Business Lunch Podcast Summary

Episode: Reinventing Marketing Education through AI
Host: Roland Frasier
Guest: Richard Lindner, President of Scalable Co and DigitalMarketer.com
Release Date: April 25, 2025

Introduction

In this insightful episode of Business Lunch, host Roland Frasier engages in a deep conversation with Richard Lindner, the President of Scalable Co and DigitalMarketer.com. The discussion centers around the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in reinventing marketing education and scaling businesses. The episode delves into how DigitalMarketer and Scalable are integrating AI to enhance their offerings, streamline operations, and provide unparalleled value to their clients.

AI Integration in DigitalMarketer and Scalable

AIfication Approaches: Richard Lindner elucidates the distinct strategies both companies employ in incorporating AI:

• DigitalMarketer: Adopts a "done with you" approach. This involves training AI tools that assist clients in creating marketing assets without fully automating the process, thereby maintaining a collaborative environment.

• Scalable: Embraces a "done for you" model. Here, AI handles more of the operational aspects, providing comprehensive solutions with minimal client intervention.

Quote:
"Digital Marketer will be aiified slightly. A little bit less like more of a done with you aification where Scalable is going to be focusing on a done for you aiification."
— Richard Lindner [01:22]

Transition from Traditional Training to AI-Powered Solutions

Richard highlights a pivotal shift in the industry:

• End of Traditional Training: The era of extensive human-led training for selling education is waning. AI is taking over the role of guiding clients through complex marketing strategies.

• Instructional Design Excellence: DigitalMarketer's core strength lies in creating structured frameworks that are now being augmented with AI to facilitate seamless learning and implementation.

Quote:
"One of our core competencies is not only can we figure out what works we're actually really good at instructional design, at the creation of frameworks."
— Richard Lindner [02:25]

Implementation of Custom GPTs

The conversation delves into the practical application of AI through custom Generative Pre-trained Transformers (GPTs):

• Problem Statement Ads: DigitalMarketer is training GPTs to generate problem statement ads by onboarding clients, understanding their business profiles, and automating ad creation.

• Streamlined Processes: What previously required hours of training and manual effort can now be accomplished swiftly with AI, enhancing efficiency and output quality.

Quote:
"It's done with you. So you'll, they'll have access to still come on and work with our different experts to work with our different coaches on how to fix that."
— Richard Lindner [07:10]

Pricing and Accessibility

Richard provides insights into the pricing structure and accessibility of these AI-powered tools:

• Digital Marketer Lab: Offers access to all custom GPTs at an affordable monthly rate of $29 to $49.

• Premium Access: For more extensive systems and automated marketing solutions, the cost is $5,000 per year, with plans to increase to $10,000 annually or $500 monthly.

Quote:
"If you're in Digital Marketer Lab, you have access to all the GPTs... $5,000 a year right now. That's going to quickly go up to 10,000 a year and 500 a month."
— Richard Lindner [09:50]

Beta Testing and Client Feedback

Currently, DigitalMarketer is in the beta testing phase with select members:

• Tech-Savvy Clients: The initial feedback indicates smooth adoption, primarily due to the tech proficiency of the early users.

• Extensive Testing: Rigorous testing procedures ensured that the transition to AI-powered tools was seamless, minimizing potential hurdles for clients.

Quote:
"We tend to have a more tech savvy client. But even so it was something that we wanted to make sure... happening pretty, pretty quickly without any issues."
— Richard Lindner [10:36]

Tools Beyond ChatGPT

While ChatGPT is a cornerstone of their AI strategy, DigitalMarketer leverages additional tools to enhance functionality:

• Manus: Utilized to structure training modules, outline customer journeys, and ensure AI outputs align with desired outcomes.

Quote:
"We're using Manus to go in and really help structure a lot of, a lot of this."
— Richard Lindner [11:14]

Strategic Disruption and Self-Innovation

Richard emphasizes the importance of proactive innovation to stay ahead of potential market disruptions:

• Self-Disruption Philosophy: Inspired by 37signals' approach, the companies focus on regularly overhauling their products and strategies to preempt external disruptions.

• Value Proposition: Ensuring that their offerings remain indispensable, even in the face of advanced AI tools, by maintaining robust frameworks and personalized support.

Quote:
"Ask yourself a big question. If you were going to come into your market and disrupt yourself or if you were going to be disrupted by the market as a whole, how would that happen?"
— Richard Lindner [12:52]

Advice for Other Businesses

Richard provides actionable advice for businesses looking to integrate AI:

• Embrace Continuous Innovation: Regularly evaluate and update business processes to incorporate new technologies.

• Enhance Customer Experience: Utilize AI to streamline operations, personalize interactions, and create value-added services that set the business apart from competitors.

Closing Remarks and Call to Action

Roland wraps up the episode by inviting listeners to explore AI-powered marketing solutions through DigitalMarketer and Scalable. Richard encourages prospective clients to book consultations for personalized insights and strategies.

Quote:
"Go to digitalmarketer.com if you're looking for help in creating your own AI digital marketing team and digital marketing agents."
— Richard Lindner [15:29]

Key Takeaways

1. AI Transformation: Both DigitalMarketer and Scalable are leveraging AI to revolutionize marketing education and business scalability.
2. Custom GPTs: Tailored GPTs are central to automating and enhancing marketing strategies, reducing the need for extensive manual training.
3. Proactive Innovation: Continuously evolving business strategies to preempt market disruptions ensures sustained relevance and value.
4. Accessible Pricing: Varied pricing tiers make advanced AI tools accessible to a broad range of clients, from small businesses to large enterprises.
5. Client-Centric Approach: Emphasizing collaboration and support, ensuring clients can effectively utilize AI tools to achieve their marketing goals.

For those interested in harnessing the power of AI in their marketing efforts or scaling their businesses, this episode offers invaluable insights and practical strategies directly from industry leaders.