Joe Apfelbaum
CEO and Founder
evyAI and Ajax Union
Episode 7
Strategic Investment: Unlocking Massive Revenue Through AI & LinkedIn Training
Current chapter: Welcome to the Build by People podcast. Built by People is presented by Previ
Built By PeopleJanuary 26, 2026 · 10:12
Thesis
“Organizations must invest significantly in continuous, personalized training for their people, especially in AI and digital communication tools like LinkedIn, to foster authentic engagement, unlock substantial revenue growth, and ensure ongoing organizational thriving in a rapidly evolving landscape.”
Show notes
Joe Apfelbaum started with a simple premise: formal education will make you a living, but self-education will make you a fortune. He tested that theory by teaching himself web design, pivoting into digital marketing, and eventually building two companies — Ajax Union and evyAI — on the back of one conviction: that most organizations are severely underinvesting in their people's ability to communicate and grow.
In this episode, Joe makes a case that feels counterintuitive until it clicks: spend as much on your people's training as you spend on their salary. Not because it's generous — because it's the highest-ROI move a company can make. He watched a sales rep close a million-dollar deal after learning to use LinkedIn properly. He watched a client triple her business in two years by getting systematic about professional networking. The returns, he argues, are hiding in plain sight.
The AI angle is equally sharp. Joe's point isn't that AI will replace communication — it's that most employees are already using it, and they're doing it wrong. Without a "voice strategy" — a deliberate effort to train AI tools on how you actually sound — what comes out is generic, lifeless, and indistinguishable from anyone else. The organizations that figure this out will compound the advantage every year. The ones that don't will fall further behind.
What you'll learn:
- Why Joe advocates spending as much on training as on salary — and the ROI data behind it
- How one structured LinkedIn program helped a sales rep close a million-dollar deal
- What a "voice strategy" is and why it's the missing piece in most companies' AI adoption
- How self-education drives career pivots — and what Joe's own path from aspiring rabbi to CEO teaches
- The tools Joe's team uses daily (and why keeping up with them is a full-time job)
Built by People is presented by Previ — the free tool that helps HR teams boost internal communication engagement.
What you'll take away
- 1Self-education is crucial for achieving significant career and financial success, enabling individuals to adapt and pivot into new, high-demand areas like AI and digital marketing.
- 2Proactive and structured LinkedIn engagement (posting, engaging, messaging, connecting) is a powerful, underutilized channel for sales and business growth, capable of generating significant ROI.
- 3Companies should dedicate substantial resources to training their employees, especially sales teams, on modern tools and authentic AI usage, viewing it as a direct investment in revenue and dedication rather than just a cost.
- 4To effectively and authentically leverage AI for communication, individuals and organizations must first define their unique 'voice strategy' and train AI models to reflect it, avoiding generic outputs.
- 5Continuous learning and embracing technological advancements are non-negotiable for organizational survival and growth; stagnation in training leads to decline.
What most organizations get wrong
- •Spend as much as you spend on their salary on their training and watch what happens. It'll completely revolutionize the way they show up, the dedication they have to your company.
In Joe's words
“formal education will make you a living. Self-education will make you a fortune.”
This quote encapsulates the guest's personal journey and philosophy on learning and growth.
“If you build it, they will not come. You need to market it.”
This statement challenges a common misconception, emphasizing the necessity of proactive marketing for visibility and success.
“I think that people are now starting to use AI more than ever in their communication. And I think a lot of employees are not, a lot of employees are not trained on how to use AI in an authentic way.”
This highlights a critical gap in current AI adoption within organizations, specifically regarding genuine communication.
“Invest in your people, train your people. So many organizations are not willing to train their sales teams properly. Spend as much as you spend on their salary on their training and watch what happens.”
This provides bold and actionable advice on prioritizing employee training as a direct driver of company success and dedication.
“If you are not investing in training right now, your employees are not learning. And if you're not growing, you're dying.”
This serves as a strong warning, underscoring the direct link between continuous learning, growth, and organizational survival.
The problems this episode addresses
- •Sales teams and employees often fail to leverage professional networking platforms like LinkedIn effectively, missing significant revenue generation and brand-building opportunities.
- •Lack of authentic AI integration in communication due to insufficient training on 'voice strategy,' leading to generic or ineffective messaging.
- •Organizations frequently underinvest in comprehensive employee training, particularly for sales and digital skills, hindering performance, engagement, and long-term company growth.
- •Difficulty in cutting through digital noise to achieve genuine engagement, making it challenging for important information to be seen, understood, and acted upon by employees or customers.
In this episode
Welcome to the Build by People podcast. Built by People is presented by Previ
Built by People: The HR Podcast
Joe Leverage says his father wanted him to be a rabbi
How I Went From Being a Rabbi to Being a Leader
I rolled out an initiative to help sales reps use LinkedIn effectively
What's one initiative you rolled out recently?
People are now starting to use AI more than ever in their communication
How to Use AI in Communication
What tools or platforms are most essential for your operations today
What tools or platforms are most essential for your operations today?
If you are not investing in training right now, your employees are not learning
Built by People: Invest in Your People
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
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