← Call Her Creator with Katelyn Rhoades
Call Her Creator with Katelyn Rhoades
Become the Main Character: Personal Branding, Story Arcs and AI with Alaina Booth
00:48:38
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- [00:00]
A
What's up, everybody? Welcome to another episode of Call Her Creator, Powered by the One and Only Stan. I'm your host, Kaitlyn Rhodes, and today we have a very amazing person joining us to talk about AI and being your authentic self. But before I introduce her, I know that everyone talks about AI replacing creativity or taking their jobs away from them. But what if you're wrong? What if AI, when used the right way, could actually make us more creative, freeing us up to focus on things only we can do, like connecting authentically with our audience. Hey, friend. Welcome back to Call Her Creator Powered by your All In One Creator Store, Stan. Stan is the easiest way for you to make money online. All of your courses, digital products, and bookings are hosted within your link in Bio. If you're ready to start your free trial, visit my show notes and click my affiliate link to get started today. So today I'm joined by Elena Booth. She is a creative video director and brand content creator over at Stan. What is up, Alaina?
- [01:11]
B
Hi. I'm so excited to be here.
- [01:14]
A
So excited for you. Alaina is amazing. She has spent years behind the camera capturing real human stories, starting with more than 60 weddings in her early days, which is holy crap. And then later she directed music videos and commercials and documentaries. I don't know if. If any of you follow the Stan Store account. They had Stan stories that were blowing up for a little while, and Elena was behind all of those, and they were amazing. Great. Like, if you want to go see what she does, you can totally check out some of those videos because they're so good. But her background is in storytelling and. And entrepreneurship fuels her passion for helping creators build businesses that are as authentic as their stories. She believes that to tell good stories, you first have to live good stories, which is a value that guides both her and her life in her work. All right, so now she's bringing that same passion for authentic storytelling into the world of tech with Stanley AI. You guys are about to be mind blown.
- [02:19]
B
Whoa.
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A
This is a new tool designed not to replace creativity.
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B
Okay.
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A
It's going to amplify it. So we're going to dive into how AI can help remove that creative block. So you can now show up with more clarity, more confidence, more connection using Stanley AI.
- [02:36]
B
You ready? I'm totally ready. Ready? Okay, let's do this.
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A
All right. So, Elena, starting out, you've built a pretty amazing career. Telling stories behind a camera like that is goals. But what did those early shoots teach you about capturing real human moments?
- [03:00]
B
I think it was they were the only Kind of stories that I was drawn to were real life happening on the camera. And so when I. When I jumped into, like, oh, I could make this my career, there was no better place to start than weddings because it's someone's best day of their life. And I knew that it would teach me how to instinctually look for emotion, because in, like, on a wedding day, there's so much emotion happening everywhere and you just have to be so on your toes and ready for it. So I knew that it would develop that instinct. And that was one of the first pieces of advice that I got was like, just keep looking for that throughout the day. And then that that work from the weddings has kind of bled into, you know, developing a more traditional cinematography style while maintaining all of the things that fired me up in the first place, which were just, like, real life and real people and not, like, posing and, oh, like, can you move that out of the background? Like, never. It was never that. It was always just, like, what's actually happening and how can I, like, capture it honestly? Because no one wants to remember a fake version of their day.
- [04:16]
A
That is so true. That's so true, too. Like, with. With reels now, I feel like there was a point where everyone thought it had to be curated and perfect and move stuff out of the video, but now it's getting to be more like, no, if you're drinking a Poppy, keep that in there. That's real. That's authentic. You know what I mean?
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B
Mm, yeah, 100%.
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A
When we talk about your creative style, what is it about you that makes it unique? How do you define your magic as a creator? And then how can other creators look for that magic in themselves, too?
- [04:50]
B
I think my perspective on the passage of time is what makes my point of view a lot different from other directors. I always look at the present as, like, how will we remember this going forward? How am I going to frame this or document this in a way that makes me excited and proud to remember? And so the fact that I'm kind of obsessed with, like, memories makes me want to be more present and more and make my present life so awesome so that I can remember it fondly. And I don't think that a lot of people see time that way. It's just kind of like, you know, you're. You're the past, present, or future oriented. But the way that I package my life up and other people's lives up through my work is something that I literally trained my brain to do. And I'll kind of talk about that later, like, how you can kind of train your brain to see the beauty that you want to see. But I think that's kind of my magic is seeing the passage of time in this very intricate way.
- [05:52]
A
You have a huge range of a portfolio, so you've done short films, weddings, documentaries, music videos, commercials. Is there a common thread that you see in how you approach storytelling? Whether it's a bride and groom or you're doing this big global campaign?
- [06:09]
B
Yeah, yeah. Story is the North Star of everything. So if, like, you do not have a story, and even in your life, on your Instagram stories, in your Instagram reels, like, everything has to pull back to story. I even like to describe, like, when I'm giving people, like, social strategy, it's like, how can you create tiny TV shows, tiny stories, literally within your Instagram story? So it's like when you introduce a new character, tell me who it is, and then as you keep bringing them back up, I feel like I want to get to know that character more. I'm more bought into your life. Like, as you would any TV show, you would need to go back to episode one to be like, wait, who is this character? Like, I want to know more about them. You're curious. And so everything goes back to, like, basic story elements. Whether you're making a short film, you're making a documentary. Like, I have to establish a character up front, make them either relatable or very interesting. And then you. You are supposed to take something away from the struggles and plot that they go through. So whether that is literally a wedding or that is a documentary, everything comes down to who is the character, what world do they live in, what conflicts are because of that world, and then how do they come out triumphant? And then what can I, the audience member, take away from that? Like, everything goes back to that. Like, nothing will ever stray from that. For me, in my world. I think that some people like to do, like, some artists make things just because, like, of the aesthetic and the vibes and, like, that's awesome. I think that, like, a lot of my work is just rooted. It makes me more excited to root in story. And I think, like, that's. I made a video one time that was like, being a storyteller is the greatest life hack. Because when you start going through hard times, it's like, well, duh, you're the protagonist. Like, you are the main character. And so that framing kind of helps me get through my life too. Is like, when you're struggling, you're like, wait, I am literally the main character. Like, of course I'm going to struggle. Of course there's going to be a plot happening to me. So it's like therapy for my own life as well.
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A
Oh my God. I think that might be the podcast episode tile title, like becoming the main character. You know what I mean?
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B
I was like, if I ever have a podcast, I will call it Main Character Energy. Oh.
- [08:32]
A
That has said that. I was just at the Powerhouse Women event this past weekend and she said, stop playing the supporting role in your life and become the main character. And that was. Oh my God, that's so good. And that, that too is how you can frame it when you are creating reels or TikToks or whatever it is like your business or you, whichever one is the main character. Now what does that mean? What, like you said, what are the problems that that main character faces that will then reach your audience and connect with them? That's so good.
- [09:03]
B
Yeah, yeah. So everything connects back to like, the way I see the world, the way I see my life connects back to story, conflict, plot. Like, you know, people always say, like, oh, go thicken the plot. Like, I mean it. Like, that is like how I live. I'm like, let's we have to spice things up. Like, things are boring for my character right now. I need to thicken it. You know, I love that.
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A
I love that. So that can kind of help to the biggest creative struggle that people have is like, what do I post? What should I post? And kind of lean into that. So what do you see people struggling the most when it comes to content creation today?
- [09:39]
B
I think, like, I've kind of made the transition this year from traditional media. I am a director internally at Stan, so I direct all of our ads. I make like traditional horizontal videos for us. But I like seeing the opportunity working here with short form media. I think a lot of your audience is posting, you know, short form content and I. So I've kind of taken that route and I've learned a lot about that journey, being a creator now. And everyone thinks that their life is not cool enough. Everyone thinks, oh, like I. I have nothing like, interesting to say or I don't have that like, special perspective. And I think that's just so not true. Like, the only reason I have such a strong perspective or I've developed like my special magic is because I've trained my brain to see the world that way. I actually, like, don't consider this is going to sound so crazy, but I do not consider myself like, naturally creative. I like, I Don't, like, think that I'm. I don't think that I'm, like, a crazy artist, that I'm, like, this, like, savant genius. Like, I just have this unique point of view that, like, no one else sees. And I hope that, like, can be empowering to people because, like, it's just how I've trained my brain to see the world. If you have, like, something that makes you a little weird, like, I've always been a little weirdo in, like, scrapbooking and, like, photos and whatever, like, what's the little seed of weirdness? And then how can you, like, continuously see the world in that way to develop your creative side? And that's, like, all I did was just, like, my little weirdness about, like, oh, I love to take photos. And, like, I always made, like, a soccer recap video for my soccer team. And then I just, like, amplified the need and the want behind that was just to like, oh, I don't like time passing, so I'm going to capture.
- [11:31]
A
It, you know, how can people find their weird? Because that's a really good point. Like, do you have any? For people that feel like their life is too boring, how can they identify what makes them them?
- [11:42]
B
I think the first instinct I have is, like, go to your close friends and, you know, like, before you say something and you're going to be like, hey, this is going to sound weird. Like, what are the things that you have to preface in conversation that, like, yeah, when I was younger, like, this was this weird thing that I did. Or, like, remember I was like the weird musical theater kid? Or I was like, I was just talking to a friend yesterday who was like, look at how I used to, like, dress. Like, maybe you're a fashion. Maybe you lost that. Like, where did you lose that? And I don't want to be the girl that's just kind of like, look back to, like, what you did as a kid. But, like, that was the thing that, like, unhibitedly you just did. I just took photos. I just loved to write things and document things. And so that was kind of like the thing that made me, like, like detailing my entire high school experience and what happened every single day, like, down to, like, this is what happened during this class change. That's weird. That's weird. So, like, how do I make that weird thing that you did in high school or middle school or college? And maybe you shut down because you were like, that's just weird and not normal. And, like, pick that back up and just dare to see the World through that lens one more time.
- [12:54]
A
You're blowing my mind right now. I'm kind of going back, too, and being like, what did I do that was weird. You know what's really funny? I used to make videos all the time. My uncle got me this intel, something I don't even remember, but it was this blue video. And I would. If you came over and had a sleepover at my house. You were making videos with me? Yeah, we were newscasters. We. Oh. I pretended that I made my brother go on this weight loss journey. He was 5 years old, guys. He didn't need to go on a weight loss journey. And I pretended I made him run down the road so that I could.
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B
Like, we just.
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A
We have so much in common when it comes to that. Because I have an eye for that. And I think that's why I've been successful with Instagram, too, is because I can tell stories, I can document them. And I think maybe that's where people either don't know how to tell the story or they don't know how to document them. And then they get in their own head and it holds them back, and then they don't post anything at all.
- [13:48]
B
Yeah. Or they think like, oh, I just don't not. I just don't naturally see things like the. In, like, a story way like you do. I'm like, it's not natural. I didn't naturally come out the womb thinking that, you know, like, I have literally developed my brain to see things. Like, we are so malleable mentally. I. I don't think that anyone is really born with, like, a crazy skill that you can't develop. Like, you can just train your brain to see something in a certain way, and then you start to get better at it. You know?
- [14:20]
A
I agree with that. Do you think that people feel like they're losing their authenticity online right now, like, with AI and all that stuff? Like, do you think. Why do you think people are feeling that way?
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B
I think I hear a lot of people talk about, like, consumption, like, over consumption and consuming more than you create. And I think you're never, ever going to get to a place where you're creating more than you're consuming. Because we consume so many things throughout the day. Like, we receive something like 30,000 messages every day from advertising or like our friends. Like, we have so much information coming in. But I do think that you have to nurture that side of you that wants to create. I think everybody has that deep down. But I think you have to give yourself time to Explore the creative side of you if you ever want it to come out. Because naturally we're going to consume, like I said, so much information. But how is that information being processed in your own unique perspective? I think also people are feeling like they're losing authenticity because they're obsessed with what's working for other people and how other people are processing that information and then regurgitating it back out. And last, I mean, to kind of like, take the conversation in the direction of AI. Like, we are a couple years into the AI journey and it is now we're starting to speak the language. I think it's easier to spot because it's not so novel. Like, somebody, like, last week was like, oh, like ChatGPT is obsessed with saying, like, it's not this, it's this. And now I can't unsee it. Like, every LinkedIn post, every. I'm like, ugh, I know that this is AI. And so I feel like that what other creators are feeling as well, it's just kind of like there's a lot out there. But even, Even though, like, I feel that, I still see it as such an empowering tool. And I'm not. I'm so. I've never, ever, ever been worried or convinced that it's going to take creators jobs because no one, no one, no bot will ever understand what it's like to be you. No bot will understand what it's like to be in the room with that gut feeling or have that little soul, like, on fire moment like, it's a bot. You are the human, like, you know, in your stomach, in your heart, when, like, something moves you. And that's never going to be replaced. And that is the heart of, like, why a story is so special. Is that human nuance. So I've never been like, oh, no. I've always just been like, okay, what's going on here? To go back to the question, like, why are people feeling like there's a lot of inauth, inauthentic voices online or a lot of monotony online now? It's. If you don't do the work of knowing yourself first, of course AI is going to just slop all over you.
- [17:18]
A
Oh, that is so good. And you're right. There are, There are times where we all are starting to be able to spot when people are using chat, gbt or they're saying things. So that, that's funny that you pointed that out. Tell us about what's. What's going on with Stanley AI? How is this going to my Life better. Like, what's going on?
- [17:41]
B
So Stanley AI is a project that I literally got thrown into the deep end with. I was asked by our co founders, like, hey, do you want to fly to Toronto for two weeks and do founder mode, quote unquote, and just like create an AI tool for Instagram? And I was like, sure. I think like, at Stan, we have an energy of like, if someone offers you a seat on a rocket ship, you do not ask which seat, you just get on. And this felt like that opportunity for me to just like dive into something, learn something new. And so what we started with was literally nothing. Didn't know what to create. Could have easily made like a stock image tool. Could have gone that route. It could have gone anywhere, any route that we wanted. But I was so adamant to Ricky, that's like, we. Ricky is the engineer who's helping us build the tool. And I was so adamant to him that, like, we have to come at it from a, like, this tool will empower creators magic. It will not take it away. It will never, it will never do the work of knowing yourself for you. You have to do that. But once you do, you can bring it, like all this raw material and it's a never ending well of you. So that was the goal with it. And what it is, it's what we developed it into, is an AI bot that basically takes your magic by scraping your socials. And then what is inspiring to you and working with the algorithm and feeding you ideas every single day. What makes it super special is that it's actually showing up right in your DMs, the chatbot. So every day it's sending you a DM that's like, hey, Elena. Hey, Caitlin. Nice post yesterday. Here's how it performed. What if you posted this one today? Or it's like, hey, Caitlin, seems like you haven't posted in a couple days. No worries. I know it gets to the best of us. Here's a really quick hit idea that you can execute to just keep you going. So it's like that consistency, accountability, partner, but it's also giving you ideas that take the guesswork out of, like, what's going to be inspiring to you because ChatGPT cannot scrape your socials. And also you cannot train ChatGPT in the way that you can train Stanley. So first of all, he doesn't need to be trained on your voice. You can actually just send him reels that are super exciting and inspiring to you. Like, we all do. We all have a saved folder. You can just Send him reels and say, I like this. And he's computing that and saying, okay, got it heard. Here's a real. Just kind of like that that you can make in your own voice. So it's kind of like automating a tool to quote, unquote, steal. Like an artist, you take inspiration from something that you've seen, something that inspires you, your magic. Boom. New idea net, new idea into the world, because no one's done it like you.
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A
Oh, I love that. And that's what we need. I'm so excited about this. I think as a social media agency owner, I think one of the biggest things they do need that accountability. So not even, like, the ideas part of this is what got me excited. But you telling me that they're going to nudge you when they see you not posting and not just nudging me, like, hey, you haven't posted in seven days. Good luck. No, yeah, Posted in seven days. Here's a really great idea that goes with what you're talking about or what you stand for. What. What inspired you. I love that part. All right, so there's a lot of fear about AI replacing creativity. So how does Speed, Stanley, amplify your creativity instead of replacing it?
- [21:09]
B
When there's all this fear, talk about AI. Like, people are forgetting that most people who do this think it's fun. I don't want it to replace me. No one wants it to replace them. But they do need tools that empower them to make it easier. And to talk about this, I think there's a specific concept from this book called the War of Art that I want to bring up, and it's specifically this concept of resistance. And every artist, every athlete, every writer, like, feels resistance. You know the feeling. It's not fear because you're like, I'm not scared of it, but it's like the step to dive into the world, to really, like, get the work done. And you feel the resistance, but you have to fight through it, like, every single day. And resistance is the enemy of art. Like, it's like all of this art, all of this. This wonderful creative energy that I know lives inside of you is blocked by this external force of resistance, whether that be, oh, like, like, wherever the friction point is for you. And so I didn't want to create a tool that was a weapon against your art. I wanted to create a tool that was a weapon against that resistance because that's the external force. And it makes me emotional to think about the amount of art that could exist if we Eliminated resistance. And so the tool is only designed. The tool is only designed to eliminate resistance, to chip away at it. Because you feel it. I feel it. It's not designed to replace you. It's supposed to show up every day saying, hey, I believe in you. I know that you have a good idea in there. Here's some inspiration to get you started. And I really think that you should post today. And it's giving you a valuable, in your tone idea and it can get your ball rolling by giving you something that's so inspirational that you just feel in your heart that you have to act on it. Like, that is the tool that we're creating here. Not, oh, like, like, like create a little AI bot of you that talks about, like, general jargon in your niche. That's not really what you want. And I think that, like, you don't want someone to do the work for you. You want to do the work because that's where you actually learn. And like, the thing, the thing is, it's Stanley's a lot like Stan. Like, if anybody's familiar with Stan, like, we are not doing the work for you. We're giving you the tool that's going to empower you to get in front of as many people as possible. We're giving you the tool to bring what's inside out into the world. So to lay it on you, you're not looking for something to do the work for you. Because the process of getting to know yourself creatively is an investment that is so worth it. So if I gave you a tool that just gave you like a fake O version of you just to spit out like a bunch of, like, niche jargon, not only would people know that this is not good quality content, and so you wouldn't build an audience based on that. It wouldn't. It would actually hurt you as a business owner. So if you're like, oh, well, I'm just a real estate person that, like, doesn't want to learn how to do content. Like, you learning how to do content is not you investing in yourself as a content creator. It's actually you investing yourself as a business owner. Because when you show up online, you're learning about what works in your product, what works in your messaging, who your ideal customer is, and, like, how to show up in the best way for your business. You're just getting that feedback so much faster than you would having to visit someone in person every single day and getting that feedback. So, like, you doing the work is the most valuable thing you could be doing. For your business. But if I can give you a tool that makes that work a little bit less scary and a little bit more like, okay, maybe I am doing the right thing, then it would just knock down that resistance, and we would see so much more art, so much more entrepreneurship, so much more creation out in the world, and that's literally what we all want.
- [24:58]
A
That was so good. And the point, too. You had said, make it less scary, but content creation for me is not scary. But scrolling. Looking for ideas is very time consuming. I get into the comparison game, blah, blah, blah. I hate myself, get off, throw my phone to the wall. So it's almost nice too, that, like, Stanley would. Would kind of take that part away. Like, I don't have to do that any. That is probably the. The worst part of my job is scrolling through Instagram all the time because you're just getting hit by everyone's stuff. So if Stanley could be like, hey, I got an idea for you, and it's actually authentic to you and what you like.
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B
You.
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A
Here you go. That takes so much pressure off of creators and business owners.
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B
I agree. And, like, it's really trying to replace the saved folder where all ideas go to die. Like, you say something because it's, like, super inspiring and exciting, and then, like, you never do anything with it. So, like, if Stanley could just know what you're saving, like, if you could just send it right to him, then he's like, okay, heard computed. You're inspired by this. Taking note. Next idea is like, remember, you were inspired by this. Here's how to put it in your own spin. Here's how to do it in your own voice. You know?
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A
Yes, I love that. So can you walk us through? Are you able to tell us how it works behind the scenes? Like, what's actually happening when someone uses Stanley?
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B
So it basically takes time and goes through all of your, like, last 20 posts, the most relevant to you, and then your top performers. So it's saying, okay, this is resonating with your audience, and you really like this. And it's scraping not only your captions, not only your analytics, but it's going through, like, your tone, your voice, the music choices that you have, who you are, like, the things that it says about me. It's like you're this nostalgic storyteller who loves the passage of time. I'm like, hell, yeah, I am. Thank you. And so, like, it is basically going through and scraping that and then from that information and information that you tell it, because you have to tell It a little bit about your goals, as if you were talking to a friend. You're not probably posting like, hey, this is like my goals for Instagram. So it doesn't know that. So you have to spend a little bit of time being like, I want to maximize my conversions. I want to grow a following. I actually just want to show up every day. That's what I want. That's a lot of people's, like, goal is just to be consistent and develop their brand voice. And so whatever your goal is, he can help you get there. So, so then he's going to tailor the content based on what he's scraping about you and your goals. He's giving you ideas that we've sat and trained from. All of the coaching, all of the things that we know at Stan about being a content creator, we've pumped into him and trained him like, you know, here's what the hook needs to be like, here's all of the, here's all the things that we understand about being good content creators. And like, you are that now. So he's got all of our creator knowledge from all of these years of working with amazing people pumped into him.
- [27:53]
A
Oh, I did not know that. So it's that, that, that's great. So it has some context from the experts on top of what you're feeding it.
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B
It's actually like, it's not even. It's John. This is John in a bot, like John, our founder, who is like the most effective content creator I know, who's trained me to every single thing I've ever had work is because of something that John's taught me. It is John's brain translated through me with story into the bot.
- [28:23]
A
I will pay for John's brain.
- [28:26]
B
Me too.
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A
I love that he's so amazing. Okay, so give us an example of how a creator might use Stanley if they're stuck.
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B
I actually used Stanley the other day because I was stuck. Just feel like in a rut and went in there and was like, hey, I'm in a creative rut. Like, I just actually need a couple thought starters. It's pulling from my data saying, you know, you usually like to talk about this and this and this. What about these couple ideas? I'm like, you know, like, that's not, like, that's not it. I, like, want to be less emotional, I want to be funnier, I want to post about this, blah, blah. I'm asking it like, hey, do you realize that, like, do you realize this thing about me? Do you realize that thing about Me. And it's like, yeah, I do. From, like, this post. I can see that you travel a lot, and I can see that you're kind of exhausted. Like, do you want to make more content about that? I'm like, yeah, actually, let's go back and let's think of, like, some series thought starters, ideas. So then he'll go, okay, I'll. I'll start to funnel things in that way. So it's just like, it's. It says any AI chat agent tool, like, okay, I am in a rut. You could tell chat GPT that. But then you have to explain all of the things about you and the direction that you want to go for it to give you proper ideas. Stanley, like, you just saved time. He's already got all that knowledge baked in there, and so it's just a matter of telling him where you want to go with that.
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A
All right, this is all so good. So where do you draw the line? What's the part AI can help with? And what's the part only humans can do?
- [29:51]
B
You are the human. And so you draw that line for yourself, I think is the bottom line, you know, when it starts to creep in on your magic. So I know that I can brain dump into it and say, hey, make this, like, into a voiceover with, like, a story arc. I also know how to do that myself. It's just going to save me time if, like, the AI bot does it for me. But I personally know where it's really important to get my hands dirty for the vision to be what I want it to be. And you have to know that line for you. Where is the point in your process that it makes it so incredibly you that if anybody were to replace that process, it would actually feel wrong. Like, it would feel like, in your gut. Like, I don't really. Like, this doesn't feel like me. And so my line is in the editing. Like, I can't actually put a bunch of footage into an editing tool and expect it to figure out where, like, the most meaningful magic moments of that video are and then how to put them in the arc of the story. I have to do that. And so I would never, ever go pay for an AI tool that would edit for me because it's just not going to get it no matter how much I train it. Like, it's not going to understand my human instinct. But I think everybody has different lines, and that's. That's totally up to you to draw.
- [31:18]
A
You keep mentioning the word arc, and I'm scared that there's some people here that don't know what that means. Could you briefly explain what an arc is and why it's important in content?
- [31:26]
B
Omg, yes. That's my favorite thing to talk about. I'm so glad you asked. Basically, when I think about arc, it's all about, like, when you watch a movie, the character at the beginning is kind of like down in the dumps. Maybe they. Their girlfriend just broke up with them. And then you're going to watch them go through this arc. So they're. They're going through conflict, they're going through issues, they're meeting new characters, and it's all about their character arc. Then at the end, they come out, this new guy, he's empowered. He doesn't need a girlfriend. He, like, is now, like, found, like, new sense of self worth and esteem, and it's only made possible by the quote unquote character arc that he went through. And so that's kind of like the way that I explain it is like, it's when I write. When I. When I write a script with a prompt that says I need a stronger arc in this. I need it to start somewhere and then end with. But this is what I learned, is usually my kind of arc. And so yours could be anybody's. Could be. I started off as a broke single mom arc is here's how I won and then here's how this applies to you. Here's how I started making money, and here's how it applies to you. So people are always looking. You're always looking for that arc. You just have no idea that, like, you're naturally drawn to stories like that. So how can you always kind of create that in your content that that.
- [32:57]
A
Helps with storytelling too, on Instagram? And I think it's almost like a transformation. Guys, if. If you're wondering how to make content that converts and connects and you know, all the things I teach about it's. It's bringing that arc into the story. I love that. Alina, do you personally use AI in.
- [33:14]
B
Your own creative work?
- [33:15]
A
And if so, how do you keep your edits and storytelling still feeling like you.
- [33:20]
B
Yeah, I use it a lot for ideation. Like I said earlier, like, I don't use it to edit, but for ideation. I love using Stanley, truly, because I see it as a partner that understands my audience. I understand me, but it understands what my audience likes about me. So I'm going through and I'm like, okay, I want to talk about this, I want to talk about that. And he's like got you. Here's ways that you could package it up for your audience because I think actually this is a hot take. Not many people agree with this, but I do not believe in like creating in a silo. And there's a lot of. There's the differing opinion the creative act. Rick Rubin is like create only for you. Never think about anyone else in the creation process. And I don't agree. I think that you should always be in co creation with the audience because that makes it more fun. Of course I want people to resonate with my point of view. Of course I want people to look at the world differently because of what I'm saying. And so having a tool like Stanley for me, where it's giving me ideas that it knows my audience is going to resonate with. Well, like what a. What an amazing partner to make my art. As most have the biggest impact possible. Where I draw the line is like no one can shoot like me, no one can edit like me. Like this is my life, you know. So yeah, that's. I use it for ideation, I use it for scripting. Like a lot of people do. Like I just thought dump into it and be like, make this sound like me in like a voiceover.
- [34:56]
A
I love that. I agree with you. Also, when it comes to storytelling and content, I always say be a learn from me account, not a look at me account. Because if it's always about you and your perspective, I just, I'm not attracted to that. I guess some people are good with that, that story arc, but not, not me. I want to give value to people. Truly, you know.
- [35:18]
B
Yeah. Important.
- [35:21]
A
So let's say there's a business owner or a creator out there that's listening and she's feeling stuck. What's the first step for her to get unstuck?
- [35:30]
B
I love this question. The key to getting unstuck, two things. Usually you're stuck because you're, you're afraid to go sit in its world. Like you're observing the problem from the outside instead of just like getting into the mess. And I think with new AI tools it, it decreases that barrier because now you have a thought partner and going to sit in that world. So like whenever I'm like intimidated by like honestly like I get really intimidated by like a pitch deck when I have to pitch a new concept or I have to like write a treatment for something which is like me, me just explaining what is on screen from like before the. Before the video is ever made. Like as a director, that is a treatment and I Always feel like I'm stuck, quote unquote. And then I go spend time and I just sit in its world and I just like, try to bask in it and feel it. And like, what kind of music would this con. Like, what kind of music is in this world? What kind of visuals are in this world? Then I like, know it a lot more and I'm like, oh, that is where like genuine creativity comes out of me because I'm sitting in. I'm sitting in it. I'm not observing it being like, ah, I don't know what to do about that. And so I think AI tools are an excellent. Like, it drops the barrier to just go sit in the world because you can already start conversing with it. Um, second of all is like, there is this very specific blocker. If you're still like feeling stuck, you're sitting in the world and you like, maybe you can't take that leak to post or you are really afraid of selling. Like, that's a huge, like Stan customer fear is like, I'm afraid to look like I'm salesy and that's the blocker. It's like actually getting so specific about the exact point of friction and it's usually like, who's the one point person that you're afraid that's looking at your stories? When you upload that story, there's one person who you're thinking about block them.
- [37:23]
A
Oh my God, that is true.
- [37:25]
B
There's like, everybody knows, like, a person just came up for me and like, you know, you know, yeah, my person just came up and so like, if that's the one blocker, it's time, it's time to get them out of your story viewers. Or it's like, if, you know, like another thing. When I was like mentoring people who are starting their account, they're like, I don't know if I should start a new account or like, post on my personal account. It's like, if that is the one decision that's holding you back, just pick one and go. Pick the wrong one and go. Even like you sitting here in analysis paralysis, if the blocker is that what an easy blocker to get over by just picking the wrong one. Just go, you know, so like, you, once you figure out what that is for you, just be super relentless about removing it. Like, get out. We, me and Lauren, another employee at Stan, like, we have this saying that's just like, get out. If it's a, if it's a limiting belief, it's a block. Get out. Love it. So, like, just get that thing out of the way and like, just see how it frees you. Because if you're still feeling blocked, maybe you didn't get to the root of it, like, mentally, it should hopefully open up the doors for you.
- [38:33]
A
I love that. Just get it out. Block it. Block him or her.
- [38:37]
B
Yeah.
- [38:40]
A
I honestly want to block all of my friends and family from my Instagram because I, my, my Instagram is not made for them anyways. It's made for my business. And like, at the end of the day, I know they followed me to support me, but they're probably not resonating with half the shit that I'm posting on there anyways. So if you resonate with what Elena saying right now, do what she says and block them. I love that.
- [39:02]
B
Get it out.
- [39:05]
A
Oh, okay. Another one. I have a really. Another one. A good one. If you could leave our listeners with one mindset shift about AI and creativity, what would that be?
- [39:16]
B
It's going back to. It's not replacing your internal force. It's getting rid of the external forces that are blocking you from putting that out into the world. It will never replace you. It will. Nothing ever will replace you. But there's a lot of external factors that hold you back from unleashing that creativity. And holy shit, if we could find something that could get those blockers down, that could slay away all those blockers, we would have so much more creativity in the world. And so what an empowering time to be alive, to have tools that get rid of that blocker.
- [39:50]
A
Alina, you need your own podcast because you're just, you're just like, really empowering me with all of this. Okay, I have some fun wrap up questions, questions for us. Okay, this one's my favorite. If Stanley AI had a personality, what would it be?
- [40:06]
B
We spent a ton of time trying to give Stanley a real personality.
- [40:13]
A
Yeah.
- [40:14]
B
And I feel like if he was a person, he would be the boyfriend that shocks you constantly. Like, you know when your partner is.
- [40:24]
A
Like, good shocking or bad shocking, like.
- [40:27]
B
Has another bathroom, I'm like, oh, my God. No, no. He's like, he's like. You know when, you know when your boyfriend will like, say something or your partner will say something? Like, they're like, wow, how do you know about that? Like, that's a girl thing. Or like, okay, you showed up with like this specific, like, thing that I like and I've, like, not really talked about it that much. Like, wow, it's that delight moment. And like, I feel like that's who he is. He's like some. This partner that shows up and you're like, how did you know that about me? I love you. You know, it's like, it's that partner that makes you, like, dang, you showing up.
- [41:09]
A
Okay, I think we all need that.
- [41:13]
B
I know.
- [41:16]
A
What about, like, Like a dream project or brand that you'd love to direct for? Who would that be?
- [41:24]
B
Yeah, I, like, literally know this off the tip of my tongue. My childhood hero is Miley Cyrus, and so I would die to direct a music video for her. She, like, no wonder we are the way that we are. Because, like, she was coming out with songs that are like, I got nerve. Like, I can rule the world. I'm going to be president. I can be 10ft tall. Like, I just love her empowerment to, like, little girls who grew up in that era. And I also love Olivia Rodrigo. I would direct an Olivia Rodrigo music video because she is so angry and unhinged in her art. But, like, on the, like, on the surface, is so soft girl exterior. And I'm like, that is cool. Like, women are so multi dimensional. And I like, really like that about her.
- [42:08]
A
Do you think that was her weird thing is, like, her anger? Like, the.
- [42:12]
B
Yeah.
- [42:13]
A
Anger. It's not anger. What is it? I mean, is it anger?
- [42:17]
B
Like, it's. It's like, yeah. And like, also, like, women aren't allowed to be angry. Like, and she's like, no, I am. I am. I am angry. And I'm like, I. I think that she went into her diaries and, like, took some of the most unhinged thoughts and just said, I'm putting these out. Like, I'm. I know other people feel this way. We were just talking about, like, you know, when TikTok started to take off and people started talking about, like, when you have a crush, you, like, will find their house on Zillow. Do you know how many people felt like, oh, my God, I'm not the weirdest person in the world.
- [42:55]
A
Yes.
- [42:56]
B
So people like talking about things that they think are weird. It's like, wait, you guys are all acting like this. Like, sorry if I just totally outed myself on your podcast. But, like, yeah, I'm trying to think.
- [43:08]
A
Of some of my weird things I can't think of. I'm not a good top of the head person. But yes, you're right. And that's what. She brings that to light. I love that. What's one creative ritual you never skip?
- [43:18]
B
Oh, my God. Wrong person. I am. I'm truly never in the Same time zone. I live out of hotels and suitcases. So, like, you would think, like, you would think creative people are always like, I swear by writing every day. Like, I swear by. I have to have, like, my journaling. I'm like, I just fly by the seat of my pants. I have no rituals, guys.
- [43:42]
A
Like, sometimes we'll have calls. And she's in an airport, and she's like, oh, I forgot I'm at the airport today. I'm like, do you want to reschedule this? No, it's fine. As she's putting stuff in a bin.
- [43:51]
B
To go through security, I'm like, oh, you're just gonna go right through the scanner real quick, and then I'll pick up this call when it's done. No, I. I think that, like, yeah, don't. I think that's a cool. I think that's a cool thing about me because I think you always think that creative people have so much time to be, like, this routine, like, person, and this is what fuels their creativity. Like, I actually just get, like, so much fuel from seeing life in, like, a cool lens. So like, even I will say, like, my. My mental habits are my rituals. So, like, I just got water. This water in this cup right now. And I was like, wow, what an amazing thing that I can tailor the temperature of this water to exactly what I want. This is insane moment in time. Like, just choosing to see the world in, like, kind of, like a whimsical, like, wow way is, like, how I literally keep myself going and how I come up with ideas.
- [44:50]
A
I guess we need more of you in the world. Like, you. You truly are like, this positive little light that just. And you couldn't have been. There could not have been a better person behind Stanley helping the team build that out than you. Because you're so creative. You know what people need? You're a director. You've got all the. You know, I'm just. I'm really happy that they chose you to. To do that.
- [45:12]
B
Thank you. I. I went in with a lot of imposter syndrome because I don't know anything about product or engineering, but I felt strongly about, like, the way that I approach my creative process is hopefully resonant with a lot of other people. And I'm really excited for Stanley AI to be in the world. He's working really. He's working on himself as we speak, trying to. He's going to be the best boyfriend for you guys really quickly, but he does have some work to do. Yeah.
- [45:46]
A
When will we know? How can we keep up with updates about this. Where do we go?
- [45:51]
B
Stanley has his own Instagram. It's stanley4stanley4ig. That will be the interface in which you're going to be able to converse with him in the chatbot.
- [46:01]
A
I know that people have fallen in love with you through this conversation, so you also need a plug in yourself. Like how can they connect with you?
- [46:07]
B
Aww. My Instagram is Laina. L A I N A B O O T H Booth. Lena Booth. I post a lot about like my own creative journey, my perspective on time and yeah, just the things I'm kind of Learning as a 25 year old as well. So I'm. And then like a lot of my professional work goes on there as well. I really appreciate it. Yay.
- [46:35]
A
Thank you so much. We're gonna have you back on. Once we get this thing moving and grooving, you can tell us even more. Maybe we can even have a conversations on, you know, how to use it the best way, tips, tricks, all the things. So if you guys like this episode, if you're excited for Stanley AI, send me a message over on call her creator on Instagram. But for now, that's all we have for you. And thank you so much, Alina.
- [46:56]
B
I love you. Thank you guys. Well, it's just you, Caitlyn. Thank you, Caitlin.
- [47:02]
A
Thank you guys.
- [47:04]
B
Thank you guys.
- [47:06]
A
We will see you next week. Bye. Bye.
- [47:08]
B
So you're probably wondering after all that, how do I get access to Stanley ig? Well, we're going to make it so easy for you. All you have to do is go down to the show notes. You're going to click the that link in the show notes and you're going to fill out the information. It's super simple. Just name, email and Instagram handle. And then Stanley's going to take a little bit of time, scrape your socials and get all ready to be the best content bestie that he can be. Then I'm going to send you a personal email when it's time to jump right into the tool. So once you're in there, you, you just tell them a little bit about your goals to contextualize kind of where you're at, what your goals are. Is it conversions, is it growing a following, is it just to be consistent? And then once he has that context, you're going to be able to jump into your free trial, which is a three day free trial and you can actually use the code, call her creator for $10 off your first month. As always, we're building this with you guys and for you guys, we are open to any and all feedback. So you can email us at Stanley IG at stanwith me if you have if you run into any issues or have any questions. Always open to feedback. We're so excited for you to dive into this tool. I think this is going to be game changing for the creator economy.