What if AI wasn’t just another shiny object but a way to get back to what actually works in marketing? In this episode, Mike Montague sits down with David Berkowitz, founder of the AI Marketers Guild and author of The Non-Obvious Guide to Using AI in Marketing, to talk about how small and mid-sized businesses can avoid the trap of AI slop and instead use smart tools to create real connections, trust, and creativity at scale.
Together, they unpack the risks of lazy automation, the rise of spammy AI outreach, and how thoughtful marketers can stand out by doing less but better. You’ll learn practical ways to personalize proposals, customize your content engine, use AI as an “editor”, not an engine, and create experiences your buyers actually care about. If you’re overwhelmed by tools, tired of robotic content, or just looking for a smarter, more human-first way to market, this conversation is your permission to rethink everything.
You know you’re talking to the right guest when the first five minutes of a podcast cover LinkedIn spam, Spider-Man, and the tragedy of the commons, and it all makes perfect marketing sense. That’s what happened when I sat down with David Berkowitz, founder of the AI Marketers Guild and author of The Non-Obvious Guide to Using AI in Marketing.
David doesn’t just use AI. He questions it. He bends it. He asks better questions of it. And he refuses to let it ruin what actually makes marketing work: real human connection.
So if you’re a business owner or marketing leader trying to navigate the AI chaos without becoming part of the problem this one’s for you.
Here are a few of the lessons that stuck with me (and should probably stick with you, too):
1. AI Can’t Fix Bad Marketing
If your strategy is to send 10,000 LinkedIn messages per month… congratulations. You’ve just added more noise to a room where nobody’s listening. The truth is, AI makes it easier to scale what you’re already doing so if your messaging is shallow, spammy, or generic, AI will multiply the damage.
Human-First Takeaway:
Don’t start with automation. Start with alignment. Then scale with systems that respect your audience.
2. The Real Risk Is the “Tragedy of the Commons”
David nailed this idea. If everyone starts automating at scale with AI, attention becomes the resource we all overgraze. The end result? Burnt channels, annoyed buyers, and broken trust.
Human-First Takeaway:
The short-term gain of mass outreach isn’t worth the long-term cost of lost trust. The future belongs to brands who opt out of the race to the bottom.
3. Use AI to Do What Wasn’t Possible Before
The best AI applications we discussed weren’t “more content, faster.” They were things that small teams couldn’t have done at all a few years ago: custom quizzes after a speech, vibe-coded landing pages, proposal decks built from transcripts, or creative video avatars for hyper-personal intros.
Human-First Takeaway:
Use AI to extend your creativity, not just your calendar. Build the things you always wished you had time or budget to do.
4. Be the Editor, Not the Robot
AI is great at getting you from 0 to 60. But it’s terrible at nuance, originality, and timing. That’s your job. As David put it, “I don’t like pitching myself, so I trained AI to do that for me.” (Brilliant.) But he still polishes it, adds heart, and makes sure it sounds like him.
Human-First Takeaway:
Let AI take the first pass, then step in with empathy, voice, and purpose. That’s your edge.
5. Interactive Content > Static Content
David and I both geeked out about quizzes, like the kind you offer after a keynote, on a landing page, or in your newsletter. AI now makes it easy to build these experiences, integrate them with your CRM, and deliver insights back to the prospect and the marketing team.
Human-First Takeaway:
Stop guessing. Start conversations. Ask questions your sales team wishes they knew the answers to, and let AI help you deliver value in return.
Final Thought: It’s Not About Tools. It’s About Intent.
Look, I’m not anti-technology. (I literally run a company called Avenue9 based on an AI strategy.) But what stuck with me from this conversation is how we use AI matters more than what we use. When your intention is to connect, educate, and serve your audience better, AI becomes a powerful amplifier. But if you’re using it to cut corners or chase quick wins, you’re building a system on sand.
So here’s your checklist from this episode:
- Don’t outsource trust to a prompt pack.
- Don’t spam just because it’s easy.
- Build things you’re proud of.
- Let AI support your humanity, not erase it.
Want to Build Your Own Human-First AI Marketing Plan?
At Avenue9, we help businesses like yours go to market like a big brand without burning out your team or blowing your budget. If you want to , our AI Strategy Sprint is your next step.
Book your free discovery call here: avenue9.com
