A version of the same question keeps landing in my inbox: “How can I actually use AI in my business?”


It usually comes after I’ve mentioned something we’ve talked about here in The Brief, like our industry research scan, or our coaching support tool. What I’ve learned is that AI is so much more than a “better Google,” so I’ve been working with a handful of businesses on various AI-related topics, ranging from casual Q&A all the way to properly setting up their AI tool of choice, and developing a system to put it to work.


Along the way, I’ve noticed four phases that we all go through:

  1. The smarter search engine. We treated AI like any other search query with smarter answers. Ask, answer, move on. It’s useful, but not life-changing.
  2. The marketing intern. Then we get into the low-hanging fruit: idea generation, content planning, first drafts. This seems to be where most people are right now. It’s helpful, but it’s also barely scratching the surface
  3. The app idea. If you’ve made it here, you know what I’m talking about. The way that AI can just magically create whatever you ask it for naturally convinces us all that we can become startup founders with nothing more than an idea and a few well-crafted prompts. Spoiler: It’s still a little more complicated than that.
  4. The unlock. Where AI gets legitimately useful is when we start giving it harder problems. We connect our data, customize workflows, run automations, and allow it to do what it’s best at. The best version of this allows us to do more of what we love, and stop spending time on the things that aren’t the best use of our time.


I know that AI can be overwhelming, but at its core it’s really just a helpful tool that we can use in whatever way serves us best.


I’ve found that even one simple system has saved me at least 4 hours a week, and I’ve seen teams produce work that they otherwise would not have been able to deliver.


I’m going to be holding some space throughout June and July for AI-specific coaching, so if this is something that you’ve been thinking about, I’d love to help. Click the button below to book a quick call with me to talk about what you’d like to have AI do for you.