"𝘐𝘧 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘦'𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘴." That's by Derek Sivers. This speaks to where we're at right now and how knowledge and information have zero value. It is all very much how we get creative and what we do with that information. - 𝗞𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀

We are currently drowning in AI "news," but starving for AI 𝘦𝘹𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. Most professionals are stuck in a cycle of random experimentation that leads to "shadow AI" and organizational risk. Kate Marshall joins us to explain why the secret to AI readiness isn't more data—it's better systems.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆

Kate Marshall, Founder of 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗶 (pronounced "The Gray"), spent 20 years in the high-stakes world of cybersecurity training at the SANS Institute. She’s seen how people react to emerging threats, and she’s applying those lessons to the AI revolution. Whether she’s writing children’s books to simplify complex tech or 3D printing her own household items, Kate is obsessed with the bridge between the machine and the human. Her new book, 𝘈𝘐 𝘢𝘵 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬, is the result of that obsession—a step-by-step guide for the non-technical professional who is ready to move past the hype and start building.

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗽

• 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘁: Stop looking for magic words and start building repeatable workflows that actually save time.

• 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗭𝗲𝗿𝗼 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁: Accept that knowing things is no longer a competitive advantage; doing things with AI is the new gold standard.

• 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆: Use Kate’s cybersecurity-first lens to implement AI without exposing your company to unnecessary risk.

• 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀: Don't buy the software until you’ve identified the specific low-joy task it’s meant to replace.

• 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗘𝗿𝗮: Why thinking about 3D printed shoes and household robots helps you develop the mental flexibility needed for the next 5 years of work.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝗸𝗶𝘁

• 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗶: https://thegr.ai/

• 𝗔𝗜 𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 (𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸): https://www.amazon.com/Work-Step-Step...

• 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝗔𝗜: https://she-leads-ai.mn.co/

• 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻: https://aisalon.mn.co/

• 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺: https://ruready4ai.com/

"AI readiness in my book is a set of principles, and those principles are pretty simple. One, you are now in a world where you can be a doer, not a talker." — 𝗡𝗼𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲 𝗥𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀

As automation strips away the tasks of our jobs, we are entering a Great Repurpose where our value shifts from what we 𝘥𝘰 to who we 𝘢𝘳𝘦. Noelle Russell shows us how to use AI not just as a tool, but as an amplifier for our unique human lived experiences.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆

Noelle Russell was there at the start of Alexa, as one of the first ten employees on the Amazon team helping bring it to life. Motivated by a desire to create a kinder world for her son, who was born with Down Syndrome, Noelle has spent 25 years at tech giants like AWS and Microsoft. Today, she runs the 𝗔𝗜 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗲, where she champions responsible AI and helps individuals become single-person unicorns by amplifying their work through intelligent agents.

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗽

• 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆: Decouple your self-worth from your daily tasks; when AI automates the doing, your value lies in your integrity, critical thinking, and empathy.

• 𝗔𝗱𝗼𝗽𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 "𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁" 𝗥𝘂𝗹𝗲: Before consuming content (doom-scrolling), commit to producing something that educates, informs, or entertains.

• 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗙𝗹𝘆𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗲𝗹: Use AI to handle the bane of your existence (like scheduling and inboxes) so you can focus on the high-value work only you can do.

• 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: Your history as a caregiver, parent, or divergent thinker is a superpower; it allows you to guide AI models with more patience and better questions.

• 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 "𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄, 𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗧𝗲𝗹𝗹": Don't just talk about AI; build a prototype. Use tools to visualize the backlog of ideas you once thought were impossible.

𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

• [𝟬𝟬:𝟬𝟭:𝟬𝟬] The Crisis of Meaning: Tying work to worth in the age of automation.

• [𝟬𝟬:𝟬𝟱:𝟬𝟬] The Great Repurpose: Rediscovering who you are outside of your job description.

• [𝟬𝟬:𝟮𝟱:𝟬𝟬] Crafting a Career: How Noelle’s journey as a caregiver shaped her approach to tech.

• [𝟬𝟬:𝟯𝟯:𝟬𝟬] Baby Tiger Mode: The danger of falling in love with AI models without leadership.

• [𝟬𝟬:𝟱𝟰:𝟬𝟬] Single-Person Unicorns: How Noelle uses 32 agents to amplify her business.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝗸𝗶𝘁

• AI Leadership Institute: https://aileadershipinstitute.com/

• I Love AI: https://www.skool.com/iloveai/about

• The AI Salon: https://aisalon.mn.co/

• She Leads AI: https://she-leads-ai.mn.co/

𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲, 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲, 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲

Catch a new episode of The AI Readiness Project every Wednesday at 3pm (PST), co-hosted by Anne Murphy of She Leads AI and Kyle Shannon of The AI Salon. Want to meet others navigating this new terrain with humor and humanity? Visit The AI Salon or She Leads AI to find your people.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆

This week on The AI Readiness Project, hosts Anne Murphy and Kyle Shannon talk with Daisy Thomas, Director of Advocacy and Policy Development at AI Salon. Fresh from a state policy fly-in in Tallahassee, Daisy brings a grounded, up-close look at how AI governance is unfolding—not just in theory, but in town halls, statehouses, and community centers.

We explore how public infrastructure, not just private innovation, shapes the AI future—and what that means for leaders outside the usual tech and policy circles.

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗽

1. What everyday people are asking for in AI policy—and why it matters
2. How civic infrastructure, not just software, prepares us for AI
3. The quiet power of cultural spaces in shaping responsible tech

𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗚𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁

Daisy Thomas is Director of Advocacy and Policy Development at AI Salon. She helps founders, policymakers, and communities turn abstract AI principles into governance that builds public trust. Her work spans policy, civic infrastructure, and culture. Learn more at thesalon.ai/advocacy.

𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲, 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲, 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲

Catch a new episode of The AI Readiness Project every Wednesday at 3pm (PST), co-hosted by Anne Murphy of She Leads AI and Kyle Shannon of The AI Salon. Want to meet others navigating this new terrain with humor and humanity? Visit The AI Salon or She Leads AI to find your people.