How I Use AI And Where I Keep It Human
People often ask me how I actually use AI in my day-to-day work. Here’s my working inventory, including the tools I rely on, the time they give back, and the parts of my work I keep human on purpose.
Navigate Change. Amplify Potential.
Sixteen Use Cases Across Four AI Tools
I use ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini for different kinds of work. Each estimate below compares the work to doing the same thing without AI.
What I Use AI For
Some of these run every week and others every month, so each card shows its own time frame.
Recurring AI Agents
Scheduled tasks that run on their own and bring me results I can act on.
Speaking and Writing Opportunity Discovery
ChatGPT scheduled tasksScheduled tasks search for speaking slots and writing opportunities and deliver a list I can act on each week.
Networking Event Discovery
ChatGPT scheduled tasksEach week I get a curated list of networking events where I’m likely to meet the people I want to know.
Weekend Activity Research and Planning
ChatGPT scheduled tasksA scheduled task gathers weekend events and ideas, so my planning time goes into choosing what we’ll do.
Custom AI Workspaces
Specialized spaces I’ve set up with my own context, goals, and voice.
AI Sales Coach
ChatGPTA workspace I built to research prospects, prepare for conversations, and shape sales strategy before I reach out.
Keeping My HubSpot CRM Updated
Claude + HubSpotClaude connects directly to my HubSpot account and keeps my contact and deal records current. My pipeline reflects what’s actually happening in my business without the data entry that usually falls behind.
Managing Projects In Wrike
Claude + WrikeClaude connects directly to my Wrike workspace. I can create tasks, update statuses, and check what’s due by asking in plain language, so my project plans stay current and my planning time goes into setting priorities.
Social Media Management and Content Planning
ChatGPTA dedicated space for planning content, generating ideas, and keeping my posting calendar organized.
Meal Planning From My Own Recipes
ChatGPTI save recipes I love into a dedicated folder, and ChatGPT builds my meal plans from that collection.
Personal Style and Wardrobe Guidance
ChatGPTI built a database of the clothes I already own. When I shopped, I took pictures of pieces I was considering, and ChatGPT told me whether each one would work with several items already in my closet.
Thinking and Research
Support for working through ideas and finding information I can trust.
Ideation, Brainstorming, and Thought Organization
ChatGPTMy thinking partner for testing ideas and turning scattered notes into something I can use.
Research and Information Synthesis
PerplexityResearch, comparisons, and fact-checking, with sources I can follow back and verify before anything gets published.
Building and Creating
Digital experiences and visual content I produce myself with AI’s help.
Website Development and Optimization
ClaudeI build and refine this website with Claude. That includes interactive assessments like the AI Readiness Scan, a sponsorship value calculator, a referral page, and SEO cleanup across older blog posts.
Visual Content Creation
Gemini NotebookI turn written content into visual assets that support my articles, talks, and posts.
Learning and Growth
Personalized instruction that helps me keep building skills on my own schedule.
Presentation Skills Development and Practice
ChatGPTPractice runs and feedback that sharpen how I organize and deliver a talk.
Poetry Writing Instruction
ChatGPTPersonalized lessons that help me grow as a poet at my own pace.
Financial Literacy and Planning Support
ChatGPTA patient tutor for financial concepts, scenarios, and calculations. The decisions stay with me and my advisors.
Where I Keep The Human Touch
Knowing when to use AI matters as much as knowing how. In every area of my work, I decide what AI supports and what stays with me.
I use AI to expand my capacity while my judgment stays in charge. Relationships, creativity, trust, and lived experience stay with me.
Writing and Thought Leadership
Research, structure, editing, and brainstorming
Original perspectives, lived experience, argument development, and final editorial judgment
Speaking and Presentations
Practice, feedback, and content organization
Storytelling, audience connection, delivery, and improvisation
Sales and Business Development
Prospect analysis, preparation, and follow-up planning
Relationship-building, listening, trust, and negotiation
Project Management
Task creation, status updates, and deadline tracking
Priorities, client commitments, and decisions about what matters most
Social Media
Content planning, ideas, and organization
My voice, personal experiences, and authentic engagement
Research
Discovery, summarization, and comparisons
Source evaluation, critical thinking, and interpretation
Financial Planning
Scenario exploration, calculations, and education
Financial decisions, priorities, and professional advice when needed
Website Development
Coding help, design options, and optimization
Brand direction, positioning, and user experience decisions
Creative Work
Inspiration, coaching, and visual exploration
Personal expression, originality, and creative judgment
What My AI Practice Covers
Applied AI and Productivity
I use several AI platforms to speed up research, planning, learning, and execution.
AI Agents and Recurring Workflows
Scheduled tasks handle opportunity discovery, lead generation, and event research for me.
Custom AI Workspaces
I’ve built specialized tools for sales coaching, social media management, meal planning, and my wardrobe.
AI-Assisted Development
I use Claude to build and improve websites and interactive digital tools.
Multimodal Content Creation
I pair written content with AI-generated visual assets.
Human-Centered AI Adoption
I make deliberate choices about which work to augment and which to keep human-led.
Let’s Talk About AI In Your Organization
If you’re figuring out where AI fits in your team’s work and where people need to stay at the center, I’d love to compare notes.
Let’s TalkHow I Estimate The Numbers
Time saved is the hours each use case saves, multiplied by how often I use it, compared with doing the same work without AI. Value is that time at an illustrative rate of $75 an hour.
These are estimates of time avoided, and real results depend on frequency, complexity, and review time. I track avoided expenses separately so nothing gets counted twice.
Some use cases help me do things I wouldn’t have done at all, and that added capability is often worth more than the hours.