There is a quiet crisis happening in business right now—and it has nothing to do with talent.
Some of the smartest, most capable experts I know are invisible.
They have deep experience.
They have proven frameworks.
They have insights that could change how organizations operate, grow, and lead.
And yet, they struggle to be seen.
Not because they aren’t good—but because the way we communicate, share ideas, and build authority has fundamentally changed. In a world overflowing with content, visibility is no longer about volume. It’s about clarity, strategy, and amplification.
That is where Deirdre Tshien’s journey sits squarely at the center of one of the most important conversations business leaders need to be having right now.
The Rise of Podcasting as Executive Influence
Podcasting has quietly become one of the most powerful media channels of our time. It’s trusted. It’s intimate. And increasingly, it’s where real conversations happen.
I recently experienced this firsthand when I was granted media credentials to a major AI conference—not because of a traditional publication, but because of podcasting. That moment crystallized something important:
Podcasts are no longer fringe media. They are mainstream influence engines.
And yet, most business leaders who podcast—or appear as guests—are leaving enormous value on the table. They record thoughtful conversations, hit publish, and then… move on.
The insight disappears into the feed.
Deirdre saw this problem early—not as a marketing challenge, but as a visibility challenge.
A Founder Solving Her Own Problem
Like many meaningful innovations, Capsho didn’t begin with a market gap analysis. It began with frustration.
Back in 2019 and 2020, Deirdre was running a coaching business and hosting her first podcast. At the time, the dominant advice was everywhere:
“Be on every platform.”
“Repurpose everything.”
“Dominate content.”
So she did what many entrepreneurs did. She hired help. She built a system. She tried to be everywhere at once.
And it nearly broke her team.
Four people—herself, her co-founder, and three virtual assistants—were trying to manually turn podcast episodes into content for every possible platform. The result wasn’t scalable. It was burnout.
Deirdre knew there had to be a better way.
With a background in banking and early exposure to emerging technologies like AI and blockchain, she recognized something critical: this was a perfect use case for AI—if done intentionally.
Not generic AI.
Not “push a button, get content.”
But AI is designed to amplify human expertise.
Capsho was born from that insight.
Visibility, Not Content, Is the Real Problem
One of the most important reframes Deirdre brings to the conversation is this:
The problem isn’t a lack of content.
The problem is a lack of visibility.
Most entrepreneurs and executives already create valuable content through podcasts, interviews, webinars, training sessions, and talks. The issue is that this content doesn’t travel far enough, long enough, or strategically enough to build momentum.
Capsho wasn’t built to create noise. It was built to amplify the signal.
That distinction matters.
Why “Repurposing” Became a Dirty Word
Here’s where Deirdre challenges conventional wisdom.
Repurposing content, as it’s commonly practiced today, doesn’t work.
In fact, it often does more harm than good.
When generative AI exploded in early 2023, the internet was flooded with what Deirdre aptly calls “content vomit.” Long, generic posts. Over-polished captions. Clearly artificial language. Zero soul.
Audiences noticed.
Humans are remarkably good at detecting inauthenticity. And when content feels automated, disconnected, or purely efficiency-driven, trust erodes instantly.
The problem isn’t AI itself.
The problem is AI without strategy or humanity.
The Two-Platform Rule Executives Need to Hear
One of the most actionable insights Deirdre shares—and one I wish more leaders would follow—is this:
Be on no more than two platforms.
Not five.
Not ten.
Two.
Why?
Because real results require understanding how a platform works, what the audience expects, and how to convert attention into relationships, leads, or influence. That kind of mastery requires focus.
Spreading yourself everywhere doesn’t scale impact—it dilutes it.
This principle is woven directly into how Capsho works. The platform isn’t just generating copy; it’s embedding marketing strategy—developed in collaboration with experts across social media, blogging, and video—into the outputs.
And just as importantly, it recognizes what AI cannot do.
Where AI Must Stop—and Humans Must Step In
There are moments in content creation that can never be automated.
Community posts.
Personal stories.
Moments of vulnerability.
Lessons drawn from lived experience.
AI cannot write those—because it cannot live them.
Capsho deliberately leaves space for the human to show up. It prompts reflection. It guides structure. But it does not replace the storyteller.
That’s not a limitation—it’s a design choice.
Because connection is still human-to-human.
The Sloth, the Philosophy, and “Intentionally Lazy”
There’s a small but telling detail about Deirdre that perfectly captures her philosophy.
Sitting in her workspace is a sloth named Freckle—a brand mascot with meaning.
Freckle represents Capsho’s deeper ethos: being intentionally lazy.
Not lazy in the sense of disengaged or unambitious—but lazy in the sense of working smarter, not harder. Choosing leverage over grind. Designing systems that protect creativity instead of exhausting it.
In my own work, I’ve seen this pattern repeatedly. The so-called “lazy” employees—the ones who leave on time, skip busywork, and question inefficient processes—are often the highest performers.
They aren’t lazy.
They’re optimized.
Deirdre has simply made that philosophy explicit.
Entrepreneurship Isn’t Glamorous—It’s Gritty
Before Capsho, Deirdre founded and ran multiple businesses across industries. One of the most formative—and painful—was her first: a dessert bar in Sydney.
What started as an exciting venture grew to five locations. On the surface, it looked like success. But beneath that growth was a slow, devastating betrayal.
A trusted store manager was stealing systematically and over time. By the time it was uncovered, the losses were in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The emotional toll was immense. Trust shattered. Confidence shaken.
And yet—here’s what matters for leaders listening to this story—the business survived.
Not because of denial.
Not because of luck.
But because Deirdre and her husband doubled down on problem-solving.
They innovated products.
They improved efficiency.
They adapted under pressure—without knowing the real cause of the hemorrhage.
It was brutal. And it was formative.
What Betrayal Teaches You About Building Teams
Experiences like that can harden leaders—or clarify them.
For Deirdre, the lesson wasn’t to distrust everyone. It was to design businesses that don’t require unnecessary complexity or excessive headcount.
Lean teams.
Clear ownership.
High trust earned through capability.
Rather than adding layers of oversight—which kill morale and margins—she focused on building environments where the right people can thrive without being micromanaged.
That philosophy shows up clearly in how Capsho operates today.
Why Lean Is the New Scalable
One of the most overlooked insights in Deirdre’s journey is this:
Scalability doesn’t come from more people.
It comes from better systems.
By intentionally designing for small, high-performing teams, Capsho stays agile in an environment where technology, platforms, and algorithms shift constantly.
This matters more now than ever.
With AI advancing at breakneck speed, five-year plans are fantasies. Even one-year plans feel speculative. What does endure is a commitment to serving customers well, staying curious, and building businesses that adapt quickly.
Deirdre is refreshingly honest about this. When asked about long-term plans, she doesn’t pretend certainty.
She focuses on enjoyment, impact, and usefulness.
And that may be the most strategic posture of all.
What Business Leaders Can Take Away
Deirdre’s journey offers several powerful lessons for executives:
- Visibility is a strategic asset—not a vanity metric
- Podcasting is no longer optional media—it’s executive influence
- AI amplifies strategy; it cannot replace it
- Authenticity is non-negotiable
- Focus beats ubiquity every time
- Lean teams outperform bloated ones
- Working “intentionally lazy” is a competitive advantage
Most importantly:
Your message deserves to be heard—but only if you amplify it with intention.
The Executive Bottom Line
We are entering an era where obscurity—not incompetence—is the biggest threat to experts and leaders.
The tools exist.
The platforms exist.
The audiences exist.
What’s required now is discernment.
AI, when used well, doesn’t replace your voice—it carries it further. And leaders who learn to use it strategically will shape the conversations that matter most.
The future doesn’t belong to those who shout the loudest.
It belongs to those who amplify wisely.
Listen to the full episode on C-Suite Radio: Disrupt & Innovate | C-Suite Network
Watch the episode: DI 134 Amplifying Your Message with AI and Smart Content Repurposing with Deirdre Tshien.
This article was drafted with the assistance of an AI writing assistant (Abacus.AI’s ChatLLM Teams) and edited by Lisa L. Levy for accuracy, tone, and final content.
