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Ep 236: Small Businesses Must Start Using AI Today

Ep 236: Small Businesses Must Start Using AI Today

by | The Digital Slice

Small Businesses Must Start Using AI Today

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

As AI moves faster than most businesses can adapt, the real challenge is using it to gain an edge without losing the human thinking and judgment that make us valuable. To do this, we've got to start using AI today.

Join Brad Friedman and Bruce Randall as they explore how businesses can start using AI, what AI is already changing in the workplace, and why human awareness, ethics, and critical thinking matter more than ever, so you can adopt AI strategically without losing your competitive edge or your humanity.

Bruce Randall bridges advanced technology and human awareness. With 25+ years in leadership roles at startups, Oracle Cloud, and AT&T, he has guided organizations through AI-driven transformation, cloud strategy, and large-scale innovation.

Alongside his tech career, Bruce is a Reiki Master and lifelong meditation practitioner, bringing a unique lens to how human consciousness intersects with emerging technologies.

He is the author of The AI Human Paradox, which explores the convergence of AI, brain-computer interfaces, and identity, and he advises on cybersecurity solutions designed for a quantum future.

In this Episode:

  • Bruce explains why small and midsize businesses should start AI adoption with an easy win and build from there.
  • Bruce shares a real-world example of AI voice automation that shows how low the barrier to entry has become.
  • Bruce discusses how AI is already reshaping HR, sales, reporting, training, and customer response workflows.
  • Bruce warns that companies delaying AI adoption risk losing their competitive and comparative advantage.
  • Bruce explores why people need to keep doing their own critical thinking even as AI gets better at gathering information.
  • Bruce unpacks how quantum computing and artificial super intelligence could break today’s assumptions about what machines can do.

Quotes from this Episode:

  • [00:01:00] “You have to look at where AI fits your business, where you can get an easy win, show some return, and get a feel for it, and grow from there.” – Bruce Randall
  • [00:02:20] “You need to start and do something just to be able to stay up.” – Bruce Randall
  • [00:04:40] “AI's moving faster than the cloud ever did.” – Bruce Randall
  • [00:07:00] “You've gotta do your critical thinking yourself and use AI to gather the information.” – Bruce Randall
  • [00:10:00] “When you have quantum and artificial super intelligence, then every single paradigm we have is broken” – Bruce Randall
  • [00:13:20] “It's kinda like the Wild West of AI right now.” – Bruce Randall

Today's Guest:

Bruce Randall:

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 235: The Reputation Strategy That Turns Reviews Into Real Growth

Ep 235: The Reputation Strategy That Turns Reviews Into Real Growth

by | The Digital Slice

The Reputation Strategy That Turns Reviews Into Real Growth

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

If your business is collecting reviews without a clear strategy, you could be leaving visibility, trust, and revenue on the table.

Join Brad Friedman and George Swetlitz as they discuss how reviews, responses, sentiment analysis, and AI can strengthen your reputation management strategy so you can improve visibility, win more customers, and keep them coming back.

George Swetlitz is the Co-Founder of RightResponse AI, a reputation management platform designed to help location-based businesses drive customer growth. RightResponse AI uses advanced AI to help businesses grow through better review management, deeper review insights, and a stronger understanding of the competitive environment—all focused on driving customer acquisition and retention.

George’s approach to AI is grounded in operational experience, with a focus on creating practical solutions that deliver measurable results. Before launching RightResponse AI, he was the CEO of a consolidation of audiology clinics with about 220 locations, where managing reputation to drive organic growth was one of the most important parts of the business.

In this Episode:

  • George explains why reviews are critical to customer acquisition and retention.
  • George defines the review ecosystem and why it extends far beyond simply collecting Google reviews.
  • George breaks down how visibility in Google Business Profile affects whether prospective customers ever find your business.
  • George shares why personalized review requests outperform generic templates and create a stronger emotional connection.
  • George shows how AI can turn hundreds of reviews into structured sentiment data that business owners can actually use.
  • George details how competitor review analysis can uncover trends, weaknesses, and opportunities in your market.

Quotes from this Episode:

  • [00:01:07] “If you do this properly, you can drive growth dramatically through reputation management.” – George Swetlitz
  • [00:01:41] “I call it the review ecosystem, and that’s often also called reputation management.” – George Swetlitz
  • [00:06:00] “AI is really terrific at creating these highly targeted, highly emotional, highly connecting messages.” – George Swetlitz
  • [00:06:33] “We have customers that use photos that have upwards of 75% conversion rates in these kind of group settings because of that connection.” – George Swetlitz
  • [00:10:42] “AI allows you to take this massive amount of unstructured text and turn it in to highly structured data.” – George Swetlitz
  • [00:22:00] “It can be an engine for growth as opposed to a task that needs to get done every week.” – George Swetlitz

Today's Guest:

George Swetlitz:

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 234: Your Paid Ads Aren’t Working Even If You’re Getting Clicks

Ep 234: Your Paid Ads Aren’t Working Even If You’re Getting Clicks

by | The Digital Slice

Your Paid Ads Aren’t Working Even If You’re Getting Clicks

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

Paid ads can waste money fast when your tracking is broken, your goals are fuzzy, and your data never makes it back to the platforms.

Join Brad Friedman and Andy Janaitis as they break down how to build smarter Google and Meta ad campaigns with better measurement, stronger attribution, and more realistic strategies for small businesses so you can spend more confidently and grow profitably.

Andy is the founder and chief strategist of PPC Pitbulls, a boutique digital marketing agency that helps small businesses grow past 7 figures using Google and Meta Ads.

He partners with founder-led brands and e-commerce teams to simplify paid ad strategies, ensuring campaigns are built on solid tracking, clean execution, and profitability—not noise or guesswork.

With over 10 years of agency and analytics experience, Andy’s background spans engineering, web development, and digital strategy. He’s known for his practical, down-to-earth approach that cuts through marketing overwhelm and empowers business owners to take confident action. Whether he’s helping a brand understand attribution or demystify Performance Max, Andy brings clarity, integrity, and a deep respect for the entrepreneurial journey.

In this Episode:

  • Andy explains why measurement and conversion tracking need to be in place before launching any paid campaign.
  • Andy shares how to define the right conversion goal instead of optimizing only for clicks or views.
  • Andy discusses how CRMs like HubSpot can connect lead data and offline conversions back to Google and Meta.
  • Andy breaks down why ad platforms perform better when they receive deeper funnel data instead of just top-level lead signals.
  • Andy clarifies how AI-driven ad delivery uses conversion signals to find more of the right prospects.
  • Andy warns that attribution can get messy when multiple platforms claim credit for the same customer journey.

Quotes from this Episode:

  • [00:00:47] “It's not really worth wasting your money on the ads and you're not gonna get anything out of it.” – Andy Janaitis
  • [00:01:31] “Is it somebody to book a call? Is it somebody to come on and sign up for your newsletter or download your lead magnet?” – Andy Janaitis
  • [00:04:00] “Google or Meta is gonna say, Hey, every click is as good as any other click.” – Andy Janaitis
  • [00:06:40] “This person clicked on the ad, filled out the form, and ultimately became a real client. Let's put the ad in front of more people like that.” – Andy Janaitis
  • [00:14:40] “Every single dollar that you put into ads has to yield something.” – Andy Janaitis

Today's Guest:

Andy Janaitis:

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 233: Stop Chasing Leads And Start Measuring What Actually Makes Money

Ep 233: Stop Chasing Leads And Start Measuring What Actually Makes Money

by | The Digital Slice

Stop Chasing Leads And Start Measuring What Actually Makes Money

What if your marketing failed because you tested too much at once?

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

Too many marketers test too many variables, chase the wrong metrics, and end up with data they can’t actually use to make better decisions.

Join Brad Friedman and Kenny Ridgell as they discuss how to apply the scientific method to marketing, simplify reporting, connect marketing to sales, and adapt to AI-driven search so you can make smarter decisions with cleaner data and better outcomes.

Kenny Ridgell is a data-driven marketing entrepreneur who has spent the better part of a decade merging art, science, and innovation into measurable growth strategies for his clients.

He is the Founder & CEO of Ridge Media, a firm that stands apart by applying the scientific method to the marketing landscape.

What sets Kenny apart is his ability to translate complex marketing analytics into actionable insights that resonate with founders, CEOs, and business owners alike. He’s dedicated to simplifying the marketing process—focusing on what works, discarding the fluff, and ensuring every decision drives measurable results.

In this Episode:

  • Kenny explains why the scientific method gives marketers a better framework for running cleaner, more useful experiments.
  • Kenny shares why testing too many variables at once makes it harder to understand what is actually working.
  • Kenny argues that too many businesses obsess over lead volume instead of measuring the channels that actually produce sales.
  • Kenny breaks down why cost per close can be more meaningful than cost per lead when evaluating marketing performance.
  • And, Kenny reveals how to simplify reporting for CEOs by focusing on a small set of KPIs instead of overwhelming dashboards.

Quotes from this Episode:

  • [00:00:40] “I would say the best way to think of it is like the scientific method being the foundation of how all experiments run.” – Kenny Ridgell
  • [00:01:34] “I think it's just a lack of scientific methodology in terms of the way that marketing experiments can be done as you're not really actually setting up individual controlled environments for these experiments.” – Kenny Ridgell
  • [00:03:09] “That's exactly what I'm talking about in terms of just like lack of discipline in the marketing space.” – Kenny Ridgell
  • [00:08:22] “I think too many businesses focus on leads and they don't focus on sales.” – Kenny Ridgell
  • [00:10:23] “The confused man always says no.” – Kenny Ridgell
  • [00:20:40] “Simplify. Simplify. Don't think of everything as being so dense and so complicated.” – Kenny Ridgell

Today's Guest:

Kenny Ridgell:

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, the CRM we use, 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 232: Your Ad Dashboard Is Lying To You! Here’s Why

Ep 232: Your Ad Dashboard Is Lying To You! Here’s Why

by | The Digital Slice

Your Ad Dashboard Is Lying To You!

What if the numbers you trust most are sending you in the wrong direction?

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

If you trust platform-reported results without testing them, you may optimize spend around the wrong metrics and miss what actually drives customers.

Join Brad Friedman and Justin Rashidi as they explore data-driven marketing, digital ads, and Justin’s uniquely scientific approach to marketing so you can make better measurement decisions, allocate budget more intelligently, and improve results. If you have ever made marketing decisions based on surface-level metrics, this conversation will challenge how you measure success and help you focus on what really matters.

Justin Rashidi is the founder of SeedX, a consultancy that helps medium to mid-market companies improve performance across data, sales, and marketing. In this episode, he explains how scientific thinking and hypothesis-driven testing can help marketers validate what is really happening inside the business.

With a background rooted in science and engineering, Justin brings a rigorous, data-first mindset to modern marketing. He focuses on helping companies separate platform claims from actual business impact so teams can make smarter decisions about attribution, budget allocation, and growth.

In this Episode:

  • Justin explains how scientific thinking helps marketers test hypotheses and validate ideas.
  • Justin reveals why ad platforms often try to claim the maximum amount of credit possible.
  • Justin breaks down holdout tests and causal impact tests for measuring true marketing impact.
  • Justin shows why B2B companies should track campaigns all the way to SQLs and customers, not just leads.
  • Justin discusses why offline relationship-building can still outperform online channels for some B2B companies.
  • Justin argues that brands should tailor experiences by channel instead of forcing one identical customer journey everywhere.
  • Justin explores how AI workflows can help smaller teams execute more consistently and efficiently.

Quotes from this Episode:

  • [00:00:25] “I think that scientific thinking is just the idea of testing hypotheses and like building hypotheses.” – Justin Rashidi
  • [00:01:26] “The biggest problem that exists in the online marketing world is that everyone is trying to trick you or claim the maximum amount of credit possible.” – Justin Rashidi
  • [00:05:10] “The number one thing that we see in the B2B world is that people actually don't track the campaigns on what is actually driving SQL, like MQLs, SQLs and then like deals, and then they never go back and update the campaigns.” – Justin Rashidi
  • [00:08:00] “Sometimes these channels just don't produce leads for certain companies.” – Justin Rashidi
  • [00:10:00] “People get so crazy about numbers and metrics that they forget that like we're interacting with people, like that number is a person” – Justin Rashidi

Today's Guest:

Justin Rashidi:

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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