What happens when learners reach for AI before they reach for understanding?

In this episode of Empowered by AI, Michelle sits down with Devika Toprani, creator of the IP-protected Sonographic Learning framework, to explore what might be missing in today’s AI-integrated education landscape.

With a background in psychology and quantitative sciences from the University of Illinois, and global academic experience across Oman, Dubai, India, and the United States, Devika brings both data and lived insight to a pressing question:

Are we moving too fast for real learning to happen?

Together, they unpack what it means to slow down thinking before refining with AI — and why that sequence matters more than ever.

Time-Stamped Highlights

[00:01:00] Devika’s global journey and the origin of Sonographic Learning

[00:03:00] The data behind AI disruption: workforce impact and Gen Z questioning degree value

[00:04:00] The overwhelm problem: dense text, speed culture, and procrastination

[00:06:00] What goes wrong when learners use AI too early

[00:07:00] “Learning is not AI-made. It is soul-made.”

[00:08:00] The sense-making gap: reels vs. 150-page textbooks

[00:10:00] Attempt → Map → Refine: the Sonographic Learning sequence

[00:11:00] AI-enabled observation and academic integrity considerations

[00:12:00] The medical student example: what happens if we skip foundational understanding

[00:15:00] When AI should enter the learning process — as a follower, not a leader

[00:16:00] Shape-emotion grammar: circles, squares, spirals, and meaning-making

[00:18:00] Gartner’s prediction on critical thinking atrophy and AI-free assessments

[00:20:00] What Sonographic Learning is not — and how it scaffolds traditional education

[00:21:00] What about learners who “don’t draw”? Universal shapes and cognitive mapping

[00:22:00] Where to connect with Devika

[00:23:00] A parent’s concern about AI dependency in young children

[00:24:00] Who this framework is truly for — institutions and learners who need structured struggle

Conclusion + Call to Action

If this conversation shifted how you think about AI and learning, don’t let it stay theoretical.

Try one simple thing this week:

Before prompting AI, draw your understanding first.

Then refine.

If you want to see demos and additional walkthroughs from guests, head to the Empowered by AI YouTube channel and subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next.

And if you’d like to support the show and represent this movement of women building with AI intentionally, explore our merchandise here:

https://empowered-by-ai.printify.me/

Every conversation builds the culture.

Thanks for being part of it.

What if your marketing problem isn’t traffic… but friction?

In this episode of Empowered by AI, Michelle sits down with Heather Robson, UX copywriter and content strategist, to unpack how unintentional friction in your messaging may be quietly costing you trust, clarity, and conversions.

Heather specializes in bringing user experience principles into marketing copy. Instead of assuming more visibility is the answer, she helps founders look at how people actually move through content and what happens at each step.

You’ll also hear a powerful reframe on AI. Instead of treating ChatGPT like an output machine, Heather demonstrates how to use it as a thinking partner to clarify your ideas without flattening your voice.

This episode is practical, honest, and especially relevant for women building businesses who want their marketing to feel aligned, clear, and human.

About Heather Robson

Heather Robson is a content marketer and UX copywriter who helps businesses remove friction from their messaging so the right clients can move forward with confidence. She blends user experience principles with marketing strategy to improve clarity, build trust, and strengthen the customer journey.

She works with founders and creative professionals who want messaging that feels human, intentional, and effective.

Timed Show Moments

00:00 – Welcome to Empowered by AI

Michelle introduces the episode and the focus on readiness, literacy, and taking action with AI.

01:00 – What Is UX Copywriting and Why It Matters

Heather explains how user experience principles apply to messaging and how improving clarity helps customers see where they fit and what to do next.

02:00 – The Truth About Friction

Not all friction is bad. Heather breaks down the difference between unintentional friction and qualifying friction that strengthens your funnel.

04:30 – Event Boundaries and Why People “Forget” Why They Clicked

The neuroscience behind walking into a room and forgetting why you’re there—and how that applies to landing pages and marketing transitions.

07:00 – Start with the Destination

Why marketers should think backward from the landing page instead of starting with the ad or email.

08:00 – Diagnosing Email Marketing Issues

Heather outlines the signals she looks at: open rates, click behavior, replies, segmentation, and on-page activity.

09:00 – The Three Ways Email Marketing Fails

Breaking trust

Being confusing

Being irrelevant

10:30 – Customers Don’t Follow Neat Funnels

Heather introduces the “highway” metaphor. People enter from multiple on-ramps, take side quests, and skip ahead. Your job is to make the next step clear.

13:00 – Building Trust Through Values and Voice

Why leaning into your values and clearly defining your brand voice helps you stand out in an AI-saturated world.

16:00 – Transparency as a Trust Strategy

Heather explains why saying “This is not for everyone” can actually build credibility and connection.

18:00 – Where AI Increases Friction

The risk of sounding like everyone else when you over-rely on AI for writing.

19:30 – Using AI as a Thinking Partner

Heather demonstrates her process: asking AI to interview her instead of generate the article.

21:00 – Live Demo: AI Interviews Heather

She walks through a prompt structure that helps founders clarify their own ideas before drafting.

27:00 – AI as Editor and Thought Partner

Heather shares how she uses AI to identify confusion, boredom points, and unanswered questions in her drafts.

29:00 – Protecting Your Voice in the AI Era

Why writing is thinking—and why outsourcing all of it to AI weakens your clarity.

31:00 – Where to Connect with Heather

Heather shares how to find her on LinkedIn and access her content service built for the...

In this episode of Empowered by AI, Michelle Muncy-Silva is joined by Michelle Singh for a deep, human-centered conversation about disengagement, burnout, belonging, and what it really means to design learning and leadership systems that allow people to stay fully themselves.

Drawing from more than 20 years in education and leadership, Michelle Singh introduces her EQUAL Methodology, shares how her lived experience as a Jamaican immigrant shaped her work, and explains why disengagement is often self-protection rather than a lack of care. The conversation explores how equity, rest, boundaries, and intentional use of technology can support more sustainable, humane systems.

Time-Stamped Discussion

00:00 – Introduction and Michelle Singh’s background in education and leadership

01:30 – Why “disengaged” does not mean “doesn’t care”

02:45 – Disengagement as self-protection, not apathy

04:00 – Navigating systems that were not designed with you in mind

05:30 – Invisibility, compliance, and people-pleasing as survival strategies

07:00 – Why disengagement is human data, not disruption

08:15 – Introducing the EQUAL Methodology

09:30 – Equity and belonging as daily practices, not add-ons

10:45 – Evaluating context and examining assumptions and bias

12:00 – Qualifying learning without lowering rigor

13:30 – Belonging, emotional safety, and identity affirmation

15:00 – Collaboration and creating communities of care

16:30 – Leveraging evidence beyond grades and test scores

18:00 – Using technology and AI to support reflection and feedback

19:30 – Making online learning more human through voice and language

21:00 – Burnout as a systemic and cultural signal

22:30 – Overwork, exploitation, and “doing it for the good of others”

24:00 – Why rest is a leadership strategy

25:30 – High-functioning versus over-functioning

27:00 – Letting go of perfectionism and productivity as identity

29:00 – Redefining rest and honoring different nervous systems

31:00 – Small, intentional rest practices that sustain energy

33:00 – The question shift: what can I release or no longer tolerate

34:30 – Boundaries, outsourcing, and protecting capacity

36:30 – Naming what no longer serves you

38:30 – Designing learning and leadership with intention and care

40:30 – Using technology cautiously and ethically

42:30 – Learning as relational rather than transactional

44:00 – Final reflections and how to connect with Michelle Singh

You can connect with Dr. Michelle at connectwithmichelle.com

Watch the full episode and future conversations on YouTube:

youtube.com/@EmpoweredbyAISLAI

Support the show and explore Empowered by AI merch:

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In this episode of Empowered by AI, Michelle Muncy-Silva talks with Natalie Benamou about how AI is reshaping leadership, portfolio careers, and women’s health.

Natalie shares insights from her work supporting women in the second half of their careers, her experience interviewing hundreds of executives and board leaders, and her current work using AI to close communication gaps in women’s healthcare. She also demonstrates a practical AI tool for creating campaigns quickly, showing how AI can support solopreneurs and leaders without large teams or budgets.

Time-Stamped Discussion Highlights

00:00 – Introduction and Natalie’s work across Her C-Suite, podcasting, and health

01:30 – What’s shifting for women leaders because of AI

02:30 – Entry-level disruption and why fluency matters more than prompts

03:45 – Board leadership, risk, and unsecured AI use inside companies

05:30 – Why leaders need to talk openly about how AI is being used

06:45 – Feeling overwhelmed by the pace of AI change

07:30 – The importance of curiosity over fear

08:30 – Introducing Her HealthX and the care communication gap for women

09:30 – The “keyword” problem in healthcare conversations

10:45 – Why women experience delayed care and misdiagnosis

12:00 – Using AI to help patients communicate more effectively

13:30 – Portfolio careers and why the one-job model no longer works

14:45 – How AI supports exploration of income streams and impact

16:00 – Avoiding AI rabbit holes and managing time

17:30 – Staying intentional instead of trying every tool

18:45 – Lessons from writing The Power of What’s Next

20:00 – Why relevance is not about looking younger

21:30 – Choosing one AI tool to start instead of many

22:30 – Live demo: using Google Labs to generate campaign visuals

24:30 – How AI pulls brand assets and creates usable drafts

26:00 – Why this matters for solopreneurs and career pivoters

27:00 – Final reflections and where to connect with Natalie

Watch the full episode and see the live AI demo on YouTube:

youtube.com/@EmpoweredbyAISLAI

Support the show and explore Empowered by AI merch at:

empowered-by-ai.printify.me

In this episode of Empowered by AI, Michelle Muncy-Silva talks with Ilise Benun about breaking the feast-or-famine cycle in small businesses and how AI can support clear positioning, consistent outreach, and relationship-based marketing.

Ilise draws on nearly four decades of experience helping creatives and solopreneurs get better clients with bigger budgets. She explains why marketing breaks down when it relies on word of mouth alone, why positioning must focus on outcomes instead of services, and how consistency matters more than motivation. She also demonstrates how she uses AI prompts to refine niches, identify real prospects, uncover client pain points, and find places to build relationships.

Time-Stamped Discussion Highlights

00:00 – Introduction and Ilise’s background in marketing and mentoring

01:00 – Feast-or-famine cycles and why they affect both new and experienced solopreneurs

02:00 – Why word of mouth is not a marketing strategy

03:00 – Marketing as relationship-building done consistently over time

04:00 – Positioning based on outcomes, not services

05:00 – Why self-promotion is not about you

06:00 – Why some business owners spiral while others keep going

07:00 – Consistency over motivation and perfection

08:00 – The “me first” philosophy and caring for the business first

09:00 – Using your real voice in marketing, especially in the age of AI

10:00 – Avoiding sameness and perfectionism

11:00 – Asking questions instead of trying to sound smart

12:00 – The three parts of Ilise’s simplest marketing plan

13:00 – Targeted outreach, content marketing, and strategic networking

14:00 – Why newsletters keep you top of mind

15:00 – Why commenting can be more effective than posting on LinkedIn

16:00 – Introduction to Ilise’s free AI kit

17:00 – Starting with an elevator pitch to give AI context

18:00 – Using AI to refine niches and assess market viability

19:00 – Finding real potential clients with AI

20:00 – Identifying client pain points and drafting outreach messages

21:00 – Using AI to find events and networking opportunities

22:00 – Removing marketing obstacles with AI support

23:00 – Final reflections and where to connect with Ilise

Watch the full episode and see the live AI demo on YouTube:

youtube.com/@EmpoweredbyAISLAI

Support the show and explore Empowered by AI merch and resources:

empowered-by-ai.printify.me

In this episode of Empowered by AI, Michelle Muncy-Silva talks with Katie Milton Jordan about what real AI adoption looks like when you stop chasing tools and start investing in people, processes, and clarity.

Katie shares her work helping economic development leaders operationalize AI responsibly, explains why “not knowing what you don’t know” is the biggest barrier to adoption, and walks through a live, practical workflow for creating a personal AI policy. This episode is especially relevant for leaders, solo operators, and women navigating AI adoption under real-world constraints like limited time, budget, and bandwidth.

Time-Stamped Discussion Highlights

00:00 – Introduction and Katie’s work in economic development and AI

01:00 – Why most organizations don’t actually “get AI wrong”

02:10 – The role of hype, FOMO, and pressure from stakeholders

02:45 – The three AI investment buckets: products, projects, and people/processes

04:00 – Why leaders usually invest in the wrong order

05:00 – Bandwidth, leadership fatigue, and skepticism around AI trends

06:20 – Venture Fest and what partnering with AI made possible

07:00 – Using AI to amplify impact with no time, no budget, and small teams

08:00 – AI as copilot, not driver, and why human relationships still matter

09:40 – Reducing operational burden to reinvest in human work

10:40 – The cost of misalignment and moving faster in the wrong direction

11:30 – Failing faster, tighter feedback loops, and intentional iteration

12:20 – Checking your internal compass in times of rapid change

13:00 – Nervous system regulation, boundaries, and avoiding AI burnout

14:00 – Why whole humans need to be considered in AI adoption

15:00 – Introduction to personal AI policies and leadership guardrails

16:00 – Live walkthrough: what a personal AI policy workflow includes

17:00 – AI red lines and ethical boundaries

18:30 – Client transparency and accountability when using AI

22:00 – Quality standards, verification, and signing your name to AI-assisted work

24:00 – Bias checks and prompting AI to critique its own assumptions

26:00 – Workforce impact, reskilling, and augmentation vs replacement

28:00 – Societal responsibility and non-negotiable red lines

29:00 – Generating a personal AI manifesto and why workflows matter

30:30 – Final reflections and how to connect with Katie

You can watch the Mason County Venture Fest video here

Watch the full episode and see the live workflow demo on YouTube:

youtube.com/@EmpoweredbyAISLAI

Support the show and explore Empowered by AI merch and resources:

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What happens when curiosity beats perfection? In this opening episode of Season 6, Michelle sits down with Danielle LaFleur for an honest, grounded conversation about learning AI in public, letting go of “doing it right,” and using these tools without flattening your voice or values. This episode sets the tone for the entire season. Human-first. No tech theater. Just real use, real questions, and real growth.

03:15 – Danielle’s relationship with AI before she felt “ready”

07:40 – The pressure women feel to sound polished before they start

12:10 – What “learning out loud” actually looks like

17:45 – AI as a thinking partner, not a replacement brain

23:30 – Where people overcomplicate AI early on

29:00 – Staying human while working faster

34:20 – Trusting your instincts instead of chasing prompts

40:10 – What Danielle would tell her past self about starting sooner

44:30 – What’s next for Danielle

If you’ve been waiting to feel ready before using AI, this conversation will help you rethink that approach.

Watch this episode and future live demos on YouTube:

youtube.com/@EmpoweredbyAISLAI

Explore Empowered by AI merch and resources:

empowered-by-ai.printify.me

One year ago, Empowered by AI launched with a single goal: amplify women’s voices shaping the future of artificial intelligence. The very first guest? Anne Murphy — Co-Founder of She Leads AI and the woman behind the CREATE Conference.

Now, after 78 episodes, five seasons, and one unforgettable year, Michelle and Anne sit down again to reflect on what’s changed, what’s next, and why this movement is just getting started.

From redefining visibility and worth to tackling AI ethics, representation, and empowerment, this episode captures the heart of what Empowered by AI stands for — women using technology with purpose, courage, and community.

If you’ve ever wondered how to stay grounded in a world that’s moving at AI speed, this is your reminder: we don’t need permission to lead. We already are.

[00:02:00] The Full-Circle Moment

Michelle and Anne reflect on their first interview, the early vision for Empowered by AI, and how CREATE became the perfect capstone for the year.

[00:05:00] Amplifying Women’s Voices — Why It Still Matters

Why women’s expertise still flies under the radar — and how Empowered by AI has become a platform for visibility, confidence, and change.

[00:10:00] AI Ethics, Responsibility, and the “Non-Default” Way of Building

Anne and Michelle dive into the latest AI controversies, the “default-to-bro” problem in tech, and why responsible AI requires women at the table.

[00:18:00] Growth Without the Grind: Following the Easy Path

They unpack how clarity, curiosity, and alignment — not hustle — fueled the success of both Empowered by AI and She Leads AI.

[00:25:00] The Power of Community: From Imposter Syndrome to Collective Strength

Reflections from CREATE 2025, where women discovered that connection is the cure for doubt — and how shared purpose accelerates innovation.

[00:34:00] Money, Worth, and the Taboos We’re Done With

A candid conversation about women, value, and why financial empowerment isn’t selfish — it’s essential for sustainable change.

[00:45:00] Representation, Diversity, and Rewriting the Narrative in AI

Anne and Michelle discuss inclusion, allyship, and how women-led ecosystems like She Leads AI and Empowered by AI are creating new norms.

[01:00:00] Looking Ahead: Season 6 and Beyond

Michelle shares what’s next for Empowered by AI — including new collaborations, upcoming cohorts, and why 2026 is shaping up to be the biggest year yet.