Renia (pronounced R-EE-n-a) Carsillo hates business silos and marketing hacks. So, she spends her days working with mid-size and small companies to integrate their business strategy with their impact strategy, design sustainable marketing frameworks, and find a growth cadence that works for their team and their lives. Renia believes founders are uniquely positioned to create a kinder, more equitable world. She is passionate about bringing C-level strategic support to the small and mid-size companies shaping their communities every day. Renia says, "Sustainable marketing is built on a solid business strategy. A solid business strategy is built on values-driven habits. Values-driven habits are built on healed/healing leaders. We can’t do these things separately. They’re all interconnected. ”
Holding the “And” of AI & Humanity [Two on Tuesdays]
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Happy Tuesday, Reader! We've spent the last few weeks holding some hard "ands" together: resist and reconnect, Placebinding™ and globalization, scale and sustainability. This week's “and” might be the most defining one of our professional lives right now. Let’s talk, again, about AI and humanity. AI isn’t a technology we get to uninvent. We must learn to live with it.One of my favorite, not-to-be-named app developers and podcasters has been making a lot of noise lately about running an AI-free company. While I appreciate the sentiment, I cannot agree with it. In a 2026 world, a totally AI-free app-based company makes about as much sense as a delivery service running on horse-and-buggy power circa 1935. Yes, cars were still a relatively new and not completely understood technology, but the vast increase in efficiency meant the risk of opting out had overtaken the risk of opting in. The question is no longer AI or not. The question is how to integrate AI into our workflows in ways that keep humans first. Many of you know we’ve been wrestling with AI’s role in an impact-focused business for a while now. We discussed how to remain discoverable in an AI world in back in August. Then, in September, we talked about the plethora of ways AI can’t help your business because human connection is still vital. And in November and February, we shared ways that AI is (or should be) impacting your 2026 strategy. For this conversation, we're not starting from scratch. We're going deeper. Red Lines and Exploration ZonesWe've talked about Digital Transformation for a long time around here, and one thing has always been true: The linchpin is the human change element, not the technology. That hasn't changed with AI. And step one isn't picking a tool—it's knowing where your boundaries are. We call these red lines and exploration zones.
Knowing the difference (and writing it down) is how you stay in control of the technology instead of letting it make decisions for you. Don't Forfeit Your HumanityI am by no means endorsing the surge in AI utilization as a good thing, ultimately. Just as with cars and delivery routes, there is still a need for infrastructure development, people training, and risk mitigation to work effectively with AI tools. I have real concerns about where this is heading, and I think you should, too. But burying your head in the sand isn't a values-aligned strategy. Unless you're over 65 and genuinely ready to step back from the tools that run modern business, "no AI" is not really a choice available to most of us anymore. What is a choice is refusing to go the way of Amazon or Elon, forgoing your humanity in service to machines. Instead, choose tools that align with your values, build policies that protect your people, and stay curious without abandoning your principles. It's not human or AI. It's human and AI—both, on your terms. Until next time, Renia C. P.S. - If your business hasn't defined its red lines and exploration zones yet, now is the time, and you don't have to figure it out alone. Let's talk about building an AI policy that actually reflects your values. I'm now booking summer and fall speaking engagements and workshops. |
Renia Carsillo
Renia (pronounced R-EE-n-a) Carsillo hates business silos and marketing hacks. So, she spends her days working with mid-size and small companies to integrate their business strategy with their impact strategy, design sustainable marketing frameworks, and find a growth cadence that works for their team and their lives. Renia believes founders are uniquely positioned to create a kinder, more equitable world. She is passionate about bringing C-level strategic support to the small and mid-size companies shaping their communities every day. Renia says, "Sustainable marketing is built on a solid business strategy. A solid business strategy is built on values-driven habits. Values-driven habits are built on healed/healing leaders. We can’t do these things separately. They’re all interconnected. ”
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