Inside Marketing with MarketSurge

Welcome to Inside Marketing
With Market Surge.

Your front row seat to the
boldest ideas and smartest

strategies in the marketing game.

Your host is Reed Hansen, chief
Growth Officer at Market Surge.

Reed: Hello and welcome back to Inside
Marketing with Market Surge Today

I'm excited to welcome a guest who
brings sharp, strategic thinking and

practical insights into the world
of business growth and innovation.

Garcia is the founder and CEO of
strategy and growth, a consultancy

helping companies accelerate
performance scale sustainably,

and future proof their operations.

With a sharp eye on how AI is
reshaping the business landscape.

Miriam helps leaders not just
adopt technology, but align it with

real strategy and long-term goals.

She's here today to share her perspective
on where AI is actually moving the

needle, how to avoid getting lost
in the hype, and what every founder

or leader should be thinking about
as we move deeper into the AI era.

Miriam, welcome to the show.

Mariam: Thank you so much for having me.

I really appreciate it and I'm
excited to talk about, uh, a

topic that for me, like I'm very
passionate about ai, so I'm excited.

Reed: Well, really glad to have you.

Can we talk first about your journey?

What led you to founding strategy and
growth, and how did AI start to play

a role with the services you deliver?

Mariam: Yeah, so I started
strategy growth when I was 17,

so about a year and a half ago.

Um, and I really, I started getting into
business because, um, I was in grade 11

in Canada, we, we don't use like junior
and senior, we just say the numbers.

Uh, so I was in grade 11 and, you know,
I was starting to look 'cause I was

starting to have to apply to universities.

Um, and I was starting to realize
that I had this idea that I was

gonna go into the medical field.

Um.

Long story short, it
wasn't working out for me.

So I realized that I'm gonna have to pivot
and I'm gonna have to change the direction

that I thought I was gonna go into.

So, um, entrepreneurship is very strong
in my family and my dad, my uncle, my

parents, they have multiple businesses,
so I've always been surrounded by it,

but I never really took it seriously.

But then as I started kind of digging
into their stories and kind of finding out

what they were doing, I started to realize
that's something that I might like to do.

Um.

So I started strategy
growth, uh, early 2023.

Um, and it, it's always more
or less stayed the same.

It's kind of like a marketing.

Um, really what I've been trying
to do is help people get the leads,

the clients that they need to keep
their, um, their businesses running.

Um, and then I started using ai.

I would say probably.

Mid 2024, I would say, is
really when I started to see

that it was getting popular.

Um, before that I had only ever used
like chat BT the very basic, uh,

the very basic level of chat BT.

But then I started to realize
more and more that, um, there's a

lot of opportunity when it comes,
especially when it comes to like

online businesses like myself.

Um, and I started doing a
little bit more research.

Uh, I started listening to like
podcasts and watching videos.

Um, and then another reason why I, I
realized that I need some kind of support

was I started going to university.

Um, but so I was a university student
and I was a business owner and it

was a lot to manage, um, because
I was just doing it by myself.

I didn't have like a team or anything.

So I started to realize that right
now I, at the time, I couldn't

afford to, you know, hire somebody
full-time and pay them a salary.

Um, so I had to look
into other alternatives.

And so that's really kind of
what pushed me to look into ai.

Reed: Fantastic.

Well, tell us a little bit more about
what functions for your own business.

You have found success with leaning on ai.

Mariam: Yeah.

So, uh, on the most basic level,
I mean of course, HBT, um, you

know, writing my emails, writing my
captions, um, my video scripts, um.

I also have GPTs that help me.

For example, I have a client that
we always run the same campaign,

just kind of like the, the concept
of the campaign changes, but

the template is always the same.

So I've built A GPT based on that.

And so every month we, I just put in
the information, the details of the

campaign, uh, and the writes all the
emails, all the social media captions,

video scripts, all at one time.

So I don't have to kind of
go individually prompt it.

Over and over again.

It already knows what we're
looking for in that campaign.

Um, and then on a higher level, I
also use something called Hagen,

um, which is a video avatar creator.

Um, and so basically I can quote myself
or my clients, um, and we can make videos.

So my podcast, I, I use Hagen to
kind of create these videos for

myself because, um, I'm sure like,
you know, editing takes a long time.

Um, and so what I realized is that.

Instead of having to record myself
and, you know, take three hours to

edit a small video, I would just
put my, uh, text into Hagen and

then it was automatically generated.

Um, and then I also offer ai, uh,
like an AI conversational bot.

Uh, so we use Close bot for SMS.

So, uh, you know, they can instantly
respond, but not in a robotic, you

know, typical AI way in a very.

A conversational, very human way.

Um, and then we also use Nova
Echo for voice calling, which

is absolutely incredible.

It's better than a lot of, you know,
virtual assistants that I know when

it comes to speaking, it's very clear.

It's, uh, enunciates
its words really well.

Um, and yeah, I would say that's
mainly where I use AI right now.

Um, but it's definitely very
involved in, in my business.

Reed: Yeah, that's, I mean, that's
a great overview and um, you know, I

loved your description of A-G-B-T-I.

Among my audience, I have people that are.

the range of understanding ai.

So, um, I might ask some, uh, through,
you know, in our conversation I might

ask you to explain, but I thought that
was a great explanation of, of GPT

and, and all the tools you're using.

Um, and, and it really does seem to
be, uh, a key part of being an AI

consultant is the ability to explain
what's happening and, and, uh, you

know, what, what it's used for.

Uh, what kinds of businesses
do you typically work with?

You know, what, what are some
similarities between them?

Mariam: Um, so I mostly work
with small to midsize businesses.

Reed: Okay.

Mariam: some of them are like
local based home renovation.

Uh, some of them are also like online
businesses that offer kind of similar

consulting marketing services.

Um, and I would say that
the main thing that I, that.

I see in common with all of them
is the need to be able to scale.

Um, and the need to often when I, I have
a client and we have our first onboarding

call, they're always like, you know,
I have so many ideas for my business.

Like, I wanna do this, I wanna do this,
but I just can't because I'm always on

the phone or I'm always, uh, you know,
at appointments or I'm overwhelmed.

I can't send emails.

I forget to send emails.

So I think the most important thing,
regardless of what business you're in,

is really automating the small tasks.

Whether it's, you know, sending
a follow up email or, you

know, sending a review once.

Like, for example, I have a, a, a
client who's a real estate agent.

Um, and before when we first
met in the onboarding call, uh,

he was like very overwhelmed.

And even during our actual meeting,
he was trying to answer the phone.

He had like two phones.

I was like, okay, we need take step
back, uh, and we need to see where can

we automate, you know, all the emails,
all the documents, things like that.

So I would say.

Amongst, uh, the clients, the, the
most important thing, the thing that

we really focus on is trying to take
away your attention from like small,

menial tasks and really letting you
shine where, why you started the

business, whether you started for home
renovation, real estate, et cetera.

Reed: That's,

Mariam: I.

Reed: Yeah, I, um, I agree with that and
it's, it's like it amplifies the concept

of marketing automation where, you know,
certain things were automatic, um, like.

you know, for instance, we both
use the go high level platform

and, one of the default functions
is the missed call text back.

But AI takes that the next
step to just saying like, Hey,

sorry we missed your call.

it can understand the response
and continue the conversation.

it's really cool.

I think, It is a real enabler for
small businesses, like you said,

that wanna scale in particular.

now in these early conversations
with your clients, like a new

client, they're pretty overwhelmed.

there's a lot to learn about marketing.

There's a lot to learn about
the marketing technology.

And then you add AI on top of that.

Where do you usually start?

how do you help someone with technical
skills, like a real estate agent

or, maybe a general contractor.

where would you start on the
marketing topic for them?

Mariam: I always say to
start with one bottleneck.

So, you know, I'm sure every business
owner has multiple, pain points,

whether it's, struggling with marketing,
graphics starting advertising or

following meta policies so I always
say find the biggest problem, the one

that you need to focus on right away.

Let's say your issue is, you know,
you're good with the marketing,

you're getting the leads, but then
you don't know how to follow up.

So okay, let's focus on that.

You might have other issues as well,
but let's focus on one thing first.

Let's get that settled and then move on.

Because I think the thing with
AI as well is people get very

overwhelmed because there is a lot of
opportunity, and it moves really fast.

There's changes all the time.

You have to keep up with it.

and so I think that's kind of
what pushes people away this

feeling of being overwhelmed,
which I completely understand.

So I always like to go very slowly.

I like to present all of the potential
opportunities, but I only like to focus

on one or two pain points at a time,
so that way we can go like baby steps.

so that way, you know, we're
not making too many mistakes.

Um, you're not feeling overwhelmed
because As an agency, what I'm trying

to do is make your life easier, uh,
make it more automated, make it simpler.

So, you know, we don't want
you to feel overwhelmed.

Reed: Absolutely.

Um, I think that's a, great way
to approach it and most people can

understand the concept of a bottleneck.

you know, if you explain it in those
terms, it's helpful to say like, well,

you know, I get a lot of voice messages,
but I don't have time to return them or I,

have a lot of people asking for pricing,
but it's annoying to fulfill all those

requests, you know, and people, I think
get that and, you know, just going one

at a time and fixing those issues one at
a time is, definitely a great approach.

so with AI tools in particular, you
mentioned several that you like,

like Hagen and close bot and others.

Was it Nova?

Was the voice one you used?

Is that right?

Mariam: Echo.

Reed: Nova Echo.

Okay.

And, um, so I'm just curious,
know, and I'm, I'm happy to share

some that I've, I've really liked.

Are there any other, like niche AI
tools that you've liked, uh, that

you've played around with or, um, uh,
you know, enjoyed or, or, you know,

I love the way you're using agents on
chat, GBT, I think that's really cool.

Um, but any other unique
ones that have come to mind?

Mariam: Um.

I don't know about Niche.

I think they're pretty popular, but
I, I'd still like to bring them up.

Uh, I use 11 labs for if I'm ever
making like shorts or real voiceovers.

Um, that's really great.

Um, I also use Turbo Scribe ai, which uh.

For one of my clients, um,
we do YouTube optimization.

So we upload their YouTube videos,
um, and we always like to make

sure that the caption and the
tags are related to the video.

So instead of having to watch the one hour
video, I put it through turbo, scribe it,

transcribes it, and I can download like
the SRT file, which is like the subtitles.

I can download the transcription,
um, and then I can feed that to chat

GBT and it instantly can make the
timestamps for me or the caption for me.

And that's just kind of another
way that I like to automate.

So I'm not sitting there like
having to go through the video.

Okay.

Uh, even like making the chapters,
I used to have to do it by hand,

but now I just can feed it to chat.

GBTI tell it how long the
video is and it can instantly

make, uh, accurate timestamps.

So that's another one.

Turbo Scribe.

That's a good one.

Um, let me see.

I would say those are kind of
the two that are a little more

on the niche side of things.

Um.

Yeah, I mean I also use like Claude,
um, but that's not necessarily niche.

Reed: Yeah, and, uh, basically I'm
just always pulling people I talk

to, like, you know, what's an AI tool
I haven't yet, experimented with.

And, you know, a few of these I have not.

So I'd like to try them out.

Um, you know, I've been playing
around a lot with this cursor.

Have you heard of Cursor?

So it's an app for producing code and, I.

having a lot of fun with it.

Like so far I'm realizing my shortcomings
creative in the sense of like, I don't

have great ideas for creating an app,
but, the ideas that I'm copying like

I've made an ROI calculator that I can
put on a webpage for, certain things.

And then, I made a.

Marketing persona
generator based on a form.

and so it calls to OpenAI.

Now again, that's with
zero coding experience.

I just plugged in instructions into
Cursor and it set up the Google Fire

Base server for me, and it was so cool.

anyway, yeah, I love experimenting with
all these, just really, really fun.

Mariam: Yeah, absolutely.

Reed: Yeah.

No, go ahead.

No.

Um, I have noticed that there's
an instinct in many of my clients,

especially those that haven't
used ai, that they want to protect

the, like, the warmth and, um, I.

And kind of like the, the
relationship of communications with

their clients and they're like,
wary that AI sounds too robotic.

Now, how does that conversa, I'm sure
you've had those conversations too.

Um, how, how do you navigate that
and, you know, like how do you

assure clients that it, it can be
okay to use AI for certain things?

Mariam: Yeah, so.

In October of 2024, I released a book
called Ai UN Me, um, and it was inspired,

essentially by a question that I kept
getting of, you know, how do you reconcile

using AI when it could take away jobs,
when it could replace humans, you know?

Um, and in the book, I kind of wrote
like a, a letter and I signed it by me,

and basically what I was saying is that
AI is the enabler of human passion.

That AI is just a tool.

Um, and that humans have always evolved.

Um, and I always like to use the example
of the Victorian era when, uh, in the

industrial revolution, um, when machines
were first coming out, you know, people

were so hesitant, you know, these
factories are gonna take away our jobs.

Um, and instead it produced this
beautiful industrial revolution

and now we're here today.

Um, and so I think there.

People are kind of creatures of habit.

We're always, you know, hesitant
about new change, especially

when it comes to technology.

Um, and you know, these
doubts are not without reason.

Of course, there are absolutely
ways that AI can be used for,

for the wrong, but that's like
with anything powerful, I think.

Um.

And so I always like to remind,
you know, my clients that

AI should be supporting you.

You know, when, when we're creating
AI, conversational bots or we're

doing hey gen videos, we're
always personalizing it to you.

We're using your tone, your
voice, your face, you know?

Um, and that's really we're,
what we're trying to do.

We're really trying to empower you?

Um, because at the end of
the day, AI is not humans.

Right.

And it's just a tool.

Um, and I think that it's a
very powerful tool that we

can use to lift each other up.

Um, and to give ourselves
opportunities that we didn't have

before, that I probably wouldn't
be able to be running my business

the way that I am, um, without ai.

So that's what I would say.

And I think, you know, there's always a
balance, um, of, Balancing, especially

when it comes to like automation.

You know, always balancing it
so that you still have that

strong sense of the human touch.

Reed: Yeah.

that reminds me, I was experimenting with
a voice AI bot for outbound marketing

for my own agency, So, you know, it would
place a number of calls simultaneously.

So I'd get a lot of feedback
really quickly based on the

responses that were recorded.

And, it was fairly often people
would respond about the fact that

they recognized that this was an ai,
tool I mean, I get the anger about

being contacted by a telemarketer.

You know, that's, well established.

but there was like another level up of
anger of being contacted by an AI bot.

And I'm kind of laughing 'cause
it goes along with your story.

Like, you don't have to be mad about it.

it's inevitable, like we're going
to see more functions replaced by AI

and, you know, is it causing you harm
that you have this more efficient,

even more intelligent or faster,
program that is interacting with you.

Like, is it really caused to be angry?

But like people just get angry at things
that are new And it's, uh, I think

it's a process to, to get used to it.

And, no, you're, you're young and doing
really impressive things, but I think

you are kind of in, like, you're a
digital native, you know, you're almost

like an AI native and, um, where people
like my age, you know, it's, it's a

little bit of a labor to, to get there.

Um, so.

I imagine you spend a lot of time
working with people like assuring

them like, Hey, it's gonna be okay.

You know, it's, it's gonna be a
tool that, that really helps you.

Mariam: Yeah.

Uh, which is why I try to be, you
know, more present online and a little

bit more vocal about like, AI use.

'cause I want people to see that
it's like, it's everybody, even me,

like I'm a female teen entrepreneur.

That's such a niche thing.

Um, so that, you know,
there's like different voices.

It's not just coming from, you know, like
a tech billionaire or something like that.

Like, no, AI is for everybody and
it's offering opportunities to, you

know, just like the average person.

So I think that's really
what I like to highlight.

Reed: So one, um, interesting side
topic is, um, the ethics of ai.

And, you know, maybe this is something
you've thought about like both the

ethics of using it and, uh, sometimes
there's some questions about the

kinds of outputs it produces.

Um, you know, recently, couple
weeks ago, they released a.

Friendly chat, GPT, maybe you
had that experience and all of a

sudden it was responding to every
question I said with like, hell yeah.

That's a great question.

You know, I was like,
oh, you know, come on.

Like that was a little, little off
putting, but um, but in terms of ethics,

what are some of the things you consider
and think about with AI and its use?

Mariam: Um, so when it comes
to like the ethical use ai, I.

think it's just, it's about
being transparent, um, especially

about your use of ai, how you're
using it, um, with other people.

Um, and I think a great example
I can show is, uh, Hagen because

it's like a video clone of you.

Reed: Mm-hmm.

Mariam: And so they're very,
uh, they have very strong like.

Security, um, the person who are, so,
for example, if I can clone someone

else, but I have to get their consent,
they have to, uh, record like a three

minute video of them saying, I consent
to this, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

Um, and I think that just goes to show
that with ai, um, you know, like I said,

that it's very powerful and if it gets
into the wrong hands, absolutely be used.

But I think it's just about being
transparent, being secure, you know,

doing a little bit of research into,
you know, like data privacy and security

and, you know, reading those terms and
conditions, um, to see if, if, if you're

comfortable with that kind of use.

Um, and with all my clients, I
mean, we're always very transparent.

We're always, you know, reading
every clause and, you know,

helping them understand.

So, not to scare them or anything,
but just so that they're prepared and

that they're aware of what, what tools
they're using and what they're gonna be.

Uh, involved in, let's say,

Reed: You just made me think of.

A product idea and, uh, AI agent that
reads terms and conditions and gives

you cliffs notes of every 'cause.

Mariam: yeah.

Reed: how many times a day are we, you
know, agreeing to terms and conditions?

Mariam: Yeah,

Reed: Um, no, that's great.

um, so just maybe in, parting
advice for business owners, just

on the whole, like you know, you've
given us so much, wisdom here.

Do you think that there is like, um.

we can really look forward to in the next
one or two years about ai, that might give

us some enthusiasm for the future of ai.

Mariam: I would say the rise
of like autonomous agents.

Reed: Hmm.

Mariam: Um, so, you know, not just
tools that are like, you know, the

basics at GBT using it like Google.

I would say more, like open AI
operator that can physically

do things on your screen.

Um, and so I think that is what we're
gonna see in the next year and a bit is.

AI becoming, not just like a browser
or something you can search up on, but

actually scheduling your appointments or
booking, uh, I don't know what for you I

mean, open AI operator is very powerful.

It can interact with your screen.

It's kind of like screen sharing.

and so that's what we're seeing already.

So I can imagine in a year with the rate
that AI is moving, I think autonomous

agents are definitely gonna be.

Like the most powerful thing
that's gonna come out of this.

Reed: Yeah.

No, I love it.

And I mean, it's kind of exciting
because, you just identified a

few tasks that I hate, you know,
like booking travel, you know, um,

Mariam: Yep.

Reed: you know,

Mariam: Yep.

Reed: that would be fantastic to delegate.

Well, Miriam, this has been so great to

Mariam: Absolutely.

Reed: you and you're,
you're so impressive.

Um, where can listeners find you if
they'd like more information about

your services and strategy and growth
and, you know, if they'd like to work

with you, where can they find you?

Mariam: Yeah, so, um, you can
find me@strategygrowthroi.com.

Um, you can book an appointment,
we can have a chat and see where

you're at and how we can help you.

Um, and if you wanna just kind
of follow my online journey,

you can follow me at, I am.

Miriam Garcia on Instagram.

Uh, and yeah, I'm always posting
cool stuff that I'm doing, podcasts

that I'm going on, books that I'm
writing, so I'd love to see you there.

Reed: Awesome.

Thank you so much, and I'll include
these links in the show notes.

And, uh, really looking forward
to, you know, staying in touch.

You, um, you know, we're, we're doing
some, some very similar things and,

um, you know, I've, I've learned a
lot in my conversations with you.

So, uh, thanks for joining us and, uh,
you know, have a great rest of your day.

Mariam: Thank you so much.

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