Send us a text What happens when a technologist, artist, and optimist walks into an AI podcast? You get Christian Hammer, CEO of Ngentix, a longtime tech leader, and a humanist dropping wisdom on the balance between automation and authenticity. In this episode, Christian and Mike Montague talk about how businesses can actually trust automation, what makes AI systems reliable, and why most marketing automation tools still fall short. Spoiler: it’s not about more tools; it’s about smarter conte...
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Send us a text What happens when a technologist, artist, and optimist walks into an AI podcast? You get Christian Hammer, CEO of Ngentix, a longtime tech leader, and a humanist dropping wisdom on the balance between automation and authenticity. In this episode, Christian and Mike Montague talk about how businesses can actually trust automation, what makes AI systems reliable, and why most marketing automation tools still fall short. Spoiler: it’s not about more tools; it’s about smarter conte...
Send us a text What happens when a technologist, artist, and optimist walks into an AI podcast? You get Christian Hammer, CEO of Ngentix, a longtime tech leader, and a humanist dropping wisdom on the balance between automation and authenticity. In this episode, Christian and Mike Montague talk about how businesses can actually trust automation, what makes AI systems reliable, and why most marketing automation tools still fall short. Spoiler: it’s not about more tools; it’s about smarter conte...
Send us a text In this episode of Human-First AI Marketing, host Mike Montague of Avenue9 sits down with Dr. Anastassia Lauterbach, AI and robotics expert, professor, and creator of the Romy and Robby educational book series, to demystify artificial intelligence and explore how it really works. From breaking down common myths about generative AI and “artificial consciousness” to explaining what tokens, training, and accurate intelligence mean, Dr. Lauterbach delivers a masterclass in separati...
Send us a text In this episode of the Human-First AI Marketing Podcast, host Mike Montague sits down with Jason Berkowitz, founder of Break the Web Agency, to unpack what it really means to do SEO in 2025, without losing your mind (or your humanity). They explore how small and midsize businesses can stop chasing Google updates and AI trends and instead focus on timeless marketing principles that actually drive growth. From building topical authority and earning trust to integrating AI tools i...
Send us a text In this episode of the Human-First AI Marketing Podcast, host Mike Montague sits down with Michael “Buzz” Buzinski, author of The Rule of 26 and host of the Buzzworthy Marketing Show. Together, they unpack what it really takes for small and midsize businesses to thrive in today’s AI-driven marketing world. From avoiding “random acts of marketing” to building scalable strategies, Buzz shares how SMBs can cut through the noise, optimize their websites, and focus on the metrics th...
Send us a text In this episode of the Human-First AI Marketing Podcast, Mike Montague sits down with @SebastianChedal co-founder of Fountain City and Testfox.ai, to talk about what really drives success when implementing AI inside small and mid-sized businesses. Spoiler: It’s not the tools. It’s the people, the process, and the problems you’re solving. Together, they unpack what it means to be AI-ready, how to avoid the 80% failure rate of AI projects, and how to align your...
Send us a text In this episode of the Human First AI Marketing Podcast, host Mike Monague sits down with Jonathan Kvarfordt, Head of Growth at Momentum.io, to explore how AI is transforming the way SMBs approach sales, marketing, and customer success. From eliminating tedious CRM updates to capturing the authentic voice of your customers, Jonathan shares how AI tools can give go-to-market teams back their most valuable resource, time. You’ll hear how forward-thinking leaders are using AI not ...
Send us a text In this episode, host Mike Monague sits down with Grant Fuellenbach of Go First Consulting to unpack what it really takes for small and mid-sized businesses to scale sustainably. From builders and contractors to growing SMB teams, Grant shares how predictable systems and smart AI integrations can help business owners escape the chaos of juggling bids, paperwork, and project management. You’ll learn how to move beyond the “shotgun approach” to AI by implementing practical system...
Send us a text What happens when small business owners and marketing leaders stop trying to do it all themselves? In this episode of the Human First AI Marketing Podcast, host Mike Montague sits down with Jaime Jay, founder of Bottleneck Distant Assistants, to explore the power of delegation in a world transformed by AI. Together, they explore the critical distinction between task delegation and establishing a true “delegation department,” the significant impact of turnover on business costs,...
Send us a text What if AI wasn’t just another shiny object but a way to get back to what actually works in marketing? In this episode, Mike Montague sits down with David Berkowitz, founder of the AI Marketers Guild and author of The Non-Obvious Guide to Using AI in Marketing, to talk about how small and mid-sized businesses can avoid the trap of AI slop and instead use smart tools to create real connections, trust, and creativity at scale. Together, they unpack the risks of lazy automation, ...
Send us a text In this episode of The Social Shift, Mike Montague (Avenue9) sits down with Katie Brinkley (Next Step Social and Podcast) to unpack how AI is changing social media and why the brands that win will be the ones that sound most human, not most automated. They explore the rise of “AI slop” in our feeds, why going viral isn’t a business strategy, and how local and B2B businesses can use podcasting and authentic content to build genuine relationships, not just rack up views. If you’...
Send us a text In this episode of the Human First AI Marketing podcast, host Mike Montague sits down with Alexander Schlager, founder of Alceberg.ai, to unpack the hidden cybersecurity challenges lurking beneath the surface of AI adoption. From the rise of agentic AI to the evolving threat landscape of autonomous tools and prompt injections, this conversation goes deep into why observability, memory, and human-in-the-loop design are critical for keeping your brand and your customers safe. Whe...
Send us a text In this episode of Podcasting Made Simple Live, special speaker Mike Montague, founder of Avenue9 and host of the Human First AI Marketing Podcast, shares how artificial intelligence can transform the way you prepare for podcast interviews. Drawing on over a decade of experience behind the mic, Mike reveals how AI can help guests show up sharper, more relevant, and more confident without losing their authenticity. You’ll learn how to use AI as a creative collaborator to resear...
Send us a text In this episode, Let the Robots Do the Work: Finding the Human Edge in AI Marketing, Mike Montague sits down with Chris Singel, AI Optimist, Delta Digital Agency owner, and TEDx speaker, to explore how small and midsize businesses can embrace AI without losing what makes them unique. From automating the “work that sucks” to unlocking new levels of creativity and strategy, Chris shares why the future isn’t humans or robots, but a powerful collaboration of both. Listeners ...
Send us a text What if you could automate 90% of your business without losing the human touch? In this episode, Mike Montague sits down with @BradfordSCarlton , founder of Automate Business AI, to explore what’s actually possible when small business owners and creators stop doing everything themselves and start building intelligent systems. From AI-generated content and task automation to building bots for invoicing and marketing, Bradford shares how he has designed a business ...
Send us a text In this episode of the Human-First AI Marketing Podcast, Mike Montague sits down with AI strategist and founder of AIaSystem.com, @dustinjensen0351 , to explore how small and mid-sized businesses can harness AI to drive real business outcomes. From workflow discovery to the rise of AI agents that ‘close the loop’ on automation, Dustin shares frameworks, use cases, and practical advice for moving from curiosity to pilot implementation. You’ll also learn why contex...
Send us a text In this special episode celebrating #internationalpodcastday 2025, Mike Montague gathers top voices from the world of marketing, sales, tech, and strategy to answer one big question: What will sales and marketing look like 10 years from now? The answers might surprise you. From personal AI agents and decentralized trust systems to the rise of AI burnout among executives, this conversation explores the very real shifts happening now and how to prepare for what’s coming nex...
Send us a text 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 business owners and marketing leaders gain clarity, unlo...
Send us a text 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 shares how SMBs are creating authentic, high-performing video c...
Send us a text 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 content. You’ll learn why getting quoted in tier-one media ma...
Send us a text 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 isn’t automation that replaces your people; it’s intelligence...
Send us a text What happens when a technologist, artist, and optimist walks into an AI podcast? You get Christian Hammer, CEO of Ngentix, a longtime tech leader, and a humanist dropping wisdom on the balance between automation and authenticity. In this episode, Christian and Mike Montague talk about how businesses can actually trust automation, what makes AI systems reliable, and why most marketing automation tools still fall short. Spoiler: it’s not about more tools; it’s about smarter conte...
