Episode 456 – The Future of AI Still Depends on Human Connection with Lars Helgeson
AI is changing business faster than ever, but the real advantage still comes from people.
I had the pleasure of talking with Lars Helgeson, entrepreneur, technologist, and author of CRM for Dummies, about how customer relationship management, artificial intelligence, and patient education are reshaping the way businesses and healthcare providers serve people. Lars shares how his career evolved from building one of the early email marketing platforms to creating CRM solutions and, more recently, a patient education platform designed to improve health outcomes after medical procedures. We also explore the opportunities and risks of AI, why relationships remain at the heart of every business, and how technology should support people rather than replace them. I believe you’ll find practical ideas about leadership, innovation, healthcare, and building stronger customer relationships that can help you develop your own Unstoppable Mindset.
Highlights:
02:08 – How AI helps build stronger customer relationships.
12:13 – Why AI should never replace medical judgment.
27:01 – How CRM evolved beyond email marketing.
38:47 – Why patient education became Lars’ mission.
45:00 – Why accountability starts with good documentation.
55:00 – How small changes improve patient outcomes.
About the Guest:
Lars Helgeson is an internet entrepreneur, technologist, and CRM strategist dedicated to helping organizations grow through what he calls “Complete CRM”, a unified, data-driven approach that connects sales, marketing, customer service, and operations into one accountable system. He entered the internet marketing world in 2000, co-founding CoolerEmail, one of the world’s first email service providers. As a pioneer in responsible email marketing, he helped grow CoolerEmail into a global software company specializing in marketing communication with over 1,500 clients. In 2010, after years spent designing and implementing a more comprehensive approach for small and mid-sized businesses, Lars launched GreenRope, a cloud-based platform that simplifies and consolidates a company’s sales, marketing, and operations. Today, GreenRope provides technology solutions to more than 3,000 companies and nonprofits in over 40 countries. His new venture, Easy Aftercare, focuses on using CRM technology for automated patient education.
Lars is the author of CRM For Dummies (Wiley, 2017) and a frequent speaker on CRM strategy, marketing automation, entrepreneurship, and business growth. His guiding principle is straightforward: “If it isn’t in the CRM, it didn’t happen.” He earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and an MBA from the University of New Mexico’s Robert O. Anderson School of Management. After graduate school, he served four years in the U.S. Air Force, working in the Air Force’s space test program, the Air Force Research Laboratory, and the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization. Raised in Southern California, he credits a science-teacher father for curiosity and a social-worker mother for empathy, an influence that shows up in his people-first view of technology. Outside of work, he enjoys travel, stand-up paddleboarding, mountain biking, ice hockey, and yoga.
Ways to connect with Lars**:**
https://www.instagram.com/easy.aftercare/
https://www.facebook.com/easyaftercare
https://www.linkedin.com/company/easy-aftercare
About the Host:
Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.
Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children’s Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association’s 2012 Hero Dog Awards.
https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/
https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/
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Transcription Notes:
