Writing

Notes from the field.

Lessons from building voice agents for real businesses. Every article comes from one of my videos, so you can read it or watch it.

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Operations3 min read

What Happens When an AI Assistant Answers Every Call You Miss

I replaced my own voicemail with an AI assistant, then turned it into a 24/7 call screener. Here's what it does and why it's worth it for a busy owner.

October 2, 2026Read →

Compliance4 min read

Can Your AI Agent Legally Call That Number? TCPA Basics

Who you can call, what real consent looks like, and what your agent has to do on every call before you launch an outbound campaign.

August 13, 2026Read →

Buying guide4 min read

Sierra or Retell AI: What I'd Check Before Buying a Voice Agent Platform

I called a live Sierra voice agent and a Retell equivalent back to back. Here's how they compare on speed, ownership, data control, and price.

August 7, 2026Read →

Operations3 min read

How a Voice Agent Connects to the Phone System You Already Have

Cloud PBX, a cell phone, or an on site system: there are only two ways to forward calls to an AI agent, and you keep your public number either way.

July 15, 2026Read →

Behind the build3 min read

Making a Voice Agent Sound Human Takes More Than a Good Voice

Retell's Expressive Mode lets an agent sigh, pause, and soften its tone. The toggle is the easy part. Here's what actually makes it land on a call.

July 9, 2026Read →

Operations3 min read

Why Outbound AI Calls Get Flagged as Spam Likely, and How We Prevent It

You can have a great script and a clean lead list and still get zero pickups. Here's what the carriers are doing to your number and the settings that fix it.

July 2, 2026Read →

Behind the build3 min read

Single Prompt or Conversational Flow: How Your Voice Agent Should Be Built

There are two ways to build a voice agent on Retell, and one is almost always a mistake. Here's which one we use, when the other wins, and what beats both.

June 5, 2026Read →

Buying guide3 min read

Which AI Voice Should Answer Your Phones? What Held Up on Real Calls

After two years testing every Retell AI voice across dozens of production agents, these are the ones that pass as human, plus the accent trick that beats all of them.

June 4, 2026Read →

Buying guide4 min read

Retell AI vs ElevenLabs: Which One Should Run Your Business Phone Agent?

I built agents on both platforms and compared realism, testing, telephony, latency, and cost. Here's where each one wins and which one we build client agents on.

April 24, 2026Read →

Behind the build4 min read

What Actually Goes Into a Good Voice Agent

Behind the friendly voice are dozens of settings, tools, and tests. Here's what goes into a production agent on Retell AI, so you know what a solid build looks like.

December 22, 2025Read →

Operations3 min read

When Your Voice Agent Doesn't Know, It Should Ask You

Human in the loop lets an AI receptionist text or call your manager during the call and relay the answer, so callers stop hearing "we'll get back to you."

November 14, 2025Read →

Security4 min read

The Web Form Attack That Can Run Up Your Voice Agent Bill Overnight

Bots hit my demo agent and ran up $137 before I caught it. Someone I know of lost $18,000. Here's how it works and what I do about it now.

September 8, 2025Read →

Case study4 min read

Inside the $1,800 Missed Call Agent I Built for a Truck Repair Shop

What the receptionist I built for Big Sky Truck and Trailer Repair actually does, and the decisions that made it worth paying for.

August 12, 2025Read →