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August 12, 2025 38 mins

Welcome back to How I AI! In this episode, I’m joined by Tianna Robinson,  fractional Chief Communications Officer, award-winning publicist, founder of Intertwined Agency, and creator of AI for PR. Tianna has built her career representing culture-shifting talent and brands at the intersection of entertainment, sports, social impact, and technology. Now, she’s pioneering ways for communicators and small business owners to integrate AI into their PR and marketing workflows.

We talk about the changing PR landscape, the power of AI literacy, and why the human touch still matters in an increasingly automated world. Tianna shares real-world examples of how AI tools and agents have transformed her client campaigns from weeks of work to hours, her go-to platforms for PR pros, and why building a personal brand is no longer optional.

🔥 Topics We Cover:

  • The evolution of PR in the AI era
  • How to integrate AI into communications workflows
  • Examples of AI agents automating press outreach and media list building
  • The importance of AI literacy for communicators
  • How to pivot your services to stay competitive
  • Building a personal brand in the age of automation
  • Balancing automation with authenticity
  • Prompting like a publicist and why good prompts matter
  • Serving marginalized communities in the AI revolution

 Connect with Tianna & Learn More:

 Resources & Links:

 AI & Productivity Tools Mentioned:

  • ChatGPT
  • DeepSeek
  • Grammarly
  • Notion
  • Motion
  • Zapier

 AI for PR & Media Tools:

  • Propel AI
  • Muck Rack
  • Cision
  • Canva Magic
  • Firefly (transcription)
  • HERO: Help a Reporter Out

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LinkedIn: Brooke Gramer

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"How I AI" is a concept and podcast series created and produced by Brooke Gramer of EmpowerFlow Strategies LLC. All rights reserved.

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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Brooke (00:03):
Welcome to How I AI the podcast featuring real people,
real stories, and real AI inaction.
I'm Brooke Gramer, your host andguide on this journey into the
real world impact of artificialintelligence.
For over 15 years, I've workedin creative marketing events and
business strategy, wearing allthe hats.

(00:24):
I know the struggle of trying toscale and manage all things
without burning out, but here'sthe game changer, AI.
This isn't just a podcast.
How I AI is a community, a spacewhere curious minds like you
come together, share ideas, andI'll also bring exclusive
discounts, and insiderresources, because AI isn't just

(00:47):
a trend, it's a shift, and thesooner we embrace it, the more
freedom, creativity, andopportunities will unlock.
How I AI is brought to you inpartnership with the Collective
AI, a space designed toaccelerate your learning and AI
adoption.
I joined the collective and it'scompletely catapulted my

(01:09):
learning, expanded my network,and showed me what's possible
with AI.
Whether you're just startingout, seeking community or want
done for you solutions, thecollective gives you the
resources to grow your businesswith AI.
So stay tuned to learn more atthe end of this episode, or
check my show notes for myexclusive invite link..

(01:31):
What if you could shrink yourworkflow from weeks to hours
without losing the human touch?
In today's episode, Tianna showsus exactly how she's doing it at
her PR agency, using AI agentssmart prompts and tools like
Propel AI to make press outreachand brand storytelling faster,
sharper, and more impactful.

(01:54):
Before we dive in, I want toremind you that How I AI is more
than a podcast.
It's a hub for your resources,tools, and guidance to help you
work smarter with AI.
Every episode's show notes arepacked with my partnerships, the
AI tools we discuss and guestresources so you can implement

(02:15):
what you learn from each episoderight away.
You'll also find a link to booka 30 minute strategy call with
me where I'll help you alignyour AI adoption strategy.
If you love the show, pleaserate and review it.
It helps this small but growingbrand reach more people.

(02:36):
Now let's get into myconversation with Tianna.
Hello everyone.
Welcome to another episode ofHow I AI.
today I have Tianna Robinson.
She's the founder of IntertwinedAgency and she's the creator of
AI for PR.
Tianna, thank you so much forbeing here.
Thank

Tianna (02:56):
you for having me, Brooke.
I'm so excited to be here andI'm so excited to have this
conversation.

Brooke (03:00):
Yes, we are in Miami, Florida today.
It's a hot summer, plenty Miami,but I'm so excited you're here
today.
I would love to first just openthe space to hear all about you,
who you are, and.
All the amazing things you'redoing now and PR and

Tianna (03:18):
AI again.
I am Tianna, the founder of astrategic communications company
called Intertwined Agency.
For years, we worked at theintersections of entertainment,
sports, social impact andtechnology, Working with talent
brands and influential figuresglobally.
We've done some amazing thingsover the course of eight years.

(03:40):
We were the first DEI agencyhired by the recording Academy
in it, 65 year history.
Wow.
We worked alongside women ofblack women and ensuring that
Brittany Griner returned homeand that Kamala Harris was added
to the presidential ticket.
And we also were veryinstrumental in getting Kiki
Palmer, her role on Good MorningAmerica three as the first.

(04:03):
black or the youngest blackwoman in broadcast history.
Now we have launched aninitiative called AI for pr.
As you know, times are changing,everything is pivoting, and the
world is ai.
And we want to ensure that notonly do we not get left behind,
but other communicators and PRprofessionals don't get left
behind.

(04:23):
And also small business ownershave the tools needed to equip
theirselves.
To properly execute their PRstrategies in the age of ai.

Brooke (04:32):
Wow.
That is an impressivebackground.
Thank you.
And you have such a naturalknack for PR, I can already
tell.
How did you get into the space?

Tianna (04:42):
In terms of how I got into PR, I was actually raised
in PR.
I'm from Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, born and raised.
And my aunt was actually one ofthe biggest publicists in
Philadelphia at the time.
And she had an agency.
That worked at the intersectionsof entertainment, sports, and
politics and it, was a familybusiness.
I would literally leave schoolevery day, go to the office.

(05:04):
Times were very different then.
So like I was telling youearlier, I was clipping
newspapers And scanning themand, you know, working events.
and, my goal was to always moveto New York and, work in PR.
it just kind of came like secondnature now when it comes to AI.
Yes.
That's my big question.
That is a completely differentgame.
Ai.

(05:26):
So I was an early adapter in2022 when ChatGPT and Midjourney
Released.
I was like, oh, This is so cool.
This is fascinating.
And I played around with it alot.
Like, oh, this is fun.
I'll just do this for her.
Crap and giggles, right?
But then the Hollywood strikeshappened.
Yes.
and.
AI was at the center of the,Hollywood strikes.

(05:49):
I, am in sag.
And everything just shut down.
everything was disrupted.
Yes.
Sorry.
We had studios that are tryingto replicate the voices and
likeness of actors, you know,iconic talent.
We had, AI writing scripts andjust, just a complete
disruption.
and I was like, whoa.
If.
Ben Stiller and Shonda Rhimes,and all of these huge mega stars

(06:14):
and millionaires are worriedabout AI What's gonna happen to
my small strategic company?
right?
Yeah.
So I really started payingattention and then I went to
Switzerland for the WorldEconomic Forum in Davos, and
this is where the top 1%, thedecision makers are.
Right.
And the conversation wasliterally Ai, ai, ai, ai, ai,
And what I realized is thatThere were no other creatives in

(06:36):
the room, and decisions werebeing made for us.
and it was very clear thewriting was on the wall that if
you don't adopt in some way orif you don't learn AI or
incorporate into your business,yeah, you will get left behind.
And that's how AI for PR wasbirthed.
because I started teachingmyself and my team AI and
started implementing into ourbusiness and realizing that a
lot of My colleagues and mypeers.

(06:59):
We're Far behind.
Yeah.
So then I started going intodifferent companies and doing
workshops and teaching.
And then with the economy thelast couple years, we all know
the economy has just a lot ofsmall brands and businesses can
no longer afford traditional PRservices, but what they can
afford is to automate their PRservices.
So we implemented AI for PRwhere it's not only for comms

(07:21):
and PR strategists.
But we offer these services forsmall business owners and
entrepreneurs.
As well.

Brooke (07:26):
That's incredible that you were able to have such
foresight and the rightenvironment to be able to act
quickly and be an early adapterinto this space.
My next question for you is howdid you start to integrate it
immediately?
Was it essentially chat GPT?
Did you completely.

(07:47):
Start to rework the way that youuse your project management
systems.

Tianna (07:53):
Absolutely.
At first it was chat GTP, right?
Yeah.
Now chat GTP is like my bestie.
I call her a chatty patty.
At first it was relying heavilyon chat GTP, in terms of,
Editing and, you know, rewritethis press release.
Yes.
But then eventually and verysoon after, a lot of the
traditional media databases thatwe use, say the Cision or the

(08:13):
Muck Rack they started adding AIpowered tools into their
services.
So it made it easier.
But then after that, so many AIplatforms are just popping up
overnight.
And so for example, notion, Ido.
Everything at Notion, it prettymuch runs My agency runs an
entire campaign from inceptionto conception, from beginning to

(08:34):
end everything from compilingmedia list to drafting client
briefs, like literallyeverything.
now, And, this is me being verytransparent again with the
economy.
I've had to make some internalcuts in terms of my team and I
was able to rely on AI apps likeMotion, where in motion.

(08:55):
I have an AI executiveassistant.
I have an AI salesrepresentative can that can do
lead generation and that could

Brooke (09:02):
great

Tianna (09:02):
schedule things for me on my behalf.

Brooke (09:04):
Yeah, an

Tianna (09:04):
AI project manager, there's just.
So many ways to incorporate AIinto your business.
and I can keep going In termsof, tools.
Yeah.
I think

Brooke (09:11):
It's expanding because a lot of people are at that moment
where they're needing to investin technology and restructure
their workflows, and There is atrade off when it comes to how
much you're spending and howmuch you're earning.
And when it comes to laying offstaff, we're in that space.
Everyone's experiencing it.
It is

Tianna (09:31):
heartbreaking, you know, to, and this is something that I
grapple with as a small businessowner.
It is heartbreaking to have tolay off or let go human talent,
but the reality of it is I canhave a whole AI suite with
agents and these differentplatforms, for well under.
a thousand dollars a month.

Brooke (09:52):
Yeah.

Tianna (09:52):
Whereas though even A freelance or a consultant can
cost me triple that.

Brooke (09:57):
Yeah.

Tianna (09:57):
And the AI doesn't take, PTO ai doesn't take Yeah.
A coffee break and not, this isnot me saying that the human
touch or, you know, humanexperience is not needed.
However, from a bottom linestandpoint of view, which I
think a lot of business ownersand larger brands as well are
facing.
It's all about the bottom linewhen it comes to business.
And that's where we're gonna seemore AI being integrated into

(10:20):
every business.

Brooke (10:22):
Could you maybe bring me through an example workflow or a
case study of you integrating AIfor pr?
And the efficiency

Tianna (10:31):
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
So what would take weeks, Youknow, weeks ago, is it, we're
talking about.
Developing an AI campaign.
PR campaign.
Okay.
At one point it could take, weshould would come into my
office, it would be GoogleNotes.
Everywhere we have the big, youknow, Blackboard, a Blueboard,
it's a team of four or five ofus strategizing.
I'm running my mouth.
One person is taking notes, Theother person is developing the

(10:53):
timeline.
Yes.
Now that can happen within amatter of hours.
So you're going, going with thepipeline strategy, I think.
I'm always very clear withsaying like, I, am the
strategist.
I am the brain, I am the genius.
Ai, AI is my assistant.
So I'll give you an example fornotion.
We were actually working with anAI hair company.

(11:15):
That basically You can take apicture of your hair and upload
it into this AI and it'll tellyou your hair.
texture nice.
And the best products to use foryour hair.
Nice.
So with that company, inaddition to doing the media
relations We also automatedtheir systems within their
company.
Wow.

(11:35):
We did that within a matter of48 hours of building out an
agent that strategically pitchedpress and media relations for
them to different publications.
So we say, okay, we have ourbusiness driven Press, We have,
Propel ai, which is another AItool that I use specifically for
pr.
They could do, Variouspublications, right?
So we have the business drivenones, we have the culture driven

(11:56):
ones, we have the hair ones,right?
Completely done.
The AI agent that does thatalone.
Then we built out another AIagent that pitched speaking
engagements and podcastengagements for the founder and
the CEO.
Yes, I get a lot of those.
Yeah.
Now, how do you feel as thoughwhen you get those emails, can
you read them and automaticallytell their ai?
I can tell which ones

Brooke (12:14):
are ai.
Yes, I can.
How.
Just because they haven't donethe due diligence and the
research, it's very high levelwhat they're saying about me.
And yeah, I can just tell whensomeone's actually more of a
human.
I mean, don't get me wrong, Ithink it's okay to use AI to
help you write your emails.
Mm-hmm.
Like we're all being efficientright now, but you can tell when

(12:35):
someone is thoughtful when theydo it, or if it's just AI that
did it, with no oversight.
Exactly, yeah.
Or someone.
Yeah.

Tianna (12:42):
What I like to call that is AI generated bull crap.
There's a lot of AI generatedbull crap going around because
people are not.
Using the human touch, I alwayssay, the reality of it is we're
all gonna use ai.
We can, you just, you cannot getaround it, right?
Mm-hmm.
But you cannot solely rely on AIlike I, said, you are the
genius, and AI is yourassistant.

(13:02):
AI is your assistant,

Brooke (13:03):
so you're twofold.
You are crushing it in pr, butyou're also enabling companies
and teaching.
Which do you like better right?
now?

Tianna (13:13):
So as a publicist by nature, right?
Yeah.
What I do is pr, like that's PRis in my blood.
Like I just, it was a family runbusiness, but I'm leaning and as
I see the evolution of mycompany and my business and
myself I'm more so leaning intothat, consulting space or that
education space where it'sempowering Other people to
implement AI into all of theirpractices.

(13:34):
Yes.
Whether that's pr, whetherthat's marketing, whether that's
real estate, whatever that is.
Mm-hmm.
That's where I'm leaningtowards, because I do think pr,
as I once knew, it is completelyantiquated, and especially from
the media relations standpointof view, how many publications
are folding.
Like some of our faves don'texist anymore.
Yeah.
How many are going digital?
How many editors.

(13:55):
are losing their jobs?
And that, that's a whole notherconversation we're talking
about, How influencer culturehas really taken over.
Right.
So I do, you know, foresight, Ido see me more so transitioning
fully into the AI space.
Mm-hmm.
And really expanding there.

Brooke (14:10):
That's awesome.
Could you touch on a little bitmore, you spoke about MuckRack
and Cision and how they'reintegrating ai.
Have they been doing that well?
do you use those?
a lot?
Like what would you recommend inyour toolbox for someone in the
PR realm and vertical to startto integrate ai?
What would be yourrecommendations?

(14:31):
So Cision is the og, right?
Yeah,

Tianna (14:34):
Cision graduated college into Cision.
I prefer.
MuckRack now.
Mm-hmm.
To be honest, I do feel asthough their AI technology is a
bit more advanced.
Okay.
So you can pull a name of, let'ssay we wanna pull up John at the
New York Times, right?
Mm-hmm.
You pull up the name of John, wecan see all of his like all of
the beats that he's covered forX amount of time, right?

(14:54):
Yeah.
And it also has an integrationwhere it can help you compile
the pitch to him.
So that makes it easier.
And then it puts everything intothese handy dandy folders.
It's super organized.
Yeah.
I personally prefer muck Rack.
Okay.
I actually don't even have aCision account anymore.
Okay.
Sometimes we use it if a clienthas Cision, it will do it on
their behalf.
But other tools that I tellpublicists that you should have

(15:15):
in your toolbox, Grammarly, Idunno if you use Grammarly, yet.
Yes, I do.
Grammarly game changer.
Yeah.
And it's not just to edit, Your,Spot your grammar, Correct your
grammar.
Yeah.
It is the tone andpersuasiveness that is really
helpful, whether I'm writing apitch, Mm-hmm.
Like I said, I like to diversifymy pitches.
Yeah.
So whether I'm talking to Forbesor Complex or Essence, it can

(15:37):
literally take the same pitch,the same idea, but Change the
tone and persuasiveness within amatter of seconds to be
appealing to that writer.
So they're not receiving that AIgenerated bull crap, you know?
Yeah.
It's very, Tailored and uniqueto that set writer.
Whether I'm writing A speech fora CEO or I'm writing website
copy, it's just super efficient.

(15:59):
Yeah, very easy.
Love Grammarly.
Propel Ai Propel is actually atool created for Pr
professionals Okay.
and I consider it just like a PRassistant.
you can literally, it's almostlike you can run a whole agency
from a there Wow.
Within Propel Descript, whichI'm we talked about earlier.
Yeah.
Um, Descript Is amazing with notonly editing, but taking

(16:22):
different shots from.
interviews and stuff andcreating, repackaging them for
social purposes.
What else do we love?
I love?
Canva Magic.
It, me too.
It's so just easy from a designperspective.
Firefly for meetings,transcription.
Zapier for automation.
I can keep going.
Did I say no?
I said notion.

(16:42):
I said motion notion.
motion describes what's

Brooke (16:44):
motion.

Tianna (16:45):
So motion is the, is pretty much It's AI agents.
Okay.
But they're already created.
So you can have an AI executiveassistant, it's like a
marketplace.
Yeah.
For agents.
Yeah.
I don't know if necessarilywould call it a marketplace.
It's a tool.
It's a platform.
Okay.
And you create your own agentswithin there, right?
So I have my AI executive.
Assistant who does my calendar.
So I used to do everything onCalendly.
Now you go through thisexecutive assistant, In terms

(17:08):
of, My expenses from traveling.
Yeah, it manages all of that.
Then I also have a projectmanager who helps me manage my
team.
Then it's also, like I said, asales lead, where now we're
doing lead generation, which issomething that I shied away for
a very long time.
But when we're talking aboutgrowth, especially in today's
economy, yeah, you have to be alittle more aggressive with
business.

(17:28):
But I don't have time.
Or patience to sit and do coldemailing or cold calling.
So I do have that AI sales lead,But I will say I do have to play
around with it a bit because Ido feel like some of the emails
that you said you receive andthey're very high level, they're
not very Bespoke And, Unique.
It's not quite there yet.

(17:49):
Yeah.
But we'll give it one more time.

Brooke (17:50):
Okay.
Great.
My next question for you is,I've noticed In the industry,
and you touched on this already,Less people are investing in pr.
It's one of those costs thatpeople are like, do I really
need it?
Mm-hmm.
What can I do myself?
And I've seen a lot of these adsonline of Pitch Your Own Self,

(18:11):
you don't need pr.
How are you remainingcompetitive in this day and age
where a lot of people arestarting to DIY things?
Yeah.
With the help of ai.

Tianna (18:19):
Yeah.
Grit, hustle.
Yeah.
In ai.
Yeah.
And ai.
I'm not one of those publicistswho wanna lie to you.

Brooke (18:27):
Yeah.

Tianna (18:28):
PR has shifted tremendously over the past few
years.
And it's not just ai.
Like I said, it's the rise ofinfluencer culture.
it's the pandemic, it's theHollywood strikes, it's the
layoffs in the music industry.
it's it's just been completechaos.
And like, again, when companieslook at the bottom line, and if
people feel as though I can dothis by myself, like if I can go

(18:49):
onto ChatGPT and write a pressrelease.
Yeah.
And then I can have this medialist and I can just blast it
out.
Yeah.
Why do I need pr?
Why do I need pr?
How do I stay competitive?
Creating AI for pr?
Yes.
Staying ahead of the curve andjust being brutally honest with
myself that this time next yearmy agency might look completely

(19:11):
different.

Brooke (19:11):
It might

Tianna (19:12):
only be AI automation.

Brooke (19:14):
Yeah,

Tianna (19:14):
because I do think even the AI consultant and teaching,
we're gonna hit a bubble thereas well.

Brooke (19:18):
One of my most downloaded episodes to date is a
solo episode I did aboutpivoting with ai.
And so you just hit on somethingsuper crucial that you were able
to pivot and create AI for pr.
Can you speak more about AI forPR and also any words of advice
for someone who just graduatedcollege and is entering the
workforce as a PR agent?

(19:40):
And how to adapt and pivot.

Tianna (19:41):
Absolutely.
So AI for PR is, as of now, It'san initiative that was initially
created for comms and PRprofessionals, and we expanded
for that to be for smallbusiness owners and
entrepreneurs as well.
At first, we were literally justteaching you basic AI practices.
This is how you use AI in yourbusiness, this is how you
implement it.

(20:01):
Then we added in the automation.
Eventually the goal, somethingthat we're working on is our own
platform.
Or our own SaaS, where my agencyis literally my.
Agency is doing everything fromThe strategizing to The
pitching.
But I do think we're gonna seethat when AI is out of this

(20:23):
functionality efficiency phase.
And I do think AI's gonna gointo a phase where it's more so
about identity and culturalawareness.

Brooke (20:31):
Yeah.

Tianna (20:31):
In terms of a PR agent just coming into the workforce.
Whew.
Take a breath.
Take a deep breath Because frommy understanding.
The job market is brutal rightnow.
Yes.
Brutal right now.
So be patient with yourself, butalso be agile and, Actually feel

(20:54):
Bad for a lot of the youngpeople entering the workforce
now because they have to be somultifaceted.
I would say diversify.
Do more than pr.

Brooke (21:02):
Yeah.

Tianna (21:02):
Unfortunately.
Do me more than pr, whetherthat's strategic communications,
crisis comm.
We're always gonna need crisiscomms.
Some politician or someentertainer is always gonna do
something crazy.
Maybe you niche down andspecialize in crisis
communications.
Maybe you create a SaaS for ai.
and pr.
Yes.
But it's all aboutdiversification.

(21:23):
It really is.
and I also say build a personalbrand.
And that's something that I feelas though I waited a bit later
in my career to do.
Yeah.
Because I was always runningbehind celebrities or.
doing this for a brand.
And I came into my career in anera where the publicists were
black and you were behind thecamera.
You weren't on the red carpet.
But now, today, I think it'simperative to build a personal

(21:46):
brand.
And Reid Hoffman, one of theco-founders of LinkedIn, said it
best by 2030, the, nine to fiveis almost gonna be non-existent.

Brooke (21:53):
Yeah.

Tianna (21:54):
And if you don't create a personal brand and have
multiple streams of revenue, youwill get left behind.
So diversifying create apersonal brand.

Brooke (22:00):
such great advice.
One of my first initialinternships was PR in Miami.
And I've had quite a bit ofexperience in PR here and there,
and I'm sure that listeners arelike, wow, every episode I share
about a different job I had, Ireally have done pretty much
anything out there.
So I really appreciate thatadvice.
I think it's just so importantto be speaking to how to pivot,

(22:22):
how to be agile, how to adapt.
Another thing which I think issuper important to share in our
storytelling arc, Maybe tell meabout a flop, something that
happened when you used ai, orany resistance or challenges to
adapting in this space.

Tianna (22:42):
Let me think.
A flop, Because sometimes they,sometimes she ChatGPT flops a
lot, to be honest with you So,I'll tell you this.
When I first started AI for prmm-hmm.
it was AI for pr.community.
Yeah.
Now it's AI for PR throughintertwined agency is an
initiative.
Mm-hmm.
Everything lives through ouragency website.

Brooke (23:02):
Yeah.

Tianna (23:02):
But I was writing, I was actually pitching before I had
the AI agent that was pitchingme.
I was pitching myself.
And the whole pitch was aboutTianna Robinson, the founder, AI
for PR community.
And me being neglectful becausesometimes AI does give you that
crutch where you're like, oh,AI's super smart.
and high IQ.
Hi, I just hit send.

(23:23):
There is no AI for PR community.

Brooke (23:25):
Oh.
So

Tianna (23:25):
That was very embarrassing.
That was very embarrassing.
And that taught me a lesson.
You still have to.
fact check with ai.
Yes.
You still have to read it stillneeds, again, that human touch
and that human eye.
Mm-hmm.

Brooke (23:37):
I think it's important to talk about the challenges of
adoption.
Yeah.
Because people might getdiscouraged if they come up
against the first hiccup ofusing it or Use it once and be
like, oh it's not giving me whatI thought it could and just give
up.

Tianna (23:52):
With that, there's a few things.
Like anything Yeah.
When.
you adapt to anything else,there are always gonna be
challenges when.
There's a disruption.

Brooke (24:00):
Yeah.

Tianna (24:00):
AI is a major disruptor.
It is disrupting the way wework, the way we create, the way
we communicate, and the way wethink about intelligence.
So I think with disruption therealso comes a lot of fear and
confusion and not knowing, andthat's where that resistance
comes in.
But again, that goes back toencouraging people to be agile.
Mm-hmm.
But more importantly, to be AIliterate.

(24:23):
Yeah, You have to be AIliterate.
You have to teach yourself someway or somehow, and I know So
many people are saying AI is notgonna take your job.
It is.
AI is gonna take your job.
Yeah.
Point blank period.
If it's not AI directly, it'ssomeone who is AI literate

Brooke (24:42):
That is

Tianna (24:43):
gonna take your job.
And I encourage people,especially from marginalized
communities black, brown womanto really use ai because I think
the good side of it is gonna bean equalizer.
Yeah.
AI is no longer just for thetech bros.
It's for everyone.
And it's such easy access.
Learn Literacy Literacy isvital.

Brooke (25:03):
Such a great point.
You already are creating in thisspace and developing products.
I wanna know if you'veexperienced or played around
with vibe coding or have youthought about if you were to
create your own software or yourapp?
Because I think that PR is oneof those industries where it

(25:26):
takes so much communicationmm-hmm.
and you deal with so manydifferent people.
It's one of those spaces thatcould benefit so much if you
were to create an app or an AISaaS or pr, have you thought
about doing that?
I, have.

Tianna (25:39):
I, have.
I, have.
I, you know, I can't say it yet.
Do you guys have an idea?
Yeah.
But ideally I would love, andthis goes back to what I was
saying earlier about getting outof that phase of AI efficiency
and AI functionality, andfocusing on, you know, AI
identity and AI culture, itwould be amazing.
To take myself and my brain andliterally have a Tianna 2.0.

(26:00):
Yeah.
And have an AI SaaS that canwork directly with, whether that
be a brand or in an individual,understand their brand, their
goals, and create a strategicplan.
Yeah.
And it may be monthly, everymonth you get.
Press release, you get socialstrategy and you get press
placement.
Mm-hmm.
That would be ideal.

(26:21):
But one thing that we areworking on that's releasing
where people don't talk aboutenough is prompting.
Yeah.
So we have a ebook coming outcalled Prompting like a
publicist.

Brooke (26:29):
Nice.
Because

Tianna (26:30):
prompting is really the key.
So many people just go onChatGPT or on DeepSeek, and
they're like, Hey, tell me.
Something about Miami,

Brooke (26:41):
yes, you're

Tianna (26:41):
not properly using right ai, right?
To properly use ai, you have toprompt, you have to give it
exact directions.
You have to give it a role toreally optimize its use.
So I don't think people talkenough about.
Prompting.
And as a storyteller and as acommunicator, you know, our role
is so vital that I really wantto, Work in that space of

(27:03):
helping people understand,prompting and use it to optimize
their business.

Brooke (27:08):
That's great.
Whenever that ebook is done,I'll be sure to link it in the
show notes.
Oh, thank you.
Yeah, of course.
Absolutely.
Um, That's one of my favoritequestions to ask is what are you
building?
Or what are you wanting tobuild?
Because we are all in that.
fortunate space right now.
Yeah.
Where we can create our, it's a

Tianna (27:23):
gold mine.
Yeah.
It's really a gold mine.
I mean, I would love to createan AI that can go to the gym for
me and knock out the squats forme, and then my body just sees
the results.
But I don't think we're thereyet.
Yeah.
But if I could take myself, mybrain, my like.
Thrown in at a SaaS.
Mm-hmm.
Amazing.
I think even an agencyeventually, right?
An agency that, like I said,strategizes, conceptualizes, and

(27:46):
then you have on automation, Thepress releases or whether that
be, you know, helping you writethe thought pieces for the
LinkedIn or for your substack.
I do think all of that ispossible, and I would actually
love to see it.
On a subscription basis.
Where again, a lot of companiescannot afford a six or$7,000
retainer anymore.
But they may be able to afford a$300 subscription every month.

(28:07):
That gives you all of theseservices and you, they can add
their own human touch on it.
But the basis of what needs tobe communicated is there.
And that's when that collegestudent comes in as a crisis
communicator, If their brandever needs them, they then come
in as a consultant.
Yeah.
But the core of theircommunication is, their strategy
is already done.
It's automated.

Brooke (28:26):
Wow.
My next question is a little bitmore into pop culture and you
spoke about the importance ofbuilding your brand and just the
influencer economy and howeverything has been shifting and
continues to shift.
I'm curious on your thoughts ofthe future and the industry.
I saw some friends of mine werestating that this issue of vogue

(28:48):
this month had its first AI.
Generated model.
Did it really?
Yes.
For a Guess ad.
And people are very up in armsabout it, as you can imagine.
But what's the future look likeand how do you, with your PR
thinking hat, how are youpitching clients in this ever
evolving landscape that isbecoming more and more AI

(29:10):
integrated?

Tianna (29:12):
Whoa.
You just taught me somethingtoday about Vogue.
Um, I'm not surprised.
I don't know if you also heardlike Timbaland, The producer, he
created an ai, Music label andhe has a new artist.
Wow.
An AI artist.
on there.
And people have been up and armsabout it, like completely upset.
I understand the frustration.

Brooke (29:34):
Yeah.

Tianna (29:34):
But again, it goes back to being agile and realizing
that.
AI is not going anywhere, is theway of the future.
But I do think it is imperativeto not completely lose The human
touch or the human connectionbecause how many people are
going to identify with an AImodel, truly.
Right.
And it's so interesting how wewent from a couple years ago of,

(29:57):
you know, inclusivity andshowing people from, you know,
all different backgrounds andshapes and colors and sizes.
To AI models.
I think a lot of companies aregonna crash and burn Mm-hmm.
with being so AI focused becauseit's not gonna resonate With
humans.
And That's one thing that'snever going to.
Go away is, you know, humanconnection and human resonance.
In terms of pitching clients,it's gotten a lot harder unless

(30:21):
you're like, I have some A-listclients where I don't even have
to pitch them anymore.
It's more so reactive where it'sthat name where everyone wants
them, and I'm literally more sojust managing the responses.
But for a lot of smaller clientswho don't have a big name yet,
the pitching.
Pitching is brutal.

Brooke (30:37):
Yeah.

Tianna (30:38):
Pitching is brutal.
And it's a lot of factors thatgo into it that a lot of these
editors are spent like, becausethey get four or 500 emails a
day because there were so manylayoffs.
So I work with uh, Social mediaconsultants, right?
I'm very transparent with myclients is that PR alone will
not get you where you wanna bewithin your business.
Mm-hmm.
You need Digital strategy.

(30:59):
you need.
depending on your goals, youneed.
A social media presence.
Mm-hmm.
And I probably shouldn't besaying this as a publicist, but
in today's day and age, yes.
For a lot of smaller brands orsmaller influencers, it's
actually more useful than pr.
Than traditional pr.

Brooke (31:19):
Yes.
Get your

Tianna (31:19):
Instagram game up, Substack, TikTok, all of them.
Yeah, absolutely.
Even streaming, I'm not fullyunderstanding streaming yet,
that I have to catch up theretoo.

Brooke (31:29):
I think that people still might undermine social
media in some ways.
It's so crucial and important.
It's a full-time role.
It's a full-time role.
I just launched my YouTube lastweek.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
And I'm gonna get on TikToksoon, and I'm integrating into
that space.
I know it's so important.
Something that just came to me.
I saw somewhere,'cause you weretalking about this as well.

(31:52):
That people in HR beingoverwhelmed by the amount of
applicants Yeah, for one jobbecause AI has been able to make
people more efficient applyingand submitting resumes.
And you touched on editors beinga little bit overwhelmed.
Do you feel like that is a nichefor people to.
Make more efficient when itcomes to pairing up editors with

(32:16):
pitches.
Is there room for that in the AIrealm'cause I can imagine they
must get so many submissions ina day now, a day hundred
compared

Tianna (32:23):
before.
I've had some editors be like,let me show you my email
address.
Like a editor from Billboard waslike, Because I'm like, are you
ignoring me?

Brooke (32:30):
Yeah.

Tianna (32:30):
Cause the days of, and COVID shifted this, the days of,
Hey, let's go get some coffee,or you know, let's do a lunch.
It's changed a bit.
We're getting back to it.
Yeah.
But that relationship buildingthat was once there and was
imperative, in PR has shifted abit.
So I'm like, I know you're notignoring me.
And he goes, let me show you myinbox.
This is just today.
It was over 300 emails.

(32:53):
Whoa.
Now, from an AI perspective,'cause you touched On HR as
well.
I, from my understanding, a lotof these companies, The HR
departments have tools where theAI flags and looks for keywords.
Yes.
Within.
Resumes.
Yes.
And nails are the select few orsmall percentage of resumes that
they pull.
But also most jobs are,Nepotism.

(33:13):
It's based on the relationshipsthat you have.

Brooke (33:16):
Mm-hmm.

Tianna (33:16):
How we would apply those same tools to editors.
I'm not really sure as of yet,because say I am pitching, I
just did an initiative for BlackMusic Month, right?

Brooke (33:24):
Mm-hmm.

Tianna (33:25):
Unless that editor is specifically looking for black
music month stories to cover.
How else would they Yeah.
You know, fill theirinformation.
Yeah.
But You also do have Hero, whichis it's help a reporter out,
right?
Huh?
And it's, it started out as anewsletter in a database and
editors will send out, Hey, I'mlooking for farmers in
Minneapolis who specialize incorn and bananas.

(33:49):
So I'm assuming they have someAI component on their end where
they just like filter through.
But I'm not really sure, but youmight just be giving me idea.
I might have to create a SaaS.
That is a like to be, it's openspace.
Yeah.
Pairing people up in a moreefficient way.
Yeah.
I

Brooke (34:06):
think is like a big Yeah, I think so too.
I think so.
My next question for you is toshare.
You know, any word of advice, ifyou, have just one thing that
you want people who arespecifically in PR and ai,
what's the core message you liketo share?

Tianna (34:25):
Be agile.
Yes.
Be an early adapter learn AIliteracy is imperative.
Yeah.
AI literacy, far surpasses goingon ChatGTP.
Yeah.
Learn tools, Learn systems.
learn how you can integrate themin your business and never stop
learning.
Ai The technology is moving sorapidly.

(34:46):
We don't know what The nextthree years are gonna look like.
We don't know what the nextthree months.
are going to look like.
So the harsh reality of it is,especially if you're just
graduating or earlier in yourcareer, things are gonna shift
and change so rapidly.
You have to be open tocontinuously learning and
implementing.

Brooke (35:06):
Beautiful.
I love that input.
Awesome.
I think we covered such amazingfeedback and key points, and
you've done so much in thisspace, in such a short amount of
time.
What's next for you?

Tianna (35:20):
Still learning.
I feel like as much as I wannasay, oh, I'm an expert in this
space, who's really an experttrue in ai true besides Sam
Altman, Learning, Learning andadapting.
And I would love to get to thepoint where I do have my own
SaaS um, And bringing theteaching to the masses.

(35:40):
But really, again, I'm reallyhuge on.
Marginalized communities, black,brown, and women, because we are
not using it.
And um, Earlier this year, theWorld Economic Forum did a study
about how AI is gonna widen thewealth gap even more.
Yes.
And I would hate to seecommunities who are already
marginalized or underprivileged,get even more loss.

(36:02):
So I would love to do, More workwithin those communities,
whether it's an AI literacyprogram or partnering with.
Different platforms to bringawareness.
I don't know what that lookslike yet, but um, it really
happening to those communitiesto ensure that people are not
left behind during this AIrevolution.

Brooke (36:20):
Such an important point and keep me updated on that.
I'd love to get involved in anyway that I can.
Absolutely.
Thank you so much for your timetoday.
My final wrap up question isjust to give you the floor to
share how people can reach outto you.
How can they connect?

Tianna (36:35):
Oh, thank you Brooke Thank you.
Yeah.
Intertwine agency.com.
I know that's a long one.
You can log into intertwineagency.com and download the free
AI for PR playbook where it is ashort playbook that tells you
how to implement AI into your PRpractices.
My favorite tools and tips, youcan find me on LinkedIn, Tianna,

(36:56):
T-I-A-N-N-A Robinson.
And Same thing on Instagram,Tianna n Robinson.
And keep a lookout for theprompted like a publicist.
Ebook, which will be droppingVery soon.

Brooke (37:08):
Wonderful.
Thank you so much for your timetoday.
Thank, I really appreciate it.
Thank you.
Thank

Tianna (37:12):
you for creating this platform.
Of course.

Brooke (37:16):
Wow I hope today's episode opened your mind to
what's possible with AI.
Do you have a cool use case onhow you're using AI and wanna
share it?
DM me.
I'd love to hear more andfeature you on my next podcast.
Until next time, here's toworking smarter, not harder.
See you on the next episode ofHow I AI This episode was made

(37:36):
possible in partnership with theCollective AI, a community
designed to help entrepreneurs,creators, and professionals
seamlessly integrate AI intotheir workflows.
One of the biggest game changersin my own AI journey was joining
this space.
It's where I learned, connectedand truly enhanced my
understanding of what's possiblewith ai.

(37:59):
And the best part, they offermultiple membership levels to
meet you where you are.
Whether you want to DIY, your AIlearning or work with a
personalized AI consultant foryour business, The Collective
has you covered.
Learn more and sign up using myexclusive link in the show
notes.
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