In Episode 7 of AI on the Rocks, host Arian Green—AI consultant and entrepreneur—sits down with Emily Conklin, VP of Sales at Snider-Blake Personnel, to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping modern sales, recruiting, and business relationships.

Emily shares her journey in sales leadership, how her team has adopted AI into their daily workflow, and why the human element remains the biggest competitive advantage in an AI-driven world. Together, they discuss practical AI applications, prompt engineering, automation, hiring, customer communication, and where AI still falls short.

The conversation also dives into the future of AI agents, robotics, trust, ethics, and what sales professionals need to do today to stay valuable tomorrow.

Whether you're a sales leader, recruiter, entrepreneur, or simply curious about AI's impact on business, this episode offers practical insights, real-world experiences, and thoughtful perspectives on the future of work.

Key Topics / Time Stamps

00:00 – 03:10 • Cheers, bourbon tasting, and introducing Emily Conklin

03:10 – 06:40 • Emily's background and the history of Snider-Blake Personnel

06:40 – 12:45 • How Emily built a career in sales and what makes great salespeople

12:45 – 17:10 • Emily's first experiences with ChatGPT and adopting AI into her workflow

17:10 – 23:50 • AI in recruiting, candidate outreach, and improving hiring speed

23:50 – 29:45 • AI's strengths—and why human relationships still matter in sales

29:45 – 36:40 • Prompt engineering, AI adoption, and getting better business results

36:40 – 43:50 • AI research, verifying information, and using AI responsibly

43:50 – 49:50 • AI agents, automation, and discussions around AI consciousness

49:50 – 55:50 • Robotics, AI in everyday life, and future adoption

55:50 – 59:50 • Advice for sales professionals preparing for an AI-powered future

59:50 – 1:01:53 • Final thoughts, rapid reflections, and closing remarks

Best Key Takeaways

"AI is an amplifier—not a replacement—for great sales professionals."

- Emily Conklin

Links & Resources

🎙 Listen to AI on the Rocks

• Spotify: AI on the Rocks

• YouTube: AI on the Rocks Youtube

• Apple Podcasts: AI on the Rocks Podcast

• Other Podcast Platforms: AI on the Rocks Amazon

Host: Arian Green – AI Consultant & Entrepreneur

Guest: Emily Conklin – VP of Sales, Snider-Blake Personnel

Live from the floor of Cincy AI Week, host Arian Green sits down with Dave Peterson—executive coach, fractional AI officer, and former E.W. Scripps media executive who once oversaw $600M in revenue. Pour a glass of EH Taylor and join the conversation as they break down what it truly means to navigate the rapidly shifting landscape of artificial intelligence from a non-technical perspective.

In this episode, Dave shares his journey from being a digital-native journalist to an AI builder, exploring the fascinating contrast between "Efficiency AI" (using automation to cut headcount) and "Opportunity AI" (empowering employees to grow the business). They dive deep into the cultural buzz of regional tech communities, the creativity found in the "toddlerhood" of generative tech, and the power of a collaborative ecosystem. To wrap things up, members of the live audience join in to craft a "living artifact"—blending local and legendary bourbons to represent the shared momentum of Cincy AI Week 2026.

Key topics/Time Stamp

00:00:00 - 00:02:22 | Show Intro & Tasting Notes: Sipping EH Taylor with Voice Assistant "Covington"

00:02:22 - 00:04:00 | Introducing Dave Peterson & The Cincy AI Week Experience

00:04:00 - 00:05:27 | Rethinking the Cost and Return on Tokens (ROI)

00:05:27 - 00:07:53 | A Non-Technical Leader's Journey & The First "Aha!" Prompting Moment

00:07:53 - 00:09:09 | Solo Entrepreneurship and Building Tools Without a Tech Team

00:09:09 - 00:11:01 | Bypassing the Gaslighting: Finding the Buzz in Local AI Communities

00:11:01 - 00:13:48 | Creating on a Blank Canvas in the "Toddlerhood" of AI

00:13:48 - 00:16:22 | Facing the Fears: Opportunity AI vs. Efficiency AI

00:16:22 - 00:17:58 | Lessons for Modern CEOs and Adapting to Historical Tech Revolutions

00:17:58 - 00:19:19 | Driving Top-Line Revenue Growth vs. Bottom-Line Cutting

00:19:19 - 00:21:30 | Encouraging Inclusivity on the AI Spectrum (Technical vs. Non-Technical)

00:21:30 - 00:23:01 | Breaking Down Complex Blueprints Without the Jargon

00:23:01 - 00:28:10 | Creating the Living Artifact: Audience Bourbon Pours (New Riff, Angel's Envy, Weller) & Outro

Best Key Takeaway

"Don't be afraid to figure out how AI can replace 100% of your current daily tasks. True innovation isn't about Efficiency AI—using agents to eliminate jobs to save money. It's about Opportunity AI—learning how to adapt, automate your own baseline workload, and free up your capacity to drive fresh revenue and scale your business."

Link & Resources

Subscribe to the Podcast: https://aiontherocks.nky.ai/

Learn more about regional tech events: @CincyAIWeek

Featured Bourbon: Colonel E.H. Taylor Small Batch

#AIontheRocks #CincyAIWeek #EHTaylor #CincinnatiAI #NorthernKentucky #Podcast #GenerativeAI #TechCommunity

Can lawyers trust AI?

In this episode of AI on the Rocks, host Arian Green sits down with Matthew Taulbee, President of the Northern Kentucky Bar Association, to discuss the growing role of artificial intelligence in the legal profession and why human judgment still matters.

As AI tools like ChatGPT become increasingly common in professional environments, many users are beginning to rely on AI-generated answers without verification. But what happens when AI gets it wrong?

Matthew shares real-world insights on AI hallucinations, legal ethics, professional accountability, and the risks of becoming overly dependent on technology.

Whether you're an attorney, entrepreneur, business leader, or AI enthusiast, this conversation provides practical insights into responsible AI adoption and the future of professional work.

Topics Covered:

• AI in the legal profession

• ChatGPT and legal research

• AI hallucinations and misinformation

• Professional responsibility and ethics

• Critical thinking in the AI era

• Why lawyers must verify AI outputs

• Future of AI for professionals

• Human expertise vs artificial intelligence

Key takeaway:

"Professionals remain responsible for the accuracy of their work, regardless of whether AI assisted in creating it." — Matt Taulbee

Connect & Learn More

NKY.AI

⁠https://www.nky.ai/⁠

The Fort NKY

⁠https://www.thefortnky.com/⁠

Northern Kentucky Bar Association

⁠https://nkybar.com/⁠

13th Colony Distillery

⁠https://www.13thcolonydistillery.com/products/2026-cask-strength-southern-bourbon/⁠

Subscribe for more conversations about AI, entrepreneurship, leadership, technology, innovation, and bourbon.

👇 What do you think?

Should professionals trust AI-generated answers without verification? Share your thoughts in the comments.

#AIOnTheRocks #ArtificialIntelligence #Lawyers #LegalTech #ChatGPT #Attorney #BusinessLeadership #AI #LegalInnovation #Podcast