Podcast
Notion in Practice
Hosted by Tim Jeffries and Jerwin Parker · ENGLISH
Notion in Practice is the podcast for Notion power users, founders, and operators who want to see how real teams build and scale their workflows.
Hosted by Tim Jeffries (Notion Certified Consultant & Founder of Smooth Ops Consulting) and Jerwin Parker (Official Notion Ambassador & Marketing Lead at TrustOnCloud), each episode features expert interviews, actionable use cases, and practical takeaways you can implement today. Learn advanced Notion strategies, workflow automation, team systems, and productivity frameworks from practitioners who live in Notion daily.
10episodes
Episodes
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Notion's Head of AI on Building Agents Your Team Can Trust: Sarah Sachs E10
6d ago00:44:14Tap to summarizeTokens don't grow on trees. So what are you actually paying for when you pay for AI agents?In this episode, recorded live in studio, we sit down with Sarah Sachs, Head of AI Engineering at Notion (ex Google, ex Robinhood), to unpack what it means now that Notion is becoming the AI infrastructure real businesses run on. It's a practical conversation for founders, ops leads, chiefs of staff and the accidental systems people who became responsible for how the business actually runs.What we cover:The $500 AI bill: when agent cost is broken, and when it's the cheapest hire you'll ever makeUse AI for reasoning, code for plumbing: why Notion Workers exist and when a token is the wrong tool for the jobPermissioned context as the real moat, and Notion as the system of record where humans and agents collaborateAgent sprawl, vendor lock-in, and staying model optional as the frontier movesObserve in prod or live in a hallucination: watching what your agents actually do and actually costTimestamps:00:00 Cold open: "we're over-indexing on tokens"00:30 Intro and welcome, first episode live in studio04:05 Sarah's story: Google, Robinhood, and into AI07:30 What Head of AI Engineering at Notion actually does08:55 Why Notion, and AI going from add-on to core11:23 Two years, shipping fast, surfing the wave13:30 The $500 bill: tokens don't grow on trees18:38 Reasoning vs plumbing: stop spending tokens to move data21:41 Workers vs Zapier and Make23:00 Managed agents, permissioning and model interoperability25:44 Agent SDK, API and Dev Day26:30 Agent sprawl and Notion as the system of record28:50 Vendor lock-in and model optionality31:31 Building in the open, primitives and reception34:53 Staying fresh: the hot yoga ruleFive takeaways for your business:Be deliberate about what you hand to AI. Once agents run real workflows, cost stops being abstract.Reserve AI for judgement and ambiguity. Redesign workflows around trusted, permissioned context instead of bolting AI onto the mess.Stay model optional. Keep your context and workflows in a system of record so you can swap models as the frontier moves.Observe agents in production so you catch hallucinations and runaway spend before they hit your bill.Connect with Sarah Sachs:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarahmsachsX: x.com/sarahmsachsResources:Notion custom agents and Workers: notion.devNotion MCP docs: developers.notion.com/guides/mcp/overviewClaude agents in Notion: notion.com/partners/claudeNotion Enterprise Search: notion.com/product/enterprise-searchNotion AI Starter Kit: smoothops.consulting/Notion-AI-Starter-Kit-387dbd5e653480f8a275c1dc82b691adConnect with your hosts:Jerwin ParkerTim Jeffries
Transcribe →Notion AI Custom Agents: What You Actually Pay For + The 3 Layer Guide (Agents, Skills, Guides) E09
Apr 2700:54:26Tap to summarizeIn Episode 9 of Notion in Practice, Tim Jeffries and Jerwin Parker tackle the question on every Notion power user's mind: what will custom agents actually cost and is it worth it?With usage-based pricing for Notion custom agents rolling out, Tim and Jerwin discuss what stays free (personal agent / Nosy, enterprise search, meeting notes) and what gets metered (custom agents). They walk through the three-layer model Smooth Ops uses to architect AI inside Notion: Agents, Skills, and Guides and why this structure keeps costs predictable while making your AI dramatically smarter.In this episode:What you actually pay for in Notion AI (and what's free)The three-layer model: agents as orchestration, skills as SOPs, guides as reference materialA real example: how Tim's calendar-sync custom agent costs ~$150 AUD/month and why it earns its keepHow picking the right LLM (Haiku vs Sonnet vs Opus) per agent changes your billWhy clean databases are the non-negotiable foundation before any AI workWhen to reach for Claude + Notion MCP instead of staying inside NotionMeet Al, Tim's chief-of-staff personal agent, and how he handles every domain via dynamic skill-matchingWhy every skill needs an owner and a verification cadence: governance, not just authoringThree actionable takeaways:Start with your data structure: clean, well-named databases are the foundation everything else relies on.Set up your personal agent (Nosy) with strong custom instructions before you build a single custom agent.Build skills as separate, reusable pages and keep custom agents lightweight: they should orchestrate, not contain logic.Who this is for: New, Intermediate-to-advanced Notion users, consultants and operators who want to use Notion AI without burning through credits: especially anyone planning their custom agent strategy ahead of usage-based pricing.🎁 Tim's special offer for listeners: If you're struggling to set up your personal agent instructions, reach out to Tim directly: he's giving away a free instructions starter kit to anyone who asks. (Mentioned around the takeaways at the end of the episode.)📚 Further reading: Tim's Substack article Structure is the Strategy: open.substack.com/pub/smoothopsconsulting👉 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube @NotioninPractice for weekly real-world Notion + AI workflows.
Transcribe →Lawyer to Ops Lead: Building an Agent-Powered Startup | George Turnbull, Jerwin Parker, Tim Jeffries
Apr 800:50:22Tap to summarizeWhat happens when a former lawyer becomes Head of Operations at a scaling startup and decides to build an entire ops function using Notion agents?In this episode, George from Calcs joins Tim and Jerwin to share how she's using Notion AI agents to automate document hygiene, recruitment, onboarding, OKR reporting, and even Slack channel governance. After scaling Linktree from 40 to 160 people on Notion, George knows what foundational building blocks matter and why they matter even more in the age of AI.We dig into:🔹 The AskOps Agent - A Slack-based bot that answers operational questions, surfaces missing policies, and tracks how often questions are asked so the team knows where documentation gaps exist.🔹 Database Hygiene at Scale - How George uses verification agents that run weekly checks on document ownership, last-edited dates, and software renewals - so nothing falls through the cracks.🔹 Recruitment Without a TA Tool - Calcs runs its entire applicant tracking process inside Notion: Zapier brings in applications, a Notion agent manages candidate progression, and all communication is captured in one profile.🔹 OKR Summaries on Autopilot - A fortnightly agent scans the scorecard, summarises what's on track and off track, and posts the update to Slack - a task George used to do manually in slide decks.🔹 The Agent Org Chart Problem - As the number of agents grows, George shares what's missing: visibility into what agents are doing, better failure notifications, and a way to see the orchestration layer.🔹 AI Tool Sprawl - Notion agents vs. Slack AI vs. Claude vs. Zapier: how a small company decides where to build without paying for everything.Three Actionable Takeaways:Build agents to meet people where they work - if your team lives in Slack, bring Notion's power to them there.Invest in your foundational context layer first - clean databases with ownership, verification, and hygiene agents make everything else (including AI) work better.Experiment now, structure later - the free agent window is closing, so build, test, and learn before pricing forces discipline.Resources Mentioned:Notion · Calcs · Linktree · Slack · Linear · Claude · Zapier 🎧 This episode is for ops leaders, founders, Notion power users, and anyone building AI-powered workflows in a small team.
Transcribe →How a Deep Tech Venture Capital firm Runs on Notion (Darja Nelson) | E07 Tim Jeffries, Jerwin Parker
Mar 1700:46:09Tap to summarizeIn Episode 7 of Notion in Practice, Jerwin and Tim chat with Darja Nelson, Operating Partner at Bridgewest Ventures: New Zealand's leading deep tech venture capital firm that invests in early-stage deep tech companies.Darja shares how her team of six uses Notion to manage a pipeline of 300+ pitches a year, support five active portfolio companies, and produce investor reporting all while she spends six to seven hours a day in meetings.This episode covers the real, practical impact of AI meeting notes, how custom agents are starting to automate pipeline updates, and why the skills that matter for new hires are fundamentally changing. Three Actionable TakeawaysOwn your system as a team: Don't treat your Notion workspace as a one-off project. Hold regular sessions to review, improve, and build onboarding guidance - the team that owns the system gets the most out of it.Hire for wisdom, not just analysis: AI handles the traditional grind. Look for people who can critically evaluate output, ask the right questions, and make good decisions with the information AI surfaces.Make meetings your institutional memory: Store meeting notes centrally, make them searchable, and use custom agents to automate follow-up - so nothing falls through the cracks, even on six-call days.If you enjoyed the episode, subscribe for more real-world Notion workflows. More deep dives into custom agents, onboarding workflows, and how teams are building governance around their Notion systems.Resources mentionedTim Jeffries' article: Why Your Notion Workspace Design Matters for AINotion AI Meeting NotesNotion Custom AgentsNotion Skills (new AI feature in workspace settings)HostsJerwin Parker Roberto: LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jerwinparkerTim Jeffries: LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/timjeffries
Transcribe →Notion Custom Agents Deep Dive: Triggers, Permissions, and Real Use Cases
Feb 2400:53:24Tap to summarizeCustom Agents are the next step for Notion AI: not just answering questions, but running real workflows in the background.In this hosts-only deep dive, Tim Jeffries and Jerwin Parker break down what Custom Agents are, how they differ from the “regular” Notion AI experience, and how to think about implementing them safely in a team. Tim and Jerwin walks through the Custom Agents interface, including triggers, activity logs, permissions, and integrations, then shares a set of practical agents Smooth Ops has been using to reduce admin overhead and increase project context.In this episode, we coverCustom Agents vs Notion AI: what changes when AI can run autonomouslyPersonalized instructions and playbooks: the foundation for consistent outputsTriggers: schedule-based runs, property-based triggers, and Slack/Calendar/Mail possibilitiesPermissions and governance: what the agent can access, and how sharing agents can extend accessReal examples (Tim): meeting follow-up, Slack context capture, email-to-CRM logging, lead intake automation, and project status updatesReal example (Jerwin @ TrustOnCloud): a meeting triage custom agent for a marketing leader to capture actions, track accountability, and keep momentum after internal callsAmbient context: why Tim rebuilds a daily context page overnight so AI stays “stateful” across conversationsThree Actionable TakeawaysTakeaway #1: Start with personalized instructions + playbooks before you build agents.Build a reliable “baseline assistant” first, then turn repeatable playbooks into agents once you trust the workflow.Takeaway #2: Treat agents like employees: define the job, grant minimal access, then audit regularly.Good outcomes come from clear instructions, tight permissions, and reviewing activity logs.Takeaway #3: Use agents to capture context automatically (meetings, Slack, email) so work stays “stateful.”The more structured context lives in Notion, the less the AI has to guess, and the better the outputs become.Hosts:Tim Jeffries — Website · LinkedIn · Instagram · YouTubeJerwin Parker — Website · LinkedIn · Instagram · YouTubeResource Tim mentioned (Episode gift): https://www.notion.com/templates/how-to-build-ai-playbooksWho this is forOperators, consultants, founders, and Notion power users who want to automate repeatable work, reduce cognitive load, and keep project context up to date without relying on memory.Subscribe for more practical episodes on building real systems in Notion, with workflows you can copy and adapt.
Transcribe →Why AI Won’t Kill Consulting (But It Will Kill Busywork): Nick Tucker | Tim Jeffries & Jerwin Parker
Feb 1900:37:16Tap to summarizeIn Episode 5 of Notion in Practice, Jerwin and Tim sit down with Nick Tucker. He is an experienced management consultant, psychologist and people leader, driven by a desire to make the world a better place to work.Nick shares how he uses Notion as the operating system for his consulting practice: a “second brain” that captures context, keeps the admin tidy, and makes work easier to deliver with partners.This is not a hype episode. It’s a practical look at where AI is genuinely creating leverage, what still needs human judgment, and why adoption remains the hard part.What we coverNick’s background (strategy, culture change, organisational psychology) and how he discovered NotionNotion as a “second brain” that “keeps receipts”: admin + context + deliveryWhy AI challenges the traditional consulting leverage model (and what replaces it)The 4 workflow shifts: project management, meeting notes, pipeline/commercials, and IP managementUsing AI for feedback/coaching via custom rubrics (discovery calls)Adoption is still the hardest part: tools get deployed, but usage stays lowAI as a thinking partner (mental models + frameworks like Pyramid Principle)What surprised Nick: inconsistency (“hungover graduate” days)What’s next: “get the reps in” and keep feeding context as the system growsTop takeaways (from the conversation)AI changes the consulting advantage: The differentiator moves from producing repeatable “deck work” to using good judgment. The real skill is deciding what’s useful from endless AI output.Notion works best as an operating system (not another tool): A flexible “second brain” that keeps your delivery, context, and admin in one place, built around how you think and work.Four workflow upgrades drive leverage: Project management (single source of truth), meeting capture (searchable conversations), pipeline/commercial tracking (accountability), and IP management (drafting guides faster).Use AI for feedback and coaching, not just tasks: Call-review rubrics and automatic retros help people improve without the social friction of “I’ve got feedback for you.”Adoption is the real bottleneck: The tools can be there, but if people do not use them, nothing compounds. Systems that make work easier win adoption.Resources mentionedNick Tucker on LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/nick-tucker-Buoyant Partners (company): https://www.buoyant.partners/HostsJerwin Parker Roberto: LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/jerwinparkerTim Jeffries: Instagram https://au.linkedin.com/in/timjeffriesAI call-review rubrics (concept): https://smoothopsconsulting.notion.site/AI-Thinking-Partner-Playbook-Setup-Guide-1c0149969f724589a840a541fa434a75?source=copy_link (AI Thinking Partner Playbook, Setup Guide)Pyramid Principle (framework mentioned)
Transcribe →How a Criminal Law Firm Uses Notion AI to Focus on Clients, Not Admin
Feb 200:46:38Tap to summarizeDaniel Taylor runs a criminal and child protection law firm in Victoria, Australia, handling 800+ clients a year. When every client is in crisis and needs to be heard, there's no room for admin overhead or missed details.In this episode, Daniel shares his journey from paper files and mega spreadsheets to a fully systematized Notion workspace that's evolved over 6+ years with consultant Tim Jeffries and Jerwin Parker. We explore:From Paper to Digital:How Daniel discovered Notion through a fellow law firm ownerThe challenge of moving from Google Drive + spreadsheets to one source of truthChange management: navigating the cycle of denial, anger, bargaining, and acceptance with staffAI Transcription as a Game-Changer:Why clients come to lawyers to be heard, not lecturedUsing live transcription to stay fully present in client conversationsDrafting letters that reflect clients' own words back to them ("98% done" from the transcript)The Next Frontier: Custom Agents:Automated file audits that catch billing gaps and missing documentsIntake and outtake processes that run in the background when you're too busyTraining junior lawyers through AI feedback on client interview transcriptsThree Actionable Takeaways:AI lets you be more human, not less. Transcription handles admin so you can focus on listening.The client's words land better than yours. Draft from transcripts using their language.Agents will catch the stuff that falls off when you're busy. Automate the tasks that should happen but don't.🎁 Free Resource from This Episode 📞Call Review Playbook — Your Free GiftDaniel's workflow for using AI to review call transcripts inspired us to create a ready-to-use playbook you can adapt for your business.✅ A structured framework for defining your own review criteria✅ Three different approaches to developing criteria✅ AI-ready instructions that turn transcripts into actionable coaching feedback✅ Real examples across different contexts (sales, support, consulting)Link: https://www.notioninpractice.com/Call-Review-Playbook-Setup-Guide-2fbdbd5e653480898b60d4adc27db738?source=copy_linkShow NotesResources Mentioned:Guest: Daniel Taylor Criminal and child protection law firm owner, Victoria, AustraliaSubscribe to Notion in Practice:🎵 Spotify • Apple Podcasts • YouTubeContact:💼 LinkedIn🌐 www.notioninpractice.com🪄jerwin@notioninpractice.com
Transcribe →From Messy Handovers to Seamless Delivery: Ionyx Digital’s Notion AI Workflow🪄 E03
Jan 2000:43:42Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Notion in Practice, Tim and Jerwin sit down with Matthew Shaw and Dave Merriweather from Ionix Digital to unpack how they rebuilt their entire sales-to-delivery process on Notion and Notion AI.Ionix work with time-poor clients across construction, infrastructure, mining, rail and services – people who can close deals in a room but hate the admin it takes to get there. Traditionally, their sales team would run long discovery calls and pitches, then try to “re-say” everything in a handover meeting with copywriters, designers and developers.Important context slipped through the cracks, projects dragged out, and rewrites piled up.Now, every discovery conversation is captured as a transcript, stored in Notion, and becomes a shared source of truth. Notion AI sits on top of those 70–80 page transcripts, letting the delivery team:Ask detailed questions and get instant, accurate answersUnderstand the client’s goals and language as if they’d been in the roomWrite content and design assets that hit the brief on the first passMatthew and Dave share:Why tools like Monday.com and Wrike weren’t the right fit for their workflowHow they designed a single client page that connects sales, delivery, tasks and transcriptsThe real impact on quality: fewer complaints, fewer rewrites, and more consistent outputsHow Notion AI helps them halve overall delivery timelines without cutting cornersThe internal AI tools they’ve built to critique client collateral and train the sales teamWhat they learned about change management when rolling Notion out to two very different teamsIf you run a services business, agency or consulting firm and struggle with handovers, inconsistent delivery or time-poor clients, this episode will give you a concrete example of how to:Turn conversations into assetsBuild a living knowledge base out of transcriptsUse Notion AI as a partner for both sales and deliveryThree Actionable TakeawaysTurn every client conversation into a searchable asset.Record discovery and pitch calls, store the transcripts in Notion, and let Notion AI answer detailed questions later instead of relying on one person’s notes and memory.Design a single shared workspace for sales and delivery.Create a unified client page that links deals, transcripts, briefs, tasks and assets so delivery can start with full context instead of fresh questionnaires and repeat conversations.Use AI to cut waiting time, not quality.Let AI reduce back-and-forth, rewrites and clarifications so the team can spend their time on higher-quality writing, design and strategy – which is where the real value is.Guest ProfilesDave Merriweather:Matthew Shaw:Ionix DigitalHost ProfilesTim Jeffries:Jerwin Parker:
Transcribe →The Anatomy of an AI Playbook: Scaling Your Workflows in Notion (Ep. 2)
Jan 600:35:33Tap to summarizeStop treating Notion like a digital filing cabinet and start building an engine that thinks for you.In this episode, Tim Jeffries and Jerwin Parker move beyond basic note-taking to explore the high-level architecture of AI Playbooks. Jerwin shares his journey from being a "OneNote nerd" and Microsoft to building a "Second Brain" in Notion that tracks his entire Wheel of Life from cybersecurity marketing to personal book learnings.Jerwin reveals how he navigated a six-month "digital nomad" journey across Europe and Korea using a custom-built AI Travel Agent that had access to his bucket list and financial data to make travel decisions with confidence.Tim breaks down his proprietary framework for AI Playbooks repeatable, structured workflows that automate complex tasks like meeting follow-ups, drafting proposals, and qualifying leads.Key Topics Discussed:Jerwins Click Moment: Transitioning from fragmented apps (OneNote, Apple Notes, Word) to a centralized Notion ecosystem.The Wheel of Life: Using Notion for weekly reflection on finance, health, and bucket list goals.Building AI Agents: How Jerwin built a work timezone agent to manage time zones and a travel agent to replace guidebooks.The Playbook Anatomy: Tim's step-by-step guide to defining scoping triggers, inputs, steps, and guardrails for AI.The "Dial-Up" Phase of AI: Why we are currently in an awkward but transformative period of AI history.Chapters:00:00 | Introduction to Notion in Practice03:00 | From Microsoft to Notion Ambassador09:00 | The Wheel of Life: Notion as a Reflection Tool15:00 | AI Travel Agents & Managing Life on the Road21:00 | Deep Dive: The Anatomy of a Tim’s AI Playbooks28:00 | Iteration & Governance: Managing Playbooks for Teams✅ Three Action TakeawaysStop Chatting, Start Engineering: Use Tim’s "Playbook Anatomy" for repeatable tasks. Instead of a raw prompt, define the scoping trigger (when it should run), the inputs (what data it needs), and the guardrails (what it is forbidden to do).Centralize for "Contextual AI": AI is only as powerful as the data it can access. Follow Jerwin’s lead by consolidating your "fragmented brains" study notes, fitness logs, and work projects into a single Notion workspace so your AI agent understands your whole "Wheel of Life".The 4-Iteration Rule: Don’t expect an AI Playbook to be perfect immediately. Treat your workflows like "dial-up internet" they will be clunky at first. Plan to "hack it down" and refine your instructions 3 to 4 times based on real-world results until the automation is trustable.Key Episode ResourcesAI Playbook Instructions & Template: Tim Jeffries shared a set of instructions and a template designed to help users and Notion AI build repeatable workflows. Link: smoothops.consulting/ai-instructionsWheel of Life Concept & Template: Jerwin Parker Roberto discussed his "Wheel of Life" database, which he uses for personal reflection and tracking goals across finance, health, and more. Link: Jerwin's Wheel of Life Template
Transcribe →Welcome: Notion AI Agents in Practice: Translation, Learning Systems & Law Firms🪄 (Ep. 1)
Dec 1600:23:45Tap to summarizeWhat if your AI could build you a learning curriculum while you sleep? Or translate a Korean interview in real time with cultural context?This is Episode 1 of Notion in Practice, where Tim Jeffries (Notion Certified Consultant) and Jerwin Parker Roberto (Official Notion Ambassador) show you how practitioners actually use Notion's AI features to solve real problems.Why Notion's AI is DifferentMost AI tools need constant context setting. You copy paste project details into ChatGPT every single time. Notion AI already knows your clients, projects, and workflows because it sits on top of your structured data. Tim explains how this changes everything from writing proposals to qualifying leads to following up meetings.A Custom Agent That Teaches You While You Sleep??Tim built a custom AI agent that turns a single article into a progressive learning system.Each day, the agent creates a new task based on what you need to learn next, reviews your work, gives feedback, and either advances you or asks you to try again. Like having a personal instructor who never forgets where you left off.Breaking Language Barriers in Real TimeJerwin interviewed a Korean Notion Ambassador, Leese, without speaking Korean.Notion AI translated the conversation in real time, provided cultural context, and helped him write an accurate article in under 10 minutes.Tim had a similar experience translating a client's Cantonese phone call on the fly. These aren't demos. They're actual workflows.From Manila Folders to Digital First in One YearIn 2018, Tim discovered Notion on Product Hunt and convinced his cousin's law firm to go all in.They migrated 25 years of legal documents, built workflows for child protection lawyers, and structured everything around clients, cases, and document types.The firm tripled in size in year one. Tim shares what worked and what nearly broke the migration.The Shift Happening Right NowTim sees a fundamental change in how people approach Notion. Clients used to ask: "Help us get organized." Now they ask: "Help us leverage AI."The structure still matters but the results are exponentially greater.Three Actions You Can Take Today:Set up personalized AI instructions with context about your work, clients, and goal: Instructions: https://www.smoothops.consulting/ai-instructions Webinar: https://youtu.be/KRu9OkOqxiYBuild one simple custom agent for a repetitive task (proposals, meeting notes, learning)Use AI translation to record cross language conversations and capture contextPerfect for: Notion power users, startup founders, operations managers, consultants building AI powered workflows.
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