From Marine to AI: The Empower Agents Story | Billings, MT

Empower Agents is the AI company Michelle and I started in Billings, Montana, and it grew out of a path that began in the Marine Corps. I served as a Marine Corps military police officer, worked in law enforcement, and then Michelle and I spent years learning to market and sell online before we went all in on AI for Montana business owners.

Who are the founders of Empower Agents?

I'm Brian Cook, and I founded Empower Agents with my wife, Michelle. We are a veteran-owned company. I was born in Montana and raised in Deer Lodge, where my grandfather brought irrigation to the Deer Lodge Valley. Today Michelle and I call Billings home.

We built this company for Montana business owners and solopreneurs who are good at what they do and tired of being buried by everything around it: the missed calls, the follow-up, and the marketing that never gets done.

How did a Marine end up building an AI company?

My working life started in uniform. I served in the Marine Corps as a military police officer, and after that I worked in law enforcement. Those years taught me discipline, how to follow a system, and how to stay steady when things get loud.

After law enforcement, Michelle and I built an online sales business together. In 2006 we started learning marketing and how to sell online. That is where we learned what still drives everything we build: a business grows when the right message reaches the right person and someone follows up.

What did Michelle and I build before Empower Agents?

Each step built on the one before it.

Through all of it, the work stayed the same at its core. We help business owners get found, get the conversation started, and get the follow-up done.

Why did we go all in on AI?

When we moved back to Montana in 2022, we saw that AI could finally handle the work that keeps business owners stuck at their desks and on their phones. Answering calls after hours. Following up with leads. Keeping the calendar full without chasing every conversation by hand.

Montana business owners feel that weight. Many are solopreneurs or small teams covering big service areas, and when the owner is on a job site or on the road, the phone still rings. We built Empower Agents so that call gets answered and that customer gets taken care of.

What does Empower Agents do for Montana business owners?

We focus on three things.

• AI voice receptionists: AI agents that answer your business calls so customers reach a conversation instead of voicemail.

• EmpowerSuite: our AI hub, where your AI agents, conversations, and follow-up come together in one place.

• AI consulting: working with business owners to find where AI fits in their business and how to put it to work.

If you want to see what an AI receptionist for Montana businesses looks like, start there. You can also visit our Billings page or see pricing here.

What do people ask about Empower Agents?

Who founded Empower Agents?

Empower Agents was founded by Brian Cook and Michelle Jones in Billings, Montana. Brian is a Marine Corps veteran who served as a military police officer and later worked in law enforcement. Empower Agents is a veteran-owned company.

Who do you work with?

We work with Montana business owners and solopreneurs, from service businesses to Realtors. If your business runs on phone calls and follow-up, AI can take part of that load off you.

What is AI consulting?

AI consulting is working with a business owner to find where AI fits in their business and how to put it to work. We look at how you answer calls, follow up, and market, then help you decide what AI should handle and what should stay with you.

How long does setup take?

EmpowerTalk is usually live in about 2 to 4 days. Our team works through the setup with you.

Ready to see what AI can do for your business?

Book a demo

Or call us at 406-272-6709. Want to hear it first? Call Emma at 888-205-9657 for a live AI demo.