Why Mike Montague Says Human-First AI Is the Only Future That Works

Episode notes

Welcome to Market Movers: Building Brands and Links with Linkifi ! Your go-to podcast for transforming your business into an unforgettable brand—where branding meets SEO and link-building. I’m Chris Panteli, Co-Founder and CEO of Linkifi, and I’m joined by my co-host and Co-Founder, Nick Biggs. In this episode, we’re joined by Mike Montague, founder of Avenue Nine, host of the Human First AI Marketing podcast, and author of Playful Humans . Mike’s story spans from coding on a 1986 Apple to running a cutting-edge AI marketing agency. He’s helped companies like HubSpot, Sandler Training, and Cornerstone OnDemand create thousands of pieces of content—and now uses AI to do it in a fraction of the time. We dive deep into AI-powered content workflows, custom GPTs, knowledge bases, and the balance between human creativity and automation. This is a practical, honest conversation on how small and mid-sized businesses can actually use AI to scale without falling for the “one-click automation” hype. Key Talking Points: From 10,000 Words a Week to Fractional Workloads – How Mike went from full-time ghostwriter to AI-enhanced agency founder.