AI-Powered Career Edge

Cristino Santiago went from pre-med to trucking to cybersecurity to Lean Portfolio Management. He shares how he learns anything new, the AI tool he built to do his timesheet, and why you don’t need to code to start with AI. What if your next career move meant a step back first? In this episode of AI-Powered Career Edge, Yousuf talks with Cristino “Chris” Santiago, a Lean Portfolio Manager with one of the most varied career paths we’ve covered. Chris started pre-med, then became an over-the-road truck driver who drove to every state in the lower 48. After that came tech support, student support programs, and a run of low-paid internships in AI, crypto, and cybersecurity. Those internships led to a full-time job as a cybersecurity software engineer, and later a move into product and program management. In this conversation: Why Cris took $8-10/hour internships when he was earning more as a trucker His four-step learning process: learn it, do it, write about it, teach it A real AI project: an MCP that logs his FreshBooks timesheet for him What an MCP is, in plain language Why the next challenge for AI is value realization, not just AI training Why domain experts are well placed to succeed with AI His advice: invest in yourself, start now, and be okay with failing Key quote “You already have all the knowledge that you need. You just need to know how AI can help you solve problems now.” About the guest Cristino “Cris” Santiago is a Lean Portfolio Manager working in transportation consulting. His background spans DOD contracting, cybersecurity software engineering, and teaching Python at a UCF boot camp. Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:21 Chris’s career arc 05:08 Why he took internships to learn 09:08 How Chris learns 11:31 Screen share: AI projects 15:50 What is an MCP? 20:25 What’s next: AI value realization 22:48 Advice for getting started with AI 25:22 Domain experts and AI Next step Not sure how AI fits into your career? Take the free AI Career Gap Analysis: https://aicareergapanalysis.edge-careers.com/ai-career-gap-analysis-page AI, career change, career pivot, MCP, no-code AI, lean portfolio management, cybersecurity, lifelong learning

Marco Perugini has spent almost 20 years in advertising and branding. He now uses AI to move faster, but he's clear about where it doesn't work yet. In this episode, he shares his four-step process, the AI tools he uses, and why human connection is still the part AI can't do. In this episode of AI Powered Career Edge, Yousuf talks with Marco Perugini, a creative director who helps brands and businesses connect with consumers. Marco started in a small ad house in Connecticut. He went on to Zimmerman Advertising, one of the largest agencies in the world, then boutique agencies, then a brand-side role as Creative Director at West Marine. Today he works for himself. What makes Marco's view useful is that he is honest about both sides. He uses AI every week, and he can tell you exactly where it helps and where it doesn't. Marco's career path, from small ad house to global agency to going out on his own His four-step process: discovery, aligned ideation, launch and listen, and optimize How he uses AI at the start of a project to research fast and pressure test ideas How a job that took 4 to 5 hours now takes 1 to 2 How he put together a full pitch in one week, with the creative done in about 3 days Why AI still struggles to find the human connection inside a strategy Why "good is still good", and the standard hasn't changed His advice for marketers: use AI where you already have mastery Key takeaway: AI should support your skills, not replace them. Use it to move faster in the areas you already know well. About the guest: Marco Perugini is a creative director with almost 20 years in advertising and branding. His approach is "from brain power to brand power." Subscribe to AI Powered Career Edge so you don't miss the next conversation.

Market researcher Morgan Darrey shares how she uses AI as a thought partner, why AI can't replace your ideas, and how to move from tasks to strategy. Morgan Darrey works in market research for the food and beverage industry. Before that, she backpacked across Europe, South America, Africa, and Asia, and earned her undergraduate degree in Wales. In this episode, Yousuf Siddiqui talks with Morgan about her path into market research and how she uses AI in her daily work. Morgan explains why she asks AI to challenge her ideas instead of write them, and why so much AI-written content sounds the same. She also shares a simple way to think more strategically: ask why before you start the work. In this episode, you'll learn: How travel shaped Morgan's career path What a "sales story" is in market research Why Morgan asks AI to "tear apart" her ideas What AI is good at, and where it falls short How to use AI like a journal to find themes in your own thinking How to spot AI-written content How to shift from tactical work to strategic thinking Guest: Morgan Darrey, Market Researcher, Food and Beverage Host: Yousuf Siddiqui, AI-Powered Career Edge If this episode helped you, share it with someone who is figuring out how to use AI in their career.

Is AI making human community more important, or making it obsolete? In this episode, Yousuf talks with Pedro Hernandes, a community builder from São Paulo, Brazil, with over 10 years of experience building online communities (Circle, now heading community for Firefly AI). Pedro shares the three foundations every successful community needs — the member journey, onboarding, and rituals — and explains why obsessing over engagement percentages misses the point. He also shares how AI is changing his day-to-day work: not by replacing connection, but by automating the busywork so community builders can spend more time actually connecting with people. Topics covered: Pedro's path from in-person events to online communities The 3 pillars of a thriving community Why "too many rules" isn't always a bad thing The real skill behind great community building (hint: it's not being an extrovert) How AI tools like Firefly free up time for human connection Why community is where people find "the imperfect" in an AI-perfect world What's next: brands like Strava using AI to connect people in real life Guest: Pedro Hernandes

Career pivots rarely look strategic in the moment — they only make sense in hindsight. In this episode, Yousuf sits down with two guests who took opposite paths to career success: Brian, a senior GTM advisor who kept the same craft but moved across industries — from mainframe to cloud to SaaS to AI — and Natosha, a healthcare AI strategist who stayed in one industry but reinvented her role several times over. They get candid about what a pivot actually costs — the stability you give up, the risk you take on, and why career growth doesn't always look like a promotion. Brian talks about stepping down from SVP of a 75-person org into an individual contributor role, and why that "step down" on paper was a step toward the life he actually wanted. Natosha shares why she believes there's no such thing as a "safe" career anymore, and how she learned to treat every pivot as a leap of faith rather than a guaranteed win. They also dig into how to tell a real plateau from a growth-stretch, and close with a sharp debate on AI in the workplace — whether it's actually easing burnout, or just adding another layer of pressure to "do more." If you've ever questioned whether the pillars your career is built on still hold up — especially with AI reshaping the landscape — this conversation will give you a framework to think it through.