AI: Voice or Victim?

Walk West
  • 4.2 (5)
  • BUSINESS

A podcast that explores how AI is transforming careers, businesses, and industries. Hosts Greg Boone and Erica Rooney deliver real-world use cases and actionable AI strategies to help professionals stay ahead of the curve.

  1. 54M AGO

    Everyone Has the Same AI Tools. That's Exactly the Problem.

    If your AI inputs look like everyone else's, your outputs will too. And in a market where AI is accelerating everything from outbound campaigns to hiring decisions, sounding like everyone else is no longer a neutral outcome. It's a competitive liability. Greg Boone sits down with Brett Berhoff, Founder and CEO of Strategy.xyz and a Bay Area-based business strategist and AI advisor, for a candid conversation about what AI is actually doing to go-to-market strategy, sales, and the companies that think they're keeping pace. Brett operates at ground zero. Driverless cars outnumber taxis. Every billboard is an AI company. But the most important thing he brings to this conversation isn't what Silicon Valley is doing with AI. It's what the rest of the country keeps getting wrong. This episode is built for founders, operators, and revenue leaders who need a realistic read on where AI creates leverage and where it quietly destroys trust. In this episode, you'll learn: Why the same AI tools used the same way produce the same forgettable output across every companyHow AI is changing go-to-market speed, volume, and velocity, and what that costs you if the human element is missingWhat Silicon Valley consistently gets wrong about AI adoptionHow to think about AI SDRs, avatars, and hyper-personalization without crossing into creepyWhy garbage in does not just mean garbage out in an AI context, it means catastrophic outcomes at scaleThe one thing Brett tells every leadership team before anything else: drop the fearIf you are responsible for growth, strategy, or revenue, this conversation will sharpen how you think about what AI can and cannot do for you right now. Chapters00:00 Welcome to AI: Voice or Victim01:10 Meet Brett Berhoff02:30 Life at Ground Zero: Silicon Valley and AI05:00 Driverless Cars and What They Signal08:00 AI Adoption Across the Country10:30 Every Company Is an AI Company13:00 AI and the Next Generation15:30 The SaaS Apocalypse: Real or Overhyped?18:45 Jack Dorsey, Block, and the Nimbleness Question21:30 When Big Companies Can't Turn the Ship24:00 Go-to-Market in the AI Era: Three Components27:30 People Still Buy From People29:00 Speed, Volume, and the Risk of Losing the Human Touch31:30 Hyper-Personalization vs. Creepy33:00 Same Input, Same Output: The Real AI Problem36:00 AI SDRs: When They Work and When They Don't38:30 The Uncanny Valley of AI Avatars40:00 Is Silicon Valley Ahead or Just Louder?41:30 Does AI Talent Have to Be in the Bay Area?42:30 What Silicon Valley Gets Wrong About AI43:30 One Thing to Do Right Now: Drop the Fear44:30 Closing Thoughts 👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone navigating the AI revolution. Subscribe to AI: Voice or Victim for more conversations that move you from AI anxious to AI curious. Hosted by Erica Rooney and Greg Boone aka AISerious™, we're helping people and organizations embrace AI ethically, strategically, and with humanity at the center. Follow us and join the movement to shape the future — before it shapes us. 🔗 Follow us and dive deeper: On the web: https://voiceorvictim.com/ Greg Boone on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbooneErica Rooney on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericarooney/ © 2026 Walk West Production

    44 min

  2. APR 15

    From AI Anxious to AI Confident

    What if the biggest barrier to using AI isn’t skill… it’s confidence? In this solo episode, Erica Rooney gets real about the hesitation so many people feel around AI and why that fear is costing you more than you think. From imposter syndrome to the myth that “AI is cheating,” she breaks down what’s actually holding people back and how to move forward without needing to become “a tech person.” This episode is not about tools. It’s about mindset, momentum, and building confidence through action. Erica shares her own journey from avoiding AI altogether to now teaching it, speaking on it, and using it daily. Her takeaway is simple: confidence doesn’t come first. It comes from doing. If you’ve been sitting on the sidelines, this is your push to start. 🔑 What You’ll Learn  Why imposter syndrome is stopping people from using AI  How small, low-stakes experimentation builds real confidence  Practical ways to use AI at work (without feeling like you’re cheating)  How to rehearse hard conversations using AI  Why AI can make you more productive and more confident  The “confidence competence loop” and how it actually works  Simple daily habits to go from AI anxious to AI capable ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 Why AI fear is really about confidence 01:00 Erica’s honest story about avoiding AI 03:00 The real key: experimentation over expertise 04:00 Using AI to rehearse hard conversations 06:00 AI as a thought partner and perspective expander 07:00 Productivity, mental load, and confidence 08:30 AI as a coach when you don’t have one 09:30 Brain dumping and reducing overwhelm 10:30 From AI anxious to teaching others 11:00 Why implementation beats learning 12:00 The confidence competence loop explained 12:45 How to start today (for real this time) 👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone navigating the AI revolution. Subscribe to AI: Voice or Victim for more conversations that move you from AI anxious to AI curious. Hosted by Erica Rooney and Greg Boone aka AISerious™, we're helping people and organizations embrace AI ethically, strategically, and with humanity at the center. Follow us and join the movement to shape the future — before it shapes us. 🔗 Follow us and dive deeper: On the web: https://voiceorvictim.com/ Greg Boone on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbooneErica Rooney on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericarooney/ © 2026 Walk West Production

    14 min

  3. APR 1

    What Most Businesses Get Wrong About AI

    There’s a lot of noise around AI right now. Tools, demos, promises. But when it comes to actually building something that works, most companies hit a wall. In this episode of AI: Voice or Victim, Greg Boone sits down with Kerry Prince to talk about what it really takes to move from AI curiosity to real execution. This is a builder’s conversation. Less hype, more reality. Kerry brings a grounded perspective on how teams should be thinking about AI systems, where things tend to break down, and why speed without structure usually creates more problems than progress. Greg pushes on what matters most for businesses right now: making decisions, building responsibly, and not getting left behind. If you're tired of surface-level AI talk and want to understand what it actually takes to build and scale, this episode delivers. In this episode, we cover: * Why most AI projects stall before they create value* The difference between experimenting with AI and operationalizing it* Where teams waste time and money when adopting AI* How to think about systems, not just tools* What separates builders from spectators in the AI era* The risks of moving too slow—and too fast 👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone navigating the AI revolution. Subscribe to AI: Voice or Victim for more conversations that move you from AI anxious to AI curious. Hosted by Erica Rooney and Greg Boone aka AISerious™, we're helping people and organizations embrace AI ethically, strategically, and with humanity at the center. Follow us and join the movement to shape the future — before it shapes us. 🔗 Follow us and dive deeper: On the web: https://voiceorvictim.com/ Greg Boone on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbooneErica Rooney on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericarooney/ © 2026 Walk West Production

    52 min

  4. MAR 18

    How to Actually Start Using AI at Work

    AI feels new. It isn’t. In this episode of AI: Voice or Victim, Erica Rooney sits down with Walk West Director of Client Services Susie Tunnicliffe to talk about how AI is showing up in real work environments right now. Susie breaks down how her team is using AI across client services, from research and competitive analysis to QA testing and business development. She also explains why most people are overthinking where to start and what actually matters when you begin. The conversation gets into the reality of client concerns around privacy, how to use AI responsibly, and what it looks like to introduce these tools without losing trust.  You will also hear how Walk West is building a culture where teams are encouraged to experiment, make mistakes, and figure out what works. If you are still on the sidelines with AI, this episode gives you a clear place to begin. What You’ll Learn Why AI has been around longer than most people thinkHow to use AI for research, QA, and client strategyWhere client concerns about AI actually show upHow to introduce AI without breaking trustWhy curiosity matters more than expertise when startingReal examples of AI improving workflowsChapters  00:00 AI has been here longer than you think01:00 Meet Susie Tunnicliffe02:00 A people first approach to client services03:00 How AI started showing up at work04:00 Internal use cases for AI05:00 Research and competitive analysis with AI06:00 What Certified Walk West Way means07:00 Handling client data and privacy concerns08:00 Where companies hesitate with AI10:00 Real use case: AI in QA and testing11:30 Where beginners should start13:00 Learning AI through experimentation14:00 Using AI in business development15:30 Building a culture that supports testing and learning18:00 What happens when AI outputs are wrong19:00 Advice for new employees using AI20:00 Tools that actually help day to day work22:00 How AI improves focus in meetings23:00 What comes next for AI in client services24:00 Last Chat segment 👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone navigating the AI revolution. Subscribe to AI: Voice or Victim for more conversations that move you from AI anxious to AI curious. Hosted by Erica Rooney and Greg Boone aka AISerious™, we're helping people and organizations embrace AI ethically, strategically, and with humanity at the center. Follow us and join the movement to shape the future — before it shapes us. 🔗 Follow us and dive deeper: On the web: https://voiceorvictim.com/ Greg Boone on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbooneErica Rooney on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericarooney/ © 2026 Walk West Production

    27 min

  5. MAR 4

    Mother-Centered AI: Helping Moms Trade Guilt for Self-Trust with Tara Ryan

    What if AI didn’t just help you move faster—but helped you feel more grounded? Live from MIT at the AI Powered Women Conference, Erica sits down with Tara Ryan, co-founder and CEO of Confidante, an AI-powered emotional support and coaching platform designed specifically for mothers. Tara isn’t building another productivity tool. She’s building mother-centered AI—technology that helps women pause, cut through the noise, and make values-based decisions in moments that feel overwhelming. From managing the mental load to navigating career opportunities, sick kids, business travel, and the never-ending to-do list, this conversation digs into a reality many women know all too well: modern motherhood is reactive, relentless, and full of judgment. Tara shares: How Confidante started as a custom GPT for her executive coaching clientsWhat “mental load” really means—and why it disproportionately impacts womenHow AI can support decision-making without replacing human intuitionWhy Reddit and Facebook groups often increase pressure instead of clarityThe difference between reactive living and values-aligned choicesHow small, intentional decisions can rebuild self-trustThis isn’t about outsourcing your life to a bot. It’s about using AI as a thought partner—so you can be more present, more aligned, and less resentful in the moments that matter most. As Tara says, the goal isn’t perfection. It’s helping moms insert themselves back into the equation. AI doesn’t have to make us more anxious. It can help us feel steadier. Episode Chapters 00:00 – AI That Centers Moms 02:00 – From Executive Coaching to Confidante 05:00 – The Mental Load Explained 08:00 – Where AI Can Actually Help Mothers 10:30 – The Conference vs. Baseball Tournament Dilemma 14:00 – Reactive Living vs. Values-Based Decisions 16:00 – Judgment, Reddit, and the Noise Around Motherhood 18:00 – Rebuilding Self-Trust with Small Choices 20:00 – What’s Next for Mother-Centered AI 👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone navigating the AI revolution. Subscribe to AI: Voice or Victim for more conversations that move you from AI anxious to AI curious. Hosted by Erica Rooney and Greg Boone aka AISerious™, we're helping people and organizations embrace AI ethically, strategically, and with humanity at the center. Follow us and join the movement to shape the future — before it shapes us. 🔗 Follow us and dive deeper: On the web: https://voiceorvictim.com/ Greg Boone on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregboone Erica Rooney on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericarooney/ © 2025 Walk West Production

    18 min

  6. FEB 18

    AI and Accessibility: Are We Building a More Inclusive Future or Leaving People Behind?

    If you're building, buying, or implementing AI systems, you need to understand this: accessibility isn't an add-on. It's a design decision that determines who gets included and who gets left out. In this episode of AI: Voice or Victim, host Erica Rooney sits down with Joe Devon, founder of A11y Audits and co-creator of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). Joe has spent his career making the digital world usable for everyone, and now he's turning his attention to AI. You'll hear why the accessibility challenges we're seeing with AI aren't new—they're amplified versions of mistakes we've already made. Joe breaks down where AI has the potential to break down barriers for people with disabilities, and where it's creating new ones. This isn't about compliance checkboxes. It's about whether the AI systems you're deploying actually work for all the people they're supposed to serve. This conversation is for product leaders, HR teams, customer experience managers, and anyone responsible for technology decisions that affect real people. In this episode, you'll learn: -Why accessibility must be built into AI from the start, not bolted on later-How AI is already creating barriers for people with disabilities-Where AI has real potential to improve accessibility-What leaders miss when they treat accessibility as a legal requirement instead of a design principle-Why ignoring accessibility in AI isn't just unethical—it's bad business-Practical steps you can take right now to make your AI systems more inclusive If you're deploying AI tools without considering accessibility, you're making a choice about who matters. This episode will help you make a better one. About Joe DevonJoe Devon is the founder of A11y Audits, a company dedicated to making digital products accessible to everyone, and the co-creator of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), an annual event that raises awareness about digital accessibility worldwide. With over two decades of experience in web development and accessibility advocacy, Joe has worked to ensure that technology serves all users, regardless of ability. His work focuses on bridging the gap between innovation and inclusion, proving that accessible design benefits everyone.Learn more: A11y Audits: https://www.a11yaudits.com/GAAD Foundation: https://gaad.foundation/ 👉 Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone navigating the AI revolution. Subscribe to AI: Voice or Victim for more conversations that move you from AI anxious to AI curious. Hosted by Erica Rooney and Greg Boone aka AISerious™, we're helping people and organizations embrace AI ethically, strategically, and with humanity at the center. Follow us and join the movement to shape the future — before it shapes us. 🔗 Follow us and dive deeper: On the web: https://voiceorvictim.com/ Greg Boone on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregboone Erica Rooney on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericarooney/ © 2025 Walk West Productionhttps://youtu.be/TojLGgnJNbg

    36 min

  7. FEB 4

    From Intern to AI Native: Why Generalists Will Win the Future of Work

    What happens when AI turns your entire team into generalists? And what does that mean for how organizations hire, promote, and build teams? In this episode, Greg Boone sits down with Alec Coughlin to unpack how AI is reshaping not just tools, but entire workflows, organizational structures, and what it means to be employable. This is not a conversation about prompt tips or productivity hacks. This is about what happens when the old playbook for career development, specialization, and organizational design stops working. Greg shares how he moved his entire team at Walk West from AI anxious to AI confident by making adoption personal, fun, and psychologically safe. He breaks down why the traditional path of hyper-specialization is breaking, why invisible unemployment is a bigger threat than layoffs, and why the generalist mindset combined with domain expertise is the unlock for the next era of work. If you are a leader trying to integrate AI into your org without burning it down, or an individual contributor wondering how to stay relevant, this conversation will give you both the mindset shift and the tactical clarity to move forward with intention. In this episode, you will learn: Why making AI adoption personal, fun, and safe is the only way to get real organizational buy-inHow psychological safety drives AI adoption more than any tool or training programWhy treating AI like a smart intern boxes you into outdated thinkingThe disconnect between people who say they use AI and people who actually use AIWhy invisible unemployment is a bigger risk than headline layoffsHow Walmart not hiring for three years signals a fundamental shift in workforce strategyWhy the Renaissance age of AI rewards generalists over specialistsHow to use AI to unlock business context and horizontal skill developmentWhy formal AI certifications and building in public matter more than everHow the traditional org chart and siloed functions are breaking under AI transformationIf you are responsible for shaping your team, your career, or your organization in an AI-enabled world, this episode will help you move from reacting to the change to designing for it. Chapters 00:00 - Welcome and Introduction 01:00 - The Future of Work with AI 02:00 - AI in Team Collaboration 03:00 - Cultural Adoption of AI at Walk West 05:00 - Making AI Personal, Fun, and Safe 07:00 - Psychological Safety and Leadership 09:00 - AI in Sales and Marketing 11:00 - SDRs, BDRs, and the Anthropomorphism Problem 15:00 - The Hollowing Out of Entry-Level Roles 17:00 - Mentorship and Learning in the AI Era 19:00 - Stop Calling AI a Smart Intern 22:00 - The Disconnect in AI Understanding 24:00 - Historical Business Models Are Breaking 27:00 - The Problem with Hyper-Specialization 28:00 - The Renaissance Age of Generalists 31:00 - Rethinking Organizational Structures 34:00 - Domain Expertise Meets Horizontal Skills 37:00 - Go Get Certified and Build in Public 40:00 - Invisible Unemployment and the Future of Hiring 43:00 - Final Recommendations 👉 Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone navigating the AI revolution. This episode is a special collaboration with Alec Coughlin, host of AI with Alec. Check out his show for more conversations on AI, business, and the future of work at https://aiwithalec.com/ Subscribe to AI: Voice or Victim for more conversations that move you from AI anxious to AI curious. Hosted by Erica Rooney and Greg Boone aka AISerious™, we're helping people and organizations embrace AI ethically, strategically, and with humanity at the center. Follow us and join the movement to shape the future — before it shapes us. 🔗 Follow us and dive deeper: On the web: https://voiceorvictim.com/ Greg Boone on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregboone Erica Rooney on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericarooney/ 🔗 Check out AI with Alec: https://aiwithalec.com/ © 2025 Walk West Production

    43 min

  8. JAN 21

    The Lead Flow Crisis: Why Traditional Marketing Died in 2025 (And What to Do About It)

    Search is broken. Email is harder. Paid ads cost more. Lead flow is drying up across the board—and most marketers are still playing by the old rules.In this episode of AI: Voice or Victim, Greg Boone sits down with Marc Sirkin, former CEO of Third Door Media, and Chris Long, co-founder of Nectiv and SEO strategist behind brands like Adobe and Amazon. Together, they dissect the lead flow crisis facing revenue leaders, marketers, and operators in 2025—and why ignoring it could be fatal.This is not another "SEO is dead" debate. This is a hard look at what happens when Google flips the switch to AI Mode, when attribution models collapse under platform incentives, and when product-market fit becomes the only thing that matters. The conversation cuts through the noise with tactical clarity on how AI-powered search, zero-click results, and LLM-driven experiences are reshaping the entire customer journey.If you're responsible for growth, pipeline, or revenue, this episode will challenge how you think about channels, authority, and where your customers actually are.In this episode, you'll learn: What the lead flow crisis actually is and why it's hitting nowHow AI Mode will replace Google's 10 blue links faster than you thinkWhy attribution data is disappearing and what that means for proving ROIThe real difference between product-market fit and marketing tacticsHow Reddit, forums, and human-generated content became irreplaceable to LLMsWhy technical literacy is now a non-negotiable skill for marketersHow to build authority in an AI-first search ecosystemWhere small businesses and mid-market brands can still winWhat happens when platforms like ChatGPT, Google, and Perplexity own the entire customer experience Key moments: Why Google has no choice but to roll out AI Mode (and when it's likely to happen)The stair-step strategy Google is using to train users for full LLM searchHow Reddit became a battleground for brand reputation and LLM training dataThe hidden risks of building your brand on rented platformsWhy marketers need to think like engineers to survive the next 12 months This episode is required listening for CMOs, CROs, founders, and marketing leaders navigating the fastest transformation in digital history. The rules changed. The question is whether you're ready to adapt. 👉 Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone navigating the AI revolution.Subscribe to AI: Voice or Victim for more conversations that move you from AI anxious to AI curious. Hosted by Erica Rooney and Greg Boone aka AISerious™, we're helping people and organizations embrace AI ethically, strategically, and with humanity at the center.Follow us and join the movement to shape the future — before it shapes us.🔗 Follow us and dive deeper:On the web: https://voiceorvictim.com/Greg Boone on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbooneErica Rooney on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericarooney/© 2025 Walk West Production

    50 min
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4.2
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About

A podcast that explores how AI is transforming careers, businesses, and industries. Hosts Greg Boone and Erica Rooney deliver real-world use cases and actionable AI strategies to help professionals stay ahead of the curve.

Information

  • Creator
    Walk West
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    46
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Walk West

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