Nobody sent you a memo. But the baseline for what "good" looks like in your business quietly shifted and it happened fast.

Clients who were happy with a recap email now expect a structured summary with action items within 24 hours. Turnaround times that felt reasonable 18 months ago are starting to feel slow.

This isn't because your clients got harder. It's because AI changed the reference point for everyone.

And the obvious response, automate everything, is exactly the wrong move.

In this solo episode, George breaks down what's actually happening as AI reshapes client expectations across service businesses, coaching, consulting, and beyond. He shares where the shift is showing up, the trap most entrepreneurs fall into, and the three questions every business owner needs to sit with right now.

What You’ll Learn In This Episode:

The three ways AI is shifting client expectations right now: speed, structure, and personalization
Why over-automating is the trap and how to spot if you've already fallen into it
How George uses AI tools (Read AI, Plod, Claude) to free up capacity without losing humanity
The difference between using AI to replace relationships vs. using it to protect them
Three diagnostic questions to audit your delivery, your AI use, and your human presence
Why the most intentionally human business, not the most automated, wins in this market

Key Takeaways:
✔️The floor of what "good" looks like in business has moved. If your delivery standards haven't been revisited in 18 months, they're worth a hard look.
✔️Clients aren't being unreasonable. Their frame of reference has changed because AI changed it, whether they're using the tools themselves or just experiencing them through others.
✔️The trap: hearing "AI is changing expectations" and immediately thinking "I need to automate more." That instinct, unchecked, trades the one thing your business is built on, relationship.
✔️AI should free up your capacity so you can be more human, not less. Use it for structure, summaries, and administration. Protect the moments that require you.
✔️If your client can feel the AI, if something feels off, less personal, less invested, you have a hole in the bottom of your bucket.
✔️Efficiency is not the goal. A better client experience is the goal. Sometimes those are the same. Sometimes they're drastically different.
✔️The market is not going back. Expectations will keep moving. The businesses that win are the ones that stay intentionally human while letting AI handle the repeatable work underneath them.
✔️You don't have the business you want because you haven't become the person to run it. No AI tool changes that. The human part will always be the most important part.

Timestamps & Highlights:
[00:00] — The baseline shift nobody told you about
[01:07] — What's actually changed: speed, structure, and personalization in client expectations
[03:30] — Why clients aren't being demanding, their reference point just moved
[05:30] — The trap: over-automating and what it costs in a relationship-based business
[08:00] — How George uses Read AI to capture open loops and improve post-call delivery
[11:00] — Plod: the device on his phone capturing every in-person conversation
[13:30] — How AI is changing the shape of coaching sessions and what clients get after them
[16:00] — The human moments no tool should ever touch and how to protect them
[19:00] — Three diagnostic questions to audit your delivery, AI use, and human presence
[22:00] — Where do you need to show up more human, not more efficient?
[24:00] — The opportunity framing: AI as the thing that frees you to be more present

Your Challenge This Week:
If you're figuring out where AI fits in your business without losing what makes it yours, reach out. George is actively coaching clients through this right now.

DM him on Instagram, send an email, or text if you have his number. And if you have a podcast topic you want him to cover, send that too.

Follow George: @itsgeorgebryant | mindofgeorge.com

Work with George:

The Alliance — Community for entrepreneurs building businesses that are intentionally human in an AI-driven world.

1:1 Coaching — Limited spots. If you want help designing how AI fits your business without trading your relationships, apply at mindofgeorge.com.

Live Retreats — In-person experiences for entrepreneurs ready to stop reacting and start leading. Follow for upcoming dates.