Podcast Summary: AI Explored

Episode: Using AI to Automate Your Social Media and Your Marketing

Host: Michael Stelzner (Social Media Examiner)
Guest: Brittany Long (Founder, Impact Driven AI Hero)
Date: November 11, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into how AI-powered automation can streamline marketing and social media management for marketers, creators, and business owners—whether you’re a solopreneur or leading a team. Guest Brittany Long, AI trainer and founder of Impact Driven AI Hero, shares actionable insights on removing mundane tasks, regaining creative time, and practical steps for building automation workflows without technical overwhelm.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Brittany Long’s Journey Into AI

• From Teacher to AI Trainer: Brittany started out teaching middle school science before a cancer scare prompted her career pivot. She moved into copywriting, but the release of ChatGPT made her realize that AI would revolutionize content creation and business workflows.
• Strategic Pivot: “If this is the worst it's going to get, it’s going to keep getting better. I better make some adjustments now.” – Brittany Long (02:56)

Common Misconceptions About AI Automation (04:06)

• Not Just for Techies: Many people believe AI automation requires advanced technical skills or is excessively time-consuming.
• Reality: Modern AI tools are user-friendly and save significant time and effort.
• Quote: “You don’t need to be a techie in order to be able to pull this off.” – Michael Stelzner (07:44)

Real-World Benefits of AI Automation

Efficiency Gains (06:32)

• AI automation can easily save 30+ hours a month for solopreneurs, and additional time for team members.
  • “It really is like we've hired another full time employee without needing to have the capital.” – Brittany (06:32)
• Provides mental relief from repetitive decision-making and admin burden.

Life & Work Balance (08:49)

• Automation allows Brittany to rediscover creative passions, write poetry, spend more time with family, and pursue personal projects.
• “My purpose on Earth is not to be more productive. And that has changed so much for me.” – Brittany (08:49)

Humanizing Work with AI (09:49)

• Rather than dehumanizing, automation removes drudgery and allows more time for fulfilling, creative endeavors.

Step-by-Step: How to Start with AI Automation

1. Time Tracking Audit (11:08)

• Use spreadsheets to log every task, every 15 minutes, over 4-7 days (12:43).
• Log both professional and personal tasks for a comprehensive view.
• “You don’t have time not to do it because it’s going to allow you to save so much more time in the long run.” – Brittany (11:08)

2. Analyzing Time Data with ChatGPT (15:21)

• Upload your spreadsheet as a CSV/PDF to ChatGPT.
• Ask it to analyze major time sinks and flag tasks for deletion, delegation (to humans or AI), or automation.
• Use your job description and team info as context for better recommendations.
• Prompt example: “Identify the things I can delete, delegate (to humans or AI), or automate, grouped by task.” (19:04)

3. Prioritize Tasks to Automate (21:15)

• Start with high-impact, low-effort automations (e.g., email replies, social content drafts).
• Email Example: Automated reading of new emails and generating draft replies, saving manual review time.

In-Depth Automation Examples

Social Media Content Automation (22:58)

• Voice-to-Content Workflow:

  • Brittany records quick voice notes after dropping her daughter at school.
  • Uploading the audio file to Google Drive triggers a workflow that generates an email, multiple social posts, captions, and even blog content.
  • Quote: “I know it’s going to sound like me because it literally came from what I was saying.” – Brittany (24:52)

• Trigger Methodology:

  • The trigger is the voice file upload; Otter AI or built-in voice note apps work.

Marketing Update Automation (26:20)

• Brittany uses a daily form to summarize program additions and client success stories.
• The form triggers the auto-generation of emails, social posts, and blog updates for seamless program marketing.
• Trigger: Filling out a simple form (27:25)

Core Tools Discussed (11:08, 28:40)

• make.com or zapier.com for workflow automation; make.com preferred for its generous free tier.
• Google Drive for file triggers
• ChatGPT/OpenAI API to process and generate content

Email Automation Technicals (34:20)

• Gmail triggers new emails to be read and drafted by ChatGPT.
• Draft replies are placed directly in the inbox, optionally notifying the user via Slack, Telegram, etc.
• “It’s three steps. You could also add in a notification to yourself... but it’s three or four steps depending.” – Brittany (35:13)

Setting Up Automations: The Backend (28:40)

• Each workflow starts with a trigger (e.g., file upload, new email).
• Steps are built out as modules in make.com, connecting Google Drive, email, OpenAI (API key needed), message drafts, and notifications.
• Make.com actions are counted as “credits”; the free tier is suitable for experimentation, upgrades start at $10/month for up to 10,000 actions.

Prompting & Training the AI (19:04, 36:45)

• Use clear, concise instructions, SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures), or rubrics for consistent AI outputs.
  • Rubrics work better than providing example emails, as the model may otherwise mimic content rather than style or process.
• Keep instructions short (4–7 sentences each) for maintainability.
  • “By making it short and sweet and to the point and really direct, it’s easier to make updates.” – Brittany (38:27)

AI Models & Options (31:57)

• ChatGPT is often preferred, but Claude (Anthropic) or Google Gemini can also be integrated via make.com.
• Choice depends on needs and organizational familiarity.

Overcoming Team Resistance to Automation (40:32)

• Communicate Value: Position automation as a way for employees to focus on more creative and impactful work—making them a “power couple” with AI rather than AI replacing them.
• “When my people are in their zone of genius and I'm able to be in my zone of genius, we're unstoppable.” – Brittany (41:41)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “If this is the worst it's going to get, it’s going to just keep getting better. I better make some adjustments now.” – Brittany Long (02:56)
• “You don’t need to be a techie in order to be able to pull this off.” – Michael Stelzner (07:44)
• “My purpose on Earth is not to be more productive. And that has changed so much for me.” – Brittany Long (08:49)
• "It really is like we've hired another full time employee without needing to have the capital." – Brittany Long (06:32)
• “I know it’s going to sound like me because it literally came from what I was saying.” – Brittany Long (24:52)
• “When my people are in their zone of genius and I’m able to be in my zone of genius, like we’re unstoppable.” – Brittany Long (41:41)

Important Timestamps

• Brittany’s origin story & career pivot: 02:01–03:33
• Top AI automation misconceptions: 04:06–04:39
• Time savings from automation: 06:32–07:44
• Creative and personal benefits of freeing up time: 08:49–09:49
• Starting with time study & spreadsheet method: 11:08–13:55
• Uploading & analyzing time data with ChatGPT: 15:21–16:14
• Prompting tips for time data analysis: 19:04–19:55
• Prioritizing high-impact automations: 21:15–22:37
• Voice-note to content workflow: 22:58–25:57
• Automating marketing updates via form: 26:20–27:37
• Building automations with make.com: 28:40–31:20
• AI model selection (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini): 31:57–32:23
• Email auto-reply automation details: 34:20–35:27
• Prompting and rubrics for consistent AI outputs: 36:45–39:21
• Team adoption & AI co-working culture: 40:32–42:16

Resources & Where to Find Brittany Long

• Instagram & YouTube: @Women Thrive with AI / [YouTube: Brittany Long / Women Thrive with AI]
• Automations Membership / Coaching: aicoachondemand.com

Takeaway

AI automation is not limited to tech experts or large companies—any marketer or business owner can reclaim time, lighten their workload, and unleash creativity through simple, strategic automation. The crucial first step: audit your time, then use tools like make.com and ChatGPT to streamline repetitive or non-essential tasks, starting with those that are quick wins. Engaging your team early in the process and focusing on collaborative value helps ensure a smooth, productive transition into the AI-augmented future.