How Real FiG uses AI without handing over the final call
Zachary Rischitelli is the owner of Real FiG Advertising + Marketing, which has provided marketing and communications services in Denver and around the country since 2009. The conversation looks at where the agency uses AI for routine work, why people retain the final say, and how clients are arriving better informed through search, including ChatGPT.
Real FiG uses AI to handle templated, time-consuming tasks, while people review the output and retain responsibility for strategy and creative decisions. For visibility in traditional and AI search, Rischitelli advises connecting SEO, social media and digital PR rather than chasing every new optimization trick.
What’s the quick origin story of your business, and what makes what you do genuinely different from the other options your customers are looking at?
Zachary Rischitelli founded Real FiG Advertising + Marketing in 2009 after spending several years working in the marketing industry. He was frustrated that many agencies promised results they couldn’t always deliver and didn’t prioritize communication with their clients. That’s why he decided to start an agency built on trust, transparency, and keeping its promises. What sets FiG apart is its personalized approach and focus on real business results rather than just checking boxes. The team takes the time to understand each client’s business, develops strategies based on their goals and budget, combines creativity with data, and maintains open communication throughout the process. This approach helps us build long-term relationships, and one of our clients has been with the agency for over 16 years.
Where does most of your new business come from today, and where do you wish it came from?
Most of our new business comes from referrals, existing client relationships, and organic search. With AI-powered search engines rapidly developing, I’d like to see more clients find us through them. When potential clients find our insights through Google or AI assistants before they ever contact us, the initial conversation will be much more productive.
What’s one thing you’ve actually handed over to AI in the last year, and one thing you tried it on and went back to doing the human way?
We delegate routine, time-consuming tasks to artificial intelligence, such as writing technical specifications for content creators. Simply specify a template, and the artificial intelligence will then automatically adapt the available information to the correct specifications. A human will only need to review the final version for five minutes and send it off for processing. Humans at our company are engaged in strategy planning, generating new ideas, and testing them. We don’t delegate any task entirely to artificial intelligence; the final decision always rests with humans. Creative tasks are still entirely human-driven, but they can incorporate ideas suggested by the AI.
Have you noticed a change in how customers find you or what they already know before they reach out? Is anyone arriving through AI assistants like ChatGPT yet?
Yes, we have noticed that potential clients are doing more research before reaching out. They often have a better understanding of SEO, paid advertising, and AI-driven search, and they ask more specific questions about how these channels can support their business goals. We have already received two clients and are working with them, whom we found through chat GPT.
If you were advising someone in your industry on all of this for the next 12 months, what would you tell them to actually do, and what would you tell them to ignore?
Zachary Rischitelli recommends connecting SEO, social media, and digital PR while improving website content, local listings, and customer reviews to increase visibility in both traditional and AI search. He advises businesses to ignore the hype around every new AI optimization trick and focus on strategies that drive traffic, generate leads, and deliver measurable business results.
Thank you to Zachary Rischitelli and the team at Real FiG Advertising + Marketing for sharing what actually worked with Leaders Perception readers.
Want to share your playbook?
Leaders Perception publishes founder and operator interviews every week. A few questions, about five minutes, no calls. It is free and everyone we accept gets published.