The topic? How they can use AI tools to save time, repurpose content, and help their athletes build real personal brands.
The person I spoke alongside? Dennis Yu.
If you know anything about digital marketing, you’ve likely heard his name. Dennis is the CEO of BlitzMetrics, a former search engineer at Yahoo, and has run campaigns for companies like Nike, Starbucks, and the Golden State Warriors.
Getting to present with him felt like having a cheat code..
Prepping with Dennis the Night Before
I drove to Chicago on May 13, met up with Dennis, and met Danny Leibrandt in person for the first time—someone whose work I’ve written about in past articles. Danny had spoken earlier that day as one of the featured voices at a separate conference.
That night, Dennis and I reviewed what we planned to cover and walked through the structure of the talk. We focused on how to demonstrate the value of AI without being vague or just calling it “the future.” No script—just real tools and real use cases.
The next morning, after some final prep, we set up the room and got started.
How We Opened
Dennis introduced me by pulling up some of my digital assets—my Google Knowledge Panel, Instagram, TikTok, and even a few of my dunk videos.
It wasn’t to show off. It was to show club directors what’s possible when their athletes build personal brands through consistent content and clear proof of who they are and what they do.
Then Dennis asked the crowd, “Wouldn’t it be cool if your athletes had this? Not for vanity—but to earn scholarships or NIL deals?”
Plenty of heads nodded.
For most club owners, helping their athletes stand out is a top priority. And when one athlete wins, the whole club benefits.
What We Actually Shared
Here’s some of the tools and frameworks we covered during the session:
- AI as a helpful assistant
We explained how custom GPTs / agents can act like staff—handling tasks like blog writing, content production, and SEO audits. - Repurposing real content
We showed how a transcript of a podcast / long form video could be turned into multiple pieces of content. This very blog post, for example, started as a transcript. - Brandon the blog writer + Jennifer the grader
We demoed “Brandon,” our blog-writing GPT, and “Jennifer,” the AI grader that uses BlitzMetrics’ standards to improve writing. - Live website audits
Dennis pulled up websites from two volunteers—Prodigy VB and Big City Volleyball—and used AI to find missing content, like FAQs, coach bios, and parent info that would improve conversion and Google rankings. - Why storytelling matters
We talked about moving beyond highlight videos. The strongest brands, whether club or personal, are built on stories, not stats.
What the Audience Took Away
The most meaningful part of the talk came after we wrapped up the main session.
People stayed behind to ask thoughtful, specific questions—proof they were practicing active listening.
I answered as many as I could, and Dennis did the same.
That level of interaction is what made the session feel like it actually landed.
Dennis Yu, Briana Schunzel, Dylan Haugen
Building Credibility Through Action
I’ll be honest, I was nervous before speaking. But having Dennis next to me took the edge off. He’s done over 850 talks like this, and him being there helped me stay focused and confident.
Even though I was nervous, we delivered real value.
We shared:
- Voice mode demo on ChatGPT
- Live audits of real websites
- Examples of content turned into blog posts
That’s what builds credibility: showing the work.
Beyond the Talk: What Happened After
After the session, Dennis, my Dad, and I grabbed lunch, and then I found a local basketball court. Every time I visit a new city, I try to get in a dunk session.
The rim was very low (9’9”), but I threw down some good dunks:
- Windmill
- Double up X
- East Bay
- Cuff windmill
- Reverse pump
I normally have low rim dunks sessions on Wednesday’s right now anyway, so why not film some dunks for content and the memory.
What I Learned
Giving my first talk at the Align Summit was a big step—and I learned a lot in the process.
I was definitely nervous going in. Not because I didn’t know the material, but because this wasn’t like a class presentation where the topic didn’t interest me. This time, I actually cared. And so did the audience.
Here’s what helped:
- I spoke about something I actually do. No script, I simply shared what I already knew from experience.
- I used AI to create a rough outline. We didn’t follow it exactly, but it gave us structure. From there, we adjusted based on the questions and flow of the room.
- I learned not to overestimate how much the audience knows. Once I heard some of the questions, I realized I didn’t have to be perfect—I just had to stay clear and useful.
- We didn’t use slides. Just real demos, real websites, and live examples. That made the whole thing more practical and engaging.
Right after the event, Dennis and I recorded a podcast breaking down what worked, how I prepared, and what I’d tell anyone speaking for the first time.
If you’ve got a presentation coming up or want to hear what it’s like to speak at a real industry event, this podcast is for you.
What’s Next
Speaking at Align was the first step. Since then, Dennis invited me to speak again—this time at DigiMarCon in Minneapolis, where I spoke twice and built on everything I learned from the first event.
Each talk has helped me explain and present things better, especially when it comes to showing real use cases of AI, content repurposing, and personal branding for athletes and organizations.
I plan to keep speaking, keep improving, and keep documenting the process.
Stay tuned for more.
About The Author
