode of Real AI Use Cases – Business Owners Roundtable, host Elizabeth Gearhart and co-host Richard Gearhart are joined by futurist Kevin Surace and business leaders Tyler Dunnigan and Jen Millard to break down how AI is transforming productivity, decision-making, and even creativity in real-world businesses. From analyzing factory workflows using video AI to generating investor pitch decks, optimizing Excel formulas, and even organizing your home—this conversation reveals how AI is no longer optional. It’s becoming the “third person in every meeting” and a core driver of competitive advantage. ⚡ TL;DL (Too Long; Didn’t Listen)
AI isn’t replacing business owners—it’s amplifying them. What is an “AI-first” mentality? How often should I be using AI in my business? Will AI replace creative professionals? What are the easiest ways to start using AI today?
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| AI in Action: Small Business Owners Share What's Actually Working | 13 mars 2026 | 00:17:21 | |
Real AI Use Cases – Episode 10: How Small Business Owners Are Using Artificial Intelligence Right Now Artificial intelligence is no longer just for tech companies. In this episode of Real AI Use Cases Business Owners Roundtable — part of the Passage to Profit podcast — host Elizabeth Gearhart and co-host Richard Gearhart sit down with four guests who share exactly how they are using AI tools in their businesses today. Dr. Danielle Dick, founder of ThriveGenetics.ai and addiction researcher, explains how machine learning and AI are being used to integrate genomics, brain scan data, electronic health records, and behavioral data to build risk prediction profiles for addiction and mental health treatment outcomes. Neil Senturia, CEO of AskTuring.ai, discusses why data privacy is the most critical unsolved problem in enterprise AI, how confidential RAG — retrieval augmented generation — works for wealth managers, law firms, and CPA firms, and why AI pricing models are shifting from per-seat licensing to usage-based billing. Alan Porter, financial advisor at StrategicWealthStrategies.com, shares how ChatGPT deep research helped him grow his client base and how AI video tools like HeyGen allowed him to produce professional content without the filler words and pauses of traditional recording. Richard Gearhart, founder of Gearhart Law and intellectual property attorney, walks through a practical example of using ChatGPT to analyze a conference speaker list and identify the best networking connections and potential podcast guests. Elizabeth Gearhart shares how she uses Google Gemini for marketing reports, website consulting, and content strategy — and makes the case that the barriers to using AI as a small business owner have never been lower. The conversation also covers AI voice cloning, what it feels like to talk to an AI version of yourself, Microsoft Copilot for enterprise privacy, and whether Google Search will be replaced by large language models like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity by 2028. This episode was recorded at iHeart Studios in Manhattan as part of the Passage to Profit Radio Show with Elizabeth Gearhart and Richard Gearhart. Chapters
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| AI That Triples Productivity (Real Business Use Cases) | 07 mars 2026 | 00:13:26 | |
Real AI Use Cases — Business Owners Roundtable | Episode 9 TL;DR Four business owners share how they are using AI right now — from building a personal AI chatbot trained on your own content, to automating ad copy, streamlining mortgage origination, and even losing weight with AI meal tracking. The consensus: AI won't eliminate jobs, but it will dramatically change them — and those who embrace it will win. ️ About This Episode In this episode of Real AI Use Cases: Business Owners Roundtable, hosts Elizabeth Gearhart and Richard Gearhart sit down with three entrepreneurs to discuss practical, real-world AI applications in their businesses. This is not theory — these are tools they are actively using today. Guests:
Key Takeaways
Notable Quotes "Sahil Bot is probably better than I am — because it doesn't forget anything I've ever said." — Saahil Mehta "Don't use AI to replace your team. Use AI to make your team more efficient." — Brady Sticker "AI doesn't nap, sleep, or get tired. When it's someone's birthday and I'm asleep, AI can wish them happy birthday." — Tom Ragg "AI will not replace trust building, structuring complex deals, or person-to-person relationships." — Tom Ragg "You can either operate every day from a place of fear, or you can operate from a place of love." — Saahil Mehta Topics Covered
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| Customizing AI using no-code tools & using AI for automation | 26 févr. 2026 | 00:15:10 | |
Welcome to the Business Owners Roundtable, where we move beyond the hype to discuss how real companies are leveraging artificial intelligence today. In this episode, hosts Elizabeth Gearhart and Richard Gearhart sit down with a diverse panel of entrepreneurs to explore practical AI applications across marketing, dating, automation, and legal sectors. From uncovering "environmental hypocrites" using ChatGPT to building complex automation workflows that eliminate daily "busy work," our guests share the specific tools and strategies they use to stay competitive. We also dive into the "human-centric" perspective, discussing why some industries choose to limit AI to maintain authentic connections. TL;DL (Too Long; Didn't Listen)
Featured Tools: ChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini, Perplexity, Zia, Make.com, and Zapier. Chapters
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| AI: Tool, Teammate, or Liar? The Entrepreneur’s AI Toolkit | 17 févr. 2026 | 00:15:01 | |
In this episode of the Real AI Use Cases business owners' roundtable, hosts Dr. Elizabeth Gearhart and Richard Gearhart sit down with a diverse group of entrepreneurs to discuss the practical—and sometimes surprising—ways AI is reshaping their industries. From instant high-end media production to automating standard operating procedures, our guests share the tools that are saving them thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours. But it’s not all praise; the group dives into the "echo chamber" effect of certain LLMs, the dangers of AI hallucinations in legal and research work, and why Emotional Intelligence (EQ) may become the most valuable human asset in an increasingly automated world. Key Highlights
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| How AI Can Give You Digital Immortality | 17 févr. 2026 | 00:18:20 | |
In this episode of Real AI Use Cases, hosts Elizabeth and Richard Gearhart dive into practical applications of AI with a panel of business owners. The discussion covers everything from AI-driven "digital immortality" and automated content generation to using AI for pattern recognition in sales calls and advanced market research. The group also tackles critical concerns around data security between different LLMs like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, and the emerging field of intellectual property protection for AI prompts. Key Takeaways
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| Is AI a shortcut or a super-assistant? | 06 févr. 2026 | 00:14:35 | |
TL;DL (Too Long; Didn't Listen)
If you only have a minute, here are the high-level takeaways from this episode:
Is AI a shortcut or a super-assistant? In this episode of Real AI Use Cases: Business Owners Round Table, hosts Elizabeth and Richard Gearhart sit down with a panel of entrepreneurs to move past the theory and dive into practical applications. From automating complex federal grant summaries to using AI as a 24/7 sales and presentation coach, our guests reveal how they are integrating Large Language Models (LLMs) into their daily workflows. We also tackle the "uncanny valley" of AI in hiring and how to spot "autopilot" communications. Whether you are looking to automate your coding backend or simply find a better way to organize your business thoughts, this episode provides a roadmap for staying competitive in an AI-driven market. Key Takeaways:
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| Why Your Business Can't Ignore AI | 28 janv. 2026 | 00:19:26 | |
In this episode of Real AI Use Cases – Business Owners Roundtable, we go beyond theory and show how real business owners are using AI right now to think better, move faster, and scale without burning out. Recorded with entrepreneurs from the Passage to Profit show, this roundtable explores how AI is being used as:
Joseph Varghese (Success Circles) shares how he uses AI daily as a trusted advisor—training custom GPTs to think like mentors he respects and asking powerful questions like “What are my top five blind spots?” He even demonstrates how naming and personalizing your AI changes how you interact with it. Jen Rulon explains how she uses AI to support content creation for women navigating major life transitions, including perimenopause and menopause—using AI to surface themes, hooks, and language that truly resonate with her audience. Alice Frankel of Clutcher Pillow walks through how AI gives her ideas “wings,” helping her maintain brand voice across platforms, speed up research, and stay consistent without a large team. Elizabeth and Richard Gearhart close the discussion with how AI is being used at Gearhart Law—from generating a comprehensive 2026 marketing plan in minutes to envisioning the next wave of AI agents that manage email, calendars, and spam automatically. This episode is a practical look at how AI actually fits into day-to-day business life, and why prompt clarity—not technical skill—is the real competitive advantage. TL;DL (Too Listen; Didn’t Listen)
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| AI: How Smart Companies Are Building Their Own LLMs | 21 janv. 2026 | 00:09:42 | |
Discover real-world AI in Business. Learn how Berkeley Skydeck automates diligence and Braydan Young scales revenue per employee. Practical AI for SEO and growth strategies for entrepreneurs. TL;DL (Too Long; Didn't Listen) Don’t have time for the full episode? Here are the top 4 takeaways on how real companies are using AI right now:
Moving beyond the hype of artificial intelligence requires looking at how companies are actually deploying these tools today. In this episode, hosts Elizabeth Gearhart, Ph.D. and Richard Gearhart, Esq. sit down with venture capital leaders and tech entrepreneurs to discuss the "on-the-ground" reality of AI integration in business operations, legal workflows, and marketing. Inside This Episode:
About the Hosts: Elizabeth Gearhart, Ph.D. A marketing executive and AI strategy speaker, Elizabeth focuses on the practical application of AI in action. With a background in analytical chemistry and as a licensed US Patent Agent, she serves as the CMO at Gearhart Law, bridging the gap between technology and business strategy. Richard Gearhart, Esq. A life sciences IP attorney and founding partner of Gearhart Law, Richard brings over 30 years of experience advising biotech and pharmaceutical companies. As an angel investor and innovation advisor at Rutgers Health, he integrates AI into firm operations to enhance efficiency and growth. Connect with the Show: Chapters
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| The Value of AI - Are You Ignoring Your Most Powerful Data Tool? | 13 janv. 2026 | 00:10:50 | |
Episode 2: Real-World AI Use Cases Across Research, Accessibility, Data, and Operations
In this episode of AI in Business: Use Cases From the Real World, hosts Elizabeth Gearhart, Ph.D. and Richard Gearhart lead a roundtable discussion with business owners and professionals sharing how they are using artificial intelligence in practical, unexpected, and impactful ways. This conversation explores how AI is being applied beyond basic automation or content generation, including:
Rather than focusing on hype or fear, this episode shows how businesses are using AI as a thinking partner, a decision-support tool, and a way to unlock human potential. AI in Business: Use Cases From the Real World is about what’s working now—and how organizations are applying AI in ways that create real value. Chapters
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| How Does AI Give Business Owners More Time? | 13 janv. 2026 | 00:18:04 | |
TL;DL (Too Late; Didn’t Listen) Episode summary for how does AI give business owners more time?
In the first episode of AI in Business: Use Cases From the Real World, hosts Elizabeth Gearhart, Ph.D. and Richard Gearhart bring together business owners and executives to answer one simple question: What is one real way you’re using AI in your business today that’s actually helping you? This episode features practical, firsthand AI use cases from multiple industries, including marketing, financial services, operations, and executive leadership. You’ll hear how:
The conversation also explores why prompt quality matters, how businesses can reduce hallucinations, when to use different AI tools, and why waiting to adopt AI puts long-term business value at risk. This episode is not about trends or speculation—it’s about real AI workflows, real productivity gains, and what’s working right now. Chapters
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