{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"EP 268 Women, AI, and \u2018Hold the Door\u2019 Leadership with Chris McMartin","description":"Host Susan Diaz is joined by Chris McMartin, National Lead for the Scotiabank Women Initiative (Business Banking), for a real-world conversation about how women are approaching AI. They talk about time poverty, fear of asking \u201cdumb\u201d questions, the shame myth of \u201cAI is cheating\u201d, and why the most powerful move right now is women holding the door open for each other - learning in community and sharing what works. Episode summary This episode is a candid, energetic conversation with Chris McMartin - aka \u201cHype Boss\u201d online and a long-time hype woman for women entrepreneurs. They explore what\u2019s different about women\u2019s AI adoption, and it\u2019s not lack of interest. They discuss the reality of learning AI at 10pm on the couch after the \u201c82-item checklist\u201d of the day is finally done. And the catch-22 at play - AI can save time, but learning it takes time first - like baking cookies with kids turning a 20-minute task into a two-hour event. From there, they unpack a deeper barrier: many women hesitate to ask questions because they don\u2019t want to look silly. Chris argues women often use AI \u201cjust a little bit\u201d because it doesn\u2019t require admitting what they don\u2019t know - meaning AI becomes a copywriting helper instead of a real growth lever. They also confront the \u201cAI is cheating\u201d narrative. Chris shares her no-apologies stance: if AI improved your grammar overnight, that\u2019s not shameful - it\u2019s smart. And if you\u2019re worried about being judged for questions, ask AI itself - because it won\u2019t judge you. The conversation closes with practical advice for women-led teams (especially 5-50 people): start by identifying the task everyone hates and use AI there first, and schedule learning time during business hours instead of relegating growth to late-night exhaustion. Along the way, Susan brings in a powerful metaphor: \u201chold the door\u201d leadership - women who are already in the room have a responsibility to bring others in with them. (Metaphor inspired by Game of Thrones and Bozoma Saint John.  Key takeaways Women aren\u2019t unwilling. They\u2019re time-starved. Many women try to learn AI at the end of the day, when they\u2019re exhausted - because that\u2019s the only time left. AI has a \u201ccookie problem\u201d. It has huge benefits later, but it costs time upfront to learn - just like baking with kids. That learning curve is real, and it\u2019s a major adoption barrier. Fear of questions limits adoption. Chris observes women often hesitate to ask \u201chow do I use this better?\u201d which keeps AI usage stuck at surface-level tasks like captions and posts. \u201cAI is cheating\u201d is a myth that needs to die. Chris\u2019s take: using AI to communicate more clearly isn\u2019t unethical. It\u2019s an upgrade. She also notes men rarely apologize for finding ways to do things better. Ask AI how to use AI. If you feel silly asking humans, ask your LLM: \u201cWhat questions should I answer so you can help me solve this?\u201d That\u2019s the difference between generic output and useful work. Community is a women\u2019s superpower. Women often collaborate with \u201ccompetitors\u201d with zero weirdness. That community-of-practice energy is exactly what AI learning needs. For women-led teams: start with pain. Chris\u2019s first practical move: ask your team what task they hate most, then use AI to reduce or remove that pain point to build buy-in. Schedule learning like leadership. Don\u2019t push AI learning to 10pm. Put it on the calendar during work hours. Your development is part of the job. Grants can fund AI training and tech upgrades. Chris reminds listeners that many grants support technology advancement and hiring expertise - even for non-tech businesses - and AI can reduce the pain of grant writing. Episode highlights [00:03] Meet Chris McMartin + the Scotiabank Women Initiative. [02:00] \u201c10pm on the couch\u201d and why time poverty shapes women\u2019s learning. [02:44] The cookie analogy: AI saves time later, but learning costs time now. [05:00] Women using AI 1%: safe tasks without asking questions. [06:46] Why this matters: many \u201cat risk\u201d roles are held by women. [09:35] \u201cAI is cheating\u201d + the grammar glow-up story. [11:42] \u201cAsk AI questions - AI doesn\u2019t judge you.\u201d [13:00] Relationship mindset: don\u2019t be transactional with AI; ask better questions. [16:21] \u201cHold the door\u201d leadership and building rooms where women feel welcome. [21:43] Two tactical tips: solve a pain point first + schedule learning time. [33:48] Grants as a funding path for training and tech improvements. [38:57] Say yes to conversations even if you \u201cdon\u2019t know enough.\u201d [41:18] Where to find Chris + her podcast I Am Unbreakable. If you\u2019re a woman entrepreneur (or you lead women in your organization), take one action from this episode this week: Ask your team what task they hate most. Pick one painful workflow and test AI there first. Put one hour of AI learning on the calendar during business hours. And if you\u2019re already \u201cin the room\u201d with AI? Hold the door. Invite someone in.   Connect with Susan Diaz on LinkedIn to get a conversation started.   Agile teams move fast. Grab our 10 AI Deep Research Prompts to see how proven frameworks can unlock clarity in hours, not months. Find the prompt pack here. Connect with Chris McMartin on LinkedIn. ","author_name":"AI Literacy for Entrepreneurs","author_url":"http:\/\/4amreport.libsyn.com\/website","html":"