Using AI at Work: AI in the Workplace & Generative AI for Business Leaders

Chris Daigle sits down with Tim Cakir, founder of AI Operator, to talk about why most companies feel overwhelmed by AI and how leaders can move past tool overload to real productivity at work.Tim shares his experience training teams across industries and explains why AI adoption fails when organizations chase tools instead of outcomes. The conversation focuses on building human centered AI habits, reducing fear around AI, and helping teams work with AI as a collaborator rather than seeing it as a threat.They also explore how leaders can tailor AI training by role, why behavior change matters more than policies, and how voice AI and assistants are beginning to reshape how people plan, think, and execute at work. This episode is a practical guide for leaders who want progress with AI without burnout or confusion.🔎 Find Out More About Tim CakirTim Cakir on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/timcakir/AI Operator https://aioperator.com🛠 AI Tools and Resources MentionedChatGPT — https://chat.openai.comGoogle Gemini — https://deepmind.google/technologies/gemini/Google AI Studio — https://aistudio.google.comClaude — https://claude.aiNotebookLM — https://notebooklm.googleElevenLabs — https://elevenlabs.ioVapi — https://vapi.aiMake — https://www.make.comZapier — https://zapier.comn8n — https://n8n.ioNotion — https://www.notion.soMCP (Model Context Protocol) — https://modelcontextprotocol.ioCustom GPTs — https://chat.openai.com/gptsAI Operator — https://www.aioperator.comInternal AI assistants used inside organizations📌 Chapters00:00 Introduction to Tim Cakir02:18 Why leaders feel overwhelmed by AI05:06 Tool overload vs outcome driven adoption08:44 Human plus AI collaboration mindset13:02 Reducing fear around AI at work17:36 Training teams based on real workflows22:41 Behavior change vs policy driven adoption27:15 Using voice AI to reclaim time and focus31:48 How leaders should evaluate new AI tools36:05 Where AI Operator helps organizations start40:12 How to connect with Tim Cakir

Chris Daigle sits down with Mohamed Yousuf, founder of Smart Workforce AI, to explore how AI in the workplace can dramatically improve workforce scheduling, planning, and operational efficiency across industries.Drawing on more than a decade of experience in airlines, healthcare, hospitality, and large scale operations, Mohamed explains how AI powered forecasting and scheduling can reduce overtime, prevent burnout, and help companies put the right people in the right place at the right time. The conversation covers real world AI applications like demand forecasting, seasonal planning, labor law compliance, and intelligent shift swapping, all supported by AI copilots that work alongside human decision makers.This episode is a practical look at how AI productivity tools can turn workforce management from reactive firefighting into a strategic advantage, while keeping human well being at the center of operations.🔎 Find Out More About Mohamed Yousuf and Smart Workforce AIhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/mohamed-a-yousuf/  Smart Workforce AI https://smartworkforce.io🛠 AI Tools and Resources MentionedChatGPT https://openai.com/chatgptAI powered workforce forecasting models Large language models for scheduling and planning Internal AI copilots for workforce management📌 Chapters00:00 Introduction to Mohamed Yousuf01:10 From Airline Scheduling to Workforce AI03:55 Why Workforce Planning Is a Universal Business Problem05:21 Using AI to Complement Human Decision Making06:54 Healthcare staffing and burnout challenges09:16 Forecasting demand using demographic and immigration data11:23 Hospitality, events, and seasonal workforce planning12:48 Avoiding panic hiring and panic firing14:32 Measuring labor cost savings and productivity gains17:53 Making AI powered scheduling accessible to smaller teams21:17 Onboarding and system learning timelines22:56 Handling labor laws and contract complexity with AI25:19 AI assistants for managers and employees27:15 Giving employees more control over schedules29:52 Minimum team size to benefit from AI scheduling33:16 The future of micro shifts and flexible work35:29 Pricing and ROI for small and mid sized businesses39:34 How to get started with Smart Workforce AI

Chris Daigle sits down with Patrick Leung to explore how AI is being applied inside modern marketing and revenue teams to drive efficiency, consistency, and scale. Patrick shares real examples of how teams are using AI in the workplace to support go to market execution, internal knowledge sharing, and decision making without overwhelming non technical leaders.The conversation covers practical AI adoption for business leaders, how to avoid overcomplicating workflows, and where AI productivity tools deliver the most value today. Patrick also breaks down how organizations can move from experimentation to repeatable AI powered processes that actually support growth. This episode is a grounded look at workplace AI adoption for teams focused on execution, not hype. 🔎 Find Out More About Patrick Leung https://www.linkedin.com/in/puiwah/🛠 AI Tools and Resources MentionedChatGPT ➡ https://openai.com/chatgpt Internal AI assistants used by marketing and revenue teams📌 Chapters00:00 - Introduction to Patrick Leung04:12 - Where AI Fits Inside Marketing and Revenue Teams10:36 - Practical AI Use Cases for Execution17:48 - Supporting Non Technical Teams with AI24:15 - Avoiding Tool Overload and Overengineering31:02 - Using AI to Improve Consistency and Speed38:20 - Moving from Experiments to Scaled Workflows45:10 - Final Advice for Leaders Adopting AI48:55 - How to Connect with Patrick Leung

Chris Daigle sits down with Zak Ali, General Manager at Finder, to unpack how search is evolving as people move from traditional search engines to large language models like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.Zak explains why SEO is not dead, how LLMs decide which brands to surface, and why trust signals like authority, recency, and editorial rigor matter more than ever. He shares how Finder adapted its content strategy to show up consistently inside AI answers, what types of long tail queries perform best in LLM search, and how AI powered browsers are changing the future of discovery.They also explore how Finder is approaching AI upskilling internally, why hands on experimentation beats mandates, and how non technical teams are using tools like Claude Code and MCPs to dramatically increase productivity. This episode is a must listen for leaders who want to understand where search is headed and how AI is reshaping how customers find solutions.🔎 Find Out More About Zak AliLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/zak-ali44/ Substack https://thoughtson.substack.comFinder https://www.finder.com🛠 AI Tools and Resources MentionedChatGPT https://openai.com/chatgptClaude https://claude.aiPerplexity https://www.perplexity.aiNotebook LM https://notebooklm.google📌 Chapters00:00 Introduction to Zak Ali and Finder 02:10 SEO vs LLM search and why fundamentals still matter 04:55 How LLMs choose which sources to cite 07:40 Bing, Google, and triangulating AI search results 10:30 Inspecting ChatGPT queries to understand discovery 13:05 Recency, trust, and authority signals for LLMs 15:45 AI generated content and human quality standards 18:35 Long tail queries and why they win in AI search 21:40 Measuring traffic and revenue from LLM discovery 24:10 AI browsers and the future of click data 27:30 Internal AI upskilling without mandates 30:20 Claude Code, MCPs, and terminal based workflows 34:10 Non technical teams building real tools with AI 37:40 Executive blind spots and the knowledge gap 41:05 Getting started with practical AI habits 44:00 Where to follow Zak Ali and keep learning

Chris Daigle sits down with Geoff Gibbins, strategy and AI transformation expert and author of "Critical Intelligence," to explore how companies can redesign their workflows and help their teams develop stronger thinking skills in the age of AI. Geoff shares what he has learned from working with major enterprises on AI transformation, including why so many AI pilots fail, how to avoid automating broken processes, and how to create human AI systems that actually deliver value.They discuss why top companies are shifting from using AI for simple automation to re-engineering entire workflows, how agents fit into modern processes, and why understanding human and AI collaboration is now a competitive advantage. Geoff also explains how individuals can future-proof their careers by focusing on long half-life skills and learning to use AI as a true collaborator rather than a tool.This episode gives leaders a practical lens on AI transformation, human capability development, and how to prepare teams for a hybrid future of people and intelligent agents working together.🔗 Resources MentionedGeoff’s Book: Critical Intelligence: Strengthening Human Thinking in the Age of AI https://www.amazon.com/Critical-Intelligence-Strengthening-human-thinking-ebook/dp/B0FKZZCMTZ# Geoff Gibbins on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffgibbins/ChiefAIOfficer Resources: https://chiefaiofficer.com📌 Chapters00:00 Introduction01:10 Geoff’s background in strategy, innovation, and AI transformation04:20 Why most AI pilots fail06:00 Automating broken workflows vs reinventing them07:40 Marketing to agents vs marketing to humans09:20 Reinventing work with agents and human AI workflows12:30 How to integrate humans into agent-driven systems14:10 Working with process owners inside companies17:00 Are people afraid AI will take their job20:00 Individual overwhelm and the pace of change22:30 The skill variation inside large companies24:00 How enterprise understanding has changed in the past year25:30 How companies differentiate when everyone has the same tools26:30 Designing human AI collaboration inside orgs27:40 Shifting from "AI as a tool" to "AI as a collaborator"29:00 How individuals future-proof their skills31:00 Why prompt engineering is already outdated32:20 Talking to AI like a collaborator33:30 How careers may shift as roles evolve37:20 Advice for non-technical business professionals38:40 About the book39:30 Closing Thoughts