Nick D: Hey everyone, welcome back to another episode of the Brotherhood Podcast. We’re on episode 29, and today I’ve got my good friend and AI expert, Scott Duffy. Quick backstory on how we met—one of the coolest events ever with our buddy Randy Garn at Yankee Stadium. Scott, you brought us in to meet Brian Cashman, the Yankees' GM, and I met so many incredible people there. That was my first real introduction to you, and since then, man, it's been a wild ride. You’ve done some insane things—selling your company to Richard Branson, being named one of Entrepreneur’s top 10 speakers in the world. You’re connected, man. I went to your AI Mavericks seminar a couple of months ago, and it blew my mind. So, let’s dive right in, brother—what’s AI Mavericks all about?
Scott Duffy: First off, thanks Nick. Man, I love connecting with good people like you through mutual friends like Randy Garn. The Yankees event was amazing, and yeah, that AI Mavericks seminar in Utah? It’s something I’m super passionate about. We’re at a crazy time with AI right now, where businesses need to either get on board or get left behind. But here’s the thing—it’s not as complicated as people think. AI is a tool, right? And tools are meant to solve problems, not create more of them.
So let’s get into it. AI Mavericks started because, back in 2022, I saw a massive shift coming. I’d been studying AI for a while—this was before ChatGPT took the world by storm. I was looking at GPT-2 at the time, and I thought, "How can we take this technology and apply it to real businesses to make a difference?" So I built AI Mavericks as a way to simplify AI and make it accessible to founders, CEOs, and leadership teams who are looking to innovate but don’t know where to start.
The biggest thing I see with business owners, especially in the small to mid-sized space, is they’re stuck between the fear of missing out and the fear of jumping in. AI seems intimidating, but it doesn't need to be. Let me give you an example. We created this AI system for businesses that could read all of your favorite content—whether it’s books, blogs, or industry news—and automatically summarize it into a newsletter. Every Tuesday, I get an AI-generated newsletter that pulls the most important updates from the past week, written in a way that’s easy for leaders to digest. I don't even have to touch it. It takes me less than three minutes to review and approve.
And this isn’t some futuristic tech. This is happening right now. Imagine what that can do for a business owner who’s already stretched thin. AI becomes your best employee—one that works 24/7, never takes breaks, and can handle the monotonous stuff you don’t want to deal with, like summarizing data or writing emails.
Nick, you’ve got a ton of gym owners and martial arts school owners listening to this podcast. You’re probably wondering, “How the hell is AI going to help me?” The truth is, AI can absolutely transform your business. Whether it’s writing copy for your marketing emails, creating Facebook ads, or even helping you manage customer leads, AI is a tool that will optimize and accelerate every aspect of your business.
Let’s talk about practical tools. One thing I love is Daily AI, a company that automates emails and newsletters. You give them your target audience, topics you want to cover, and the sources you read, and the AI takes care of the rest. Every week, I get a full email, prepped and ready to send to my list. And the crazy part? The AI learns what each person on the list is interested in. So if John Doe clicks on an article about leadership, the AI will prioritize sending him leadership content next week. It personalizes the experience for each reader, making your business feel more connected with your audience.
Another killer app I use is Podcast Launchpad. I was getting tired of reading every AI newsletter and blog out there, so I had this tool summarize everything into a 5-minute podcast. Now, I listen to my daily AI updates while shaving. It’s efficient as hell, and I don’t even need to lift a finger to create this content—it’s all automated.
For gym owners, coaches, and school operators, AI can help with your lead generation, customer management, and marketing.
Here are some tools I recommend:
If you’re running a gym or martial arts school, imagine an AI tool that handles your inbound leads, answers customer questions, and even schedules consultations. That’s the future. You’re going to be able to free up so much time, allowing you to focus on what really matters—building relationships with your members.
The thing is, AI has been around for nearly 70 years. It’s not new. What’s new is how accessible it is now, thanks to tools like ChatGPT. In the 90s, when the internet was starting to boom, small businesses were hesitant. I remember writing a business plan for Yahoo when they had just 10 employees. Back then, it was impossible to convince small businesses to get online. Today, the same thing is happening with AI. But in the next 18-24 months, every small business is going to need AI to stay competitive, just like how everyone needed a website back in the day.
If you feel like you’re behind the curve, trust me—you’re not. AI is still in its early stages for small businesses. But those who start using it now will be lightyears ahead when the rest of the world catches on.
I get asked a lot, “Will using AI make my business feel less personal?” The short answer is no. AI isn’t replacing you; it’s enhancing your ability to serve your clients. For example, you can use AI to write an email, but you can still input your tone, your voice. You can literally tell the AI to “make this sound more personal,” and it will adjust based on your style.
If you run a martial arts school or gym, imagine having AI write all your weekly communications—your marketing emails, event reminders, follow-ups. Now you’re not bogged down by the mundane tasks, and you have more time to interact with your members in person, which is where the real magic happens.
Here’s the deal. AI is moving at a breakneck pace. Elon Musk, for example, is developing AI systems that are learning faster than ever before. His new project took just 7 days to surpass some of the capabilities that took ChatGPT seven years to develop. The technology is only getting better and more powerful. Microsoft is opening a new data center every three days just to keep up with the AI demand. In a few years, these systems will require insane amounts of energy to keep them running.
But that doesn’t mean you need to get overwhelmed. Start small. If you’re a gym owner, try using ChatGPT to write your next email. Or test out an AI tool for scheduling your clients. Little by little, you’ll start to see the impact AI can have on your business. And by the time everyone else is scrambling to catch up, you’ll already be miles ahead.
Nick D: Scott, this has been awesome, man. You’ve given our listeners so much to think about. To everyone listening, make sure you tune in next week—we’re bringing on Dara Ladjevardian from Delphi.ai to dive even deeper into how AI is shaping the future of business. Scott, thanks again for dropping so much value today.
If you’re not using AI yet, start now. As Scott mentioned, the businesses that begin integrating AI today will be far ahead when the technology becomes a necessity. Whether it’s automating your newsletters, handling customer inquiries, or creating marketing campaigns, AI is the tool that can take your business to the next level. The future is already here—it's time to embrace it.
Yeah, I was fortunate enough to make that list for entrepreneurship and business training. It was an exciting moment, but honestly, I’m just grateful for the journey and the opportunities that led me there. It's humbling, but the goal is always to keep pushing forward and providing value.
Yeah, I sold my company to Virgin, part of Richard Branson's group. It was a surreal experience, honestly. Getting to work with Virgin and Branson’s team was incredible, and it opened a lot of doors. But again, that was just a chapter, and there’s always something bigger ahead to work on.
Absolutely, it does. Think of AI as a tool that helps you solve problems and optimize different areas of your business. If you’re running a gym or a school, AI can help you manage customer interactions, create better marketing copy, and even streamline scheduling. It’s not about replacing people; it’s about freeing up your time so you can focus on the stuff that really matters.
Besides ChatGPT, here’s what I recommend:
These tools will save time, streamline processes, and make life a lot easier for business owners.
That’s where AI like ChatGPT shines. You can type in your raw response, and then ask the AI to make it sound more appreciative or empathetic. It’ll take your message and reframe it in a way that keeps things professional and positive. I use it for tricky situations all the time, especially when I need to turn a frustrated customer into a happy one.
Not at all, unless you let it. The trick with AI is in how you instruct it. You can tell it, “Make this personal” or “Add a warm tone,” and it will adjust accordingly. In fact, AI can actually make your business more connected because it frees up time for you to engage with people in ways that matter. You’re not losing the personal touch; you’re enhancing it.
100%. Let me give you an example. I work with Daily Ai—they automate my newsletters. I tell them what topics I want, who my audience is, and they handle the rest. It saves me a ton of time, and the AI even learns what my readers are interested in, so the next week’s newsletter is even more targeted. It’s practical, and it works for small businesses just as well as for big ones.
We had some big names at my event in August. Gary Fowler, who’s invested in over 240 AI companies, was there. Barclay Burns, who’s on the board of Utah’s State Venture Fund and is working on the largest AI innovation center in the U.S., also joined us. We had Anthony Batt, who named Craigslist and built a company to 100 million active users. These are some serious innovators, all pushing AI forward.
Raising capital is about understanding what your investors want. You need to align your pitch with their interests. Do your research—figure out which industries they like to invest in and what stage of growth they focus on. Then, show them how your business fits into their goals. Make it easy for them to see the opportunity in front of them.
Start by asking ChatGPT, “What are the three most important things I need to know as a business owner about AI?” It will walk you through it. Just dive in. You don’t need to be an expert to start; you just need to be curious and willing to experiment. AI will surprise you with how easy it is to start using once you take that first step.
Oh, absolutely. You can literally type in something like, “Create an ad for a karate school targeting parents of nine-year-olds,” and AI will give you a fully fleshed-out ad, complete with headlines and a call to action. I used to pay copywriters for that kind of work, and now I get it done instantly with AI. It’s a game-changer for marketing.
Yes, and it’s only getting more powerful. AI has been around for decades, but it’s now accessible in ways it never was before. Think about it like this—Elon Musk built an AI system that surpassed ChatGPT in seven days. The speed at which this technology is growing is mind-blowing, and businesses that adopt it early will be miles ahead of their competitors.
AI is the competitive edge small businesses need. It automates repetitive tasks, improves customer engagement, and gives you the ability to scale without adding more people. We’re still early in the adoption curve, but in 18 to 24 months, small businesses that embrace AI now will be way ahead. You don’t have to wait for the future—AI is here to help your business grow today.