Stop Drowning in AI Hype: Here's Your Actual Path Forward

You're exhausted.

Your inbox is overflowing. Your board wants results yesterday. Your team is stretched thin. Your budget is tighter than ever. And now everyone's talking about AI like it's the magic solution to everything—except nobody's showing you how to actually use it in the messy reality of economic development work.

You've probably tried ChatGPT. Maybe you got some decent results. Maybe you got garbage. Either way, you're left wondering: Is this really going to move the needle for my organization? Or is this just another shiny object that will waste my time?

Here's what I know after leading economic development organizations and now training over 400 EDO professionals in AI implementation:

AI can absolutely transform your work. But not the way most people are teaching it.

The Problem With Most AI Training

Most AI education falls into one of three categories:

1. Tech-heavy tutorials that assume you want to become a programmer
2. Inspirational overviews that get you excited but leave you with zero practical skills
3. Generic automation courses that ignore the unique complexity of EDO work—multi-stakeholder alignment, public accountability, mission-driven impact

None of these help you when you're staring at an RFI that's due tomorrow, or trying to convince your board that you need more resources, or figuring out how to do more with less (again).

What If You Could Walk Away With 128 Ways AI Can Help YOU—Specifically?

Not generic advice. Not hypothetical use cases. Not "10 prompts every professional should know."

128 hyper-specific applications tailored to your exact role, your industry, and your organization size.

That's what you'll get in the AI Performance Formula Workshop I've hosted hundreds of times. And the best part? The entire workshop replay is embedded right here on this page. You can watch it right now.

Here's What You'll Walk Away With

In just 60 minutes, you'll generate two personalized matrices using AI:

1. Your Performance Matrix

Based on your actual job description, you'll discover 64+ specific ways AI can elevate your performance in your current role. We're talking about:

• Drafting policy briefs that impress your board
• Responding to RFIs in a fraction of the time
• Creating compelling stakeholder reports
• Analyzing economic data for strategic planning
• And dozens more applications specific to YOUR work

2. Your KPI Matrix

Based on your actual key performance indicators, you'll identify 64+ ways AI can help you hit (and exceed) your metrics. Whether you're focused on:

• Business retention and expansion
• Workforce development
• Economic impact measurement
• Grant writing and funding acquisition
• Community engagement

...you'll leave with concrete, actionable strategies.

What you do with those 128 applications is up to you. But the possibilities are infinite.

"But I Don't Have Time for This"

I hear you. No one has time. That's exactly why this approach works.

Here's what makes this different: You're not taking time away from work to learn. You're getting work done WHILE you learn.

In every session of the full certification program, you walk away with three things:

1. Increased AI fluency (you're getting smarter about what AI can do)
2. Increased expertise in your industry (you're learning best practices from AI and peers)
3. A specific work deliverable from your actual job (you're checking things off your to-do list)

This isn't education OR work. It's education AND work. At the same time. That's efficiency at scale.

"This Sounds Too Technical for Me"

Let me be crystal clear: If you can send an email, open a PDF, and copy/paste text, you can do this.

This workshop doesn't use tech jargon. There's no coding. No complex software. Just practical, plain-English guidance that real humans can actually use.

I've trained economic development professionals from small rural communities to major metro regions. People who describe themselves as "not tech-savvy" consistently tell me this is the most accessible AI training they've experienced.

"I've Been Burned by AI Hype Before"

We all have. That's table stakes in 2025.

Here's how we're different: If you're not satisfied in the first 30 days, I'll refund your money. Period.

I'm not interested in adding to the noise. I'm interested in delivering measurable results. That's why the full certification program includes built-in ROI tracking, so you can prove the value—to yourself, to your team, to your board.

"My Board Won't See the Value"

Then don't ask them. Yet.

Pay for the program yourself. Complete the first 30 days. Generate your ROI metrics. Then show your board what you've accomplished and ask for reimbursement.

I've seen this work dozens of times. When you walk in with data showing you've saved 20+ hours in a month, created deliverables that used to take weeks, and identified new revenue opportunities... boards pay attention.

"Can't I Just Figure This Out with ChatGPT on My Own?"

Honest answer? No.

I've paid to attend our competitors' programs. I've studied what's out there. And while what we teach is simple, it's not obvious.

The way we approach AI education is fundamentally different. We're not teaching you to write better prompts. We're teaching you to architect AI workflows that deliver measurable ROI in under 30 days.

You could spend years trying to figure this out on your own. Or you could invest 60 minutes right now to watch this workshop and discover whether this approach resonates with you.

Watch the Workshop Now

The full workshop replay is embedded below. No registration gate. No credit card required to watch. Just press play.

You'll learn:

✅ Path 1: How employees use AI to stand out and secure raises or promotions
✅ Path 2: The specific AI services and products solopreneurs can build that clients are actively seeking
✅ Path 3: The exact steps to drive AI adoption in your organization and achieve 10X ROI

We'll walk through real-life examples, a live demo, and the practical steps to generate your two personalized matrices.

What Happens After You Watch?

If this resonates with you, here's what I want you to do:

Option 1: Get Your Personalized Matrices

1. Run the workflows shown in the workshop to generate your Performance Matrix and KPI Matrix
2. Email me your matrices at katie@katiemiltonjordan.com
3. I'll send you certification info and details on next steps

Option 2: Let's Talk Strategy Book a call with me to discuss how AI can transform your organization and whether the AIWE Certification is right for you.

About the Full Certification Program

The AI Workflow Expert (AIWE) Certification for Economic Developers is a 9-week transformative program that takes you from AI consumer to AI architect.

Format: Live group coaching + self-directed application
Enrollment: Rolling admission available

What's Included:

• 9 live group coaching sessions where you work on YOUR real organizational challenges
• AI MBA Software Platform with 3,276 pre-built workflows (1-year team access, $999 value)
• ROI Metrics Dashboard for measuring and reporting productivity gains
• Dual certification: AI Workflow Practitioner (AIWP) + AI Workflow Expert for Economic Developers (AIWE)
• Transformation Journal with quantitative/qualitative progress tracking
• Replay & Resource Library (12-month access)
• Unlimited team access to the AI MBA platform for one year

The 9-Belt Progression:

• Grey Belt: Map your role with AI for clarity and focus
• White Belt: Understand what AI can do in your organizational context
• Yellow Belt: Set goals and action plans with AI support
• Orange Belt: Master new knowledge on demand
• Green Belt: Partner with AI for critical thinking and decision-making
• Blue Belt: Shift from role ownership to process ownership (systems thinking)
• Purple Belt: Create AI workflows to replace redundant tasks
• Brown Belt: Build multi-role, cross-functional processes
• Black Belt: Tool and deliverable hacking for efficiency and innovation

This Isn't Theory. This Is Execution.

I'm not teaching from a textbook. I'm teaching from the field.

As the former Deputy Director and Executive Director of Kerr Economic Development Corporation, I led initiatives that earned three IEDC Gold Awards and co-led a $40M manufacturing recruitment that generated 220 jobs and $58M in economic impact.

Since founding SimpleEDO.ai, I've trained over 400 economic development professionals and delivered measurable ROI through custom AI tools deployed in real EDO environments.

I've been where you are. I've felt the pressure, the resource constraints, the urgency to deliver results with limited support.

That's why I built this program: to give you the capability to architect AI solutions yourself, not just to inspire you with what's possible.

What EDO Leaders Are Saying

"In under 60 minutes, Katie took us from AI theory to practical application with clarity and momentum. I highly recommend it for all EDO leaders ready to move from concept to action."
— Meghan, Executive Director, Michigan Economic Developers Association

"I must admit I was very skeptical about this new technology, but I am now a believer that AI can have a profound impact on the Economic Development community! The results were spot on, in great detail, and very timely. Very impressive."
— Pat Jamison, CEcD

"Katie's workshop was the best I've attended at MEDA—practical, clear, and immediately applicable. She helped me see how AI can drive real outcomes, from creating AI policies for cities and schools to supporting chambers and small business development."
— Ian Colin McCain, MCD

The Window for Early Adoption Is Closing

AI adoption in economic development isn't coming. It's here. The organizations that master it now will have an insurmountable advantage in attracting businesses, serving communities, and demonstrating impact to stakeholders.

Every day you wait is another day your competitors are figuring this out.

Your Next Step Is Simple

Watch the workshop (embedded above), then choose your path:

✅ Email me your completed matrices at katie@katiemiltonjordan.com for certification info
✅ Book a strategy call at calendly.com/katie-milton-jordan to discuss your organization's AI roadmap

No pressure. No hard sell. Just a straightforward path to becoming an AI-fluent economic development leader who can architect solutions, demonstrate ROI, and lead their organization into the future.

The question isn't whether AI will transform economic development. The question is whether you'll lead that transformation—or watch it happen around you.

Let's get to work.

Ready to explore the AIWE Certification?
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Questions?
Email: katie@katiemiltonjordan.com
LinkedIn: Katie Milton Jordan, MBA