Welcome back to another episode of Ask The Expert. This week we’re joined by Jeff Cross, ISSA Media Director and Mr. Cleanfax himself. This is not your typical Ask The Expert episode. We talk about all things AI, deadlines, and coffee. While some may wonder why “competitors” are sharing the stage on this podcast, Kayla and Jeff go way back. From Kayla’s early days in the industry to Kayla even serving as Jeff’s camera woman once, they share the common goal of delivering industry news, collaborating, and helping move the industry forward.

One this episode, Jeff and Kayla share:

• AI is a tool and it should be used that way. Jeff framed it as the “fastest intern” or tool in your toolbox. It works well for research, verification, formatting and support, but not for replacing human interviews, judgment, or original reporting.
• The biggest risk with AI is confidently presenting inaccurate information. Jeff explains that AI can be wrong, forget proper context, or share outdated answers. It still needs supervision and fact-checking, especially when publishing industry content.  
• Deadlines can seem scary to most, but they keep us structured and our work moving. As Jeff says, deadlines are “our friend” and the main reason things get published. Without them, projects would drift and the quality would decline.
• We discuss the importance deadlines play outside of publishing. Timelines and deadlines are tied to day-to-day work in the industry, from claims and payments to customer trust and operations.  
• Staying realistic, maintaining quality, and delivering on time revolve around giving yourself extra runway so last-minute projects or deadlines don’t derail you.
• For Jeff and Kayla, coffee is more than fuel; it’s part of their daily workflow and routine. Though their preferences in coffee differ, Jeff prefers a bold cup of coffee while Kayla loves lattes. Both of them agree that coffee helps keep their day moving. Sometimes the number of times a cup gets reheated says everything about the day you’ve had.