Podcast
Scaling with AI
Hosted by Alex Bacon | AI strategy and automation · EN
Learn how to scale your business with AI.
Scaling with AI is the business podcast that turns AI into revenue. Each week Alex Bacon interviews founders and leaders for real use cases across sales, marketing, product and operations. Learn AI strategy, generative AI, ChatGPT for business, workflow automation and large language models, with governance and data privacy built in. No hype, just proven tactics, tooling tips and clear next steps that deliver results and drive ROI. Listen before your competitor does.
Think big. Act small. Scale fast.
14episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
AI Governance for Leaders: Using AI with Wisdom and Integrity
1w ago00:43:32Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Scaling With AI, Alex Bacon speaks to Sue Turner, founder of AI Governance and Professor in Practice for AI and Digital Tech at the University of Bristol Business School, about what it takes to use artificial intelligence in business with wisdom and integrity. Sue explains why responsible AI should not slow innovation, why shadow AI is already inside most organisations, and why leaders need to treat governance as a living system rather than a one-off policy.The conversation covers practical AI use cases, AI risk, human oversight, data protection, the EU AI Act, ISO 42001 and the uncomfortable trade-offs leaders face as AI adoption accelerates. Sue also shares why AI governance is a “wicked problem”, and what founders, operators and senior teams can do next to build confidence without drifting into recklessness.A grounded episode for anyone leveraging AI in business and trying to scale responsibly. Brought to you by Alex Bacon and BrightKeel AI.
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AI in HR: Practical Use Cases for Founders and People Leaders
3w ago00:44:26Tap to summarizeAI is already changing HR, but not in the way the headlines often suggest. In the first episode of Series 2 of Scaling With AI, Alex Bacon speaks with Ingrid Maher Roberts, HR consultant and founder of Zero to One HR, about where artificial intelligence in business is genuinely useful for HR professionals, and where human judgement still matters most.Ingrid shares how she uses tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Claude Projects, Claude Artefacts, Gemini and NotebookLM to support HR policy work, staff handbook questions, recruitment workflows and business development. She also explains why HR teams need clear guardrails around employee data, especially when dealing with sensitive information like salaries, medical issues, disciplinaries and restructures.This episode explores practical AI use cases in HR, the risks of generic AI-generated grievances and CVs, and why context, trust and emotional intelligence remain central to good people work. It is a grounded conversation for founders, operators and HR professionals who want to understand leveraging AI in business, business growth AI, and artificial intelligence marketing for small business without getting lost in hype.Listen now to hear how Ingrid and Alex at BrightKeel AI think about AI adoption, the role of AI in HR, and what a practical podcast about AI can teach growing businesses about the future of people teams.
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AI in Business Q&A: Where Should Leaders Start With AI Adoption?
May 1400:19:02Tap to summarizeAI in business is moving quickly, but most leaders are still wrestling with the same practical question: where do we actually start?In this solo Q&A episode of Scaling With AI, Alex Bacon from BrightKeel AI answers the common questions he is hearing from founders, operators and leadership teams trying to move from curiosity to confident AI adoption. He explains why successful artificial intelligence in business starts with leadership buy-in, clear use cases and a realistic view of your AI maturity, rather than jumping straight into agents or automation.Alex explores the AI maturity pyramid, the risks of shadow AI, the skills gap inside growing businesses, and why AI adoption should be treated as a change management challenge, not just another IT project. He also looks at how leaders can build trust, set guardrails and help teams start leveraging AI in business without creating confusion or fear.For anyone looking for a practical podcast about AI, business growth and responsible adoption, this episode is a grounded place to begin. Listen now.
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Alex Talks to The Scale-up Podcast: Growing Businesses and Starting New Ones
Apr 3000:45:09Tap to summarizeWhat does it really take to grow a business, leave a senior role, and start again in the middle of the AI boom? In this episode of Scaling With AI, Alex Bacon shares an excerpt from his appearance on The Scale-up Podcast, covering his journey from helping to scale a business from £4 million to £38 million in revenue to launching BrightKeel AI.Alex talks honestly about growth, funding, culture, acquisitions and the pressure of working inside a fast-moving scale-up. He also explains why AI adoption should not be treated as another IT project, and why leaders need to own the strategy, guardrails and culture around using tools like ChatGPT, Claude and Microsoft Copilot.Expect practical thinking on AI in business, sales cycles, marketing strategy, tender responses, AI consultancy, and the gap between automation hype and real operational improvement.For founders, operators and senior leaders looking at artificial intelligence in business and wondering where to start, this is a grounded conversation worth hearing.
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Why AI Fails Without Process (And How to Fix It)
Apr 1600:37:50Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the Scaling With AI podcast, Alex Bacon sits down with Emily Hatton, operations consultant and founder of AI in Agencies, to explore why AI adoption often fails to deliver and how to turn it into a genuine driver of business growth.While Emily’s work focuses heavily on marketing agencies, the lessons apply to any founder, operator, or small team trying to scale. This is a practical conversation about automation with AI, improving operations, and building a business that can grow without simply adding more people.They unpack why throwing tools like ChatGPT or Claude into your team rarely works, how unclear processes block AI scaling, and what it actually takes to create efficiency across a growing business. You will also hear how better process design can unlock small team scaling, reduce duplicated work, and create measurable impact on margins.If you are searching for an AI and business podcast that goes beyond hype into real execution, this episode is for you.Listen now to learn how to scale your business with AI in a way that actually works.
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Scaling Sales and Marketing with AI: Lessons from the Accounting Industry
Apr 200:36:47Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Scaling With AI, Alex Bacon speaks with Emily Maxie, Chief Growth Officer at Firm 360, a supplier to the accounting industry, about what leveraging AI in business actually looks like when you are responsible for growth.Emily shares how her team is using AI in sales and marketing to drive real business growth, from saving over 750 hours of manual work to improving deal quality through better call prep and data. They explore how tools like Gong and Clay are reshaping sales execution, and why artificial intelligence marketing for small business is quickly becoming more accessible and more competitive.The conversation also brings a sharp lens on AI in accounting. Contrary to expectations, accounting firms are moving fast, driven by talent shortages and the need to do more with less. But with that comes real tension around governance, client data and the future of entry-level roles.This podcast about AI goes beyond tools to focus on mindset, measurement and leadership. If you are exploring artificial intelligence in business and want practical insight into what works, this episode is for you.
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The Best Bits: 10 Lessons from Leaders Scaling with AI
Mar 1900:38:24Tap to summarizeThis episode is about what it really looks like when you start leveraging AI in business.In this special “Best Bits” episode of Scaling with AI, Alex Bacon, Founder of BrightKeel AI distils the most valuable lessons from the last 20 episodes, bringing together insights from founders, operators and leaders who are actively using artificial intelligence in business to drive real results. This is an AI and business podcast focused on what actually works, not what sounds good.You will learn how to approach AI with clarity, where most teams go wrong when implementing AI, and how to turn early experimentation into something that genuinely drives business growth with AI. From using your internal data as a competitive advantage to building the right workflows, culture and governance, this episode gives you a practical blueprint you can apply immediately.You will hear directly from leaders who have successfully implemented AI, sharing the patterns, mistakes and breakthroughs that don’t make it into polished case studies.If you are exploring artificial intelligence (AI) in business, whether in operations, sales or artificial intelligence marketing for small business, this episode will help you avoid common pitfalls and move faster with confidence.If you are looking for a podcast about AI that focuses on real-world use, this is a strong place to begin.Scaling with AI is an AI and business podcast for founders, operators and senior leaders who want to understand how to use artificial intelligence in business to drive real results. From AI strategy and workflows to artificial intelligence marketing for small business, each episode explores practical ways of leveraging AI in business for sustainable growth.
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From SEO to Sales: Scaling a Small Team with AI
Mar 500:44:46Tap to summarizeMost teams are experimenting with artificial intelligence in business. Very few are truly leveraging AI in business to drive measurable growth.In this episode of Scaling With AI, Alex Bacon speaks with Nikki Laker, Marketing Director at Opus Technology, about what artificial intelligence (AI) in business looks like when it moves beyond prompts and into performance. This is a practical, grounded podcast about AI for leaders who want results, not theory.Nikki shares how she built a custom “unicorn” GPT that identifies keyword gaps, generates SEO and GEO content, maps internal links and tracks time saved. In the first month alone, her small marketing team reclaimed five full working days. They also explore how AI-powered sales assistants are accelerating research, improving outreach and shortening sales cycles.The conversation goes deeper into artificial intelligence marketing for small business, measuring AI visibility, using Reddit strategically, and balancing tools like ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude. It is an honest look at business growth AI in action, including the tensions, experiments and mindset shifts required to make it work.If you are serious about scaling through artificial intelligence in business, this AI and business podcast will give you practical insight and a clearer path forward.
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Why Every AI Rollout Needs Governance From Day One
Feb 1900:43:46Tap to summarizeAI governance is often treated as an afterthought. Something to tidy up later, once the tools are live and the excitement has died down. In this episode of Scaling With AI, Alex Bacon is joined by Dr Ben Thompson, AI governance and compliance expert, to unpack what responsible AI adoption actually looks like in the real world.Drawing on his background in education leadership, data protection and AI regulation, Ben explains why governance and data security needs to start before any tools are rolled out, not after. They explore the growing risk of shadow AI, where employees quietly use tools like ChatGPT, note takers and browser plugins outside any policy or control, and why this creates serious blind spots for leaders who may think everyone is happy using Microsoft Copilot.The conversation also breaks down the EU AI Act in plain English, why UK businesses cannot ignore it, and how a simple risk based approach can give teams confidence rather than slowing them down. From one page AI policies to cultural trust, training and leadership responsibility, this episode cuts through fear and complexity.If you are a founder, operator or senior leader trying to scale AI without losing control, this is a practical, grounded listen.
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Using AI as an Assistant, Not a Replacement. And Lessons for MSPs
Feb 500:39:10Tap to summarizeMost AI conversations are about speed, automation, or replacing people. Paul Green takes a very different view.In this episode of Scaling With AI, Alex Bacon sits down with Paul Green, MSP marketing expert and founder of MSP Marketing Edge, to explore the reality of AI adoption. One where AI acts as a high-quality assistant, not a shortcut or a substitute for human judgement.Paul shares how his business produces hundreds of pieces of marketing content every month, why humans still sit at the centre of that work, and how tools like ChatGPT are used to improve quality, consistency, and decision-making rather than churn out more content for the sake of it.The conversation digs into why systems matter more than shiny AI tools, what many MSPs are getting wrong about AI adoption, and how fear around data, security, and rapid change is slowing progress. Paul also shares a compelling example of an MSP using internal AI to spot patterns, reduce churn, and make better strategic decisions, pointing to how AI-led advisory services could evolve.A practical episode for founders and operators exploring real AI use cases, with clear lessons for MSPs who want to move past hype and help clients use AI to think better, not just faster.
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