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Ep 254: Your Biz Is Growing. Why Are You Still Broke?

Ep 254: Your Biz Is Growing. Why Are You Still Broke?

by | The Digital Slice

Your Biz Is Growing. Why Are You Still Broke?

The Digital Slice Podcast is brought to you by The Friedman Group, LLC

Your agency’s revenue is growing. So why does your bank account still look like you’re just getting started?

Join Brad Friedman and Jody Grunden as they discuss subscription-based billing, remote leadership, cash reserves, and financial forecasting so you can make better growth decisions, build sustainable profitability, and create a business that supports your goals.

Jody Grunden is a pioneer in subscription-based accounting and Virtual CFO services. Since 2002, he has helped digital and creative agencies strengthen their finances and build more scalable businesses. His approach combines practical experience with a profit-focused maturity model designed to help agencies move from surviving to thriving.

After bootstrapping his own accounting business, Jody introduced subscription billing to improve cash flow and make advisory services more accessible. He also helped build an early fully remote Virtual CFO firm, expanding beyond a local talent pool by focusing on trust, clear expectations, and results. Today, through Summit Virtual CFO by Anders, he and his team help business owners connect their financial decisions to their long-term goals.

In this Episode:

  • Jody explains how slow-paying clients inspired him to replace traditional invoicing with subscription-based accounting services.
  • Jody discusses why trust, clear deadlines, and results matter more than tracking hours when leading a remote team.
  • Jody explores how AI and automation could shift accountants’ work toward strategic advice and CFO-level guidance.
  • Jody explains why cash reserves must come before expansion and shares his general cash benchmark for service-based businesses.
  • Jody identifies four areas to monitor: cash, financial performance, sales pipeline, and forecasting.
  • Jody distinguishes a dynamic forecast from an annual budget and explains how operational drivers reveal when to adjust pricing, pursue customers, or hire.
  • Jody encourages owners to define their desired exit, lifestyle, or legacy and work backward to the decisions they need to make today.

Quotes from this Episode:

  • [00:01:12] “I couldn’t afford to be a bank anymore.” – Jody Grunden
  • [00:10:52] “You’ve gotta trust, and you’ve gotta change the way that you, you do business.” – Jody Grunden
  • [00:14:03] “So accountants are gonna be more advisors.” – Jody Grunden
  • [00:16:37] “Let’s build cash first before we actually take that leap to make that next step.” – Jody Grunden
  • [00:17:49] “You have to manage all your metrics, and you have to really have a solid forecast in place in order to make, make that all happen.” – Jody Grunden
  • [00:19:09] “A forecast is dynamic. It changes every single month. It changes every single day, every single week.” – Jody Grunden

Today’s Guest:

Jody Grunden:

Connect with Brad

Brad Friedman

You can also call the office at 720.248.8185 or email brad@friedmansocialmedia.com.

Books

Sponsors and Tools

This podcast is brought to you by Magai. The tool we use for our AI needs. Magai is over 30 AI apps in one. There’s just one subscription to access all the best AI models. Get Magai right here, https://friedmansocialmedia.com/magai. And, if it’s your first time purchasing, use BRAD30 at checkout to get 30% off your first 3 months.

Our favorite Social Media Management Tool is AgoraPulse. Please contact me to learn more about Agorapulse and allow me to connect you with my contact at the company.

Libsyn is the Host of The Digital Slice Podcast. Just use our Libsyn code SLICE at https://friedmansocialmedia.com/libsyn to get up to 2 months of free podcasting service with Libsyn! Get your show on Apple Podcasts, get critical show-building stats—Libsyn even does video!

Streamyard is the tool we use to stream to all major platforms simultaneously directly from a browser. We also use Streamyard to record The Digital Slice Podcast because of its ability to provide us with crystal clear audio and 1080p video. Sign up today for free at https://friedmansocialmedia.com/streamyard

Are you looking for an email service provider that has stood the test of time? Be sure to look at Constant Contact, the provider we use.

Are you looking for a CRM for your business? We suggest taking a look at a few different ones before making your decision. Be sure to look at Nimble, one of our favorite CRMs, and take advantage of a 14-day free trial.

Here is some of the podcasting and video gear we use and recommend. These are often affiliate links.

These products and more can be found at our Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/bradfriedman

We highly recommend you use TubeBuddy to up your YouTube game! TubeBuddy: https://www.tubebuddy.com/TheFriedmanGroup

Launch your video Membership course or subscription website community with Uscreen. Uscreen helps creators like you build and grow their online video business with membership sites. See what you can do with Uscreen! https://friedmansocialmedia.com/uscreen

Affiliate Links & Transparency

Thank you for trusting me with my honest opinion on future purchases you may make after listening to this podcast. I am always completely transparent with you. As a friend of The Friedman Group, LLC you allow me to be able to use affiliate/referral links when suggesting items for purchase. Please know I am a customer myself or have done sufficient research to feel comfortable sharing these links with you. When you click on a link and purchase the item I may receive a small “commission.” This allows me to continue to provide you with quality content and doesn’t affect you in any way at checkout.

Not every link is a referral link and some appear here because my guest spoke about them and I want to make it easy for you to check ’em out. Thank you!

Ep 253: The Google Ads Mistake That Makes Bad Campaigns Look Successful

Ep 253: The Google Ads Mistake That Makes Bad Campaigns Look Successful

by | The Digital Slice

The Google Ads Mistake That Makes Bad Campaigns Look Successful

The Digital Slice Podcast is brought to you by The Friedman Group, LLC

Still hearing “trust the process” while your ad budget disappears? It’s time to ask what results you’re actually buying.

Your Google Ads dashboard may look busy, but clicks and reported conversions mean little if they aren’t helping you win customers. Are you measuring business growth—or just paying for activity?

Join Brad Friedman and Jeff Coleman as they discuss why Google Ads campaigns underperform, how to build a reliable lead engine, and which metrics deserve your attention so you can attract better prospects and make more informed decisions about your advertising budget.

Jeff Coleman has been building results-driven Google Ads campaigns since 2004. As paid search has matured and Google has evolved, he has focused on helping businesses generate meaningful results rather than simply spending more and trusting the process.

Through Factor Four Marketing, Jeff and his small team help service businesses and vocational education providers generate the leads they need to grow. Their work centers on Google Ads and Microsoft Ads, with an emphasis on clear conversion goals, relevant targeting, effective landing pages, and long-term client relationships.

In this Episode:

  • Jeff explains how tracking the wrong conversions can steer Google Ads toward activity that does not bring in new customers.
  • Jeff outlines how to align keywords, ad copy, and landing pages with the customers you actually want to reach.
  • Jeff walks through his lead engine approach, connecting conversion goals, business differentiation, customer personas, and follow-up.
  • Jeff explains why a focused landing page can serve paid search prospects better than a general website page.
  • Jeff shares how retargeting and email newsletters create additional opportunities to build trust and convert prospects.
  • Jeff emphasizes the campaign fundamentals business owners should expect their advertising partners to get right.

Quotes from this Episode:

  • [00:05:04] "And so, you know, we see a lot of that kind of thing where it isn't really the conversion they want, it's just one of the conversions that Google offers." – Jeff Coleman
  • [00:08:10] "The second piece is really being clear what's different about your business." – Jeff Coleman
  • [00:08:55] "Then you actually need a landing page that is designed to convert." – Jeff Coleman
  • [00:09:11] "But a landing page really should be focused on how can you convert the folks who are coming in, the right kind of, uh, prospects to fill in your lead form, to make the phone call, maybe even make a purchase." – Jeff Coleman
  • [00:16:25] "I mean, at the end of the day, it's your cost per conversion that you should really be focused on." – Jeff Coleman
  • [00:18:18] "Of course, the real conversion is when someone starts working with you." – Jeff Coleman

Today’s Guest:

Jeff Coleman:

Connect with Brad

Brad Friedman

You can also call the office at 720.248.8185 or email brad@friedmansocialmedia.com.

Books

Sponsors and Tools

This podcast is brought to you by Magai. The tool we use for our AI needs. Magai is over 30 AI apps in one. There’s just one subscription to access all the best AI models. Get Magai right here, https://friedmansocialmedia.com/magai. And, if it’s your first time purchasing, use BRAD30 at checkout to get 30% off your first 3 months.

Our favorite Social Media Management Tool is AgoraPulse. Please contact me to learn more about Agorapulse and allow me to connect you with my contact at the company.

Libsyn is the Host of The Digital Slice Podcast. Just use our Libsyn code SLICE at https://friedmansocialmedia.com/libsyn to get up to 2 months of free podcasting service with Libsyn! Get your show on Apple Podcasts, get critical show-building stats—Libsyn even does video!

Streamyard is the tool we use to stream to all major platforms simultaneously directly from a browser. We also use Streamyard to record The Digital Slice Podcast because of its ability to provide us with crystal clear audio and 1080p video. Sign up today for free at https://friedmansocialmedia.com/streamyard

Are you looking for an email service provider that has stood the test of time? Be sure to look at Constant Contact, the provider we use.

Are you looking for a CRM for your business? We suggest taking a look at a few different ones before making your decision. Be sure to look at Nimble, one of our favorite CRMs, and take advantage of a 14-day free trial.

Here is some of the podcasting and video gear we use and recommend. These are often affiliate links.

These products and more can be found at our Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/bradfriedman

We highly recommend you use TubeBuddy to up your YouTube game! TubeBuddy: https://www.tubebuddy.com/TheFriedmanGroup

Launch your video Membership course or subscription website community with Uscreen. Uscreen helps creators like you build and grow their online video business with membership sites. See what you can do with Uscreen! https://friedmansocialmedia.com/uscreen

Affiliate Links & Transparency

Thank you for trusting me with my honest opinion on future purchases you may make after listening to this podcast. I am always completely transparent with you. As a friend of The Friedman Group, LLC you allow me to be able to use affiliate/referral links when suggesting items for purchase. Please know I am a customer myself or have done sufficient research to feel comfortable sharing these links with you. When you click on a link and purchase the item I may receive a small “commission.” This allows me to continue to provide you with quality content and doesn’t affect you in any way at checkout.

Not every link is a referral link and some appear here because my guest spoke about them and I want to make it easy for you to check ’em out. Thank you!

Ep 252: Why More AI-Generated Ads Won’t Fix Your Marketing

Ep 252: Why More AI-Generated Ads Won’t Fix Your Marketing

by | The Digital Slice

Why More AI-Generated Ads Won’t Fix Your Marketing

The Digital Slice Podcast is brought to you by The Friedman Group, LLC

AI can create a hundred ads. But can it give customers one good reason to choose you?

AI can help you create more ads, but without a distinctive message and a process for learning what works, you could just be producing more of the same.

Join Brad Friedman and Ray Jang as they explore AI and the future of creative marketing, from customer intelligence and rapid ad testing to authenticity and synthetic content, so you can make smarter advertising decisions and use AI to amplify what makes your business different.

Ray Jang is the Founder & CEO of Atria, an AI Creative Strategist platform that helps brands turn advertising data into insights for creative development and campaign improvement.

Before founding Atria, Ray worked as a product manager at TikTok. In this conversation, he draws on that experience and his work with advertisers to explain how AI can support a more scientific approach to marketing while keeping a clear brand point of view at the center.

In this Episode:

  • Ray explains how AI turns large volumes of advertising data into insights marketers can use to improve their campaigns.
  • Ray discusses why digital advertising requires a steady flow of creative variations and rapid iteration.
  • Ray highlights why strong marketers look beyond AI outputs to organic content and unexpected sources of inspiration.
  • Ray emphasizes authenticity and a distinctive brand message as essential ingredients in effective AI-powered marketing.
  • Ray explores his prediction that synthetic content and digital replicas will play a larger role in advertising.
  • Ray describes how AI can amplify skilled creators and open new opportunities for people who prefer working behind the scenes.

Quotes from this Episode:

  • [00:04:42] "Every day feels like a week, given all the updates. Every week feels like a month." – Ray Jang
  • [00:07:22] "And so fundamentally, what AI is really, really good at is it's a compression engine." – Ray Jang
  • [00:08:52] "you need volume just to keep up," – Ray Jang
  • [00:011:51] "replicating what is already successful, which means you're a step behind." – Ray Jang
  • [00:13:22] "what matters more is authenticity, right?" – Ray Jang

Today’s Guest:

Ray Jang:

Connect with Brad

Brad Friedman

You can also call the office at 720.248.8185 or email brad@friedmansocialmedia.com.

Books

Sponsors and Tools

This podcast is brought to you by Magai. The tool we use for our AI needs. Magai is over 30 AI apps in one. There’s just one subscription to access all the best AI models. Get Magai right here, https://friedmansocialmedia.com/magai. And, if it’s your first time purchasing, use BRAD30 at checkout to get 30% off your first 3 months.

Our favorite Social Media Management Tool is AgoraPulse. Please contact me to learn more about Agorapulse and allow me to connect you with my contact at the company.

Libsyn is the Host of The Digital Slice Podcast. Just use our Libsyn code SLICE at https://friedmansocialmedia.com/libsyn to get up to 2 months of free podcasting service with Libsyn! Get your show on Apple Podcasts, get critical show-building stats—Libsyn even does video!

Streamyard is the tool we use to stream to all major platforms simultaneously directly from a browser. We also use Streamyard to record The Digital Slice Podcast because of its ability to provide us with crystal clear audio and 1080p video. Sign up today for free at https://friedmansocialmedia.com/streamyard

Are you looking for an email service provider that has stood the test of time? Be sure to look at Constant Contact, the provider we use.

Are you looking for a CRM for your business? We suggest taking a look at a few different ones before making your decision. Be sure to look at Nimble, one of our favorite CRMs, and take advantage of a 14-day free trial.

Here is some of the podcasting and video gear we use and recommend. These are often affiliate links.

These products and more can be found at our Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/bradfriedman

We highly recommend you use TubeBuddy to up your YouTube game! TubeBuddy: https://www.tubebuddy.com/TheFriedmanGroup

Launch your video Membership course or subscription website community with Uscreen. Uscreen helps creators like you build and grow their online video business with membership sites. See what you can do with Uscreen! https://friedmansocialmedia.com/uscreen

Affiliate Links & Transparency

Thank you for trusting me with my honest opinion on future purchases you may make after listening to this podcast. I am always completely transparent with you. As a friend of The Friedman Group, LLC you allow me to be able to use affiliate/referral links when suggesting items for purchase. Please know I am a customer myself or have done sufficient research to feel comfortable sharing these links with you. When you click on a link and purchase the item I may receive a small “commission.” This allows me to continue to provide you with quality content and doesn’t affect you in any way at checkout.

Not every link is a referral link and some appear here because my guest spoke about them and I want to make it easy for you to check ’em out. Thank you!

Ep 251: Why Marketing Teams That Don’t Drive Revenue Are In Trouble

Ep 251: Why Marketing Teams That Don’t Drive Revenue Are In Trouble

by | The Digital Slice

Why Marketing Teams That Don’t Drive Revenue Are In Trouble

The Digital Slice Podcast is brought to you by The Friedman Group, LLC

Marketing can no longer afford to be viewed as a cost center while sales carries the entire burden of generating revenue.

Join Brad Friedman and Debbie Qaqish as they explore revenue marketing, sales and marketing alignment, evolving organizational structures, and the disruptive power of AI so you can build a marketing organization that contributes directly to business growth.

Dr. Debbie Qaqish is a pioneering marketing strategist, leadership expert, and creator of The Growth Factor Method™, blending positive psychology with more than 35 years of real-world marketing experience to help leaders thrive under constant pressure.

Debbie has spent decades helping organizations connect marketing, sales, technology, and revenue. Her work around revenue marketing grew from her own experience in sales leadership and as a CMO, where she became an early advocate for transforming marketing from a traditional cost center into a measurable revenue-generating business function.

Today, through The Growth Factor, Debbie works with marketing leaders and organizations to help their teams navigate relentless change, ongoing stress, and increasingly demanding workplaces while learning how to flourish and thrive in an always-on environment.

In this Episode:

  • Debbie explains how her sales background led her to pioneer the concept of revenue marketing.
  • Debbie defines what it means for marketing to operate as a revenue-driving business unit rather than a cost center.
  • Debbie shares why CEO and CMO alignment is essential if marketing is going to be accountable for revenue.
  • Debbie discusses why the relationship between sales and marketing remains one of the most important factors in driving revenue.
  • Debbie shares why sales and marketing planning should happen together instead of in separate organizational silos.
  • Debbie explains why AI is far more than another technology tool and will force businesses to rethink how work gets done.

Quotes from this Episode:

  • [00:10:58] “You’re here as a business unit for your company. You’re here to make money.” – Debbie Qaqish
  • [00:16:58] “There is zero reason on the planet right now that a CMO should not have accountability for revenue.” – Debbie Qaqish
  • [00:18:23] “Guess what the number one factor was? Sales and marketing relationship around revenue” – Debbie Qaqish
  • [00:24:38] “Because when your technology goes, your power goes.” – Debbie Qaqish
  • [00:27:32] “It’s bigger than when the internet came in.” – Debbie Qaqish

Today’s Guest:

Debbie Qaqish:

Connect with Brad

Brad Friedman

You can also call the office at 720.248.8185 or email brad@friedmansocialmedia.com.

Books

Sponsors and Tools

This podcast is brought to you by Magai. The tool we use for our AI needs. Magai is over 30 AI apps in one. There’s just one subscription to access all the best AI models. Get Magai right here, https://friedmansocialmedia.com/magai. And, if it’s your first time purchasing, use BRAD30 at checkout to get 30% off your first 3 months.

Our favorite Social Media Management Tool is AgoraPulse. Please contact me to learn more about Agorapulse and allow me to connect you with my contact at the company.

Libsyn is the Host of The Digital Slice Podcast. Just use our Libsyn code SLICE at https://friedmansocialmedia.com/libsyn to get up to 2 months of free podcasting service with Libsyn! Get your show on Apple Podcasts, get critical show-building stats—Libsyn even does video!

Streamyard is the tool we use to stream to all major platforms simultaneously directly from a browser. We also use Streamyard to record The Digital Slice Podcast because of its ability to provide us with crystal clear audio and 1080p video. Sign up today for free at https://friedmansocialmedia.com/streamyard

Are you looking for an email service provider that has stood the test of time? Be sure to look at Constant Contact, the provider we use.

Are you looking for a CRM for your business? We suggest taking a look at a few different ones before making your decision. Be sure to look at Nimble, one of our favorite CRMs, and take advantage of a 14-day free trial.

Here is some of the podcasting and video gear we use and recommend. These are often affiliate links.

These products and more can be found at our Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/bradfriedman

We highly recommend you use TubeBuddy to up your YouTube game! TubeBuddy: https://www.tubebuddy.com/TheFriedmanGroup

Launch your video Membership course or subscription website community with Uscreen. Uscreen helps creators like you build and grow their online video business with membership sites. See what you can do with Uscreen! https://friedmansocialmedia.com/uscreen

Affiliate Links & Transparency

Thank you for trusting me with my honest opinion on future purchases you may make after listening to this podcast. I am always completely transparent with you. As a friend of The Friedman Group, LLC you allow me to be able to use affiliate/referral links when suggesting items for purchase. Please know I am a customer myself or have done sufficient research to feel comfortable sharing these links with you. When you click on a link and purchase the item I may receive a small “commission.” This allows me to continue to provide you with quality content and doesn’t affect you in any way at checkout.

Not every link is a referral link and some appear here because my guest spoke about them and I want to make it easy for you to check ’em out. Thank you!

You Paid for the Lead. Then You Sent It to Voicemail

The Digital Slice Podcast is brought to you by The Friedman Group, LLC

Hate talking to bots? Today’s AI receptionists might change your mind.

Your marketing gets the phone ringing. What happens when no one answers? A missed call can become a missed customer, and voicemail rarely makes a great first impression.

Join Brad Friedman and Gene Sigalov as they discuss AI-powered virtual receptionists, customer expectations, and the trade-offs between automation and human service so you can make a more informed decision about answering calls and serving your customers.

Gene Sigalov is a serial entrepreneur, licensed attorney, and Co-founder and CEO of Upfirst, an AI-powered virtual receptionist for small businesses.

Having used virtual receptionist services for his law practice and a previous business, Gene brings firsthand experience with the costs and challenges of outsourced call handling. With Upfirst, he focuses on helping solopreneurs and small to midsize businesses answer calls, collect information, and manage appointments.

In this Episode:

  • Gene contrasts modern conversational AI with older phone trees that leave callers frustrated and asking for an operator.
  • Gene describes how AI receptionists can collect caller details, identify urgent needs, and help owners prioritize callbacks.
  • Gene discusses appointment scheduling and transfers to a specific person when a business configures human handoffs.
  • Gene outlines the progress in voice quality, emotional expression, and conversational timing, along with remaining latency challenges.
  • Gene shares how businesses can customize receptionist voices, accents, and speaking speed.
  • Gene identifies new-business conversion and existing-client satisfaction as two areas to watch when evaluating call handling.

Quotes from this Episode:

  • [00:01:05] "If You're selling a, you know, Bugatti Veyron, You'll probably still want that human touch if You're selling like a three-million-dollar car." – Gene Sigalov
  • [00:03:35] "You know, the argument that I would make is that some intelligent system is always better than getting voicemail and having to call back, right?" – Gene Sigalov
  • [00:11:45] "Failure to reach a business is a very common complaint, and it'll push down your NPS score; it'll push down your review ratings." – Gene Sigalov
  • [00:11:40] "Can you pull your conversion rate up on, uh, new business? And can you improve the satisfaction for existing clients?" – Gene Sigalov
  • [00:13:13] "You can analyze everything down to the very minute detail of how conversation quality's going." – Gene Sigalov

Today’s Guest:

Gene Sigalov:

Connect with Brad

Brad Friedman

You can also call the office at 720.248.8185 or email brad@friedmansocialmedia.com.

Books

Sponsors and Tools

This podcast is brought to you by Magai. The tool we use for our AI needs. Magai is over 30 AI apps in one. There’s just one subscription to access all the best AI models. Get Magai right here, https://friedmansocialmedia.com/magai. And, if it’s your first time purchasing, use BRAD30 at checkout to get 30% off your first 3 months.

Our favorite Social Media Management Tool is AgoraPulse. Please contact me to learn more about Agorapulse and allow me to connect you with my contact at the company.

Libsyn is the Host of The Digital Slice Podcast. Just use our Libsyn code SLICE at https://friedmansocialmedia.com/libsyn to get up to 2 months of free podcasting service with Libsyn! Get your show on Apple Podcasts, get critical show-building stats—Libsyn even does video!

Streamyard is the tool we use to stream to all major platforms simultaneously directly from a browser. We also use Streamyard to record The Digital Slice Podcast because of its ability to provide us with crystal clear audio and 1080p video. Sign up today for free at https://friedmansocialmedia.com/streamyard

Are you looking for an email service provider that has stood the test of time? Be sure to look at Constant Contact, the provider we use.

Are you looking for a CRM for your business? We suggest taking a look at a few different ones before making your decision. Be sure to look at Nimble, one of our favorite CRMs, and take advantage of a 14-day free trial.

Here is some of the podcasting and video gear we use and recommend. These are often affiliate links.

These products and more can be found at our Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/bradfriedman

We highly recommend you use TubeBuddy to up your YouTube game! TubeBuddy: https://www.tubebuddy.com/TheFriedmanGroup

Launch your video Membership course or subscription website community with Uscreen. Uscreen helps creators like you build and grow their online video business with membership sites. See what you can do with Uscreen! https://friedmansocialmedia.com/uscreen

Affiliate Links & Transparency

Thank you for trusting me with my honest opinion on future purchases you may make after listening to this podcast. I am always completely transparent with you. As a friend of The Friedman Group, LLC you allow me to be able to use affiliate/referral links when suggesting items for purchase. Please know I am a customer myself or have done sufficient research to feel comfortable sharing these links with you. When you click on a link and purchase the item I may receive a small “commission.” This allows me to continue to provide you with quality content and doesn’t affect you in any way at checkout.

Not every link is a referral link and some appear here because my guest spoke about them and I want to make it easy for you to check ’em out. Thank you!

Ep 250: You Paid for the Lead. Then You Sent It to Voicemail.

Ep 250: You Paid for the Lead. Then You Sent It to Voicemail.

by | The Digital Slice

You Paid for the Lead. Then You Sent It to Voicemail

The Digital Slice Podcast is brought to you by The Friedman Group, LLC

Hate talking to bots? Today’s AI receptionists might change your mind.

Your marketing gets the phone ringing. What happens when no one answers? A missed call can become a missed customer, and voicemail rarely makes a great first impression.

Join Brad Friedman and Gene Sigalov as they discuss AI-powered virtual receptionists, customer expectations, and the trade-offs between automation and human service so you can make a more informed decision about answering calls and serving your customers.

Gene Sigalov is a serial entrepreneur, licensed attorney, and Co-founder and CEO of Upfirst, an AI-powered virtual receptionist for small businesses.

Having used virtual receptionist services for his law practice and a previous business, Gene brings firsthand experience with the costs and challenges of outsourced call handling. With Upfirst, he focuses on helping solopreneurs and small to midsize businesses answer calls, collect information, and manage appointments.

In this Episode:

  • Gene contrasts modern conversational AI with older phone trees that leave callers frustrated and asking for an operator.
  • Gene describes how AI receptionists can collect caller details, identify urgent needs, and help owners prioritize callbacks.
  • Gene discusses appointment scheduling and transfers to a specific person when a business configures human handoffs.
  • Gene outlines the progress in voice quality, emotional expression, and conversational timing, along with remaining latency challenges.
  • Gene shares how businesses can customize receptionist voices, accents, and speaking speed.
  • Gene identifies new-business conversion and existing-client satisfaction as two areas to watch when evaluating call handling.

Quotes from this Episode:

  • [00:01:05] "If You're selling a, you know, Bugatti Veyron, You'll probably still want that human touch if You're selling like a three-million-dollar car." – Gene Sigalov
  • [00:03:35] "You know, the argument that I would make is that some intelligent system is always better than getting voicemail and having to call back, right?" – Gene Sigalov
  • [00:11:45] "Failure to reach a business is a very common complaint, and it'll push down your NPS score; it'll push down your review ratings." – Gene Sigalov
  • [00:11:40] "Can you pull your conversion rate up on, uh, new business? And can you improve the satisfaction for existing clients?" – Gene Sigalov
  • [00:13:13] "You can analyze everything down to the very minute detail of how conversation quality's going." – Gene Sigalov

Today’s Guest:

Gene Sigalov:

Connect with Brad

Brad Friedman

You can also call the office at 720.248.8185 or email brad@friedmansocialmedia.com.

Books

Sponsors and Tools

This podcast is brought to you by Magai. The tool we use for our AI needs. Magai is over 30 AI apps in one. There’s just one subscription to access all the best AI models. Get Magai right here, https://friedmansocialmedia.com/magai. And, if it’s your first time purchasing, use BRAD30 at checkout to get 30% off your first 3 months.

Our favorite Social Media Management Tool is AgoraPulse. Please contact me to learn more about Agorapulse and allow me to connect you with my contact at the company.

Libsyn is the Host of The Digital Slice Podcast. Just use our Libsyn code SLICE at https://friedmansocialmedia.com/libsyn to get up to 2 months of free podcasting service with Libsyn! Get your show on Apple Podcasts, get critical show-building stats—Libsyn even does video!

Streamyard is the tool we use to stream to all major platforms simultaneously directly from a browser. We also use Streamyard to record The Digital Slice Podcast because of its ability to provide us with crystal clear audio and 1080p video. Sign up today for free at https://friedmansocialmedia.com/streamyard

Are you looking for an email service provider that has stood the test of time? Be sure to look at Constant Contact, the provider we use.

Are you looking for a CRM for your business? We suggest taking a look at a few different ones before making your decision. Be sure to look at Nimble, one of our favorite CRMs, and take advantage of a 14-day free trial.

Here is some of the podcasting and video gear we use and recommend. These are often affiliate links.

These products and more can be found at our Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/bradfriedman

We highly recommend you use TubeBuddy to up your YouTube game! TubeBuddy: https://www.tubebuddy.com/TheFriedmanGroup

Launch your video Membership course or subscription website community with Uscreen. Uscreen helps creators like you build and grow their online video business with membership sites. See what you can do with Uscreen! https://friedmansocialmedia.com/uscreen

Affiliate Links & Transparency

Thank you for trusting me with my honest opinion on future purchases you may make after listening to this podcast. I am always completely transparent with you. As a friend of The Friedman Group, LLC you allow me to be able to use affiliate/referral links when suggesting items for purchase. Please know I am a customer myself or have done sufficient research to feel comfortable sharing these links with you. When you click on a link and purchase the item I may receive a small “commission.” This allows me to continue to provide you with quality content and doesn’t affect you in any way at checkout.

Not every link is a referral link and some appear here because my guest spoke about them and I want to make it easy for you to check ’em out. Thank you!

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