Leaders Perception Magazine is currently running an interview series called – Navigating AI’s Impact On Business
Meet Aub Wallace, the founder of Dandelion Branding, a marketing and communications company that puts positive messages of change in front of more people. With a background in Criminal Justice and Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, Aub realized that she was too mouthy and opinionated to change the system from the inside. Instead, she turned to marketing and communications to impact change. In this interview, Aub shares her recent success in building a profitable business from scratch and her thoughts on the significant changes that AI will bring to the business landscape over the next 5-10 years. She also discusses how entrepreneurs can leverage AI effectively to improve customer service and experience, and how businesses can create jobs that are complementary to, rather than competitive with, AI. Finally, Aub shares a cool AI tool she uses to cut down on show notes and content focal points.
Interviewee Name: Aub Wallace
Company: Dandelion Branding
The Interview
Can you tell us about your background and how you got started in your industry?
Aub Wallace : I went to Michigan State University and graduated with a degree in Criminal Justice and one in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences.
I had dreams of changing the system from the inside, but it turned out that I’m not designed for that – I’m too mouthy and opinionated (for a woman, of course).
But I still wanted to impact change, so I took my love of writing, analytical skill, and my understanding of people’s needs and put it toward a career that could put positive messages of change in front of more people: marketing and communications.
Can you share a recent success or accomplishment that you’re proud of, either personally or for your company?
Aub Wallace : I’m proud of myself.
In the past couple of years, I have immigrated to Europe (complete with lots of paperwork and exams), built a house while living in it with my partner, and completely bootstrapped Dandelion into a profitable business.
It’s a constant work in progress but building a life worth living always is.
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?
Aub Wallace : AI is going to make it easier to be an entrepreneur in the coming years. It will help increase efficiency in day to day tasks. For online roles, AI can remove most of the busy work we do, so that our roles as entrepreneurs can be based on our expertise.
For me, it makes content creation easier. It gives me the bones of content based on my strategy – then my job becomes focused on my expertise: editing and voice.
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?
Aub Wallace : AI already does a lot of work on the customer support front. So any entrepreneur that wants to use it effectively should do their research for what their brand needs and remember that AI needs to be taught. Nothing is more frustrating for a potential customer than ineffective AI with no way to talk to a real human. Use the AI and be absolutely sure that you’re testing every step of the way.
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?
Aub Wallace : Oh yeah, AI will definitely be replacing current human jobs. I think we can’t expect it not to. I also think so much of what people do is busy work to fill their hours. I think businesses should be paying for people work, not hours. For example: we should be expecting our writers to use AI and give them the training they need to perfect a brand voice – then pay them for the completed article.
Instead of customer support answering problems, consider training them to focus on retention and talk to satisfied customers about their experiences – pay them for a deeper understanding of the customers that are willing to come back.
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?
Aub Wallace : Most businesses aren’t using AI super outwardly yet. I can tell you about a cool AI tool I use: podsqueeze. It cuts down on the show notes I need to write, the timestamps for the episodes, and the content focal points!
Leaders Perception magaizne would like to thank Aub Wallace and Dandelion Branding for the time dedicated to completing this interview and sharing their valuable insights with our readers!
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