One thing marketers still misunderstand about AI

Summary

Voices of Search Podcast – Episode Summary

Episode Title: One Thing Marketers Still Misunderstand About AI
Host: Jordan Cooney
Guest: Lisa Adams, AI Advisor and Go to Market Strategist, Growth Path Partners
Date: June 10, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on one key issue marketers struggle to grasp about artificial intelligence: that the hardest part of AI transformation isn't the technology, but human change management. Lisa Adams, an AI advisor and go-to-market strategist, joins Jordan Cooney to debunk misconceptions and offer pragmatic strategies for business leaders and marketers integrating AI into their processes.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Real Challenge of AI Transformation

• Lisa Adams immediately sets the tone, emphasizing that the core challenge in adopting AI is managing human change, not the AI tools themselves.
  • Quote:
    • “The hardest part of AI transformation is humans. Not AI. This is human change management more than anything. AI is actually the easiest part. You can't just give people tools and a couple of workshops.” (Lisa Adams, 00:55–01:11)

2. The Pitfall of Over-Focusing on Tools

• Marketers often believe success with AI comes from investing in tools and short training sessions.
• Lisa argues this is a superficial approach—and rarely leads to long-term transformation or adoption.

3. Strategies for Effective AI Transformation

Lisa outlines the necessary components for successful AI integration within organizations:

• Allocate space to learn:
  Allow employees time and a “safe space” to experiment and absorb new skills.
• Normalize both success and failure:
  Successes should be celebrated, but failures must be visible and discussed as learning opportunities.
• Collaborative building and sharing:
  Teams should jointly develop and share best practices, fostering organization-wide learning.
• Establish governance:
  Implement a process that provides ongoing support and enables people as AI adoption progresses.
• Quote:
  • “This requires giving people the space to learn. Safe space to learn. Not just highlight successes, but also highlight the failures. Because even with failures we learn, get them to build and share and then ultimately help them with a governance process where people are getting enabled as we move forward.” (Lisa Adams, 02:40–03:05)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the real barrier to AI adoption:
  • “The hardest part of AI transformation is humans. Not AI.” (Lisa Adams, 00:55)
• On the illusion of quick fixes:
  • “You can't just give people tools and a couple of workshops.” (Lisa Adams, 01:10)
• On fostering a learning environment:
  • “Safe space to learn. Not just highlight successes, but also highlight the failures.” (Lisa Adams, 02:42)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:55 – Lisa outlines the real difficulty in AI transformation (human change management)
• 02:40 – Lisa describes steps to successful AI transformation: safe learning, embracing failure, building together, and governance

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Tone & Speaker Style

Lisa speaks practically and empathetically, grounding her advice in real organizational challenges, while Jordan maintains a focused and actionable tone throughout.

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Takeaway

The main misunderstanding marketers hold about AI isn’t about the technical side, but about the human element: no technology can transform marketing without investing in people—creating a culture of learning, embracing failure, and strong governance.

“Until next time, remember, the answers are always in the data.”
— Jordan Cooney, (03:05)

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This summary captures the heart of the conversation and its actionable wisdom for marketing and business leaders navigating the realities of AI transformation.

Transcript

[Narrator]

The Voices of Search Podcast is a proud member of the I Hear Everything Podcast Network. Looking to launch or scale your podcast, I Hear Everything delivers podcast production, growth and monetization solutions that transform your words into profit. Ready to give your brand a voice? Then visit iheareverything.com welcome to the Voices of Search Podcast. A member of the I Hear Everything Podcast Network, ready to expedite your company's organic growth efforts. Sit back, relax and get ready for your daily dose of search engine optimization wisdom. Here's today's host of the Voices of Search Podcast, Jordan Cooney.

[Jordan Cooney]

I'm Jordan Cooney and joining me today is Lisa Adams, AI Advisor and go to Market Strategist at Growth Path Partners. One thing marketers still misunderstand about AI

[Lisa Adams]

the hardest part of AI transformation is is humans. Not AI. That this is human change management. More than anything, AI is actually the easiest part. You can't just give people tools and a couple of workshops.

[Sponsor Voice]

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[Lisa Adams]

Expect transformation. This requires giving people the space to learn. Safe space to learn. Not just highlight successes, but also highlight the failures. Because even with failures we learn, get them to build and share and then ultimately help them with a governance process where people are getting enabled as we move forward.

[Jordan Cooney]

Okay, that's all for today. But until next time, remember, the answers are always in the data.

[Sam]

Sam.