GenAI Isn’t Just for Content—It’s Redefining the Customer Experience

Generative AI might have made its name in content creation—but that’s just the beginning. For forward-thinking brands, it’s rapidly becoming a powerful tool for transforming how we serve, engage, and retain customers.

In my latest Forbes article, I joined other marketing leaders to explore innovative ways GenAI is being used to enhance the customer experience. This isn’t hype—it’s practical strategy, already in motion across industries.

You won’t know your strategy is working because a lead magically appears. You’ll know because the right signals are showing up. You’re building awareness. You're gaining clarity. You’re seeing traction. That’s how great marketing starts.

At Grounded Growth Studio, I work with small business founders and startup teams who are moving fast and wearing too many hats. Most come to me when the momentum starts to stall. The website isn’t converting. The sales pitch feels scattered. The team is inconsistent in how they talk about what the company does. And usually, the root of all that is a shaky brand foundation.

Let’s talk about what founders typically get right about branding, what they often get wrong, and why dialing in your brand early can accelerate growth long before you scale.

I recently joined Ari Kryzek of Chykalophia on her CMO Winning Playbook video series to talk about one of the most impactful strategies I’m using right now in my own work and with clients at Grounded Growth Studio: treating AI like your marketing assistant.

Too often, teams either over-rely on AI without context, or avoid it completely out of overwhelm. But when you treat AI like a smart new intern—someone who’s eager to help, but needs training and direction—you unlock real productivity, better decision-making, and more creative space for the work only you can do.

Most small business owners are doing the work of an entire team. You’re the sales director, the customer service lead, the marketer, the product person, and the CEO. And when you're juggling all of that, feeling scattered, behind, or burned out isn't a sign you're doing something wrong. It's a sign you need support, and maybe a mindset shift.

In B2B, community isn’t a buzzword—it’s a growth strategy.

While B2C communities often rally around lifestyle and identity, B2B communities thrive when they deliver something even more powerful: real value, peer connection, and professional growth.

In my latest Forbes article, I joined 11 other marketing leaders to share ideas for building meaningful communities around B2B brands. These aren’t surface-level tactics—they’re real strategies that drive retention, elevate your brand, and deepen customer loyalty.

Creativity isn’t dying—it’s evolving.

In today’s AI-driven world, the best creative professionals aren’t the ones trying to outpace the technology… they’re the ones learning how to partner with it.

In my latest Forbes article, I join 10 other marketing leaders to share practical ways copywriters and creatives can continue to stand out and deliver value—even as generative tools reshape the industry.

My contribution? Sharpen your niche.

This first year has been full of figuring things out—refining, experimenting, and learning alongside some really incredible people. I’ve helped brands clarify their story, rebuild funnels that actually convert, and launch content that didn’t just fill space—it made a difference.

Small Business Month is here, and there’s no better time to cut through the noise and get real about what’s holding too many founders back from building a marketing engine that works. Whether you're bootstrapping your first SaaS product, growing a service-based company, or launching a healthtech brand, chances are you’ve heard a lot of “shoulds” about marketing. Let’s bust some of the most common myths I hear from founders every day—and what to believe instead.

I created Grounded Growth Studio to be exactly that: a plug-in partner for founders and growth-stage businesses who want to stop spinning and start scaling. Not with guesswork or generic playbooks, but with clarity, systems, and thoughtful execution tailored to your goals.

This month, exclusively for Small Businesses, I’m offering 10% off the first month of any multi-month engagement that kicks off in May. It’s my way of honoring the grit and creativity it takes to build something from the ground up—and helping you build the kind of marketing engine that supports real, sustained growth.

To stay ahead, B2B tech companies must shift from transactional marketing to long-term influence. The future lies in marketing strategies that focus on relationship-building, personalized engagement and sales alignment.

In a world where algorithms shift, platforms pivot, and buyer behavior evolves overnight, adaptability isn't a nice-to-have. It's the trait that separates marketing teams that thrive from those that stall.

In my latest Forbes article, I join 15 other marketing leaders to share how we’re helping our teams stay flexible, fast, and focused. My contribution? Embracing an iterative mindset.

You’re juggling product updates, investor check-ins, team management, and probably a Slack channel that won’t stop. Marketing keeps slipping down the list—not because it’s not important, but because everything feels important. So what do you focus on when you don’t have time to fix everything?

At their latest product event, Canva rolled out a suite of AI-powered tools that aren’t just bells and whistles—they're true force multipliers. These updates are designed to help lean teams and the creators who support them work smarter, produce faster, and deliver more value without needing a large in-house design or dev team.

Startups move fast. Resources are tight. And marketing often falls into one of two extremes: strategy without follow-through, or execution without clarity. But there’s a third way—and it’s the one that actually drives growth.

Meet the Momentum Marketer: part strategist, part operator, fully focused on building traction in a smart, sustainable way.

Every internal comms decision has the power to shape your culture.

From launching a new initiative to sending out a quick update, how and what you communicate internally impacts employee trust, engagement, and momentum. That’s why the best comms leaders don’t just ask what needs to be shared—they ask why, how, and to whom.

In my latest piece for Forbes Communications Council, I join 18 other comms leaders to share the key questions we ask before taking action.

Longtime Austin marketer and nonprofit supporter Cody Gillund, founder of Grounded Growth Studio, has launched a new initiative to support the city’s nonprofit community. The studio’s Give Back & Grow Sessions offer deeply discounted marketing strategy and content support to help local nonprofits strengthen their messaging, increase visibility, and drive greater impact through fundraising, attendance, or community partnerships.

In my latest piece for Forbes Communications Council, I join other communications leaders to share practical ways internal comms can help teams realign and reengage. My advice? Transparency from leadership matters more than ever. Whether it’s a weekly AMA, a newsletter with context behind company priorities, or an open-door policy from the top, clear and consistent communication from leaders helps teams feel informed, valued, and aligned.

In B2B, we’re often conditioned to prioritize short-term performance marketing over long-term brand building. The pressure to deliver leads and pipeline fast pushes brand awareness to the background—something to revisit later, when there’s more time, more budget, more breathing room. But without brand awareness, there is no acceleration. You can't scale what people don’t know exists.

In the age of social media, news moves at lightning speed. One wrong move can send your business spiraling into a PR crisis in an instant. This means that, with an abundance of platforms for increased information sharing and public scrutiny, companies must stay ahead of the curve to protect their brand image.