From Cat Instagram to MIT: One Woman's AI Journey

From AI Sceptic to AI Trainer: Vaida Stone's Transformation

Have you ever thought AI just wasn't for you? Vaida Stone said the same thing. A solo entrepreneur who turned 40 and decided to lean into change rather than away from it, she went from fearing a wrong button click to building her own suite of custom ChatGPT assistants. In this episode, she shares how she automated her entire lead magnet system, got a personalised makeup lesson from a photo upload, and even used AI to spot a heart condition her doctors had missed. Vaida is a financial clarity coach, holistic coach, and AI trainer who works with women navigating midlife, burnout, and big life changes. Her mantra is simple: curiosity defeats fear. If you're dabbling with AI but not sure where to go next, this conversation will give you the nudge you need.   "Curiosity defeats fear, practice creates skills and skills save time." - Vaida Stone   You’ll hear about: * Why AI scepticism can serve you well * Adapting to AI in midlife * Getting an AI makeup lesson * Automating your business as a solo founder * Building custom ChatGPT accountability buddies * Using AI to track and protect your wellbeing * When AI spotted an undiagnosed heart condition   Connect With Vaida Stone:   LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/vaidavstone/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/vaidavstone/] Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/vaidastone [https://www.instagram.com/vaidastone] Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/msvaidaacademy [https://www.facebook.com/msvaidaacademy]   Vaida’s Always Enough Workbook - https://always-enough-4djtfug.gamma.site/ [https://always-enough-4djtfug.gamma.site/] Vaida’s 6 week group programme - https://always-enough-foundation-d97cg09.gamma.site/ [https://always-enough-foundation-d97cg09.gamma.site/] Vaida’s Moneywiser Academy - https://msvacademy.com/ [https://msvacademy.com/]   Connect With Me:   LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/accessible-ai/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/accessible-ai/] AI For Non Techies on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/ai-for-non-techies/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/ai-for-non-techies/] Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heather_aifnt/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/heather_aifnt/?hl=en] AI for Non-Techies - https://nontechies.ai/home [https://nontechies.ai/home] YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@aifornontechies [https://www.youtube.com/@aifornontechies]   Become an AI trainer - https://nontechies.ai/become-an-ai-trainer/ [https://nontechies.ai/become-an-ai-trainer/]   Produced by Between Tracks - https://www.betweentracks.com/ [https://www.betweentracks.com/]

AI and Indian Classical Dance: Bharatanatyam Meets Technology

Could AI actually transform an ancient art form? That's exactly what this episode explores. Neha Roygupta is a Bharatanatyam dancer with 23 years of training and a HR technologist on a mission to bring AI into the world of Indian classical dance. She shares how she's using tools like Google MixBoard, Suno, NotebookLM and Perplexity to reimagine everything from costume design and lighting to music creation and movement analysis. What I love about Neha's approach is how grounded it is. She's not replacing the art, she's expanding it. And she's actively bringing her entire dance community along for the journey. You'll leave this one seeing AI creativity through a completely fresh lens. "AI is your co-creator, not your replacement."- Neha Roygupta You’ll hear about: * Neha's journey: dance, HR tech and AI * Google MixBoard for mood boards and costumes * Making AI music with Suno for performance * Movement analysis and injury prevention in dance * AI hallucination risks in classical arts * NotebookLM and Perplexity for accurate learning * Shifting dancer mindsets towards AI * Neha's vision for AI in live performance Episode Resources: * Dancers AI Instagram: www.instagram.com/thedancersai [http://www.instagram.com/thedancersai]  * Dancers AI Website: www.thedancersai.com [http://www.thedancersai.com]  * Google MixBoard: www.lhttps://labs.google.com/mixboard/welcome  [http://www.labs.google/fx/tools/whisk] * Suno AI Music: www.suno.com [http://www.suno.com]  * NotebookLM: wwhttps://notebooklm.google.com/ [http://www.notebooklm.google.com] * Perplexity AI: www.perplexity.ai [http://www.perplexity.ai]  Connect With Neha Roygupta:   LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/neharoygupta/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/neharoygupta/] Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nia_rg/ [https://www.instagram.com/nia_rg/]   Connect With Me: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/accessible-ai/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/accessible-ai/] AI For Non Techies on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/ai-for-non-techies/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/ai-for-non-techies/] Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heather_aifnt/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/heather_aifnt/?hl=en] AI for Non-Techies - https://nontechies.ai/home [https://nontechies.ai/home] YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@aifornontechies [https://www.youtube.com/@aifornontechies]   Become an AI trainer - https://nontechies.ai/become-an-ai-trainer/ [https://nontechies.ai/become-an-ai-trainer/]   Produced by Between Tracks - https://www.betweentracks.com/ [https://www.betweentracks.com/]

From Cat Instagram to MIT: One Woman's AI Journey

Have you ever started something just for fun and ended up completely changing the direction of your life? That is exactly what happened to my guest Erika Gianni. What began as a creative branding workshop to build an Instagram page for her cat led to building a Notion life management dashboard with Claude, studying AI at executive level through MIT, and becoming an AI trainer herself through our AI for Non-Techies programme. In this episode, we talk about how she got started, how she uses AI tools day to day, and what she has learnt about operations, visibility, and human-centred AI adoption along the way. If you have ever felt overwhelmed by templates, unsure where to start, or wondered how to use AI in a way that fits your life, this one is for you. Erika is warm, practical, and brilliantly honest about what works and what does not. "Creation is so important in somebody's AI journey” — Erika Gianni You’ll hear about: * How a cat started her AI journey * A creative workshop that covered AI ethics * MIT theory vs hands-on generative AI * Building a Notion dashboard with Claude * Voice tools for on-the-go brain dumps * Why visibility drives better decisions * AI output vs talking to real humans * From AI learner to AI trainer   Episode Resources: Notion  https://www.notion.so [https://www.notion.so] Claude  https://claude.ai [https://claude.ai] Midjourney  https://www.midjourney.com [https://www.midjourney.com] Gamma  https://gamma.app [https://gamma.app] Letterly (voice notes app)  https://letterly.app [https://letterly.app] Whisper Flow  https://whisperflow.app [https://whisperflow.app] Zapier  https://zapier.com [https://zapier.com] Make (formerly Integromat)  https://www.make.com [https://www.make.com]   Connect With Erika Gianna:   LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikagianni/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikagianni/]   Connect With Me:   LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/accessible-ai/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/accessible-ai/] AI For Non Techies on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/ai-for-non-techies/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/ai-for-non-techies/] Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heather_aifnt/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/heather_aifnt/?hl=en] AI for Non-Techies - https://nontechies.ai/home [https://nontechies.ai/home] YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@aifornontechies [https://www.youtube.com/@aifornontechies]   Become an AI trainer - https://nontechies.ai/become-an-ai-trainer/ [https://nontechies.ai/become-an-ai-trainer/]   Produced by Between Tracks - https://www.betweentracks.com/ [https://www.betweentracks.com/]

How to Use AI for Job Searching: Getting Past HR Screening Tools

Ever send dozens of job applications and hear nothing back? AI is screening your application before any human sees it. But you can use AI to get past those filters. I'm chatting with Dr. Kara Elam, a health policy expert who's been using ChatGPT to navigate a tough job market. She shares how she trains AI to sound like her, writes cold emails that get executive responses, and tackles the blank page of death problem we all face. This is honest, practical advice for job hunting, which can be so useful when you're juggling applications, family, and save time wherever you can. "The blank page is scary. AI gives you a starting place." — Dr. Kara Elam You’ll hear about: * Why both job seekers and HR departments are using AI * How to train ChatGPT to understand your unique voice * Getting past AI screening tools with keyword optimisation * The blank page problem and why AI helps overcome it * Catching AI mistakes before hitting send on applications * Writing cold emails that get responses from executives * Using AI to evaluate if jobs will make you happy Episode Resources: ChatGPT - https://chat.openai.com [https://chat.openai.com]   Connect With Dr. Kara Elam: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-kara-elam-ab661922/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-kara-elam-ab661922/]   Connect With Me:   LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/accessible-ai/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/accessible-ai/] AI For Non Techies on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/ai-for-non-techies/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/ai-for-non-techies/] Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heather_aifnt/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/heather_aifnt/?hl=en] AI for Non-Techies - https://nontechies.ai/home [https://nontechies.ai/home] YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@aifornontechies [https://www.youtube.com/@aifornontechies]   Become an AI trainer - https://nontechies.ai/become-an-ai-trainer/ [https://nontechies.ai/become-an-ai-trainer/]   Produced by Between Tracks - https://www.betweentracks.com/ [https://www.betweentracks.com/]

AI for an Intergenerational World, From Work to Wellbeing with Simon Long

My guest today made me stop and think about AI in a completely different way. We talk about what it really means to live in an intergenerational world, why people over 50 are so often underestimated with technology, and how AI can act as a powerful leveller rather than another barrier. Simon Long describes himself as an “age astronaut” and once you hear him explain why, it makes perfect sense. We explore deeply human topics, from dementia and Alzheimer’s to loneliness, social isolation and mental health. We look at how voice-based AI, natural language tools and simple interfaces could help people stay connected to family, memories, music and community, without pretending that AI should ever replace real human connection. Simon also shares the AI tools he uses day to day, how he thinks about boundaries with AI, and why curiosity matters more than age. This is a hopeful, thoughtful conversation about where AI fits into real lives, not just work. Could AI help us feel more connected, rather than less? “AI should help people feel connected, not replaced.” – Simon Long You’ll hear about: * What an age astronaut really means * Why over 50s are underestimated with AI * AI as a leveller across generations * Voice interfaces and natural conversation * AI and loneliness risks * Safeguards and mental health boundaries * AI tools Simon uses daily * Avoiding AI overload and screen fatigue * Prompting tips that improve results   Episode Resources:   ChatGPT - https://chat.openai.com [https://chat.openai.com] Perplexity AI - https://www.perplexity.ai [https://www.perplexity.ai] Claude by Anthropic - https://claude.ai [https://claude.ai] Gamma AI - https://gamma.app [https://gamma.app] Notion - https://www.notion.so [https://www.notion.so] WhisperFlow - https://whisperflow.ai [https://whisperflow.ai] Pi (Personal AI) - https://pi.ai [https://pi.ai]   Connect With Simon Long:   LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-r-long/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-r-long/]   Connect With Me:   LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/accessible-ai/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/accessible-ai/] Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heather_aifnt/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/heather_aifnt/?hl=en] AI for Non-Techies - https://nontechies.ai/home [https://nontechies.ai/home] YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@aifornontechies [https://www.youtube.com/@aifornontechies]   Join my Academy - https://nontechies.ai/ai-academy [https://nontechies.ai/ai-academy]   Produced by Between Tracks - https://www.betweentracks.com/ [https://www.betweentracks.com/]