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Episodes from Expert Intelligence with Paul Estes
The Skills AI Cannot Touch (And How to Build Them) — with Vi Wickam
Think about the last time you saw a company's marketing and actually felt something more than mild interest. Chances are you're struggling to come up with one. And that's not an accident. Vi Wickam has spent 30 years in digital marketing, helping companies fix this mistake. His premise is simple and kind of uncomfortable: honest marketing always wins, most companies aren't doing it, and AI is about to make the gap between the two a whole lot wider. But this conversation goes deeper than marketing. Vi and Paul get into something most people don't...
Connecting Mission to Action When AI Changes Everything with Diana Wu David
I spent an hour with Diana Wu David, a top 10 global futurist who advises Fortune 500s on what's next. She told me 95% of workers see value in using AI, but they don't trust their companies to ensure positive outcomes for them. So people automate parts of their job in secret. They become what Diana calls "secret cyborgs." We've created an environment where being more productive is something you have to hide. And the organizations that are actually succeeding with AI aren’t the ones with the biggest budgets, they're the ones doing "job crafting"—redesigning work...
Stop Generating, Start Thinking with Kevin Henrikson
Kevin Henrikson has built and sold companies for hundreds of millions, scaled teams at Microsoft and Instacart, and now runs an AI healthcare startup—and he called complete bullshit on the productivity myth we've all been sold. The most unmovable meeting on his calendar? 8 PM: GO TO SLEEP. When people want late meetings, he says no. When he travels, his admin moves the sleep block. In his 20s, he was the "code until 2 AM" guy. Now? He protects his ability to think like his business depends on it. Because it does. But the biggest insight th...
Writing Is Thinking: AI Slop Is Killing Your Credibility — with Joe Lazer
In a world drowning in AI-generated content, Joe Lazer is betting his career on the one skill machines can't replicate: authentic storytelling. The author of The Storytelling Edge and creator of a popular Substack newsletter walked away from an executive role at a fast-growing startup to pursue what he calls humanity's most essential superpower. In this candid conversation with Paul Estes, Joe reveals why he left stability to write his second book, how he built and sold his first media company, and why the "vortex of mid" is sucking the soul out of modern content. Understanding which...
Why You Should Embrace Career Pivots with Alyson Griffin
What happens when you realize the career you're in isn't your future? For Alyson Griffin, that moment launched a three-decade journey from Silicon Valley PR agencies to becoming the marketing force behind State Farm's Emmy-nominated Super Bowl campaign and Intel's Cannes Lions-winning drone light show. In this revealing conversation with Paul Estes, Alyson shares how she navigated a dramatic career pivot, brought humanity to one of America's most iconic insurance brands, and is now leading her team through the AI revolution. From experimenting with AI-generated creative attempts that hilariously failed to building Jake from State Farm into...
The Truth About AI: Freelancers & Why Systems Matter More than People Think with Chris Dumpleton
While headlines scream about AI replacing call center jobs, Chris Dumpleton reveals a different reality. As an executive at Limitless Technology, he's spent 20 years in telecom and contact centers—today he shares why organizations struggle to implement AI cost-cutting measures and how the gig economy model can create better outcomes for both companies and customers. With a storied career that includes helping eBay increase seller revenue by 24% using peer-to-peer expert coaching, Chris discusses how Limitless Technology evolved from "taking the Uber business model to contact centers" to becoming a key player in AI training through RLHF (Reinforcement Lea...
Why AI Won't Steal 50% of Jobs with Tom Davenport
Tom Davenport has been watching technology transformations for over 30 years, and he's not joining the AI hype wagon. As a distinguished professor at Babson College and author of 27+ books, Tom brings hard-earned wisdom to the AI conversation that's refreshingly realistic. While Silicon Valley promises instant transformation and a job apocalypse, Tom reveals why real AI success requires the unglamorous work of process redesign, patient leadership, and years of persistent effort. In this eye-opening conversation, Tom debunks the myth that AI will eliminate 50% of white-collar jobs while sharing practical insights on how organizations can actually capture value from...
Layoffs Aren't the Problem. Employment Strategy Is. — with Brea Starmer
Brea Starmer helped build the future of work out of necessity. As founder of Lions and Tigers, she's unlocking millions in economic opportunity for independent workers, particularly women navigating caregiving responsibilities. When Brea was laid off seven months pregnant, facing workplace discrimination, and having to choose between career ambition and family flexibility, she discovered that the traditional employment system simply wasn't designed for people like her. What started as personal survival—self-funding her own maternity leave by billing 60 hours a week for 13 weeks—evolved into a movement reshaping how enterprises think about workforce planning. Brea's vision of "no m...
Start Building: Vibe Coding for Non-Techies with Iwo Szapar
Iwo Szapar saw the future of work early—co-founding Remotely years before the pandemic transformed how we work. Now he's back with groundbreaking research through the AI Maturity Index, analyzing over 250,000 data points across 75 countries to reveal what's really happening with AI adoption in the workplace. The gap between AI winners and everyone else isn't just significant—it's shocking. In this conversation with Paul Estes, Iwo breaks down the stark reality behind AI adoption, from the top 1% who save 31 hours per week to the bottom 50% saving only six hours. He shares practical frameworks for immediate implementation, introduces "vibe...
What the AI Shift Means for Your Career with Kelly Monahan
Kelly Monahan, Managing Director of Upwork's Research Institute and co-author of Essential, reveals why 77% of employees feel AI makes work harder, not easier—and what leaders can do about it. In this eye-opening conversation with Paul Estes, Kelly breaks down the real forces behind today's labor market shifts, from inflation and capital costs to the pandemic's lasting impact on customer behavior. From her research on the frontlines of the future of work, Kelly shares practical frameworks for moving beyond resilience to "anti-fragility"—the ability to adapt and evolve when systems face stress and shock. Whether you're a lead...
Building Resilience in Uncertain Times with Samia Kornweibel
Generation X professionals are navigating an unprecedented perfect storm: young children at home, peak career responsibilities, and a business landscape in constant flux. Executive coach Samia Kornweibel joins Paul Estes to explore why so many mid-career leaders are experiencing what she calls "career meltdowns"—and how they can build resilience in an era where roles keep shifting. Fresh from completing her AI coaching certification, Samia shares how she's helping leaders navigate the ethical integration of AI tools while maintaining the human connection that drives real transformation. Using Microsoft's suite of tools and her innovative CHAIR model (Clarity, Hu...
AI's Role in Personalized Math Tutoring with Peter Relan
Peter Relan, founder of the YouWeb Incubator and initial Discord investor, joins Paul to discuss how AI transforms math education through his latest venture, MathGPT.ai. Growing up in poverty with parents who believed in education's transformative power, Peter is now paying it forward by creating around-the-clock math coaching for students facing critical academic hurdles. In this eye-opening conversation, Peter reveals how his platform combines AI tutoring with human instructor oversight to address math numeracy challenges while maintaining academic integrity. From Peter's journey as a UCLA math tutor to his vision of personalized learning through AI coaches...