Anna Addoms, Navigating AI: A Human-Centered and Value-Driven Blueprint - Innova.Buzz 671

Innova.buzz

Anna Addoms, Wicked Marvelous

Our guest in this episode is Anna Addoms, the insightful founder of Wicked Marvelous. Anna champions making technology, especially AI, accessible and genuinely useful for small business owners, always with a focus on reducing overwhelm and fostering authentic connections. In our chat, Anna shares her practical wisdom on how entrepreneurs can harness AI as a powerful tool without losing the essential human touch that truly matters in building lasting relationships and a thriving business.

Key points discussed include:

* AI as a Tool, Not a Replacement: Use AI strategically for back-office tasks, but always keep humans at the forefront of client interactions.

* Guard Human Connection Fiercely: Implement AI in customer service with extreme care, ensuring transparency and easy access to human support.

* Navigate AI Ethically and Practically: Stay informed about AI's capabilities and risks, using it to add value while protecting your brand and IP.

Listen to the podcast to find out more.

Innovabiz Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Show Notes from this episode with Anna Addoms, Wicked Marvelous

The AI Revolution: Tool, Not Tyrant

It feels like just yesterday we were marveling at the dawn of AI, this "cool, shiny object" everyone was buzzing about. Fast forward to today, and we're deep in the trenches, moving beyond the mere novelty and into the serious business of practical application. The initial excitement was palpable, but now, as Anna Addoms wisely pointed out in our recent chat, we're navigating the "nitty gritty" – figuring out what AI is actually doing, whether it's truly adding value, and how to use it safely and effectively without getting lost down a "rabbit hole."

Anna Addoms, with her characteristic clarity, cuts right to the chase: AI is fundamentally a tool, a multi-tool even. Think of it like a powerful chainsaw in your shed. In the right hands, with the right understanding, it can make incredibly light work of massive tasks. But if you're not careful, or if you don't really know how to wield it, you're just inviting a mess or unnecessary complexity. Our biggest goal, as entrepreneurs, should be to use AI to enhance our lives and businesses, to make things easier, and crucially, to still allow us to do what we do best: cultivate genuine human connections.

Where AI Shines (and Where It Doesn't)

So, where does this powerful multi-tool truly shine? Anna suggests focusing its considerable might on back-office tasks – those internal operations that often consume valuable time and energy. Picture those complex spreadsheet formulas that make your head spin; AI can whip those up in a flash. Or consider the initial drafts of long-form content, giving you a solid starting point without the blank page paralysis. The key here is using AI to shoulder a significant portion of the "heavy lifting," freeing you up for more strategic and human-centric work.

But let's not get carried away. As Anna firmly reminds us, not every "low-level task can be farmed out" to AI. There are times when trying to force AI into a situation actually creates more complication than it solves. If a simple spreadsheet can organize your contact information, why complicate it by feeding it into an AI that might struggle with context? The wisdom lies in recognizing when AI is a genuine accelerator and when it's just an unnecessary detour.

The Human Touch: Why Relationships Still Rule

Here’s where Anna's human-centered philosophy truly comes to the fore: AI should never, ever, replace genuine human connection. We've all been there – stuck in a frustrating recursive loop with a chatbot, feeling like we’re talking to a brick wall. That "bad brain experience" doesn't just annoy customers; it actively "burns relationships." Anna is adamant: if you're deploying AI for customer service, there must be an immediate, clear escalation process to a real human. Without that "I wanna talk to a real human right now" button, you're essentially signing a death warrant for customer loyalty.

It's not just about functionality; it's about authenticity. Anna points out the "uncanny valley" experience when AI voice technology gets too close to human, yet remains subtly "off." This creates a deep cognitive dissonance, a feeling of "something is wrong." Her advice is crystal clear: be transparency. If it's a bot, call it a bot. Don't give it a human name or picture. This ethical stance ensures trust, preventing your customers from feeling misled or, worse, "pissed off" because they couldn't escape an automated interaction.

Building Your AI-Powered Personal Brand (Ethically!)

Now, on a brighter note, AI can be an absolute boon for crafting and refining your personal brand's messaging. Anna herself has trained her AI to sound "exactly like me" for various content outputs – emails, sales pages, blog posts. This means she can generate initial drafts that are remarkably consistent with her unique voice and cadence. The magic, however, lies in the subsequent step: the human touch, the final edit. Anna emphasizes that she's always the "last person to see it," ensuring her "seal of approval" is on every piece of content that goes out. This blend of AI efficiency and human oversight is powerful.

However, a crucial word of caution, something Anna highlighted with a stark anecdote: be incredibly mindful of data privacy and copyright when using AI tools. She shared a sobering example of authors inadvertently signing away their book copyrights by inputing their manuscripts into certain AI language models under their terms of service. It's like accidentally giving away your precious intellectual property to the public domain! Always, always read the fine print. Your content is your gold, so guard it fiercely.

Mastering Your Workflow: AI as Your SOP Sidekick

Let’s talk about a task many entrepreneurs dread: creating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). We know we need them, especially when scaling and hiring, but the thought of documenting every little step can feel overwhelming. This is where AI truly shines as an unsung hero. As Anna explains, many new hires struggle not because they're incompetent, but because they lack clear, documented processes. You hand over a task, and then find yourself frustrated when it's not done exactly as you envisioned.

Anna’s practical solution? Leverage AI! She encourages entrepreneurs to use prompts that guide them step-by-step through the SOP creation process. Even better, you can feed it enough information, and it can draft the entire thing for you. This isn't about abdicating responsibility; it's about leveraging AI's ability to structure information logically, ensuring "everything starts coming back faster and exactly the way they want." It’s also fantastic for critiquing existing SOPs, pointing out gaps or areas for improvement that your brain, so familiar with the process, might simply overlook.

The Calendar Conundrum: Owning Your Time with (or Without) AI

The digital calendar, while a godsend for organization, can also be a silent saboteur of your precious time if not managed with an iron fist. Anna and I both share a strong sentiment about this: you must maintain boundaries around your calendar and your time. While AI scheduling tools offer undeniable convenience, there’s a real danger of "abdicating ownership" of your most valuable asset. Suddenly, your days are a chaotic collage of back-to-back meetings with no breathing room, leading straight to burnout.

Anna’s advice echoes a hard-won truth: your time, your rules. Instead of giving people 24/7 access to your schedule, block out specific times for different types of meetings or, even better, for uninterrupted deep work. This isn't about being unapproachable; it's about being strategic and protecting your mental and physical well-being. Whether you use AI for scheduling or not, the principle remains: actively manage your calendar, don't let it manage you.

Staying Savvy: Protecting Your Digital Self

In this "wild west" of AI, staying vigilant about your digital footprint is paramount. Anna recommends a simple yet powerful defense: set up Google Alerts for your name and business. It sounds old school, but it's incredibly effective for catching any unauthorized use of your likeness or content. Knowing what's being published about you, or as you, is the first line of defense. It allows you to be proactive, as Anna herself experienced when a podcast interview went live earlier than planned.

Beyond monitoring, be aware of the bigger picture. While malicious voice cloning of individuals like us isn't the prevalent issue yet (it's mostly targeting celebrities), the technology exists. The reality is, some risk is inherent when putting content on public platforms. However, understanding your rights – the ability to issue cease and desist orders and report malicious content – empowers you to act swiftly if your digital identity is ever compromised. In this evolving landscape, awareness is truly your strongest shield.

Summary:

Anna Addoms provided incredible insights into navigating the brave new world of AI. Her core message is simple yet profound: AI is a powerful tool, but it should always serve to enhance human connection, never replace it. She emphasized the critical need for transparency, especially when AI is client-facing, and highlighted the importance of guarding your intellectual property. Ultimately, AI offers immense potential for efficiency and automation in our businesses, but its successful implementation hinges on a clear, human-centered strategy.

Reach Out

You can reach out and thank Anna by visiting her website.

Links:

* Website – Wicked Marvelous

* Twitter – @WickedMarvelous

* Linkedin

* Facebook

* Instagram - @wicked_marvelous

Cool Things About Anna

* Anna grew up in Colorado in a family of entrepreneurs, right in the thick of the tech boom. She was raised around innovation and search engines, with her dad running AOL’s biggest competitor during the first dot-com bubble. That’s a childhood spent at the intersection of curiosity and code.

* She’s a creative at heart: Anna went to art school and holds a degree in English Literature. Her journey from art and literature to Silicon Valley tech startups is a delightful zigzag, not a straight line. She’s proof that you can be both a techie and a creative soul.

* Anna has a knack for reinvention. After burning out in the high-octane world of Silicon Valley startups (like clockwork, every 18 months!), she realized her true passion was helping others build and implement their own dreams. She’s now been running her own company for over a decade, thriving on variety and new challenges.

* She’s a self-confessed “sponge of knowledge,” always learning, always curious. Anna’s love of learning has led her down unexpected paths—from luxury travel to ad agencies to med-tech startups. She’s not afraid to pivot, experiment, or start over if it means staying true to her values.

Imagine being a part of a select community where you not only have access to our amazing podcast guests, but you also get a chance to transform your marketing and podcast into a growth engine with a human-centered, relationship-focused approach.

That’s exactly what you’ll get when you join the Flywheel Nation Community.

Tap into the collective wisdom of high-impact achievers, gain exclusive access to resources, and expand your network in our vibrant community.

Experience accelerated growth, breakthrough insights, and powerful connections to elevate your business.

ACT NOW – secure your spot and transform your journey today! Visit innovabiz.co/flywheel and get ready to experience the power of transformation.

Video

Thanks for reading Innovabiz Substack! This post is public so feel free to share it.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit innovabiz.substack.com/subscribe