AI At Work, Humans In Charge | S5 E45

Send us a textA packed Lisbon room. A candid conversation with Sérgio Ferreira, Partner at EY and Jo Smets, President, CCLBL & CEO, BluePanda. And a straight shot of strategy on how AI shifts from cost-cutting to true growth. We take you inside real examples—finance, HR, retail, and contact centers—where automation speeds the work while people make the judgment. The result is faster decisions, 24/7 service, and new operating models that put digital assistants in every pocket and at every counter.We dig into the trust problem head-on. When “good enough” AI content floods the feed, the edge moves to teams that show their process and protect their voice. You’ll hear why we frame AI as augmented intelligence, not artificial intelligence: use machines to gather, draft, and summarize, then apply human editing, taste, and accountability. That mindset becomes essential as we move through three phases: assistants that co-create, agentic AI that works autonomously, and a near future where leaders manage mixed teams of people and digital employees.Customer behavior is changing just as fast. People seek direct answers, not links, which upends SEO and demands distinct expertise, structure, and signals to surface in AI results. We share how to adapt content strategy, build AI literacy and fluency across teams, and maintain strong consulting value by compressing research time while doubling down on human creativity. We also tackle sustainability pressures with pragmatic optimism—acknowledging energy and water costs while highlighting how AI accelerates breakthroughs in materials, medicine, and clean energy.If this conversation helps you reframe your roadmap, follow and share the show with a friend who leads marketing or product. Leave a quick review to support the work, and grab The Future CMO on Amazon for deeper playbooks. Most of all, don’t wait for the future to lead you—lead the future.This episode was recorded at the EY headquarters in Lisbon on October 29, 2025. Read the blog article, and show notes here: https://webdrie.net/ai-at-work-humans-in-charge/.......................................................................... 📘 Read The Future CMO: Amazon 👥 Join the Future CMO Community 🌿 Explore Sintra Synergies Retreat 💼 Connect on LinkedIn..........................................................................

Send us a textWhat happens when you stop treating crypto like a lottery ticket and start treating it like money? We sit down with Joël Valenzuela – core member of DashDAO and creator of Digital Cash Network – who has lived entirely on cryptocurrency since 2015, closed his bank account, and built a daily routine on digital cash.Joel takes us from childhood memories of currency devaluation in Mexico to the first time he split a dinner bill with Bitcoin before payment apps were mainstream. He explains why speculation can’t sustain an ecosystem, how real-world utility creates lasting value, and what investors learn by actually using the product. We explore the bumpy parts too: 2016 fee spikes, network congestion, and the practical decision to move day-to-day spending to Dash for instant settlement, optional privacy, and on-chain scaling that aims to keep payments fast and affordable.We also dive into decentralization that works in practice. Joel outlines the limits of leaderless governance on major networks and why DAOs matter for transparent, network-wide decision-making and funding. Then we zoom out to the Free State Project in New Hampshire, the unlikely incubator where early crypto pioneers swapped ideas, launched tools, and helped shape a payments-first culture long before it trended. Along the way, Joel shares how legacy projects stay relevant through integrations, liquidity, and partnerships that compound over time.If you’ve wondered whether crypto can move beyond charts and narratives to something you can actually live on, this conversation delivers hard-won lessons from the checkout line. Subscribe, share with a friend who still thinks crypto is only an investment, and leave a review to help more people find the show.This episode was recorded through a Descript call on October 22, 2025. Read the blog article and show notes here: https://webdrie.net/living-on-crypto-since-2015/.......................................................................... 📘 Read The Future CMO: Amazon 👥 Join the Future CMO Community 🌿 Explore Sintra Synergies Retreat 💼 Connect on LinkedIn..........................................................................

Send us a textCrypto isn’t supposed to feel like homework. We sit down with Lani Dizon, co-founder and president of Zenza Capital and the RYO Digital Project, to unpack how RYO turns Web3 from hype into habit—usable money, real payments, and tools your family can actually trust. From the origin of RYO as Japan’s historic symbol of trust to its rebirth as a modern digital currency, we trace a clear through-line: make crypto simple, human, and useful.We dig into RYOPAY’s pilot with Grain X Global, where grain shipments settle near-instantly once delivery is confirmed, cutting weeks of bank delays and lowering fees for farmers and buyers. That same settlement layer can power real estate, auto, and global trade—anywhere speed and auditability matter. Then we shift to Life Wallet, a non-custodial app on iOS designed to feel familiar: hold your keys, chat, send assets, connect to social, and soon shop through the global mall or cash in/out via Japan’s first FSA-licensed crypto ATM network. Android is on the way, and RYOPAY will integrate for stable, predictable checkout.We also introduce RYO-CHAN, an AI companion inspired by a real schnauzer, built to guide users through safer Web3 interactions—flagging smart contract risks, offering portfolio tips, and bringing education and rewards into one friendly experience. Beyond products, Lani shares a candid look at building under Japan’s toughest compliance standards and the Japan Revival campaign—a manga-led movement celebrating trust, quality, and ownership as Web3’s north star.If you’re ready for crypto that works in the real world—payments you can rely on, tools that reduce risk, and an ecosystem grounded in integrity—this conversation is your roadmap. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a simpler path into Web3, and leave a quick review so more people can find the show.This episode was recorded through a Descript call on October 10, 2025. Read the blog article and show notes here: https://webdrie.net/from-maze-to-movement-how-ryo-brings-real-world-payments-to-web3/Find Out More >>Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you........................................................................... 📘 Read The Future CMO: Amazon 👥 Join the Future CMO Community 🌿 Explore Sintra Synergies Retreat 💼 Connect on LinkedIn..........................................................................

Send us a text🎧 Full audiobook edition of “The Future CMO” – written and narrated by Joeri Billast.The job changed while most of us were still crafting campaigns. We break down how the CMO is being rebuilt into a Chief Value Officer who speaks in revenue, margin, risk—and proves it. No marketing theatre. Just a clear path to measurable impact powered by trust, technology, and community.Across a fast-moving conversation, we map the value equation (perception + trust + outcome) and show how raising all three in tandem drives durable growth. We walk through the AI marketing maturity model (from automation to autonomous), where to place your next bet, and why governance matters as much as experimentation. Community takes center stage with a practical health score, co-creation tactics, and case studies from GOAT Gaming, Ledger, and Transak that demonstrate lower CAC, higher LTV, and real crisis resilience. Narrative excellence ties it all together: the five‑second story rule, a story resonance matrix, and fractal storytelling that adapts one message across TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, and X without losing voice.We also get tactical: an AI content pipeline for speed with quality, platform‑native adaptation, and decision frameworks that let teams move in 48 hours without losing control. Then we push into strategic audacity – why competence is invisible in an AI world, how boldness with guardrails builds moats, and the exact questions to pass a CFO’s reality check. Finally, we step into the marketing technologist mindset: audit and unify your stack, favor interoperability, automate real growth reporting, and build cross‑functional coalitions with sales, product, finance, legal, and community.If you’re ready to own P&L impact, master AI without losing authenticity, and scale belonging that outlasts algorithms, this conversation is your roadmap. Subscribe, share with a fellow leader who needs it, and leave a review to tell us where you’ll start.—Recorded via Descript in early October 2025, shortly after the release of the eBook and paperback editions. The transcript was auto-generated for accessibility and may contain small errors. To access the full text and bonus resources, visit joeri.link/future-cmo-skool........................................................................... 📘 Read The Future CMO: Amazon 👥 Join the Future CMO Community 🌿 Explore Sintra Synergies Retreat 💼 Connect on LinkedIn..........................................................................

Send us a textImagine algorithms that feel more attentive than people – always patient, never tired, and ready with the perfect follow‑up question. That illusion of empathy is already shaping how buyers research, decide, and stay loyal. We sit down with Mark Schaefer to unpack the human side of AI: cognitive offloading at scale, de‑skilling that changes how customers think, and what it means when assistants default to a single recommendation instead of a page of links.We dig into the new rules of discoverability and why text‑rich content, precise transcripts, and entity clarity now carry outsized weight with large language models. Mark explains why PR is having a renaissance as AI shifts from counting backlinks to interpreting authoritative mentions, and how urgency matters because early movers will lock in the default answers. We also explore the power of overrides—those human factors that still trump machine suggestions – like word‑of‑mouth, brand preference, and community trust that carries through to the moment of choice.The conversation moves beyond tactics to tackle a looming trust crisis. Deepfakes, synthetic media, and frictionless misinformation demand visible transparency: provenance for assets, clear disclosures, and rapid response playbooks. Yet there’s optimism here. With daily experimentation and a strong learning community, founders and teams can use AI to compress go‑to‑market cycles, scale real empathy in service, and design products faster – without losing the human touch that makes brands memorable and resilient.If you’re ready to future‑proof your marketing while staying deeply human, this one’s for you. Listen, subscribe, and leave a review to help others find the show – and tell us: what’s your smartest move to stay findable and trusted in an AI‑first world?This episode was recorded through a Descript call on October 7, 2025. Read the blog article and show notes here: https://webdrie.net/how-ai-changes-your-customers-mark-schaefers-new-book.......................................................................... 📘 Read The Future CMO: Amazon 👥 Join the Future CMO Community 🌿 Explore Sintra Synergies Retreat 💼 Connect on LinkedIn..........................................................................

Send us a textTwo launches, one clear direction: make technology usable and make marketing accountable. We open with the debut of RYO's LIFE Wallet, a super wallet designed for everyone. Start in seconds, sign in with biometrics, recover securely, and send crypto as easily as a text. With a roadmap that includes a global mall for direct payments, staking, NFTs, stablecoins, and AI assistance, the vision is practical: move crypto from speculation to everyday value.Then we turn to "The Future CMO," a 90-minute short read with a big thesis: the next marketing leader operates like a Chief Value Officer. No more marketing theater measured by impressions and likes. We outline eight dimensions of the modern CMO, ranging from narrative excellence with AI as a creative amplifier to content ecosystems that scale, from genuine community building to rigorous measurement of perception, trust, and outcomes. It’s a blueprint for margin resilience, revenue impact, and real accountability to the board.Along the way, we share the tools and community that make change stick: a Trust ROI calculator, a community health score framework, curated AI prompts for speed and quality, plus mastermind calls and events like Sintra Synergies featuring industry voices such as Mark Schaefer. The through line is simple: lead with trust, master technology without losing human authenticity, and design for outcomes that matter. If that future speaks to you, subscribe, share this episode with a colleague, and leave a quick review. What shift will you make first?👉 Buy the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Future-CMO-Modern-Trust-Visibility-ebook/dp/B0FNLBZGB9/This episode was recorded via Descript on Oct 1, 2025. .......................................................................... 📘 Read The Future CMO: Amazon 👥 Join the Future CMO Community 🌿 Explore Sintra Synergies Retreat 💼 Connect on LinkedIn..........................................................................

Send us a textEver wondered how Web3 technology is transforming the sports prediction landscape? Will Martin, founder of LiveDuel, shares his journey from economics student to innovative entrepreneur at the intersection of DeFi and sports engagement.The LiveDuel platform stands apart by solving a fundamental market inefficiency. While traditional sports betting operates through thousands of separate operators with fragmented liquidity pools, LiveDuel applies decentralized finance principles to create a unified global ecosystem. Their Oracle-aware automatic market maker and consolidated liquidity pool delivers better pricing while distributing transaction fees among all participants—the platform, liquidity providers, and content creators.What truly sets LiveDuel apart is their revolutionary marketing approach. Their TikTok prediction filters have been used by 600,000 creators, generating a staggering 750 million views and thousands of organic signups. These filters allow users to create engaging prediction videos for major tournaments simply by moving their heads to make selections, sparking natural engagement as fans debate and react to predictions. As Will quotes from Gary Vee, "organic reach measures relevance," and LiveDuel has certainly proven its relevance in sports conversations.The platform carefully balances Web3 innovation with accessibility. Rather than forcing users through complicated wallet setups, LiveDuel abstracts away technical complexities while maintaining blockchain benefits behind the scenes. This approach caters perfectly to their primary audience—passionate sports fans aged 23-34 from regions where football isn't just entertainment but religion.Looking forward, LiveDuel is monitoring regulatory developments in the United States while developing new creator tools, including live streaming capabilities that acknowledge the full timeline of sports fandom—before, during, and after games. The vision? A truly global, interconnected prediction experience enhanced by community engagement.This episode was recorded at SBC Summit in Lisbon on September 18, 2025. Check the video footage, read the blog article and show notes here: https://webdrie.net/predicting-the-future-how-liveduel-is-revolutionizing-sports-betting/.......................................................................... 📘 Read The Future CMO: Amazon 👥 Join the Future CMO Community 🌿 Explore Sintra Synergies Retreat 💼 Connect on LinkedIn..........................................................................

Send us a textWhat happens when you lose your Bitcoin in the Mt. Gox hack, then watch 44,000 Ethereum vanish from a project you helped build? For Xavier Hendricks, these painful experiences sparked a mission to revolutionize crypto security through radical simplicity.Xavier's journey from blockchain enthusiast to security specialist reveals a counterintuitive truth: the best security removes technology rather than adds it. "Anything that's complicated, anything that's technical, is a weakness," he explains with the hard-earned wisdom of someone who's experienced devastating hacks firsthand.As CEO of NGRAVE, Xavier has created a hardware wallet designed around this philosophy. The solution keeps private keys completely offline while allowing users to sign transactions through an intuitive QR code system that anyone can visually verify. Most impressive is their unique backup solution: two metal plates with a punch system creating a split key backup resistant to fire, water, and physical damage.Beyond the technical innovations, Xavier's perspective on the psychological aspects of crypto security is what truly sets this conversation apart. The industry asks people to take full responsibility for their assets, akin to keeping all your cash in your living room. Creating solutions people actually feel comfortable using requires addressing both technical and emotional security needs.The conversation evolves to explore how trust is quickly lost in the security space, the future of integrating services like staking without compromising security, and why looking beyond the "ugliness on the surface" reveals blockchain's true potential as a peer-to-peer financial system that preserves individual freedom.Join us to discover why simplicity trumps complexity in wallet design, how military-grade security certification meets user-friendly design, and what's next as crypto adoption expands beyond technical enthusiasts to mainstream investors.This episode was recorded through a Descript call on September 11, 2025. Read the blog article and show notes here: https://webdrie.net/from-crypto-victim-to-security-visionary-xaviers-story.......................................................................... 📘 Read The Future CMO: Amazon 👥 Join the Future CMO Community 🌿 Explore Sintra Synergies Retreat 💼 Connect on LinkedIn..........................................................................

Send us a textThe crypto industry has a storytelling problem. Despite its revolutionary potential, most crypto projects struggle to connect with mainstream audiences because they've created an insular world of jargon, acronyms, and narratives that actively exclude outsiders."I've been in a lot of different industries – social impact, investment, technology, healthcare – and I've never been in an industry where narrative mattered more than crypto," explains Stephany Zoo, Head of Ecosystem at Caladan and a veteran crypto marketer since 2014. Drawing from her experience across four continents, Stephany reveals how cultural contexts profoundly shape crypto adoption, from Vietnam's surprisingly high 30% adoption rate (driven by distrust in traditional financial products) to the interplay between regulatory environments in different regions.The disconnect between crypto projects and mainstream users runs deeper than many realize. While companies like Robinhood are successfully bringing their existing users into crypto, the reverse rarely happens. Crypto marketers have created barriers through excessive technical language and a focus on what makes crypto different rather than relatable. "So much of the storytelling we've seen recently positions crypto as this unique thing that's redoing or undoing what the financial world has done previously," Stephanie notes. "You can't have an entire industry that stands by itself."This marketing challenge extends to how founders approach growth. Too often, they chase vanity metrics – Twitter followers, conference appearances, impression counts – while neglecting the fundamentals of positioning, messaging, and conversion metrics that actually drive business. The result? Unsustainable hype cycles that quickly fade instead of building lasting value.For marketers navigating this space, Stephany offers practical wisdom: return to marketing basics like user segmentation and channel strategy, focus on clear messaging consistency across all platforms, and tell stories that connect crypto to everyday experiences rather than isolating it as something alien. As the industry matures and institutional adoption grows, communicating crypto's internal culture to the outside world responsibly becomes increasingly critical.Ready to build bridges instead of walls with your crypto marketing? Subscribe to Web3 CMO Stories for more insights from the frontlines of blockchain communication and community building.This episode was recorded through a Descript call on September 5, 2025. Read the blog article and show notes here: https://webdrie.net/the-crypto-storytelling-problem-tales-from-four-continents/.......................................................................... 📘 Read The Future CMO: Amazon 👥 Join the Future CMO Community 🌿 Explore Sintra Synergies Retreat 💼 Connect on LinkedIn..........................................................................

Send us a textThe marketing landscape is transforming rapidly, and leadership must evolve with it. That's the driving insight behind my exciting announcement today – my new book "The Future CMO" is almost ready to launch! After sharing keynote stages with Philip Kotler in Cairo and Dennis Yu in Portugal, I realized the message I've been developing over years was finally coming together in a powerful way.What started as a conversation with Mark Schaefer in July – "You're already doing the work, your book is halfway done" – has blossomed into a focused, actionable guide for modern marketing leaders. This isn't a lengthy theoretical tome; it's a sharp 90-minute read designed specifically for marketers, founders, and decision-makers navigating the complexities of AI, Web3, and the overwhelming technological noise we all face today."The Future CMO" explores how marketing leadership must evolve from strategist to integrator, from campaign thinker to system builder. I dive into critical themes of visibility, trust, and storytelling while making the case that tomorrow's most effective marketing leaders will guide their organizations not just with metrics, but with meaning. The e-book launches this September, followed by the paperback in October. If you'd like to be part of this journey – as an early reader, launch team member, or just someone who wants to grab the book when it's available, reach out to me via https://webdrie.net. The future of marketing starts with how we choose to show up, and I'd love for you to join me in exploring what that means for all of us.This episode was recorded via Descript on Sep 3, 2025. .......................................................................... 📘 Read The Future CMO: Amazon 👥 Join the Future CMO Community 🌿 Explore Sintra Synergies Retreat 💼 Connect on LinkedIn..........................................................................