In today's hyper-accelerated communications world, keeping up means juggling reputation, brand building, crisis management, storytelling, and more while adapting to new technologies like generative AI. The Trending Communicator, hosted by Dan Nestle, is your guide through this chaotic landscape. This podcast dives into the challenges of PR, communications, and marketing today, with experts sharing real stories and strategies for overcoming those challenges and more. It's the perfect resource for professionals looking to innovate, take risks, and stay ahead. Join us to make sense of today’s communications chaos, one insightful conversation at a time.
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In today's hyper-accelerated communications world, keeping up means juggling reputation, brand building, crisis management, storytelling, and more while adapting to new technologies like generative AI. The Trending Communicator, hosted by Dan Nestle, is your guide through this chaotic landscape. This podcast dives into the challenges of PR, communications, and marketing today, with experts sharing real stories and strategies for overcoming those challenges and more. It's the perfect resource for professionals looking to innovate, take risks, and stay ahead. Join us to make sense of today’s communications chaos, one insightful conversation at a time.
Playstorm: Why Your CEO Needs to Get Dirty with AI - with Sandy Carter
The Trending Communicator
56 minutes
1 month ago
Playstorm: Why Your CEO Needs to Get Dirty with AI - with Sandy Carter
MIT just dropped a bomb: 95% of corporate AI initiatives are failing. Not struggling. Failing. And Sandy Carter knows exactly why.
In this episode of The Trending Communicator, I sit down with Sandy, currently Chief Business Officer at Unstoppable Domains, former VP at Amazon Web Services, and the person who turned IBM's "social business" concept nobody understood into a $200 billion market. Sandy's written seven books, been named to every power list that matters (CNN's Top 10 Most Powerful Women in Tech, Forbes 50 Over 50), but what caught my attention is her philosophy: "AI First, Human Always."
While everyone's either selling AI snake oil or running scared, Sandy's figured out something crucial. Companies aren't failing at AI because the technology doesn't work. They're failing because they're treating it like any other IT rollout: layer it on top of broken processes and hope for magic. Sandy shares why CEOs need to stop brainstorming and start "playstorming," what happens when you ignore Reddit for three years, and why your daughter talking to Grok about party outfits might be the most important trend in communications.
Listen in and hear about:
The real reason 95% of corporate AI fails (hint: it's not the technology)
Moving beyond productivity theater to genuine transformation
Why GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) changes everything for communicators
The "play storm" revolution and why your CEO needs to get their hands dirty
How ignoring Reddit and Wikipedia is killing your AI presence
The generational divide in AI adoption and what it means for business
Notable Quotes
"Audiences today are ready to move on from 'how do I use gen AI for productivity?' into something deeper: What does it mean for us as humans?" - Sandy Carter [00:05:14]
"If your process already didn't work, there's no magic in AI that's going to make it wake up and work." - Sandy Carter [00:18:42]
"You have to experience it. You have to get your hands into it. You have to play with an agent." - Sandy Carter [00:27:38]
"If you take one thing from this whole podcast, put your company in [AI search], put yourself in too, and see what comes out." - Sandy Carter [00:50:54]
Resources and Links
Dan Nestle
Inquisitive Communications | Website
The Trending Communicator | Website
Communications Trends from Trending Communicators | Dan Nestle's Substack
Dan Nestle | LinkedIn
Sandy Carter
sandycarter.net | Website
Unstoppable Domains | Website
Sandy Carter | LinkedIn
Sandy's Book: AI First, Human Always
Timestamps
0:00 Intro: Host welcomes Sandy Carter
5:23 AI's impact on human meaning and work
10:24 Why 95% of corporate AI projects fail
15:23 Redesigning workflows for AI integration
20:44 Generational differences in AI adoption
26:58 The importance of "play storming" with AI
32:13 Training everyone on AI, not just tech teams
37:05 Voice interfaces and generational preferences
41:32 Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) strategies
48:43 Checking your company's AI presence
54:41 Closing thoughts on AI and communications
(Notes co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Flowsend.ai )
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The Trending Communicator
In today's hyper-accelerated communications world, keeping up means juggling reputation, brand building, crisis management, storytelling, and more while adapting to new technologies like generative AI. The Trending Communicator, hosted by Dan Nestle, is your guide through this chaotic landscape. This podcast dives into the challenges of PR, communications, and marketing today, with experts sharing real stories and strategies for overcoming those challenges and more. It's the perfect resource for professionals looking to innovate, take risks, and stay ahead. Join us to make sense of today’s communications chaos, one insightful conversation at a time.
