Here’s the uncomfortable truth that most entrepreneurs won’t admit: AI is giving us a false sense of growth.
We’re generating five blogs a week. We’re rewriting website copy in minutes. We’re cranking out LinkedIn captions, email responses, and SEO keywords faster than ever before. We feel productive. We feel accomplished. We feel like we’re scaling.
But here’s what we’re not seeing: our competitors are doing the same thing. And in the process, we’re all becoming one in a billion—homogenized, generic, and invisible.
Mona Bavar, cultural innovator, entrepreneur, and founder of BlueApples.ai and Delish, has lived this reality. She’s seen both sides: the power of AI to expand creativity, save time, and unlock new possibilities—and the danger of using it as a shortcut that strips away authenticity, brand voice, and the very thing that makes your business unique.
Through BlueApples.ai, Mona helps entrepreneurs use AI as a tool for expansion, not replacement—empowering them to refine their storytelling, enhance their creativity, and push ideas further without losing their humanity. And through Delish, her luxury gifting company, she’s revolutionizing multi-sensory experiences, turning every exchange into something deeply meaningful and memorable.
But Mona’s journey to this intersection of AI, creativity, and human connection wasn’t linear. It was messy. It was painful. And it required her to be broken—shattered by rejection, self-doubt, and imposter syndrome—before she could rebuild with clarity, confidence, and purpose.
Her thesis is urgent: At the core of everything—whether it’s AI, branding, or business growth—the real magic happens at the intersection of creativity, strategy, and human connection.
For business executives—especially those navigating the overwhelming pace of AI adoption, the pressure to scale, and the fear of being left behind—Mona’s insights offer a roadmap. Not to work faster. But to work smarter, lead with authenticity, and reclaim the voice that makes your business irreplaceable.
Here are the three key takeaways from Mona’s journey that every executive must internalize if you want to harness AI without losing your humanity, scale without sacrificing your story, and build a business that connects deeply in a world drowning in content.
Takeaway 1: AI Can Give You a False Sense of Growth—And It’s Costing You, Customers
Mona’s wake-up call came last year. She’d been using AI to rewrite the copy on Delish’s website—dozens of pages, all rewritten quickly using ChatGPT.
She didn’t even check it. She was moving fast, feeling productive, feeling like she was scaling.
Then the holiday season came. And sales were flat.
The SEO Audit That Changed Everything
Mona hired an external SEO company to audit her website. The results were shocking:
One of the primary reasons Delish was falling behind? The AI-generated copy.
Mona had assumed she was doing the right thing. She’d asked AI for the highest-ranking keywords. She’d optimized every page. She’d followed the “best practices.”
But here’s what she didn’t realize: her competitors were doing the same thing.
Everyone was using the same AI tools. Everyone was targeting the same keywords. Everyone was writing the same generic, optimized, soulless copy.
And in the process, Delish lost what made it unique: Mona’s voice, her story, her why.
The Homogenization Trap
Mona’s insight: “We automatically think that it’s such an easy process to say, ‘Give me the highest ranking keywords,’ forgetting the fact that our competitors are probably doing the same thing.”
This is the homogenization trap. When everyone uses AI the same way—to generate content, optimize for SEO, and scale quickly—we all start to sound the same.
You can spot AI-generated content instantly:
- Certain words (e.g., “delve,” “leverage,” “robust”)
- Certain sentence structures (overly formal, overly polished)
- A lack of personality, quirks, or human imperfection
And when your content sounds like everyone else’s, you become invisible.
The Structure vs. Creativity Balance
Mona references the image behind me in our conversation: the left brain (structure, logic, process) and the right brain (creativity, color, explosion).
Her thesis: “If you lose that structure—which we are all used to as entrepreneurs because we grew up with it—and say, ‘Okay, now we can be creative because we have ChatGPT,’ we run the risk of a false sense of growth.”
AI is not a replacement for strategy. It’s not a replacement for brand voice. It’s not a replacement for the structure that makes your business work.
But it can be a tool to enhance creativity—if you use it intentionally.
The Gray Area: Where Small Businesses Get Stuck
Mona identifies a critical problem: “We’re in this gray area where we think we are so advanced, especially small to mid-sized businesses, because we tend to use AI more.”
Small businesses and solopreneurs are the fastest adopters of AI. Why? Because we’re stretched thin. We don’t have the time, resources, or money to hire full marketing teams, SEO experts, or content creators.
So we turn to AI. And it feels like a miracle. We’re generating blogs, social posts, and emails—five times faster than before.
But here’s the trap: We think we’re moving ahead, but we’re actually hurting ourselves.
Those five blogs you generated this week? They’re not helping you. They’re:
- Diluting your brand voice
- Confusing your audience
- Hurting your SEO (because everyone else is using the same keywords)
- Making you invisible in a sea of generic content
Mona’s mandate: “These blogs are hurting you more than they’re helping you. And that’s where we realized there is this gap—this gray area that we like to call the human touch.”
Why This Matters for Executives
If you’re leading a business—especially a small to mid-sized business—you need to audit how you’re using AI.
Practical executive moves:
- Audit your content. Read your last five blog posts, social posts, or website pages. Do they sound like you? Or do they sound like AI?
- Check your SEO. Are you targeting the same keywords as your competitors? If so, you’re in the homogenization trap.
- Reclaim your voice. What makes your brand unique? What’s your story? Your why? Infuse that into every piece of content.
- Use AI as a tool, not a replacement. AI can generate first drafts, brainstorm ideas, or save time. But you must edit, refine, and inject your humanity.
- Hire experts where it matters. SEO, brand strategy, and storytelling are not areas to DIY with AI. Invest in experts who understand your industry and your voice.
Takeaway 2: You Must Know Your Why—Or AI Will Strip Away What Makes You Irreplaceable
Mona’s most profound insight: “The first thing and the most important thing is to know your story, your why—why you started the business that you started, why you took the direction that you took.”
This is the foundation. Without it, AI becomes a crutch. With it, AI becomes a superpower.
The Journey to Finding Her Why
Mona didn’t always know why. For years, she ran successful businesses—all centered around food, art, and design. She lived in Italy, got her MBA there, and fell in love with the culture of gathering around the table.
But she couldn’t articulate why food. Why gifting. Why the table?
Then, at 50, it clicked.
“We were immigrants. And the table had always become our haven.”
The table was where her family could:
- Gather without judgment
- Be free to express
- Share emotions
- Bridge gaps
- Connect as humans—not as races, colors, genders, or religions
Mona’s why: Human connection. The belief that when we sit around a table and share food, we see how much we have in common—not how different we are.
Once she understood her why, everything changed.
“I was so free to communicate it with confidence. And then I saw the shift in my business.”
The Archetypes Framework
Mona created a guide based on Jungian archetypes—12 universal personas that influence how we lead, create, and execute.
Her framework helps entrepreneurs:
- Tap into different aspects of themselves
- Enhance leadership and entrepreneurial skills
- Use AI to explore archetypes and refine their voice
Mona’s insight: “A lot of us tend to ignore different aspects of ourselves when it comes to executing. And that’s where we need to say, ‘In parallel to everything we’ve learned through experience and education, we can’t forget that one epsilon of a reason why we chose the path we chose.'”
The Delish Story: From Gift Box to Human Connection
Once Mona understood why, she stopped seeing Delish as “just a gift box company.”
She saw it as a vehicle for human connection.
Every gift box tells a story:
- The coffee box: savoring coffee with a friend, journaling, reflecting—rituals learned in Italy
- The food box: bridging cultures, sharing traditions, creating moments of connection
Mona’s reframe: “It doesn’t matter to me if Pfizer comes along and says, ‘We don’t want your gift.’ Fine. It’s not about Mona. It’s about the fact that our visions aren’t aligned.”
This is the power of knowing your why. Rejection is no longer personal. It’s simply a misalignment of vision.
Why This Matters for Executives
If you don’t know your why, AI will strip away what makes you irreplaceable.
Practical executive moves:
- Ask yourself: Why did I start this business? Not the surface answer (“to make money” or “to solve a problem”). The deep answer. What personal experience, value, or belief drives you?
- Explore your archetypes. Use frameworks like Jungian archetypes to understand the different personas within you and how they influence your leadership.
- Infuse your why into your brand. Every piece of content, every product, every customer interaction should reflect your why.
- Use AI to explore, not replace. AI can help you brainstorm, refine, and articulate your story. But it can’t create your story. Only you can.
- Communicate with confidence. Once you know your why, share it boldly. It will attract the right customers and repel the wrong ones—and that’s a good thing.
Takeaway 3: You Have to Be Broken Before You Can Build with Clarity
Mona’s journey wasn’t smooth. It was painful. And it required her to be broken before she could rebuild.
The Moment That Shattered Her
Mona sat down with someone who told her, “You’re never going to make it because you don’t understand business. This is not how business is done.”
That moment shattered her.
“You go into this pitfall, this black hole, where you’re saying, ‘Oh my God, is he right? Am I not going to make it?’ You’re constantly questioning yourself. Limiting beliefs. Imposter syndrome. Self-talk.”
This is the entrepreneur’s night of the soul. The moment when you question everything. When rejection feels personal. When you wonder if you’re delusional for believing in your vision.
The Shift: Rejection Is Not About You
Mona’s breakthrough: “One day I said, ‘The no or the rejection is not about me because I know what I’m doing.'”
This is the shift. Rejection is not a reflection of your worth, your competence, or your vision. It’s simply a misalignment.
When Pfizer says no, it’s not because Delish isn’t valuable. It’s because their vision, budget, or priorities don’t align.
Mona’s reframe: “It is a part of me, but it’s just a part of me.”
Your business is an extension of you—but it’s not all of you. And when you separate the two, rejection loses its power.
The Permission to Have Fun
Mona’s reflection: “I’m 53 years old. In all these years of my life, I never gave myself the right to have fun, to explore.”
She was stuck in a box. She got her MBA. She followed the “right” structure. She did what she was “supposed” to do.
But AI changed that.
“There are no boundaries with AI. So I can have fun with it and get ridiculous with it. And it’s totally okay.”
This is the paradox: AI, when used intentionally, can free you to be more creative, more playful, more human.
But only if you don’t lose the structure. Only if you balance the left brain (logic, strategy, process) with the right brain (creativity, color, explosion).
The Immigrant Story: Connection Over Division
Mona’s why is rooted in her immigrant experience. The table was her family’s haven—a place where they could connect, share, and be human.
Her mandate for business: “It’s more important for us to find out how much we have in common in this day and age than continuously focusing on how we’re different.”
This is the heart of human connection. And it’s the antidote to the homogenization trap.
When you lead with your story—your unique, messy, human story—you create connection. You attract people who resonate with your why. You build a business that matters.
Why This Matters for Executives
You will be broken. You will face rejection. You will question yourself.
But that’s where the clarity comes from.
Practical executive moves:
- Normalize the night of the soul. Every entrepreneur faces it. It’s not a sign of failure. It’s a sign you’re doing something that matters.
- Separate rejection from identity. A “no” is not about you. It’s about alignment. Move on.
- Give yourself permission to have fun. Explore. Experiment. Get ridiculous. That’s where innovation lives.
- Balance structure and creativity. Don’t abandon the left brain for the right brain. You need both.
- Lead with your story. Your unique, human story is your competitive advantage. Share it boldly.
The Bigger Picture: AI, Archetypes, and the Human Touch
Mona’s work sits at the intersection of three powerful forces:
- AI: The tool that can expand creativity, save time, and unlock new possibilities—if used intentionally.
- Archetypes: The universal personas that help us understand ourselves, our leadership, and our voice.
- Human connection: The belief that at the core of everything, we’re more alike than different—and that connection is what makes business meaningful.
The BlueApples.ai Approach
BlueApples.ai is not just an AI consultancy. It’s a human-centered AI consultancy.
Mona and her team help entrepreneurs:
- Understand their why
- Reclaim their brand voice
- Use AI as a tool for expansion, not replacement
- Create content that connects, not homogenizes
The process is step-by-step, like baking a chocolate cake: “You have to have the exact right ingredients, the right measurements, in order to get the best results.”
The Delish Philosophy
Delish is not just a gifting company. It’s a vehicle for human connection.
Every gift box is curated with intention:
- Food that tells a story
- Art that sparks conversation
- Design that creates a multi-sensory experience
Mona’s belief: “When we sit around a table and share food, we see how much we have in common—not how different we are.”
This is the philosophy that drives everything she does. And it’s the antidote to the noise, the homogenization, and the false sense of growth that AI can create.
The Executive Playbook: What to Do This Quarter
If Mona’s insights resonate, here’s where to start—this quarter:
- Audit your AI usage. How are you using AI? Is it enhancing your voice or replacing it? Read your last five pieces of content. Do they sound like you?
- Find your why. Why did you start your business? What personal experience, value, or belief drives you? Write it down. Share it with your team.
- Explore your archetypes. Use frameworks like Jungian archetypes to understand the different personas within you and how they influence your leadership.
- Reclaim your brand voice. Infuse your why into every piece of content, every product, every customer interaction.
- Balance structure and creativity. Don’t abandon strategy for creativity. You need both. Use AI to enhance creativity—but keep the structure.
- Give yourself permission to have fun. Explore. Experiment. Get ridiculous. That’s where innovation lives.
- Lead with connection. Focus on what you have in common with your customers, not what makes you different. Connection is your competitive advantage.
Final Thoughts: The Gray Area and the Human Touch
Mona’s journey is a reminder that AI is not the enemy. But it’s not the savior, either.
It’s a tool. And like any tool, it can be used to build or to destroy.
For business executives—especially those navigating the overwhelming pace of AI adoption, the pressure to scale, and the fear of being left behind—Mona’s message is clear:
Don’t lose your humanity in the pursuit of efficiency. Don’t lose your voice in the pursuit of scale. Don’t lose your why in the pursuit of growth.
The gray area is real. Small businesses are adopting AI faster than anyone. We’re generating content, optimizing for SEO, and scaling quickly.
But we’re also at risk of homogenization, invisibility, and a false sense of growth.
The antidote? The human touch.
Know your why. Reclaim your voice. Balance structure and creativity. Lead with connection.
That is the work. And it’s entirely within your reach.
Executives, the pace is fast. The tools are powerful. But the businesses that win will be the ones that use AI to expand their humanity, not replace it.
Listen to the full episode on C-Suite Radio: Disrupt & Innovate | C-Suite Network
Watch the episode: DI 128 Harnessing AI for Authentic Storytelling.
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.
