ABOUT THIS EPISODE
AI transformation isn't a strategy problem. It's a leadership problem. And until CEOs and boards stop asking for an AI strategy and start asking for a change management strategy, most organizations are going to keep spinning their wheels.
In this episode of The Trending Communicator, host Dan Nestle sits down with Bo Breuklander, founder of Breuklander Communications, ProSci-certified change practitioner, and professor of PR and media writing at the University of Tampa. Bo spent 16 years in corporate communications, led digital communications at Jabil, moved into VP-level transformation work, and now runs People First AI workshops that document 100% confidence increases among participants.
Dan and Bo get into why the comfortability gap matters more than the skills gap, what happens when people in the room are too afraid to admit they're already using AI, and why communicators are uniquely positioned to lead organizational AI transformation rather than waiting for IT to hand them a playbook.
Listen in and hear about...
- Why random acts of AI are the new random acts of content and equally ineffective
- The explainability problem and why it connects directly to critical thinking in the classroom
- How to find your AI champions and ambassadors inside existing teams
- What entrepreneurial thinking actually looks like as a survival strategy for knowledge workers
- Why $20 a month might be the most important career investment a communicator can make right now
Notable Quotes from Bo Breuklander
"You have to ask people how they feel about it. And you have to listen to what they tell you."
"Your job is not necessarily your value. I think it's really important for students to hear that, for younger professionals, for older professionals, for all of us."
"Slow down enough to get the functional and the foundations right. Clarity is going to beat speed. Judgment is the new advantage."
Resources and Links
Dan Nestle
- Lilypath | Website
- The Trending Communicator | Website
- Communications Trends from Trending Communicators | Dan Nestle's Substack
- Dan Nestle | LinkedIn
Bo Breuklander
Timestamps
0:00:00 Introduction: AI Transformation & Leadership Challenges
0:05:48 [Speaker B]'s AI Journey & Focus at Brooklander Communications
0:11:22 Addressing Human Factors in AI Workshops
0:17:22 Individualized Nature of AI Adoption
0:21:22 Students, Employees, and the Hidden Use of AI
0:27:01 Are “AI Natives” Ready? Skills vs. Comfort
0:34:11 Explainability, Critical Thinking, and Fact-Checking in AI Use
0:42:08 Navigating Job Disruption and Entrepreneurial Mindset
0:47:42 Practical Steps for Comms Pros: Quick Wins & Automation
0:53:57 Using Prompting Frameworks and Moving to Advanced AI Use
1:00:16 Investing in AI Learning—No Room for Victimhood
1:07:22 Closing Advice: Slow Down, Clarity and Judgment as Advantages
(Notes co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Castmagic)
About The Trending Communicator
The Trending Communicator is a podcast about the future of communications and marketing, hosted by Dan Nestle. Each episode is a conversation with a communicator, marketer, author, or technologist about how the work is changing and what that means for the people doing it. The show launched in 2020 as The Dan Nestle Show and has published more than 150 episodes.
About the Host
Dan Nestle (Daniel Nestle) is a communications strategist with more than 25 years of experience, including 16 years in Japan. He is co-founder and Chief Product & Intelligence Officer of Lilypath, the company behind the patent-pending Authority Intelligence™ platform, and founder and Chief Curiosity Officer of Inquisitive Communications, a strategic advisory practice. He received the 2022 Arthur W. Page Society Page Up Innovation Award, was named a PRWeek Dashboard 25 AI Pioneer in 2023 and 2024, and was named one of Propel's 100 Most Influential PR Tech Leaders Worldwide in 2025.
Connect with Dan
The Trending Communicator: https://trendingcommunicator.com
Substack: https://trendingcommunicator.substack.com
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nestle
Lilypath: https://lilypath.com
Inquisitive Communications: https://be-inquisitive.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/trendingcommunicator
Show notes for The Trending Communicator are co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Fireflies.
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