Just Say Hi...It Might Change Your Life. From Facebook Marketplace to AI Employees w/Jackson Edens

Jackson Edens is 20 years old. And he's already helping construction and trades businesses save serious time and make more money by bringing enterprise-level AI to the shops that big consulting firms never call on. His company, Digital Grove AI, offers a fractional AI employee model, because most small trades businesses don't have IBM or AWS on speed dial. Jackson steps in as the person who does. Jackson shares how he went from building gaming PCs on Facebook Marketplace, to running a T-shirt shop entirely powered by AI, to living on his best friend's boat where he learned how to network with contractors and business owners, a skill that ended up shaping his whole career. We also dive into why Jackson initially refused to use ChatGPT in college to protect his critical thinking skills, why the old sales rule of "Always Be Closing" needs to be replaced with "Always Provide Value" (APV), and why human connection is becoming the ultimate competitive advantage in a world flooded with AI noise. --------------- Connect with Jackson Website: https://flash-mktg.com/ LinkedIn:   / michael-beltran-b39b3b180   --------------- About Reanimated Stories: Hosted by Roger Jorns, I talk with awesome business leaders about their story and we explore how to reimagine work, life, and design. Connect with Roger:  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/roger-jorns Website: reanimationdesign.com YouTube:    / @reanimationdesign   Podcast: https://rss.com/podcasts/reanimated-s... --------------- 00:00 Intro 00:36 Meet the Host and Guest 01:24 Digital Grove AI Explained 02:26 Fractional AI for Small Biz 05:06 Real Client Wins with AI 07:59 How Jackson Got Started 11:51 AI vs Critical Thinking 14:12 Boat Life and Networking 16:17 Focus, Mentors, and the Who 18:16 Networking Without Selling 19:54 Selling Without Pressure 20:23 Always Provide Value 22:22 Power of Saying Hi 24:50 Loneliness and Phone Fear 25:50 Trust and Connection Marketing 27:57 AI Noise and Handshakes 31:48 Customer Discovery Messaging 33:18 Where to Find Jackson 34:51 Outro