Beyond AI: Personal Branding & Thriving in the Digital Age

•  In this episode of Innovation in Heels, I sit down with Melissa Aarskaug to explore the dynamic intersection of AI and human intelligence, the evolving role of personal branding, and the essential skills needed to thrive in today’s digital workplace. 
• We discuss how AI is reshaping industries, why continuous learning is non-negotiable, and how personal branding—especially for women—must evolve in this landscape. 
• Throughout our conversation, we emphasize the power of authenticity, the value of mentorship, and the impact of collaboration in driving professional growth. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/marianafonsecamedina

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction and Welcome
• 1:40 Navigating the Data Deluge
• 3:42 The Intersection of Human and AI
• 7:09 Work Culture and Communication Skills
• 9:11 The Importance of Personal Branding

Transcript

Neha Dutta (00:01)
Hi, welcome everyone to another episode of Innovation in Heals. This is going to be our maiden and the first episode of season number two in 2025. And I'm very happy that I'm doing it with Melissa. I'm even more happy that I'm doing it in her birthday week. So it's going to bring both of us a lot of luck and a lot of charm. Welcome Melissa to this amazing episode and who we have today with us, as you can all see.

She's an amazing personality over LinkedIn. And in her work day, she does, she is a global vice president for the vertical bulletproof for gaming laboratories. And she also has a podcast, which I'd like to be on someday, the executive connect podcast. Welcome Melissa.

Melissa Aarskaug (00:47)
Thank you so much for inviting me to be here today. I'm excited to talk to you.

Neha Dutta (00:53)
Amazing. So what we're going to cover, Melissa, in this action-packed capsule of 30 minutes is we're going to cover some concepts around generative AI, some concepts around data, because I know in the realm of technology that you are, it will be playing a very important role. And we'd like to spotlight you on some very important life lessons that you would have learned.

through your mentorship journey or through your education journey. So that's what we would like our listeners to learn from you. So when we think about technology, the first thing that I think right now everybody is kind of struggling with is A strategy and B data, right? Sometimes they don't have a very good strategy and sometimes they don't have the right data to start. And that's called like

you know, the navigating the data deluge. So with the explosion of data that we all have right now, organizations are both empowered and they are overwhelmed with data. What do you think, what are your two cents when we think about organizations navigating this data deluge thing to be able to work on automation as a initiative?

Melissa Aarskaug (02:06)
Yeah, I personally love AI. use it personally. I use it professionally. I know in the industry, I work in casino gaming over the last 13 years. The industry has a ton of data and using AI and different AI tools, they're able to take all the data that they have, analyze the data and get answers to very unique questions about their players or

anything with their lodging management system to cybersecurity and many other ways that they're using AI. I know for me personally, I love to use it for really simplistic things like, remind me of who said this quote or something I wanna post on social media and I couldn't remember who said it or help me with a cookie recipe or.

Neha Dutta (02:46)
Thank

Melissa Aarskaug (02:54)
Hey, break this down. I need to get my bio down to 150 characters. Help me fix it. So anything from a simple cookie recipe to getting information about players that I've played in the last several years at a casino. think whether you like it or you don't like AI, it's a very important piece for our future. The humans are still going to have to tell the AI tools what to do and how to do the things they're looking for.

Neha Dutta (03:24)
Amazing, amazing. Now, and that's absolutely right in the way that you're putting it, Melissa, whether we like it or not, it's here to stay,

what should be done by a human and what should be done by an AI, right? What do you have to say about this intersection of human and AI?

Melissa Aarskaug (03:42)
Yeah, and I love like, let's just take a simple meeting. We all have a bunch of meetings. I know I use AI tools for my meetings to record different notes or different action items after the meeting. And sometimes we understand the context and the tone in the meeting. And we have certain understandings of what we're talking about that the AI tool may or may not, or they might misspell it, or, you know, we might use acronyms when we are talking that they might not.

Neha Dutta (03:55)
Thank you.

Melissa Aarskaug (04:12)
And so I think there's a lot of pieces that we miss sometimes in using tools. And I think rereading and relooking at, you whether it's an acronym or it's a tone or it's a person, you know, reviewing, know, something as simple as meeting notes, right?

Neha Dutta (04:30)
Yeah, absolutely. that's exactly. So what you're saying is picking up the right use cases of when or what task use so much of cognitive abilities that they should be given to a human or what task are actually error prone when given to a human, right? That's the kind of lens you are saying we need to keep when we are thinking about use cases.

Melissa Aarskaug (04:55)
Yeah, and just like, you know, was talking to a client recently about their lodging management system, LMS, and the AI tool thought we were talking about a learning management system, a learning manage. So that simple, you know, we have the context of what we were talking about in that meeting. It was a lodging management system, not a

Neha Dutta (05:05)
Learning management system, yeah.

Melissa Aarskaug (05:14)
So I think we evolve with AI tools, with our knowledge and kind of where we are.

Neha Dutta (05:14)
don't want that.

know, I know, absolutely. And another example on that point where I use the record feature a lot is I love to post on LinkedIn. So when I am attending an event and there's a good speaker talking, it's very difficult for me to make notes and then edit it and then figure out how to summarize what Melissa spoke on the stage. So I record the session.

at least bits and pieces of it, at least when she's, when the, when, know, when the person is responding to something and then it, I asked them to summarize and then I can go ahead and post it. A lot of times we want to post and we want to, you know, put a lot of content out on LinkedIn, but we are not because A, it's, it is there in our notes and we never get to those notes or B, we wrote it all, but we never had the time to edit it and put it out.

I think you bring a very important point as I was going towards a workforce as my next question is that I don't think any prediction says that jobs are going to go away. I think predictions are saying that 55 % of the jobs need to be changed. We had never heard of job profiles like prompt engineers, right? But now we do have prompt engineers. So like you said, for the system,

for the master to be intelligent, we need that kind of, know, professing, we need that kind of fine tuning and we need to upgrade ourselves. If we are not upgrading ourselves and it's happening, you know, it's going to be a code at time where we are all going to get obsolete thinking there's a lot of time for us to go ahead, but it isn't. So if we think that we are going to do the same job in the same way that we were doing 10 years back, then definitely we are going to get replaced.

So I think learning and acclimatizing to the latest of what's happening is definitely the way to go. So that brings me to my next segment from generative AI to AI to human intersection. It brings me to the next point of the work culture. And I'll go on to your favorite topic after that, which is personal branding. So when we think about workforce,

Melissa Aarskaug (07:18)
Absolutely.

Neha Dutta (07:38)
I'm sure you would have also seen that, know, Gen Zs and millennials are entering the tech industry and, know, which is increasingly we had all come to terms with working remote and digitally interconnected. So from your perspective, when you think of these generations, what are some of the key skills and mindsets that, you know, some of these professionals need to have to be able to thrive in the modern digital work culture that we have?

Melissa Aarskaug (08:05)
Yeah, one of the things I see a lot now is we've lost our ability to clearly communicate what we need and to where I'm communicating to you what I need and you there understand what I need from you. think we've lost, we're moving so fast at such a fast pace, really focused on what we need to get accomplished that A, we're working through what needs to be done, maybe in a way that's not friendly and fun and

you know, thankful to people that are on the other end and then also be looking at, does the person on the other end really understand what they need to be doing? So I would say what we're saying is struggling and then getting collaborative and buy-in and just being.

thankful and grateful for your peers help.

Neha Dutta (08:56)
I think that's a very astute point that you know, A, it's the culture and B, what are we end of the day living for, right? Of course, I think it's the ethos of what defines us, right? At the end,

Right? Cool. So I think this brings me to another topic which I would want and which I'm very passionate about and I know you are very passionate about is that I feel that everybody should have a personal brand, but especially for women, I think we should all have a personal brand, which is more than our family name, our university, our work, our role, our designation, right? It should be what we stand for and what's the purpose that we are driving.

And I know you're passionate about that too. So talk to me, on why do you think it's important and what are some of, if you had to just give a playbook in terms of three steps of, or three ways in which listeners knew and little bit in their middle careers should think about personal branding.

Melissa Aarskaug (10:02)
Yeah, absolutely. think for me, I believe personal branding is evolving. I look at it like we were kind of talking about AI, we have to evolve. I look at my personal brand over the course of my career and it has changed substantially. You know, every, now I don't want to say every year, but a lot, right? What I'm branding for, what I'm focusing on has changed. And I think...

Being at peace with that, that you're going to evolve your personal brand is so important. I think I see so much online now, like, you know, what's your one thing? What's your one brand? What's your one focus? I think as humans, are so much more than just one thing, one brand, one focus. But what that means, we can't be 80 things online, but we can blend a lot of our personalities into the things that we're passionate about. For me, you know, I've

been very blessed with great mentors. feel for me personally, paying it forward mentorship sponsorship has been something I've leaned into in my life to help others and pay it forward. I'm also an engineer. So I work a lot in cybersecurity and technology. So I'm very focused in that space at helping the world to make, you know, helping the United States make sure it's and secure from any potential breaches and attacks and

you know, I'm also a mom, so I'm branded that way. I think a lot of times, you know, I'll post occasionally about things with my kids. It's not something that I, you know, I'm always about or always focusing on. But it's something that's important to me, because it's a piece of me. And I think a lot of times when I see branding online, like, you know, for me, I'm messy, I don't say the words perfectly all the time. You know, I've

crazy hair and lipstick and I just lean into authenticity of my brand. And I think that's something that I think is very important. You know, if you're not an organized person, don't show up like you're very organized. I think just being authentic and sharing things with the world. I know for me, I operate out of a place of abundance. don't operate like if I help you it's

You know, I'm not gonna have more, I operate out of a place of abundance and therefore I have a lot of different communities of people that I have had for some 30 years, some 40 years, some two years, and I just lean into all of them.

Neha Dutta (12:30)
So what I was, that's true gold, but what I was hearing is having the right mentors, having a good support system or a community or your village. Then of course we can all wear seven hats as women and we can always have a point of view on each hat. You don't need to always wear the DEI hat, right? You could be a mom, a teacher, a student, and then have your point of view in terms of your branding.

right in terms of one messaging. And the other thing is that which I completely out of all this, which one thing which I completely resonate is that you can't have a false branding, right? You can't be something which is not raw and authentic because you can't have something for eight hours. I think that's the reason that our job is not our branding because what we do can change over time.

right as a part of what we are getting paid to do but our branding is something that we have come up with right and that I think should not be the flavor of the month it should really really be intrinsic to who you belong to and you have at least that has to be authentic otherwise thoughts words and actions will not match and we will falter somewhere

Melissa Aarskaug (13:40)
Yeah, and I think it's okay to, you know, I've had many different careers in my life. And so I've kind of been that change maker, you know, kind of pushed through the fear kind of gal. And I know how I branded myself 10 years ago is very different than how I brand myself now, or how I branded myself before children is very different than how I brand myself now.

Neha Dutta (14:03)
I think then I think will it be a fair statement to say, Melissa, that as you evolve or the kind of work that you're doing, right, or the kind of path that you have for you, that should, you know, kind of play a role in the way you project yourself, right? So for instance, today you might be among

Melissa Aarskaug (14:21)
100%.

Yeah, and I think there's a silver lining through all of it, right? You I went from engineering to cybersecurity and now I host a podcast. None of those are directly in common, but there's a common thread through a lot of the brands that I am and how I identify myself. And so I think there is always a silver lining in the pieces that make you a whole human. There's some thread. That's the key with branding is finding

the intersection of all these pieces and bringing forward that for whoever you're branding for.

Neha Dutta (15:03)
Correct. So I think without you telling me, I can absolutely sense that change management, being able to embrace new challenges, right? And always starting to do something new and building things from scratch. Those are some of the things that you would always believe in, right? So, and that is something which will be a part of your, maybe today the baton that you're holding could be a technology company, senior executive.

Melissa Aarskaug (15:19)
100%.

Neha Dutta (15:29)
and tomorrow it could be a consulting or whatever. But those are some of the ethics that you would be always a believer in.

Melissa Aarskaug (15:36)
Yeah, 100%. I have my day job that I love, but I'm also very passionate. When I shut my work computer and I move into my evening, I spend a lot of time out in the community, mentoring other people, learning different things. We talked about AI. AI is not something I do all day every day, but I learn about it because it's important to my role and any future roles I may have. So I think the other thing about branding is if...

Neha Dutta (16:00)
That's a close yes.

Melissa Aarskaug (16:03)
If you really, I'll just use this. Like for me, I know I wanted to be a speaker because I had things to say years ago, but I was so nervous to get out and speak. I was just petrified to do it. yes, yes.

Neha Dutta (16:10)
So what

what changed?

Melissa Aarskaug (16:20)
I think it's practice, right? It's the same thing with any job or anything that's worth doing. Whether it's being a good parent or being a good employee, it takes practice, right? And so I remember, I've told this story a couple of times. The first time I spoke, I had my back to the audience. I'm like, look, here's the situation. I'm so nervous to speak in front of you. When I'm comfortable, I'm gonna turn around and be able to talk to you. And everybody in the room started laughing and clapping and they made me confident because

I was my authentic self to the room. I was honest with the people that were listening and some of them could identify with being nervous in front of a room. And so I think it's just, it's being authentic, right? And being comfortable with evolving as a person, as a leader, as a human, however you classify yourself.

Neha Dutta (17:10)
Amazing, amazing. Even if you are a scared person today, that doesn't mean that you can never be a public speaker or something. These are skills that we can acquire even if we are not gifted with it when we are born, right? So these are all some of the skills because I know public speaking is a very, very important aspect for many people for whom it does not come organically.

So definitely it's a skill that can get acquired and with practice you can be wherever you want to. And now you see you are on the other side where you have other people speak. Right? So it's like complete 180 degree change.

Melissa Aarskaug (17:50)
100%. And I look back just even at some of my beginning podcasts, I didn't start a podcast for me. I started a podcast because so many people were asking me about the same topics. And I remember when I was first doing the podcast, my guests were friends of mine and I was stuttering through the podcast. I knew some of them for 20 plus years and it's just learning and growing, right? I think that's the key is to have the right attitude.

Neha Dutta (18:11)
ahead.

Melissa Aarskaug (18:19)
with whatever it is you're choosing to do. If it's not speaking, if it's pivoting careers, you know, get the tools tool up before you do something and, and ask some people that are in a field that you're interested. I know I almost became a patent attorney after college because I had a dual engineering degree. And I shouted a patent in attorney and I said, absolutely no way do I ever want to be a patent attorney. Because I have the information.

Neha Dutta (18:44)
We're good.

Melissa Aarskaug (18:47)
and the data to make that decision.

Neha Dutta (18:50)
Amazing amazing cool. So I think this is fun. So Melissa we've kind of come to the last and kind of a fun segment here where You're going to tell our listeners of a particular book that has really really inspired you if you are a book person

Melissa Aarskaug (18:51)
Yes.

Neha Dutta (19:09)
Or if you were a travel person, then tell us a destination that's really, really inspired you. What would you want to go to?

Melissa Aarskaug (19:16)
geez, that's a tough question. But I would say a book that I love that I've I've I've followed a lot in my life. It's by Jim Rohn, the seasons of life. And I think everything that happens around us, there's a season for it. And I'll just correlate it to changing a job, there's going to be some there's a learning curve or having a baby, you got to, you know, get your body back or go through some changes with your body or

Neha Dutta (19:18)
Hey

Melissa Aarskaug (19:43)
You know, as our parents get older, adjusting to that. And I think the one thing that I love that Jim Rohn talks about is be okay with the season that you're in. And you don't have to be so buttoned up with everything and have it all figured out. you know, I know personally for myself, I don't have it all figured out and I am constantly growing and learning and.

One practice I have every day that I write down, almost every day, but sometimes I don't make it, is to write down something new that I learned. And I write it down. Like last night, I gave a quick speech and I was on the floor and I wrote down last night that I need to stand up to where people could see me that were in a room of 200 people.

And something as silly as telling yourself next time you're in a big room to stand on a chair or a podium so everybody can hear who's talking seems really simple, but it's something I didn't think about until it happened to me last night.

Neha Dutta (20:39)
in.

Amazing. So self-learning is something that we can learn from that habit. Definitely.

Melissa Aarskaug (20:52)
100%.

Neha Dutta (20:53)
And if people want to be in touch with you, they have questions or they want to contact you for anything that you've spoken about or mentorship, what is the best way that they can reach you, Melissa?

Melissa Aarskaug (21:06)
either the my my LinkedIn account, Melissa Arskog, you can also follow me and anything I speak on on the executive connect podcast. It's a different way of leadership. I bring in different guests on anything from AI to how to negotiate your salary and a mindset. But I'd love to take help and support you guys in your journey and

and realize we're all in this together. No matter what walk of life you are, it's our job to support and uplift each other in a positive way.

Neha Dutta (21:40)
Absolutely. On that note, thank you so much, Melissa, for your time. And I'm so happy that we were able to cover so many topics and people will be able to hear and learn so much from it. Thank you for your time again and have a great birthday week and see you again soon. Thank you, everyone.

Melissa Aarskaug (21:56)
Thank you so much for

inviting me to be on.

Neha Dutta (21:59)
Thank you.