Human-First AI Marketing Podcast by Avenue9
Discover how to harness the power of AI without losing the human touch. Hosted by Mike Montague, Founder of Avenue9, this podcast delivers actionable insights to help small and mid-sized businesses market like big brands. With expert interviews, relatable success stories, and practical tips, we show you how to amplify your marketing efforts with AI tools that enhance—not replace—human creativity and connection. Whether you're a business owner, marketer, or curious about the future of AI, this is your go-to guide for building smarter, more authentic marketing strategies. Want to be a guest? Send Mike Montague a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1738519089289300a62eab036
Episodes
What if most businesses are chasing the wrong AI strategy?
In this episode of the Human-First AI Marketing Podcast, Mike Montague sits down with Stephan Bajaio of VibeLogic to explore the future of SEO, AEO, AI search, and web presence. Together, they unpack why the current rush to optimize for AI rankings feels a lot like the dot-com boom, why many companies are focused on visibility instead of value, and why small ...
AI Adoption with Maryrose Lyons explores what it really takes for SMBs and midmarket teams to learn, adopt, and apply AI in a way that improves daily work. Maryrose Lyons, founder of the AI Institute, joins Mike Montague to talk about why AI training needs to stay live, current, practical, and human-led as tools change faster than traditional courses can keep up. The conversation covers AI certificates, team confide...
Everybody is talking about generative AI. They're missing the bigger opportunity.
In a recent conversation with James Thornton, CEO of Daz 3D, we explored a side of artificial intelligence that most business leaders aren't paying enough attention to.
While much of the current AI discussion revolves around generating text, images, and videos, Thornton's work sits at the intersection of 3D content creat...
In this episode of the Human-First AI Marketing Podcast, Mike Montague sits down with Shea Murtaugh, CEO of Hoffman Murtaugh and founder of LeapShift AI Collective, to explore how smart SMBs are scaling faster with AI without burning out their teams or losing their humanity. Shea shares how AI has transformed her agency’s productivity from a traditional 40-hour workload into what feels like 120 hours of output...
In this episode of the Human-First AI Marketing Podcast, Mike Montague sits down with Matt Ruffner of Opticl.ai to unpack one of the biggest shifts happening in marketing right now: the move from traditional SEO to AI search visibility. With more than half of searches now happening through AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity, businesses can no longer rely on rankings alone. AI engines are evaluatin...
AI search is changing the rules faster than most businesses can react; this episode breaks down what that actually means for SMBs trying to stay visible and competitive. Mike sits down with Brittany Trafis to unpack the shift from traditional SEO to AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), where buyers are no longer clicking links but asking AI for direct recommendations. The conversation explores why this moment feels lik...
Most businesses are sitting on their most valuable marketing asset and completely overlooking it. In this episode, Mike Montague talks with Joe Toscano, former Google insider and featured expert in The Social Dilemma, about why customer conversations, service calls, and real stories are the missing link in modern AI marketing. They break down how the explosion of AI tools has made it easy to create more content, yet...
Most AI content today feels like fast food; quick, scalable, and forgettable. In this episode of the Human-First AI Marketing podcast, Mike Montague sits down with David Dobrin, CEO of Original Voices, to explore a better way to feed your marketing engine. They break down the idea of a “human context layer” for AI, where real audience insights, not generic data, shape your messaging. You’ll hear ho...
Most businesses are treating AI like a vending machine; type in a prompt, get an answer, and hope it works. In this episode, Mike sits down with T. Renee Smith to unpack why that approach falls flat and what it really takes to make AI work in the real world. They explore the shift from seeing AI as just another tool to treating it like a strategic partner; one that needs training, context, and leadership to deliver ...
Most businesses are using AI to move faster, create more content, and keep up with the noise. The problem is that speed without differentiation just amplifies average. In this episode, Mike Montague sits down with Jonathan Aberman to unpack a smarter way forward: treating originality as a measurable, strategic advantage in a world where AI is trained to produce sameness. They explore why creativity alone isn’t...
In this episode, Mike Montague talks with Dan Baird of Wrench AI about why the future of marketing belongs to businesses that can target the right people, personalize the right message, and prove what is actually working. They unpack the shift from generic AI content and mass outreach to smarter systems built on lead scoring, behavioral signals, personality-driven messaging, and better audience research. The convers...
Most businesses are sprinting into AI, cranking out more content, launching more automations, and moving faster than ever. The problem is, speed doesn’t fix a broken foundation. In this episode, Mike Montague sits down with Carmela Fortin to unpack the “pre-AI layers” most teams skip; the human factors like clarity, alignment, buyer psychology, and real conversations that actually determine whether...
Most businesses are producing more content than ever… and getting less response. Why? Because somewhere between automation and scale, they lost the one thing that actually converts; their voice. In this episode, Mike Montague sits down with Rachel Minion to unpack the real challenge of marketing in the age of AI: how to grow without sounding like everyone else. From the “AI slider” between human a...
Artificial intelligence is moving fast; faster than most business leaders realize. In this episode of the Human-First AI Marketing Podcast, Mike Montague sits down with AI researcher Dr. Craig Kaplan to explore what may be the next major shift in technology: the transition from AI as a simple tool to something closer to an intelligent entity. The conversation tackles the big questions people are asking right now: Wi...
In this episode, Raj Singh, VP of New Products at Mozilla, breaks down the “ownership economy”; a world where starting a business is getting simpler, faster, and cheaper because the builder toolkit keeps losing friction. You can spin up a real brand presence quickly, look professional early, and test ideas without burning months on dev or a big stack of services.
Raj also gets blunt about what actua...
In this episode of The Human-First AI Marketing® Podcast, Mike Montague sits down with Brett Farmiloe, CEO of Featured.com and Help a Reporter Out (HARO), to talk about the real PR opportunity most small and mid-market companies are missing in 2026. You’ll learn how getting featured in credible media outlets isn’t just great for brand awareness, but it’s also how you get cited in AI models, improve...
What happens when AI meets immigration, one of the most complex, emotional, and high-stakes journeys in someone’s life? In this episode, Mike Montague talks with Grant Frazier and Ryan Bradley, co-founders of Global Entry Hub, about how they’re using AI to make immigration support more accessible, trustworthy, and human. You’ll hear how they built a multilingual AI assistant that guides people thro...
In this episode of the Human-First AI Marketing® podcast, Mike Montague talks with Bryan Harris, founder of Growth Tools, about the fine line between automation and authenticity. Together, they explore how AI is transforming client acquisition, coaching, small business marketing, and why human connection is still the most valuable asset in your business. If you've ever wondered when to use AI and when to pick up the...
Bots do the busywork, but you do the brilliant work.
In this episode, AI futurist and author David Espindola joins Mike to explore how small and midmarket companies can redesign roles around AI so humans spend more time on creativity, trust, and real customer relationships. They unpack the real difference between human and machine intelligence, the risks of anthropomorphizing tools like voice agents, and the im...
In this episode of The Human-First AI Marketing® Podcast, Mike Montague sits down with Mia Umanos, CEO of Clickvoyant and host of the AI Kid You Not podcast, to explore what AI means for both modern shopping and modern parenting.
We cover everything from the surprising lack of optimization in e-commerce experiences, to how AI is rewiring our brains, and why that matters. You’ll hear practical insights for ...
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