When George Elossais invited me onto the Trained Well Podcast, I knew it wasn’t going to be a surface-level conversation. George doesn’t do fluff, and neither do I. We dove straight into next-level marketing with AI — what it actually takes to win in today’s digital marketplace and why most business owners are losing before they even start.
If you’ve been following my journey — from lawn care days to building Carroll Media — you know I don’t play the guru game. I talk about what works, what doesn’t, and what business owners actually need to hear. This episode was one of those conversations where the truth comes out whether you’re ready for it or not.
What Is Next-Level Marketing With AI?
Next-level marketing with AI isn’t about using ChatGPT to write a caption. That’s the kiddie pool. It’s about deploying artificial intelligence as a full marketing team member — one that creates content, answers leads, runs follow-up sequences, and personalizes outreach at a scale no human team can match.
The businesses that figure this out in the next 12 months will dominate their markets. The ones that wait will be playing catch-up for years. That’s not hype — that’s the pattern we’ve seen with every major technology shift from the internet to social media.
Why Most Marketing Strategies Are Already Obsolete
George and I talked about something most marketers won’t admit: the strategies that worked two years ago are dying. Organic reach is declining. Ad costs are climbing. Attention spans are shrinking. The old playbook of “post three times a week and boost it” doesn’t cut it anymore.
According to HubSpot’s State of Marketing report, businesses using AI in their marketing see up to 40% improvement in productivity and significantly higher ROI on their campaigns. That gap will only widen.
Here’s what separates next-level marketing with AI from everything else: speed and personalization. AI lets you respond to leads in seconds instead of hours. It lets you customize messaging for different segments without creating 50 versions manually. It lets you test, learn, and optimize faster than any human team.
Betting on Yourself Changes Everything
How did a kid mowing lawns end up building Carroll Media, running multiple companies, and training over 10,000 clients? The same way anyone builds something meaningful — by betting on yourself when nobody else will.
I turned down a football scholarship and a chemistry degree to mow grass. Grew that to $3 million. Lost it all at 27. Rebuilt it bigger. Every chapter taught me the same lesson: the people who win are the ones who develop a hunter’s instinct and refuse to wait for permission.
Marketing is no different. The businesses that win aren’t waiting for the perfect strategy or the perfect budget. They’re testing, learning, and deploying AI tools while their competitors are still “researching options.”
5 Ways to Use AI for Next-Level Marketing
- AI-powered lead response. The average business takes 42 hours to respond to a lead. AI responds in under 60 seconds. That alone can double your conversion rate. Speed to lead wins.
- Content creation at scale. Use the 10-80-10 framework to produce weeks of content in hours. 10% setup, 80% AI execution, 10% human polish.
- Smart follow-up sequences. AI can follow up with prospects via text, email, and voice — adapting the message based on their behavior and responses. No more “just checking in” emails.
- Automated ad optimization. AI tools analyze your ad performance in real-time and adjust targeting, bidding, and creative faster than any media buyer. The data doesn’t sleep.
- Voice AI for inbound calls. Every missed call is a missed sale. AI voice agents answer every call, qualify the lead, and book the appointment — 24/7, without putting anyone on hold.
The Cost of Avoiding AI in Your Marketing
George asked me a great question on the show: what happens to the businesses that don’t adopt AI? The answer is simple — they get outpaced. Not tomorrow. Not next year. Right now.
Your competitor who’s using AI to respond to leads in 30 seconds is stealing your customers while you’re checking voicemail at the end of the day. The agency down the street producing 10x your content volume at half the cost is eating your market share.
What avoiding AI is costing you isn’t just theoretical — it’s measurable in missed leads, slower response times, and declining market position. The gap compounds daily.
Adapt or get left behind. That’s the play.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is AI marketing for small business?
AI marketing uses artificial intelligence tools to automate lead response, content creation, follow-up sequences, and ad optimization. For small businesses, it means competing at the speed and scale of larger companies without the overhead of a big marketing team.
How much does AI marketing cost?
Most AI marketing tools cost a fraction of hiring additional staff. AI voice agents, content tools, and automation platforms typically range from $50 to $500 per month — far less than one part-time employee while handling significantly more volume around the clock.
Can AI replace my marketing team?
AI won’t replace your team — it will make them dramatically more effective. AI handles the high-volume, repetitive tasks while your human team focuses on strategy, creativity, and relationship-building. The result is more output with less burnout.
What is the 10-80-10 framework for content?
The 10-80-10 framework splits content creation into three phases: 10% human setup defining the brief and brand voice, 80% AI execution generating the content, and 10% human review for quality and authenticity. It produces weeks of content in hours.
How fast should businesses respond to leads?
The best response time is under 5 minutes. Research shows leads contacted within the first minute are 391% more likely to convert. AI enables sub-60-second response times automatically, giving businesses a massive competitive advantage over slow-responding competitors.
