Why Authenticity Beats Automation in Modern Marketing

Most marketers aren’t being replaced by AI, they’re being replaced by marketers who actually know how to use it. In this launch episode of Future of Marketing, Camille Ricketts, Ethan Smith, and Mada Seghete cut through the AI hype to discuss what’s changing inside modern marketing teams. Drawing from real experience, they explore trends in marketing and AI adoption, where AI can create leverage, their own personal use cases for AI (including how to be funnier), and why human judgment, taste, and storytelling matter more than ever. Going over tradeoffs between authenticity, the risks of messy data, and over-personalization, this episode offers a grounded, practical look at how marketers can move faster without losing what makes their work resonate.

Most marketers aren’t being replaced by AI, they’re being replaced by marketers who actually know how to use it.

In this launch episode of Future of Marketing, hosts Camille Ricketts (Operating Partner, XYZ), Ethan Smith (CEO, Graphite), and Mada Seghete (CEO & Co-Founder, Upside) cut through the AI hype and talk about what they believe is changing inside marketing teams..

They discuss real use cases for AI (both personal and professional) and outline the best ways to tackle early adoption in times riddled with apprehension and uncertainty. Drilling down on why most teams are stuck using AI to make “bad” work faster, they discuss the possibility of using AI as a potential source for unconventional ideas that complement human storytelling.

From the LinkedIn AI content trap to why Reddit might be the most underrated channel for market intelligence, the hosts explore the uncomfortable tradeoffs marketers are already facing: how to (and should you) stay authentic in a landscape that’s becoming overpersonalized? Along the way, you’ll hear why one of our hosts refuses to let AI write their LinkedIn posts (while another has successfully used it and hit 500K views), how Ethan is using AI to find SEO patterns humans can’t see, and why Camille is betting on storytelling talent as the most valuable skill of the next decade.

What You'll Learn:

Tips to accelerate AI adoption
What the Future of Marketing looks like
AI Use Cases (both personal and professional) for each of the hosts
Recommendations of when to use and not use AI (i.e., original thought leadership content)
When to use AI to think outside the box
The goal of this podcast: have honest conversations about what is happening inside modern marketing teams, without fluff or vendor pitches.
Storytelling and connection vs the risk of over-personalization
Why creative directors, writers, and storytellers are becoming more valuable (not less)

About the Hosts:

Mada Seghete is the CEO and co-founder of Upside, a next-gen revenue intelligence platform for B2B leaders. Previously co-founded and was CMO of Branch, helping scale to $100M+ revenue. Cornell Engineering graduate with Masters and MBA from Stanford. Partner at XFactor Ventures investing in women founders and organizes yearly retreats for 100+ women founders.

Camille Ricketts is a Partner at XYZ Venture Capital, where she leads investments in product-led growth and go-to-market software startups. Prior, she was the first marketing leader at Notion, building out the brand, community, and more. She also founded First Round Review for First Round Capital, managed communications at Tesla, and reported for the Wall Street Journal.

Ethan Smith is Founder and CEO of Graphite, a premium Vertical AI Growth Agency that helps companies like Webflow, Notion, MasterClass, and Captions drive sustainable revenue growth via SEO, content, and AEO (Answer Engine Optimization). Ethan is also an adjunct professor at IE Business School.