Do you remember marketing meetups? Not the polished, sponsor-filled kind. I mean the scrappy, “grab a coffee and chat” kind. No agenda. No name tags. Just people who geek out over marketing gathering to swap stories, ideas, and maybe a slice of pizza.

Then social media distracted us. It was easier to post on Twitter and LinkedIn from the comfort of your bet then it was to get out of bed and come to a networking even . Then along came COVID... well, it cleared the calendar completely. And somehow, we never bounced back…

I missed those conversations. So I posted a note on LinkedIn and Instagram, and an event on : “I’ll be at my favorite coffee shop, Friday 3–5. Join me?” No RSVPs, no pressure. Just show up.

I was prepared to sit outside enjoy my coffee and read my book, but ... at 3:05, someone showed up. An old friend, I hadn’t seen since Covid, then along came someone who used to frequent the marketing meet ups. And that was it. The three of us, two hours, one fantastic conversation about work, marketing trends, life, and everything in between. My two friends had never met, so the connection was a win. Randy, was hoping to find a place to test his stand up comedy, and I got him hooked up. And me, I learned a great way to use Chat GPT to improve my vacation planning.

So what did I learn with my little Marketing meetup experiment.

I probably need to invite more people directly and send a reminder the day before. But honestly? The magic wasn’t in the headcount. It was in the connection.

Will I do it again? Absolutely. Before it gets too cold to linger outside with a latte and good company.

If you are in Indy, maybe you want to drop by and if it is too long, plan your meet up. Start small and have fun!

I had a conversation with Laura Chattington, a strategist who’s helped companies with enough zeros to make your head spin. We didn’t talk about prompts, plugins, or the latest hack for writing Instagram captions in 30 seconds flat. We talked about something much more important: how to make AI part of your marketing strategy instead of just your to-do list.

Laura reframed the conversation around two powerful words: speed and leverage. Yes, AI can make things faster. That part’s obvious. But where it really shines is in its ability to help you dig deeper, make better decisions, and build systems that scale without piling on more complexity.

This episode isn’t about robots taking your job. It’s about how AI can support your brain instead of trying to replace it. Think of it as your intern who works 24/7, never gets tired, and doesn’t whine about the coffee.

• AI is a wave, not a trend. Like the internet and social media before it, AI is reshaping business at high speed. This is not just a shiny new toy. It is the next normal.

• Speed helps you keep up. Leverage helps you pull ahead. AI doesn’t just cut down your to-do list. It gives you the tools to see patterns, spot inefficiencies, and make better choices across your business.

• Think 80/20. Let AI carry the load for repeatable tasks so you can show up fully where it really matters. This is how you create more impact without adding more hours.

• Your experience still matters. AI can do a lot, but it can’t replicate your instincts, your voice, or your years of experience. That’s where your competitive advantage lives.

1. Audit your workflows. Start by identifying systems you run repeatedly. These are perfect candidates for AI support.

2. Treat AI as a partner, not a tool. Go beyond content creation. Use it to analyze customer feedback, streamline proposals, and test new ideas.

3. Train your tools. Feed your AI examples, past work, and data from your business. The quality of your input shapes the quality of your results.

4. Let AI deepen your research. Whether you’re fine-tuning an offer or building a customer journey, AI can help you uncover insights you might miss on your own.

5. Stay in the driver’s seat. Use AI to scale your thinking, not to replace it. Your voice and judgment still steer the strategy.

About Laura Chattington