In this episode of The Long Game, host Elijah Wood talks with Michelle Thames—digital marketing strategist, podcast host, influencer, and former healthcare worker turned full-time entrepreneur.

After getting fired from her 9-to-5, Michelle turned her natural hair blog into a personal brand that built a massive following and launched a career. Today, she runs a boutique marketing agency, teaches multi-passionate women entrepreneurs, and builds digital products that sell in her sleep.

We explore how Michelle uses AI tools like ChatGPT to plan entire marketing campaigns, launch events, and organize her content calendar. We also break down what clarity in your personal brand really looks like, why simple content wins, and how to balance multiple income streams without burning out.

🎯 What You’ll Learn:

• How Michelle grew an Instagram following to 500K without a marketing degree

• Why your content doesn’t need a production team—just a smartphone

• How to build a personal brand around your life and interests

• Michelle’s tech stack: ClickUp, ChatGPT, Circle, and more

• A playbook for launching digital products and making them sell

• The importance of visibility, clarity, and long-term strategy in marketing

• How to think about AI as your business assistant, not your replacement

🎙️ “People will pay thousands just for your thoughts. You just need to package them right.” – Michelle Thames

Whether you're a solopreneur, content creator, or scaling your agency, this episode is full of real talk and actionable strategy.

In this episode of The Long Game, host Elijah Wood sits down with Sridhar Muppidi, CTO of IBM Security, to talk about the evolving landscape of AI threats, cybersecurity strategy, and quantum computing risks.

With over 30 years at IBM and deep expertise in enterprise security, Sridhar shares what keeps him up at night—and what gives him hope. From AI-powered phishing attacks to malware agents with decision-making abilities, we dive into how attackers are using the same tools defenders rely on, and why crypto agility is the key to surviving what’s next.

We also explore the future of quantum-safe encryption, the decline of ransomware, and how organizations can prepare for AI-driven cyber attacks before it’s too late.

🎯 Topics Covered:
• The rise of AI-powered phishing and why it’s growing 74% YoY
• IBM’s strategy for proactive vs reactive cybersecurity
• What “crypto agility” means in the post-quantum era
• Real-world attack vectors: LIDAR hacks, prompt injection, poisoned models
• How the dark web is evolving with generative AI
• The urgent need for cross-industry collaboration in AI defense

🔐 “Security today is too reactive. We need AI systems that protect AI systems.” – Sridhar Muppidi

If you're a CISO, technologist, founder, or just curious about the future of cybersecurity, this one’s a must-listen.

In this episode of The Long Game, host Elijah Murray sits down with Ajay Srivatsavai, a veteran asset management executive, to unpack why private equity firms are falling behind in the AI revolution - and what it means for the future of the $15 trillion industry.

Timestamps:(00:00) Risk factors in asset management and technology adoption(01:00) Introduction and guest overview(02:00) Asset management fundamentals and industry breakdown(04:00) Technology adoption challenges in finance(08:00) Private equity's lag in tech adoption(10:00) Unstructured data challenges in PE(13:00) Build vs buy technology decisions(17:00) Case study: Wealth management technology(20:00) Future of PE technology integration

Whether you're a PE professional, tech entrepreneur, or interested in the future of finance, this episode offers a rare glimpse into how artificial intelligence is reshaping one of the world's most profitable industries.

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