2954: How Can AI and Digital Transformation Revolutionize Your Personal Brand?

[00:00:00] Have you ever wondered how to elevate your personal brand in this rapidly evolving landscape of AI and automation? Well, today I'm thrilled to welcome a globally recognized thought leader in digital transformation, AI, and marketing.

[00:00:18] His name is Vladimir, he's got 15 years plus of international experience, and he has been instrumental in shaping the future of digital innovation. His journey from humble beginnings to being ranked as the number one global marketing influencer by Thinkers360 is nothing short of inspiring.

[00:00:36] And as an advisory board member for the United States Artificial Intelligence Institute, and a featured speaker at prestigious events around the world, I'm hoping today's conversation is going to be a treasure trove for anyone looking to navigate the complexities of modern

[00:00:51] business and explore the power of personal branding. The disruptive potential of AI, along with actionable strategies to help you stand out in today's digital age. A big thank you to my amazing sponsor who helps me keep exploring the world of tech and bringing you daily updates.

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[00:02:12] That's right, that's kiteworks.com to get started today. But enough from me, it's time to get today's guests on. So a massive warm welcome to the show. Can you tell everyone listening a little about who you are and what you do?

[00:02:27] Hi Neil, it is a pleasure to be a guest on podcast. Thanks for this invitation. My name is Vladimir Bozov and I have 15 years of international experience with a proven track record of guiding executives and top players worldwide to initiate change, drive

[00:02:39] growth and position brands as market leaders in their industries. I'm regarded as one of the world's top digital transformation marketing influencers, software desk keynote speakers, futurists. I'm recognized as one of the brightest minds and I continue to play a pivotal role in maximizing top brand success.

[00:02:55] I have enjoyed a remarkable career at the top of technology industry and my expertise has made me a popular choice as a speaker for corporate events. Currently, I'm ranked as number one global marketing software by Syncios 360.

[00:03:10] I'm recognized among the world's top 21 artificial intelligence speakers by AI Speakers Agency alongside Sam Altman. And in 2023, I was recognized number four internet marketing guru by Global Gurus alongside James Clear, Neil Patel and Jay Baier, Gary Vaynerchuk and many other renowned software leaders.

[00:03:35] I'm also a mentor at Techstars and I also a judge for the Webby Awards. I'm also invited speaker to business schools throughout the world. I mentor students at UCLA Anderson School of Management, also UCL Enterprise Innovation and also University of Westminster in London.

[00:03:55] And I think what sets me apart is my passion, my practicality, my long-term thinking, my patience and my direct communication with my followers because I have built my personal brand from scratch from zero followers to 57,000 followers in six years from 2014 to 2020.

[00:04:12] I was recognized as an influencer by Analytica in 2015 that ranked me number 65 global B2B marketing influencer. I was among top 100 virtual reality influencers in 2017 and in 2018, I was recognized among top 100 digital transformation influencers because I was tweeting, I was active, I was

[00:04:32] consistent, I was passionate, I was communicating, I was building emotional connections with my followers. And what I see nowadays is that I can't be replaced by AI because I have emotional connection with my followers because I was working like hell from 2040 to 2020 to build my foundation.

[00:04:51] So that has put me on the global map. Wow, that is absolutely phenomenal. So here in 2024, hugely successful leading figure in digital transformation, marketing and so many other different areas. But I've got to ask that this didn't happen overnight. You mentioned six years there building your audience.

[00:05:11] What's the origin story there? Can you tell me the story that got you where you are and were there any, I don't know, key experiences that maybe helped shape your career along the way and get you to this point

[00:05:21] because I don't want anyone at home listening thinking, oh, it was easy and he just did this stuff overnight. Just that long climb to the mountain, that's where the magic happens. Absolutely, Neil. Thank you for this great question.

[00:05:31] I have come a long way for my success and I think that I'm all about global perspective, global thinking because I'm a global citizen. You know, first of all, it is what sets me apart. You know, I think globally, you know, this is what I love.

[00:05:47] I love communication. I have friends all over the world, you know. When I moved to UK at the age of 22, when I was studying business English, marketing, customer experience, I was working in business development, you know.

[00:06:02] And I think this was a foundation for my success because that allowed me to become a global citizen. It is a big advantage from the UK that I now have a big name in marketing because I moved to the UK at the age of 22.

[00:06:16] It was the best investment in my career, starting working in the UK. You know, I think I'm very grateful to the UK and I have great friends. And you know, I was sitting at Pretemunger on Oxford Street in 2010 when I was exploring

[00:06:32] social media channels on my laptop, you know. And so I think it was my first steps that I took in order to explore social media channels at Pretemunger on Oxford Street, close to Oxford Street.

[00:06:47] And I think I was then I had an invitation from Kingston Business School and Cranfield School of Management to do my master's in marketing in 2013 because I passed my IELTS certificate. So I had invitations, but I did not have enough money to fund my studies in the UK.

[00:07:08] So I was looking for alternative ways to build my career further. And in 2014, I moved, I visited Dubai for the first time and I attended practical social media conferences in downtown Dubai. And I was listening to practical speakers who were talking about social media, community building, content creation.

[00:07:33] And I was curious about personal branding. So after listening to this speech about personal branding, I instantly hit the ground running on Twitter. I started building my following. I had only 55 followers on Twitter, you know, but, you know, I'm momentum oriented. I started growing my following.

[00:07:58] I was creating great content. I was communicating with my followers. And, you know, everything is not about getting followers. It's all about retention is everything. Neil, retention, you know. So how many followers you keep, right? This is a great challenge for influencers.

[00:08:19] How many you keep? Because I kept my followers because I was communicating with my followers. I was showing gratitude. I was very empathetic. I was educating my audience, you know. So I was in my tweets, I used to tag people that I was showing gratitude that they paid

[00:08:38] attention to my content by retweeting, liking and leaving comments on my tweets. So this interaction of sending video tweets that I was showing gratitude, this interaction built my community on Twitter because we were exploring the future of marketing together, Neil, you know, this was a better.

[00:08:57] Because I did not spend I did not spend millions of dollars on growing my Twitter community. But when there is a will, there is a way. I was communicating. I think that I have the gip of the gap.

[00:09:09] I'm a very proactive, proactive in marketing and I love communicating and I love making new friends. And so I think I think my Twitter hard work from 2014 to 2020. I think it has put me on the global map. It allowed me to tell my story.

[00:09:29] So everything is all about telling storytelling. So I think that through my tweets, I have told my stories through my video videos on YouTube. I told my stories through magazine appearances. I have told my stories. So I have earned trust.

[00:09:45] So nowadays, Neil, I invested my last dollar into my website. And when you Google nowadays, digital marketing keynote speaker, my website LatimerBotswazer.com is ranked number one speaker website on Google because of why? Because of this devotion of this commitment, because of this long term thinking and this

[00:10:05] passion. So I think that passion is what sets me apart. That I built my audience. I built my foundation and I have world success in 2024. Because these last 10 years, I was very consistent. I was working. I built my website and it's not cheap to build a website nowadays.

[00:10:28] But eight years ago, I invested all my financial resources into my website. So I was building my personal brand from my heart, not from my head. I built from my heart and it has made all the difference. Yeah, and your passion really shines through in our conversation today.

[00:10:49] And one of the things that put you on my radar was that you're an advisory board member for the United States Artificial Intelligence Institute. Sounds incredibly cool. Can you tell me a little bit about what that is? Incredible, Neil. Incredible. You know why?

[00:11:03] Because, you know, in 2018, I was contacted by the founder of Syncaster60, which is our first open platform for global thought leaders. And he offered me to join this thought leadership platform to share my achievements with this platform that literally creates top 50 influential rankings worldwide in AI, digital

[00:11:31] marketing. So I think I joined in 2018 in December. I added my achievements, like I was recognized by Analytica as an influencer. I had only one media interview in 2018-19. Only one, Neil, you know, only three awards and one interview from Analytica, which was published in January 2019.

[00:11:59] So I said I added these four achievements. Then so I started going from center strengths. So in 2019, I was recognized number six global AI influencer by Syncaster60. In 2021, I was ranked number 14 global AI influencer. In 2022, I was ranked number 16. And in 2023, I was ranked number 18.

[00:12:28] So in 2024, I made progress and I'm now ranked somewhere number 10 or number 11, as I remember. And so I made progress. So I added my achievements a month ago to Syncaster60 to improve my rankings. So I think because of these global rankings and recognition as an AI influencer by

[00:12:54] Syncaster60, Neil allowed me to become an advisory board member at the United States Artificial Intelligence Institute in Stanford. So at the same time, I also became advisory board member at the United States Data Science Institute and United States Cybersecurity Institute.

[00:13:10] You know, so our institutes collaborate with MIT because we have dual programs in AI. So we have instructors from MIT to share their expertise with students. So I think that my hard work, my dedication, my devotion allowed me to win awards in AI

[00:13:32] to become an advisory board member, to become a judge because I'm a judge for the Webby Awards. I also served on the judging panel for the Prolific North Marketing Awards in Manchester in 2022. I was the only international marketing judge in the UK.

[00:13:49] I also served on the judging panel for the Digital Revolution Awards in 2021. And I judged nominations such as Outstanding Contribution to the Microsoft Ecosystem and Techstar of the Year. So I'm all about momentum oriented. And I was going from strength to strength.

[00:14:09] I left no stone unturned and I have gone into overdrive. So I live in results, not in excuses, you know? Yeah. And as someone that's been in this space since, what, 2018, 2016, long, long before the world went crazy about AI, I'm curious now we're here.

[00:14:29] How do you see AI transforming the landscape of things like digital marketing and innovation? There's a lot of excitement at the moment, but how do you see it transforming everything? I think Neil, you know, AI is a brand's competitive advantage nowadays.

[00:14:44] And I want to remind audiences and listeners to adapt to the reality of the marketplace, you know? Yeah. Because, you know, just imagine that someone bought two thousand horses before the day Henry Ford created a car. He lost, right?

[00:15:03] Like 18 years ago when I was working in Menezes, Westgate, Menezes, Virginia, Washington 20 minutes drive from Washington, D.C., I used to see Blockbuster stores in my area, you know? So I think the board members of Blockbuster were thinking that, you know, our

[00:15:23] consumers enjoy visiting our stores and touching DVDs, you know? So they disregarded the Internet, they disregarded consumers. They were bottom-centric, not consumer-centric. They were not bottom-centric. So they did not buy Netflix for 50 million dollars. They went out of business. They went out of business, you know?

[00:15:48] So in 2007, Nokia was a market leader. Nowadays, Apple is a market leader, you know? Nokia lost market share and Apple gained market share. Why? Because they are consumer-centric, you know? So nowadays, what is happening, Neil, nowadays is that it is AI is every brand's

[00:16:10] competitive advantage. Just imagine that AI can improve business efficiency by up to 40 percent and lower or reduce operational costs by up to 30 percent, according to McKinsey, you know? So a global AI market value is expected to reach $267 billion by 2027.

[00:16:31] Nowadays, in 2024, 28 percent of companies use AI for marketing purposes. Only 12 percent of businesses use AI for content creation. Only 12 percent, Neil, because they are still hesitant. They are still hesitant. 44 percent of companies use AI to lower operational costs.

[00:16:54] And as I mentioned, 84 percent of global business organizations believe that AI gives them a competitive advantage. You know, AI will replace 30 percent of the human workforce globally by 2030, which means that 375 million people will switch other careers by 2030.

[00:17:18] And according to the World Economic Forum, 85 million jobs will be replaced by AI by 2025. Just imagine that so many people are going to lose their jobs. Just imagine that 41 percent of code on GitHub has been written by generative AI.

[00:17:37] Just imagine that coders are being replaced by generative AI. And I believe that AI's total contribution to global economy GDP will be in the region of 15.7 trillion dollars by 2030. And I think that 77 percent of people nowadays use a service or device that is AI powered, AI powered.

[00:18:02] And as 12 percent of businesses use AI for content creation, nowadays 60 percent of B2B and 78 percent of B2C businesses plan to use AI content generation tools to assist their content marketing efforts. You know, so I think that over 60 percent of business owners believe that AI improve

[00:18:29] their customer experience. And because chatbots nowadays save businesses two hours and 20 minutes, two hours and 20 minutes, and half of US mobile users use voice search every single day, every single day. And I think that chatGPT is a revolutionary technology.

[00:18:56] And so, Neil, just imagine that 20 years ago, there was only one technology company out from the top 10 most valuable companies. Nowadays, there are only six technology companies out of 10 most valuable companies, you know. So 52 percent, 52 percent of brands disappeared on the Fortune 500 list since 2000,

[00:19:26] like Blockbuster and the rest of the brands because they were bottom centric, they disregarded technology. And only 50 percent of organizations are ready for the post-industrial revolution, only 15 percent. What does it mean that we expect so many big brands will lose market share and they go

[00:19:45] out of business like Blockbuster and the rest of the brands? So nowadays, AI, mobile, social, cloud analytics are the foundation of the competitive advantage. And because it's all about improving business processes, precision, speed, scale and personalization, you know.

[00:20:07] Yeah. And looking at your career, I mean, it includes working with so many top executives from big leading brands, household names for MasterCard, PepsiCo and even AC Milan. I think I was recommended by top executives from MasterCard and PepsiCo and the leading

[00:20:26] brands because I was creating great content. And they started following me and they put in a good word for me on LinkedIn by recommending them because, you know, I had this great connection with my Twitter followers, LinkedIn connections.

[00:20:43] And I was trusted by the big executives from the big brands, as you mentioned, because I earned trust. So earning trust is one of the biggest achievements in marketing technology, you know. And I'm curious, what insights did you personally share about developing effective

[00:21:01] marketing strategies for such diverse and high profile clients? There's got to be some good experiences there, right? As I mentioned, that 52% of global organizations disappeared or the Fortune 500 list ceased to exist. Because direct communication is everything nowadays with consumers.

[00:21:18] For instance, Elon Musk has built his personal brand and Tesla does not have an advertising department. And because Tesla's brand value nowadays is $71 billion. $71 billion. And Toyota's brand value is $30 billion. BMW stands at $23 billion and Mercedes-Benz stands at $22 billion. Why does Tesla stand at $71 billion?

[00:21:50] Because of Elon Musk's personal brand, you know. So talking about personal branding there, how do you think businesses can better leverage AI and automation to enhance their personal branding efforts? Drawing lessons from some of the big names you mentioned there, like Elon Musk and companies like Tesla. Yes.

[00:22:07] I think, as I mentioned, Neil, you can create great content. You can tell better stories. You can analyze consumers' data through artificial intelligence and all the content generation tools. And are you aware of the AI startup perplexity? No. Perplexity. You know, it is a search engine driven by...

[00:22:35] Yes. Sorry. Just imagine that. I think that perplexity has already disrupted Google, you know. Yeah. Yeah. I think you're onto something there. And I'm curious again, because you've seen so many changes throughout your career.

[00:22:47] And from when you first built your brand to somebody starting out now and building their personal brand. Any strategies that you'd recommend for building a powerful personal brand in this AI era that we find ourselves in? I think it's all about, Neil, it's all about being curious. Yes.

[00:23:01] It's all about networking, because I have been followed by renowned entrepreneurs such as Grant Cardone and many other executives and entrepreneurs and speakers, because I was creating great content, you know. And because I wanted to be in the top 1%, I was building my personal brand gradually.

[00:23:22] I was thinking long term. And I did not keep up with Joneses. Instead, I reinvested my last dollar into my website, you know. So if anyone wants to build a personal brand, it's all about telling your authentic story, you know.

[00:23:38] So I think storytelling is not an advantage of AI, so it's still our advantage. This emotional intelligence, Neil, emotional intelligence, communication, building emotional connections with followers. I think Harley-Davidson has, for example, emotional connections with its consumers, motorcycle owners, because Harley-Davidson has this community, Harley Owners Group, you

[00:24:07] know, HOG, because more than 700,000 motorcycle owners go to stages in South Dakota to attend festivals because consumers make strong bonds at this festival organized by Harley-Davidson, you know. So it's all about bringing followers, consumers together, building community, Neil. Building a community is what sets your brand apart.

[00:24:34] So I built my community, Neil, on Twitter because I was exploring the future of marketing together with my followers. I was consistent. I received recommendations. I earned trust. I gained more than 1,000 skill endorsements on my LinkedIn because I was active on

[00:24:53] Twitter. And so it's like a Twitter is like a cocktail party where you can mix conversations. You can make friendships with amazing people. You can earn trust. You can build a community. I believe that social media should be used for bringing people together and breaking

[00:25:18] barriers. Because nowadays, many people use technology to divide people and erecting walls. We need to demolish walls. We need to break barriers. We need to bring people together and we need to give everyone the same chance and to give people confidence to succeed in their realms.

[00:25:38] You know, 100 percent. I always say at the end of every episode of this podcast, technology works best when it brings people together. So it's great to hear you saying this. And we will have people listening all around the world.

[00:25:49] Maybe we've got somebody listening that is inspired by your journey and what you've achieved. Maybe they want to follow in your footsteps, but then maybe they have that little voice on their shoulder saying you've not got time to build your brand.

[00:25:59] Just carry on going nine to five and all that stuff. What advice would you give to that entrepreneur, startup, business leader looking to maybe navigate some of the complexities of digital marketing and ultimately achieve that long term success in this rapidly evolving industry?

[00:26:14] Any advice that you would give those people? It's all about, as I mentioned, Neil, it's all about start small, build gradually, tell your stories, communicate, communicate with your followers, show gratitude, show empathy, become a lifelong learner, become more curious, show more resilience.

[00:26:35] Also be more agile because speed is a currency of business nowadays. Speed is the currency of business. Then I think self-awareness is very important. You need to be convinced in your abilities that you need to put your best foot forward. You need to put your best foot forward.

[00:26:57] And you also need to build your website. You need to be authentic, authentic, Neil, you know, authentic, you know. So I think that my authenticity that I started off my whole journey in 2014 and I had 55,000 followers on Twitter and my cloud score was 58 in 2014, Neil, you know? Yeah.

[00:27:20] So my cloud score reached 80 in 2018. Wow. Is there any AI tools that you'd recommend to make that building personal branding a little bit easier because it will save time? Anything in particular that you enjoy using that have helped you?

[00:27:40] Chachapiti is, I think, the most revolutionary technology because, you know, you can create great content. It gives me many great ideas regarding my content, regarding my speeches, how to sophisticate my portfolio, how to move forward, how to gain momentum, you know?

[00:28:04] And because, you know, it can be your thinking partner, your thinking partner. And I also recommend everyone Cloud 3. Cloud 3. I also recommend Perplexity. Perplexity is remarkable, remarkable. I think I also recommend Mixer.io. Do you? Are you aware of this startup? Oh, no.

[00:28:29] Mixer.io. I'm furiously typing this in. I'm going to be making a note of that. You've taught me two things today. Perplexity and Mixer.io. I'll be checking both of those out. Mixer.io, it is a website builder, Neil, that builds websites in minutes without coding. Wow.

[00:28:47] And so Mixer.io has already built 2.6 million websites worldwide, just imagine, you know? Wow. So is that going to go after the market of, I don't know, Wix and Squarespace and WordPress? Is it disrupting that market?

[00:29:02] Exactly. Because so many, so many startups are being created nowadays, Neil, and we should expect so many disruptions started in the future. Many brands will lose market share. Chet GPT is a most revolutionary technology. It can help you create great content.

[00:29:23] If writing was not your advantage, nowadays writing is your advantage to tell your story. You can create great content. You can, because I was, my content was human 100% from 2014 to 2022 because I built my personal brand without all these content generation tools and Chet GPT

[00:29:43] and I mean, Cloud 3 and Perplexity and Mixer.io. And I invested all my money and resources and time and everything into my website and social media hardware and content creation, Neil, you know, because I was

[00:29:58] working 16 hours a day, you know, which was very daunting and very demanding and very taxing and arduous, you know. But, but, you know, we need to see the tunnel. We need to see the light at the end of the tunnel, you know, because, you know,

[00:30:13] nothing great comes easy. You need to, you need to be optimistic. You need to improve your, your personal brands based on the feedback of your audiences. You know, you need to be the listening business because I believe, Neil, that the most successful entrepreneurs, influencers, businesses are

[00:30:31] either listening business. They are listening to their consumers. Because before I speak at global conferences, I listen to my audience on social media, across various social media channels. And I learn everything through, through what comments my followers leave on my posts, you know?

[00:30:50] Love it. Well, for anybody listening that wants to dig a little bit deeper on this, maybe they want to connect with you and build that connection with you. Check out your website, which you did put your last dollar in all those years ago.

[00:31:02] Where would you like to point everyone listening so they can connect with you and follow you? Neil, you know, I think, thank you for, thanks for the great question. They can check out my website at vladimirbozada.com where they can check out

[00:31:15] my like recommendations, my services, my background, my story. They can download my speaker brochure, my bio, my, they can invite me on their podcast, you know? I am open to new connections that they can connect with me on LinkedIn.

[00:31:33] They can also follow me on ex formerly Twitter at Vlado Bozozadze and I'm also available on Instagram as Vladimir Bozozadze. So I gained more than a hundred thousand followers across all my social media channels organically without spending any dollars on advertising.

[00:31:49] So I recommend everyone to be authentic, to track their progress from mass to mass, to create great content and to show more curiosity and to become a lifelong learner, you know? Well, love chatting with you today.

[00:32:02] We covered a lot in our short conversation from gaining insights in how AI and automation can enhance your personal branding efforts. But we've talked a lot about technology, but it's also about building authentic connections that lies at the heart of everything that you talk about today.

[00:32:19] And that's one of the reasons I invited you on. And also, we also talked about embracing innovation and creativity and uncovering the importance of innovation and creativity and personal branding. But just thank you for bringing it all to life in a passionate and authentic way. You really know.

[00:32:34] So thank you from my side because I love my friend in the UK. You know, we are cut from the same clothes. We speak the same language. We are on the same wavelength.

[00:32:43] How much grateful I am that I was allowed to experience the UK in my early 20s. In my early 20s, I made lifelong friends, longstanding business partnerships with so many associations. I was interviewed by Gordon Glennister, if you know him. Yes.

[00:33:06] Yeah, I was interviewed by Gordon Glennister on his podcast in 2023. In June, he featured me in his two books, influencer marketing books. I'm very honored that I met some of the most amazing people in the UK. And I'm authentic that all my results speak for themselves.

[00:33:26] And you guys also inspired me to hit the ground running, you know. You are too kind, my friend. Well, we will stay in touch. I'll connect with you on LinkedIn. We will stay in touch. Be great to get you back on next year.

[00:33:37] See how your story is unfolding. But yeah. Yeah. So if I can, if I can help anyone, they can reach out to me on LinkedIn. If I can. I mean, I can open so many doors for them if I because I believe that one good

[00:33:52] turns to another and I believe in giving back. I believe in giving back. And I want to help as many people as possible in the UK worldwide because I write my legacy every single day, you know. That's a beautiful moment to end on.

[00:34:07] Thanks again for joining me today. Thank you, Leon. A big thank you to today's guest for joining me on the podcast. A pioneer in the digital marketing and AI space right now. But I think behind all the technology, what really brought his story to life

[00:34:22] today is his journey of building a personal brand to his insights on leveraging AI for business success. I think what I'm left with after our conversation is, is the transformative power of authenticity, passion and long-term thinking.

[00:34:38] So my question to you is how will, how are you planning to apply these lessons to your own personal or business brand? Love to hear your thoughts and experiences on this. Join the conversation. Tell me your story by emailing me tech blog writer at outlook.com, LinkedIn,

[00:34:54] Twitter, Instagram, just at Neil C. Hughes. Don't just hit follow. Send me a quick DM. I'd love to hear from you. And remember, keep pushing the boundaries of what's possible with technology. And I will return again tomorrow with another guest, another story about how

[00:35:09] technology is transforming our lives, our work and even world. But thank you for listening today. And until next time, don't be a stranger.