What if you could automate 90% of your business without losing the human touch? In this episode, Mike Montague sits down with @BradfordSCarlton , founder of Automate Business AI, to explore what’s actually possible when small business owners and creators stop doing everything themselves and start building intelligent systems. From AI-generated content and task automation to building bots for invoicing and marketing, Bradford shares how he has designed a business that runs without constant oversight while maintaining his unique personality in the brand.
You’ll learn how to rethink your org chart, spot opportunities to offload repetitive tasks, and use tools like spreadsheets, GPTs, and no-code automation to free up time and creative energy. If you’re tired of juggling tools or stuck wondering how far AI can go without sacrificing quality, this is your episode. It’s a candid, human-first conversation about working smarter, not just harder.
Most small business owners I know are still stuck doing way too much by hand. Not because they want to, but because they think they have to. Either the tools feel too technical, the results feel too robotic, or there’s just no time to slow down and build a better system.
That’s exactly why I invited Dr. Bradford Carlton onto the Human-First AI Marketing® Podcast because he’s living proof that you can automate 90% of your business without sacrificing quality, brand, or your own sanity.
In fact, his goal? To automate himself out of a job. (Now that’s leadership.)
Start With the Org Chart,Not the Tools
Bradford doesn’t start with tech. He starts with a basic org chart.
Think: If I had to build a business from scratch today, what roles would I need?
From there, he assigns tasks to bots instead of employees.
No-code tools like n8n, spreadsheets, and ChatGPT agents act like mini-team members, each one owning a specific task, just like a junior staffer would.
If it’s a repeatable task with a defined input > process > output, it’s fair game for automation.
Human-First Takeaway:
Think like a leader, not a laborer. Define the process before you pick the tool.
Spreadsheets Are the Starting Line
Forget fancy dashboards and custom databases for now. Bradford said what most of us already know but don’t admit: Spreadsheets run the world.
Almost every small business already has client data, invoices, or content lists living in Google Sheets or Excel. That’s where he starts.
Use simple automations to pull data from those sheets, process them with AI, and route the results where they need to go.
Human-First Takeaway:
Start with what you have. You don’t need to overhaul your tech stack. You just need to connect the dots.
Content Creation? Still Human, Just Faster
Bradford automates most of his content workflow:
- Topic ideas? AI
- Script drafts? AI
- Thumbnails? Midjourney
- Editing? More AI
But he still reviews, refines, and adds his voice. Because as he puts it:
“AI can write your content, but it still can’t be you.”
This mirrors what we preach at Avenue9: AI is an amplifier, not a ghostwriter. Use it to scale your voice, not replace it.
Human-First Takeaway:
Train your AI like you’d train a new team member. Don’t expect great results without context and coaching.
Efficiency > Perfection
A lot of marketers get stuck waiting for the AI to get it 100% right. Bradford doesn’t.
His mindset? “If it saves me hours and it’s 90% right, that’s a win.”
That’s the freedom AI can give you when you stop obsessing over perfect and start optimizing for done.
Especially in B2B marketing, where speed, relevance, and consistency often beat polish and perfection.
Human-First Takeaway:
Stop trying to write like Hemingway. Write like a human. Ship it, test it, learn, and improve.
Final Thoughts: Automate Like You Mean It
Whether you’re a small business owner juggling invoices or a marketing director rewriting the same copy for every campaign there’s probably a smarter way to do it.
This isn’t about turning your business into a robot. It’s about building a system that supports your creativity, your values, and your time.
If you’ve been stuck on the AI sidelines, this episode is your invitation to rethink what’s possible and reclaim some headspace while you’re at it.
Want help spotting the automation opportunities hiding in your business?
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