AI'm Just Trying My Best

Adam Espinosa & Chevelle Bedra
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AI is everywhere. Modern Workery's Founder Chevelle Bedra and Co-Founder Adam Espinosa break down what that actually means, from pop culture to the boardroom. No jargon, no hype, just real talk. Because AI'm just trying my best, and that's all we can ask for.

Episodes

  1. 1d ago

    Ep.7 : The Claude Watermark Story

    AI Just Trying My Best — Episode 7: The Claude Watermark Story Hosts: Adam Espinosa & Chevelle Bedra (Principal AI Strategist, Founder of Modern Workery) Episode Summary Claude recently announced it's rolling out watermarks on AI-generated content — and the internet immediately panicked. In this episode, Adam and Chevelle unpack what the watermark actually is (embedded metadata, not a visible stamp), how it connects to the EU AI Act, and why the real issue isn't the watermark itself but the fact that most employees still don't know when and how they're supposed to use AI at work. Along the way: the "Holy AI" road-trip game, AI-generated termination emails, and why nobody wants to be the only one wearing the guardian cap. Timestamps & Topics [00:00:00] Cold open and catching up [ 00:01:00] The "average user" banter continues [00:02:00] What is the Claude watermark story? [00:03:00] How business leaders should respond to the news [00:04:00] The EU AI Act and the intent behind it [00:06:00] It's metadata, not a visible watermark — and what it does/doesn't track [00:07:00] What this means for students, professors, and AI detection tools [00:08:00] The real disclosure test: "human in the loop" [00:09:00] Does the EU AI Act actually affect US companies? [00:10:00] Why the EU tends to regulate AI ahead of the US [00:12:00] High-risk use cases: hiring, firing, credit decisions [00:13:00] Why employees hide their AI use (and hide the em dash) [00:14:00] "Holy AI" — the new car-ride game for spotting AI-made billboards [00:16:00] A simple framework: AI Expected, AI Supports, Human First [00:17:00] AI in recruiting and hiring — losing the human touch [00:18:00] Using AI for "the work around the work," not the work itself [00:19:00] Why AI adoption stalls when you're the only one using it [00:20:00] The Guardian Caps analogy: normalizing AI use like NFL concussion protocols [00:21:00] Why fancy AI policies and dashboards aren't enough [00:22:00] The whiteboard exercise: "Yes AI / No AI" [00:23:00] A real debate about whether using AI in an email is a bad look [00:24:00] AI-generated termination emails — happening more than you'd think [00:25:00] The real solution: common sense, empathy, and good judgment [00:26:00] Closing thoughts Key Takeaways Claude's watermark is embedded metadata in text and images, not a visible tag. It doesn't collect who used it or how much — no personal data is attached. Most current AI legislation doesn't directly impact everyday knowledge workers using tools like Copilot for personal productivity, but it does apply if you interface directly with EU customers or business. The bigger workplace issue isn't legislation — it's that employees don't know what's acceptable, so they either avoid AI or use it and try to hide it. The disclosure line under emerging regulation centers on "human in the loop": actively reviewing and editing AI output is different from having AI create content unsupervised. High-risk activities to watch: hiring, firing, and credit decisions — places where human judgment and oversight matter most. A simple framework for teams: sort tasks into AI Expected, AI Supports, and Human First. Adoption sticks when it's the norm across a whole team, not when a few people use AI and feel like outliers (the "Guardian Caps" problem). Skip complicated AI governance decks — a simple whiteboard exercise mapping "Yes AI / No AI" tasks saves more time and confusion. Notable Quotes "It's essentially like metadata that's embedded... That's not it. It's actually metadata that's included into the text, and also in the images." — Chevelle Bedra "If everybody wore the damn guardian caps and were required to use the guardian caps, it wouldn't be a big deal, 'cause everybody would wear them. It just becomes the norm." — Chevelle Bedra "That's the solution right there: common sense, empathy, and good judgment." — Adam Espinosa About the Hosts Adam Espinosa — Co-host of AI Just Trying My Best. Co-Founder or Modern Workery  Chevelle Bedra — Principal AI Strategist and Founder of Modern Workery, helping organizations build practical, human-centered AI adoption strategies.

  2. Aug 13

    EP 6: The Adoption Gap: Why AI Isn't Working (Yet)"

    Episode 6: The Adoption Gap — Why AI Isn't Working (Yet) In this episode, Adam and Chevelle dig into one of the most talked-about (and most misunderstood) stats in AI right now: only about 5% of enterprises have successfully integrated generative AI into their workflows at scale, according to MIT's Gen AI Divide research. So what's actually holding the other 95% back? Adam and Chevelle break down why it almost always comes back to leadership, why "more tools" isn't the fix, and why making AI adoption fun and low-pressure might matter more than any formal training program. They also dig into McKinsey's finding that 88% of organizations are using AI in at least one business function, but most haven't scaled it, and what that gap actually means for data safety, tool sprawl, and building a real champions program. What We Cover [00:00] – Why AI adoption feels like living in "the windy city," with new shifts every week [00:02] – MIT's Gen AI Divide research: only ~5% of enterprises have successfully scaled generative AI [00:04] – Why AI adoption is a different kind of change management than past tech rollouts [00:04] – The #1 thing leaders get wrong: not setting a clear goal for what AI should actually do [00:06] – The "new ship, same rowers" problem — why swapping tools doesn't fix a strategy problem [00:09] – Why organizations chase instant ROI and why that expectation sets AI adoption up to fail [00:10] – The people side of adoption: fear, lack of incentive, and the "it's coming for my job" narrative [00:12] – Why sales is usually the easiest entry point for AI ROI, and how it spreads to other functions [00:12] – The "Jack Sparrow leadership" theory — leading with conviction even without every detail mapped out [00:13] – Why making AI adoption fun and engaging (like prompt-a-thons) beats long, dry training sessions [00:18] – McKinsey's State of AI research: 88% of organizations use AI in at least one function, but only about a third are scaling it [00:19] – The shadow AI problem — why employees are using unapproved tools even when leadership doesn't know it [00:21] – How to decide whether your org needs one AI tool or several (and why "buying more ships" usually backfires) [00:26] – Why every organization needs AI champions, and how to find and support them without over-engineering the process [00:29] – Why you should never call it a "committee" if you want people to actually show up Favorite Quotes "It's not the engine, it's not the boat, it's the people rowing the boat." — Adam "You're never gonna get the ROI if you don't know what you want them to do in the first place." — Chevelle "Committee is where fun and innovation goes to die in most organizations." — Chevelle Listen & Subscribe New episodes of AI'm Just Trying My Best drop weekly. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube so you never miss an episode — and if this one hit home, share it with a leader in your life who needs to hear it.

  3. Aug 5

    Ep. 5: AI in Pop Culture, From the Terminator Effect to WALL-E

    Ep. 5: AI in Pop Culture, From the Terminator Effect to WALL-E On this episode of AI'm Just Trying My Best, host Adam Espinosa and Modern Workery founder Chevelle Bedra dig into how pop culture shapes the way people feel about AI, from the doom and gloom of the Terminator effect to the more hopeful robots showing up in Toy Story 5 and Big Hero 6. They talk about why a single sensational headline about an AI "escaping a sandbox" can do more to scare people off than any real risk actually justifies. Chevelle also shares a powerful story about rolling out Copilot to a neurodivergent employee who went from struggling to communicate to thriving at work, plus why she personifies her own AI tools ("Chatty"), how AI can work as your invisible wingman before a big presentation or client call, and a story about a job candidate who got caught reading his interview answers straight off an AI chatbot. What We Cover: [00:00] Welcome to Episode 5 [01:00] Why people default to comparing AI to the Terminator [02:00] The OpenAI "sandbox escape" headline and why it got blown out of proportion [04:00] How AI has quietly been part of everyday life for years, through Netflix, Spotify, and bank fraud detection [06:00] A real-life example of AI catching fraud on a debit card purchase [07:00] How Copilot changed the game for a neurodivergent employee at Chevelle's former company [10:00] Unpacking the "Terminator effect" and why fear hurts AI adoption [12:00] Personifying your AI tools to make them feel more approachable [13:00] Positive AI representation in pop culture: Toy Story 5, Big Hero 6, and WALL-E [18:00] Using AI as an "invisible wingman" to prepare for calls, presentations, and speeches [22:00] The job candidate who got caught reading his interview answers off an AI chatbot [27:00] Why AI might actually be making people's cognitive skills sharper, not lazier Favorite Quotes: "It's not gonna kill you in your sleep. It's not the Terminator." "Copilot doesn't have a soul. It's not thinking. It's just pattern recognition." "If you use AI to cut corners, it's gonna make the lazy people really appear lazy." "You can't trust your little sister to write your book report." Got a topic or question you want the team to cover? Drop it in the comments.

  4. Aug 5

    Ep. 4: AI Leaders Assemble, Why Managers Are Stuck in the Middle

    Ep. 4: AI Leaders Assemble, Why Managers Are Stuck in the Middle On this episode of AI'm Just Trying My Best, host Adam Espinosa and Modern Workery founder Chevelle Bedra talk about the group getting squeezed hardest by AI adoption right now: managers. Using a surprisingly perfect comparison to Michael Scott picking a healthcare plan on The Office, they break down why leadership is pushing AI down, employees are feeling every kind of way about it, and managers are stuck in the middle trying to figure out where to even start. Chevelle and Adam also get into the personal side of AI (furnace repairs, car diagnostics, and Copilot sassing Chevelle's husband Tim about a car repair), why your data is already out there whether you like it or not, and the "imposter syndrome" some leaders feel when their employees are using AI better than they are. Plus, details on Chevelle's live workshop, Lead Your Team, Lose the Busywork: The AI-Powered Sales Leader. What We Cover: [00:00] Welcome to Episode 4 [03:00] Using Copilot for everyday problem-solving, from furnace leaks to car repairs [07:00] The real difference between a Copilot search and a Google search [11:00] Addressing data privacy concerns and why your data is already out there [14:00] The Office comparison: why managers are stuck like Michael Scott picking a healthcare plan [19:00] The wide range of AI adoption across a team, from laggards to power users [22:00] The imposter syndrome problem: when leaders discount work because AI helped make it [24:00] Preview of the upcoming workshop, Lead Your Team, Lose the Busywork [28:00] Three things leaders should do when told to "figure out an AI strategy" Favorite Quotes: "It's impossible for you to create a strategy when you don't know the capabilities yourself." "You gotta stick with it. There's always a moment where people are mesmerized." "Your data's already out there. You're crazy to think that they're not getting it." "Small, practical changes make a big impact on the bottom line." Got a topic or question you want the team to cover? Drop it in the comments.

  5. Aug 5

    Ep. 3: AI in Sales, Why the Best Salespeople Have Nothing to Fear

    Ep. 3: AI in Sales, Why the Best Salespeople Have Nothing to Fear On this episode of AI'm Just Trying My Best, host Adam Espinosa and Modern Workery founder Chevelle Bedra dig into the headlines shaking up the sales world, from Microsoft layoffs to Salesforce's AI agent push. They break down why sales is one of the industries with the most to gain from AI, why inconsistency among sales reps is becoming a real problem for sales leaders, and why the salespeople who lean into AI now will have a massive edge over the ones who don't. Chevelle and Adam talk through what AI can and can't replace in sales (spoiler: trust and empathy aren't going anywhere), why customers still want a human on big purchases, and why "AI won't replace your job, but someone using AI will" might be the most important sentence in this episode. What We Cover: [00:00] Welcome to Episode 3 [01:00] Why AI is set to impact sales more than almost any other industry [02:00] The consistency problem: some reps are ahead, some are behind, and it's creating real variation in performance [05:00] Where chatbots make sense, and where a human is still non-negotiable [07:00] Why trust is the real currency in sales, and why AI can't fake it [10:00] Salesforce data on AI freeing up time for actual customer conversations [13:00] What happened when Chevelle trained sales professionals at PNC Bank [15:00] The stats: 48% report revenue increases from AI adoption, 51% report shorter sales cycles [19:00] The risk of over-indexing on AI and why authenticity still wins [21:00] Chevelle's prediction for sales and AI over the next five years Favorite Quotes: "AI is not gonna replace your job, but somebody using AI is gonna replace your job." "You can't create fake empathy. You can't create fake trust." "I think there's gonna be more salespeople than not." "Let AI be behind the scenes. We're the lead singer of the band." Got a topic or question you want the team to cover? Drop it in the comments.

  6. Aug 5

    Ep. 2: AI Is Only as Good as the People Using It — The Ford Story

    Ep. 2: AI Is Only as Good as the People Using It — The Ford Story On this episode of AI'm Just Trying My Best, host Adam Espinosa and Modern Workery founder Chevelle Bedra dig into the story making rounds on social media: Ford Motor Company laying off 350 engineers, then bringing them back after leaning too hard on AI without a solid strategy behind it. Chevelle and Adam break down why companies citing AI for layoffs are often masking deeper mismanagement, why moving fast without employee input backfires, and why the real key to AI adoption isn't the technology itself, it's talking to the people actually doing the work. Plus, a detour into robot names, DoorDash cooking skills, and why "slow and steady" beats "move fast and break things" when it comes to AI strategy. What We Cover: [00:00] Welcome to Episode 2 [02:00] Using Copilot for everyday tasks, from recipes to pantry inventory [07:00] The Ford Motor Company story: 350 engineers laid off, then rehired [09:00] Why companies blame AI for layoffs that are really about mismanagement [10:00] What Ford could have done differently: talking to engineers first [13:00] Finding the "pebbles in your shoe," the small annoying tasks AI should eliminate first [16:00] The real cost of layoffs and rehiring when AI strategy misses the mark [19:00] Building trust with your workforce before rolling out AI [21:00] Why job candidates should be asking employers about their AI strategy [27:00] Practical advice for where to start if you don't know where to begin Favorite Quotes: "Every technological revolution actually creates jobs." "You've gotta talk to your people. It doesn't need to be some fancy survey." "The wave's coming. It's just how wet are we gonna get." "Slow and steady, like the tortoise and the hare." Got a topic or question you want the team to cover? Drop it in the comments.

  7. Aug 5

    Ep.1 : Why AI Adoption Starts With Just Saying "Hi"

    Ep. 1: Chevelle Bedra on Why AI Adoption Starts With Just Saying "Hi" Ep. 1 of AI'm Just Trying My Best is here. Host Adam Espinosa sits down with Modern Workery founder Chevelle Bedra to talk about how she stumbled into AI years before most people had even heard of ChatGPT, and why AI adoption doesn't have to feel intimidating. Chevelle breaks down what AI adoption actually means, why the fear of losing your job to AI usually doesn't hold up, and what to type into a blank prompt box if you've never used one before (hint: you can literally just say "Hi"). Plus, a segment called AI for Dummies, where Adam plays the skeptic and Chevelle explains large language models in plain English. What We Cover: [00:00] Welcome to Episode 1 [01:00] Chevelle's 20 years in corporate America and how Modern Workery got started [03:00] Being an early ChatGPT adopter (and why that's not the same as being an expert) [07:00] What "AI adoption" actually means [10:00] Doing better work with less effort, not just doing more work faster [11:00] Addressing the real fear: will AI take my job? [16:00] AI for Dummies: explaining large language models in plain English [19:00] Why your first prompt can just be "Hi" [22:00] A word of caution on free AI tools and protecting sensitive data [24:00] Can people get too emotionally attached to AI? Favorite Quotes: "It's not that big of a deal. It's a tool. We're still at the driver's seat." "Everybody's afraid, and even if they don't say they're afraid, they're lying." "Your first prompt could be, 'Hi, I have no idea what I'm doing.'" "We're all just trying our best." Got a topic or question you want the team to cover? Drop it in the comments.

  • 7 Episodes

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AI is everywhere. Modern Workery's Founder Chevelle Bedra and Co-Founder Adam Espinosa break down what that actually means, from pop culture to the boardroom. No jargon, no hype, just real talk. Because AI'm just trying my best, and that's all we can ask for.

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