Staying Human in the Era of AI: Storytelling, Grief & Change with Patrice Poltzer

GRIEF AND LIGHT

Chapters
0:00
Episode Preview & Intro Song
0:59
Meet Patrice Poltzer
2:35
Becoming an accidental tech entrepreneur after relocating to Lisbon
8:07
The storytelling "bot" that went viral
12:00
Building MyStoryPro, storytelling coach
16:00
Advice for women apprehensive about Ai
22:41
Is Ai eroding our ability to think? Are we "raising psychopaths"?
27:10
Where to begin if you want to build with Ai
32:22
Moms who vibe code, Hackathons, Leading with curiosity
35:00
The trust crisis: Why storytelling matters more than ever
40:43
Grief, agency, and navigating liminality through storytelling
44:07
Connect with Patrice and MyStoryPro
47:56
Patrice's advice to herself as a woman tech founder
GRIEF AND LIGHT
Staying Human in the Era of AI: Storytelling, Grief & Change with Patrice Poltzer
Jun 02, 2026 Season 4 Episode 119
Nina Rodriguez

What does it mean to stay human in a world increasingly run by AI? 

In this episode, Nina sits down with Patrice Poltzer — Gracie Award–winning former TODAY Show producer and co-founder of My Story Pro — about the everyday griefs and shifts of our era: the loss of certainty, the erosion of critical thinking, and the disappearing line between who we are and the tools we rely on.

Patrice shares how a cross-continental move from New York to Lisbon, a vanished family income, and a launch that flopped led her to "accidentally" build an AI storytelling company. But this isn't just a hustle story. It's a conversation about agency. Why our active participation in building the future is required, especially for women and people from historically excluded communities.

In this episode, we explore:

  • How loss and uncertainty can become the ground for reinvention
  • Why "being more human" is the most valuable skill in the AI era
  • The trust crisis, and why storytelling is the only marketing that neurologically changes a stranger's mind
  • Whether outsourcing our thinking to AI is dulling the very traits that make us human
  • How grievers, living in liminality, can use their lived experience to define what's next
  • Practical, low-fear entry points for women curious about AI

Connect with Patrice Poltzer:

This is a both/and conversation; the and of fear and agency, grief and possibility, technology and humanity.

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Grief and Light is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, and deeply human experience of loss. We're on a mission to foster a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. 

🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · TalkDeath Readers' Choice Best Podcast 2025 · Women Who Podcast Awards 2025 Winner · Podground Editor's Pick

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