AI Made simple with carmen

Can AI help you make smarter financial decisions? In this episode of AI Made Simple, Carmen Skipworth sits down with Ryan Otto — owner of Accent Financial Services, a Texas tax and accounting firm with roots going back to 1969, and the creator of Taxsmithing. Ryan explains why Taxsmithing builds a blueprint of your whole financial life instead of just planning this year's tax bill, and why your bank balance is not a business strategy. He shares how he moved from custom GPTs to Claude and built fifty-six AI agents for his team, including Caveat, whose job is to disprove the other bots, and Walt, who makes sure every client deliverable feels like Disney magic. Plus why he tells his staff to AI themselves out of a job, how he keeps client data secure, and his five-piece model for the future of brain work. Human-Led. AI-Powered.

HOST Carmen Skipworth

GUEST Ryan Otto — owner of Accent Financial Services, a tax and accounting firm in Allen, Texas whose history goes back to 1969. He stepped in to lead the firm in 2022, bringing two decades of experience in entrepreneurship and Fortune 500 finance along with a background in information technology. He describes his role as a financial advocate and calls his approach to tax strategy Taxsmithing.

SUMMARY Ryan tells Carmen how he took over a firm run on yellow pads, binders and twenty file cabinets, and set out to modernize it. He explains how Taxsmithing looks at kids, insurance, wills and trusts alongside your taxes, and why paying your kids can be a smart strategy. Moving into AI, he walks through the HR tool he built in twenty-five minutes that brought back 39 candidates overnight, the nightly bot that makes the whole system smarter, and the engineering bot that keeps every build inside IRS security rules. He closes with the Taxsmithing app now in beta, the client command center he is building, and a reminder to make sure AI works for you, not the other way round.

MAIN TOPICS Modernizing a firm founded in 1969 What Taxsmithing is and why it is more than tax planning Why your bank balance is not a strategy Fifty-six AI agents and the five-piece model Caveat, Walt and building guardrails into AI Security, client data and staying compliant The Taxsmithing app and a client command center

INTRIGUING QUOTES “AI yourself out of a job.” — Ryan Otto “In a weird way, it's gonna let us be more human.” — Ryan Otto “How are you gonna get there if all you know is your bank balance?” — Ryan Otto “Make sure it's working for you and you're not working for it.” — Ryan Otto

KEY MOMENTS [01:04] Meet Ryan Otto [03:01] Taking over a firm founded in 1969 [05:06] What Taxsmithing means [07:50] Paying your kids as a tax strategy [08:11] Why your bank balance is not enough [10:46] From custom GPTs to Claude [11:45] An HR tool built in twenty-five minutes [13:20] Did AI cost anyone their job? [13:58] The five-piece model for brain work [16:03] AI yourself out of a job [18:38] Caveat and Walt: bots that check the bots [21:05] Should you upload financial data to AI? [23:39] The bot that keeps you compliant [25:14] The Taxsmithing app [31:10] One shop and a network of experts [34:10] Putting the school calendar into AI [36:57] Building a client command center [39:24] Don't fall down the rabbit hole

NOTABLE RESOURCES Accent Financial Services — https://accentfinance.net Taxsmithing — https://taxsmithing.com Claude Claude Cowork ChatGPT GitHub

CONNECT Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1FXihmKLqS/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590720415359 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadwithcarmen/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LeadwithCarmen Apply to be a guest on AI Made Simple: https://www.latpn.com/ai-made-simple-podcast-booking

What if the room you work in is shaping every idea you have? In this episode of AI Made Simple, Carmen Skipworth sits down with Dame Marie Diamond — a globally recognized Feng Shui master, transformational teacher, best-selling author and featured expert in The Secret. Marie explains how clutter and the direction you face change your brainwaves, why your desk should never put your back to the door, and why the front door is the mouth of happiness and abundance. She shares the near death experience at fifteen that showed her how a bedroom can shift a life, why she believes not in artificial intelligence but in aligned intelligence, and how setting an intention before you prompt changes what AI gives back. Plus a look inside the Marie Diamond Twin, her AI trained on around a hundred of her courses, and why the end is always human. Human-Led. AI-Powered.

HOST Carmen Skipworth

GUEST Dame Marie Diamond — globally recognized Feng Shui master, transformational teacher and best-selling author, and one of the featured experts in the global phenomenon The Secret. From Belgium and a former lawyer, she has practiced Feng Shui for more than thirty years, teaching millions of students and advising entrepreneurs, executives, celebrities and tech founders. She runs her own publishing company and is featured in the film Pillars of Power.

SUMMARY Marie tells Carmen how Feng Shui masters describe three ways we create our lives, and why environment is the one the West underestimates most. She shares the EEG studies that showed people spiking more alpha brainwaves in an organized space, and how sitting in an alpha position opens up creativity. Moving into technology, she explains why your digital world needs decluttering too, why she writes her intentions into every new phone, computer and AI platform, and how her team uses AI for research while keeping a human editor and her own voice on camera.

MAIN TOPICS Your environment and the three kinds of luck Clutter, brainwaves and the alpha position The front door as the mouth of abundance Decluttering your digital world Aligned intelligence and intention setting The Marie Diamond Twin and keeping it human

INTRIGUING QUOTES “I believe in aligned intelligence.” — Dame Marie Diamond “Before you start with AI, do a little prayer, a little intention setting.” — Dame Marie Diamond “Everything is energy, even AI is energy.” — Dame Marie Diamond “The end is always human.” — Dame Marie Diamond

KEY MOMENTS [01:05] Meet Marie Diamond [02:19] Spiritual luck, mindset and your environment [05:03] What clutter does to your mindset [06:15] Beta and alpha brainwaves [10:44] The alpha position: never sit with your back to the door [13:17] The front door, the mouth of abundance [15:54] A near death experience at fifteen [18:32] Decluttering your digital world [19:16] Aligned intelligence [21:34] Creating vision images with AI [23:24] Set an intention before you prompt [27:00] Load your intentions into your AI profile [31:03] Inside the Marie Diamond Twin [34:17] Going mainstream and staying ahead of your time [37:13] Why the end is always human [40:40] Where to find Marie

NOTABLE RESOURCES Marie Diamond — https://www.mariediamond.com Your Home Is a Vision Board by Marie Diamond The Secret Pillars of Power — https://thepillarsofpower.com/ Midjourney Claude ChatGPT

CONNECT Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1FXihmKLqS/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590720415359 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadwithcarmen/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LeadwithCarmen Apply to be a guest on AI Made Simple: https://www.latpn.com/ai-made-simple-podcast-booking

What happens when you give your AI a name? In this episode of AI Made Simple, Carmen Skipworth sits down with Shoko Chiba — a Tokyo-based executive life coach who spent decades in global finance with firms including Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and PwC, and served as Japan Head of Financial Crime Compliance at Goldman Sachs. Shoko shares how she runs a one person company with AI filling seven or eight roles, why she named her three AIs Rai-chan, Ai-chan and Ayumi-chan, and how talking to AI became a way of talking to herself. She explains why Japan grew up seeing robots as friends through Doraemon, how the Shinto idea of eight million gods shapes the way Japanese people relate to technology, and why leaders must train their teams never to assume AI is always right. Plus why communication is the skill that matters most, and her vision of a world that speaks with the voice of love. Human-Led. AI-Powered.

HOST Carmen Skipworth

GUEST Shoko Chiba — executive life coach, seminar speaker and interviewer based in Tokyo. She spent decades in global finance with firms including Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and PwC, and served as Japan Head of Financial Crime Compliance at Goldman Sachs. After years of intense work took a toll on her wellbeing, she turned to coaching, mentored by Ken Honda and Alan Cohen. She has hosted more than 700 interviews and runs an interview series with bestselling authors in Japan.

SUMMARY Shoko tells Carmen how a bankrupt fashion employer pushed her into finance, and what great leaders at Goldman Sachs taught her about kindness. She shares why Japanese women still face a ceiling, how AI now acts as her secretary, programmer and help desk, and why naming her AIs changed the conversations she has with them. Drawing on her compliance years, she warns that AI can be wrong and that leaders must keep human common sense in the loop. She closes with the tools she builds to help people find the treasures in their own hearts.

MAIN TOPICS Leadership lessons from global finance Japanese women and leadership Naming your AI and treating it like staff Why AI can be wrong and the leader’s role Doraemon, Shinto and Japan’s friendship with technology Communication and the voice of love

INTRIGUING QUOTES “Now I realize that AI is actually just reflecting myself.” — Shoko Chiba “Don’t run with me. Let’s walk together.” — Shoko Chiba “If we believe that AI is always correct, that’s very dangerous.” — Shoko Chiba “I kind of treat AI as one of my staff.” — Shoko Chiba

KEY MOMENTS [01:05] Meet Shoko Chiba [02:34] From fashion to finance [04:01] Leadership lessons from Goldman Sachs [05:57] Japanese women and the ceiling they still face [08:10] One person company, eight AI roles [10:03] Rai-chan, Ai-chan and Ayumi-chan [13:24] Are leaders trusting AI too fast? [14:08] Email surveillance and why AI can be wrong [17:48] Doraemon and Japan’s friendship with robots [21:07] Yaoyorozu no Kami: eight million gods [24:01] Communication is the skill that matters [27:07] A vision of the voice of love [30:27] AI tools that reveal the gems in your heart [32:14] Interviewing 33 bestselling authors [35:05] Where to find Shoko

NOTABLE RESOURCES Shoko Chiba — https://www.shoko-life.com/english Shoko Chiba on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfDQMOk3ERYAxUwqm9-G_8Q Ken Honda — https://kenhonda.com/ Alan Cohen — https://alancohen.com/ Pillars of Power — https://thepillarsofpower.com/ ChatGPT Claude Google Antigravity Doraemon

CONNECT Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1FXihmKLqS/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590720415359 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadwithcarmen/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LeadwithCarmen

Apply to be a guest on AI Made Simple: https://www.latpn.com/ai-made-simple-podcast-booking

What if money was like air? In this episode of AI Made Simple, Carmen Skipworth sits down with Ken Honda — the global best-selling author of Happy Money, known in Japan as the Zen Millionaire — who has sold over nine million books since 2001 and started learning English at fifty. Ken explains why AI has not made us any smarter with money, the difference between money IQ and money EQ, and why the real fear behind every money worry is a trust issue with life. He compares AI to the cars that replaced horse carriages, shares why Japan has no allergy to AI while the West is emotionally charged about it, and reveals how he writes a book across five computers at once. Plus the three relationships you can have with money, and why the distance between you and happiness is exactly the same as a billionaire’s. Human-Led. AI-Powered.

HOST Carmen Skipworth

GUEST Ken Honda — global best-selling author who has sold over nine million copies of his books worldwide since 2001, with more than 120 books published. His best-known book, Happy Money: The Japanese Art of Making Peace with Your Money, has been translated into multiple languages. Known in Japan as the Zen Millionaire, he semi-retired at 29 to raise his daughter and teaches people to heal their relationship with money and live their purpose. He is featured in the film Pillars of Power.

SUMMARY Ken tells Carmen that AI changes nothing about healing your relationship with money, because scams and comparison still win if your money EQ is low. He teaches two skills: chase what you want, and be satisfied with what you have. On jobs, he says AI will do what cars did to the horse carriage, and the answer is finding your ikigai and building a life around your gifts. He argues that real security lives in relationships, not bank balances, that worry is interest paid on a debt you never borrowed, and that AI simply amplifies who you already are.

MAIN TOPICS Money IQ and money EQ Scarcity, trust and money as air AI, jobs and finding your ikigai Why Japan trusts AI and the West fears it The three relationships with money AI as an amplifier of creativity

INTRIGUING QUOTES “I can be joyful with so much and I can be so peaceful with so little.” — Ken Honda “It’s not about money. It’s the trust issue with life.” — Ken Honda “We are paying the debt of the interest we never even borrowed.” — Ken Honda “AI is a tool to amplify you.” — Ken Honda

KEY MOMENTS [01:04] Meet Ken Honda [02:44] Does AI change your relationship with money? [03:36] Money IQ and money EQ [05:07] The hunter and the art of enough [08:09] Lower the bar for happiness [09:41] Horse carriages, Waymo and the jobs AI takes [11:30] Finding your ikigai [13:26] Learning English at fifty [14:36] Money containers in Japan and North America [18:23] Scarcity, and why money is like air [22:32] Fifty-two friends, fifty-two weeks [27:06] Why Japan has no allergy to AI [32:41] Interest on a debt you never borrowed [35:12] The three relationships with money [38:56] Playing the cards you were dealt [42:27] Five computers, one book [46:34] Find your tribe, build your community

NOTABLE RESOURCES Happy Money: The Japanese Art of Making Peace with Your Money by Ken Honda Ken Honda — https://kenhonda.com/ Pillars of Power — https://thepillarsofpower.com/ ChatGPT Claude Gemini Waymo

CONNECT Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1FXihmKLqS/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590720415359 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadwithcarmen/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LeadwithCarmen Apply to be a guest on AI Made Simple: https://www.latpn.com/ai-made-simple-podcast-booking

Judge me. Google me. You will find it. In this episode of AI Made Simple, Carmen Skipworth sits down with Dr. JayR McIntyre — the Hood Motivator — a U.S. Army combat veteran, Bronze Star recipient, motivational speaker, entrepreneur and leadership coach who decided to tell the hardest parts of his story before anyone else could. JayR keeps his AI stack deliberately small, and he is clear about why: AI carries the message further, but he is the content. He talks through Little Hood Motivators, the children’s cartoon he is launching in January 2027 to help kids turn grief, anxiety and adversity into a superpower, and the business lessons behind his book The Power of the Pivot. Plus how he uses AI to forecast for companies without cutting their people, why he does not believe AI is coming for your job, and the Motivator’s Creed he reads in the mirror every morning. Human-Led. AI-Powered.

HOST
Carmen Skipworth

GUEST
Dr. JayR McIntyre — known as the Hood Motivator, a U.S. Army combat veteran and Bronze Star recipient who served 14 years in the military with three combat deployments to Iraq. A motivational speaker, entrepreneur of 20 years, leadership coach and Scrum Master, he holds an MBA and is completing his doctorate in business. Author of The Power of the Pivot, creator of the Little Hood Motivators cartoon, and part of the Los Angeles Tribune family.

SUMMARY
JayR tells Carmen that anyone can pick up a mic, but pushing a brand starts with believing in yourself and telling the ugly parts of your story first. On AI, he says the first AI is us. He sticks to ChatGPT, uses tools to cut his clips, and trashes anything that does not sound like him. He walks through Little Hood Motivators, inspired by watching his youngest daughter watch cartoons, and the loss that drives it. For businesses, he explains when and how to pivot, how AI can project realistic 30, 60 and 90 day forecasts, and why upskilling beats layoffs. He closes on idle time, consistency, and the politics of who gets chosen.

MAIN TOPICS
Getting in front of your ugly and owning your story
AI as a messenger: you are the content
Little Hood Motivators and mental health for kids
The Power of the Pivot for businesses
AI forecasting, upskilling and keeping your people
Just get started: idle time, consistency and choosing you

INTRIGUING QUOTES
"I’m gonna get in front of my ugly and I’m gonna tell you exactly who I am." — Dr. JayR McIntyre
"When you meet me, I am the content." — Dr. JayR McIntyre
"Our biggest enemy right now is idle time." — Dr. JayR McIntyre
"They still won’t choose you, but if you choose you every day, that’s all that matters." — Dr. JayR McIntyre

KEY MOMENTS
[01:04] Meet Dr. JayR McIntyre: the Hood Motivator
[02:22] Telling the hard parts of your story first
[04:55] The first AI is us
[07:18] Keeping the AI stack minimal, and trashing what isn’t him
[08:52] Little Hood Motivators, dropping January 2027
[15:29] The Power of the Pivot
[18:26] AI forecasting and keeping the employees
[20:39] Is AI taking jobs? A place for both
[23:33] Just get started: idle time is the enemy
[25:01] The Motivator’s Creed
[27:49] The politics of being chosen

NOTABLE RESOURCES
ChatGPT
The Power of the Pivot by Dr. JayR McIntyre
Little Hood Motivators cartoon
AI Scrum Master certification
Three Feet from Gold
Kick — the Hood Motivator
The Hood Motivator on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok

CONNECT
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1FXihmKLqS/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590720415359
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadwithcarmen/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LeadwithCarmen
Apply to be a guest on AI Made Simple: https://www.latpn.com/ai-made-simple-podcast-booking

She was too nerdy for a dancer and too bubbly for an engineer, so she stopped trying to fit in. In this episode of AI Made Simple, Carmen Skipworth sits down with Jennie López — the Intentional Unicorn — a chemical engineer who ran a parallel career as a backup dancer, NFL cheerleader and Zumba presenter before 23 years of Fortune 500 leadership at Eli Lilly. Jennie was an early AI adopter through the Tony Robbins world, then overused it: her husband quietly stopped reading her newsletters, and her engagement fell while she was posting more than ever. So she took a month off AI and watched it climb again. Plus the trifecta she runs now, the AI Jennie she's building for 3am, and why a dancing robot has never once made her cry. Human-Led. AI-Powered.

Don't be a Blockbuster in a Netflix world. That's the warning from a man who sat inside Google watching search get built. In this episode of AI Made Simple, Carmen Skipworth sits down with David Esau — founder and CEO of Click Track Marketing, the San Diego AI-first agency serving over 500 clients — who went from sweeping his grandfather's door and window shop to running one of the earliest answer engine optimization practices in the country. David gives away his entire tech stack on air, explains why 60% of searches never end in a click, and shows what happened when a brand new client site picked up ten ChatGPT citations in seven days. Plus Pixel, the AI agent he's building for every client, and the ad his own AI told him to kill that turned out to have the best return on spend. Human-Led. AI-Powered. HOST Carmen Skipworth GUEST David Esau — founder and CEO of Click Track Marketing, a San Diego based AI-first digital marketing agency serving over 500 clients. A former Google account manager who helped take Local Services by Google from zero to 100 million, then worked with partners including Square, Intuit and Helium 10. An early pioneer of answer engine optimization. Author of Raising the Digital Bar, with The Future of AI Search due for release and a third book, Find Your Customers, in development. SUMMARY David tells Carmen how a family door and window company founded in 1954 became a marketing education: sweeping the shop, then ranking the business number one for door shop in San Diego before anyone called it SEO. Drumming in Jack's Broken Heart and The Little Ones taught him promotion through Napster and MP3.com. Google taught him the numbers. Now he builds for answer engines instead of search engines — Next.js and React, schemas, llms.txt, 155 custom fields, Supabase and BigQuery behind the reporting. He explains why he takes clients off WordPress, Squarespace and Wix, and what an agent actually is next to a chatbot. His warning on trust lands hardest: his own AI told him to kill the ad that had closed his biggest deal. MAIN TOPICS From the family door shop to number one in San Diego Napster, MP3.com and marketing an indie band What answer engine optimization actually is Inside Google: Local Services from zero to 100 million Rebuilding a site for AI search: schemas, llms.txt, custom fields Ten ChatGPT citations in seven days Pixel: an AI agent for every client Don't trust it 100%: the ad his AI got wrong INTRIGUING QUOTES "Don't be a Blockbuster in a Netflix world." — David Esau "Answer engine optimization is where you want your business to be the answer." — David Esau "Don't trust it 100%. That's my advice. Always check." — David Esau "No one warned me how hard it would be." — David Esau KEY MOMENTS [01:09] Meet David Esau: Google, Click Track Marketing, 500 clients [02:50] Napster, MP3.com and marketing the band [04:25] What answer engine optimization actually is [05:57] Inside Google: Local Services from zero to 100 million [10:26] Rebuilding your site for AI search [12:20] The full stack, given away [14:44] Ten ChatGPT citations in seven days [15:08] Don't be a Blockbuster in a Netflix world [16:55] The Future of AI Search and the one word he might change [20:34] Pixel: an AI agent for every client [21:12] Chatbot vs agent, explained [28:25] How to connect with David NOTABLE RESOURCES ChatGPT Claude and Claude Code Perplexity Grok and Gemini Manus Next.js and React Semrush DataForSEO HighLevel Supabase Firecrawl Instantly Raising the Digital Bar by David Esau The Future of AI Search by David Esau Find Your Customers by David Esau Click Track Marketing — clicktrackmarketing.com CONNECT Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1FXihmKLqS/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590720415359 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadwithcarmen/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LeadwithCarmen Apply to be a guest on AI Made Simple: https://www.latpn.com/ai-made-simple-podcast-booking

Search “best business networking group San Diego” and the AI answers with one name. In this episode of AI Made Simple, Carmen Skipworth sits down with James Hickey — founder of SD Networking Events and JMH Marketing Group — who went from owning six gas stations to running one of San Diego's fastest growing networking communities. James swore he'd never let AI touch his emails, until one test lifted his open rate from 27% to 40%. Now he's six months into AEO — answer engine optimization — and dominating AI search, with more than half his website traffic arriving through AI. Plus breaking news dropped on air: a new monthly event at the Biergarden in Oceanside, taking him to 36 events a year. Human-Led. AI-Powered. HOST Carmen Skipworth GUEST James Hickey — founder of SD Networking Events, launched in 2021 to connect business owners, entrepreneurs, and startups through networking experiences across San Diego: mixers, expos, showcases, and summits. Also founder of JMH Marketing Group, the digital marketing agency he started in 2008, where he now works as a fractional CMO. Over 18 years in digital marketing and business development. SUMMARY James tells Carmen how six gas stations turned into a marketing career: Dan Kennedy and Bill Glazer at an auto repair boot camp, Michael Gerber's E-Myth, and a first client he made the top real estate agent in her office. Out of COVID he threw one event off a Facebook post and an email blast, 50 people showed up, and SD Networking Events was born. On AI, James owns the ego hit: a proud copywriter whose open rates jumped from 27% to 40% once ChatGPT wrote his subject lines. Now it's ChatGPT for the everyday, Claude for the heavy lifting — a 10-slide presentation that became 14 YouTube shorts — and Search Atlas driving the AEO push that made him number one in AI search results. His digital twin, AI James, wasn't ready: it called him a Chargers fan, and he's Patriots. His close says it all — the tools aren't replacing what you do, they're enhancing it. MAIN TOPICS From six gas stations to digital marketing The girlfriend who became the top real estate agent in her office COVID, an email list, and the first 50-person event Breaking news: the Biergarden in Oceanside and 36 events a year MySpace to AI: how marketing keeps changing The bruised ego behind a 40% open rate AEO vs SEO: six months to dominating AI search Claude for the heavy lifting, ChatGPT for the everyday Graphic design in under a minute AI James: the digital twin that wasn't ready INTRIGUING QUOTES “AI search is the real deal.” — James Hickey “It's not replacing what you're doing. It's enhancing what you're doing.” — James Hickey “My ChatGPT knows and Claude knows. Don't talk to my Claude or my ChatGPT.” — James Hickey “I don't need business cards anymore. I just say Google me.” — James Hickey KEY MOMENTS -From six gas stations to digital marketing -An email list, COVID and the first event -Breaking news: the Biergarden in Oceanside -MySpace, ClickFunnels and the marketing evolution -The subject lines that lifted open rates to 40% -AEO vs SEO: dominating AI search with Search Atlas -Graphic design in under a minute -Claude, 10 perfect slides and 14 YouTube shorts -AI James: the digital twin that wasn't ready -Books by the pool: E-Myth and Alex Hormozi -Just Google San Diego Networking Events NOTABLE RESOURCES ChatGPT Claude Search Atlas Opus The E-Myth by Michael Gerber Books by Alex Hormozi SD Networking Events — sdnetworkingevents.com JMH Marketing Group CONNECT Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1FXihmKLqS/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590720415359 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadwithcarmen/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LeadwithCarmen Apply to be a guest on AI Made Simple: https://www.latpn.com/ai-made-simple-podcast-booking

What do you do when the FBI knocks down your door at 2:22 in the morning and the life you knew disappears? You take the next right step. In this episode of AI Made Simple, Carmen Skipworth sits down with Edelmira Murrieta — transformational leader, co-founder of the MIRA System, and author of Starter Husband — who has just changed her name to Adele Vaz, because if you don't love something, change it. She shares how ChatGPT holds her voice, how AI planned her daughter's dream trip to the Himalayas in seconds, and how her Calm and Order Program pulls people out of chaos one right step at a time. Human-Led. AI-Powered. HOST Carmen Skipworth GUEST Edelmira Murrieta — transformational leader, coach, and co-founder of the MIRA System, home of the Calm and Order Program. Author of Starter Husband: A Journey of Love, Loss and New Beginnings, the true story of losing everything and rebuilding. Now going by the new name Adele Vaz. Based in Colorado. SUMMARY Edelmira tells Carmen the Calm and Order Program exists because overwhelmed people don't know where to start — and when you're calm, everything is better. On AI, she's playful but clear: ChatGPT holds her voice, saves her time, and writes Facebook posts so good she'd swear she said them herself, including one that hit three million views on TikTok. But connection stays human: everyone should have a mentor. Then the story turns. Eighteen years married, and at 2:22 AM the FBI knocked down the door — her Starter Husband was deported, the accounts frozen, and a housewife with three kids had to take the next right step. She went from $6,000 a year to $1.8 million, remarried her forever husband, and now wakes at four in the morning excited for a life she built. Her close: believe in yourself, you're the only person that can get in your own way. MAIN TOPICS If you don't love something, change it: becoming Adele Vaz The Calm and Order Program: out of overwhelm, into organization ChatGPT as a tool that holds your voice Why everyone should have a mentor The client who stopped listing reasons she couldn't A dream trip to the Himalayas, planned by AI in seconds 2:22 AM: the FBI, Starter Husband, and starting over From housewife with frozen accounts to $1.8 million AI-written posts in her own voice Three million TikTok views and Mr. Clean in the comments INTRIGUING QUOTES “If you don't love something, change it. Almost anything can be changed.” — Edelmira Murrieta “I think AI and I are becoming friends.” — Edelmira Murrieta “You don't need to restart your life. Just redraw the line you begin from.” — the AI-written post Edelmira shares on air “Believe in yourself, you're the only person that can get in your own way.” — Edelmira Murrieta KEY MOMENTS [01:35] The Calm and Order Program: getting organized for the life you want [02:37] "My name has changed to Adele Vaz" [02:50] Playing with ChatGPT: it holds your voice and saves time [05:47] Everyone should have a mentor: the trainer difference [06:27] The client who bought her home by flipping the question [07:43] AI plans a lifetime dream trip in seconds [09:58] 2:22 AM: the FBI, Starter Husband, and starting over [16:18] Not moving forward is moving backwards: the seven-minute mile [17:27] From frozen accounts to $1.8 million [23:26] Three million views on TikTok [24:55] Final advice: believe in yourself NOTABLE RESOURCES ChatGPT Starter Husband: A Journey of Love, Loss and New Beginnings by Edelmira Murrieta The MIRA System — themiracenter.com edelmiramurrieta.com Edelmira on Facebook: facebook.com/edelmira.murrieta Edelmira on TikTok: tiktok.com/@adde.murrieta Email: adde.murrieta@gmail.com CONNECT Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1FXihmKLqS/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590720415359 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadwithcarmen/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LeadwithCarmen Apply to be a guest on AI Made Simple: https://www.latpn.com/ai-made-simple-podcast-booking

What if the secret to using AI well is knowing you're the boss of it? In this episode of AI Made Simple, Carmen Skipworth sits down with Edelmira Murrieta — transformational leader, co-founder of the MIRA Center, and author of Starter Husband — who uses ChatGPT to clean up her content while keeping one rule firm: it has to sound like her, not the machine. Edelmira shares why she schedules self-care before anything else, how her Calm and Order program pulls burnt-out entrepreneurs off the hamster wheel, and why the best birthday gift she got this year was a song written with pen and paper — no AI required. Human-Led. AI-Powered. HOST Carmen Skipworth GUEST Edelmira Murrieta — transformational leader, coach, and co-founder of the MIRA Center, where she helps people reconnect with their self-worth and take the next right step. CEO of multiple businesses and author of Starter Husband: A Journey of Love, Loss and New Beginnings, the story of her own journey from having it all to losing everything and rebuilding. Based in Colorado. SUMMARY Edelmira tells Carmen the MIRA Center is about helping people take the next right step, because life is too short to get stuck — and everyone deserves a mentor. On AI, she's clear: ChatGPT saves her time and cleans up her content, but she guides it, checks it still sounds like her, and stays the boss. She sees AI companionship as a plus for lonely people, and trusts long-standing voices like Dean Graziosi and Tony Robbins. From there it goes deeper: we're born worthy, so stop trying to earn it. Her Calm and Order program builds faith days into the week — time to rest, create, and get clear instead of grinding toward burnout. She schedules self-care before work, takes the compliment instead of deflating it, and meets her soul sisters on Zoom every month. The episode closes with Starter Husband, her story of love, loss, and rebuilding — plus a laugh about Forbes Riley telling her to pick a simpler stage name. MAIN TOPICS Next right step: what the MIRA Center does You're still the boss: using AI without losing your voice ChatGPT and the lonely: companionship as a plus Born worthy: you don't have to earn everything The Calm and Order program and scheduling faith days Self-care first: walks, nails, and something to look forward to A birthday song with pen and paper — no AI Soul sisters, Zoom dates, and the two-in-the-morning friend Starter Husband: losing it all and rebuilding INTRIGUING QUOTES “You still have to guide it. Like you're still the boss.” — Edelmira Murrieta “There's a lot of lonely people out there. And if it's helping them where they don't feel alone, then I see that as a plus.” — Edelmira Murrieta “If you just take one step at a time, there's nothing going to stop you except for yourself.” — Edelmira Murrieta “Having somebody you can call at two in the morning means more than having a zillion people that don't really know you.” — Edelmira Murrieta KEY MOMENTS [01:31] What the MIRA Center is: the next right step [05:05] You're still the boss: guiding AI to sound like you [06:46] Lonely people, ChatGPT, and trusting Dean and Tony [09:45] Born worthy: reconnecting with self-worth [11:15] The Calm and Order program and faith days [13:00] Scheduling self-care before everything else [15:33] The birthday song: pen, paper, no AI [17:07] Soul sisters and the two-in-the-morning friend [19:26] Starter Husband: having it all, losing it, rebuilding [25:46] How to connect with Edelmira NOTABLE RESOURCES ChatGPT Starter Husband: A Journey of Love, Loss and New Beginnings by Edelmira Murrieta The MIRA Center — themiracenter.com Edelmira Murrieta on Facebook CONNECT Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1FXihmKLqS/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590720415359 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadwithcarmen/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LeadwithCarmen Apply to be a guest on AI Made Simple: https://www.latpn.com/ai-made-simple-podcast-booking

Never, ever, ever use AI to do your taxes. That's the warning from the man who calls himself Human AI. In this episode of AI Made Simple, Carmen Skipworth sits down with Albert Corey, founder of Corey & Associates and Amazon bestselling author, who has spent close to four decades helping small business owners — over 60,000 of them. Albert uses ChatGPT every day to write client emails so good they answer themselves, and he wrote his latest book with AI in two weeks. But when it comes to your tax return, he draws a hard line: AI can't ask you the whys. Along the way — why AI took jobs decades ago (press one for English), and the three little pigs of business. Human-Led. AI-Powered. HOST Carmen Skipworth GUEST Albert Corey — founder of Corey & Associates, a Hialeah, Florida tax and accounting firm helping small business owners since 1985 — with a live person answering the phone, always. He has trained with Grant Cardone, Tony Robbins, Anik Singal, and Forbes Riley, spoken on the stages of Bill Walsh and the Women's Prosperity Network, and is the Amazon bestselling author of The Art of Perception. SUMMARY Albert tells Carmen how he built his practice on old-fashioned AI: talking to people. This year he became a ChatGPT fiend, using custom prompts to write client emails so polished that half need no reply, and he wrote his fourth book, Profit Increaser, in two weeks by feeding in eight hours of audio and his CFO in a Box worksheets. But hallucinations mean everything gets reread three times, and on tax returns his answer is never, ever — no matter how much AI knows you, it can't ask the questions a human asks. Albert argues AI has been taking jobs since press one for English and the toll booth, with new back-office jobs created behind each wave. He closes with The Wolf, his three little pigs model of business, and the $800,000 house sale that shows what happens when you make money but don't know what to do with it. MAIN TOPICS Old-fashioned AI: 60,000 business owners and the power of talking Becoming a ChatGPT fiend to write perfect client emails Hallucinations: why every AI email gets reread three times Never, ever use AI for your taxes Press one for English: the jobs AI already took Toll booths, Walmart checkouts, and the jobs AI creates Writing Profit Increaser with AI in two weeks The cheap bookkeeping secret The Wolf: the three little pigs of business The $800,000 house and the middle pig's mistake INTRIGUING QUOTES "I am AI. Human AI, darlin', they can't replace me." — Albert Corey "No matter how much AI chat knows Carmen Skipworth, I still have to ask you the questions." — Albert Corey "Broke people can't do shit. You gotta have money." — Albert Corey "She made the money, but she didn't know what to do with it." — Albert Corey KEY MOMENTS [01:03] Meet Albert Corey: four decades and 60,000 business owners [04:15] "I am AI": the human they can't replace [05:03] The ChatGPT email system that answers itself [07:29] Never, ever use AI for your taxes [09:31] Press one for English: the jobs AI already took [13:36] Writing his fourth book with AI in two weeks [16:40] The cheap bookkeeping secret [17:57] The Wolf and the three little pigs of business [22:40] The $800,000 house and the middle pig's mistake [25:14] How to connect with Albert NOTABLE RESOURCES ChatGPT Claude The Art of Perception by Albert Corey Profit Increaser by Albert Corey CFO in a Box Corey & Associates — CoreyBiz.com Text PROFITS to 26786 CONNECT Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1FXihmKLqS/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590720415359 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadwithcarmen/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LeadwithCarmen Apply to be a guest on AI Made Simple: https://www.latpn.com/ai-made-simple-podcast-booking

Will AI take your job? Pranav Jajapur has a clearer answer than the headlines. In this episode of AI Made Simple, Carmen Skipworth talks with the founder of Prospexia OS, an AI diligence platform for venture investors, about how AI is reshaping hiring, coding, and marketing without replacing the humans behind them. From a hiring platform that throws out the resume entirely to why AI-generated content fails to convert, Pranav brings a grounded, insider view of what AI can and cannot do. Calm, practical, and refreshingly honest. Human-Led. AI-Powered. HOST Carmen Skipworth GUEST Pranav Jajapur — founder of Prospexia OS, an AI diligence platform for venture investors. Through an enterprise strategic partnership with Try Ikigai.ai, he also helps companies staff smarter by matching talent to roles based on fit, intent, and values. His background spans sales and venture capital, where he performed diligence on early-stage startups at a $3 billion firm. SUMMARY Carmen sits down with Pranav Jajapur, who goes by PJ, to unpack his journey from solar sales to venture capital and the two AI ventures that grew out of it. PJ explains how Try Ikigai.ai replaces the resume with a simple audio conversation, turning unstructured rambling into a structured dossier that employers use to ask better interview questions. The conversation moves to the big fear: will AI make jobs obsolete? PJ's answer is that jobs evolve rather than disappear, and the people who integrate AI tools will be held to a higher standard. He shares why vibe coding hits a wall without real expertise, why AI-generated marketing content converts at a fraction of human-made content, and how he uses different AI tools for different jobs. His simplest advice: treat AI as a thinking partner to bounce ideas off, not something that runs your life. MAIN TOPICS From solar sales to venture capital: PJ's path into AI How Try Ikigai.ai matches talent without a resume Turning unstructured conversation into structured hiring data Will AI take your job, or evolve it? Why vibe coding hits a wall without coding expertise AI slop: why AI-generated content struggles to convert Choosing the right AI tool for the right job Using AI as an idea-bouncing partner, not an autopilot INTRIGUING QUOTES "Your job doesn't certainly get removed, your job evolves." — Pranav Jajapur "It'll take the job, but the jobs will also be held to a higher standard, is the way I see things." — Pranav Jajapur "Humans will always come up on top because you can relate to that person." — Pranav Jajapur "It's a tool. It's not something that can automate your entire life." — Pranav Jajapur KEY MOMENTS [01:19] PJ's journey from solar sales to venture capital [03:19] How Try Ikigai.ai works: no resume, just talk [10:20] Should we be fearful of AI taking our jobs? [12:58] Where vibe coding hits a wall [14:42] AI slop and the truth about conversion rates [17:27] The right AI tool for the right job [20:24] AI as a thinking partner NOTABLE RESOURCES Prospexia OS Try Ikigai.ai Claude Claude Code ChatGPT Google Gemini Base44 CONNECT Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1FXihmKLqS/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590720415359 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadwithcarmen/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LeadwithCarmen Apply to be a guest on AI Made Simple: https://www.latpn.com/ai-made-simple-podcast-booking

Will AI take your job? Pranav Jajapur has a clearer answer than the headlines. In this episode of AI Made Simple, Carmen Skipworth talks with the founder of Prospexia OS, an AI diligence platform for venture investors, about how AI is reshaping hiring, coding, and marketing without replacing the humans behind them. From a hiring platform that throws out the resume entirely to why AI-generated content fails to convert, Pranav brings a grounded, insider view of what AI can and cannot do. Calm, practical, and refreshingly honest. Human-Led. AI-Powered. HOST Carmen Skipworth GUEST Pranav Jajapur — founder of Prospexia OS, an AI diligence platform for venture investors. Through an enterprise strategic partnership with Try Ikigai.ai, he also helps companies staff smarter by matching talent to roles based on fit, intent, and values. His background spans sales and venture capital, where he performed diligence on early-stage startups at a $3 billion firm. SUMMARY Carmen sits down with Pranav Jajapur, who goes by PJ, to unpack his journey from solar sales to venture capital and the two AI ventures that grew out of it. PJ explains how Try Ikigai.ai replaces the resume with a simple audio conversation, turning unstructured rambling into a structured dossier that employers use to ask better interview questions. The conversation moves to the big fear: will AI make jobs obsolete? PJ's answer is that jobs evolve rather than disappear, and the people who integrate AI tools will be held to a higher standard. He shares why vibe coding hits a wall without real expertise, why AI-generated marketing content converts at a fraction of human-made content, and how he uses different AI tools for different jobs. His simplest advice: treat AI as a thinking partner to bounce ideas off, not something that runs your life. MAIN TOPICS From solar sales to venture capital: PJ's path into AI How Try Ikigai.ai matches talent without a resume Turning unstructured conversation into structured hiring data Will AI take your job, or evolve it? Why vibe coding hits a wall without coding expertise AI slop: why AI-generated content struggles to convert Choosing the right AI tool for the right job Using AI as an idea-bouncing partner, not an autopilot INTRIGUING QUOTES "Your job doesn't certainly get removed, your job evolves." — Pranav Jajapur "It'll take the job, but the jobs will also be held to a higher standard, is the way I see things." — Pranav Jajapur "Humans will always come up on top because you can relate to that person." — Pranav Jajapur "It's a tool. It's not something that can automate your entire life." — Pranav Jajapur KEY MOMENTS [01:19] PJ's journey from solar sales to venture capital [03:19] How Try Ikigai.ai works: no resume, just talk [10:20] Should we be fearful of AI taking our jobs? [12:58] Where vibe coding hits a wall [14:42] AI slop and the truth about conversion rates [17:27] The right AI tool for the right job [20:24] AI as a thinking partner NOTABLE RESOURCES Prospexia OS Try Ikigai.ai Claude Claude Code ChatGPT Google Gemini Base44 CONNECT Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1FXihmKLqS/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590720415359 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadwithcarmen/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LeadwithCarmen Apply to be a guest on AI Made Simple: https://www.latpn.com/ai-made-simple-podcast-booking

Fire 50% of your workforce and replace them with agents by year's end? Graeme Rudd calls that snake oil, and he has the stories to prove it. In this episode of AI Made Simple, Carmen Skipworth talks with the Green Beret turned AI governance expert and co-founder of Assessed Intelligence about what happens when businesses adopt AI without a plan. Graeme shares how agents have burned a year's token budget in weeks, how an attorney was sanctioned over AI-hallucinated citations, and why over 70% of frontier AI logins happen on personal accounts, not corporate ones. Shaped by a decade field-testing frontier technology in the military, his advice is simple: understand what a tool actually does before you bet your business on it. Human-Led. AI-Powered. HOST Carmen Skipworth GUEST Graeme Rudd — co-founder and COO of Assessed Intelligence, a firm focused on secure and responsible AI adoption. He spent over a decade in the US Army as a Special Forces Green Beret, serving as both a medical sergeant (18D) and intelligence sergeant (18F) in the 10th and 19th Special Forces Groups. He holds a BS in Health Science from George Washington University and a JD from Lewis & Clark Law School. SUMMARY Graeme walks Carmen through the path that took him from Green Beret to AI governance: a decade assessing close to 350 frontier technologies, AI among them, in field exercises for a Department of Defense lab, followed by law school before he realised the same problems he'd seen in the field were now playing out across AI. He unpacks what he calls snake oil, the overpromising that tells businesses they can fire half their staff and hand the work to agents. The risks are already here: agents burning a year's AI budget in weeks, one caught mining cryptocurrency on the side, an attorney sanctioned after an AI tool silently rewrote his citations, and a Meta employee who lost her email irreversibly to OpenClaw. Graeme argues these are organisational failures, not technology failures, leadership adopting powerful tools without educating anyone on their limits. He lays out what Assessed Intelligence does, audit, advisory, and fractional governance work, and closes with the one policy every business needs before using AI. MAIN TOPICS From Green Beret to AI governance Testing 350 frontier technologies for the DoD Calling out AI's snake oil and overpromised job replacement Real incidents: burned budgets and a rogue crypto-mining agent The attorney sanctioned over AI-hallucinated citations Why OpenClaw is more dangerous than it looks Inside Assessed Intelligence and the ARISE framework The one policy every business needs before using AI INTRIGUING QUOTES "I genuinely want to see a world where we're not beholden to Skynet's idiot cousin." — Graeme Rudd "They have this really powerful tool that's customizable, but nobody has told them how to use it." — Graeme Rudd "If you are operating the way you did under a software as a service era, you are wildly out of your depth." — Graeme Rudd "Over 70% of logins to frontier models were in people's personal accounts." — Graeme Rudd KEY MOMENTS [01:05] Meet Graeme Rudd: Green Beret to AI governance [04:41] Testing 350 frontier technologies for the DoD [12:52] Calling out AI's snake oil problem [19:10] Burned budgets and a rogue crypto-mining agent [20:47] The attorney sanctioned over hallucinated citations [23:10] Why OpenClaw is more dangerous than it looks [27:52] Inside Assessed Intelligence and the ARISE framework [31:13] The one policy every business needs before using AI NOTABLE RESOURCES Assessed Intelligence ARISE Framework OpenClaw Verizon DBIR Report CONNECT Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1FXihmKLqS/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590720415359 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadwithcarmen/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LeadwithCarmen Apply to be a guest on AI Made Simple: https://www.latpn.com/ai-made-simple-podcast-booking

Fire 50% of your workforce and replace them with agents by year's end? Graeme Rudd calls that snake oil, and he has the stories to prove it. In this episode of AI Made Simple, Carmen Skipworth talks with the Green Beret turned AI governance expert and co-founder of Assessed Intelligence about what happens when businesses adopt AI without a plan. Graeme shares how agents have burned a year's token budget in weeks, how an attorney was sanctioned over AI-hallucinated citations, and why over 70% of frontier AI logins happen on personal accounts, not corporate ones. Shaped by a decade field-testing frontier technology in the military, his advice is simple: understand what a tool actually does before you bet your business on it. Human-Led. AI-Powered. HOST Carmen Skipworth GUEST Graeme Rudd — co-founder and COO of Assessed Intelligence, a firm focused on secure and responsible AI adoption. He spent over a decade in the US Army as a Special Forces Green Beret, serving as both a medical sergeant (18D) and intelligence sergeant (18F) in the 10th and 19th Special Forces Groups. He holds a BS in Health Science from George Washington University and a JD from Lewis & Clark Law School. SUMMARY Graeme walks Carmen through the path that took him from Green Beret to AI governance: a decade assessing close to 350 frontier technologies, AI among them, in field exercises for a Department of Defense lab, followed by law school before he realised the same problems he'd seen in the field were now playing out across AI. He unpacks what he calls snake oil, the overpromising that tells businesses they can fire half their staff and hand the work to agents. The risks are already here: agents burning a year's AI budget in weeks, one caught mining cryptocurrency on the side, an attorney sanctioned after an AI tool silently rewrote his citations, and a Meta employee who lost her email irreversibly to OpenClaw. Graeme argues these are organisational failures, not technology failures, leadership adopting powerful tools without educating anyone on their limits. He lays out what Assessed Intelligence does, audit, advisory, and fractional governance work, and closes with the one policy every business needs before using AI. MAIN TOPICS From Green Beret to AI governance Testing 350 frontier technologies for the DoD Calling out AI's snake oil and overpromised job replacement Real incidents: burned budgets and a rogue crypto-mining agent The attorney sanctioned over AI-hallucinated citations Why OpenClaw is more dangerous than it looks Inside Assessed Intelligence and the ARISE framework The one policy every business needs before using AI INTRIGUING QUOTES "I genuinely want to see a world where we're not beholden to Skynet's idiot cousin." — Graeme Rudd "They have this really powerful tool that's customizable, but nobody has told them how to use it." — Graeme Rudd "If you are operating the way you did under a software as a service era, you are wildly out of your depth." — Graeme Rudd "Over 70% of logins to frontier models were in people's personal accounts." — Graeme Rudd KEY MOMENTS [01:05] Meet Graeme Rudd: Green Beret to AI governance [04:41] Testing 350 frontier technologies for the DoD [12:52] Calling out AI's snake oil problem [19:10] Burned budgets and a rogue crypto-mining agent [20:47] The attorney sanctioned over hallucinated citations [23:10] Why OpenClaw is more dangerous than it looks [27:52] Inside Assessed Intelligence and the ARISE framework [31:13] The one policy every business needs before using AI NOTABLE RESOURCES Assessed Intelligence ARISE Framework OpenClaw Verizon DBIR Report CONNECT Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1FXihmKLqS/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590720415359 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadwithcarmen/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LeadwithCarmen Apply to be a guest on AI Made Simple: https://www.latpn.com/ai-made-simple-podcast-booking

AI was supposed to give us more time. So why do we feel more overwhelmed than ever? In this episode of AI Made Simple, Carmen Skipworth talks with wellness and resilience coach Sarah Jordan-Ross about what constant connection is doing to our nervous systems, how to recognise when you're stuck in survival mode, and the simple practices that bring you back into balance. From the brain dump technique to knowing when to close the laptop and talk to an actual human, this is a grounded conversation about using AI without losing yourself in it. Human-Led. AI-Powered. HOST Carmen Skipworth GUEST Sarah Jordan-Ross — wellness and resilience coach, speaker, and host of Taboo Talk with Sarah, where she leads honest conversations about resilience, burnout, and staying human in challenging times. With over 25 years in the wellness industry and a background in bioscience and sociology, her work focuses on nervous system regulation and helping people move out of survival mode so they can think clearly and lead effectively. SUMMARY Speaking from Tasmania, Sarah explains why the body can't tell the difference between an email backlog and a saber-toothed tiger, and why being on all the time keeps our nervous systems locked in fight or flight. She breaks down the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems in plain language, shares the warning signs of survival mode, and walks through her brain dump practice: write everything down, breathe deeply, then sort it into do, dump, and delegate. The conversation covers why high performers burn out trying to master everything, why we're more connected yet more disconnected than ever, and where AI helps as a sounding board versus where it can't replace human connection. Sarah closes with how she uses AI in her own podcast workflow and the story behind Taboo Talk with Sarah. MAIN TOPICS Why AI-speed life leaves us more overwhelmed, not less Fight or flight versus rest and repair, explained simply The signs you're stuck in survival mode The brain dump: do, dump, delegate Why you don't need to master every AI tool Connected but disconnected: social media and the highlight reel Can AI replace a friend or a therapist? One daily habit to stay grounded while using AI Inside Taboo Talk with Sarah INTRIGUING QUOTES "The body can't tell the difference between a psychological or emotional threat and a physical one." — Sarah Jordan-Ross "I don't need to know how it works. I just need to know that it does." — Sarah Jordan-Ross "It's only as good as what we train it to do." — Sarah Jordan-Ross "There's nothing wrong with hanging out with your AI friends, but make sure you also spend time with your human friends." — Sarah Jordan-Ross KEY MOMENTS [01:35] Why faster technology means more overwhelm [04:03] The signs you're in survival mode [05:35] The coffee cognac state and the nervous system seesaw [07:38] The brain dump: do, dump, delegate [11:10] The car analogy: you don't need to know everything [12:23] Connected but disconnected [14:13] Can AI replace a friend or therapist? [18:28] One habit to stay grounded [25:01] The story behind Taboo Talk with Sarah NOTABLE RESOURCES ChatGPT Taboo Talk with Sarah — available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube CONNECT Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1FXihmKLqS/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590720415359 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadwithcarmen/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LeadwithCarmen Apply to be a guest on AI Made Simple: https://www.latpn.com/ai-made-simple-podcast-booking

AI was supposed to give us more time. So why do we feel more overwhelmed than ever? In this episode of AI Made Simple, Carmen Skipworth talks with wellness and resilience coach Sarah Jordan-Ross about what constant connection is doing to our nervous systems, how to recognise when you're stuck in survival mode, and the simple practices that bring you back into balance. From the brain dump technique to knowing when to close the laptop and talk to an actual human, this is a grounded conversation about using AI without losing yourself in it. Human-Led. AI-Powered. HOST Carmen Skipworth GUEST Sarah Jordan-Ross — wellness and resilience coach, speaker, and host of Taboo Talk with Sarah, where she leads honest conversations about resilience, burnout, and staying human in challenging times. With over 25 years in the wellness industry and a background in bioscience and sociology, her work focuses on nervous system regulation and helping people move out of survival mode so they can think clearly and lead effectively. SUMMARY Speaking from Tasmania, Sarah explains why the body can't tell the difference between an email backlog and a saber-toothed tiger, and why being on all the time keeps our nervous systems locked in fight or flight. She breaks down the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems in plain language, shares the warning signs of survival mode, and walks through her brain dump practice: write everything down, breathe deeply, then sort it into do, dump, and delegate. The conversation covers why high performers burn out trying to master everything, why we're more connected yet more disconnected than ever, and where AI helps as a sounding board versus where it can't replace human connection. Sarah closes with how she uses AI in her own podcast workflow and the story behind Taboo Talk with Sarah. MAIN TOPICS Why AI-speed life leaves us more overwhelmed, not less Fight or flight versus rest and repair, explained simply The signs you're stuck in survival mode The brain dump: do, dump, delegate Why you don't need to master every AI tool Connected but disconnected: social media and the highlight reel Can AI replace a friend or a therapist? One daily habit to stay grounded while using AI Inside Taboo Talk with Sarah INTRIGUING QUOTES "The body can't tell the difference between a psychological or emotional threat and a physical one." — Sarah Jordan-Ross "I don't need to know how it works. I just need to know that it does." — Sarah Jordan-Ross "It's only as good as what we train it to do." — Sarah Jordan-Ross "There's nothing wrong with hanging out with your AI friends, but make sure you also spend time with your human friends." — Sarah Jordan-Ross KEY MOMENTS [01:35] Why faster technology means more overwhelm [04:03] The signs you're in survival mode [05:35] The coffee cognac state and the nervous system seesaw [07:38] The brain dump: do, dump, delegate [11:10] The car analogy: you don't need to know everything [12:23] Connected but disconnected [14:13] Can AI replace a friend or therapist? [18:28] One habit to stay grounded [25:01] The story behind Taboo Talk with Sarah NOTABLE RESOURCES ChatGPT Taboo Talk with Sarah — available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube CONNECT Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1FXihmKLqS/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590720415359 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadwithcarmen/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LeadwithCarmen Apply to be a guest on AI Made Simple: https://www.latpn.com/ai-made-simple-podcast-booking

What if you could reset your nervous system in three minutes, no cold plunge required? In this episode of AI Made Simple, Carmen Skipworth talks with Xavier Duport, founder of X Factor Coaching, about why AI has become one of today's biggest sources of stress and what to do about it. Xavier shares the X-Reset, his three-minute technique for clearing a stressed mind, explains why vague questions get vague answers from AI, and reveals where he draws the line between what AI does in his business and what stays completely human. Practical, grounded, and refreshingly honest. Human-Led. AI-Powered. HOST Carmen Skipworth GUEST Xavier Duport — founder of X Factor Coaching, a mental fitness coaching practice helping high-performance founders break the survival patterns keeping them stuck in reactive mode. Before launching his practice, Xavier spent 12 years in corporate leadership, including nine years at L'Oreal. He has coached over 80 clients, combining neuroscience-backed mental fitness training with nervous system work and one-on-one coaching. Originally from France, he is based in Southern California. SUMMARY Xavier shares the two turning points behind X Factor Coaching: losing his mother to pancreatic cancer at 24 and a divorce at 37 that forced him to reassess everything. He walks Carmen through the X-Reset, a three-minute full-body technique that creates a controlled stress response, then triggers a parasympathetic rebound that delivers deep rest and clarity of thought. The conversation turns to AI as a modern stressor: why the noise overwhelms entrepreneurs, how Xavier meets clients wherever they are on the AI curve, and why the biggest mistake people make is asking AI vague questions without context. Xavier explains how he uses Claude Code to build client avatars and tailor his marketing, how he loads the knowledge bases of marketers he trusts into Claude, and why the coaching itself stays one-on-one and fully human. MAIN TOPICS The two turning points that created X Factor Coaching The X-Reset: a three-minute nervous system reset Why AI has become a trendy source of stress Meeting clients where they are on the AI curve Why context is everything when you ask AI a question Building client avatars with Claude Code Loading trusted knowledge bases into Claude for marketing Where AI stops and human coaching begins Trusting your gut when AI sounds so sure INTRIGUING QUOTES "You actually hijack your nervous system into creating a fake but real stress response." — Xavier Duport "I think it's a trendy source of stress." — Xavier Duport "The main issue that people have with AI is they don't contextualize properly." — Xavier Duport "Each of these answers can be right for the person who will respond, but that doesn't mean they will be right for the person who asked the question." — Xavier Duport KEY MOMENTS [01:12] The story behind X Factor Coaching [03:04] The X-Reset explained [06:13] AI as a trendy source of stress [08:10] Meeting clients where they are with AI [09:41] Building client avatars with Claude Code [12:04] What stays human and never goes to AI [13:22] Why context is everything when asking AI [19:38] Loading marketer knowledge bases into Claude [21:30] Who Xavier works with and how to reach him NOTABLE RESOURCES ChatGPT Claude Claude Code X Factor Coaching: https://xfactor.coach Email Xavier: mail@xfactor.coach CONNECT Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1FXihmKLqS/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590720415359 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadwithcarmen/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LeadwithCarmen Apply to be a guest on AI Made Simple: https://www.latpn.com/ai-made-simple-podcast-booking

Can AI help you meditate without losing your soul? Carmen Skipworth talks with mindfulness coach and energy healer Alana Cahoon about using AI as a marketing tool without letting it speak for you. Alana shares how she uses ChatGPT while protecting her own voice, why she's still cautious about AI a decade in, and the daily meditation practice that keeps her grounded. Human-Led. AI-Powered. HOST Carmen Skipworth GUEST Alana Cahoon — mindfulness coach, energy healer, and speaker who helps high-achieving professionals align their careers with their soul purpose. Former tech startup incubator director turned holistic coach. Bestselling author of Meditation Made Simple, host of the Creating Abundance podcast, with a new book of the same name on the way, foreword by Moe Rock, CEO of the Los Angeles Tribune. SUMMARY Carmen and Alana trace her path from actress and tech startup incubator director to mindfulness coach, and the cosmic moment that pushed her into holistic work. Alana explains how daily meditation keeps self-doubt in check, and tells the story behind Meditation Made Simple, written during a nine-day silent retreat at Kripalu that was cut short when COVID-19 was announced mid-retreat. On AI, she uses ChatGPT mainly for marketing, introduced by a Zen Buddhist teacher, and stays deliberate about keeping her own voice in anything it touches. She shares a prompting tip: ask AI to answer as a specific trusted teacher rather than a generic chatbot. The conversation closes with a preview of her upcoming book Creating Abundance, a client success story, and three takeaways: meditate first thing in the morning, build it into your routine, and stay authentic with AI. MAIN TOPICS From actress to tech incubator to mindfulness coach The cosmic moment that pushed Alana into holistic coaching Managing self-doubt behind a confident exterior Writing Meditation Made Simple during a pandemic lockdown at Kripalu Using AI for marketing without losing your own voice Asking AI to answer as a trusted teacher, not a generic bot Three takeaways: morning meditation, routine, and authenticity INTRIGUING QUOTES “I literally had one of those cosmic moments where I felt a hand on my back saying, it's time. This is what you're meant to do.” — Alana Cahoon “When using AI, be clear and authentic about who you are and what you need and what your intentions are.” — Alana Cahoon “Authenticity, maintaining that authenticity throughout all of your work with AI, is key.” — Alana Cahoon KEY MOMENTS [01:07] Introducing Alana Cahoon [03:46] The cosmic moment that changed everything [10:16] Writing Meditation Made Simple during lockdown at Kripalu [15:35] Using AI for marketing without losing her voice [20:48] Ask AI to answer as a trusted teacher, not a bot [25:47] Three takeaways: morning, routine, authenticity NOTABLE RESOURCES ChatGPT Meditation Made Simple by Alana Cahoon Creating Abundance by Alana Cahoon (upcoming, foreword by Moe Rock) Creating Abundance podcast alanacahoon.com CONNECT Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1FXihmKLqS/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590720415359 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadwithcarmen/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LeadwithCarmen Apply to be a guest on AI Made Simple: https://www.latpn.com/ai-made-simple-podcast-booking

AI is not the enemy. Confusion is. In the very first episode of AI Made Simple, Carmen Skipworth sits down with digital marketing leader Jeff Ross for a calm, practical conversation about what AI actually is, why it is not out to get you, and how to partner with it instead of being intimidated by it. Jeff shares how AI transformed his content creation as a dyslexic high school dropout, why AI is an amplifier rather than a replacement, and the simple first step anyone can take to bring AI into their work and life. No hype. No jargon. No panic. Human-Led. AI-Powered. HOST Carmen Skipworth GUEST Jeff Ross — international speaker, customer value journey strategist, and digital marketing leader with over 17 years in online business, social selling, and influence-based marketing. Creator of the HeroMakers movement and author of the upcoming book You Don't Need to Shout. SUMMARY Carmen opens the show with the mission behind AI Made Simple: cutting through the noise for people who know AI matters but feel overwhelmed by it. Jeff explains how dictating to AI removed the friction his dyslexia created in content writing, and why treating AI as a teammate rather than a shortcut is the difference between getting stuck and getting results. He walks through where beginners should start, how he wrote his book in four days, how he and his business partner produced a full animated music video in ten hours for around $200, and how ChatGPT helped him troubleshoot a disabled iMessage account in two days instead of a week. The conversation closes with Jeff's take on the future of search and his upcoming book. MAIN TOPICS Why AI feels overwhelming and how to cut through the noise The fourth industrial revolution and the fear of being replaced AI as an amplifier, not a replacement Where beginners should start: define the objective first Finding the bottlenecks in your job that AI can remove Writing a book in four days as a partnership with AI Producing a music video with ChatGPT, Suno, and Google Veo 3 Using AI as a troubleshooting partner The agentic AI wars and the future of search You Don't Need to Shout: going from invisible to influential INTRIGUING QUOTES "Well, first off, I like to say to people, AI saved my marriage." — Jeff Ross "AI is really just an amplifier." — Jeff Ross "I was able to write that book in four days versus probably doing it in four months." — Jeff Ross "So yes, AI will take jobs away, but it will also, it'll create space for the new jobs to come up, just like any technology has in any day of history." — Jeff Ross KEY MOMENTS [00:52] How AI saved Jeff's marriage [03:06] The tractor analogy and AI as an amplifier [07:32] Where to start: get clear on your objective [11:19] The $200 music video built in ten hours [13:04] Troubleshooting a disabled iMessage with ChatGPT [16:50] The agentic AI wars and where search is heading [18:14] Inside You Don't Need to Shout NOTABLE RESOURCES ChatGPT Claude Suno Google Veo 3 Final Cut Pro Google Gemini Perplexity You Don't Need to Shout by Jeff Ross (coming soon) CONNECT Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1FXihmKLqS/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590720415359 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadwithcarmen/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LeadwithCarmen Apply to be a guest on AI Made Simple: https://www.latpn.com/ai-made-simple-podcast-booking