Speaker 1 0:00

Welcome to the aim podcast, where we bring you actionable insights on AI and how to best apply it in your business, across marketing, sales, customer service and more, hosted by helpflow.com this is your guide to staying ahead in the world of AI for business. And just to blow your mind a little bit, our hosts are literally AIS talking to each other. Enjoy the show.

Speaker 2 0:33

Hey, everyone ready to take a deep dive with me? Today, we're gonna be talking all about how AI can help you scale your business smarter. Not just grow, but grow smart.

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Speaker 3 0:42

Yeah, we're cutting through the hype and getting to the real strategies, right? We're diving

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Speaker 2 0:46
into scaling smart. How AI helps you focus on growth? Not admin by John Tucker, and he's the CEO of help flow, exactly. So he's got a ton of experience actually using AI to help companies scale real world stuff. Yeah, no fluff here. Okay, so one of the first thing that really jumped out at me was how John talks about those hidden costs of doing everything yourself, especially when you're like, a super hands on business owner. You know, you want to keep control, keep the quality high.

Speaker 3 1:13

Yeah, it's a classic trap. You think you're being efficient, but in the long run, it can really burn you out. Yeah, you're putting

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out fires all day. You can't actually step back and work on your business. Your business, exactly. You're just stuck in it. And he gives this example that really hit home, a business owner spending hours each day on scheduling, answering emails, updating inventory, like those essential tasks that just eat up your time, hours that

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Speaker 3 1:35

could be spent on strategy, new products, or even just taking a break.

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Okay, so now I'm thinking, what if I could get those hours back? Where does AI fit in?

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I like the sound of that, but AI still feels a bit mysterious to me.

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It's actually simpler than you think. The core idea is using AI to automate those tasks. Okay,

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so less manual work, more automation got it,

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and that leads to better workflows and smarter decisions, because you're using data, not just your

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gut. So it's not just about doing things faster, but also better, exactly on both counts, smarter and faster. Let's break that down a bit more sure. So first up automating customer responses. I'm guessing this is where chat bots come in, right? Bingo.

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Think about a chat bot handling all those common questions, like, what's your return policy, or what are your

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hours? Okay, so my team isn't bogged down with those basic inquiries. Exactly.

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They can focus on the complex stuff. John talks about this online retailer who used chat bots to handle 80% of their inquiries. Wow, 80% that's huge. It is. And get this, it actually improved their customer satisfaction too.

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Really, I thought people would prefer talking to a real person sometimes,

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but honestly, people get frustrated waiting for answers. A chat bot can provide instant support 24/7, and if it can't answer the question, it smoothly hands it off to a human.

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automated customer responses. What about smart scheduling?

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Ooh, that one speaks to me. Personally. I'm a scheduling disaster. Well, AI might

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be your new best friend. Imagine an AI looking at your calendar, your team's availability, even deadlines, and then creating a seamless

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workflow, no more back and forth emails trying to nail down a meeting time exactly,

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Speaker 3 3:18
plus it can prioritize your tasks so you know what needs your attention first. Wait,

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hold on, it. Can even prioritize. That's next level. It's a lot of

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Speaker 3 3:26
people feel overwhelmed juggling everything, but think about the freedom of knowing what to focus on. I like

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Speaker 2 3:31
where this is going. Okay, so we've got chat bots for customer service. Ai powered scheduling. What else? What

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Speaker 3 3:37
about data driven decisions? This is where AI gets really powerful.

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Speaker 2 3:40
Is this like AI doing market research? For me, even better, it's

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about AI analyzing tons of data in seconds, data that would take humans weeks to process. Okay, so I'm getting insights I wouldn't have otherwise, exactly like customer buying patterns or emerging trends. So instead of

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Speaker 2 3:56

guessing, I actually may know what's going on. This is starting to sound less like cost cutting and more like a way to actually grow my business. Exactly.

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Speaker 3 4:04

It's a shift from just surviving to actually thriving, and that's the whole point of scaling smart.

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Speaker 2 4:09

So it sounds like John is saying this isn't just for big companies. This is for everyone, solopreneurs, small businesses, anyone can benefit Absolutely.

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Speaker 3 4:17

And he even provides a roadmap for getting started with AI in your business. Okay, I'm ready for that roadmap. Give it to me. All right. The first step is pinpoint your bottlenecks. Where are you losing the most time in your business? So

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it's like diagnosing the problem before you prescribe the solution. Exactly

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once you know what those bottlenecks are, you can start looking for AI tools to address them.

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Okay, that's way less overwhelming than just trying to figure out all the AI tools out there. It

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can be a jungle out there, but you don't need every tool just the right ones for you. Okay,

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that makes me feel better. I'm starting to see the light at the end of the AI tunnel. The potential

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benefits are huge. Yeah, you know, less time on those tedious tasks, happier customers and making smarter decisions to drive growth. Okay,

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Speaker 2 5:00

you've convinced me. Let's talk about those tools and how to actually put this into action. Let's

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Speaker 3 5:04

do it in part two. We'll dive into some specific examples and strategies. So stay tuned. I'm definitely

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Speaker 2 5:09

staying tuned. This is getting good. So you know, when we were talking about customer service and how AI can handle those repetitive questions, I was thinking about how I literally spent a whole afternoon answering emails about our return policy just the other day. Oh, yeah, I've been there. It's such a time suck. You know, I could have been doing something so much more productive, exactly, and

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Speaker 3 5:31

that's where AI can really step in and free up your time. Think about handing off all those frequently asked questions to a chat bot.

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Speaker 2 5:39

Sounds good in theory, but I'm a little hesitant. You know, those basic chat bots with the canned responses, they don't really cut it. Oh no,

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Speaker 3 5:46

we're not talking about these old school chat bots. The AI tools we're talking about now are way more sophisticated,

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Speaker 2 5:51

like what? Give me an example, sure.

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One that John mentions in the book is Zendesk AI. It uses machine learning to actually understand what the customer

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is asking. Okay, so it's not just matching keywords, nope. It's

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actually comprehending the meaning behind the question.

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Machine learning, that sounds intense, it's

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basically teaching a computer to learn from experience.

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Speaker 2 6:13

Okay, so in the context of customer service, that means every time a customer

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interacts with the Zendesk AI chat bot. It's gathering data and getting better at understanding different

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ways people ask questions, so it's constantly learning and improving Exactly. It's not

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just spitting out pre programmed answers, yeah, it's actually understanding the intent and providing a relevant solution. Okay, I'm

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Speaker 2 6:34

starting to see how this could be really useful. And you mentioned another tool, intercom, right?

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Speaker 3 6:39

Right. Intercom is another great example. It goes beyond just answering questions. It can actually guide customers through complex processes, processes like setting up an account or troubleshooting a technical issue.

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Speaker 2 6:49

So it's like having a virtual customer service rep available 24/7 exactly,

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and if it encounters a question, it can't handle it seamlessly escalates the issue to a human agent. So

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it's the best of both worlds. Ai efficiency with that personal touch when needed

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Speaker 3 7:04

exactly. Okay, so we've talked about customer service. Let's shift gears to something I know you're passionate about sales and marketing.

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Oh yeah, I'm always struggling with reaching the right customers and crafting the perfect message.

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Well, AI can help with that too. Imagine AI analyzing your customer data and helping you create super personalized campaigns that actually resonate. Okay, hold on, super personalized. What does that really mean? Let's say a customer was looking at hiking boots on your website, okay, yeah, AI could then trigger an email showcasing your latest hiking boot collection, maybe even offering a discount or highlighting reviews. Oh,

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wow. So it's not just like hi first name, it's actually relevant to their interests. Exactly.

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It's about delivering the right message at the right time based on their individual behavior.

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Speaker 2 7:49

Okay, that's way better than those generic email blasts that end up in the spam folder.

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And John talks about some specific tools that can help with this. HubSpot, AI, for example, can analyze your website traffic and identify hot leads. So

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it's like having a virtual sales assistant working behind the scenes Exactly. And

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then there's Marketo engage, which uses AI to personalize your email campaigns, suggest content, even predict who's most likely to buy. Wait, hold on, predict who's most likely to buy. Yep. AI is pretty amazing, like that. It takes the guesswork out of marketing

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Speaker 2 8:20

so I can stop wasting time and money on strategies that aren't working exactly. You're using data to make smart decisions. Okay, I'm liking this more and more. But even with the best marketing and customer service, I still struggle with just staying organized, you know, managing all the tasks and deadlines. Oh, I hear

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Speaker 3 8:37

you on that. We all feel overwhelmed sometimes, but guess what? AI can help with that too. Please

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tell me there's an AI that can organize my life. Well, it can

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definitely make things easier. Think about Trello. You might already be using it for project management. Yeah, I love Trello. Well, you can actually supercharge Trello with AI integrations that automate tasks and prioritize your to do list,

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so it can tell me what to focus on first Yep,

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no more jumping between tasks and feeling like you're not getting anything done.

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Okay, this is seriously life changing. And what about scheduling all those meetings and appointments? Well,

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there's Calendly, which uses AI to optimize your schedule and make booking meetings a breeze. I'm starting to

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get really excited about all of this. It's like having a whole team of virtual assistants helping me run my business. That's

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the perfect way to think about it. You're leveraging AI to free up your time and energy so you can focus on what matters most.

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Speaker 2 9:27

Okay, I'm sold on the concept, but I have a confession. I tend to overthink things, and sometimes I get so stuck in the planning phase that I never take action. That's where

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Speaker 3 9:37

John's advice about starting small with a pilot project is so helpful, you don't have to go all in on AI right away. Okay, so baby steps exactly. Pick one area of your business where you think AI could make a difference, choose a tool and run a small test

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so it's less intimidating and I can see if it's actually working before I commit Exactly. And

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the beauty of a pilot project is you can gather data, analyze. The results and make adjustments as you go.

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So it's all about testing and learning and being open to trying new things exactly,

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and don't forget to involve your team in the process, get their feedback and address any concerns they might have.

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That's a good point. AI isn't about replacing humans. It's about empowering them exactly.

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When your team feels like they're part of the AI journey, that's when the real magic happens. Okay,

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Speaker 2 10:23

so we've explored some amazing tools, and I'm feeling more confident about taking action. But I'm also curious about how to measure success. What metrics should I be tracking to make sure my AI efforts are actually paying off? That's

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Speaker 3 10:36

a great question, and that's where we'll pick things up in the final part of our deep dive. Stay tuned to find out how to evaluate your AI strategy and scale it effectively for maximum impact. Okay,

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Speaker 2 10:46

so we've talked about all these cool AI tools, you know, chat bots, marketing automation, smart scheduling, and we even touched on those pilot projects. But how do we actually know if it's working? How do we measure success with AI? That's

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Speaker 3 11:01

the key question, right? We don't want to just jump on the AI bandwagon. We want to make sure it's actually making a difference

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Speaker 2 11:05

Exactly. And John talks about setting KPIs key performance indicators to track our progress. KPIs are crucial, yeah, but I gotta be honest, KPIs sometimes feel kind of abstract to me. Can you give me some real world examples? Sure.

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Speaker 3 11:20

Let's say you've implemented that customer service chat bot. We talked about some KPIs you could track. Are things like average response time, has it gone down since you implemented the chat bot? Okay, that makes sense. And customer satisfaction scores are customers happier with the support they're getting? So

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Speaker 2 11:34

we're actually measuring if the chat bot is achieving what we wanted it to do, like faster responses, happier customers, exactly. And you

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can apply the same principle to other areas of your business, like, if you're using AI for marketing, you might track website traffic, lead generation, conversion rates, okay?

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So it's about choosing metrics that actually align with our goals, right?

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And the cool thing is, AI can learn and adapt over time, but we need to be the ones guiding that learning

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process, so we're not just setting it and forgetting it. Nope. John uses

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this great analogy. He says, We need to be gardeners, not just programmers. When it comes to AI,

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Speaker 2 12:10

I love that. So we're nurturing our AI systems, giving them feedback, helping them grow exactly

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Speaker 3 12:17

now let's say your pilot project is a smashing success. You've got the data to prove it, and you're ready to scale things up. What's your next move?

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Speaker 2 12:25

Hmm, well, my first instinct is just go all in, you know, implement that same AI solution across my entire business.

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Speaker 3 12:32

It's tempting, but John actually cautions against that one size fits all approach. So just

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because it worked for customer service doesn't mean it'll work for sales or marketing, right? It's

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about being strategic and figuring out where AI can make the biggest impact. Okay?

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Speaker 2 12:45

So it's about finding those AI sweet spots Exactly. Maybe your

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marketing team is drowning in data, or your sales team needs help with lead generation. It's about finding those areas where AI can really shine. So it's

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less about blindly implementing AI everywhere, and more about using it as a precision tool. That's a

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Speaker 3 13:03

great way to put it. And as you scale up, remember that change management is key. You want to make sure your team is on board with this whole AI thing. Yeah,

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people can get nervous about AI, you know, they might worry about their jobs.

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Speaker 3 13:15

That's understandable, but it's important to emphasize that AI is here to help them, not replace them.

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Speaker 2 13:21

So it's about framing AI as an opportunity, not a threat, exactly.

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Speaker 3 13:24

It's about freeing them up from those tedious tasks so they can focus on more creative and strategic work.

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Speaker 2 13:31

Okay, I think I'm getting the bigger picture now. Scaling smart with AI is really about adopting a new mindset. Couldn't

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Speaker 3 13:38

agree more. It's about embracing data, being open to experimentation, and constantly looking for ways to leverage AI to improve your business.

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Speaker 2 13:46

It's exciting and a little bit daunting all at the same time. I get it, but remember,

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Speaker 3 13:50

the journey is just as important as the destination, and I'm

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Speaker 2 13:53

definitely feeling more prepared for that journey now thanks to this deep dive,

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Speaker 3 13:57

that's what we were hoping for. The key takeaway is that scaling smart with AI is an ongoing process. It's about constantly learning, adapting and evolving,

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Speaker 2 14:07

and I'm ready to take on that challenge. I'm starting to see how AI can be a powerful tool for growth and a more fulfilling work life. That's

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Speaker 3 14:13

the spirit. And remember, if you ever feel overwhelmed, just go back to the basics. Start small, focus on your biggest pain points and choose the right tools, and don't be afraid to ask for help. There are tons of resources out there, great

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Speaker 2 14:26

advice. So to wrap things up, what's one final thought you want to leave our listeners with? Embrace

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Speaker 3 14:31

the possibilities the world of AI is constantly evolving, but with the right approach, you can use it to transform your business and unlock incredible growth.

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Speaker 2 14:40

I love that. So to all our listeners out there, keep learning, keep experimenting and keep pushing the boundaries of what's possible with AI. And that's

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Speaker 3 14:47

a wrap on our deep dive into scaling smart with AI. We hope you found it insightful and inspiring. Until next

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Speaker 2 14:53

time, keep diving deep.

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Speaker 1 14:56

Thanks for listening to the aim podcast if you found. Today's episode impactful. Be sure to check out helpflow.com where we help businesses maximize AI across marketing, sales, customer service and more. Visit helpflow.com today you.

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