Mind & Machine DFW
Presents: Marketing Sucks… Until It Doesn’t: Human Grit Meets AI Grit
Marketing is exhausting—but it doesn’t have to be. In this open, candid talk, Emily Bell-Wootten and Tori Begg unpack what it’s really like to build, run, and salvage modern marketing operations while juggling teams, tech, and too many tasks. They’ll share real stories from the trenches—burnout, startup chaos, broken processes—and explore how AI is helping marketers finally do more with less. Expect truth bombs, practical tools (like how to get a month of content done in minutes), and refreshing honesty about what’s working, what’s not, and how we move forward as humans in a tech-saturated space.
Roadmap Overview:
Icebreaker Qs – warm and funny “craziest thing you’ve seen in AI/marketing”
Why marketing feels broken (burnout, underfunded teams, over-hyped tools)
The real-life grind of small business and startup marketing
Where AI fits in—and where it still falls short
Why the human layer (empathy, strategy, boundaries) still matters most
Emily’s tool demo story – how AI can get 30 days of content done in minutes
Tori’s take – using tools like ChatGPT to make marketers more efficient
Tactical takeaways – practical AI use cases for small teams
Talking trust – team dynamics, accountability, and leadership struggles
Closing thoughts – how we fix marketing from the inside out
Tori’s Bio:
Tori Begg is an AI Sales Strategist and Enablement Director helping marketing and sales teams work smarter with AI. She leads AI implementation at a VDS, a national marketing agency, trains teams on AI literacy, and builds custom AI solutions to drive revenue, retention, and efficiency. Tori also co-leads Mind & Machine DFW, a networking community bridging the gap between human connection and artificial intelligence.
Emily Bell-Wootten's Bio:
CMO and Managing Partner- Marketing Assistant and CEO of EBW Consulting
Emily Bell-Wootten (CMO and Author)is a dynamic force in the world of brand building, known for her unparalleled ability to create brands that make a significant impact. With experience spanning 60 brands across 17 diverse industries, Emily has honed a unique agility and expertise in human-centered design, driving her companies to achieve over $1 billion in growth. Her impressive career includes roles as CEO, CMO, Fractional CMO, Innovation Ambassador, and Global CX and MarTech thought leader for Dell and NTT Data. Emily also authored the Cybersecurity Guide for Business in 2024 with the Plano Chamber of Commerce.
Whether you're a tech enthusiast or just curious about the future of technology, this event is perfect for you. Don't miss out on this chance to explore the intersection of mind and machine at ll Brothers Grill & Bar.
