Mind the Machine

What separates a great brand from one that disappears in the age of AI?Ben Stubbington has spent 25 years helping build and shape major brands including Arc’teryx, Lululemon, and Theory. In this conversation, he explains why the future of branding depends on something AI can’t replicate: the soul of a brand. Ben shares how he helped transform Lululemon’s men’s business by identifying what male customers actually wanted instead of simply copying what was already working in the market. He explains why founders need to understand exactly what makes their company unique, how great brands create products that solve needs customers may not even realize they have, and why trying to be everything to everyone eventually leads to mediocrity. We also discuss how brands can stay relevant without chasing every trend, the importance of building a clear “brand bible,” why community is becoming more important than traditional marketing, and how AI can actually help companies focus more deeply on the things that make them human.Ben also shares lessons from his career in fashion and design, his approach to creativity, and how outside interests like art, music, film, and architecture continue to influence his work. Follow Mind the Machine:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindthemachinepodcastTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mindthemachinepodcastWebsite: https://findgood.tech/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/findgood-tech/Book Cheryl to speak at your company or community, she’s trained executives at Fortune 100 companies and has taught practical AI courses at 7 universities and has led a series of Hack-a thons for all levels of learners. You can submit a booking inquiry through FindGood.tech speaking contact page to discuss keynotes, panels, or corporate events. https://findgood.tech/speaking/AAE Speakers Bureau: You can check her availability and request fee information through All American Entertainment (AAE). They handle logistics, offer negotiations, and contractual assistance.Direct Contact: For general inquiries, her team can be reached at team@findgood.tech or via her LinkedIn profile. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ckgoodman

Max Krueger, CEO of Backland Labs and Claude Ambassador, joins Mind the Machine to talk about what actually happens when businesses begin adopting AI.From AI agents and enterprise adoption to personal productivity and the future of work, Max explains why AI isn’t necessarily eliminating work. Instead, it’s moving the bottleneck. As AI takes over tasks like writing code or handling repetitive administrative work, humans shift toward reviewing, planning, managing, and solving bigger problems.Max also shares what he’s learned from building San Diego’s AI community, running Claude Impact Labs with nonprofits, and helping organizations move beyond the hype to find practical, useful applications for AI.Follow Mind the Machine:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindthemachinepodcastTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mindthemachinepodcastWebsite: https://findgood.tech/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/findgood-tech/Book Cheryl to speak at your company or community, she’s trained executives at Fortune 100 companies and has taught practical AI courses at 7 universities and has led a series of Hack-a thons for all levels of learners. You can submit a booking inquiry through FindGood.tech speaking contact page to discuss keynotes, panels, or corporate events. https://findgood.tech/speaking/AAE Speakers Bureau: You can check her availability and request fee information through All American Entertainment (AAE). They handle logistics, offer negotiations, and contractual assistance.Direct Contact: For general inquiries, her team can be reached at team@findgood.tech or via her LinkedIn profile. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ckgoodman

Stephen Vigilante, OLIPOP’s first employee and one of the marketers behind its rapid growth, joins Cheryl to explain how the company evolved from an emerging soda startup into a business exceeding half a billion dollars in revenue.Stephen shares OLIPOP’s early bets on influencer marketing, podcasts, and TikTok; the science behind the product; its expansion into entertainment and licensing; and how AI is changing product discovery. He also explores the next wave of creator marketing and why speed remains one of the greatest advantages an emerging brand can have.Follow Mind the Machine:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindthemachinepodcastTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mindthemachinepodcastWebsite: https://findgood.tech/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/findgood-tech/Book Cheryl to speak at your company or community, she’s trained executives at Fortune 100 companies and has taught practical AI courses at 7 universities and has led a series of Hack-a thons for all levels of learners. You can submit a booking inquiry through FindGood.tech speaking contact page to discuss keynotes, panels, or corporate events. https://findgood.tech/speaking/AAE Speakers Bureau: You can check her availability and request fee information through All American Entertainment (AAE). They handle logistics, offer negotiations, and contractual assistance.Direct Contact: For general inquiries, her team can be reached at team@findgood.tech or via her LinkedIn profile. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ckgoodman

Welcome to Season 2 of Mind the Machine!This season shifts from talking about AI in theory to showing how businesses are actually using it today.In this kickoff episode, Cheryl Goodman introduces the 4 T’s of AI:• Tools – Choosing the right AI platforms for your business• Tips – Building repeatable AI workflows that evolve over time• Tokens – Understanding the real cost of AI implementation• Time Saved – Measuring the productivity gains that actually matterYou’ll also learn:* What it means to become an AI Native company* Cheryl’s concept of AI Actualization* Why small and medium-sized businesses may benefit the most from AI adoption* How Events.com is integrating AI into customer experience and operations* How AI hardware and digital memory tools are changing personal productivityIf you’re a business owner, executive, entrepreneur, or simply curious about where AI is headed, this episode is packed with practical ideas you can start applying today.👍 Like the video, subscribe, and let us know in the comments:Which of the 4 T’s do you think will have the biggest impact on your business?Follow Mind the Machine:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindthemachinepodcastTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mindthemachinepodcastWebsite: https://findgood.tech/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/findgood-tech/Book Cheryl to speak at your company or community, she’s trained executives at Fortune 100 companies and has taught practical AI courses at 7 universities and has led a series of Hack-a thons for all levels of learners. You can submit a booking inquiry through FindGood.tech speaking contact page to discuss keynotes, panels, or corporate events. https://findgood.tech/speaking/AAE Speakers Bureau: You can check her availability and request fee information through All American Entertainment (AAE). They handle logistics, offer negotiations, and contractual assistance.Direct Contact: For general inquiries, her team can be reached at team@findgood.tech or via her LinkedIn profile. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ckgoodman

In this episode of the Mind the Machine Podcast, Cheryl Goodman talks with Dr. Aadeel Akhtar, founder and CEO of Psyonic, about the company’s groundbreaking Ability Hand, a bionic prosthetic hand designed to restore dexterity, strength, and touch feedback for people with limb differences.
Dr. Akhtar shares the personal story that inspired him to pursue bionic limbs, the powerful moment that led him to commercialize the technology, and how Psyonic’s human prosthetic users are helping train robots to perform real-world tasks. The conversation covers touch sensors, nerve interfaces, industrial robotics, ABB and NVIDIA partnerships, physical AI, generative AI, and the future of human augmentation.
They also discuss how robotics may change the labor market, why dull, dirty, and dangerous jobs are likely to be automated first, and how future robots may become a normal part of everyday life.
Subscribe to Mind the Machine for more conversations about AI, robotics, innovation, and the people building what comes next.

Follow Mind the Machine:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindthemachinepodcastTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mindthemachinepodcastWebsite: https://findgood.tech/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/findgood-tech/Book Cheryl to speak at your company or community, she’s trained executives at Fortune 100 companies and has taught practical AI courses at 7 universities and has led a series of Hack-a thons for all levels of learners. You can submit a booking inquiry through FindGood.tech speaking contact page to discuss keynotes, panels, or corporate events. https://findgood.tech/speaking/AAE Speakers Bureau: You can check her availability and request fee information through All American Entertainment (AAE). They handle logistics, offer negotiations, and contractual assistance.Direct Contact: For general inquiries, her team can be reached at team@findgood.tech or via her LinkedIn profile. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ckgoodman