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.
17episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
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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AI in Sales: What Top Performers Are Doing Differently
Jan 2200:40:23Tap to summarizeAI is everywhere in sales right now. But if your sellers are using it wrong they risk doing more harm than good.In this episode of Scaling With AI, Alex Bacon is joined by sales coach Gavin Kowalski, founder of Method Engine, to unpack what effective AI use in B2B sales actually looks like in practice. Drawing on his work with MSPs, cloud and technology sales teams, Gavin shares where AI is helping sellers move faster, where it creates lazy output, and why strategy matters far more than tools. They explore how top performing sales reps use AI for account research, note taking, proposals, and coaching without producing generic copy that fails the sniff test. The conversation also tackles the reality behind SDR automation, why leadership is often the blocker to better adoption, and how sales teams can turn their own data into a real advantage. This is a grounded, honest discussion about blending AI with human judgement, learning through play, and sharpening core skills like copywriting rather than outsourcing thinking. If you lead a sales team, coach sellers, or want to scale revenue with AI without losing credibility, this episode is for you.
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AI in the Legal Sector: What Works, What Doesn’t, What’s Next | Osborne Clarke
Jan 800:39:08Tap to summarizeAI is changing the legal sector fast, but what actually works in practice? What AI skills do people in the legal industry need?In this episode of Scaling with AI, host Alex Bacon is joined by Rachel Hawkins, Senior Legal Operations Manager at Osborne Clarke, to unpack how a global law firm is moving from AI experimentation to real delivery.Rachel shares how Osborne Clarke has built a responsible, scalable approach to AI in a highly regulated environment. From early experimentation with private GPT models to transforming end to end legal workflows, this conversation goes beyond hype and into what law firms are actually doing today.You will learn:How law firms are adopting AI responsibly without slowing innovationThe difference between horizontal AI use and true process transformationWhy governance, trust and education matter more than toolsHow AI is changing client expectations, pricing models and junior rolesWhat leaders in legal and professional services can learn from this approachA practical, honest episode for legal leaders, innovation teams and anyone serious about using AI to deliver real impact.A look at the skills, tools, strategy and processes needed for successful AI adoption in legal services.
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From Freelancer to Eight Figures With AI | Content Automation at Scale
Dec 2500:35:09Tap to summarizeJulian Goldie, SEO agency founder, explains how AI content automation helped him scale from freelancer to an eight-figure business without hiring at speed.In this episode of Scaling with AI, Julian Goldie joins Alex Bacon to break down how AI is being used to scale content and operations in real businesses. The conversation is aimed at founders, agency owners and consultants exploring AI for business growth.Julian shares how AI tools are used to automate content creation at scale across YouTube, LinkedIn and short-form video, reaching millions of people each month. He explains the role of AI voice and video cloning, automated scripting, and structured quality control systems that allow small teams to compete with much larger organisations.The episode also covers practical AI use cases in SEO delivery, backlink outreach, reporting automation and cost reduction. Julian discusses how to avoid AI hallucinations, where human input still matters, and how to introduce AI into teams without sacrificing quality.If you are looking to use AI for content automation, marketing scale or operational efficiency, this episode offers clear, real-world insight. Listen now to learn how to scale with AI, not headcount.
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How to Prepare Your Brand for AI Search (and Avoid Spam Tactics)
Dec 1100:37:05Tap to summarizeAI search is changing how every brand gets found and trusted online - and most businesses are not ready for what is happening right now.Get practical advice on preparing your brand for AI search with James Foote, SEO Director at Polaris. James joins Alex Bacon on the Scaling With AI Podcast to unpack how AI search, AI overviews and generative search are reshaping brand visibility for marketing and business leaders. This episode explores the real impact of SEO, GEO, AEO and AIO on e-commerce, B2B and consumer search behaviour, making it ideal for leaders who need clarity on what is shifting and what to do next.James shares why brands are behind the curve, how AI search models like Google AI Overviews and ChatGPT are influencing product discovery, and why reputation management is becoming essential again. We also look at the rise of spam tactics in AI search and how to stay visible without risking your brand.You will learn how to measure your AI search baseline, create content that matches user intent, and get ahead of emerging trends such as agent shopping, visual search and contextual content for e-commerce.If you want to understand AI search and build a brand strategy that is ready for what comes next, this episode is for you. Listen now.
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