AboutSpeakingMediaNewsletter

¡

The Newsletter

¡Ay Ay Ay, AI! The Weekly Newsletter by Monica Marquez

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

One email a week. Unsubscribe anytime.

Recent Issues

June 28, 2026

The Leader Is the Strategy

New KPMG data: when the CEO personally owns AI strategy, meaningful results jump from 21% to 57%. This week's edition is for leaders and those becoming one.

June 14, 2026

The Anthropic Fable 5 and Mythos Shutdown Is Not the Story. This Is.

Anthropic shut down Fable 5 and Mythos Friday night. Everyone is asking if they should be scared. Here is what I told them, and why Thursday matters most.

June 7, 2026

Nobody Learns to Swim From the Side of the Pool

Our first cohort graduated. One founder called it game-changing. One executive finally knew silence. The sprint that changes how you work starts June 18.

May 31, 2026

You're Not as AI-Ready as You Think

Most professionals are scratching the surface with AI, not integrating it. See the data, bust the myths, and join Monica's free masterclass to close the gap.

May 17, 2026

Your Prompt Is Not the Problem

Most professionals are stuck on the first rung of a seven-rung AI ladder. Here is the full harness hierarchy and what to set up first.

May 3, 2026

What a Cook in a Tiny NYC Kitchen Taught Me About AI

AI agents now run workflows while you sleep. OpenAI is building a phone where agents replace apps. The era of being an AI "user" is over. Learn how to break through the Identity Bottleneck and become an orchestrator. Tools, prompts, and micro actions included.

April 26, 2026

Your Favorite AI Is Not Your Best AI. Here's What Changed This Week.

GPT 5.5 just dropped. No single AI wins at everything. Claude leads writing. ChatGPT leads images, search, and spreadsheets. Gemini leads multilingual work. Stop picking favorites and build your stack. Match the right tool to the right task. Prompts to steal and micro actions to get you started.

April 19, 2026

The 74/20 Rule: Why Most People Are Using AI Wrong

PwC's 2026 study confirms 74% of AI's economic value goes to just 20% of companies. Stanford reports AI adoption is outpacing the PC and the internet. The difference is not having AI. It is building a system around it.

April 12, 2026

Sharp, Not Dependent: How to Use AI Without Your Brain Going Soft

Gartner predicts 50% of companies will require AI-free skills evaluations by 2026. Learn how to use AI to move faster without letting your critical thinking, judgment, and core skills go soft. Practical tools, research, and micro actions to stay sharp in the AI age.

March 29, 2026

Most People Haven't Actually Tried AI Yet - They've Tried the Free Version

Stop judging AI by weak models. Use Monica's Claude setup to turn the tool into a real collaborator with better context, thinking, and output.

March 15, 2026

The Freelance Agentics: How to Operate Like a Team of 10 With AI Agents

AI agents are going mainstream for individuals. Learn how to build your personal agent stack and operate with the leverage of a full team, starting this week.

March 8, 2026

The Algorithms We Feed: Why Latinas Can’t Afford to Stay “Calladita” in the AI Age

Happy International Women’s Day! Those of you who have followed my journey for a while know the phrase that echoed through my childhood in West Texas…

February 22, 2026

Before You Tell Your Student to Change Their Major, Read This

Entry-level jobs aren't gone; they're changing. Here's what students and parents need to know about AI fluency, college majors, and the new career advantage.

February 15, 2026

The Execution Trap: Is Your "Grind" Blocking Your Growth?

Stop grinding on $10 tasks and start architecting your $10,000 impact. Discover how to use AI as a strategic partner to reclaim your time and leadership value.

February 1, 2026

The Career Ladder is Gone. Here’s How We Build the Elevator.

AI is removing entry-level roles. Here is how Latino professionals can leverage cultural strengths to lead in the AI era.

January 18, 2026

MLK Day + AI: Judge by Character, Not Color...Even Your AI

This MLK Day, learn why algorithmic accountability is the new civil rights frontier and how leaders can ensure AI advances equity instead of bias.

January 11, 2026

Bridging the Next Great Divide at Work: Welcome to FlipWork

Discover FlipWork, our new transformation partner for the AI era. Learn how People², agentic-human reinvention, and smarter workflows are reshaping the future of work.

December 21, 2025

The Unspoken Bottleneck: Why Your Fingers Are Holding Back Your AI Productivity

AI won’t transform your workforce unless middle managers unfreeze. Here's how to unlock real reinvention both culturally and operationally.

December 14, 2025

Beyond the First Prompt: Unlocking the Next Wave of AI at Work

AI won’t transform your workforce unless middle managers unfreeze. Here's how to unlock real reinvention both culturally and operationally.

November 23, 2025

The Real AI Bottleneck? Middle Management

AI won’t transform your workforce unless middle managers unfreeze. Here's how to unlock real reinvention both culturally and operationally.

November 9, 2025

AI as a Tool, Not a Crutch

How to stay fast with AI while keeping your skills and judgment sharp. A simple plan for balance, manual reps, and clear guardrails you can apply to stay relevant.

October 19, 2025

Not Replaced...Relied On: How AI Depends on People

AI won’t replace people...it learns from them. Decode human-in-the-loop and governance, bust three myths, and get tools and checklists to adopt autonomous AI safely.

October 12, 2025

From “Prompt or Perish” to “Agents at Your Service”

Knowing to prompting isn't enough. Here’s how to stand out: turn prompts into agentic workflows and micro-agents with human checkpoints.

September 28, 2025

Sink or Swim with AI: Learn to Float First

Before you scale AI, teach teams to float: safe experiments, manager modeling, and clear workflows that build trust and adoption.

September 14, 2025

Teach the Tool, Prepare the Talent

Teach the tool and prepare the talent. A simple Artificial Intern Integrity Check, myth-busting tips, and ready-to-use prompts to keep the work human and raise the bar.

September 7, 2025

Licenses Don’t Adopt Themselves: Stop Buying AI, Start Changing Work

Turn AI spend into real impact. Redesign workflows, hit the 11×11 habit threshold, and add simple NIST-aligned guardrails leaders can measure.

August 24, 2025

Empathy Is a Feature, Not a Feeling: Not Human, But Human-Centered

AI may sound empathetic, but empathy is a feature, not a feeling. In this week’s Ay, Ay, Ay, AI, discover how leaders can stay human-centered, avoid being misled by “humanlike” AI, and build the clarity and safeguards that keep AI a powerful partner instead of a confusing illusion.

August 17, 2025

AI Won’t Work If Your People Don’t

Billions spent on AI, yet adoption lags. Monica Márquez explores why trust is the missing link and how leaders can create a culture for reinvention.

August 3, 2025

Is It Still Hard Work If AI Helped You?

Many of us were taught to work twice as hard to prove our worth. But in the AI era, ease can feel suspicious. This edition of Ay, Ay, Ay, AI explores how cultural beliefs around effort may be holding us back and how to lead with trust, not just toil.

July 27, 2025

Teamwork 2.0: How AI Became My First Team Player

What happens when you stop trying to prove your value by doing it all? In this edition of Ay, Ay, Ay, AI, Monica Marquez shares how AI became her most reliable teammate and how people-first leaders can shift their mindset, lighten the lift, and lead with clarity.

July 20, 2025

What You Don’t Know IS Hurting You

Many leaders know they should be using AI but don’t know where to start. This edition of Ay, Ay, Ay, AI offers real-world insight, beginner-friendly tools, and prompt frameworks to help you move from awareness to daily action. No perfection required.

July 13, 2025

It’s Not Just You. The Smartest People I Know Are Asking This...

Many leaders know they should be using AI but don’t know where to start. This edition of Ay, Ay, Ay, AI offers real-world insight, beginner-friendly tools, and prompt frameworks to help you move from awareness to daily action. No perfection required.

July 6, 2025

Everyday Magic: Integrating AI into Your Workflow

Discover why using AI consistently, not perfectly, is the key to leading in the age of transformation. Learn how to integrate AI tools into your daily leadership workflow for faster results and deeper impact.

May 25, 2025

Skills Over Titles: The New Talent Strategy

From Title to Talent During a recent visit with my 94-year-old abuelita, we were sitting at her kitchen table, sipping cafecito and talking through…

May 18, 2025

Feedback Is a Gift, Even When It Feels Like a Lump of Coal

A personal story about learning to receive hard feedback, why emotional intelligence is a leadership power skill, and how AI tools like Yoodli and Cultivate can help you give and receive truth with clarity and confidence.

May 11, 2025

You’re Not Failing. You’re Just Focused on the Wrong Work

Feeling stretched thin or stuck in work that drains you? You're not failing. You're just focused on the wrong tasks. In this edition of ¡Ay, Ay, Ay, AI!, discover how AI can help you delegate low-impact work, reclaim your energy, and lead from your Genius Zone.

May 4, 2025

Lost in Translation: When Lazy Prompts Undercut Smart People

A real-world translation fail and a powerful lesson in leadership. This edition explores how native fluency isn’t enough and how smart leaders add cultural and strategic context to every AI output. Featuring AI-powered tools, pro tips, and wisdom.

April 27, 2025

The Silent Struggle of Top Performers (And How AI Can Finally Break It)

Discover how AI-powered feedback tools are helping leaders move beyond praise to fuel real career growth. Learn strategies and prompts you can use today.

April 13, 2025

From Firefighter to Futurist: Why Prompting Is the Power Skill of the AI Age

Discover how AI prompting helps professionals shift from reactive chaos to strategic leadership, plus 3 tools to power workforce transformation.

April 6, 2025

Working Twice as Hard Means Twice as Tired: Using AI to Reclaim Your Energy

Feeling caught off guard in high-stakes moments? Learn how AI helps professionals think strategically, frame ideas, and lead with clarity under pressure.

March 30, 2025

Outthink the Room: How AI Helps You Think Under Pressure

Feeling caught off guard in high-stakes moments? Learn how AI helps professionals think strategically, frame ideas, and lead with clarity under pressure.

March 23, 2025

“You Need More Gravitas” - Ok, But What Does That Mean?

Executive presence isn’t born - it’s built. Learn how AI tools can help you develop gravitas, communication skills, and style that commands the room.

March 16, 2025

You Don’t Need an AI Certification…Here’s What You Actually Need

AI is changing the workplace, but you don’t need a certification to benefit. Learn how to apply AI today and stay ahead in your career.

March 9, 2025

AI and Workplace Wellness: How Technology is Changing How We Work & Thrive

Learn how AI can help reduce burnout, streamline tasks, and improve work-life balance so you can focus on what truly matters.

March 2, 2025

The Rise of the AI Co-Worker… Why It’s Time to Rethink Teamwork

Last week, I caught myself doing something I hadn't done in a while. I found myself wishing I was back in the corporate world with a team to delegate…

February 23, 2025

The AI Adoption Gap...Don’t Let Fear Hold You Back

Avoiding AI isn’t playing it safe; it’s playing yourself. This week, we’re busting the myth that AI is "cheating" and showing how resisting it can limit career growth and opportunities. Learn how to integrate AI, use the right tools, and flip the script on AI adoption.

February 16, 2025

From Transactional to Transformational: How AI Can Help You Network with Purpose

Learn how AI can help you build authentic relationships, enhance networking strategies, and show up with confidence in professional spaces.

February 9, 2025

Why Your Personal Brand Matters Even More In The Age Of AI

There’s a saying in our culture: “El que no habla, Dios no lo oye.” If you don’t speak up, you won’t be heard. Yet many of us, especially Latinas…

February 2, 2025

The AI Shift: Sink or Soar?

It’s late, and instead of resting like a sensible person, I’m chasing AI updates like abuelita chasing you with a chancla when you don’t listen. Every…

Written By

Monica Marquez

Entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and co-founder of FlipWork. Twenty five years building leadership systems inside Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, EY, and Google, now building them one leader at a time.

Read Monica's Full Story
AboutSpeakingMediaFlipWork

© 2026 Monica Marquez. All rights reserved.