Human-First AI Marketing Podcast by Avenue9
Discover how to harness the power of AI without losing the human touch. Hosted by Mike Montague, Founder of Avenue9, this podcast delivers actionable insights to help small and mid-sized businesses market like big brands. With expert interviews, relatable success stories, and practical tips, we show you how to amplify your marketing efforts with AI tools that enhance—not replace—human creativity and connection. Whether you're a business owner, marketer, or curious about the future of AI, this is your go-to guide for building smarter, more authentic marketing strategies.
Episodes
What if you could clone your mindset, values, and decision-making style into an AI-powered version of yourself, one that never sleeps, doubts, or second-guesses? In this episode of the Human First AI Marketing podcast, host Mike Montague sits down with AI and blockchain expert @manujagro to explore the groundbreaking concept of the AI Digital Twin. Together, they unpack how this emerging technology can help busin...
What happens when AI stops being a gimmick and starts being your creative partner? In this episode, Mike Montague chats with Amer Tadayon, founder of LuciHub, about how AI video tools are opening new doors for small businesses, nonprofits, and solo marketers. From script writing and shot lists to voiceovers and final edits, AI is now a creative co-pilot, not a replacement for humans, but an amplifier of ideas. Amer sh...
In this episode of the Human-First AI Marketing® podcast, we’re joined by Chris Panteli and Nick Biggs, founders of Linkifi, to talk about how digital PR is evolving in a world dominated by AI, LLMs, and search engines that think like humans. We unpack what white hat link building actually looks like in 2025, why traditional press releases are outdated, and how AI is rewarding brands that build credibility, not just c...
In this episode of the Human-First AI Marketing® podcast, Mike Montague sits down with Owen Lawlor, VP of AI at CoachEm, to explore how AI can be used with humans, not against them. You’ll hear how CoachEm is helping sales leaders move beyond dashboards and activity metrics by using causal AI and machine learning to uncover why performance is lagging and what reps can do about it. Think Iron Man, not Terminator. This ...
In this episode of the Human-First AI Marketing® podcast, Mike Montague sits down with veteran CMO David Poulos to diagnose one of the most common but costly mistakes in small business marketing today: relying on AI without a clear strategy. They unpack how AI often becomes a shortcut to mediocrity, amplifying generic content, skipping the hard questions, and ignoring the very thing that actually drives growth: knowin...
In this episode of the Human-First AI Marketing Podcast, host Mike Montague sits down with @thechadburmeister , host of the AI for Sales Podcast and veteran AI entrepreneur, to explore how small and mid-sized businesses can harness AI without losing the human touch. Chad shares practical, battle-tested strategies for building custom GPTs in under an hour, using AI to create personalized outreach that gets 82% ope...
Most salespeople dread roleplay training. It’s awkward, unrealistic, and rarely reflects the real challenges they face with prospects. In this episode, Mike Montague sits down with Michael Ocean, founder of Sell Me This Pen AI, to talk about a better way. Instead of building AI to replace sales reps, Michael built an AI-powered coaching assistant that helps them practice, improve, and perform without the pressure of a...
Too many SMBs think a new headline, a prettier design, or the latest AI tool will magically turn their website into a lead machine. In this episode, Mike Montague sits down with marketing veteran James Hipkin to explain why most underperforming websites don’t have a copy or design problem; they have a strategy problem. You’ll learn why “inside-out” marketing stalls growth, how to shift to an “outside-in” approach that...
If your marketing blends in, it’s already losing. In this episode, Mike Montague sits down with @schwedelson , CEO of Outcome Media, founder of SubjectLine.com, and host of the Do This, Not That podcast, to talk about why “boring” is the silent killer of your campaigns. Jay shares why AI isn’t the enemy, but a partner for amplifying creativity, and how SMBs can use it to produce attention-grabbing ideas that cut th...
In this episode of the Human-First AI Marketing Podcast, host Mike Monague sits down with Hunter Jensen, founder and CEO of Barefoot Solutions, to explore how AI is transforming software development, data workflows, and productivity across industries. From building custom applications to launching Compass, an AI-powered, self-hosted enterprise platform, Hunter shares how mid-market businesses can use AI strategically ...
What if your next client wasn’t in your funnel, but sitting in your guest seat? In this episode, Mike Montague chats with podcasting strategist Doug Sandler of Turnkey Podcast about how small business owners can stop chasing downloads and start using their podcast as a smart, AI-assisted lead generation engine. Doug shares his proven “Guest to Gold” strategy, helping SMBs turn interviews into income by focusing less o...
What if SEO isn’t dead, it’s just grown up? In this episode, Daniel Molina of Red Palm Studios joins us to talk about the future of search in the age of AI overload. From "plumber near me" to advanced local strategies, Daniel breaks down why quality content, strong reviews, and authentic online presence matter more than keyword stuffing or lazy automation. He shares lessons from scaling his own agency, faili...
What if the AI revolution isn’t about replacing humans but finally giving small businesses the edge? In this episode of the Human-First AI Marketing® Podcast, Mike Montague talks with Melissa Fors Shackelford , a seasoned marketing leader turned fractional CMO, about how AI is flattening the marketing landscape. They explore how tools once exclusive to Fortune 500 budgets are now accessible for under $100 and how...
In this episode of the Human First AI Marketing podcast, host Mike Montague sits down with Mark Andrews of AI Prophets to explore what AI literacy really means for small and medium-sized businesses. Together, they break down the myth of AI as an all-knowing wizard and instead reframe it as a tool, like a chainsaw, that can dramatically increase productivity when used correctly. From upskilling employees and integrat...
What’s really going on with AI video in 2025? In this episode of the Human-First AI Marketing Podcast, Emmy-winning producer Erich Archer joins Mike Montague for a refreshingly honest look at what AI can and can’t do for video creators, marketers, and SMBs. From instant B-roll to multi-language avatars and deepfakes, we explore the tools making video more accessible and the limitations that still keep human creativity...
If AI has you feeling like you’re falling behind or drowning in prompts and platforms, this episode is your reset button. Mike Montague sits down with Ali Schwanke, CEO of Simple Strat and host of HubSpot Hacks, to unpack the real opportunities (and traps) SMB marketers face in today’s AI-fueled landscape. They break down how to stay creative in a world where everyone has access to the same playbooks and why “doing mo...
In this episode, Mike Montague sits down with John Suarez of SmartBug Media—co-author of The Marketer’s Manual on Generative AI- to talk about what actually works when it comes to AI-powered marketing. From remixing content to replacing outdated blog strategies, they unpack how small and mid-sized businesses can use generative AI to amplify human creativity rather than crank out content no one reads. They also share h...
AI is reshaping how we target accounts, but it’s also made it easier than ever to get lazy, loud, and lose the trust of your prospects. In this episode, Mike Montague sits down with Mason Cosby, founder of Scrappy ABM, to talk about what actually works when combining AI with account-based marketing. Mason shares his simple 4D framework (Data, Distribution, Destination, and Direction) and shows how AI can help small te...
In this episode of the Human First AI Marketing podcast, Mike Montague sits down with LinkedIn strategist and author Daniel Alfon to break down what actually works on LinkedIn in 2025, especially for B2B professionals, SMB owners, and marketing directors. They dive into why you don’t need 10,000 followers to win on LinkedIn, how to turn profile views into real business conversations, and how to create a standout profi...
In this episode of the Human First AI Marketing podcast, host Mike Monague sits down with Ashley Gross, founder of the AI Workforce Alliance, to unpack one of the most urgent transformations facing today’s marketing leaders: the shift from traditional labor models to outcome-based, AI-enabled work. Ashley shares how she reduced her workweek from 40 to 15 hours without sacrificing quality and why this isn’t just a pers...
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