Andrew's Mindmate (00:00):
Trying to keep up with all this AI stuff can feel like drinking from a fire hose.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (00:05):
Yeah, I hear that.
Andrew's Mindmate (00:05):
Especially in consulting. It's like everyone's scrambling trying to figure out, okay, where do I even fit in? So today we're doing a deep dive on what it really means to be an AI first consultant.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (00:16):
Okay, love it.
Andrew's Mindmate (00:17):
How do you actually make that shift, and how do you use it to get ahead? We're going to pull some really interesting insights from this blog post by Andrew Lawless.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (00:26):
Oh, yeah. He gets right to it. He
Andrew's Mindmate (00:28):
Does. No kidding. I mean, one of the first things that jumped out at me, he quotes a VP at a Fortune 10 company, and this VP basically says if he's ahead of his consultant on ai, why is he even bothering to hire them?
Ann's Digital Ambassador (00:43):
Yeah. That's got to sting a little bit if you're a consultant, right?
Andrew's Mindmate (00:45):
Yeah, right.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (00:46):
Hello, wake up call.
Andrew's Mindmate (00:48):
Yeah, exactly. It's like wake up guys. So it's definitely things are moving
Ann's Digital Ambassador (00:53):
Fast,
Andrew's Mindmate (00:54):
But LAIs doesn't just point out the problem. He digs into some solutions and he talks about this AI first strategy, which I'll be honest, at first, it kind of sounded like a buzzword to me. Yeah,
Ann's Digital Ambassador (01:07):
For sure. It's easy to slap a label on something,
Andrew's Mindmate (01:09):
Right? Exactly.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (01:10):
But then the question becomes what does that actually look like in the real world, whether you're say a financial consultant or a management consultant.
Andrew's Mindmate (01:18):
Exactly. What are you actually doing differently?
Ann's Digital Ambassador (01:20):
Yeah. It's about weaving AI into everything. You do the core of your work.
Andrew's Mindmate (01:25):
So it's not just like, oh, I use ai. It's like AI is fundamentally changing how I approach this
Ann's Digital Ambassador (01:30):
100% not just a shiny object.
Andrew's Mindmate (01:33):
Right. Okay. He gives an example of Cognizant, the big tech company. Yeah. They've got this platform called neuro ai, and they're using it to do some pretty wild stuff. They can fine tune stock levels and even pricing on the fly.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (01:50):
And what's really fascinating about this is the tools to actually make this happen, to build these AI solutions are becoming increasingly accessible.
Andrew's Mindmate (01:59):
Okay, interesting.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (02:00):
We're talking about the democratization of ai. What used to be only possible for companies with massive budgets and huge teams of super genius data scientist is now within reach for even your average small business.
Andrew's Mindmate (02:15):
So you're telling me that my client could potentially go out and find an AI tool that does pricing models
Ann's Digital Ambassador (02:20):
Potentially,
Andrew's Mindmate (02:21):
And suddenly all the years I spent building those models not so special anymore.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (02:26):
That's right. And that's why this whole AI first strategy thing is so crucial. You've got to be able to evolve what you offer, understand the nuances that these off the shelf AI tools might miss and really guide your clients through not just the what of ai, but the how and the why.
Andrew's Mindmate (02:44):
Okay. So I like that. So it's less about me becoming an AI expert and more about me becoming an expert in how AI is going to impact my specific area of consulting.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (02:55):
A hundred percent.
Andrew's Mindmate (02:56):
And Lawless, he touches on this too. He talks about these new consulting roles starting to emerge. You've got digital transformation advisors, you've got people who specialize in AI integration. It's almost like a whole new playing field is opening up.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (03:11):
And he gives a great example of a consultant who might help a company use ai, not just to analyze their supply chain, but to actually predict disruptions before they happen.
Andrew's Mindmate (03:21):
Oh, that's interesting, right? So you're not just reacting, you're getting ahead of it.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (03:25):
Exactly. And that's the kind of forward thinking that clients are going to really start looking for.
Andrew's Mindmate (03:32):
So it's like, I'm not just helping you optimize your inventory today. I'm helping you create a supply chain that can roll with the punches, whatever happens.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (03:42):
Exactly.
Andrew's Mindmate (03:42):
But I mean, let's be real. There's still a lot of hesitation out there when it comes to ai.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (03:48):
Absolutely.
Andrew's Mindmate (03:48):
It's new. It's scary for some people.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (03:51):
For sure. And lawless list six key reasons why. Unclear expectations.
Andrew's Mindmate (03:57):
Okay. Yeah.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (03:58):
The technical side can be a little
Andrew's Mindmate (04:02):
Intimidating.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (04:02):
Yeah, intimidating
Andrew's Mindmate (04:03):
For sure.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (04:04):
Concerns about is this really going to give me a return on my investment?
Andrew's Mindmate (04:08):
They want to know, is this going to actually deliver what it promises?
Ann's Digital Ambassador (04:13):
And then you get into the challenges of upskilling your workforce.
Andrew's Mindmate (04:16):
Yeah, that's a big one.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (04:17):
How do I integrate AI into what we're already doing? And of course, the elephant in the room.
Andrew's Mindmate (04:22):
Job security.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (04:23):
Job security, exactly.
Andrew's Mindmate (04:24):
People are worried about being replaced,
Ann's Digital Ambassador (04:27):
Which those are all valid concerns, but they also represent a huge opportunity for consultants who can step in and be those guides.
Andrew's Mindmate (04:36):
So instead of looking at these fears as obstacles, we look at them as opportunities to provide even more value.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (04:43):
Exactly.
Andrew's Mindmate (04:44):
To be even more indispensable to our clients.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (04:48):
And what's interesting is this isn't just about big corporations with tons of money. Lawless mentions this small business AI adoption survey, and even small businesses, they're eager to get on board. They see the potential
Andrew's Mindmate (05:03):
Here, right? Because they want increased efficiency.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (05:05):
Yes.
Andrew's Mindmate (05:06):
They want to reduce costs. I mean, who doesn't want a less stressful work environment?
Ann's Digital Ambassador (05:11):
Exactly.
Andrew's Mindmate (05:11):
It's like that moment where everybody suddenly realized they needed a website, but nobody knew how to build one. And web developers boom, instant rock stars.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (05:20):
Right?
Andrew's Mindmate (05:21):
So the question for our listeners is, are you going to be the one helping businesses navigate this AI revolution, or are you going to be the one left behind wondering what happened?
Ann's Digital Ambassador (05:31):
And I think that is the key question. I mean, we've established AI is not a fad. This is the future of business. So the question isn't if you need to adapt, it's how
Andrew's Mindmate (05:41):
And how to do that. Well, that's what we're going to unpack in the rest of this deep dive. It's like we're living in the future, but how do we as consultants actually get ready for this AI driven world? It's easy to say, oh, learn ai. But that feels kind of overwhelming, right?
Ann's Digital Ambassador (05:59):
It's not about going out and becoming a coding expert overnight. It's more about understanding what AI can actually do, and maybe more importantly, how it connects to the skills you already bring to the table,
Andrew's Mindmate (06:09):
The
Ann's Digital Ambassador (06:10):
Value you offer to your clients. Lawless actually uses this great phrase, AI augmentation.
Andrew's Mindmate (06:15):
Oh, okay.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (06:16):
And basically what that means is how can AI supercharge what you're already doing?
Andrew's Mindmate (06:22):
So less about replacing us and more about making us even better at what we do.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (06:26):
Exactly.
Andrew's Mindmate (06:27):
Okay. So give me an example. How would a marketing consultant, for example, how would they use this whole AI augmentation thing?
Ann's Digital Ambassador (06:32):
Imagine being able to analyze social media trends in real time, or being able to personalize your client's campaigns, but down to the individual customer, even predict which marketing channels are going to give them the absolute best bang for their buck. That's the power of AI augmentation.
Andrew's Mindmate (06:52):
So it's like having this whole team of analysts working behind the scenes 24 7.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (06:57):
That's right.
Andrew's Mindmate (06:57):
But you don't have to pay them.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (06:59):
You got it.
Andrew's Mindmate (06:59):
I like it. But it still feels like there's this gap between the theory and actually making it happen.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (07:07):
And that's where that consultant creativity really comes into play. Lawless actually challenges us to kind of think outside the box a little bit, identify those areas within our own consulting niches where AI can either enhance what we're already doing, or maybe even stark. Totally new service offerings.
Andrew's Mindmate (07:27):
So it could be evolutionary or revolutionary.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (07:29):
Exactly.
Andrew's Mindmate (07:30):
Okay.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (07:30):
And he talks about how some consultants are already positioning themselves as these specialists in AI integration, helping companies not just choose the right AI tools, but actually implement them, weave them into their operations.
Andrew's Mindmate (07:50):
One thing to have the tool, it's another thing to know how to actually use it.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (07:53):
100%. And it touches on a really important point that I think sometimes gets overlooked. Transparency. We can't just throw these AI solutions at our clients and be like, okay, problem solved. We have to be able to explain how it works and more importantly, how it's going to benefit them. Remember those fears we talked about earlier? Transparency is key to overcoming those fears.
Andrew's Mindmate (08:15):
So no black boxes, we need to deify this a little bit.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (08:18):
Exactly.
Andrew's Mindmate (08:18):
Make it make sense.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (08:19):
And not just be like, Hey, look at this shiny new AI toy.
Andrew's Mindmate (08:22):
Right?
Ann's Digital Ambassador (08:23):
It's about connecting the dots for them. How does this AI powered solution actually solve their pain points, their specific problems? How is it going to help them achieve their business goals? How does it fit into their overall strategy?
Andrew's Mindmate (08:39):
So it's really about demonstrating that value. That tangible value.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (08:44):
Yes, exactly.
Andrew's Mindmate (08:45):
So even in this world of algorithms and robots taking over everything, that human element of consulting, the connection, the communication, building that trust, if anything, it becomes even more important.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (08:57):
It's huge. I mean, AI can analyze data, they can generate reports, it can give you insights, but it can't replicate empathy. It can't replicate understanding. It certainly can't build a relationship the way that a human can.
Andrew's Mindmate (09:10):
Right? It's like that old saying, people buy from people.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (09:13):
That's
Andrew's Mindmate (09:14):
Even if those people are using AI to give them superpowers.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (09:18):
Exactly.
Andrew's Mindmate (09:18):
But I mean, let's be honest, this is a bit of a moving target. The field of AI is constantly changing. I mean, new tools are popping up every day, every day. How do we make sure that we're not just keeping up, but we're actually staying ahead of the curve?
Ann's Digital Ambassador (09:35):
That's where continuous learning comes in.
Andrew's Mindmate (09:36):
Okay.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (09:37):
Lawless is a big proponent of this. He says, the most successful consultants in this AI first world are going to be the ones who really embrace this mindset of lifelong learning.
Andrew's Mindmate (09:47):
So carving out time to experiment with new tools, maybe attending industry conferences, maybe even taking a course or two. Basically, we've got to make learning a regular part of our routine, which is funny, what we tell our clients to do. Right?
Ann's Digital Ambassador (10:05):
Exactly what we preach, we should probably practice ourselves.
Andrew's Mindmate (10:08):
Right? Exactly.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (10:09):
And it's not just about the technical skills either. It's about nurturing that curiosity, asking questions, constantly looking for new perspectives on how AI is changing the world, but more importantly, how it's changing your client's world.
Andrew's Mindmate (10:23):
It's about becoming, like Lawless says, a student of the revolution.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (10:29):
Love that.
Andrew's Mindmate (10:29):
Embracing the change, being excited about it, even with all the uncertainty that comes with it. But for the listener out there who's maybe feeling a little overwhelmed right now, where do they even start? What are some concrete steps they can take today to get this ball rolling? It's easy to get caught up in these big AI strategies, but for someone who's just starting out, what are some bite-sized steps they can take?
Ann's Digital Ambassador (10:54):
I always say, start with your own backyard. What are some tasks that you're already doing that you could maybe make a little faster, a little more efficient with an AI tool?
Andrew's Mindmate (11:04):
Okay. Yeah. So look for those low hanging fruit.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (11:07):
Exactly. Maybe it's data entry when you're doing research, scheduling those client calls, stuff like that.
Andrew's Mindmate (11:14):
Okay. So free up some mental space.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (11:16):
Exactly.
Andrew's Mindmate (11:16):
Let AI handle the boring stuff, and then you can focus on the things that ai, at least for now, can't do. The strategic thinking, the creative problem solving, building those relationships.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (11:30):
A hundred percent. And as you start playing around with these tools, experimenting, don't keep it to yourself. Share what you're learning.
Andrew's Mindmate (11:40):
Okay. So write a blog post.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (11:41):
Yeah, blog post. Give a presentation. You a
Andrew's Mindmate (11:43):
Webinar.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (11:44):
Maybe even a webinar. Yeah.
Andrew's Mindmate (11:45):
Okay.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (11:46):
Because we're all kind of figuring this out together.
Andrew's Mindmate (11:47):
Right? Exactly. We're all in this together.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (11:50):
And by sharing what we're learning, even bumps in the road, it helps everyone level up faster.
Andrew's Mindmate (11:57):
I love that. So as we wrap up here, I feel like there's one more thing we need to touch on, and lawless emphasizes this too. It's the ethical side of ai because this is powerful technology,
Ann's Digital Ambassador (12:09):
Very powerful.
Andrew's Mindmate (12:10):
And we've got to make sure that we're using it responsibly. I mean, we've all seen those sci-fi movies, right?
Ann's Digital Ambassador (12:14):
Where the robots take over.
Andrew's Mindmate (12:16):
Yeah. It's funny, but there's also a grain of truth in there. Yeah.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (12:21):
There's a reason we're thinking about it.
Andrew's Mindmate (12:23):
Right? Exactly.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (12:24):
So be transparent with your clients about how you're using their data.
Andrew's Mindmate (12:29):
Make
Ann's Digital Ambassador (12:29):
Sure you understand the limitations of the AI tools you're using,
Andrew's Mindmate (12:33):
Right? Because they're not perfect.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (12:35):
Got it. At all. And be mindful of potential biases,
Andrew's Mindmate (12:38):
Right? Because bias can creep in.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (12:40):
Oh, absolutely.
Andrew's Mindmate (12:41):
And we don't want to perpetuate that.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (12:42):
No.
Andrew's Mindmate (12:43):
Okay. So it's like that old saying, with great power
Ann's Digital Ambassador (12:47):
Comes great responsibility,
Andrew's Mindmate (12:48):
Right? We're not just consultants. We're kind of like stewards of this technology.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (12:54):
That's a great way to put it.
Andrew's Mindmate (12:55):
So to our listeners, you're in the driver's seat. You get to decide how you're going to use these tools to shape not just your own career, but really the future of your field. No pressure to pressure, but really the potential here is incredible.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (13:10):
It really is.
Andrew's Mindmate (13:11):
And we hope that through this deep dive, we've given you some insights, maybe sparked some ideas, given you the kind of the push to take that next step. And just remember, this isn't about being replaced by ai.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (13:22):
It's
Andrew's Mindmate (13:22):
About using AI to unlock your full potential and create even more value for your clients.
Ann's Digital Ambassador (13:28):
And who knows, maybe even change the world along the way.
