We’ve officially reached a tipping point in digital marketing where most of our web/social traffic is bots. And creating more content or optimizing harder for digital scrapers will not help.
The good news is, you’ve already got the solution: being human.
So to explore how brands and solo founders can build genuine trust in an increasingly synthetic web, I spoke with the one and only Maggie Arai, founder of IRL Studios (an event design agency for B2B and online-first businesses) and creator of the Founders Who Give a F (FWGAF) community.
Based in Toronto, Maggie transitioned from law and policy into event design after launching Happier in 2022. It’s a direct-to-consumer events initiative that hosted over 65 gatherings aimed at helping adults build real friendships amidst a widespread loneliness epidemic.
You can feel Maggie’s energy and passion through the screen, so I decided to upload the entire 25 minutes of our conversation.
Here are some helpful timestamps for you:
00:00 to 06:00: Introduction where you can get to know Maggie and her expertise
Starting from 06:00, hear what we’re actually talking about today: human connection, the loneliness epidemic, and the importance of human-human connection in the age of AI, in-person events, and generating trust with brands and founders.
Starting from 14:00, founders can find tips on: personal branding, community engagement, where to start, and field marketing mix suggestions if you’re working with limited time per week.
But if you prefer reading the conversation, here’s what we spoke about!
Grounding yourself in a noisy digital world
Annisa: Maggie, your career revolves around bringing people together in person. How do you manage your own bandwidth in a world that’s constantly demanding our attention, both online and off?
Maggie: I’ll be totally transparent: I can actually be quite bad at managing my bandwidth! Because I’m privileged to have built so many incredible social connections over the last few years, my calendar fills up fast. Between client events, weddings, family commitments, and personal relationships, it’s an ongoing practice.
What keeps me sane are non-negotiable boundaries. For example, my fiancé and I have a recurring Tuesday night date night locked into our calendar. We live together, but without that explicit hold, we could easily go a week without truly checking in. I also schedule FaceTime calls with my family on alternating Sundays to unplug from social media algorithms.
Most importantly, I literally schedule “No” nights on my calendar. These are dedicated evenings reserved for resting on the couch, reading, or watching TV without scrolling through feeds. Protecting your energy isn’t a passive outcome; it’s an active calendar entry.
Reframing connection in the era of “AI Slop”
Annisa: I’ve heard of recent data saying that half of our web traffic or social traffic is now generated by non-human bots. Nearly 70% of search queries end without a user ever clicking through to a website. As an IRL event specialist, what do you make of this shift, and how do brands build actual trust when the digital environment feels so synthetic?
Caveat on the 70% claim for this segment:
While humans still account for roughly 40% of standard, raw internet requests, automated bots and AI crawlers have officially taken over the majority of the web at nearly 60% of all traffic.
The ‘70%’ figure (that I mentioned in the video too) is accurate when looking at dynamic server resource usage (CPU and RAM consumed by AI agents executing complex scripts) and how AI bots corrupt analytics, with over 70% of AI-driven visits misattributed as human traffic.
Sources: Cloudflare Radar Traffic Data, 2026 AI Bot Impact Report, Web60.ie
Maggie: It really highlights that online platforms should be treated as bridges and not destinations.
For me, platforms like LinkedIn are tools to initiate actual human interactions. If I see someone doing interesting work, I don’t just hit “like”. Instead, I send a casual DM and invite them to a non-sales virtual coffee chat.
“That’s how real trust is built. You move from an avatar to a face, a voice, and a human conversation.” - Maggie Arai
From a corporate branding standpoint, optimization for AI answer engines is going to happen regardless. But marketing leaders are shifting significant budget back into in-person events because consumers crave verified, authentic touchpoints. When people aren’t sure if what they see online is real, showing up in person becomes the ultimate trust engine.
Annisa: When brands host events, how can they make sure the human element stays front and center? Where do most branded events go wrong?
Maggie: The most common trap brands fall into is treating their attendees like props.
We’ve all been to brand activations that are designed purely for Instagram with beautiful backdrops, photo walls, disco balls. But what about the attendees? They often just stand there passively. These look great in a recap video, but the experience is hollow. And people are growing tired of that.
To fix this, brands need to double down on the human experience inside the room. That means leveraging your team and employees to offer genuine warmth, foster two-way dialogue, and show real curiosity toward guests. People don’t want to make friends with a logo or a corporate entity; they want to connect with the real people behind it.
Strategic advice for Solopreneurs & Lean Teams when it comes to IRL events or marketing and community
Annisa: If you were a founder with less than 20 hours a week to dedicate to marketing and networking, how would you approach building a presence? Should early-stage founders start their own community or join existing ones?
Maggie: Starting a formal community from scratch takes an incredible amount of operational bandwidth. If running a community isn’t your core business model, I usually advise against launching a full-blown community right away.
Instead, start in two practical ways:
Build an informal peer network: Use direct outreach on one chosen platform to build casual, 1-on-1 relationships with peer founders at your stage. These organic coffee chats give you the emotional support system you need as an entrepreneur without the maintenance overhead of managing a group.
Join pre-existing, curated communities that match your niche: Pay to join established, high-quality communities where dedicated community managers handle programming, events, and moderation. You get all the structured networking without the operational drag.
When you have a limited time budget for content marketing, pick one platform (two maximum) where your audience naturally lives. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel every week. Create repeatable content series. For instance, I run a series breaking down how I would design an event for specific brands. It reduces cognitive friction and builds a recognizable format your audience can look forward to!
Overcoming 'fear’ of putting ourselves out there: Personal Branding
Annisa: Putting yourself out there online, especially on professional networks like LinkedIn, can feel intimidating for many. What mindset advice do you have for founders struggling to start?
Maggie: Ease into it. You don’t need to post polished videos or personal photos immediately. Start with simple, text-based insights.
Second, remember that LinkedIn is generally much kinder than platforms like TikTok or Instagram. Because accounts are tied to real names, professional reputations, and employer profiles, people are significantly less anonymous and far less toxic.
Lastly, if fear of judgment from former co-workers or past bosses is holding you back, it is completely okay to block them. If blocking your “arch-nemesis” from a previous 9-to-5 gives you the mental peace of mind to share your voice, do it without guilt!
That said, in my experience, people from your past are usually far more supportive of your transition than you anticipate. When I made the pivot from law and policy to community and events, my former directors and managers were the first ones commenting with congratulations!
Being human will help you and your brand survive the AI era - key takeaways:
Social media is great for starting conversations. Treat it like a bridge that helps you move into DMs, virtual coffee chats, or in-person meetups.
Focus events on human experience that helps warm up connections and attendee engagement, over photo ops. Human connection is what makes an event successful!
Focus, focus, focus. Simplify your channels. There is no need for 5 channels at once if you won’t have the bandwidth to maintain it.
Understand that digital channels will continue to be filled with AI automation. It’s not entirely a bad thing! AI will help recommend you to your buyers. But offline trust, authentic personal brand, and a close-knit network will be your core competitive advantage.
Feeling inspired? Virtual coffee with Maggie!
Maggie is open to networking and authentic, no-sales virtual chats! So if you’re open to it, you can connect with her directly on LinkedIn.
To being human!
Annisa
PS: As of this article’s publishing date, Maggie’s fiancé has received a promotion to husband! Long live your love, Maggie & Ademola. Congratulations on your union 💙