AI Explored Podcast: Advanced ChatGPT Features for Any Business
Host: Michael Stelzner (Social Media Examiner)
Guest: Kendra Ramirez (Co-founder, Cincy AI for Humans; Newsletter: AI Simplified)
Date: October 21, 2025
Brief Overview
This episode dives deep into the advanced features of ChatGPT, exploring powerful and lesser-known functionalities beyond mere content creation. Michael Stelzner is joined by AI strategist Kendra Ramirez, who shares actionable strategies for using ChatGPT’s “Agent Mode,” “Deep Research,” and “Vision Mode” in business contexts, especially for marketers, creators, and business owners. The discussion is filled with practical examples, how-tos, visionary predictions, and real business applications to help listeners unlock ChatGPT’s full potential.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Getting Started with AI & ChatGPT
- Kendra’s Origin Story (02:11):
- Kendra Ramirez describes entering the AI world from a digital agency background, prompted by client needs for social media bot management in 2018 and later transitioning to more advanced tools like Copy.ai, Jasper, and ChatGPT.
Common Misconceptions About ChatGPT
- Not Just a Writing Tool (03:37):
- Many believe ChatGPT only writes content, but it functions as a multi-modal assistant capable of executing complex tasks and integrating with other digital tools.
- "[People] think it's just simply a writing tool. ... But the magic in AI is actually giving it a task, getting it actually to do work for you."
— Kendra Ramirez (03:37)
- Quality Depends on Prompts (04:10):
- Good results depend on context-rich, detailed prompts. Kendra advises asking ChatGPT to request clarification.
- "It's really about the prompts. ... We want to do is give it context and then say, ask me questions for clarity."
— Kendra Ramirez (04:10)
Why Embrace Advanced ChatGPT Features?
- The Upside: Saving Time and Automating Workflows (05:51):
- Unlocking features like Agent Mode and Connectors saves significant time by automating research, competitive reviews, and daily tasks.
- "The benefits ... is time. We all are inundated with everything and it’s time."
— Kendra Ramirez (05:51)
Deep Dive Into Advanced Features
1. Agent Mode
What is Agent Mode? (06:36)
- Operates as a digital project manager; given an end-task, it determines and executes all intermediate steps to reach that goal.
- “You actually just give it the end task, and then it figures out ... how to get to that end task.”
— Kendra Ramirez (06:36)
Real-World Example: Ideal Client Profile Research (07:21)
- Kendra used Agent Mode to find real leads matching a client's ideal customer profile, automating hours of manual research and returning actionable contact data.
How Does It Work? (11:43)
- Activate by pressing '+' or typing '/' for mode options.
- Connects to tools like Gmail, HubSpot, Salesforce, Google Docs, and more (given explicit permissions), fetching emails, data, or running tasks per user request.
- Security Note: Be cautious with sensitive data—do not provide credit card or API keys unless absolutely necessary and always maintain a “human-in-the-loop.”
- "Think of it more as being able to have the connector. ... I feel comfortable giving it to my Gmail, not my work email yet."
— Kendra Ramirez (08:58)
Eisenhower Matrix Automation Example (14:20)
- Agent analyzes unread emails, sorts them into the Eisenhower urgent/important quadrants, and delivers clear next steps.
Future Vision for Agent Mode (18:57)
- Personalized assistants for life and work—booking travel, shopping, scheduling, and integrating with user preferences.
- Marketing implication: AI agents will be treated as new audiences to “market to” since they influence user decisions.
Host Reflection: Agents as Staff & Specialists (22:09)
- Michael imagines specialized agents for marketing, sales, operations, with personalized AI staff handling complex workflows end-to-end.
2. Deep Research
What Is Deep Research? (23:52)
- Automates in-depth market, competitor, and topic research across hundreds of sources, delivering academic-style reports, matrices, and real citations.
Example: Market Research at Scale (23:52)
- Generated a validated 13-page market research report from 173 sources in 12 minutes, saving tens of thousands in consulting fees.
Key Differentiator (26:07, 26:15)
- Deep Research focuses on comprehensive, source-cited, academic-style findings. Agent Mode, by contrast, acts on data and completes tasks.
- "Research mode ... is going to be more academic, more research based, giving you the sources. It’s not acting on your behalf."
— Kendra Ramirez (26:15)
Use Cases & Creativity (27:54)
- Product and vendor comparisons, validation of ideas, SWOT analyses, and hypothesis testing by aggregating global data.
- "[ChatGPT] did an extremely thorough, comprehensive analysis ... and it stuck it into a matrix."
— Michael Stelzner (26:43)
Combining Modes: Deep Research + Agent Mode (30:41)
- Possible to feed deep research outputs into Agent Mode for further validation, action, or competitive response analysis.
3. Data Analysis Capabilities
Uploading Data for Analysis (32:28)
- ChatGPT-5 can now perform qualitative analysis on large datasets (e.g., CSVs), extracting themes and key insights—rivaling specialized tools.
- "ChatGPT-5 is actually really good at data analysis. ... This is magic sauce kind of stuff."
— Michael Stelzner (34:48)
4. Vision Mode
What is Vision Mode? (35:09, 35:14)
- Allows ChatGPT to “see” through a user’s smartphone camera; acts as a real-time assistant for visual problem-solving.
- “You can go in and pull up ChatGPT in the app, hit advanced mode, and then you have a camera and then you have the vision capability.”
— Kendra Ramirez (35:14)
Practical Applications (38:03)
- Walkthroughs of digital interfaces—point phone camera, get step-by-step help on software or device navigation.
- Real-world problem-solving—fixing car parts or appliances by showing ChatGPT the problem.
- “It helped him because he couldn't figure out where it goes. ... He was shocked."
— Michael Stelzner (38:03)
Coming to Desktop Soon (41:10)
- Kendra and Michael predict full desktop vision integration, enabling even more seamless digital and physical world problem-solving.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Prompt Quality:
“If I just simply say, write an email for a client, there's not enough context.”
— Kendra Ramirez (04:10) -
On Unlocking Advanced Features:
“Push all the buttons. ... Using the plus sign, you can see all the other modes that ChatGPT offers.”
— Kendra Ramirez (05:01) -
On Real Savings:
"It went through 173 sources, read 63 pages, and then produced a full market research for them ... what would you pay for research like that? ... probably around $30,000."
— Kendra Ramirez (23:52–26:07) -
On Future AI Assistants:
“That assistant in your pocket ... I'm just again, giving it the end goal. ... And it's going to go through and search and find the best deals, best flights, hotels, and then come back to me.”
— Kendra Ramirez (18:57) -
On Vision Mode:
“Think of it as just literally a help desk in your pocket.”
— Kendra Ramirez (37:02)
Timestamps for Important Segments
- Entry and Guest Intro: [01:13–02:04]
- Kendra’s AI Journey: [02:11–02:53]
- Biggest Misconceptions: [03:37–04:41]
- Why Use Advanced Features: [05:01–05:51]
- What Is Agent Mode? [06:36–08:44]
- Agent Mode Real Example (Email, Eisenhower Matrix): [14:20–16:53]
- Agent Mode Setup & Connectors: [09:49–11:26]
- Agent Mode Future Outlook: [18:57–20:21]
- Agent vs. Deep Research: [23:52–26:43]
- Deep Research Use Cases: [27:54–30:23]
- Combining Agent Mode & Deep Research: [30:41–31:49]
- Data Analysis with ChatGPT: [32:28–35:00]
- Vision Mode Explained & Use Cases: [35:09–41:10]
Additional Resources & Where to Find Kendra Ramirez
- LinkedIn: Kendra Ramirez
- Website & Comprehensive Guide: kendraramirez.com/SME ([42:10])
- Newsletter: AI Simplified on Substack
Closing Thoughts
This episode provides a compelling look into the expanding capabilities of ChatGPT for businesses, from automating complex workflows (Agent Mode) and advanced research (Deep Research), to solving real-world and technical problems visually (Vision Mode). Listeners are encouraged to experiment—“push all the buttons”—and explore how these features could make their businesses more efficient and future-proof.
For full show notes and links, visit socialmediaexaminer.com/aipod.