How do you use AI agents to scale faster without turning your business into something you don’t recognize?

AI is no longer a future trend. It is actively reshaping how founders, agencies, and SMBs operate right now. Yet most leaders are either overwhelmed by AI hype or stuck chasing tools without a clear strategy.

In this episode, we sit down with Maritza Tobon, Co-Founder and CTO of Maison, to unpack how AI agents actually work and how founders should be thinking about AI going into 2026. This conversation focuses on AI for founders, agentic AI, and how teams can leverage AI in smart and unconventional ways without sacrificing trust, culture, or human connection.

If you are building a service business, agency, or community-led brand and want to stay competitive in the AI era, this is a must-listen.

Timestamps:

00:17 Why AI is now a leadership decision for founders
02:05 Maritza’s path from enterprise tech to AI-first startup founder
06:37 How founders should start using AI without overcomplicating it
09:42 Why prompt engineering is overrated for most businesses
17:39 What AI agents are and how they differ from automation
27:31 Why people plus AI will outperform service-only businesses

Connect with Maritza: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maritzatobon/

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About The Hosts:

Tim & Cindy Dodd are the Co-founders of PEMA.io, based out of Miami, FL. Connect with Tim and Cindy on LinkedIn and Instagram:
- Tim’s LinkedIn, Tim’s Instagram
- Cindy’s LinkedIn, Cindy’s Instagram

About PEMA.io:

Need B2B Appointments or want to grow your authority on LinkedIn? Learn more about our services here: https://www.pema.io/discover

The Playbook for Founders Using AI Agents (Without Losing Human Touch) with Maritza Tobon