10 Years Ago I’d Replace My Team with AI — Now They’re Irreplaceable

Ten years ago, I’ll admit it — if AI had been what it is today, I probably would have fired everyone and let the algorithms take over.

I was younger, more impatient, and convinced that if a machine could do it faster, it was automatically better.

Back then, speed was everything. Efficiency was the holy grail. And I thought loyalty was something you gave your customers, not your employees.

But now? Not a chance.

I wouldn’t trade my team for the world. Not for AI. Not for a promise of cutting costs. Not for anything.

This is the story of how my business — and my mindset — evolved from Creactive Inc to Baadigi, why I see AI as a launchpad instead of a replacement, and why the humans beside me are still my greatest advantage.

The Creactive Years: Hustle Mode

In January 2015, my partner and I launched Creactive Inc. We didn’t exactly tiptoe into the market.

Our first month? 42 new clients. By April, 83 active SEO clients — no fluff, no inflated numbers.

We didn’t run Facebook ads. We didn’t touch Google Ads. All we did was search engine optimization and WordPress web design — and we were damn good at it.

If you wanted results, you got them. If you wanted excuses, you didn’t call us.

Back then, I wore every hat in the building:

• Built websites from scratch.
• Wrote every piece of content.
• Optimized every title tag, meta description, and backlink strategy.
• Took every client call.

We worked with anyone who needed us — lawyers, salons, bookkeepers, local shops. If they needed an online presence, we were their people. And the results? Better than I could have imagined. We were building something real, fast, and with nothing more than grit, caffeine, and stubbornness.

The Google Meltdown

Then came the curveball.

One random April morning, every single one of our Google My Business listings got locked.

Not just the ones we created — even if someone added me as a manager on their listing, their GMB got shut down too.

My partner walked in looking like he’d just watched the company implode and asked,

“What do we do?”

Without missing a beat, I said:

“I don’t know. Sell Bing!”

Turns out, my email address had been blacklisted by Google.

We’d added so many businesses so quickly that they assumed we were fraudsters.

It was chaos — calls from clients, listings disappearing from search, pressure building by the hour. But here’s the thing: my team didn’t panic. They kept working, kept troubleshooting, kept talking to clients. Eventually, we got whitelisted and bounced back stronger.

That moment taught me something: no matter how good your systems are, they’re worthless without the people who know how to keep things moving when everything hits the fan.

Scaling Without AI

At one point, we had 285 active monthly clients — and here’s the kicker — we managed all of them with basically one customer support agent. That person?

Michelle Rock. And she’s still with me today, now heading up customer support at Baadigi in 2025.

Back then, we didn’t have AI.

What we did have were automations, processes, and a willingness to figure things out on the fly. We built efficiencies that let a small crew handle massive workloads — and many of those systems still run today.

We were proof that you could scale without bloating payroll — if you hired smart, set clear expectations, and trusted your people to get the job done.

The Baadigi Evolution

Over time, the market shifted. SEO was still king, but clients wanted more — ads, social, better branding, conversion tracking.

We evolved into Baadigi, a company built to deliver full-spectrum digital marketing for home service pros.

This wasn’t just a name change — it was a mindset shift. We weren’t just “getting people on Google” anymore. We were building entire growth engines for businesses.

The core team stayed small but mighty. We streamlined, specialized, and doubled down on what worked. And somewhere along the way, I stopped looking at employees as “cost centers” and started seeing them as multipliers.

Each person on my team takes what AI or automation can do — and makes it better, more creative, more human.

Enter AI: Mach-10 Mode

Fast-forward to today.

I’ve got ADHD. My team knows it. I naturally operate at about 200 mph — but with AI, I’m at Mach 10.

I can:

• Research a client’s competitors.
• Audit multiple websites.
• Plan and launch SEO campaigns.
• Generate content ideas.
• Build outlines.

…all before my 9:30 a.m. meeting.

That’s not hype. That’s just how fast AI lets me move. But here’s the thing — that speed is useless if it’s not aimed at the right targets. And that’s where my team comes in.

Why AI Won’t Replace My Team

Here’s the truth no one in the “AI is coming for your job” camp wants to admit:

AI makes mistakes. Big ones. So do humans.

AI doesn’t complain — neither does my team.

AI works fast — so does my team.

The difference?

My people care. They think about the why, the impact, and the client’s bigger picture. They can spot when something’s off, push back when needed, and pivot in ways AI can’t.

And here’s something I live by — a motto I’ve carried for years:

Treat your employees better than their spouse does, and they’ll rather come to work than stay home.

That’s not just a cute saying. That’s how you build loyalty, retention, and a workplace people actually want to be part of. You can’t automate that. You can’t prompt AI for it. That’s culture. And culture is built by humans.

If you want proof, just look at our roster.

Our very first web developer stayed with us for seven years — a lifetime in the digital world. When he moved on, we brought in Sam Philip, who’s been crushing it since 2019.

Our copywriter? Rona Marie — still here since 2019, shaping our voice.

Project management? Roshan Vinayan — with us since 2022, keeping the chaos under control.

Customer support? Michelle Rock — she started as a single CS rep back in the Creactive days and is now our Director of Customer Support.

And sales and business development? Amira Dan — also since 2022, building relationships and driving growth.

We keep our people for a reason: they’re amazing, and we make sure they know it. They’re not here because they can’t find another job — they’re here because they’d rather be part of this team than anywhere else.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

Ten years ago, it took 12–14 people to run the business.

Today, it takes 5 — and we’re doing more, better, and faster. That’s not because AI replaced jobs. That’s because AI amplified what my people can do.

And here’s the part most business owners miss:

AI doesn’t just create efficiency — it creates opportunity. Every employee who learns how to use AI and masters prompt engineering is leveling up their own career. That person could be the next big business owner, the next team lead, or the one steering the ship when I step back.

AI Can Make You Lean — But the Right Team Makes You Scale

There’s no doubt in my mind that a few years from now — maybe even right now — there’s a business owner out there running a $100K-a-month company with zero employees.

I get it. That sounds like the dream. Less overhead. Less HR. More control.

But here’s the difference I see:

With the right team of four or five highly skilled, AI-powered people, that same business could be pulling in $500K a month. In my experience, lean and solo can get you far — but collaboration, experience, and human creativity multiply what’s possible. AI can run processes, but people build momentum.

The Real Job Creator

Let’s be clear — without entrepreneurs, there are no jobs. Without us, there’s no AI to “replace” anyone with. Someone has to take the risks, pay the bills, and keep the lights on.

My team has been built over a decade. They’ve been through the fires — algorithm updates, client crises, market shifts. They’ve adapted and thrived. You don’t throw that away for a shiny new tool.

AI as a Beginning, Not an Ending

The real story here is that AI isn’t replacing us — it’s changing us. It’s forcing us to evolve faster, think bigger, and find new ways to deliver value.

I don’t see that as a threat. I see it as an opening.

In my world, the future belongs to the human-AI hybrids — the ones who can harness technology, think strategically, and still pick up the phone when a client needs them. That’s my team. That’s Baadigi.

Final Thought: Ten years ago, I might have looked at AI as a shortcut. Today, I see it as a slingshot. But no matter how powerful the tech gets, the thing that makes it truly unstoppable is the people holding it.

About the Author

Ryan Goering is the Founder & CEO of Baadigi, a digital marketing agency that helps home service pros dominate their market with SEO, ads, and smart automation. A former Marine with a knack for scaling lean teams, Ryan has spent the last decade building businesses that blend human creativity with cutting-edge tech — without losing the human touch. He’s a straight-shooter, lifelong entrepreneur, and firm believer in one rule: treat your employees better than their spouse does, and they’ll rather come to work than stay home.