Jacki Leahy is Head of GTM and Founder at Activate the Magic, a Fractional RevOps Agency that will take all the tech stack, process, and data operations off your plate so you can focus on your zone of brilliance.

AI is evolving faster than ever! Marketers and sales leaders face an unprecedented challenge: how to harness the power of automation without losing the human connection that drives true engagement. Jacki’s approach to AI and human-first marketing offers a refreshing perspective on how to blend technology with authentic human interaction. Here are the key takeaways from our conversation and how they can reshape the way SMB brands approach sales, marketing, and AI-driven engagement.

1. AI as an Extension of Consciousness

Jacki’s use of AI tools, like her personalized ChatGPT named Sparky, goes beyond simple automation. By tailoring her AI assistant to reflect her voice, beliefs, and thought processes, she creates a companion that helps her with everything from content ideation to grief counseling. This extension of consciousness allows her to offload mental clutter and focus on what excites her the most.

Human-First Takeaway:

• Customize AI tools to reflect your brand’s tone and voice. AI can become an extension of your thought leadership, reinforcing brand identity while scaling content creation.
• Use AI to handle low-value tasks, freeing up mental bandwidth for strategic and creative work.

Start by feeding AI models with your past content, brand guidelines, and customer personas. Use this to generate first drafts for blogs, emails, and social media posts, then refine them to add the human touch.

2. Automate Without Losing the Human Touch

Jacki emphasizes that AI should serve as a “cloud for your brain” to manage operational details, while humans focus on connecting with others authentically. In her role as a RevOps consultant, she highlights how AI can streamline workflows, but the magic still happens in real human-to-human interactions.

Human-First Takeaway:

• Use AI for process efficiency (e.g., meeting summaries, CRM data entry), but maintain a human presence in customer-facing roles.
• AI should enhance, not replace, human relationships.

Deploy AI-powered tools like Fathom for meeting notes or HubSpot for CRM automation, but ensure sales calls, follow-ups, and negotiations are led by empathetic, engaged humans.

3. LinkedIn Strategy: DMs Over Posts

One of Jacki’s biggest insights is that the real business on LinkedIn happens in the DMs, not in public posts. Profile views are the leading indicator of direct message engagement, and commenting on popular posts is the fastest way to drive those views.

Human-First Takeaway:

• Stop focusing solely on creating new content. Engage with existing conversations on LinkedIn by leaving thoughtful comments on posts by influencers and industry leaders.
• View every LinkedIn interaction as an opportunity to be seen, build credibility, and invite meaningful DMs.

Make it a habit to leave five quality comments daily on posts from influencers your target audience follows. This will build familiarity and drive profile views organically.

4. Embrace the Decline of Traditional Channels

Jacki points out that cold outbound email and traditional SEO strategies are fading. Spam filters, AI-generated content, and changing algorithms mean the old playbooks no longer guarantee results.

Human-First Takeaway:

• Focus on human-first outreach and authentic relationship building. Marketing is shifting back to “hand-to-hand combat,” where personal connections drive results.
• AI can automate repetitive tasks, but creativity, storytelling, and authentic conversations remain irreplaceable.

Shift budget from SEO, cold email, and paid ads to relationship-building strategies such as webinars, community events, and LinkedIn networking.

5. Tools to Enhance the Process (Not Replace It)

Jacki’s toolkit includes AI-driven meeting note takers like Fathom and collaboration tools like TeamFluence, which help streamline outreach and engagement. However, she stresses that these tools should empower—not replace—the marketer.

Human-First Takeaway:

• Invest in AI tools that complement your existing workflows and allow you to focus on high-impact activities.
• Avoid over-automating customer interactions to maintain authenticity.

Experiment with tools like Fathom, TeamFluence, or Jasper for content generation. Use them to automate mundane tasks, but keep final approvals and personalization in human hands.

The Role of Humans in a World with AI Sales and Marketing

Jacki’s philosophy reflects a core truth: while AI can automate, streamline, and optimize, it cannot replace the essence of human creativity and connection. As marketers and sales leaders, our role is to discover more about ourselves, build meaningful relationships, and care for others. AI should support this mission, not detract from it.

By embracing this human-first approach, SMB brands can navigate the evolving AI landscape with confidence, ensuring technology amplifies their message without diluting the humanity behind their brand.

If you’re a go-to-market leader looking for the right-hand team to bring your vision to life, check out Activate the Magic at activatethemagic.com.

And, if you’re ready to scale your marketing efforts with AI-driven content, Avenue9 is here to help.