If you are a business owner who has been on the fence about artificial intelligence, this is your wake-up call. AI is no longer a futuristic concept reserved for tech giants and Silicon Valley startups. It is happening right now, in real time, and the business owners who learn how to leverage it wisely are already pulling ahead of the competition.
We sat down with Matthew Manyak, award-winning creative AI strategist, videography coach, and owner of Double M Digital LLC, on the Ms Biz Podcast to break down the top five AI tools that every business needs in their arsenal. Whether you are a solopreneur, a small business owner, or a growing brand, these tools have the power to transform the way you operate, create, and compete.
Who Is Matthew Manyak?
Before we dive into the tools, it is worth knowing who is behind this advice. Matthew Manyak is not just talking about AI — he is actively building with it. At just 27 years old, he has built a six-figure creative business from the ground up, been named BNI Member of the Year in his chapter and led his entire region in one-to-one networking meetings. He is also the co-host of the Artificially Smart Marketing Podcast, where he and his partner break down the latest AI trends in marketing every single week.
His background spans photography, videography, copywriting, coaching, and cutting-edge AI integration, making him one of the most well-rounded voices in the AI and creative space today.
But what makes Matthew truly different is his philosophy: AI is not replacing creativity. It is amplifying it.
The #1 Thing Most People Get Wrong About AI
Before we get to the tools, Matthew made one thing very clear… most people are using AI wrong.
The biggest mistake? Bad prompting.
Think about it this way. There is a massive difference between telling ChatGPT “write me a script for a YouTube video” versus “write me a teleprompter script in the voice and style of Alex Hormozi that runs six to eight minutes, features a viral hook at the opening, weaves in humor that only a Floridian would appreciate, and ends with a clear call to action to like, comment, and subscribe.”
The more specific and detailed your prompt, the better your output. AI is only as powerful as the instructions you give it. Feed it the right information and it will give you exactly what you need. Feed it a vague one-liner and you will get a vague result.
The good news? Prompting is a skill anyone can learn. And once you master it, these five tools become absolute game changers.
The Top 5 AI Tools Every Business Needs
1. ChatGPT and Claude: AI Copywriting and Content Creation
If you have not used ChatGPT or Claude yet, this is your starting point. These are the two most powerful AI writing tools available right now and they are transforming the way businesses create content.
ChatGPT is the most widely known and is a great starting point for everything from social media captions and email drafts to business strategy brainstorming and sales role play. Yes, you can actually use ChatGPT to practice your sales objection handling. Tell it to play a hard-to-close prospect, hit you with every objection in the book, and grade your performance at the end. It is like having a personal sales coach available 24 hours a day.
Claude on the other hand tends to produce slightly more polished, nuanced copy and is particularly strong for longer format writing like scripts, reports, and detailed content pieces.
Pro tip from Matthew: Feed both tools transcripts of your own interviews, podcasts, or speaking engagements so they can learn your natural speech patterns and write in your authentic brand voice. This eliminates the robotic, generic AI tone that most people complain about.
Both tools also have free plans available, making them accessible for businesses at every stage.
2. AI Image Generators: Visual Content at Scale
Creating high quality visual content used to require expensive photographers, designers, and stock photo subscriptions. Not anymore.
Google’s Imagen (also referred to as Nano Banana Pro) is currently one of the top-rated AI image generation models available. It allows businesses to create stunning, custom visuals for marketing materials, social media, websites, and more, in a fraction of the time and cost of traditional methods.
This is particularly powerful for businesses in niche industries where finding the right copyright-free stock image is nearly impossible. With AI image generation, if you can describe it, you can create it.
Matthew uses AI-generated images as a foundation for his creative work, often converting still images into dynamic video content for his clients; a workflow that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.
3. AI Video Generators: The Tool That Has Hollywood Nervous
This is the one that surprises most people. And for good reason.
AI video generation has reached a level of realism that is genuinely jaw-dropping. Tools like Kling and Higgsfield are producing video content so lifelike that major studios like Disney and Warner Brothers are already taking notice.
China recently released a model called Seadance 2.0 that is generating short films, action sequences, and cinematic clips that are nearly indistinguishable from real footage. People are creating 15-minute short films with this technology, and it is only getting better.
Higgsfield in particular is one of Matthew’s top recommendations for AI video generation. It gives users access to the latest AI video models and even allows videographers to customize lens look, focal length, and aperture settings, giving creative professionals the level of control they are used to working with.
For business owners, this opens up an entirely new world of content possibilities. Real estate photographers can now convert still images into full property tour videos. Marketers can create professional video ads without ever stepping in front of a camera. And brands can produce high quality video content at a speed and scale that was previously impossible.
4. HeyGen — Become the Face of Unlimited Content
This one is a personal game changer for business owners who want to show up consistently on video but do not have the time to film constantly.
HeyGen allows you to record yourself once in a studio setting, create a digital avatar of yourself, and then generate unlimited talk-to-camera videos simply by typing a script. The result is a realistic, professional video of you delivering any message you want, without ever hitting record again.
Matthew has been using this tool with several of his clients to create authority-building content, video sales letters, and social media reels at scale. The workflow is simple: record the avatar session once, submit scripts for approval, and render professional videos on demand.
For business owners who struggle to show up consistently on camera, this tool is a complete game changer for personal branding and content marketing.
5. AI-Powered CRMs and Automation Tools — Run Your Business While You Sleep
This is where AI gets truly transformative for small business owners.
AI-powered CRM platforms like Go High Level and Service Titan are now integrating sophisticated AI solutions that automate the most time-consuming parts of running a business. Here is what that looks like in practice:
AI Voice Agents can answer inbound calls after hours, qualify prospects, and schedule follow-up appointments automatically — so you never miss a lead again, even when you are off the clock and present with your family.
AI Call Tracking can listen to sales calls, analyze performance, identify what went well, and provide specific coaching recommendations — essentially giving every salesperson on your team a personal coach.
Automated Client Onboarding can take a new client from signed contract to scheduled strategy call without you lifting a finger. The system sends the contract, receives the signed copy, delivers the onboarding materials, and books the first call — all automatically.
Speed to Lead Automation ensures that every new inquiry receives an immediate response, dramatically increasing conversion rates for businesses that previously had delays in their follow-up process.
Microsoft’s Copilot is another powerful tool worth mentioning. Matthew shared a real-world example of a paralegal who used Copilot to scan six months of case-related emails and generate a complete status report of every outstanding task — in minutes. The time savings alone make it worth exploring for any business managing complex projects or client relationships.
How to Keep Your Brand Voice Authentic When Using AI
One of the most common concerns business owners have about AI copywriting is sounding generic or robotic. Matthew’s solution is elegant in its simplicity.
Feed your AI tool transcripts of how you naturally speak. Podcast episodes, interviews, recorded meetings — anything that captures your authentic voice and communication style. Then instruct the tool to write in that style going forward.
You can also layer in industry-specific language, compliance requirements, and tone guidelines to ensure everything that comes out sounds like you — just a more polished, optimized version of you.
The goal is not to let AI replace your voice. It is to let AI amplify it.
The Biggest Advantage AI Gives Small Business Owners Right Now
When asked about the single biggest advantage AI gives small business owners today, Matthew’s answer was clear: it levels the playing field.
For the first time in history, a solo entrepreneur with the right tools can compete with companies ten times their size. AI increases your capacity, extends your availability, accelerates your output, and allows you to show up in places you simply could not before.
The business owners who embrace this are going to scale faster, operate leaner, and create smarter than their competition. The ones who ignore it are going to feel the gap widen every single day.
Where to Start If You Are Overwhelmed
If reading this list felt overwhelming, Matthew’s advice is simple: start with what you need.
A copywriter does not need AI video generation. A videographer does not need Claude Code. Identify the biggest bottleneck in your business right now and find the AI tool that solves that specific problem first.
Not sure where to start? Ask ChatGPT. Tell it what kind of business you run, what your biggest challenges are, and ask it to recommend the top five AI tools for your specific situation. It is that accessible.
Most of these tools offer free plans or trial generations so you can test before you invest. Start small, learn the tool, master the prompting, and build from there.
The Bottom Line
AI is not Skynet. It is not coming to steal your job or replace human creativity. What it is doing is giving the business owners who are willing to learn it an extraordinary competitive advantage over those who are not.
As Matthew put it best: it is you or the next person who is going to learn this. And that person is going to be the one who comes for your market share.
The tools are here. The opportunity is real. The only question is whether you are going to seize it.
Want to hear the full conversation with Matthew Manyak? Catch Episode 147 of the Miss Biz Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts or watch on YouTube.
Connect with Matthew:
📸 Instagram: @doublemdigitalfl
🌐 Website: doublemdigitalfl.com
Connect with Ms Biz:
📲 @MsBizPodcast on all platforms