Sep 8, 2026 · 46 min · 10 segments
On today's episode joined by my longtime friend and former colleague Holly Hansen, founder of The Recognition Lab, to talk about how founders can use AI more…
Ellie McNevinHost
Holly HansenGuest
If brands do not prioritize their AI reputation, they are leaving one of the quickest conversion tools out of the process, which is wild to me.
I began my career as an editor before moving into PR and eventually founding The Birdie Agency, which I sold last year.
Working in PR, I quickly realized that getting a brand notice was only one small piece of the growth puzzle.
I became obsessed with everything surrounding it, and especially what happens after you have someone's attention.
Today, I work one-on-one with founders to figure out where growth is getting stuck.
I look across the entire brand from positioning and PR to email, social, and the customer journey, then connect the pieces so more attention turns into action and sales.
On PR Adjacent, I bring in the specialists I trust to go deeper into each part of that puzzle and unpack what is
In today's episode, I'm talking with Holly Hansen, founder of the Recognition Lab, about how AI is changing both the way we work and the way customers discover and choose brands.
Holly and I have known each other for years, and we've worked at two different companies together, so you'll hear a lot of laughing on this episode and a lot of fun times, and we're so excited to bring you along for the journey.
Through Recognition Lab, Holly helps organizations understand how they're being represented by AI, what public evidence is shaping that picture, and what they can do to strengthen it.
Today, we're getting very practical about how to train AI like a new employee, what information to give it, and which parts of work still require human judgment.
We also talk about how AI is changing the customer journey, how it's flattened the marketing funnel, and why your public reputation matters inside these systems and what that shift can mean for brands.
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If brands do not prioritize their AI reputation, they are leaving one of the quickest conversion tools out of the process, which is wild to me.
I began my career as an editor before moving into PR and eventually founding The Birdie Agency, which I sold last year.
Working in PR, I quickly realized that getting a brand notice was only one small piece of the growth puzzle.
I became obsessed with everything surrounding it, and especially what happens after you have someone's attention.
Today, I work one-on-one with founders to figure out where growth is getting stuck.
I look across the entire brand from positioning and PR to email, social, and the customer journey, then connect the pieces so more attention turns into action and sales.
On PR Adjacent, I bring in the specialists I trust to go deeper into each part of that puzzle and unpack what is
In today's episode, I'm talking with Holly Hansen, founder of the Recognition Lab, about how AI is changing both the way we work and the way customers discover and choose brands.
Holly and I have known each other for years, and we've worked at two different companies together, so you'll hear a lot of laughing on this episode and a lot of fun times, and we're so excited to bring you along for the journey.
Through Recognition Lab, Holly helps organizations understand how they're being represented by AI, what public evidence is shaping that picture, and what they can do to strengthen it.
Today, we're getting very practical about how to train AI like a new employee, what information to give it, and which parts of work still require human judgment.
We also talk about how AI is changing the customer journey, how it's flattened the marketing funnel, and why your public reputation matters inside these systems and what that shift can mean for brands.
