Episode 3

full
Published on:

20th Nov 2025

Getting Real About AI and ChatGPT

Episode Summary

In this episode, Grant Covault and Tyler Davis get real about AI and the way tools like ChatGPT actually fit into day to day business. They dig into the gap between the hype and the reality, the difference between free and paid versions, and why blindly trusting AI is a fast track to sloppy work and bad decisions.

They break down how they use ChatGPT in their own worlds, what it consistently gets wrong, and where it actually creates real value. From SOP building, communication cleanup, and transcription, to research and process improvement, they highlight the practical use cases that work and the pitfalls that don’t.


No sci-fi fantasies. No fearmongering. Just straight talk on how to use AI responsibly and effectively.


What We Cover


• Why the AI hype cycle is misleading


• Free vs paid ChatGPT tiers and how to pick


• Setting up custom instructions and memory


• The “agreeable problem” and how to force real critique


• Research traps, hallucinations, and verification


• Using ChatGPT for SOPs, processes, transcripts, and communication


• Where AI fits today in accounting, marketing, and operations


• Why business leaders need to understand AI even if they don’t like it

Takeaways


AI isn’t a magic assistant, and it’s not replacing anyone tomorrow.


It’s a tool that amplifies what you already do, good or bad.


If you guide it well, it makes your work faster and clearer.


If you don’t, it’ll show up in your output immediately.

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About the Podcast

NextGen Strategies
Welcome to the NextGen Strategies Podcast, the podcast for modern strategies to help family-owned, small businesses grow and compete.

Join long-time friends Grant Covault, marketing strategist and owner of GC Strategies, and Tyler Davis, CPA and owner of DAT CPA, as they interview subject experts on a variety of subjects such as leadership, marketing, finance, operations and much more.

If you are a current business leader, aspiring entrepreneur, or just someone looking to get the scoop on the latest and greatest happenings in the world of business, this pod is for you!

About your hosts

Tyler Davis

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As a CPA and financial strategist, I leverage my knowledge in finance and accounting to help small businesses and individuals thrive in a rapidly changing market. Check us out at www.datcpa.net

Grant Covault

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As a FCMO (Fractional Chief Marketing Officer) serving small businesses around the country, I'm blessed to be able to use my God-given skills to help businesses and their leaders creatively compete in ever-changing and difficult markets. Check us out at www.thegcstrategies.com and connect with me on Linkedin!