Episode 30: Let AI Ride Shotgun: The 4 Stages of AI Adoption
Explore the four stages of AI adoption for marketers. Learn how to move from casual experimentation to full-scale integration—where AI becomes a trusted thought partner, process optimizer, and team-wide advantage. See why comfort with AI is quickly becoming a must-have skill, and how to start building smarter systems today.
“We’re not trying to out-perfect anyone, we’re trying to out-human them.”
Objectives
In this episode, you will be able to:
Identify the four key stages of AI adoption and where you currently stand
Recognize common barriers to starting with AI and how to overcome them
Apply AI tools to real marketing workflows like copyediting, link-checking, and client proposals
Understand how to build and use custom GPTs to automate repetitive tasks
Evaluate how AI can empower your team and improve productivity at scale
Transcript
Tim Lowry:
So Robbie, if you threw a marketer down the stairs, what's the one word—or brave cry—they'd shout as they bounced off each step?
Robbie Fitzwater:
In 2025, there's only one answer for that: AI. Everything is AI. It’s Gemini’s fault. GPT’s fault. Gemini. It's everywhere. We can't escape it.
[Intro]
Okay, we’re going. Hello everybody—this is Tim and Robbie with the Content Community Commerce podcast, where we talk about the convergence of content, community, and commerce. Today, we’re diving into a topic that’s super relevant for every marketer: how people start using AI tools in their work, what that journey looks like, and the stages of that process.
Tim Lowry:
I love this one. You just gave a whole presentation at a conference about it, so it’s top of mind. Plus, it’s something you and I talk about all the time—“Hey, have you tried this?” or “How are you using that?”—and how we’re baking AI into our work and even our personal lives.
You’ve created a great framework with four stages. I think if we break it down that way, people will really get it. So let’s talk about that first stage—AI’s riding in the backseat. Paint us a picture.
Robbie Fitzwater:
Okay, so everyone has their own path when it comes to adopting AI and how willing they are to experiment with it. One of the hardest steps is just starting. The intimidation or discomfort around trying a tool for the first time is real.
Tim Lowry:
I’m picturing a robot strapped to the roof rack because you don’t even trust it to sit in the backseat yet.
Robbie Fitzwater:
Exactly. In my framework, the backseat stage is where AI is along for the ride. You’re the driver, but you can ask questions, get support, and interact. It’s not controlling anything—it’s just there.
The idea here is to just try it. Use it personally to understand how it works. For example, when we were trying to come up with a name for our second child, I asked for classic names in the top 500—but not in the top 200—that matched the vibe of our first kid’s name. That’s a super specific ask, and AI helped us narrow down the options.
Tim Lowry:
Yeah, I remember how resistant I was early on. I didn’t like the idea at all. But I got more comfortable once I started thinking of AI as a smart person in a Slack channel—like a coworker in another office I could message. That really helped me get over the initial awkwardness.
And your approach? Jumping in by naming your child? Bold.
Robbie Fitzwater:
Yeah, we got intimate real fast with the tools. Everyone starts off with some playful prompts—like “Summarize this in King James Bible style” or “Make this a Vanilla Ice rap.” But then you realize, “Oh wow, this thing can actually help me work.” I started thinking: “What would I delegate to an intern?” AI became that intern—one I could rely on 24/7.
Tim Lowry:
Totally. And when it comes to boring, repetitive stuff—like checking links in emails—AI is perfect. I’ve seen how you built a custom GPT to check every link before sending. That’s brilliant. Total time-saver and peace of mind.
Robbie Fitzwater:
Exactly. Soul-crushing task? Let AI do it.
Tim Lowry:
They don’t mind. No feelings to hurt. And you don’t even need to be polite.
Robbie Fitzwater:
Sometimes being direct gets you better results anyway.
Tim Lowry:
Right? “This is bad. Do it better.” And it will. So once AI’s in the backseat, the next step is moving it to the passenger seat—making it a partner. Is that right?
Robbie Fitzwater:
Yeah. In this stage, AI becomes your thought partner. It’s not just doing tasks—it’s helping you think. You use it to elevate your work, validate your ideas, point out gaps, and give constructive feedback.
Whether it’s writing a proposal or scoping a project, you can ask things like, “Am I missing anything?” or “Does this make sense?” or “Is this priced right?” You’re working smarter, not harder.
Tim Lowry:
Yeah, I’ve used it to tighten proposals and clarify long-winded sections. And for those tricky email conversations where someone always gives vague replies, I’ll ask AI to help me frame a question to get a more open-ended, useful response.
Robbie Fitzwater:
Exactly. You’re using it like a writing coach. I’ve seen teams upload proposals, and it’s wild how good the AI’s feedback can be—like it somehow knows what other agencies are charging.
Tim Lowry:
Spooky, but useful. Also, shout out to your team’s Christmas Vacation coffee promo. Jesse used like three AI systems to bring that concept to life. Looked amazing with the flickering lights and snow—stuff that would've been nearly impossible before.
Robbie Fitzwater:
Yeah, AI made it possible. The tech democratizes creativity and helps us bring ambitious ideas to life. That’s the power of the thought partner phase.
Tim Lowry:
So now AI’s ready to drive—but we’re still in the car. What’s next?
Robbie Fitzwater:
This third phase is where AI becomes part of your process. It’s not just project-based anymore. It’s handling routine tasks automatically.
For example, we send out a lot of surveys. When responses come in, we have a GPT that summarizes themes, pulls insights by demographics, and helps us understand how people feel. That would’ve taken hours or days. Now it's minutes.
Tim Lowry:
You’ve built a custom GPT for that, right? So every time, you just drop in the data and get instant insights?
Robbie Fitzwater:
Exactly. Once it does the job well, I systematize it. I don’t want to re-prompt every time. I’ve also got one for checking links, and we even use Otter to summarize meeting notes. It’s like building tiny business assets.
Tim Lowry:
Same here. I have a content review GPT that looks for engagement gaps, clarity issues, and ways to tighten things up. Even with great writing, I like having that extra pass.
Also, it reminded me of our scholarship reviews. We get hundreds of entries, and using AI to filter out ones that don’t meet basic criteria saves us days of work.
Robbie Fitzwater:
Exactly. When AI is baked into your workflow, it becomes invisible—but essential. That’s when you know you’re doing it right.
Tim Lowry:
Love it. So what’s the final stage? The AI fleet?
Robbie Fitzwater:
Yeah, this is where AI drives a fleet for you. It’s about empowering your team to use AI confidently and effectively. Everyone should know how to use the tools, experiment with them, and incorporate them into their own workflows.
We give our team premium GPT and Gemini accounts. We want them to offload tedious tasks and focus on what really matters. When I interview new hires or contractors, one of my first questions is, “How comfortable are you with AI?” If the answer is “I don’t use it,” that’s a red flag.
Tim Lowry:
Same here. There are still people who think admitting they use AI will be seen negatively, but we want people who embrace it. It’s not replacing them—it’s enhancing their work.
Robbie Fitzwater:
Exactly. I don’t want to pay someone to manually check for typos. I want them doing high-level work. Tools like custom GPTs for copy editing or meeting summaries are a no-brainer. They improve quality and save time.
Tim Lowry:
Yeah, once you set them up, you never go back. It’s like having a second brain that never sleeps.
Robbie Fitzwater:
If anyone’s just getting started, build something simple—like a copy editor GPT that reviews tone, grammar, and clarity. Or one that checks links in emails. Or one that summarizes meeting transcripts. It doesn’t have to be fancy—just useful.
Tim Lowry:
Great advice. And the time savings alone are worth it. Plus, once you get comfortable, you’ll start dreaming up more use cases.
Robbie Fitzwater:
If you’re worried about AI replacing you, don’t be. My friend Mark Schaefer just wrote a book called “Belonging to the Brand,” and the core idea is this: let AI do the average work so you can focus on being remarkable. AI can’t make art. It can’t create meaning. That’s where we shine.
Tim Lowry:
That’s such a great point. It’s not about perfection—it’s about being more human, more creative, and more impactful.
Robbie Fitzwater:
Exactly. We’re not trying to out-perfect the world—we’re trying to out-human it.
Tim Lowry:
Beautiful way to wrap things up.
Robbie Fitzwater:
So if you’ve got questions, let us know. This is a journey everyone’s on—from AI adolescence to AI adulthood.
Tim Lowry:
Thanks for sharing, Robbie.
Robbie Fitzwater:
This was a treat. We’ll see you next time on the Content Community Commerce podcast!
Tim & Robbie:
Did you like it? Leave us a review.
Five stars. Or at least three and a half.
[Outro]
