“The businesses that win with AI won't be the ones with the biggest budgets. They'll be the ones that stop paying humans to do computer work.”
- David Cartolano
David Cartolano
CAIO: Chief AI Officer
I didn't start in tech. I failed out of physical therapy school, joined a business group three days later, and took a 22-hour train ride to crash on my twin brother's couch. That pivot led me into digital marketing, and eventually, into AI.
In March 2021, before ChatGPT existed, I started using AI to keep up with a job that demanded 3 to 8 emails a day. I wasn't a developer. I had a business problem. The best teacher I ever had told my class: “If you aren't working to become more efficient and effective, you're basically procrastinating.” That line never left me.
Over five years running my own business, I built prospecting systems, automated content pipelines, and ran campaigns that turned small lists into serious revenue. Now I do it at scale as AI Business Strategist at Astra Heed, finding where AI can do the heavy lifting, then building the systems to make it happen.
My focus is self-storage and blue-collar operations — industries where the margins are real but the tech budgets aren't.
// Expertise
Where I Add Value
AI for Operations
Spotting the tasks your team does over and over: the ones that eat up time but don't need a person to do them.
Workflow Automation Mapping
Figuring out which tasks to automate first, starting with the ones that will save you the most time and money.
AI Tool Evaluation
Sorting through all the AI tools out there to find what actually works for a business like yours, without wasting money on the wrong ones.
Translating AI for Operators
Explaining AI in plain English while clearing up the hype.
// Experience
The Path Here
AI Business Strategist
Astra Heed
Mar 2026 - Present
- ›Finding where AI can do the heavy lifting across the business, then building the agents and workflows to make it happen
- ›Multiplying the output of one person by deploying AI systems that handle repetitive, high-volume work
- ›Bridging the gap between what AI can actually do and what leadership needs to make fast, informed decisions
Marketing Manager
Wealthy Inbox LLC · Self-employed
Mar 2021 - Mar 2026
- ›Ran my own business, dealing with the highs and lows that come with being a business owner
- ›Built and deployed GTM and prospecting automation using Clay, Instantly, and OpenAI/Anthropic APIs, eliminating 100+ hours of manual prospecting
- ›Drove $50K+ from a single email campaign targeting a small list for a $197 product through precise audience segmentation and messaging
Digital Marketing Manager
Pursuit of Profit
Oct 2020 - Dec 2021
- ›Was pumping out 3-8 emails a day for broadcasts, webinars, and events, and made the call to get efficient or bleed
- ›First used AI in March 2021 (before ChatGPT) to keep up with the pace; deployed Jasper.ai workflows that cut production time by 50%
- ›Managed paid advertising campaigns with a consistent 1.5–2.0x return on ad spend
Video Editor
Self-employed
Aug 2019 - Oct 2020
- ›Ran a freelance video editing operation out of Florida
- ›First time running something independently: no playbook, just figuring it out
// Contact