Leaders Perception Magazine is currently running an interview series called – Navigating AI’s Impact On Business
The health and wellness industry has undergone a digital transformation, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated it. With the introduction of new technologies like ChatGPT, artificial intelligence is set to play a significant role in shaping the business landscape over the next 5-10 years. In this interview, Gill Valerio, co-founder of Elevate Marketing Solutions, shares his insights on how entrepreneurs can prepare for these changes and leverage AI effectively. He also discusses the potential of AI to revolutionize customer service and experience in the health and wellness industry, and how businesses can use it to gain an edge over their competitors. However, he also acknowledges the concerns around AI replacing human jobs and emphasizes the importance of creating jobs that are complementary to, rather than competitive with, AI. Finally, he provides examples of businesses that are currently using AI in innovative and impactful ways, and how entrepreneurs can learn from these examples to drive growth and success in their own businesses.
Interviewee Name: Gill Valerio
Company: Elevate Marketing
The Interview
Can you tell us about your background and how you got started in your industry?
Gill Valerio : My wife, Erin, and I started in the health and wellness industry in 2015, when we started our own franchise fitness centers. This venture allowed us to turn our passion for health and wellness into a business with the goal of empowering others in their health and wellness journeys.
However, when we opened our third location, we experienced some financial difficulties. We knew something had to be done, so we turned to digital marketing.
We worked with several different marketing agencies that weren’t a good fit for us, so we decided to do our marketing ourselves, coming up with a system that would allow us to successfully scale our business. Soon, a chiropractor film would come to us looking for help marketing his practice, and Elevate Marketing Solutions was born.
Can you share a recent success or accomplishment that you’re proud of, either personally or for your company?
Gill Valerio : Recently, my wife, our two children, and I embarked on an exciting new chapter in our lives by relocating from Illinois to Tampa, Florida. Our move fulfilled a lifelong dream that once seemed unattainable, but this decision was filled with a mix of emotions, as we had to leave our extended family behind. Nevertheless, we persevered and have now begun to establish our new life in this beautiful city.
On the professional front, our business — Elevate Marketing Solutions — has reached a significant milestone by crossing the 50-employee mark. This accomplishment fills me with immense pride, knowing that our company has positively impacted the lives of 50 individuals and their families. When I first started this venture, I could never have imagined such success. With unwavering determination, our next goal is to expand our team to 100 employees!
In your opinion, what are the most significant changes that AI will bring to the business landscape over the next 5-10 years, and how can entrepreneurs prepare for these changes?
Gill Valerio : Every industry has experienced a digital transformation, and the COVID-19 pandemic only sped it up. In the health and wellness industry, look at the advent of tools like telemedicine, patient portals, and appointment scheduling apps — the digital revolution is here, and there is no way to avoid it.
Artificial intelligence is shaping up to be a significant part of the digital transformation with the introduction of new technologies such as ChatGPT onto the market. ChatGPT is a powerful new tool with capabilities unlike any other we have seen before, and it has the potential to fundamentally change the way we do business. Still, it is up to entrepreneurs to embrace — not resist — this tool and use it to their advantage.
The goal of entrepreneurs at this moment should be to gain an edge over their competitors. The truth about the digital revolution and tools like AI is that if you don’t use them, someone else will, and your clients, customers, or patients will be walking through their doors — not yours — so don’t wait. Devise a strategy to integrate ChatGPT and other AI tools into your business now, while you can be one of the pioneers in your industry, rather than someone trying to catch up.
How do you see AI changing the way businesses operate, particularly in terms of customer service and experience, and what strategies can entrepreneurs use to leverage this technology effectively?
Gill Valerio : The health and wellness industry, in particular, has seen a trend toward a more patient-focused model. No longer are patients satisfied with their provider offering them just a diagnosis and a treatment — they want a seamless and personalized experience. The goal of a more personalized patient experience is to build lasting relationships with patients and generate more business through recurring care and word-of-mouth referrals.
Although there have been many strategies employed by health and wellness providers to approach this personalized patient experience, AI shows the potential to fundamentally change how patients interact with their care providers.
Businesses in the health and wellness industry can benefit from this tool by offering
an AI-powered support system. By implementing this type of tool, businesses can stand out with 24/7 support for patients, ensuring that patients can receive care on their own terms.
Additionally, if health and wellness entrepreneurs use AI tools like ChatGPT to generate their marketing materials, it can make marketing their businesses much easier and free up time for them to focus on what really matters: providing their patients with excellent care.
There is growing concern that AI may replace jobs that are currently performed by humans. What are your thoughts on this, and how can businesses and entrepreneurs ensure that they are creating jobs that are complementary to, rather than competitive with, AI?
Gill Valerio : As of now, AI tools remain just that — tools — because of their imperfections. A tool requires someone to use it, and ChatGPT requires a user to input the information that will prompt a response and correct any errors that the program might make. ChatGPT is still in its early stages, and while its capabilities are already powerful, there are some flaws that users must be aware of. For example, some have complained that the program’s responses are riddled with factual inaccuracies, and others have reported that these programs have responded insensitively.
Effectively implementing ChatGPT into your business does not mean using the program and letting it go wild. A system of checks and balances must be put in place, where a human takes the AI-generated responses that ChatGPT delivers to prompts, fact-checking and editing them to ensure accuracy and appropriateness of tone.
What are some examples of businesses that are currently using AI in innovative and impactful ways, and how can entrepreneurs learn from these examples to drive growth and success in their own businesses?
Gill Valerio : Chiropractors and other health and wellness entrepreneurs can implement ChatGPT and similar AI tools into their business models in several ways.
One of the most common uses of ChatGPT is the generation of copy. ChatGPT can write blog posts to certain specifications made by the prompt, which can be used to spread the word about your business. Of course, these are best seen as a starting point — not a final product — as they will still require revisions from the business owner.
However, ChatGPT can also be used for subtler purposes, such as generating direct communications for the business to use with their customers. ChatGPT can be prompted to create messages that can be used for referral campaigns, reactivation campaigns, and social media posts. While these messages must be modified to personalize them for their recipient, they serve as a great foundation and idea starter.
Ultimately, the lesson entrepreneurs should learn from these potential applications of ChatGPT and other AI software is that they are best used to generate ideas that can then be fleshed out into something more usable. Don’t create something with ChatGPT that you expect to use as-is. Expect to do a bit of work to perfect its creations, but the amount of work you will have to do for that revision process is significantly less than if you were to create everything from scratch yourself.
Leaders Perception magaizne would like to thank Gill Valerio and Elevate Marketing for the time dedicated to completing this interview and sharing their valuable insights with our readers!
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