Forget the hype. In this episode, we’re shining a light on the quiet AI revolution happening inside small and medium-sized businesses - where spreadsheets still rule, inboxes are overflowing, and people are quietly building game-changing GPT workflows without a single hoodie in sight.

I’m breaking down why the Mittelstand - those deeply-rooted, often family-run businesses -might just be the real trailblazers in AI adoption. We’ll explore how assistants, project managers, and back-office problem solvers are using automation to reclaim time, reduce friction, and make room for the work that actually matters.

And no, it doesn’t require a tech team, a new department, or a rebrand. Just a willingness to start.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why the real AI momentum is coming from small, agile businesses—not tech giants
• Who’s actually driving AI adoption behind the scenes (hint: it’s not the CEO)
• The surprising mindset shift that turns casual GPT users into automation pros
• How to break repetitive tasks into repeatable AI-powered processes
• Why most expert advice misses the mark for the Mittelstand—and what works instead
• A 15-minute challenge to help you find your first “AI-able” task

Your Next Step:
Want hands-on support turning this into reality?
Book a free strategy consultation to see how my NAVIGaiTE program can help you start using AI effectively in just 8 weeks. We’ll look at where you're stuck, where automation could help, and what your next smartest move could be.

🔗 Click here to book your free NAVIGaiTE session.

Help Spread the Word:

If this episode made you think differently - or reminded you of someone who needs to hear it - send it their way.
And if you’re enjoying CONVERSaiTION, tap follow, leave a review, or drop five stars wherever you’re listening. It helps the podcast grow and reach more curious, creative minds like yours.

If you’ve ever typed a half-baked prompt into ChatGPT and felt let down by what came back… this episode is for you.

Because what if the issue isn’t the tool—but how you’re leading it?

In this refreshingly honest conversation, Julia flips the narrative around AI and leadership. This isn’t another tech tutorial—it’s a mirror. You’ll discover how your prompting habits reveal deeper patterns in how you delegate, give feedback, communicate expectations, and show up as a leader.

Whether you’re building a solo business or leading a growing team, this episode will change the way you approach AI tools—and the way you lead your people.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why vague prompts lead to vague results (and what that reveals about your leadership style)

• The 3 hidden habits that sabotage both your AI workflow and your team communication

• How to move from dumping tasks into AI to collaborating with it as a creative partner

• What actually changes when you prompt with context, clarity, and intentionality

• How AI can become a tool for developing better leadership—not just faster output

Your 15-Minute Challenge:
Open a new AI chat. Revisit a task you’ve asked before—but this time, lead with clarity:

• Who is this for?

• Why does it matter?

• What does a successful result look like?

Run a feedback loop. Watch what shifts.
That’s the intersection of AI and leadership in action.

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📤 Share it with a friend who’s secretly rage-typing into ChatGPT at midnight

⭐️ Leave a 5-star review to help more entrepreneurs discover CONVERSaiTION

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Let's keep the CONVERSaiTION going — one prompt at a time!

If you’ve been trying to choose AI tools for your business but keep running into options that are either too complicated, too vague, or just not made for teams like yours - you’re not alone. In this episode of CONVERSaiTION, I’m walking you through the exact 5-step framework I use to evaluate which AI assistant platforms are actually worth your time.

From data privacy to ease of use, I’ll help you filter through the noise so you can make a smart, sustainable decision - no tech degree required.

And if you’re in the EU or working with clients who care about data regulations? I’ve got a downloadable comparison chart just for you - link’s in the show notes.

What You’ll Learn:

1. How to choose AI tools that match your actual business needs
2. What “GDPR-compliant” really means—and why it matters
3. Why no-code tools are the key to fast adoption
4. The red flags to look for before you commit to any platform
5. My 15-minute challenge to help you audit your current setup

Resources Mentioned:

• Guide: EU-based AI provider comparison guide (GDPR-friendly)

If this helped you choose AI with more clarity and confidence, do me a favor:

Subscribe & Share

🌟 Leave a quick 5-star review
🔁 Send this episode to a fellow business owner
🧠 Try the 15-minute tool audit challenge - and let me know what you uncover!

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Follow me for more tips and behind-the-scenes content:

Instagram: @heyjuliabehrens
LinkedIn: Julia Behrens
Web: HEY Julia

Let's keep the CONVERSaiTION going — one prompt at a time!

In this episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes of a tech experiment that’s equal parts fascinating and futuristic: I used AI to clone my voice. Yep - some of what you’re hearing today wasn’t actually recorded by me… but by a machine that sounds like me. Can you tell which parts?

We’ll dive into:

• What voice cloning is and how it actually works
• My full setup process with ElevenLabs (plus a real convo with their AI assistant)
• The pros and cons of using AI voice tech
• How small businesses and content creators can use voice cloning in meaningful, ethical ways
• And of course, a fun guessing game to test your ear for what’s real vs. AI

This episode replaces the usual 15-Minute Challenge with something even better: a playful prompt to share, compare, and connect with fellow creators as we all navigate this wild world of AI together.

💡 What You’ll Learn:

• How voice cloning works and how long it takes to set up
• Realistic use cases for podcasters, course creators, and SMB's
• Why this tech can be a creative support (not a replacement)
• Where it shines—and where it still falls short
• How to start experimenting with your own voice clone

Resources Mentioned*:

• 👉 Try ElevenLabs with your own voice right here!
• 🎓 The Content Creation Conversation™ – Build a content system that works for your voice, schedule, and style
• 🎙️ My recording mic (plug-and-play via USB): Shure MV7

Subscribe & Share
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the CONVERSaiTION, leave a 5-star-review, and share it with a friend who could benefit from using AI in their business.

Stay Connected
Follow me for more tips and behind-the-scenes content:

Instagram: @heyjuliabehrens
LinkedIn: Julia Behrens
Web: HEY Julia

Let's keep the CONVERSaiTION going — one prompt at a time!

*Some of the links included are affiliate links - you don't pay more or even get a free trial, and this supports me to bring you awesome content like this podcast. ;)

What if your biggest business vulnerability isn't what you're building - but how you're protecting it? In this eye-opening episode, Dr. Alex Heublein joins Julia to talk about the urgent intersection of AI and cybersecurity, especially for small and mid-sized businesses. From real-world hacks to proactive protection strategies, this isn’t fear-mongering - it’s a playbook.

With decades of experience at tech giants like HP, Oracle, and Red Hat, Alex pulls back the curtain on how cybercrime is scaling like a business - and how AI is being used on both sides of the battlefield. If you're using AI without a strategy, relying on luck to stay safe, or assuming you're "too small" to be a target, this is the episode you didn’t know you needed.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why cyber criminals are now targeting small businesses—and how AI is helping them do it faster.
• The simple safeguards every entrepreneur should put in place before using AI tools like ChatGPT.
• How to create AI policies (or “guidelines”) that actually make sense and protect your business.
• What to ask before investing in AI-powered automation, and how to avoid the biggest risks.
• Why cyber insurance isn’t optional anymore—and how much you really need to budget for cybersecurity.
• How to approach AI adoption as a strategic advantage, not a tech trend.

Resources Mentioned:

• Connect with Dr. Alex Heublein and learn more about his work: www.netsurit.com
• Join me for me FREE live Masterclass to learn about data security in ChatGPT: How To Build a CustomGPT

Subscribe & Share
If this episode sparked something for you, rate the podcast 5 stars, leave a quick review, and send it to a business buddy who needs to hear this. Your support helps us keep bringing you smart, honest conversations like this one.

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LinkedIn: Julia Behrens
Web: HEY Julia

Let's keep the CONVERSaiTION going — one prompt at a time!

If you’ve ever wished your content, leads, or admin tasks could just handle themselves, you’re going to love today’s episode.
We’re diving into what no-code automation actually is — in real, non-techy language — and how simple tools like Make and Zapier can start running the background parts of your business quietly and efficiently.

You’ll learn why even one smart automation can free up hours of your time every month, how to choose the right platform for your workflow, and what small steps you can take today to start clearing space for bigger moves

No code needed. No tech degree required. Just smarter systems supporting the business you’re building.

What You’ll Learn

• What "no-code automation" actually means (and why it’s simpler than you think)
• A real-world example of automating your YouTube publishing workflow
• How tools like Make and Zapier connect your apps without needing to code
• The key differences between Make and Zapier — and how to pick the right one
• How to spot the first task you should automate to free up your time

15-Minute Challenge

Set a timer, list all your repetitive tasks, and flag one task you’d love to automate. Start small — that’s where momentum begins.

Resources Mentioned

• Join me for me FREE live Webinar: Create an AI assistant as the first step to automate your business
• No-code automation tool: Get 1 Month of the PRO plan for FREE on Make.com (affiliate link)
• Zapier.com: the second no-code automation tool mentioned

Love the Show?
Share this episode with a friend who's building big things. Rate and review the podcast with 5 stars to help more entrepreneurs find smarter, more sustainable ways to work.

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Follow me for more tips and behind-the-scenes content:

Instagram: @heyjuliabehrens
LinkedIn: Julia Behrens
Web: HEY Julia

Let's keep the CONVERSaiTION going — one prompt at a time!

Stay Connected
Follow me for more tips and behind-the-scenes content:

Instagram: @heyjuliabehrens
LinkedIn: Julia Behrens
Web: HEY Julia

Let's keep the CONVERSaiTION going — one prompt at a time!

What do you do when your niche is deeply personal, wildly in demand, and... not exactly camera-friendly? You get creative. In this episode, I’m joined by intimacy and sexuality coach Bill McKinley, whose work has quietly empowered thousands - many of whom prefer to stay anonymous.

We talk about what it really takes to create content in a space most people are too shy to discuss - and how Bill has used AI tools to build systems, stay authentic, and reach a massive (but discreet) audience.

From bulk-creating social media posts to crafting a digital course, Bill shares his behind-the-scenes workflow and how he's turning one-off content into a long-term strategy. We also dive into how OpusClip - one of our favorite tools - can turn a single video into a month’s worth of scroll-stopping content, without the burnout.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN:

• How Bill went viral by accident - and what came next
• Why creating in a vulnerable niche takes a different kind of content strategy
• How to simplify your workflow using AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude
• What’s possible when you stop aiming for perfect content and start aiming for purposeful content
• A powerful way to repurpose one video into dozens of strategic posts using OpusClip

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• OpusClip – AI video repurposing tool we discuss throughout the episode
• Bill McKinley on Instagram
• Bill’s Viral HuffPost Article

LOVED THIS CONVERSATION?
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the CONVERSaiTION, leave a 5-star-review, and share it with a friend to help more creators find smart, sustainable ways to show up online.

Stay Connected
Follow me for more tips and behind-the-scenes content:

• Instagram: @heyjuliabehrens
• LinkedIn: Julia Behrens
• Web: HEY Julia

Let's keep the CONVERSaiTION going — one prompt at a time!

What if your next marketing teammate didn’t need coffee breaks, never missed a deadline, and could adapt to your brand voice instantly? In this episode, we’re diving into the world of AI agents for marketing - the next evolution of automation that goes beyond chatbots and basic prompts.

Julia breaks down what AI agents actually are, how they differ from traditional assistants, and why they’re set to transform the way content creators, solopreneurs, and digital marketers run their businesses. If you’ve ever tried tools like ChatGPT’s deep research feature and thought, “Wait… this is more than just a chatbot,” - you’re not wrong.

You’ll walk away with a clear understanding of:

• How AI agents make decisions autonomously (and what keeps them from going rogue)
• The difference between AI assistants and AI agents
• Real use cases where AI agents can support your marketing workflow
• Why policy frameworks matter - and how to create your own (even if you're not technical)
• Simple ways to start experimenting with agents without a full tech stack

Whether you're just curious or ready to delegate more to digital systems, this episode will help you reimagine what's possible - with intention, ethics, and a little bit of tech magic.

Subscribe & Share
If this episode sparked ideas, forward it to a friend or colleague who's been curious about using AI more strategically. And if you want more tips, tools, and behind-the-scenes breakdowns like this, leave a 5-star review and hit that follow button - so you don’t miss what’s coming next.

Stay Connected
Follow me for more tips and behind-the-scenes content:

Instagram: @heyjuliabehrens
LinkedIn: Julia Behrens
Web: HEY Julia

Let's keep the CONVERSaiTION going — one prompt at a time!