In Episode 100 of the Digital Velocity Podcast, Erik Martinez is joined by Pat Barry, President of AI Consulting Partners, for a forward-looking conversation on where artificial intelligence is headed as we move into 2026. After several years of experimentation, this episode focuses on what it looks like when AI shifts from novelty to something embedded in everyday business operations.

Pat brings more than two decades of experience in data science and AI, having worked with organizations like Discovery Channel, Google, and Fortune 100 brands including Unilever, McDonald's, and UnitedHealthcare.

Together, Erik and Pat discuss why 2026 will be defined less by new tools and more by automation, confidence, and real operational change. As Erik notes, "I think it's going to be the year of automation," and Pat describes how advanced organizations are already managing AI as a "digital employee" supported by agents and sub-agents.

Listeners will learn:
• Why automation and AI agents are becoming practical tools for daily business use
• How organizations are applying AI to improve communication, workflows, and clarity
• Why measuring AI success may shift away from traditional ROI models
• The risks of shadow AI and the need for clear training and policies
• What agentic shopping and AI-powered search could mean for marketers and brands

Throughout the conversation, Erik and Pat stress that progress with AI starts with intention. Pat cautions businesses to avoid rushing into tools and instead recommends experimenting within existing platforms and focusing on training. They also reinforce the importance of keeping a human in the loop to maintain quality and accountability.

For marketers, operators, and executives across industries this milestone episode offers a practical look at how AI adoption is evolving heading into 2026. The takeaway is clear: focus on real problems, build confidence with the Large-Language Model tools, and prepare for a future where automation supports, not replaces, human work.

In Episode 99 of the Digital Velocity Podcast, Erik Martinez sits down with Chris Seminatore, founder of GetGeofencing.com, to unpack how location-based targeting can help brands stop wasting budget and start reaching the people most likely to buy. As Chris puts it, "Location is the strongest indicator of buying intent."

For direct-to-consumer teams without a retail footprint, the key shift is thinking about location as a signal—not a storefront. Instead of geofencing "your" locations, you can target the places where your best customers already reveal intent: brick and mortar competitor locations, industry events and trade shows, and life-style locations that align with your customer's persona.

In this conversation, you'll learn:

· How geofencing works in plain English—and why it's best used to narrow your audience to the moments that matter most.

· Practical ways DTC brands can apply the same playbook across industries, even without physical stores of their own.

· Why "addressable geofencing" can be a powerful CRM companion: layer location targeting onto a direct mail or customer list to reinforce messaging across channels.

· How to use events and trade shows as a DTC growth lever by capturing attendees and continuing to reach them after they leave.

· What to watch for in programmatic so your spend doesn't disappear into low-value placements (and how Chris approaches blocking common sources of waste).

If you're a DTC marketer, brand leader, or agency strategist looking for smarter signals to find more customers, this episode offers a clear, practical framework for using location to reduce waste, increase relevance, and improve performance.

In Episode 98 of the Digital Velocity Podcast, Erik Martinez sits down with Jen Neumann, CEO and owner of deNovo Marketing, to break down the findings from the 2025 AI Consumer Survey—a study her team launched to understand how real people feel about AI showing up in ads, emails, and digital content. The results reveal a mix of curiosity, confusion, and contradiction that every brand—especially DTC brands—should pay attention to.

One of the biggest surprises? Marketers think they're great at spotting AI, but the survey shows they actually scored lower than non-marketers.

With AI-generated images looking more polished and more realistic than ever, many consumers now assume most content is AI—even when it's not. And in a moment where trust is already running low, that assumption can change how people interpret and react to a brand's message.

Listeners will learn:
• Why consumers say AI matters to their decisions—but don't always act that way
• How AI-generated content can unintentionally "make a brand look cheap"
• Why authenticity and a less-polished aesthetic are gaining importance
• The difference between impulse buys, necessities, and higher-stakes "considered purchases"
• What Agentic Shopping could mean for brand awareness and attribution

Jen shares why brands need clear boundaries around AI use, starting with an internal policy that aligns with who they are and how they want to show up in the market. Whether your brand is mass-market or premium, digital-first or experiential, the real takeaway is simple: consumers are paying attention, and AI can help—or hurt—depending on how thoughtfully it's used.

For brand leaders and marketers across industries, this episode offers a grounded look at what's shifting in consumer perception and how to stay authentic, trustworthy, and strategic as AI becomes a bigger part of the customer journey.