Lauren Petrullo of Mongoose Media On Pushing the Boundaries of AI
AI Is Only Going to Get Better — One of the most important things to understand about AI is that today is the worst it will ever be. Every single day, AI is improving, evolving, and becoming more sophisticated. So, wherever you’re at in your understanding or use of AI, know that you’re standing at the starting line. Imagine a world where AI can instantly and accurately diagnose medical conditions, predict criminal behavior, or even assist in complex legal cases. That’s where we’re heading. The key is to stay ahead by nurturing a mindset of imagination and possibility. Think about what’s possible tomorrow, not just today.
Artificial Intelligence is transforming industries at a breakneck pace, and the entrepreneurs driving this innovation are at the forefront of this revolution. From groundbreaking applications to ethical considerations, these visionaries are shaping the future of AI. What does it take to innovate in such a rapidly evolving field, and how are these entrepreneurs using AI to solve real-world problems? As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Lauren Petrullo.
Lauren Petrullo is an award-winning individual and multi-founder, including CEO and founder of award-winning agency Mongoose Media and co-founder of Asian Beauty Essentials. Lauren’s innovation and creativity play into her marketing strategies as she leads and consults with Fortune 500 brands and serves as a member of the prestigious Leaders Network at Meta (formerly Facebook). Lauren has been featured in Yahoo!, Thrive Global, Refinery29, Shopify, Advertising Week, ComputerWorld and Ticker News. She co-hosts the Perpetual Traffic podcast, the #1 Digital Marketing Podcast.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory and how you grew up?
Growing up, my dad had this amazing way of helping me think bigger. Instead of just saying “no” to my big ideas, he’d ask, “How are you going to make that happen?” That mindset has stuck with me my whole life, especially after he passed away when I was 12. His lesson in resilience became my anchor. Life wasn’t always easy, though — I faced some serious challenges, including a period of homelessness during my senior year of high school. My brother was there, reminding me not to repeat the mistakes he made, but to carve my own path.
Disney became my creative inspiration, showing me the power of imagination, perseverance, and thinking outside the box. After going through the Disney College Program, I landed my dream job at Disney. It was a chance to pull from the lessons I’d learned from both Walt Disney and my family — navigating obstacles without a formal business background. But deep down, I knew I was meant to create something of my own.
The game changer came when two people approached me after I left another agency, excited to work directly with me. Their enthusiasm gave me the validation I needed, confirming that I was heading in the right direction. That was the moment everything clicked.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
Meta invited me to speak to Congress and share my testimony on the adverse effects certain proposed laws could have on my small business. I traveled to Florida’s capital to present my case to my representatives. After my testimony, I was asked to provide additional follow-up, as my perspective had not been adequately represented. These laws, intended to target large corporations, risked causing significant harm to small business owners like me. This opportunity led to further discussions, including a meeting with Florida’s governor and representation efforts in Washington, D.C.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
My dad was the most influential person in helping me overcome challenges and develop the skills I needed to succeed. His lesson of chasing my dreams to make them happen has always stuck with me as a powerful lesson in thinking through my goals and figuring out my own path. His approach taught me to trust my own resourcefulness, and that sense of ownership has been crucial in everything I do. I think the fact that I lost him at such a young age made these lessons even more important to me.
Along with that, I’ve learned to embrace failure as part of the journey. I’m not afraid to get things wrong while I’m figuring them out — if anything, I see those setbacks as opportunities to grow and sharpen my skills. Each challenge is just another step forward to get past the “no.”
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
My favorite life lesson quote is either Albert Einstein’s, “Imagination is more important than knowledge,” or Henry Ford’s, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re probably right.”
Einstein’s quote resonates with me because I’ve often seen people with far more knowledge than me in a particular area struggle to move forward. They knew the facts but never acted on them — never tested, tried, or innovated. Their campaigns became stagnant and failed to scale. Imagination, however, breaks past those limits. Even when we didn’t fully know what we were doing, we were doing something — taking action instead of being paralyzed by what didn’t or couldn’t work before.
Ford’s quote sticks with me, too, because mindset shapes everything. I’ve met so many people — colleagues, clients, and others — who were defeated before they even began. I’ve always believed I could find a way forward, and I think of this quote all the time. Like my dad taught me, I focus on finding the how to make things happen, not the no of giving up. Both quotes are an extension of the lessons I grew up with, applied to my career and life.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Three traits that have really shaped my success are grit, creativity, and my drive to stay ahead of the trends. I learned resilience early on — losing my dad when I was just 12, dealing with homelessness in high school, and watching my brother go through his struggles. Instead of letting those challenges define me, I turned them into fuel. Those hard times taught me the power of perseverance, and I leaned into that strength to keep pushing forward, no matter the odds.
Creativity has been at the core of my journey. It’s never just about making things look good for me; it’s about using creativity to solve problems and create connections. Growing up loving Disney wasn’t just about the magic — it was about how creative thinking could build something impactful. When I worked for Disney, that really cemented my belief in the power of creativity, and now, I use that same mindset in business. It helps me stand out and bring fresh, engaging ideas to the table — whether it’s marketing, branding, or building relationships.
And staying ahead of the trends? That’s non-negotiable in today’s world. The digital landscape is always evolving, and if you’re not adapting, you’re falling behind. At Mongoose Media, I get to work with massive platforms like Facebook, Google, and Shopify, which means I’m constantly learning and applying cutting-edge strategies. It’s not just about keeping up; it’s about leading the way. I’m always exploring the latest tools, including AI, and figuring out how to bring those insights into my work to help my clients grow in innovative ways.
Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. Share the story of what inspired you to start working with AI. Was there a particular problem or opportunity that motivated you?
The moment that inspired me to start working with AI was when Jasper, formerly called Jarvis, launched a marketing mastermind centered around AI. At the time, AI had been popping up in conversations here and there, but this was the first time it felt real and actionable. Jasper announced a $1,900 mastermind program that included an in-person day at their headquarters in Austin, right on Sixth Street. I knew that if I was going to take AI seriously, this was the opportunity to dive in, and I wanted to do it alongside the tech giant aiming to disrupt the industry.
It felt empowering to see a company partnering with business owners in such a hands-on way. I’d read countless use cases of people raving about AI, but I didn’t know much about SEO or how to use AI for organic traffic. Up to that point, I was known as a paid marketing expert — the go-to strategist for driving traffic through Meta or Google Ads. But I couldn’t shake the question: What if we could achieve similar results without having to pay for it?
Knowing so little about the organic side of marketing only made me more determined. If I was going to do this, I was going to do it right. I went all in. I joined the mastermind, which had maybe 20 participants, and absorbed everything. Jasper partnered with an expert on backlinking, and I took all of Adam’s courses, becoming hyper-obsessed with mastering this new tool. I saw it as a once-in-a-generation opportunity and threw myself into it.
Within a year and a half, I generated over 100,000 monthly visitors to a website without spending a dime on paid traffic. Those visitors continue to convert into sales without any advertising costs. It was an incredible milestone that proved the power of AI-driven strategies.
That pivotal moment, back in 2021, came at a time when Jasper was just starting out, with maybe five or ten employees in a scrappy little office. Everything about it felt like the perfect alignment of timing and opportunity, and I’m so glad I seized it. It completely changed the trajectory of my career.
Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. Share the story of what inspired you to start working with AI. Was there a particular problem or opportunity that motivated you?
The moment that inspired me to start working with AI was when Jasper, formerly called Jarvis, launched a marketing mastermind centered around AI. At the time, AI had been popping up in conversations here and there, but this was the first time it felt real and actionable. Jasper announced a $1,900 mastermind program that included an in-person day at their headquarters in Austin, right on Sixth Street. I knew that if I was going to take AI seriously, this was the opportunity to dive in, and I wanted to do it alongside the tech giant aiming to disrupt the industry.
It felt empowering to see a company partnering with business owners in such a hands-on way. I’d read countless use cases of people raving about AI, but I didn’t know much about SEO or how to use AI for organic traffic. Up to that point, I was known as a paid marketing expert — the go-to strategist for driving traffic through Meta or Google Ads. But I couldn’t shake the question: What if we could achieve similar results without having to pay for it?
Knowing so little about the organic side of marketing only made me more determined. If I was going to do this, I was going to do it right. I went all in. I joined the mastermind, which had maybe 20 participants, and absorbed everything. Jasper partnered with an expert on backlinking, and I took all of Adam’s courses, becoming hyper-obsessed with mastering this new tool. I saw it as a once-in-a-generation opportunity and threw myself into it.
Within a year and a half, I generated over 100,000 monthly visitors to a website without spending a dime on paid traffic. Those visitors continue to convert into sales without any advertising costs. It was an incredible milestone that proved the power of AI-driven strategies.
That pivotal moment, back in 2021, came at a time when Jasper was just starting out, with maybe five or ten employees in a scrappy little office. Everything about it felt like the perfect alignment of timing and opportunity, and I’m so glad I seized it. It completely changed the trajectory of my career.
Describe a moment when AI achieved something you once thought impossible. What was the breakthrough, and how did it impact your approach going forward?
One of the biggest breakthrough moments when AI achieved something I once thought impossible was when we hit 100,000 monthly website visitors — and fast. But the real breakthrough was what came next. We turned those visitors into paying customers by leveraging content created with AI, not by AI. After a few strategic tweaks, like making our blogs shoppable, we were generating five figures in sales from them in just two and a half months. It was mind-blowing to see a blog essentially take orders on autopilot every single day, powered by AI-assisted content.
Another game-changing moment came when we dove into multilingual marketing, starting with Spanish. We didn’t just rank on Google — we ranked on page one for highly competitive keywords in just nine days. Within two weeks, we hit position nine with no backlinks, no shady tactics, no Reddit buzz — just focused content created with AI using tools like Surfer SEO. It was surreal.
This opened an entirely new world for us. The Spanish market proved to be a massive untapped opportunity. We launched Spanish-language blogs, social media accounts, and a YouTube channel, which quickly grew to ten times the size of its English counterpart. Even more incredible, our average order value from Spanish-speaking audiences is three to four times higher than what we see from English-based content.
These breakthroughs completely transformed our strategy. They showed us how AI could unlock not just growth but entirely new markets — what felt like a “blue ocean” moment. Now, multilingual, AI-driven content is a cornerstone of everything we do.
Talk about about a challenge you faced when working with AI. How did you overcome it, and what was the outcome?
One of the biggest challenges I faced early on when working with AI was its lack of originality. It often felt repetitive, particularly with dense and complex topics like legal or financial content. AI would churn out similes, metaphors, and analogies — sometimes even unrelated ones, like pirates! — trying to make the content digestible, but it just didn’t fit. On top of that, maintaining a consistent tone of voice was nearly impossible. Some tools suggested mimicking specific individuals, like George R.R. Martin or Oprah, to train the model, but that always felt ethically questionable to me, given the intellectual property concerns.
At times, working with AI was like yelling at an automated phone system: repetitive, frustrating, and unproductive. It felt like I was speaking a foreign language to get what I needed. The breakthrough came when we shifted our perspective. We stopped trying to rely on AI as the sole creator and started using it as a calculator for our writing style — a tool to enhance, not replace, the creative process.
To overcome these challenges, we developed a system of writing with AI, not by AI. Our copywriters began layering their original ideas with AI-generated content, using the tool to assist during moments of creative fatigue or when inspiration ran low. This process eliminated writer’s block, sped up the workflow, and allowed us to maintain high-quality, original content.
Today, our system ensures that AI complements human creativity. Writers no longer face the stress of starting from scratch or the burnout of endless brainstorming, and we produce engaging, thoughtful content more efficiently. AI became an enabler, not a replacement, and that shift in mindset has made all the difference.
Can you share an example of how your work with AI has had a meaningful impact (on others, on business results, etc)? What was the situation, and what difference did it make?
One of the biggest challenges I faced working with AI was the initial difficulty in balancing automation with the human touch. At a time when many businesses were letting go of marketers and copywriters, we were able to expand because we implemented AI to streamline our processes. The challenge was figuring out how to use AI effectively without losing the quality of service and personal connection that our clients valued.
The breakthrough came when we realized that AI could not only speed up content creation but also significantly reduce costs, allowing us to pass those savings on to our clients. While others were paying $250 to $400 per blog for just the copywriting, we were able to offer a complete “done-for-you” service that included strategy, keyword research, blog uploads, and images, all at competitive pricing. This provided exceptional value, especially for small business owners who didn’t know how to fully leverage a blog once it was written.
We also used the time saved by AI to focus on performance monitoring, which allowed us to measure the impact of our efforts more accurately and make data-driven improvements. One of the most significant outcomes of this AI integration was helping clients recover their organic traffic, particularly after a cyber attack. One client had their entire website hacked and had to start from scratch, but we used our AI-powered system to help them rebuild and get back to the level of success they had before the attack.
Another challenge came when we built AI chatbots to assist our clients. Initially, we had to fine-tune the system to handle different languages and responses, but once we got it right, it completely transformed our client’s customer service operations. One client had six full-time customer service agents answering common inquiries — after implementing our AI chatbot, we were able to automate over 90% of these tasks, freeing up five and a half full-time employees to focus on driving sales and product development.
In the end, the challenge of integrating AI into our business turned into a major success. It enabled us to deliver more value to our clients, improve operational efficiency, and scale our business in a way that many competitors couldn’t match. AI not only helped us grow but also empowered our clients to do the same.
Here is the main question for our discussion. Based on your experience and success, can you please share “Five Things You Need To Know To Help Shape The Future of AI”? (Please share a story or an example, for each.)
Here are five things you need to know to help shape the future of AI:
- AI Is Only Going to Get Better — One of the most important things to understand about AI is that today is the worst it will ever be. Every single day, AI is improving, evolving, and becoming more sophisticated. So, wherever you’re at in your understanding or use of AI, know that you’re standing at the starting line. Imagine a world where AI can instantly and accurately diagnose medical conditions, predict criminal behavior, or even assist in complex legal cases. That’s where we’re heading. The key is to stay ahead by nurturing a mindset of imagination and possibility. Think about what’s possible tomorrow, not just today.
- Understand Intellectual Property and Legal Consequences — As you innovate with AI, you must be mindful of the intellectual property and legal consequences surrounding the content you create. AI has opened up incredible creative potential, but there are hidden risks, especially with ownership. For instance, many AI platforms’ terms of service claim ownership over the content generated with their tools. So, if you create a book, song, or poem using their AI, you might unwittingly give up your rights. It’s essential to do your due diligence and understand where your content is coming from and who ultimately owns it, to avoid future complications, especially if your work becomes successful.
- The Evolution of Digital Twins — The future of AI is also closely tied to the evolution of digital twins — virtual replicas of ourselves. These digital avatars, which can mimic our appearance, voice, and even personality, offer huge opportunities. Imagine you could consult with your digital twin for a fraction of the cost, or your descendants could interact with an AI version of you, accessing your memories and knowledge. Digital twins aren’t just about convenience — they could also change how we experience life, death, and legacy. The potential for preserving our essence for future generations is immense, but it also comes with serious ethical considerations. AI will allow us to continue existing in a digital form long after we’re gone, for better or worse.
- AI Will Disrupt Global Competition — AI is breaking down barriers in ways we’ve never seen before, particularly with language and geolocation. Entrepreneurs outside the U.S. are now able to compete more effectively in the U.S. market, thanks to AI’s ability to translate languages and eliminate cultural barriers. This means the competition for U.S. business is growing globally, and creators from countries like Brazil, who previously couldn’t engage with the U.S. market due to language barriers, will now have a much stronger presence. As a result, there’s going to be more global competition in AI-driven businesses, and understanding this shift will help you anticipate and adapt to the changing dynamics.
- AI Can Empower Lower-IQ Jobs — Lastly, as AI continues to evolve, it’s important to think about how it can assist people in lower-IQ jobs. AI will have a profound impact on industries like trucking, where autonomous vehicles could replace human drivers. As a result, many workers in these sectors will need new skills to stay relevant. This presents an opportunity for innovation: AI can help improve efficiency, create new training programs, and assist workers in transitioning to higher-skilled, AI-enabled jobs. The future of AI isn’t just about replacing jobs, but also about empowering individuals to thrive in a rapidly changing landscape.
When you think about the future of AI, what excites you the most, and how do you see your work contributing to that future?
What excites me the most about the future of AI is its ability to discern and process data in ways that were previously unimaginable. AI’s potential to transform fields like healthcare and criminal justice is revolutionary. In the U.S., the healthcare system is fragmented, with patient records scattered across hospitals and states, often limiting doctors’ ability to provide the best care. AI can bridge these gaps by analyzing vast amounts of data, allowing for faster, more accurate diagnoses and treatment plans. Imagine a world where AI helps medical professionals quickly identify patterns in patient data, leading to life-saving decisions. AI can also help detect biases in the criminal justice system, ensuring that decisions about sentencing and parole are based on facts rather than inherent biases.
What excites me most is that AI can help remove the guesswork from critical decisions in healthcare and law enforcement, making our systems more efficient and fairer. In the future, I believe AI will be instrumental in criminal justice reform, eliminating biases and ensuring that people are incarcerated only when truly guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Many people are currently imprisoned due to administrative delays or biases in the system, but AI could streamline processes, helping to release individuals who should not be incarcerated and reducing the overall burden on the justice system.
Personally, I see my work contributing to the future of AI by focusing on transforming how we educate and rehabilitate young people, particularly those in juvenile detention centers. Currently, the education provided to incarcerated youth is often too broad and not tailored to their needs or future careers. My goal is to create a decentralized education program using AI that will provide them with entrepreneurial skills and blue-collar training for the modern world. These individuals often have skills in sales, marketing, and copywriting, but they have used these abilities in illegal ways. Through AI, I hope to guide them toward using their talents legally, empowering them to build better futures for themselves. Ultimately, I want to harness AI to provide personalized educational resources that speak to each individual’s interests and strengths, helping them apply these skills for long-term success.
In summary, I’m excited about AI’s potential to remove biases, transform healthcare and criminal justice systems, and offer new, personalized educational opportunities for individuals who are often overlooked by traditional systems. By contributing to these areas, I hope to help shape a future where AI improves lives, creates opportunities, and drives meaningful change.
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs who want to innovate in AI? Can you share a story from your experience that illustrates your advice?
If you’re an entrepreneur looking to innovate in AI, my advice is simple: don’t chase the gurus. Sure, there are plenty of people out there with flashy social media accounts and Lamborghinis, talking big about AI. But trust me, if they’re focused more on showing off than actually doing the work, they probably aren’t the ones driving innovation. Look for the real doers — the ones who are behind the scenes, grinding away, not just talking about AI but actively creating and pushing the boundaries. AI has attracted a lot of so-called “snake oil salesmen,” and it’s easy to get swept up by the hype. You’ll often find people getting paid thousands of dollars to speak about AI that’s already outdated, but when you ask them any specific questions, they can’t answer because they’re not actually involved in the field. So, my advice? Focus on those who are truly doing the work, not just talking about it.
Another piece of advice: when innovating in AI, always focus on solving real problems. Don’t just create for the sake of creating — think about the foundational issues that need solutions. AI can make services faster and cheaper, and that’s where the real opportunities are. One area often overlooked is the B2B (business-to-business) space. While it’s tempting to target consumers, the real money is in helping large organizations. Think about how AI can improve efficiencies for big businesses or government institutions — these sectors employ far more people than any other industry. The opportunities in B2B are massive, and the competition is less intense than in the consumer market.
I’ll tell you a story to illustrate this. There’s a lot of talk about how AI will disrupt certain industries, like truck driving. The truth is, autonomous vehicles powered by AI are going to change the landscape for many workers in the coming years. In the next 7 to 15 years, we could face a huge recession due to the automation of jobs. People in lower-skilled or “lower IQ” positions will be disproportionately affected. The key is to think about how AI can help these workers adapt and thrive in a changing world. Find ways to use AI to make their lives easier, help them save money, and increase their efficiency. The future is coming fast, and it’s important to stay ahead of it by looking for ways to leverage AI to benefit everyone, not just the top-tier industries.
In short, my advice for anyone trying to innovate in AI is to stay grounded, look for real-world problems to solve, focus on B2B opportunities, and think about how AI can help workers at all levels adapt to an increasingly automated world. That’s where the future of AI will truly shine.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)
If I could have lunch with anyone, it would absolutely be Ryan Reynolds. He’s not only one of the most brilliant creative marketers of our time, but also a master of creative problem-solving. Beyond being a business owner and part-time actor, he’s shaped so many innovative marketing campaigns that have revolutionized the way brands interact with consumers. What I’m especially curious about is how he views the impact of AI, particularly in the entertainment industry. AI is disrupting the industry in a big way, affecting everything from writers to actors and even extras, with the rise of voice licensing and deepfake technology.
I’d love to hear his thoughts on how AI will continue to influence creative industries. For example, Scarlett Johansson made headlines when she agreed to license her voice for AI systems, and I’m sure Ryan has unique insights into how this trend could reshape acting and performance in the future. If not him personally, I’d love to sit down with anyone from his Maximum Effort team, as they’re all on the cutting edge of creativity and innovation. It would be fascinating to understand their take on how AI will disrupt, challenge, and potentially redefine our creative industries.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
https://podcasts.apple.com/ee/podcast/perpetual-traffic/id1022441491
Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational, and we wish you continued success in your important work.
