Building Human-Sounding Voice AI with Joey Seeman

Episode SummaryJoey Seeman explains how Nova Echo uses conversational voice AI for sales and customer calls. He joins Brian on Forge for Growth to break down what “human-sounding” voice AI actually means, why latency matters, and where these agents perform best today. Joey shares his path from marketing and copywriting into voice AI, including why he left an earlier company to build a more fast-moving and more ethical platform. They dig into real-world use cases like call centers, speed-to-lead follow-up, and high-volume outbound calling, plus why human handoffs still matter for closing. Joey also shares his view on where AI is heading and what that shift could mean for work and entrepreneurship.Key TakeawaysConversational voice AI works best when it can handle open-ended questions in real time, instead of forcing callers through preset menus.Latency is a core product constraint in voice AI because unnatural pauses break the “sounds human” experience even if the model is capable.Speed-to-lead can outweigh imperfect call quality because contacting a new lead within minutes can change conversion outcomes.Outbound performance depends heavily on lead quality, and high-volume dialing can still be valuable even when per-call results are modest.For sales, today’s agents can follow scripts, answer questions, and handle basic objections, while many teams still rely on a human handoff to close.AI product marketing often outruns reality, so clarity about limits, support, and pricing becomes a competitive advantage.TimelineEarly00:00:00 Brian welcomes Joey Seeman and introduces Nova Echo00:01:00 What Nova Echo does and why “press 1, press 2” systems frustrate callers00:02:00 Joey’s background in marketing, gaming, and early interest in AI00:03:00 Why he moved into voice AI and left earlier players in the spaceMiddle00:05:00 Call center pain points and why AI can improve speed and consistency00:06:00 Live demo of a Nova Echo agent and discussion of response latency00:07:00 Speed-to-lead and why timing matters for closing inbound leads00:08:00 How LLMs, prompting, and “skills” shape consistent agent behaviorLate00:09:00 Where human handoffs still matter, especially for closing00:10:00 Disclosure choices when someone asks if the agent is AI, plus regulation nuance00:11:00 Why AI hype happens and how Joey positions Nova Echo’s limits honestly00:18:00 Joey’s view on job displacement, timelines, and why the transition may be rough00:21:00 What he is excited to build next and how to contact himLinks and ResourcesLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joey-seeman/Company: https://novaecho.ai/