Making AI Work for You:
The Auburn Hills Chamber Workshop: the AI Accelerator
Navigating the world of AI today can feel a bit like stepping into a new kitchen filled with shiny, unfamiliar tools. At first glance, you can feel lost just trying to make a PB & J! But once you become accustomed to where things are and how they work, food prep is easy-peasy. The fun begins when you start to see the possibilities and have the chance to cook up something incredible.
That’s exactly the spirit we brought to the Auburn Hills Chamber AI Accelerator Workshop. I had the pleasure of co-presenting AI Accelerator to a room full of driven small business leaders and professionals.
We want to give a special shoutout to Jean Jernigan, Renee Ronan, Courtney Price, and Jeniffer Payne for the warm welcome and for, as always, putting together a well-organized and successful event.
Using AI tools is a lot like building with LegosTM
The goal of our session was simple: to demystify AI and make it accessible to anyone, with no tech team required.
Use AI tools like building blocks. You don’t need one big solution; you’re accessing the right pieces to build your envisioned creation. With the free AI tools available, start small, experiment, and build exactly what your business needs, one block at a time.
We focused on practical, day-to-day applications and how AI needs to be trained like a new hire. You wouldn’t give up on a new team member if they misunderstood you the first time: you’d train them, learn what they’re good at, and find ways they can support the rest of your team. Use AI tools in a similar way.
We did several live demonstrations with well-known AI tools to boost productivity and creativity:
- Fathom: Records and transcribes Zoom calls, with improved searchable summaries
- HubSpot + Breeze AI agents: Automates contact research and personalized email outreach.
- Notably.ai + Gemini: Conducts deep research and builds comprehensive strategy documents.
- ZoomInfo: Integrates with LinkedIn to streamline prospect research and uncover key company insights.
- Custom-trained bots: Tailored to brand voice or customer tone to improve communication quality.
- Prompting techniques: Using DISC personality styles to adapt your message for different audiences.
Chris Drouin, EAM Consulting Group, who joined me as a co-presenter, offered a compelling example of how AI can be a game-changer for sales teams. By integrating AI into the sales process, he’s been able to research leads faster, personalize outreach, and follow up with greater precision, all without adding hours to the workday. It’s not about replacing people; it’s about amplifying what we do best.
Here are a few of the takeaways we explored together:
- Use AI to eliminate busywork. Whether it’s scheduling, summarizing meetings, or writing outreach emails, tools like Fathom, HubSpot, and Gemini can free up your time for work that actually moves the needle.
- If you’re just starting, start small. Automate one low-skill, repetitive task that eats up time but doesn’t require deep creativity.
- Build your AI toolbox. Try out tools like Notably.ai for research, Breeze agents for contact insights, or even prompt ChatGPT using DISC styles to match your audience’s communication style.
- Stay human. We discussed “healthy adoption,” not chasing hype or letting it take over, but identifying where AI can fit into your process to increase efficiency.
An Engaging and Interactive Seminar
The workshop was interactive and conversational, with participants offering their questions, concerns, and wins with AI. We also shared worksheets to help everyone zero in on one task in their business that they could tackle with AI. Then we outlined what it would take to try a solution, and encouraged everyone to take just one small next step.
The energy in the room was fantastic. It was clear that this group wasn’t just curious, they were ready to act. That’s why we’re offering a complementary follow-up online webinar on June 18, 2025, at 10:30 AM, where we’ll take the next step: training your own custom AI bot that sounds like your brand, serves your customers, and saves you time. Click here to register and join us.
AI Accelerator Workshop Meetup with Matthew Kleist, Identity Creative
With AI Discussion & Hands-On Learning
Wednesday, June 18, 2025 | 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Register here: AI Accelerator Workshop Webinar Registration
This session will build on what we’ve covered during the seminar and dive deeper into how to practically apply AI tools to your workflow. You’ll walk away with actionable steps and real-time examples you can implement immediately.
AI may feel like an unfamiliar kitchen now, but it doesn’t take long before you’re reaching for the right drawer. And when you do, you’re not just automating tasks; you’re cooking up something that moves your business forward.
