Faiza has gone from Student to AI Engineer, developing valuable solutions for MicroYES and Finely Fettled clients. Her skills include AWS, Linux, and DevOps. She hails from Southern India and will complete her MSc in International Management at York St John University in early 2026. She is currently developing lead generation AI solutions for Finely Fettled and MicroYES clients.

• Faiza Khan's career progressed from student to AI Engineer via a structured path: internship → placement → full-time hire.
• Her role involves building AI agents (e.g., "Phone to Agent") and Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) to help clients get found in LLM answers, a critical shift from traditional SEO.
• The hiring process used Handshake, a university student-focused job platform, and video interviews, where key advice for students is to speak up, slow down, smile, and make eye contact.
• AI is shifting the workforce from manual research to higher-value roles like AI architecture, with low-code/no-code tools enabling non-technical entry.

• Background: From Kadapa, Southern India, with a Bachelor of Commerce.
• Early Skill-Building: Completed a 6-month course in AWS, Linux, and DevOps in Bangalore while working in inside sales.
• UK Education: Choose York St John University for its placement year option, which Manchester Metropolitan lacks.
• Hiring Process:
• Platform: Found via Handshake, a university job platform.
• Video Interview: A key step where students answer AI-generated questions on camera.
• Career Path:
• Internship: Initial role at Finely Fettled and its brand MicroYES.
• Placement: Extended 9-month contract.
• Full-Time: Hired as an AI Engineer/Architect and Marketing Manager.

• MeclabsAI Platform: Faiza's work on this AI solutions platform includes:
• AI Agent Delivery Systems: Personalised agents, not generic chatbots.
• AI Workflows: Self-service tools, like a database query workflow on the https://finelyfettled.co.uk website.
• "Phone to Agent": A new service for small businesses.
• An AI agent answers calls using the client's specific policies and pricing.
• Designed for natural conversation (e.g., "mm-hmm" confirmations, background noise).
• Rationale: Provides cost-effective, consistent phone support for busy professionals and small businesses.
• Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO):
• Rationale: Anticipates ChatGPT providing more answers than Google by early 2028, making AEO a critical marketing strategy.
• Goal: Structure website content to be found and cited in LLM answers.
• Execution: An AI agent guides clients through the process.
• The Value of Diversity: Kevin noted Faiza's value comes from her diverse perspective (age, gender, culture), which provides fresh insights.

• Set a Clear Goal: Define a career path and stay focused.
• Use University Resources: Actively leverage career services and platforms like...

Business Coaching of mid to upper-level management, high-potential leaders, and struggling leaders is Holly Golebiowski's focus in her coaching practice.

The participants - Kevin, Graham, and Holly - greet each other and engage in some casual conversation, including discussing Holly's Polish last name and Graham's past colleague Veronica.

The group transitions the discussion to focus on business coaching and leader skills, with Kevin and Graham clarifying that the main topic is about helping leaders develop their skills.

Holly shares how she became a business coach, including her own experience working with a coach named Nan who helped her improve as a leader when she was at risk of being fired from her previous COO role. She explains the value of self-awareness and empathy as key leadership skills.

Holly provides an overview of the Leader Skills program she co-runs with Nan, including the specific skills they focus on (e.g. conflict management, time management), the format of the program (online modules plus group discussions), and the types of companies they work with (ranging from startups to large enterprises).

Holly shares positive feedback and impact of the Leader Skills program, including a 99% satisfaction rate and a money-back guarantee that no one has ever used, indicating the program's value. She also discusses how the program helps companies, especially growing startups, develop the leadership skills needed as they scale.

Graham Arrowsmith

Graham founded Finely Fettled ten years ago to help business owners and marketers market to affluent and high-net-worth customers. He's the founder of MicroYES, a Partner for MeclabsAI, where he introduces AI Agents that you can talk to, that increase engagement, dwell time, leads and conversions. Now, Graham is offering Answer Engine Optimisation that gets you ready to be found by LLM search.

Kevin Appleby

Kevin specialises in finance transformation and implementing business change. He's the COO of GrowCFO, which provides both community and CPD-accredited training designed to grow the next generation of finance leaders. You can find Kevin on LinkedIn and at kevinappleby.com

Ziv Raviv's Micro Niche Podcasts model combines coaching with a full marketing agency (logo design, copywriting, web dev), delivering tangible results and justifying higher fees.

• Micro-Niche Strategy: Focus on a highly specific niche (3k–20k people) for rapid market entry. The small size enables high-touch outreach, turning a low reply rate (e.g., 2%) into enough collaborators for a full year of content.
• Podcast as a "Free Party": A podcast is the core tool for building trust and authority. Interviewing niche experts leverages their networks for audience growth and provides a platform for "listening harder" to discover real client needs.
• The 3-Test Validation Framework: Before committing, validate a niche with three tests: Findability (can you easily find people?), Braggability (will interviewees share the episode?), and Sellability (can you monetize the audience?).

• Ziv Raviv's "Fully Booked Coach" model defines "fully booked" as a sustainable 15–18 retainer clients, a number that avoids burnout.
• This model evolved from a standard coaching practice to "super coaching," which includes a full marketing agency stack.
• Rationale: Clients often need execution support, not just advice. This model delivers tangible results (e.g., a new logo) between sessions, justifying higher fees and increasing client retention.

• Core Principle: Serving everyone means serving no one. A micro-niche enables focused, high-impact outreach and rapid market entry.
• Size Sweet Spot: 3,000 (minimum) to 20,000 (ideal maximum).
• Rationale: This size provides enough people for outreach but is small enough for high-touch, personalized communication.
• Findability Test: A niche must be easy to find.
• High Findability (4.5/5): Dentists, plumbers (use Google Maps, Sales Navigator).
• Low Findability (1/5): Introverted business owners (no public identifier).
• Significance: High findability is critical for rapid results (within 100 days).

• A podcast is the core tool for establishing authority and building trust in a new micro-niche.
• Strategy: Interview well-known niche experts.
• Benefit: Leverages their networks for initial audience growth.
• Benefit: Provides a platform for "listening harder" to uncover the niche's true problems and pivot the service offering accordingly.
• Monetization: The goal is to sell coaching/services, not ad sponsorships.
• Rationale: Micro-niches have small audiences (e.g., 100–1,000 downloads/episode), which is insufficient for ad revenue but highly effective for converting a few listeners into high-value clients.

• Use this three-test framework to validate a niche before committing.
• 1. Findability: Can you easily find and contact people in the niche?
• Example: Women studio photographers (easy via directories).
• 2. Braggability: Will interviewees be proud to be featured and share the episode?
• Example: Model railway enthusiasts (high).
• Example: "Ugly Skin Disease Podcast" (low).
• 3. Sellability: Can