Host Susan Diaz sits down with her business buddy and go-to-market consultant Suzanne Huber to talk about what AI has actually changed in marketing. Together they explore AI as "robot arms" (an extension of expertise), why first-draft AI content gets a bad rap, how modern marketers use AI for research, planning, editing, and proposals, and why thought leadership and personal brand matter more than ever.

Episode summary

Susan and Suzanne have been talking about AI since 2022. In this episode, they make it official.

Suzanne introduces a metaphor that sticks: AI as "robot arms". You're still the driver. AI can extend your reach, speed up the grunt work, and help you close expertise gaps—but it still needs human judgment, critical thinking, and craft.

They compare marketing before vs after AI: headlines, research, applying feedback, simplifying complex plans into executive-friendly formats, cross-checking sources (especially Canadian vs US), and building repeatable workflows with custom GPTs.

They also tackle the bigger questions:

• Does expertise still matter?

• Is personal brand becoming more important in the age of AI?

• What should writers do if they feel threatened?

Spoiler: AI can speed up output. But insight, values, differentiation, and taste are still the human edge.

 

Key takeaways

AI is "robot arms" not a replacement brain. It's an extension of expertise. You still need to steer, evaluate quality, and avoid publishing raw first drafts that can damage trust.

First-draft AI is the content factory problem. AI-assisted content gets a bad reputation when junior-level or high-volume systems publish credible-sounding fluff with no real subject matter expertise behind it. Craftsmanship still matters.

Marketing got faster because the grunt work collapsed. Headlines, rewrites, reformatting, applying feedback, outlining, and turning long documents into charts/tables can happen in minutes - not hours. You still refine, but you're starting from a better baseline.

Research and fact-checking changed dramatically. Instead of trawling search results for hours (and getting US-default sources), AI tools can surface targeted sources fast - then humans choose what's credible and relevant.

Custom GPTs shine for repeatable processes. Susan shares how she uses custom GPTs (including MyShowrunner.com) for guest research, interview questions, emails, and packaged deep research briefs - turning recurring work into reusable systems.

Expertise always matters - especially for positioning and thought leadership. Differentiation, values, hot takes, and human intuition are what attract the right people (and repel the wrong ones). AI can assist, but it can't replace lived POV.

Personal brand matters more in the age of AI. As audiences get more suspicious of generic content and AI avatars, trust increasingly attaches to real humans with visible ideas, proof, and consistency.

For writers who feel threatened: use it or get outpaced. AI can accelerate production for factual formats (press releases, timely content). Writers who combine craft + AI + fast learning become the force multipliers. But journaling/introspective writing still belongs to the human-only zone.

Episode highlights

[01:29 ] Suzanne's "robot arms" metaphor: AI as an extension of expertise.

[02:47 ] Why first-draft AI should never leave your desk.

[03:56 ] The telltale signs of lazy AI writing (and why it gets a bad rap).

[05:00 ] Before vs after AI: the research + writing process changes.

[07:24 ] Simplifying complex work: plans → tables → charts for execs.

[09:10 ] Deep research for Canadian sources without wasting hours.

[10:25 ] Custom GPT workflows (MyShowrunner + research briefs).

[12:29 ] Where expertise still matters in an AI-saturated world.

[16:56 ] Personal brand: attracting the right people + repelling the wrong ones.

[20:00 ] AI for proposals and even pricing guidance.

[22:00 ] Advice for writers who feel threatened by AI.

If you've been resisting AI because you're worried it will erase your craft, try this reframing: Use AI for the grunt work.
Keep the human parts for the parts that build trust: taste, judgement, voice, and values.

And if you want a simple starting point, ask yourself: What could use "robot arms" in your marketing workflow this week - headlines, research, rewrites, proposals, or planning?

Connect with Susan Diaz on LinkedIn to get a conversation started.

 

Agile teams move fast. Grab our 10 AI Deep Research Prompts to see how proven frameworks can unlock clarity in hours, not months. Find the prompt pack here.

 

Connect with Suzanne Huber on LinkedIn.