AI Explored – Episode Summary

Episode Overview

Podcast: AI Explored
Episode: 3 Custom GPTs That Make You More Money and Free Your Time
Host: Michael Stelzner (Social Media Examiner)
Guest: Wendy Breakstone ("The Custom GPT Gal", AI strategist and founder of the AI for Income accelerator)
Date: October 14, 2025

The episode dives deep into how custom GPTs can revolutionize the way marketers, creators, and business owners operate—helping them both earn more revenue and reclaim precious time. Michael Stelzner and Wendy Breakstone explore practical strategies for building effective custom GPTs, categorize types of custom GPTs for different business functions, and highlight tangible examples, best practices, pitfalls, and powerful third-party tools.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Journey Into AI & Custom GPTs

• Wendy's entry into AI: Wendy began exploring AI when ChatGPT launched in November 2022. While others quickly tried to capitalize, she took a measured, deep-dive approach, focusing on how AI could serve coaches, creators, and service providers.
  • “AI kind of became mainstream and it was very esoteric before that… I've always gone back to simple and uncomplicated wins.” (Wendy, 03:36)

2. Misconceptions About Custom GPTs

Wendy lists the top three misconceptions:

• “I’m not techy enough.”
  • Building custom GPTs is "about logic and strategy," not deep technical expertise. Anyone can do it by breaking processes into logical steps. (05:40)
• “If I give clients AI, will they still need me?”
  • “Actually if you give them AI and… custom GPTs, it draws them closer to you because you're giving them a deeper level of access 24/7 that they didn't have before.” (Wendy, 06:40)
• “My custom GPTs will give only generic responses.”
  • The output quality depends on the input and your proprietary methods. When you infuse your frameworks and expertise, GPTs can become an extension of your brand and work. (08:09)

3. Why Invest in Custom GPTs?

Wendy summarizes the core benefits:

• Make more money: Double enrollment, retention, renewals, and referrals by delivering fast, repeatable results.
• Save more time: Free yourself to work on higher-level tasks or take on more clients.
• Stay relevant and competitive: Early adoption in your market signals leadership and innovation.
  • “People don’t care about the airplane, they care about the destination… the custom GPT is the destination.” (Wendy, 09:40)

4. Will Custom AI Tools Expand Beyond ChatGPT?

• So far, custom GPTs are unique to ChatGPT, but both agree that Google Gemini and Anthropic’s Claude will eventually offer similar custom assistant/shareable features.
  • “It's coming. I spoke to somebody yesterday who has one, but there's also third-party platforms that I recommend and use…” (Wendy, 12:42)

5. The "2 of 3 Rule" for Project Validation

• Wendy’s Rule: Before starting a custom GPT project, make sure it checks at least two out of three boxes:
  • Will it make/save money?
  • Will it save significant time?
  • Does it scratch a creative itch?
  • “If you can check off two of those three boxes, it's most likely something that you want to dive into.” (Wendy, 13:56)

6. Three Types of Custom GPTs Every Business Needs

a. Foundational GPTs

• The essential first step; automates the "Module 1" deep work in your programs or onboarding, ensuring clients get the basic work done and see fast results.
  • Example: For a course creator, foundational GPTs might assemble an offer’s value proposition and extract buyer beliefs based on the business’s unique frameworks.

b. Add-On GPTs

• Supplemental tools that build on foundational GPT outputs; streamline the process of turning raw info into actionable materials (e.g., calendars, content).
  • Example: After clients define their messaging (with a foundational GPT), an add-on GPT could generate a social media calendar using the curated information.

c. Standalone GPTs

• Independent tools used as lead magnets, low-ticket products, or repeatable internal processes; not linked to foundational work but serve a specific function.
  • Example: A rate calculator for therapists, or a launch date backward planner; highly targeted, can be used for client attraction or internal efficiency.

“If you build just one GPT… make it a foundational GPT. That’s going to help your clients and students get through that module, one work so they can move on and start to get the results.” (Wendy, 17:39)

7. Example Deep-Dive: Brenna McGowan’s Prelaunch GPTs

• Foundational GPTs:
  • Outstanding Offer Overview (clarifies offers and buyer beliefs)
  • Client Interview Analyzer (processes interview transcripts to surface customer pain points in their own words)
• Add-On GPT:
  • Social Media/Email Calendar Creator (takes outputs from foundational GPTs)
• Standalone GPT:

  • Calendar calculator and lead magnets

  • “She has people do interviews. So we built a GPT that synthesizes the transcripts…pulls out all of the pains and desires and goals…in the real world voice the client is using.” (Wendy, 21:36)

8. Sharing & Security of Custom GPTs

• Visibility tiers in ChatGPT: Public, private (just for you), or restricted by shared link.
• For paywalls and tighter control, use third-party platforms and/or a ChatGPT Team account for organization-wide oversight.

9. Best Practices for Building Custom GPTs

a. Where to Start

• Identify repeatable processes, templates, and the most frequent questions you answer.
• “If you're hearing the same questions…that's a great starting point.” (Wendy, 39:46)

b. Framework: STARS

• Strategy – What’s the problem and objective?

• Training docs – Load your proprietary methods, knowledge, and examples.

• Actions – Explicitly instruct the GPT in a stepwise, detailed way.

• Responses – Fine-tune output format, clarity, and usability.

• Structure – Ensure consistency and updatability across all custom GPTs.

  • “If it can get you that 80% of the way there, it’s your responsibility to take it another 10-20%... You think about strategy. This is back to that STARS framework." (Wendy, 40:52)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“You can use AI expertly in your business without being an AI expert.”
— Wendy Breakstone, (05:43)

“People don’t care about the airplane, they care about the destination.”
— Wendy Breakstone, (09:29)

“I fundamentally believe that you don’t want to throw everything and the kitchen sink into one GPT... You want a step-by-step approach.”
— Wendy Breakstone, (30:22)

“If you’re hearing the same questions or answering the same questions over and over again, that’s a great starting point.”
— Wendy Breakstone, (39:46)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:15] Wendy’s introduction and AI origin story
• [05:35] Three biggest misconceptions about Custom GPTs
• [09:00] Core benefits: Make more money, save more time
• [12:13] Future of custom AI tools beyond ChatGPT
• [13:56] The '2 of 3 Rule' for project validation
• [16:15] Three Types of Custom GPTs: Foundational, Add-On, Standalone
• [20:58] Case Study: Brenna McGowan’s Prelaunch Program GPTs
• [26:12] Sharing and security: Public/private GPTs & team accounts
• [29:31] The value of modular GPTs (don’t overload one)
• [33:52] Standalone GPT examples: Rate calculator, calendar calculator
• [40:52] Stars framework for custom GPT development
• [44:49] Favorite third-party tools for paywalling and embedding GPTs: RadGenius and Pickaxe

Third-Party Tools for Custom GPTs

Wendy's recommendations for building, sharing, and monetizing custom GPTs:

• RadGenius (radgenius.dev):
  Simple, affordable ($7/month), best for non-techies, only works with OpenAI GPT models.
  • “It's uncomplicated... You want to use AI expertly but not have to be an AI genius, that's the tool you want to use.” (Wendy, 45:30)
• Pickaxe (pickaxe.co):
  More robust with advanced features, suitable for corporate/institutional use.
• Formwise AI (formwise.ai):
  Not tested in depth but gaining popularity, higher price point.

Action Steps for Listeners

1. Start with your core problem: Build a foundational GPT for the repetitive “deep work” in your business.
2. Expand with add-on GPTs to automate side tasks, modularize outputs, and keep the process simple for users.
3. Consider standalone GPTs as powerful lead magnets or tools for internal use.
4. Test third-party tools if you want more control, paywalls, or to embed GPTs on your website.
5. Use the STARS framework to optimize the process from vision to implementation.

Connect with Wendy:

• Free community: AI Powered Business with Wendy (on Skool)
• Masterclass & resources: wendybreakstone.com

This episode delivers a clear, actionable roadmap for marketers and creators eager to future-proof and accelerate their businesses with the power of custom GPTs.