#742: AI Strategies for Entrepreneurs: From Time-Saving Hacks to Exploring Creative Strategies - The Amy Porterfield Show

Summary

Podcast Summary: Online Marketing Made Easy with Amy Porterfield

Episode #742: AI Strategies for Entrepreneurs: From Time-Saving Hacks to Exploring Creative Strategies Release Date: December 19, 2024

Introduction

In episode #742 of Online Marketing Made Easy, Amy Porterfield delves into the pervasive and transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the realm of online business. As AI continues to evolve, entrepreneurs often grapple with leveraging its capabilities without succumbing to overwhelm. Amy aims to demystify AI, offering actionable strategies that align with individual business goals while preserving the unique human touch essential for authentic connection with audiences.

AI as a Strategic Partner

Amy begins by positioning AI not as a replacement for human creativity but as a strategic partner that enhances business operations.

Amy Porterfield [00:00]: "AI is not going away. And I truly believe that AI has the power to simplify our lives. It's an amazing tool for tackling repetitive, time-consuming tasks, freeing us up to focus on the visionary and creative work that drives our businesses forward."

She emphasizes the importance of maintaining personal stories, unique frameworks, and authentic content, cautioning against over-reliance on AI which could lead to generic output.

Amy Porterfield [15:30]: "The real drivers of your business's success are your stories, your unique frameworks, how to approach your content, and your personal tone and touch."

AI Tools and Their Applications

Amy outlines various AI tools that can streamline different aspects of online business:

ChatGPT: Utilized as a brainstorming partner and strategic assistant. Amy highlights the significance of feeding it personalized content to enhance its utility.

Amy Porterfield [09:45]: "I love to kickstart things using AI. So I think it's important to remember that the real drivers of your business's success are your stories, your unique frameworks..."
Napkin AI: Transforms text into visuals, aiding in the conceptualization and presentation of frameworks.

Amy Porterfield [21:10]: "Napkin AI will generate multiple visual versions to help you bring it to life. This makes it so much easier to brainstorm how to present your framework in a slide deck."
Lately AI: Breaks down long-form content into bite-sized social media posts, enhancing content distribution efficiency.
Claude AI: Excels in generating copy that matches specific brand tones, useful for creating consistent marketing materials.

Custom GPTs: Personalized AI Solutions

Amy introduces the concept of Custom GPTs, personalized versions of ChatGPT tailored to specific business needs. She explains their potential to handle unique workflows and challenges more effectively than general AI tools.

Amy Porterfield [27:40]: "Custom GPTs are personalized or specific versions of ChatGPT designed to handle specific tasks, workflows, or challenges."

Student Success Stories:

Lydia Martin: Utilizes a custom GPT named Video Outline Expert to create tailored summaries and outlines for her course content, significantly speeding up her content creation process.

Lydia Martin [27:40]: "From there, I started using it to repurpose content. It was allowing me to add so much more value to my students while helping me create content with ease."
Sydney from XOXO Templates Studio: Developed the XOXO Copy Bot, a custom GPT that generates personalized copy for her members’ template customizations, enhancing user experience and retention.

Amy Porterfield [34:26]: "Sydney developed the XOXO Copy Bot, which perfectly tailors copy to fit her templates, making it easier for members to get results."

Implementing AI in Business Operations

Amy discusses how AI can optimize behind-the-scenes operations, particularly in task prioritization and scheduling. She references the "ideal week" concept inspired by Michael Hyatt, demonstrating how AI can assist in structuring an entrepreneur’s schedule to maximize productivity.

Amy Porterfield [25:15]: "AI can help you prioritize your tasks and even help you set up your schedule. It’s like having a personal assistant that understands your ideal week."

Best Practices for Using AI

Amy shares several strategies to maximize AI’s effectiveness:

Be Specific with Prompts: The quality of AI output heavily depends on the specificity of the prompts provided.

Amy Porterfield [30:45]: "The key is being super specific with your prompts and just getting really good with your prompts."
Feed AI Customized Content: Uploading personal content like books, newsletters, and sales pages helps AI generate more tailored and relevant outputs.
Continuous Learning and Adaptation: AI is ever-evolving, and staying curious is essential to harness its full potential.

Future Insights and Upcoming Content

Amy teases future episodes featuring Rick Mulready, who will delve deeper into advanced AI strategies and custom GPTs, promising listeners even more robust insights and actionable tips.

Amy Porterfield [40:00]: "In quarter two of 2025, Rick Mulready will join us to provide even more advanced strategies on using AI, including custom GPT tips and insights."

Conclusion and Actionable Takeaways

Amy encourages listeners to embrace AI as a collaborative tool that can significantly enhance their business operations when used thoughtfully. She assigns homework for entrepreneurs to identify areas within their businesses where custom GPTs could make a substantial impact, fostering efficiency and creativity.

Amy Porterfield [45:00]: "Take time to think about your business and identify areas where a custom GPT could make a big impact. Reduce your stress and create an even better experience for everyone involved."

Notable Quotes

Amy Porterfield [00:00]: "AI is an amazing tool for tackling repetitive, time-consuming tasks, freeing us up to focus on the visionary and creative work."
Lydia Martin [27:40]: "GPTs take this to a whole new level because you can train your GPT to give the exact information that you're looking for."
Amy Porterfield [34:26]: "Custom GPTs are trained on your content, your style, your processes, and therefore are more precise and aligned than a general tool like ChatGPT."

Final Thoughts

Episode #742 serves as a comprehensive guide for entrepreneurs looking to integrate AI into their businesses without losing their unique voice and personal touch. Amy Porterfield effectively balances the technical aspects of AI with practical, real-world applications, ensuring listeners can implement these strategies to enhance their productivity and business growth.

Listeners are left with a clear understanding of how to utilize various AI tools, the benefits of custom GPTs, and actionable steps to begin integrating AI into their workflows. As AI continues to advance, Amy’s insights provide a valuable roadmap for entrepreneurs to stay ahead of the curve while maintaining authenticity and creativity in their endeavors.

Transcript

A (0:00)

The real drivers of your business's success are your stories, your unique frameworks, how to approach your content, and your personal tone and touch. And I feel as though that's why you've gotta spend some time with whatever AI or ChatGPT gives you so that it will feel like your own. I'm Amy Porterfield, ex corporate girl turned CEO of a multi seven figure business. But it wasn't all that long ago that I lacked the confidence, the budget and the time to focus on on growing my small but mighty business. Fast forward past many failed attempts and lessons learned and you'll see the business I have today. One that changes lives and gives me more freedom than I ever thought possible. One that used to only exist as a daydream. I created the Online Marketing Made Easy podcast to give you simple, actionable, step by step strategies to help you do the same. If you're an ambitious entrepreneur or one in the making who's looking to create a business that makes an impact and a life you love, you're in the right place, friend. Let's get started. Well, hey there friend. Welcome back to another episode of Online Marketing Made Easy. I'm your host, Amy Porterfield, and today we're diving into a topic that continues to produce a lot of buzz and a lot of debate in the online business world, which is, of course, AI. With new tools and strategies popping up every day, it's no surprise that figuring out how to best use AI in your business can feel a little overwhelming. But here's the deal. Whether you love it or you hate it, one thing is clear. AI is not going away. And I truly believe that AI has the power to simplify our lives. It's an amazing tool for tackling repetitive, time consuming tasks, freeing us up to focus on the visionary and creative work that drives our businesses forward and helps us make an impact in the world. But when I talk to so many of my students and even some of my peers, I keep hearing that instead of making things easier, AI can sometimes add more pressure to their days. These are the conversations I've been seeing online and with my students. So whether it's using AI for content creation, marketing, or just keeping up with all the latest trends, sometimes it can feel like a lot. So my goal with this episode is simple. To help you cut through the noise and the overwhelm and show you how to use AI in a way that aligns perfectly with your goals and vision for your business. Now, a few things. Number one, I am not going to get into advanced strategies today. Instead, I'M going to leave that to my good friend Rick Mulready. It's been a long time since Rick's been on the show. He used to come on all the time and we would say we were Regis and Kathie Lee, which I know takes us way back, but still. And we always had so much fun together. And usually we were talking Facebook advertising when he'd come on the show. Well, he has since transitioned his business in such an incredible way and Rick has gone all in with AI and he has this incredible membership I'm a part of showing what works with AI, different opportunities with AI, how to use AI as an advanced user or just someone getting started. So I just love everything he's doing. And so I asked Rick to come on the show. He's going to be coming on in quarter two of 2025, so I'm going to have an even more robust, very specific, but a little bit more advanced episode on ways to use AI. And as we know, every month it gets better and better. So by quarter two of 2025, watch out, because I can't even wait to see what he brings to the table. But this episode, before I had invited Rick on, has been in the queue forever and ever. And so because it's showing up now, I'm like, okay, this actually works really well, but for what's to come. So just know I've got even more goodness to come your way with Rick Mulready. Okay, so I did an episode back in September 2023. I can't believe it's more than a year ago where we talked a little bit about how my team is just starting to use AI and how they're using it. And so that was episode 6 11. You could just check it out@amyporterfield.com 611 because all the strategies we shared, most of them beginner strategies, still work to today and we're still using them. So that episode is still very relevant. And today I thought, well, with this episode I'll share some AI strategies that will help you maybe think outside the box, streamline your business and free up your time for the work that truly matters. But this time we asked some of my students as well as my team members how they were using AI. And we have all new prompts and all new ideas coming your way today. I think this is a topic we need to just keep talking about every quarter, likely because things change so quickly. And I want to tell you I have made it my mission to become very proficient with AI in all different ways. Not just ChatGPT, but all different ways. And one, my interest has been ignited being friends with Rick. And then two, my business coach, Michael Hyatt, he's like a power user. This man sleeps, drinks, thinks about lives, AI. And it's so fun to watch because he's learned so many things. And I got invited to his family. AI text chat. Yeah, they have one. And I just love, like, hearing all the different things they're all discovering. But it's really great to have a business coach that's, like, on the forefront of this. And so speaking of, he is the first person that taught me custom GPTs. We're going to talk a little bit about that today, but I want Rick to get into some really, really cool ideas with custom GPTs when he comes on the show. But I am going to break down what they are, why they're a game changer for online business owners, and how you can start identifying opportunities to use them right now. Plus, I'm going to share stories of two of my star students who have used custom GPTs in their businesses to make a big impact. So my hope is that by the end of this episode, you feel more excited and less overwhelmed by AI and that you'll start to make AI work for you so that you can focus on what you do best. Serving your audience, sharing your brilliance, and building the business of your dreams. So let's jump in. To start, I want to talk about how my team and I approach AI. We don't see it as a tool to do our work for us, but rather as a partner to enhance what we create. Michael always tells me to just use it and talk to it like it's a really smart, strategic assistant. And I thought that was a really great way to look at it. And then he's like, you can just use regular language. What would you say to an assistant if they sent you this and you wanted them to change it? What would you say? Keep doing that. And so I've really embraced it in terms of, like, I'm talking to a very strategic assistant. But I will say relying on AI to completely take over, like, using it to create an entire digital course for you. I believe it will lead to content that feels generic, very vanilla, and just blends into the sea of sameness online. And then when that happens, it's much harder to stand out and truly connect with your audience so that they instantly, like, recognize, oh, that's my trusted expert that I want to learn from. That won't happen if you have watered down messages or and not even watered down. I think AI is getting better and better at, let's say, sounding like me because I've trained it for so long. But in addition to that, it's not going to tell the gritty stories I have in the way that I would tell it, at least not yet. And there are stories I've never mentioned before that I like to weave into my podcast content. So I still will always spend time doing my own thing with a script or an outline or a chapter of a book or whatever it might be. But I love to kickstart things using AI. So I think it's important to remember that the real drivers of your business's success are your stories, your unique frameworks, how to approach your content, and your personal tone and touch. And I feel as though that's why you've got to spend some time with whatever AI or ChatGPT gives you so that it will feel like your own and your audience will connect with it. Because the important thing here is when you add your personal touch and your stories in your own frameworks and your own approach, these are the things that draw your ideal customer to you and encourages them to say yes to your offer and ultimately helps them achieve the results your product or service is designed to deliver. So with this in mind, my philosophy with AI is simple. It is your brainstorming partner and your supercharged strategic assistant. It's a tool to help you amplify you your unique skills, your ideas, your expertise, not something that replaces your knowledge, voice or creativity. So here's an example of how I use this in my business right now. Whenever I create a digital course, I always include a framework, a clear step by step process for my students to follow. And every time I come up with a new framework, I make sure to give it a unique and memorable name. So this framework acts as a roadmap, helping students understand exactly where they are in their journey and keeping them engaged with the content I'm teaching every step of the way. So recently my content team and I were creating a framework to help people determine the right time to introduce a paid offer to their audience. So we focused on indicators like strong engagement in your emails and on social media, positive feedback and questions from your ideal customer avatar, and consistent list growth driven by a well aligned lead magnet. So we knew we didn't need AI to tell us this is truly where we believe is a great place to then introduce a digital course into your business when you have this kind of foundation. So the framework we developed, we felt was solid, but we wanted actually to make sure we didn't miss anything. So actually plugging that into AI, asking, did we miss anything? Is there something different that possibly could make this easier or more robust? So we first did that. And one of the things I love about AI is feeding it information, letting it read your emails or newsletters, or uploading a PDF of your book or anything like that to really get to know you. And so we did that, and actually we didn't change anything. But then we went back and we wanted a really cool name that would stick with the students and help them remember it as they got into action with concepts that I was teaching. So we turned to ChatGPT about that as well, and we shared the details of the framework again, asked for, like, five memorable naming suggestions, and it came back with some fantastic options, like the Trust first formula, which perfectly captured the concept. So for us, ChatGPT has become a really helpful brainstorming partner with us because we're feeding it information. It didn't do the work for us, although it could definitely kickstart it. I don't think my team used it in this case to kickstart because they already had the info, but anything where you're starting from scratch, absolutely. Use ChatGPT to kickstart it, and then it can amplify what you've already created. And then in our case, gave us the inspiration to make it even better with, like, some really cool names that we played with. And here's the thing, it's not just ChatGPT that's great for content brainstorming and creation. There are other fantastic tools out there that can help bring your ideas to life. So, for example, many of my Momentum membership students, they are loving Napkin AI. So Napkin AI, it takes your text and turns it into visuals. So let's take the framework example I just mentioned a step further. You can input the text of your framework and its details of the framework, and Napkin AI will generate multiple visual versions to help you bring it to life. So this makes it so much easier to brainstorm how to present your framework in a slide deck while you teach it, let's say on a webinar or in your course, or even it just can help you to conceptualize it for yourself. Like, what would this look like? How do I bring this to life? So I love that. So Napkin AI. And then another popular tool that my Momentum members are absolutely loving right now is Lately AI. It's such a cool tool because it does a lot, but one of the things I love is it could take A long form, weekly content. So let's say a blog post or a podcast transcript and break it up into bite sized pieces for social media. So my first thought was if I'm doing a carousel post where you slide and you read what's on each of the slides on Instagram, you could actually ask lately AI to break it up for let's say a carousel post or something like that. So I haven't tried it yet. I just learned about it, but I think it'd be really cool. Okay. I also highly recommend checking out an AI tool called Claude AI. I first learned this from Michael and then Rick teaches this in his membership. And by the way, if you want to check out Rick's membership, it's called the AI Playbook. So just Google AI Playbook Rick Mulready, you'll find it. It's a monthly membership, highly recommend. So he was talking about this as well. And many of my Mastermind members swear by it for their copy needs and I've been impressed by how well it generates copy that matches my tone of voice and my brand. Again. Although no matter what tool you're using, you know what I'm going to say, I don't think it should replace all of your copy, all the work you're doing. But I love a good kickstarter like I mentioned and I think it can optimize what you're doing and just help you think differently, which I think we all could use a little nudge to do. So, so, so Claude AI definitely check it out. And here's the thing. I love using AI for things like social media posts, podcast titles, subject lines and other front facing content. Definitely it can kickstart an outline for a digital course. Oh, I've got a really great when we talk about custom GPTs, Michael Hyatt taught me how to do one for podcasting. So I literally can put in information. I can upload, let's say a guest book. I could get a book summary of their book before they come on the show. It will suggest 10 questions to ask them, it will write the bio. So all of that can be done for me in advance and then I just tweak it. So if I don't like one of the questions or I want to make it even better, I do so. Or I could go back and prompt it to fix it. So I'm loving it for, for my podcast guest for sure. Like the prep I do. And the thing is there are plenty of software tools out there that you can invest in, like the ones we Just talked about the free version of chat GPT still works incredibly well. I've upgraded for $20 a month to like the professional level or whatever it's called, but it allows me to do so much more, including more with custom GPTs, so. So if you really want to become a serious user, consider if you use ChatGPT upgrading to the $20 a month. I think it's worth it. And the thing with ChatGPT, what I've learned, and you've probably already learned this too, the key is being super specific with your prompts and just getting really good with your prompts. I think all of us should create a Google Doc. And anytime someone is suggesting a prompt on Instagram or YouTube or TikTok, a lot of people like share their prompts. If you like it, copy and paste it, give it a header so you can easily find it in this Google Doc. But I think we should become collectors of really great prompts so when we need them, we can use them. And every time I'm going to work inside ChatGPT, I tell ChatGPT who it is, such as you are an expert online marketer, copywriter or something like that. And then I give it a lot of context around who I am, the voice they're writing in, where I want to focus. Like, I load it up with exactly what I'm looking for. And I think that is incredibly helpful to get better results. And also what we love about ChatGPT is that you can upload PDFs, so you can upload a PDF, like in my case, I've uploaded a PDF of my book. I can upload newsletters so it can see how I write. I can upload a sales page copy if I want. So to us, uploading information, PDFs, documents, it just makes all the content it spits out for social media and emails and lead magnets or whatever we're using it for, so much better. And so I highly recommend to feed your chatgpt with your own content. Another way I use AI is to refine my content. So for example, if I write a podcast outline, I will ask ChatGPT to tighten up the language, clarify key points, estimate how long the podcast will take to deliver based on my outline, or even ask it to remove unnecessary repetition to fit a specific time frame. How cool is that? It's like having an editor on call always who's ready to help me polish my work. So that's another thing. I'm pretty wordy, especially when I'm writing. I tend to repeat myself if you know me, you know that's true. So taking out the repetition is so important for me. So think about your weaknesses in your writing, in your content creation. We all have them. And then ask AI to help you become better in those areas. Hey there. A quick word from our sponsor, Shopify. If you sell digital products in your business, such as templates, planners, checklists, guides, any kind of printables, you should definitely check out Shopify. In fact, I just did a whole podcast about how selling digital products like printables is a great way to get a quick cash injection. So I want you to upgrade your business and get a high converting checkout when you use Shopify. Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at shopify.com made easy. All lowercase. So go to shopify.com made easy to upgrade your selling today. Shopify.com made easy. You already know AI isn't just for creating or crafting content. It's also a powerful tool for the behind the scenes aspect of your business. So for example, AI can help you prioritize your tasks and even help you set up your schedule. I love this because if you're like me, you have an ideal week in mind. So every January or December leading into the new year, really I've already done this with Christine, my ea. We sit down and we rework my ideal week. The concept of an ideal week came from Michael Hyatt and co. I think it's in the book Full focus. And setting up your ideal week is essentially what days do you want to take meetings, what days are content creation day, what days are you willing to record? Go on live, all of that so that you almost be batch. Some of your behaviors, some of your responsibilities versus this minute I'm on a live, then I'm reviewing content, then I'm creating a slide deck, then I'm back on live. And I really like, like give me all the lives I need to do in one day and you can include meetings. So I know I'm just present on camera that day and the next day I'm doing my own thing, that kind of thing. And so I have this ideal week. We just revamped it for 2025 and again it includes specific days and times when I like to focus on certain kind of work. Well, AI can help bring that vision to life. So here's how. First you're going to tell your AI about your ideal week. Things like when you like to focus on deep work, creative tasks, meetings, lives, admin duties, all of it. Then if you're struggling to complete a project or feel overwhelmed with your to do list, Simply enter those details into the AI tool you're using, ask it to break down your project into actionable steps, and suggest when to tackle each one based on your ideal weekly schedule. So for example, if you have a big launch coming up, you can put or input all the tasks you need to complete, like writing emails and creating content and scheduling posts. And AI can help you create a clear step by step plan that fits into your ideal week. Now, you've got to feed it the right information. You know, when do you need to get done with this? Most tasks are going to take you how long, that kind of thing. But the more you work with AI, the better results you'll get. So it's not enough just to plug in a prompt and expect it to work magic really. AI is a team with you. You and AI are team members, so they can't do their job on their own. Something to remember. So again, if you like this idea of an ideal week and you want to do it for yourself as well, I just remembered I have a podcast episode about that. So it's episode 433. It's called how to Create an Ideal Week for Optimal Focus, Productivity and well being. So amyporterfield.com433 I definitely reference Hyatt's book in this, but I kind of lay out exactly how to do it. All right, before we dive into Talking about custom GPTs, I have one more really fun prompt that if you've never done this, I want you to try. I watched one of my girlfriends do this and her picture looked very chaotic so I was cracking up. But essentially what you're going to do is you're going to type in based on all our past conversations, you're doing this into chat GPT based on all our past conversations, create an image of what you think my life looks like. So my whole team did this. I did this. Number one, the woman depicted in the picture is very sexy and has this like low cut tank top on which I never wear tank tops on camera. So I'm like, where are they getting this? I don't know. And then there's a lot of signs behind her that say like dream big and you can do this. You've got this. There's lots of post it notes. It's a desk with books and computer and coffee and I'm standing the sexy woman in this picture. ChatGPT must think I'm sexy because this woman who's gorgeous does not look like Me whatsoever. She's standing with her hands crossed like a boss babe. And so I don't know, that's what they got out of this. I was cracking up. So I want you to try it and then DM me and let me know or like if you can upload the picture in a DM to me. Dying to see yours. So, you know, I'm just at Emmy Porterfield on Instagram. Please, please, please send me some images. I need to know what other people's look like because mine is a little weird. So anyway, I just thought that was fun. And once in a while, you've got to have a good time while you're working, right? So it's all good. And one quick, funny thing. So my whole team did this and then we all shared it in Slack, and one of my team members had a full rendition of my dog, Scout, my dog in her photo. So I thought that was hilarious. I loved it. Okay, so next we're going to shift and dive into the exciting world of custom GPTs. Now, I invited Rick Mulready to come on my show because this is one area I want him to really dial in for us. I think this is huge and I've just started using it. So real quick, if you're new to custom GPTs, think of them as personalized or specific versions of ChatGPT designed to handle specific tasks, workflows, or challenges. So right now there's a growing library of custom GPTs. This is what's crazy. I wonder if they're going to monetize this down the road. I think they should. So there's custom GPTs made by others that you can literally start using right now. For example, there's a custom GPT designed to summarize YouTube videos, or one for Canva to help generate designs for your content. They're already created by other people and you can literally make them your own. So chatgpt.com GPTs. But also if you. You. I don't know about the basic free chat GPT, but if you upgrade to that $20 a month, you'll see it very clearly in your portal. But the exciting thing here is that you can create your own. If you want something tailored specifically to your business, you can create your own. And I want you to hear from one of my students who has done just that. I'm hoping you hearing this quick audio from her. It's about six minutes. Her name is Lydia Martin. She's one of my star students. I want you to hear how she's used a custom GPT to spark some inspiration for you. And these are things that you could give as bonuses. You could sell it. I don't know if you can sell it legally. I've never looked into that, but I think it would be really great. But I love the idea of making it a bonus for, let's say a course promotion like my AI custom prompt is yours as a bonus when you enroll, that kind of thing. So keep that in mind and then take a listen to this clip from.