Why More Marketing Teams Are Choosing Boutique Agencies in 2026

Why Public Speaking Is Becoming a Career Multiplier for Project Leaders

Public speaking is often framed as a stage skill—but for project leaders, it’s really a leadership skill. In this episode, Galen Low sits down with fractional PM, consultant, and award-winning Toastmaster Megan Cotterman to explore how communication, audience awareness, active listening, and adaptability show up in the everyday realities of project work. From project kickoffs and stakeholder updates to difficult conversations and team alignment, they unpack why strong communication is becoming even more valuable in an AI-powered world. They also dive into practical ways introverted and ambiverted project managers can build confidence, develop resilience, and strengthen their ability to think on their feet—without becoming the loudest person in the room. Resources from this episode: * Join the Digital Project Manager Community [https://thedigitalprojectmanager.com/free-account/] * Subscribe to the newsletter [https://thedigitalprojectmanager.com/subscribe/] to get our latest articles and podcasts * Connect with Megan on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-cotterman-pmp/] * Visit Managed By Megan [https://www.managedbymeganpm.com/]

Why More Marketing Teams Are Choosing Boutique Agencies in 2026

In a marketing landscape shaped by lean teams, rising expectations, and an ever-expanding stack of AI tools, many leaders are asking the same question: do agencies still have a role to play? In this episode, Galen Low sits down with Tammy Valentine, President of LuckyTamm Marketing Group, to explore how boutique agencies are evolving in the age of AI—and why human expertise, trust, and collaboration still matter. Together, they unpack where AI genuinely adds value, where it falls short, and how marketing leaders can build stronger agency partnerships that help them achieve more with less. Along the way, they share practical lessons on experimentation, brand trust, onboarding, and the fundamentals that continue to drive marketing success regardless of technology shifts. Resources from this episode: * Join the Digital Project Manager Community [https://thedigitalprojectmanager.com/free-account/] * Subscribe to the newsletter [https://thedigitalprojectmanager.com/subscribe/] to get our latest articles and podcasts * Connect with Tammy on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tammyluksich/] * Visit LuckyTamm [https://luckytamm.com/]

Why AI Conversations Feel Fake (And How To Fix That)

What happens when AI stops being a tool you type into and starts becoming something you talk to? In this episode, Galen Low sits down with Oliver Shoulson, Agent Design and Engineering Lead at PolyAI, to unpack the surprisingly human problem at the heart of conversational AI: most AI conversations still feel weird. From clunky chatbot scripts to overly polite “LLM voice” personas that sound like they were trained by a committee of HR robots, Oliver explains why good conversational design is less about mimicking humans perfectly and more about removing friction. The conversation explores the psychology of trust, the mechanics of social presence, and why the future of AI interfaces may depend less on visual design and more on understanding how people naturally speak, interrupt, hesitate, clarify, and collaborate. Resources from this episode: * Join the Digital Project Manager Community [https://thedigitalprojectmanager.com/free-account/] * Subscribe to the newsletter [https://thedigitalprojectmanager.com/subscribe/] to get our latest articles and podcasts * Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliverhs] * Check out Oliver’s website [https://olivershoulson.com/] * Visit PolyAI [https://poly.ai/]

No One Cares About Your Deck – Here's Why

Slide decks aren’t going away. Despite years of corporate eye-rolls, overloaded bullet points, and “this could’ve been an email” energy, presentations still sit at the center of how organizations align people around ideas. And now AI is crashing directly into that workflow. In this episode, Galen sits down with Morgan Cornelius, Chief of Staff at Decky and founder of mrcantile, to unpack why presentations still matter, where most AI-generated decks fall apart, and how teams can use AI as a collaborative thought partner instead of a slop machine. They dig into the real purpose of slides—not transferring information, but creating resonance—and explore what happens when AI removes the production bottleneck but leaves humans responsible for the thinking. Resources from this episode: * Join the Digital Project Manager Community [https://thedigitalprojectmanager.com/free-account/] * Subscribe to the newsletter [https://thedigitalprojectmanager.com/subscribe/] to get our latest articles and podcasts * Connect with Morgan on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/morgan-cornelius-549a9157/] * Check out Decky [https://decky.ai/] and use promo code DeckyDPM for one month free of Decky Pro * Visit mrcantile [https://www.mrcantile.com/]

You Don’t Need a New AI PM Tool—You Need to Fix the One You Have

AI-powered PM tools promise everything from predictive risk alerts to automated status reports—but what happens when the tool you picked doesn’t actually deliver on the features that sold you in the first place? In this episode, Galen Low sits down with Emmanuels Magaya, Director of Technology at Tech Legends and Founder & CEO of Project Managers Africa, to unpack what organizations should do when their AI-powered project management platform falls short. Drawing from his experience testing hundreds of AI tools, Emmanuels shares a practical framework for evaluating AI software, explains why organizations shouldn’t rely on one tool to do everything, and walks through how AI agents and automation workflows can augment existing PM ecosystems. The conversation also dives into AI literacy, predictive PMOs, and why emerging markets have a unique opportunity to leapfrog traditional delivery models—if they approach AI strategically instead of reactively. Resources from this episode: * Join the Digital Project Manager Community [https://thedigitalprojectmanager.com/free-account/] * Subscribe to the newsletter [https://thedigitalprojectmanager.com/subscribe/] to get our latest articles and podcasts * Connect with Emmanuels on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmanuelsmagaya] * Visit Project Managers Africa [https://www.projectmanagers.co.za/] and Tech Legends [https://www.techlegends.co.za/]