Why does AI feel so threatening—especially in the workplace? In this episode of AI: Voice or Victim, Erica Rooney and Greg Boone sit down with Sharman Ghio, a seasoned marketing leader and workplace wellness advocate. Together, they explore how companies can adopt AI without losing their soul.

Sharman shares practical strategies for integrating AI in a way that empowers people rather than replaces them, including why AI is not just about productivity, but about redefining what a meaningful work-life balance. From empathetic leadership to real examples of AI transforming internal comms at Microsoft, this episode is a masterclass in ethical and human-centered innovation.

💡 Topics Covered:

• Why AI feels more threatening than past tech shifts
• The role of storytelling and pop culture in shaping AI fear
• Human-centered strategy: What it actually looks like
• Using AI to reduce burnout, not increase it
• How to demystify AI for reluctant teams
• The role of sentiment analysis and Copilot in internal comms
• Shopify’s bold AI mandate and what it signals for the future
• Why space to play, experiment, and fail matters
• The importance of psychological safety in AI adoption
• A wellness-centered lens on transformation

🧠 Actionable Insight:
Within the next 24 hours, ask ChatGPT or another AI tool a question you're scared to ask. Let it be a test of curiosity over fear. Start the conversation, even if you're unsure where it goes.

🔗 Connect with Sharman Ghio
• LinkedIn
• Subscribe to her monthly wellness newsletter

🎧 About the Podcast:
AI: Voice or Victim is a deep-dive exploration of artificial intelligence’s dual nature as both a powerful tool and a potential threat to human autonomy. Each episode explores various aspects of AI technology and its intricate relationship with humanity.

🎙️ Hosted by Erica Rooney & Greg Boone, aka AISerious™ — AI Adoption and Workforce Transformation experts on a mission to move people and companies from AI Anxious to AI Curious.

📝 Credits:
Hosted by Erica Rooney & Greg Boone
Produced by Walk West
Copyright © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Today on AI: Voice or Victim, we talk to Chris Andrassy, co-founder and CEO of Astral Insights, an AI enablement firm helping Fortune 500 companies modernize their supply chains. From spreadsheets to smart assistants, Chris walks us through how AI is actually being deployed—not just theorized—to streamline operations, enhance forecasting, and preserve institutional knowledge on the factory floor.

We dive into:

• The real difference between machine learning and GenAI in supply chains
• The emotional ROI of automation (yes, you read that right)
• A real-world example of using GenAI to preserve “tribal knowledge” in manufacturing

Whether you're AI-anxious or AI-curious, this episode gives you practical, human-centered insight into what it takes to lead in the age of machine intelligence.

About Chris Andrassy:

Chris Andrassy is the CEO and co-founder of Astral Insights, a boutique AI consultancy helping global enterprises streamline supply chains through intelligent automation and decision support.

🎧 Enjoyed this conversation? Share it with your influencer pod. Maybe a colleague navigating digital transformation—or someone who still thinks AI is just hype.

🚀 Hosted by Erica Rooney & Greg Boone aka AISerious™—workforce transformation experts on a mission to move people and companies from AI Anxious to AI Curious.

Produced by Walk West

Jackie Ferguson is no stranger to transformative conversations. As co-founder of The Diversity Movement and host of the Diversity: Beyond the Checkbox podcast, she’s helped redefine what inclusive leadership looks like in the modern workplace. But what happens when that workplace is powered by artificial intelligence?

In this episode of AI: Voice or Victim, hosts Greg Boone and Erica Rooney sit down with Jackie to explore how AI can either widen or close equity gaps—depending on who’s in the room and who's doing the prompting.

About Jackie Ferguson

Jackie Ferguson is the host of the top-rated podcast Diversity: Beyond the Checkbox, where she leads honest conversations on leadership, equity, and belonging with thought leaders and change makers across industries. As a certified diversity executive and co-founder of The Diversity Movement, Jackie helps organizations build inclusive cultures through education, content, and strategy.

Connect with Jackie on LinkedIn.

👉 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

AI isn’t new—it’s been here for a while. So why are so many businesses still stuck on the sidelines?

Recorded LIVE at CED Venture Connect 2025 in Raleigh, NC, this episode features Fadi Hindi—AI transformation advisor, professor, and digital twin pioneer. Fadi has been working in AI since the late ’80s, and he joins hosts Erica Rooney and Greg Boone (aka AISerious™) to break down what’s holding companies and individuals back from fully embracing artificial intelligence.

This episode covers:

• Why AI has been “the next big thing” for over 30 years
• The 4 key insights every leader needs to understand about AI right now
• How prompt engineering is the new power skill (yes, even for non-techies)

👉 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

Runbin Dong, founder and CEO of Scale Social AI, joins AI: Voice or Victim to share his inspiring journey from a family restaurant to founding a tech company redefining marketing for small businesses. In a world increasingly saturated with AI-generated noise, Runbin explains how true growth today depends on human connection — not just automation.

He shares how Scale Social AI empowers small businesses to capture authentic customer moments, why "super individual contributors" are the workforce of the future, and how AI can enhance — rather than replace — human experience.

If you care about the future of work, authentic storytelling, or practical AI adoption for business, this conversation is for you.

(Guest host John Zern steps in for Erica Rooney on today’s episode.)

👉 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

If AI can do your job faster and cheaper—what's stopping it from replacing you? In this episode of AI: Voice or Victim?, hosts Greg Boone and Erica Rooney answer that question as they reconnect with longtime colleague and web applications expert John Zeren to explore how AI is disrupting the workplace, and what smart professionals and companies are doing about it. From real stories of job loss due to AI to success stories of those adapting and thriving, John unpacks how embracing AI is no longer optional, it’s essential.

You’ll hear how small businesses are already integrating AI into their daily workflows, how leadership must lead the charge in AI enablement, and why understanding prompt engineering is quickly becoming a must-have skill. Listen in for both a wake-up call and a roadmap for staying relevant in a rapidly changing world.

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone navigating the AI revolution.

🔗 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/

AI: Voice or Victim? is edited produced by Walk West, Inc.

In this energizing episode of AI: Voice or Victim?, hosts Greg Boone and Erica Rooney sit down with global AI speaker and tech veteran Dan Chuparkoff for a deep dive into how AI is reshaping creativity, leadership, and decision-making. Dan breaks down why AI won’t steal your job, but it might expose how inefficiently you work and why leaders need to stop fearing AI and start experimenting with it today. From the power of prompt engineering to real-world use cases across industries, this episode explores how AI can be your ultimate thought partner—enhancing workflows, unlocking faster innovation, and giving you back the most valuable resource: time.

🎧 AI: Voice or Victim is your guide through the moral, personal, and professional dilemmas brought on by AI's rapid rise. From ethical questions to expert interviews to powerful human stories — we’re here to move you from AI ANXIOUS to AI CURIOUS.

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone navigating the AI revolution.

🔗 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/

AI: Voice or Victim? is edited produced by Walk West, Inc.

Is AI making you obsolete, or is it your secret weapon for career success?

In the premiere episode of AI: Voice or Victim?, Greg Boone, marketing executive and AI strategist, and author, speaker, and gender equality advocate, Erica Rooney dive into the AI revolution with career strategist Loren Greiff. They expose the truth behind the “overqualified” label and reveal how professionals over 40 can use AI to stay ahead, not get left behind.

Loren shares game-changing strategies to supercharge your job search, sharpen your communication, and network like a pro, all while keeping the human edge that AI can’t replicate. If you want to work smarter instead of harder, and turn AI into your competitive advantage, this episode is your must-listen roadmap to the future.

🎧 AI: Voice or Victim is your guide through the moral, personal, and professional dilemmas brought on by AI's rapid rise. From ethical questions to expert interviews to powerful human stories — we’re here to move you from AI ANXIOUS to AI CURIOUS.

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone navigating the AI revolution.

🔗 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/

AI: Voice or Victim? is edited produced by Walk West, Inc.