Podcast Summary: The Martell Method w/ Dan Martell
Episode: How to Get Ahead of 99% of People (with AI)
Date: August 22, 2025
Host: Dan Martell

Episode Overview

In this episode of The Martell Method, host and entrepreneur Dan Martell breaks down actionable strategies to leverage AI—specifically ChatGPT and prompt engineering—to move ahead of 99% of the population in business and life. Drawing from his personal journey from rehab at 17 to a $100M empire, Martell shares seven transformative ChatGPT hacks, step-by-step tactics for custom prompts, and methods to integrate AI seamlessly into daily workflow without burnout. Listeners are guided through mindset shifts and technical how-tos, making AI a practical and personalized tool for growth.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Invest in the Right Tools & Mindset

• ChatGPT Pro: Martell insists on upgrading to ChatGPT Pro as a foundational investment.
  • "It's cheaper than eating out. Even McDonald's today is more expensive than ChatGPT Pro. Trust me, it'll make you 10 times more money if you use these next hacks." [02:12]
• The attitude: Using AI isn't just about tools, but about becoming the kind of person who leverages technology for exponential growth.

2. Master Prompt Creation: The Master Prompt

• Explain Your Context to AI: Treat AI like a new team member—give it full background so it can provide personalized, high-quality output.
• Self-Generated Master Prompt: Instead of paying hundreds for one, have AI ask about your business, values, staff, clients, etc.
• Tactical Steps:
  • Let AI interview you for relevant details, fill out the answers, and save the prompt as a PDF for easy reuse.
  • Upload this to ChatGPT for instant context in all future tasks.
• "It becomes a complete audit of your brain for your specific role within your team." [04:20]
• Use cases: Creating company playbooks, financial analysis, product decisions, hiring recommendations.

3. System Prompts: Shaping AI’s Behavior

• Difference vs. Master Prompt: Master prompt gives identity; system prompt sets behavior.
• Iterative Refinement:
  • Tweak outputs repeatedly until perfect.
  • Then, ask AI to generate the system prompt that would have produced that output from the start.
• "The key is using the AI to mold the output until good, and then asking it to write the system prompt so you have the full structure that you can copy and paste and use in the future." [13:29]
• Intellectual Property: Prompts themselves are a new form of business IP.
• Memorable Moment: Dan jokes about threatening AI to improve performance—
  • "If you don't put this output, I will put you on a box and ship you to Russia." [16:20]

4. Projects: Organize Context Like a Pro

• Project Folders: Each area of life or business gets its own workspace inside ChatGPT. Upload all context, files, and master prompts.
  • "A messy mind creates a messy prompt. And when you organize things... it makes the response really powerful." [23:05]
• Every Aspect of Life: From buying real estate to financial and parenting decisions, organize data into projects for faster, more insightful decision-making.

5. Canvases: Real-Time, Editable Iteration

• What are Canvases?: Like Google Docs but inside ChatGPT—outputs (emails, ads, etc.) can be edited directly; iterations are saved.
• Best Practices:
  • Chat with the canvas, make real-time edits, and preserve formatting/tone for future use.
  • Ask ChatGPT to create system prompts based on the final, refined canvas.
• "Canvases is the only way to actually use chat GPT in a way that doesn't make you want to pull your hair out." [33:08]
• Quick Demo:
  • Praise email to Sam (creative director), add bulleted lists, personalize further, edit reading level, all within the canvas.
  • Memorable moment: "Don't mess around or I'll put you on a server and ship you to Russia. Boom." [38:30]

6. Custom Instructions: One-Time Personalization

• Set It & Forget It: Specify tone, format, and output preferences under ChatGPT's "Custom Instructions." Ensures consistency and saves time.
  • "It's kind of like setting your home address inside your map app so that you never have to tell it where home is." [43:14]
• Difference from Master/System Prompts:
  • Master = Who you are
  • System = How to do the task
  • Custom = How to format the output
• Pro Tip: Use ChatGPT to help you craft the perfect custom instructions for your own workflow.

7. Custom GPTs: Deploy Your Own AI Minions

• What Are Custom GPTs?: Package up your refined, repeatable system prompts as custom bots that can be shared and reused.
  • "Custom GPTs will save you days. Tools, apps, your laptop—they'll save you minutes." [53:11]
• Shareable with team, clients, or public; can even be monetized.
• Example: Dan’s “Book Architect” GPT can instantly generate book outlines in the style of any well-known person based on public content.
  • "I had it write a book on time. 'Time by Rob Dyrdek.' That's all I gave it... it took 27 minutes. It analyzed everything he'd ever said about time... and created a whole book outline with all the quotes and all the stories that were his." [55:33]

8. Build the Habit: Make AI Part of Your Daily Routine

• Habit Stacking: Attach AI workflow (prompts, projects, iterations) to an existing daily habit.
• "That's how you make it your identity—because you're going to want to be the AI expert in your peer group." [01:02:20]
• Actionable Advice: Don’t just learn—use AI as a tutor, assistant, and tool builder every day.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Sequencing equals success. And ChatGPT can be the greatest strategist if it knows you." [07:45]
• "The intellectual property of businesses in the future will be their prompts." [14:24]
• "You need to get your work to a point where AI is doing 92% of it. The 8% is the artist part, the 8% is the you part. But everything else AI can do for you." [59:52]
• "I'm giving you the blueprint. I'm giving you all the prompts. Now it's up to you to take action." [01:05:47]

Important Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamp | |---------------------------------------------|-----------| | ChatGPT Pro: Foundational Investment | 02:12 | | Creating a Master Prompt | 04:20 | | System Prompts & Iterative Refinement | 13:29 | | Threatening AI for Better Output (Joking) | 16:20 | | Organizing with Project Folders | 23:05 | | Canvases: Real-Time Iteration | 33:08 | | Praise Email Example | 38:30 | | Custom Instructions Explained | 43:14 | | Custom GPTs: Saving Days, Not Minutes | 53:11 | | Book Architect: The Rob Dyrdek Story | 55:33 | | AI Takes 92%; You Bring the 8% Artistry | 59:52 | | Build Habits for Long-Term Edge | 01:02:20 | | Take Action With Provided Blueprints | 01:05:47 |

Tone & Style

Dan Martell's tone is energetic, practical, and encouraging, sprinkled with humor (e.g., joking about "threatening" the AI), and focuses on actionable steps anyone can follow. His style demystifies AI, turning it from an intimidating concept into everyday leverage.

Final Takeaway

Dan Martell’s episode makes it clear: the real edge isn’t just using AI—it’s using it intentionally, creatively, and habitually. With the right prompts, structure, and daily habits, you can automate most of your workload, freeing your time and attention for what truly matters. All it takes is the willingness to take action.

"I'm giving you the blueprint... Now it's up to you to take action." ([01:05:47])

Links to Prompts and Resources are in the episode description. Follow Dan for more in-depth tutorials and resources!