Playstorm: Why Your CEO Needs to Get Dirty with AI - with Sandy Carter

MIT just dropped a bomb: 95% of corporate AI initiatives are failing. Not struggling. Failing. And Sandy Carter knows exactly why. In this episode of The Trending Communicator, I sit down with Sandy, currently Chief Business Officer at Unstoppable Domains, former VP at Amazon Web Services, and the person who turned IBM's "social business" concept nobody understood into a $200 billion market. Sandy's written seven books, been named to every power list that matters (CNN's Top 10 Most Powerful Women in Tech, Forbes 50 Over 50), but what caught my attention is her philosophy: "AI First, Human Always." While everyone's either selling AI snake oil or running scared, Sandy's figured out something crucial. Companies aren't failing at AI because the technology doesn't work. They're failing because they're treating it like any other IT rollout: layer it on top of broken processes and hope for magic. Sandy shares why CEOs need to stop brainstorming and start "playstorming," what happens when you ignore Reddit for three years, and why your daughter talking to Grok about party outfits might be the most important trend in communications. Listen in and hear about: The real reason 95% of corporate AI fails (hint: it's not the technology) Moving beyond productivity theater to genuine transformation Why GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) changes everything for communicators The "play storm" revolution and why your CEO needs to get their hands dirty How ignoring Reddit and Wikipedia is killing your AI presence The generational divide in AI adoption and what it means for business Notable Quotes "Audiences today are ready to move on from 'how do I use gen AI for productivity?' into something deeper: What does it mean for us as humans?" - Sandy Carter [00:05:14] "If your process already didn't work, there's no magic in AI that's going to make it wake up and work." - Sandy Carter [00:18:42] "You have to experience it. You have to get your hands into it. You have to play with an agent." - Sandy Carter [00:27:38] "If you take one thing from this whole podcast, put your company in [AI search], put yourself in too, and see what comes out." - Sandy Carter [00:50:54] Resources and Links Dan Nestle Inquisitive Communications | Website The Trending Communicator | Website Communications Trends from Trending Communicators | Dan Nestle's Substack Dan Nestle | LinkedIn Sandy Carter sandycarter.net | Website Unstoppable Domains | Website Sandy Carter | LinkedIn Sandy's Book: AI First, Human Always Timestamps 0:00 Intro: Host welcomes Sandy Carter 5:23 AI's impact on human meaning and work 10:24 Why 95% of corporate AI projects fail 15:23 Redesigning workflows for AI integration 20:44 Generational differences in AI adoption 26:58 The importance of "play storming" with AI 32:13 Training everyone on AI, not just tech teams 37:05 Voice interfaces and generational preferences 41:32 Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) strategies 48:43 Checking your company's AI presence 54:41 Closing thoughts on AI and communications (Notes co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Flowsend.ai ) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices