Your next customer might ask AI who to hire before they ever visit your website. What gives it a reason to recommend your business?

Matt Clarkson joins host Anna Shepherd to explore how AI is changing the way customers discover businesses, how marketers work and what makes expertise worth paying attention to when anyone can produce polished content.

Matt is Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technology Officer at Cemoh, a platform connecting businesses with experienced marketing professionals. His path into marketing and technology began with studying psychology, followed by a career in research, analytics and online learning. A redundancy prompted a decision to work for himself, eventually leading him to help build Cemoh’s marketing marketplace.

Today, AI is central to how he works, from developing software to managing information. But one difficult client email reminded him that getting something written quickly doesn’t always mean getting the communication right. After an AI-assisted message missed the human touch, writing the follow-up himself became a surprisingly fulfilling experience.

Anna and Matt discuss the opportunities AI creates for businesses, the limits of generic content and why your own experience, judgement and data matter more when everyone has access to the same tools.

In this episode:• How AI recommendations are changing the way customers find and choose businesses.• What zero-click search means for your marketing.• Why producing more content isn’t necessarily the answer.• How original data and personal expertise can make your content more useful.• Turning conversations with founders and experts into authentic marketing content.• How Matt uses AI to accelerate software development and everyday work.• Why taste, judgement and critical thinking still need a human.• Where automation helps customer service, and where customers need a person.• The client email that made Matt rethink how he was using AI.• How Matt would rebuild his business momentum if he had to start again.

For business owners, marketers and leaders looking to use AI thoughtfully, improve their visibility and give customers a compelling reason to choose them.

Think your business needs to go viral to grow? Josh Simons crossed that off his list early on.

The former Buchanan frontman, Vampr co-founder and Vinyl Group CEO joins Anna Shepherd to share how a frustrating experience in his music career sparked a technology business, and how he kept it alive when fundraising became difficult and investors lost patience.

From finding Vampr’s first 10,000 users to leading a publicly listed media and music technology company, Josh talks openly about big ambitions, expensive lessons and the creativity behind his business decisions.

They also explore why Josh believes brand trust matters more as AI-generated content fills the internet, and how business owners can find their audience without chasing viral fame.

In this episode:

• Moving from musician to tech founder.

• Turning a personal frustration into Vampr.

• Raising capital and the risks of high valuations.

• Balancing conviction with a little delusion.

• Building alignment with partners and leadership teams.

• Connecting audiences, creators and brands.

• AI, authenticity and online authority.

• Testing marketing channels and knowing when to invest.

• Leading with creativity and radical transparency.

For founders, business owners, marketers and creatives who want to grow their business while staying true to themselves.

What happens when you refuse to pick one career lane and decide to build your own?

Luba Kaplanskaya has worked across law, PR, social media and marketing and found a way to bring them all together.

Born in Saint Petersburg, Luba moved to Los Angeles as a young child and grew up travelling between the US and Russia. She became the first in her family to attend university, double-majoring in ecology and evolutionary biology and psychology before an unexpected opportunity led her into law.

While working full-time at a law firm, Luba landed her first marketing client and began building her own social media and marketing agency. Her personal brand has since helped her attract clients, land collaborations and become a regular podcast guest.

In this episode of Authentic Advantage, Luba joins host Anna Shepherd to chat about:

• Breaking into an industry without the usual experience or connections

• Building a business while working full-time

• Why personal branding isn’t just for influencers

• How your digital reputation can open doors

• Where AI is already changing legal and marketing work

• Why Luba tells AI to stop agreeing with her

• Setting boundaries and getting comfortable with saying no

• Making quick decisions instead of letting them linger

• Saving, investing and resisting “shiny things”

Luba also reveals why she keeps zero unread emails, would happily skip a four-day bachelorette trip and believes challenging experiences—from remote camping to Burning Man—have helped her work out exactly who she is.